Keeping it Real

 Keeping it Real by Justina Robson 333 pgs

Summary from Goodreads: The Quantum Bomb of 2015 changed everything. The fabric that kept the universe's different dimensions apart was torn and now, six years later, the people of earth exist in uneasy company with the inhabitants of, amongst others, the elfin, elemental, and demonic realms. Magic is real and can be even more dangerous than technology. Elves are exotic, erotic, dangerous, and really bored with the constant Lord of the Rings references. Elementals are a law unto themselves and demons are best left well to themselves.

Special agent Lila Black used to be pretty, but now she's not so sure. Her body is more than half restless carbon and metal alloy machinery, a machine she's barely in control of. It goes into combat mode, enough weapons for a small army springing from within itself, at the merest provocation. As for her heart, well, ever since being drawn into a game by the elfin rockstar Zal (lead singer of The No Shows), who she's been assigned to protect, she's not even sure she can trust that any more either.

And here's what I thought: I re-read this and it's been enough years that most of the story was completely new to me. Robson has a different kind of take on elves than you might expect, and she creates a really cool world here. The idea of the Quantum Bomb takes this story in some really interesting directions. There is some humor in this story, and Lila Black is a character that I liked. The story is a mashup of cyborg sci-fi with fantasy, and there are some great parts to this book. At times, the story did seem to veer into odd directions and I had completely forgotten that there were some romance elements in this story. But, it was fun to read again and I might look for the second book in the series in the future. 

A Memory Called Empire

 A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1) by Arkady Martine 462 pages 

Summary from Goodreads: Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn't an accident—or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court.

Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan's unceasing expansion—all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret—one that might spell the end of her Station and her way of life—or rescue it from annihilation.

What I thought:  A few people in my book group had mentioned that they really liked this book, and since I haven't read much science fiction lately, I figured I would give it a try. I really enjoyed the ideas in this book and how as a reader you learn about a place and people through the eyes of the main character -- as they learn, so do you. I also liked a lot of the concepts in this book, especially that Mahit has a brain implant that gives her access to previous ambassadors. And of course, something goes wrong, leaving Mahit mostly alone to navigate the treacherous waters of her duties.  This story is extremely detailed, which makes it relatively easy to become immersed in the world of the Teixcalaanli Empire. I felt at times, the story slowed down a little too much for my liking, but appreciated that this gave me the opportunity to really think about what was happening in the story. If you like multi-layered political intrigue stories mixed with "stranger in a strange land" type of stories, this may be a good book to try.

The Spaceship Next Door

The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette   353 pages

"Three years ago, a spaceship landed in an open field in the quiet mill town of Sorrow Falls, Massachusetts. It never opened its doors, and for all that time, the townspeople have wondered why the ship landed there, and what—or who—could be inside.  Then one day a government operative—posing as a journalist—arrives in town, asking questions. He discovers sixteen-year-old Annie Collins, one of the ship’s closest neighbors and a local fixture known throughout the town, who has some of the answers.  As a matter of fact, Annie Collins might be the most important person on the planet. She just doesn’t know it."  (Goodreads)

This was a book I wouldn't known about, had it not been a book group pick. And, I really liked it! It is a slow starter and at one point, I wondered if anything was going to happen with the plot . . . and then it started to pick up, went in a direction I didn't expect, and then it went in the direction of BIG, interesting ideas.  So, very cool.  Something else I liked about this book is that the characters are very realistically written.  Annie is a smart girl, but she's not pretentious, or precious --- she's believable. And so are the other characters, even the quirky ones. This is the kind of story that you could see yourself in, or believe could happen.  And the science-fiction aspects of it made sense --- it's not hard science fiction, so it's what I call "SciFi Light."  Definitely a story where the ordinary person is a hero.

