This was a great little story giving Taryn's point of view for some of the events from The Cruel Prince. Even though you can infer many of Taryn's motThis was a great little story giving Taryn's point of view for some of the events from The Cruel Prince. Even though you can infer many of Taryn's motivations in the book, there are definitely some moments of clarification here....more
I'm not usually a reader of regency fiction, but maybe I just needed to have more sexytimes incorporated into the story to make it interesting, becausI'm not usually a reader of regency fiction, but maybe I just needed to have more sexytimes incorporated into the story to make it interesting, because I enjoyed this very much. Many of my SFF reading friends on Goodreads also read a fair bit of romance, so I have been picking up a few titles that they have been talking about. I thought this one was pretty steamy, although because I haven't read a large number of adult romance titles I can't really say where it falls in terms of what is average for the genre. However, my friend Lindsay indicates that the BDSM elements were a bit of an unusual twist for this setting.
I liked the two main characters, but especially Poppy, who was strong and independent, and so very likeable to me. The writing was good and I liked the way the story unfolded. Probably my only complaint would be that the book didn't end quite as smoothly as I would have liked, but particularly given that this is the author's first novel, I thought overall it was very good.
The second book in this series, The Earl I Ruined, features one of the supporting characters from this book whom I was quite taken with. Given that and how much fun I had reading this, I hope to pick it up soon....more
This is a superb collection of short stories set in the world of the Raksura. This is not the place to start if you haven't read any of the books, butThis is a superb collection of short stories set in the world of the Raksura. This is not the place to start if you haven't read any of the books, but extremely satisfying if you have.
The Falling World A short adventure that takes place not long after the events of book 3 of the main series, The Siren Depths. The Reaches continue to contain mystery and danger previously unseen by the Raksura. This was like a short form of the novels, with rich descriptions of both the world and the intensely emotional interactions between the characters. Of particular interest is the signal change in the way River and Moon seem to deal with each other, plus some illumination of Ember, whose character was left largely unexplored in The Siren Depths. I loved it.
The Tale of Indigo and Cloud Finally! The story we hear referenced throughout the novels about how the sister queen Indigo steals the consort Cloud from the court of Emerald Twilight. Stone makes a brief appearance as a giggling fledgling, if you can believe it. Learning more about Indigo and Cloud I can see now a basis for Stone's special affection for Moon and Jade and their unconventional ways. My favourite story of the collection.
The Forest Boy A snapshot of one of the events of Moon's life as a boy after his mother and siblings were killed. Told from the perspective of the groundlings who take him in, it's just as sad as expected given what we know of Moon's history.
Adaptation Another snapshot detailing Chime's change from Arbora mentor to Aeriat warrior. Again, no surprises, but a nice complementary piece which fills in the details of an important event often referred to in the novels....more
A delightful little Victorian romance. This was very well written with lots of wonderful historical details. The main characters were both extremely lA delightful little Victorian romance. This was very well written with lots of wonderful historical details. The main characters were both extremely likable and had me on their side from the start.
I will be checking out more of Mathews' work!...more
Not really a story so much as a little snippet giving a glimpse of the kids Lachlan raised and used to experiment on. Not bad, but not adding3.5 stars
Not really a story so much as a little snippet giving a glimpse of the kids Lachlan raised and used to experiment on. Not bad, but not adding a huge amount of value either....more
I read this with my 10 year old son for the kids bookclub he belongs to through one of our local independent bo3.5 stars from me 4.75 stars from my son
I read this with my 10 year old son for the kids bookclub he belongs to through one of our local independent bookstores. It wasn't one I had previously heard of, although it is a Dutch classic, where it was originally published in 1962.
This is quaintly written old fashioned chivalric fantasy which would provide a nice entry to the genre for middle grade and young adult audiences. It's an older book, and reads that way, but it nevertheless has a simple appeal that keeps it fresh enough for modern readers.
My son is not new to fantasy, and he quite enjoyed this. Aside from the story, he loved the included map and black and white illustrations done by the author. It was quite an accomplishment for him to tackle a book that comes in at just over 500 pages, but the story moves along at a nice pace that ended up making the length less daunting for him.
Normally I'm the kind of person who skips all the novellas and shorts and just sticks with the main series books. In the case of the novellas associatNormally I'm the kind of person who skips all the novellas and shorts and just sticks with the main series books. In the case of the novellas associated with Vorkosigan Saga, however, they have all proved well worth reading. The Borders of Infinity is no exception....more
I read this with my 10 year old son for his book club run through a local independent book store, and we really enjoyed it!
It is a genuinely humorousI read this with my 10 year old son for his book club run through a local independent book store, and we really enjoyed it!
It is a genuinely humorous and well-written middle grade book. No surprise as the club facilitator is an absolute book genius when it comes to kids and YA titles.
I don't know whether to be surprised or not to find that none of the other parents read the book. Am I unusual for reading the books my kids are reading? Genuine question. I just like to enjoy the books with them and talk to them about what they read.
I read this a couple of months ago, and after a bit of time has gone by I have realised that this is one of those books I actually3.5 stars rounded up
I read this a couple of months ago, and after a bit of time has gone by I have realised that this is one of those books I actually liked more than I thought.
Gratton weaves an incredibly atmospheric tale examining the bonds of love and friendship, and how self-identity bears on them, particularly when you are confronted with changing your conception of who you are.
