The Blade Itself
Solidly entertaining debut fantasy novel, first in what promises to be a rather good trilogy
Giraffe
The story of a group of giraffes that end up in Prague zoo in the mid 70’s as told through the eyes of various individuals who interact with the animals during the journey to Prague and when they are settled at the zoo.
Beautifully written, it’s episodic, rambling nature robs the book of narrative momentum.
The novel feels like it’s going nowhere until the last 90 pages when the story comes together to a point in magnificent fashion.
Points are taken off for making me fall asleep reading it…
B+, Books, Fiction, Mainstream Fiction, Rated
B+, Books, Fiction, Mainstream Fiction, Rated
15:47, February 10th 2010
The Steel Remains
Astonishingly good, brutal fantasy from the writer of rather good, brutal SF Noir.
Twists the fantasy template in interesting ways for fabulous effect.
Lead characters Ringil, Archeth and Egar are war heroes, veterans of a brutal conflict living with the compromises forced upon them by the political fallout of the aftermath.
The Fifth Elephant
A Guards story that I had completely forgotten about
B+, Books, Fiction, Humour, Rated, fantasy
B+, Books, Fiction, Humour, Rated, fantasy
15:00, January 26th 2010
Mockingbird
Intriguing science fiction from the author of The Hustler and The Color Of Money.
It’s a few hundred years in the future and a mankind coddled by robots and lulled into drugged sterility – both mental and physical is dwindling to it’s last generation until a man in Ohio learns to read..
Raising so many ideas about the nature of humanity and the burdens of artificial intelligence this is really a very good bit of science fiction.
A, Books, Fiction, Rated, Science Fiction
A, Books, Fiction, Rated, Science Fiction
22:35, January 21st 2010
Boneshaker
It’s got everything you’d ever want – a steampunk setting in Seattle, with zombies and airship pirates, oh and a kickass female protagonist who’s handy with a shotgun…
A, Alternative History, Books, Fiction, Rated, Science Fiction
A, Alternative History, Books, Fiction, Rated, Science Fiction
23:12, January 15th 2010
July, July by Tim O’Brien, rated B
B, Books, Fiction, Mainstream Fiction
B, Books, Fiction, Mainstream Fiction
22:22, January 12th 2010
heinlein’s last great book is dated badly by some bizarre sexual politics and heavy handed political theorizing
B+, Books, Fiction, Rated, Science Fiction
B+, Books, Fiction, Rated, Science Fiction
00:17, January 10th 2010