Morgan Kingsley series books 1-5

Morgan Kingsley series books 1 -5 (Devil Inside, Devil You Know, Devil’s Due, Speak of the Devil, and Devil’s Playground) by Jenna Black, 1699 pages

In a world where people can host demons, legally and illegally, there is always a need for exorcists. They serve the public as paranormal executioners, casting out illegal demons, and those that have broken the law. Exorcists like demons come in different strengths, and Morgan Kingsley is one of the strongest exorcists around. But after an abnormally strong demon exorcism goes wrong, she is haunted by weird dreams, bouts of sleepwalking, and fears she may have a demon inside her.

I wasn’t sure which direction this science fiction series was going to take. Was I going to get a detective series, where Morgan has to research various demons, learn their names or history and then cast them out type series, which would get rather dull and repetitive. Or would Morgan discover something weird with the demons/herself and have to figure it out to save the world? It is definitely this. Frankly I think the “save the world” motif is a little overused in science fiction, but it is hard to come up with a better compelling threat. Luckily Black was able to keep this world ending threat both interesting and unique enough to make this series quite the read. I will also give her credit for staying away from the standard holy items kill demon motif. I enjoyed reading this series, and blew through it in under a week. I would recommend this to people looking for a twist on demon science fiction.

Note: I read these online, as the library only owns Speak of the Devil

Aftermath

Aftermath by Chuck Wendig, 379 pages


So despite giving up on the Star Wars extended universe somewhere in my high school years, I was at least briefly drawn back into its fold. In what might be the first new canon book of the Disney owned Star Wars era, Aftermath takes place shortly after the destruction of the second Death Star, while the faltering Empire tries to consolidate its power, and halt the rampant advance of the New Republic.

Despite being away from these books for so long, I can certainly see why younger me was so interested. There are gun (blaster) battles, space fights and other melees. Since at this point in the canon there is really only the one known Jedi, Luke, there are not any lightsaber battles, which is kind of a let down. The space fight is also a little half-hearted for my taste. Where this book does thrive though, is the portrayal of Admiral Akbar and the rebellious fighting from which the New Republic was born. This is not the orderly and neat battles the Empire is known for, this is the knock down drag out bar like fights that really could go either way. It was in this element Wendig really captured what makes the Star Wars series such a compelling read.

Despite being labeled quite clearly across the top that this is part of the "Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens" this book does not quite get you there. Which makes sense, as this is, I believe, part of a trilogy that results in The Force Awakens. So just read Aftermath, and those other two books then go see the movie. But really who am I kidding, you already saw the movie.

Mercy Thompson Series

Moon Called, Blood Bound, Bone Crossed, Silver Borne, Iron Kissed, Frost Burned, River Marked, Night Broken, and Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs, 3111 pages (9 books)

Collectively these books all make up the Mercy Thompson series. The series follows the life of Mercedes Thompson who is a Volkswagen mechanic living in Washington. Blessed/cursed by her ancestry, she has the ability to change into a coyote. Much like the Coyote of legend she gets into and causes all sorts of trouble for her next door neighbor Adam, who happens to be a werewolf. Throughout the series there is also plenty of encounters with the fae, vampires, and other supernatural beasts and legends.

Brigg’s series is much like the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. They both have a strong female protagonist, an underlying romance story, magic, werewolves, vampires, etc. Where the series really differ in the setting. Where Kate is in a dystopian future ravaged by magic, Mercy is set in everyday life. It looks at how the public would react if they found out fae and werewolves exist. Both are somewhat gory in their descriptions at times, but the Mercy Thompson series is less hard boiled.

The Mercy Thompson series is well worth the read and there are several short side novels and one off based around the same characters. While it is possible to read each book by itself, they do build upon each other and I would recommend reading them in order. Brigg’s also has another series (Alpha and Omega) that takes place in the same world she has built but follows different characters. I imagine eventually there will be a crossover.

Planetary Omnibus

The Planetary Omnibus by Warren Ellis, 864 pages

This book was one of my table finds. By that I mean a patron left this on a table and I discovered it when picking up the books at the end of the day. Now normally I do not read many comic books. I read a fair number of graphic novels, and a large amount of manga, but something about comics never really hold my attention. I think this is likely because the hero nearly always wins and does so in an honest way. Seeing them do that over and over really takes away from what I look for in every book, believability. But something about this omnibus was different. There was a grittiness that made it enjoyable.