It also has some horror elements, particularly some stark body horror, making it an all around unusual book that is hard for me to neatly categorize. It isn't a fast moving story, but I did find it pretty compelling, and as I said, after thinking on it a while I ended up liking it even more than I thought I did....more
This was quite good, and my kids enjoyed listening to the audiobook, but it didn't have nearly the complexity and depth of The Seven Realms s3.5 stars
This was quite good, and my kids enjoyed listening to the audiobook, but it didn't have nearly the complexity and depth of The Seven Realms series. That said, it was compelling enough that my kids and I are continuing the series....more
I quite loved this novella. Miles Vorkosigan is starting to remind me of a kind of Indiana Jones in space - an adventurer of ideals if you will.
[D]onI quite loved this novella. Miles Vorkosigan is starting to remind me of a kind of Indiana Jones in space - an adventurer of ideals if you will.
[D]on't wish to be normal...You'll only waste your precious time in futile frustration. Wish to be great! That at least you have a fighting chance for. Great at whatever you are....more
A better than expected near future disaster book based on the extremely likely possibility that California is fast approaching a new era of e3.5 stars
A better than expected near future disaster book based on the extremely likely possibility that California is fast approaching a new era of extreme fresh water shortages.
Everything that can go wrong for the main characters pretty much does. The thing that makes stories like these so frightening is the realism injected into them, something Dry does pretty effectively.
My reading of this was made even more grim by recent "news" from the UN indicating that the unequivocal reality of fully realised catastrophic climate change is only about 20 years hence....more
A fantastic ending to a terrific series which, as a whole, really merits a 5 star rating. Overall the Seven Realms ranks as one of my favourite YA fanA fantastic ending to a terrific series which, as a whole, really merits a 5 star rating. Overall the Seven Realms ranks as one of my favourite YA fantasy series.
Listening to the series on audio with my 10 and 13 year old was such a wonderful experience. Both of them loved all of the books, their only complaint about The Crimson Crown being that it marked the end of the story we have been so involved in together these past few months.
A fabulously written story of three generations of family and friends living through the tumult of the Cultural Revolution and then the political upheA fabulously written story of three generations of family and friends living through the tumult of the Cultural Revolution and then the political upheaval culminating in the Tiananmen Square demonstrations.
This is fiction based on reality, and in so many ways it reads like the most frightening of dystopias. But at it's heart is the story of the many ways people choose to survive, or not, in the times and circumstances they have been born into....more
A quick paced story with unexpectedly impressive character development. I was happy to see a trans character whose role was so much more than just to A quick paced story with unexpectedly impressive character development. I was happy to see a trans character whose role was so much more than just to be "the trans character." Interesting examination of family dynamics, both positive and negative, and friendships developed in crisis situations.
Although obviously this is first in a series, this book brings the story to a good closing spot without a tiresome cliffhanger ending. That said, I will definitely check out the next book.
Overall an extremely good debut novel from an author who is clearly going places....more
Shockingly, my first book by the prolific and decorated Lois McMaster Bujold, but definitely not my last.
This was really enjoyable for me. I sometimesShockingly, my first book by the prolific and decorated Lois McMaster Bujold, but definitely not my last.
This was really enjoyable for me. I sometimes struggle with older SF, finding it a bit stiff and not as expressively written as I prefer. That wasn't the case here. I loved the compact story that builds up at the end for an exciting conclusion. The characters were quite nicely done, and were an interestingly different combination of both the subtle and the obvious.
In a way this book reminded me of those pre-CGI SF films and TV shows that put more of a premium on entertainment through the telling of the story rather than being essentially a vehicle to showcase special effects. This was an entertaining story, and it was very focused, unencumbered by detailing anything extraneous to the actual events.
I listened to the audiobook of this (my library has the whole series on Hoopla!), and honestly, I wasn't at first a huge fan of the narrator, Grover Gardner. However, I came to appreciate him a bit more as the story proceeded. He has kind of a storyteller's cadence to his speech that actually went well with the way the book is written. It felt like he was telling me a story rather than reading one, if that makes any sense.
In any event, I'm absolutely continuing with this series, and have already started listening to Shards of Honor....more
A short piece that nevertheless manages the richness in worldbuilding that I have come to associate with Tchaikovsky's work. While I didn't like this A short piece that nevertheless manages the richness in worldbuilding that I have come to associate with Tchaikovsky's work. While I didn't like this one quite as much as the novella Dogs of War, it was still very good. Tchaikovsky again shows how very skilled he is at capturing the voices of his characters, and so we see here with the point of view character, Handry, use of a very different style and phrasing than in other works.
The story itself is fairly straightforward and I wasn't surprised by anything that happened, but the overall execution is excellent and makes it truly enjoyable....more
Another excellent installment in this impressively rich young adult fantasy series.
Listening to this series on audiobook this summer with my kids (10Another excellent installment in this impressively rich young adult fantasy series.
Listening to this series on audiobook this summer with my kids (10 and 13) has been a great experience. The story is so detailed and rich, providing entertainment for all three of us. I'm quite invested at this point and looking forward to the final book, The Crimson Crown. Raisa is a strong and likeable heroine, and the former scoundrel Han continues to mature into an equally endearing male lead.
My daughter's favourite is Amon, the honourable friend and guard, and she continues to hope for an ending that will satisfy her: "I know they have other stuff to worry about, but maybe they will all end up together in a polyamorous marriage."
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