| Baen's Universe February 2008 |
[Mar. 30th, 2008|11:53 am] |
(A bit behind in reading this but better late than never)
Best of Issue
End of the Line Holly Messinger
Honorable Mention
Premature Emergence by Eric James Stone
Waking Ophelia by E. Catherine Tobler
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| Long time no write |
[Mar. 30th, 2008|11:35 am] |
The Dresden Files books 1-9 by Jim Butcher
Aquamancer by Don Callander
Geomancer by Don Callander
Undertow by Elizabeth Bear (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) matociquala)
Hammer's Slammers Volume 1 by David Drake
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| Endgame |
[Jan. 27th, 2008|10:13 am] |
by Kristine Smith (kristine_smith)
I spent the first third of the book wondering what happened to the Jani that we had met in the previous books but then she returned. There was Jani the catalyst, Jani the thorn in people's side (and butt and foot and...), Jani the doer. After the necessary setup, we were back on the thrill ride that marks the Jani books. Once again, the thrill ride ended leaving us (and Jani) breathless and Jani victorious. There is definitely the literary equivalent of a deafening crescendo when things all finally come together. I hope Smith's other project takes off as I enjoy her writing style.
Spoiler-ish things behind the cut.
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| The Promethean Age |
[Jan. 20th, 2008|11:45 am] |
Blood and Iron and Whiskey and Water by Elizabeth Bear (matociquala)
The short stories in Jim Baen's Universe as well as Bear's live journal drew me to the Promethean Age books as they were slightly outside of what my general interest is. After reading them I feel a bit undereducated and think that a bibliography for the mythos would have been a welcome addition. I am familiar with the general mythology being put forth but not quite familiar enough to really and truly appreciate how Bear is building and shaping it. I also lack any knowledge of Christopher Marlowe other than the most general and what wikipedia spits out.
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| Janet Evanovich |
[Jan. 20th, 2008|10:49 am] |
Lean Mean Thirteen and Plum Lucky
The great thing about formula fiction is that if you like the formula then you are in luck. Thirteen fits right in with the rest of the series and may actually be a bit of retrenchment. There is a lot more focus on the main cast of characters and little on the quirky supporting characters and in fact, I don't believe, no new quirky character that got more than a fleeting role.
Plum Lucky was a bit more entertaining and even laugh out loud funny in places. I think this is because it is a "between the numbers" book that Evanovich allows herself to be a more over the top and that is makes it enjoyable as opposed to the numbers books which seem to have to fit a bit more into the mystery/thriller genre than the between the numbers books. |
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| Liaden Universe Companion - Volume 2 |
[Jan. 20th, 2008|10:46 am] |
by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (rolanni and kinzel)
As always, an interesting collection of Liaden short stories filling in the back story and the small gaps in the universe. Also as always, definitely recommended. |
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| Kris Longknife: Deserter |
[Jan. 20th, 2008|10:43 am] |
by Mike Shepherd
This one may have upgraded for me the series from something to look for in used book stored and book sales to actually buying new. The characters were more interesting and seem more comfortable in their skins. The supporting characters (especially the maid Abby) have gained more depth and makes things more interesting. |
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| House of Chains |
[Jan. 20th, 2008|10:38 am] |
by Steven Erikson
The next book in the epic saga. I think I need to start keeping notes to keep track of characters since this started with characters that showed up a couple of books back. A very dense but entertaining read. I still don't think I am any closer to figuring out where this story is headed though. I have learned not to grow attached to characters as they either end up dead or radically changed the events of the story. The system of magic and gods and what not still leaves me puzzling a bit but I've given up and just go with the general thrust of things. This one wrapped up a few loose ends (primarly Sha'ik) and seemed to be setting up things for a bigger explosion in many directions with the next book. |
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| Access Denied |
[Jan. 20th, 2008|10:02 am] |
by Donna Andrews
The premise: an AI has achieved sentience and for various reasons is acting as a detective but can't do the leg work herself (I'm sort of reminded of Nero Wolfe in some ways).
A pretty decent mystery story once you stop reading the AI introspection. Having not read the other books in the series I'm not sure if Nestor Garcia is a real integral part of the story or is a just a McGuffin and if he is ever found the series would be over. |
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| Dragon Companion and Pyromancer |
[Jan. 20th, 2008|09:49 am] |
by Don Callander
The start of a couple of different fantasy series that seem to be long out of print. I suppose that is the danger of anything you might buy at a used book store. These are enjoyable reads that embrace being fantasy and don't go overboard in trying to make the protagonist's life miserable. They also fit the profile of a good introduction to fantasy that are safe for younger readers. These and the first David Eddings series are on that list currently.
Dragon Companion describes itself quite well. It is the story of a human who is adopted as a companion of a dragon and their adventures. Pyromancer is the story of a novice magic user (the self-titled pyromancer) and his adventurers. Both have an interesting supporting cast and enough plot to keep things moving forward at a good clip. |
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| Winterworld |
[Jan. 20th, 2008|09:43 am] |
by C.J. Mills.
An enjoyable if slightly confusing and frustrating book. It was written in the third person but not a completely omniscient third person and this led to the feeling that the author was figuring out certain aspects of the complicated society as she wrote and that how it turned out was going to be as much of a surprise to the author as to the reader and protagonist. |
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| The Island Worlds |
[Jan. 20th, 2008|09:37 am] |
by Eric Kotani and John Maddox Roberts.