Until I read this book, I had never heard of the Planetary Group, or any of the super heroes that are featured. I like that most of them are the no nonsense, kill what gets in the way type. And to make it even better this is not the standard the earth is doomed story. Basically the Earth is rule by four people with extraordinary power. If they fight together no one can stand up to them. But Planetary is tired of being ruled, so they take the fight to them.

I enjoyed this omnibus, but then I have enjoyed nearly everything that Warren Ellis has written. I think if you also enjoy other graphic novels, or even comics by Ellis, then you will enjoy this as well.

Shadows in Flight

Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card, 237 pages

So this book by Card finishes up the Shadows series and the life of Bean. For those that have not read any of the books yet, go read them like I have told you before! But if you are still going to ignore me, Bean is another super smart, though somewhat altered child that attended battle school with Ender. In fact if Ender had started to falter, Bean would have been the one to continue the war with the Formics. When we left off in this series Bean had just taken himself and three of his children into space. The idea was to stay at near light speed travel until a cure could be developed for their genetic condition. But those plans get sidetracked when they happen upon another starship, one that belongs to a previously thought dead enemy.

Shadows in Flight is somewhat humorous, especially seeing the childhood squabbles of super geniuses, but also quite sad. It is rare to come across a series of books where you can see a person grow up. Sure it is easy to find books that quickly jump through a person’s life, but do three hundred pages really tell their story? Even less common are well written series that you slowly watch the characters grow. Rarer still are these same types of series that follow that person through their entire life. Watching a character that we have seen grow up throughout the books, especially in the detail oriented style that Card uses, leaves an emotional imprint on the reader. To then see that character you know and love on their deathbed really hits home.

I know I say this a lot, but I enjoyed reading this series. But this book leaves a lot of questions unanswered, especially what happens after this. If you are one of those readers that need everything tied up in a nice pretty bow at the end, then skip over this series. But if you like reading science fiction, and liked Ender’s Game, then this book and this series should be on your list.

Affinities

Affinities by Robert C. Wilson, 304 pages

Affinities was recommended to me by our librarian in the Teen room, Carrie. While she hasn’t joined us in our blogging quest to reclaim a trophy, she does recommend good books. Affinities is about a futuristic society in which people, if they choose to, can get sorted into niche groups based on their personalities. It that regard it is very Divergent like, but a lot less strict.

The story follows one Adam Fisk. A man who can no longer afford college and is adrift in life. With nothing else to lose he takes the affinity test and gets matched with one in his area. Suddenly his life has meaning again, he is meeting new friends, has a steady job and everything is coming up roses. But a dark truth is lurking just under the surface that could bring everything he has come to know and love to a bitter end.

Affinities is very good and I really enjoyed it. I would have to go back and check copy write dates but I think this book came out before Divergent and in my opinion should be read instead. It doesn’t have the explosions and teenage love, but it has some crucial life lessons and a hard hitting message. I think everyone should read this book, as it might only be a matter of time before society heads this direction.

The Grisha Series

Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, (1225 pages/ 3 books)

When an ordinary soldier named Alina is discovered to have extraordinary magical powers that could reunite the kingdom her whole life changes. In a matter of days she goes from sleeping in a tent to living in a palace. But her new found life of fame and riches is short lived as not everyone wants to see the kingdom saved, but everyone wants her power.

What I liked most about the Grisha Series was how well it was able to blend magic and science together. And rather then pitting one against the other, they actually are able to exist in harmony and build off each other. I honestly wish that this would happen more in science fiction books.

In some ways I also found myself wishing that this had been written as an adult fiction rather than young adult. Not because it needed more adult content, but simply because adult fiction allows for more world development or borderline epicness.

Alex + Ada Volume 2

Alex + Ada Volume 2 by Jonathan Luna, 128 pages

The science fiction graphic novel series that looked at the realm of artificial intelligence and the dilemmas that result from it certainly took a romantic turn with this second volume.

