4.5 out of 5 stars A magnificently rollicking, heisting, conning, scheming, and hilarious series featuring one of the most enjoyable casts of characters I've ever read. Goodreads: Gentlemen Bastards - The Lies of Locke Lamora (4.5/5 stars); Red Seas Under Red Skies (4.5/5 stars); The Republic of Thieves (4.5/5 stars) From his days as a … Continue reading Review: The Lies of Locke Larmora series
Review: System Divine Trilogy
4.5 out of 5 stars A young adult space western historical epic that has Broadway show tunes ringing in my head? Vive la revolution! Goodreads.com: Sky Without Stars (4.5 stars); Between Burning Worlds (4.5 stars); Suns Will Rise (4.25 stars) Now THIS is the kind of reimagining I want! It's (quite) loosely based on Victor … Continue reading Review: System Divine Trilogy
Review: The Library Book
4.5 out of 5 stars A book about books, to reading about reading, by one of the greatest writers of modern nonfiction. Goodreads.com: The Library Book, by Susan Orleans In 1986, a perfect storm of unfortunate circumstance caused a raging blaze at the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. One of those circumstances … Continue reading Review: The Library Book
Review: Monsters of Verity Duology
3.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads.com: This Savage Song (3.5 stars), Our Dark Duet (3 stars), by Victoria Schwab In the world of Verity, evil has a consequence: it spawns monsters. Non-lethal violence births hive-minded wraiths called Corsai, and killing spawns a higher order of monster, the Malchi. They both want to kill and eat … Continue reading Review: Monsters of Verity Duology
Review: House of Sky and Breath
4 out of 5 stars The end. THE END! My screaming. And everything before it is good, too. House of Sky and Breath, by Sarah J. Maas (Crescent City #2) I would have said that "all the things" happen in House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1, 3.5 stars), but Sarah J. Maas had … Continue reading Review: House of Sky and Breath
Review: The Other Side of the Sky duology
2.5 out of 5 stars Good start, but unless there's a big plot twist coming, just get to the point. Goodreads.com: The Other Side of the Sky (3 stars) and Beyond the End of the World (2.5 stars), by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner Nimh is the goddess of her people, the sole remaining heir … Continue reading Review: The Other Side of the Sky duology
Review: Station Eleven
4.5 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, Station Eleven is more realistic now than when it was written. A pandemic has killed 99% of the people on Earth, but this isn't a horror novel. It's a hopeful one. Goodreads.com: Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel Timelines weave seamlessly through Station Eleven. In one, the … Continue reading Review: Station Eleven
Review: Serpent and Dove Trilogy
3.5 out of 5 stars Spunky and charming old-fashioned witchcraft (en francais!) in need of better pacing. Goodreads.com: Serpent & Dove (4/5 stars); Blood & Honey (3.5/5 stars); Gods & Monsters (3/5 stars), by Shelby Mahurin Serpent and Dove is a solid supernatural tale. Louise Le Blanc is the heiress to the greatest magical power … Continue reading Review: Serpent and Dove Trilogy
Review: The Broken Earth Trilogy
4 out of 5 stars Oh the puns want to write themselves in this review. Rock solid sci-fi? Down to Earth? I'm a hack even in failing to adequately sum up my praise for this series. Goodreads.com: The Fifth Season (4.5/5 stars), The Obelisk Gate (4/5 stars), The Stone Sky (3/5 stars) by NK Jemisin … Continue reading Review: The Broken Earth Trilogy
Review: Aurora’s End
3.75 out of 5 stars Excellent series, strong finish, but I still hate time loops. Goodreads.com: Aurora's End, by Amie Kaufmann and Jay Kristoff (The Aurora Cycle #3) I love The Aurora Cycle, and as a series, I'd give the whole thing 4.25 stars. It started out whiz-bang in Aurora Burning (4.5 stars), sunk it's … Continue reading Review: Aurora’s End