An older but still enjoyable look at the future of humans in space and the natural tensions that arise between the Earth bound and the ones at the limits of their control. Mix in a little fanaticism and a little science and the books reads quickly. A little googling shows that is the middle of three book series but it seems to stand up well enough alone. |
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| Baen's Universe Volume 2, Number 4 (December) |
[Jan. 1st, 2008|09:58 am] |
Best of Issue
Misfts by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (rolanni and kinzel)
Honorable Mention
Laws of Survival by Nancy Kress
Darwin's Suitcase by Elizabeth Malartre
Second Banana by Way Jeng
Queen's Mask by Barbara E. Tarbox
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| Baen's Universe Volume 2, Number 3 (October) |
[Dec. 30th, 2007|05:49 pm] |
Best of Issue
From the Badlands by Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett
The Rest of Your Life in a Day by Elizabeth Bear (matociquala)
Honorable Mention
Dreamtime by Rob Shelsky
Kether Station by C.L. Polk
A Better Sense of Direction by Mike Wood
The Quiet Man by David Carrico
A nice rebound from the previous issue. The biographies for Gorg Huff and Paula Goodlett indicate that they have experience with alternate timelines in Eric Flint's 1632 universe and it shows. From the Badlands is well put together and handles new old technology well.
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| Baen's Universe Volume 2, Number 2 |
[Aug. 16th, 2007|07:40 pm] |
Best of the Issue
The Lord-Protector's Daughter by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
Honorable Mention
Free Space by Carrie Vaughn
An Ocean is a Snowflake, Four Billion Miles Away by John Barnes
This is one of the more disappointing issues to date. It just didn't have much depth to it. Modesitt's story was very good and I am going to have to look around to see if there are more stories with Mykella in it or if this was the start of a new time period. |
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| Kris Longknife: Mutineer |
[Aug. 4th, 2007|08:26 am] |
by Mike Shepherd (which evidently is a pseudonym for Mike Moscoe)
An enjoyable space navy story. I had a couple of irritations with minor plot points that were left hanging, the most being exactly what price did Kris end up paying to get a real cook on Olympia. There are hints of things to come and an interesting supporting cast that some of them deserve their own arc in some future book. I hope the future books have more Grandpas Ray and Trouble.
This book, like Dexta in the previous post, have a number of sequels, however (and this is probably to the chagrin of midlist writers everywhere), I just don't know if they are worth the seven or dollar price tag to buy new to read once. |
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| Dexta |
[Aug. 4th, 2007|08:22 am] |
by C.J. Ryan (whose author page at Random House says "C.J. Ryan is the pseudonym of an author who lives and works in Philadelphia" which amuses me).
I would have to classify this as firmly in the pulp tradition. Once the author got done describing the transparent clothing (when she was wearing any) of the heroine the plot was actually pretty decent. Ryan did set things up so that some of the description was necessary to establish the setting and move the plot along but it definitely got overbearing quickly, luckily the second half of the book focused more on moving the plot along than the heroine's wardrobe choices. |
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| big catchup |
[Aug. 4th, 2007|08:19 am] |
Local Custom by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Scout's Progress by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler
The Protege by Stephen Frey
The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
Trojan Odyssey by Clive Cussler
Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich
Black Wind by Clive Cusser
The Legacy by Stephen Frey
The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn
Killing Floor by Lee Child
All in all, the boy usually gets the girl in these. For the most part, prototypical summer reading. |
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| Baen's Universe Volume 2, Number 1 |
[Jun. 24th, 2007|08:20 pm] |
Best of the Issue
Cryptic Coloration by Elizabeth Bear (matociquala)
Touching the Dead by J. Kathleen Cheney (j_cheney)
Honorable Mention
Running Water for L.A. by Eric M. Witchey
Swing Time by Carrie Vaughn
Child, Maiden, Woman, Crone by Terry Bramlett
This issue was better than the last but still not quite as good as the first five.
Ms. Bear has written another short story that will probably lead me to read the novels in the same universe (which seems to be the Promethean Age novels Blood & Iron and Whiskey & Water). And again these are novels that I would not have picked up based on the back cover blurbs.
J. Kathleen Cheney's story definitely leaves me wanting to read more. The first line was quite a hook for me: "The colonel, Shironne decided, must be one of those clever people, the kind who liked to fix things." I liked Shironne and Colonel Cerradine quite a lot and wish Ms. Cheney the best of luck with her novel as I look forward to reading more about Shironne's adventures. |
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| Recent books read |
[Jun. 17th, 2007|08:08 pm] |
Rolling Hot by David Darke
A Hammer's Slammer novel. Pretty standard military sci-fi. Not an especially happy book but then I don't really expect my military sci-fi to be.
The Candle of Distant Earth by Alan Dean Foster
Pretty much standard Alan Dean Foster - full of aliens, a little quirky, and dealing with people displaced from Earth. The inside the flap blurb for this book gave away most of the back story that was slowly parceled out over the first two thirds of the book which was a bit of shock to me since most blurbs only summarize/tease the first portion of the back thus it did not open the way I expected and probably gave away too much that the reader should have had to figure out for himself.
The Ethical Assassin by David Liss
My first non-SFF book in quite a while. Not bad and while it was supposed to be set in 1985 I had a general overall feeling that there were a certain number of anachronisms in it but I couldn't quite put my finger on one. Decent story with a few interesting twists to keep things. There could have been another paragraph or two at the end of tie up a couple of supporting character loose ends.
Hellspark by Janet Kagan
This book had recently been talked up by rolanni and kinzel among others so when I saw it in the used bookstore I figured it was worth picking up. I would call that serendipidity since otherwise I would just left it on the shelf. It is definitely a book worth reading. Now, as to whether it is worth all the hype I'm still deciding. It was a good read the first time (I ended up finishing it in a day) but I'm not sure if it will stand up to multiple re-readings, I'll have to wait a while and think on it It took some getting into since you are dropped smack dab into the middle of an alien place and alien solar system and the narrative has such a high number of words that need to be figured out in context it takes some work. Once you get a few chapters in it just rolls along. It is definitely worth reading it you chance across a copy. |
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