Now that Ada can feel and love she wants to experience life and everything it has to offer. But when Alex questions if things are moving too fast everything starts to fall apart in their lives.

I was really hoping this graphic novel series would continue to look at the developing issue of AI and the social concerns it would raise. But instead nearly the entire issue is the building love story.

The story was still very good and extremely well illustrated. But it was like I went to a restaurant expecting steak and ended up with a cheeseburger. Here I was expecting AI science fiction and a rights discussion and got a romance. It was still good, but I would have preferred my steak.

Shadows Trilogy

Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, and Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card, 451, 348 and 371 pages, (1170 pages)

This Shadows trilogy should is likely actually a quartet that includes Ender's Shadow, but since Ender's Shadow and this trilogy have nothing in common except the main character, I am posting this separately.

Like Ender's Shadow this set follows the life of Bean. That same orphan kid we saw growing up is now a battle school grad and back on earth. But like everyone else that was part of Enders group he is destined never to have an ordinary life.

This trilogy follows Bean though the struggles he faces in fitting in back on Earth, the return of an old nemesis, and trying to stop the world from destroying itself.

I found this series to be very well written, to some extent even more so than Enders Game. But where Enders Game leaves you reeling with a shock, this series is very depressing.

Mistborn Trilogy

Mistborn: Final Empire, Well of Ascension, and Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson (647, 796 and 760 pages, 2203 total)

I first came across this series while looking for additional "epics" to work my way through as I continue to wait for more Song of Fire and Ice. The Mistborn trilogy came highly recommended on several book recommendation sites, though some cautioned or complained about the length. Being a veteran reader seeing page totals in the 700's did not even faze me.

In the realm built by Sanderson certain people are born with hidden abilities to use or "burn" certain metals to give them powers. This ability, even if they are born with it, has to be activated by extreme stresses at some point in their life. For the noble born, this is a ritual their children are forced though during puberty. While the majority of people can only burn one metal, there are those that can burn all of them, they are known as the Mistborn.

This trilogy follows Vin, a Mistborn who is living on the streets of Luthadel and surviving as a common thief. Her entire life changes when Kelsier, a legendary Mistborn, reappears in Luthadel and recruits her thieving crew for a dangerous job of overthrowing the Lord Ruler. A supposed god who is not only immortal, but who is also protected by men nearly impossible to kill.

On a whole this series was quite good. I would consider it to be a borderline or introductory epic. It did not quite have the massive world building or character scope that some others are known for. But for that same reason it was an easier read.

Sanderson eventually continues this world with another trilogy set a couple hundred years later.

Indexing

Indexing by Seanan McGuire, 404 pages

I had this book for nearly a month before I actually got around to reading it and I don't know why I was so hesitant to start it. But finally at the start of a boring bus ride to work I did, and promptly kicked myself for waiting so long.

The premise behind this book, and possible series, is that fairy tales are real and at times they try to get themselves relived in the modern world. On the surface this seems fine, but when you consider some of the horrible things that happen in fairy tales, especially Grimm's it can get ugly pretty fast. An entire city falling asleep, overgrown thorny vines, and murder of various step mothers and family.

There to prevent these fairy tales from taking hold is the ATI Management Bureau. While some of the agents are normal humans, most are comprised of reformed story characters who, with ATI's involvement never went full story. Even though their story has been stopped, or at least paused, they keep the characteristics the story needed. So the main Snow White agent still had the blood red lips, skin the color of snow and raven black hair. She also has animals attracted to her and flowers that grow on the floors in her house. Combined with a somewhat reformed wicked stepsister, a show making elf, and a normal human, her team is one of many trying to preserve New York.

This book starts off well. It presents the chapters as various cases, with the story advancing in the case files. About midway through it does stall out a bit, plus I was getting tired of reading about cases that do not continue the main storyline in any meaningful way. But the ending made up for it, in a very Grimm story kind of way.

I think if you have read the Fables series, and enjoy some of the darker aspects of it, you should give this book a try. 

Dark Hunter Manga series

Dark Hunter Volumes 1-4 by Sherrilyn Kenyon 832 total pages

I mainly read this series to see how well the somewhat overly romantic books by Kenyon were adapted into manga. Going into this series I was expecting long romantic sections cleverly illustrated to imply sexual relations, but obviously not show anything. I was somewhat shocked to see that they tried to just skim over and hint at romance instead of beating us over the head with it. Granted I thought the romance in the original books was overdone to begin with, but it should not be ignored.

The other thing that bothered me about this manga was the detail lacking explanations on who everyone was and what the shadow hunters were trying to accomplish. Sure there was the customary couple sentences that give you the briefest of overviews but nothing well defined. If I had not already read the books, I would have been lost within the first few chapters.

On the plus side I thought that these were very nicely illustrated. Luckily the illustrated characters matched closely to what I had imaged or it might have been harder to read. Nothing takes you out of a movie or adaptation faster than the characters not matching what you thought you would see.

If you have read Kenyon's first couple Dark Hunter novels and would like to see what the characters could look like, I would give this a try. 

Ender's Shadow and A War of Gifts

Ender's Shadow and A War of Gifts by Orson Scott Card (469 and 128)

Ender's Shadow is actually part of a six book collection that is told from other peoples perspective. I have included it here with A War of Gifts since both of these books happen concurrently with Ender's Game.

Ender's Shadow follows the young and unbelievable character named Bean. He like all kids is exceptionally smart but there is something a little different about him. He also represents the next best chance for Earth if Ender should fail. For that reason he is pushed mercilessly toward the final conflict. I think this book was mainly written to answer the questions we are left with at the end of Ender's Game. Namely about the inner workings of battle and command school. In some ways I found this to be better but lacking that sucker punch that makes Ender's Game such a great novel.

A War of Gifts focuses on the removal of religion from the battle school trainees and their rebellion against such strict practices. I think this book is meant to be more philosophical and highlight the humanity that is being given up to make soldiers. This is also only a side novel that does not really add anything to the overall plot though both Bean and Ender are in it. It does however have a very nicely done cover.

I continue to enjoy reading Card's work in the Enderworld and look forward to reading the multitude of books still remaining.

Bannon and Clare Series

The Iron Wyrm Affair, The Red Plague Affair, and The Ripper Affair by Lilith Saintcrow (323, 320, and 386 pages. 1029 total)

It might not be the most accurate description in the world, but I think I am going to call this a reimagined Sherlock Holmes. It follows the same basic principles; a mentath (beyond genius), Mr. Clare is led and guarded by a sorcerer Ms. Bannon and together they solve crimes for the Crown.  Mr. Clare follows the same tendencies as Sherlock. He regularly sits in a chair puffing on a pipe in thought, is prone to wild experiments when between missions, and exhibits the same observation to detail that reveals everything about a person. Ms. Bannon, while a sorcerer, is also quite clever, but serves more as a grounding rod for Clare much like Watson. She also frequently finds herself in a bit of trouble that relies on more than her efforts to escape. But on the other hand, there are also mythical creatures such as wyrms, and gryphons.

The Bannon and Clare series was well worth the read and I fully enjoyed them. If you have read  Shadows Over Baker Street and enjoyed it or other Sherlock adaptations I would recommend giving this a try. It also has some steampunk themes, for those that are interested.

Mort and Sourcery

Mort and Sourcery by Terry Pratchett, 243 and 260 pages

Mort and Sourcery have nothing in common except that they both take place in the Discworld. For that very reason I am going to talk about both of them together. Of course if you have read much of Pratchett, that makes perfect sense, or at least semi blemished sense.

Mort is about a guy named Mort. Mort is a scraggly kid who does not seem to be good at anything except reading. Unfortunately reading won't land him an apprenticeship or a future job. Or so everyone thought. Death thought otherwise. By that I don't mean that he died, but that the personification that is Death accepted him as his apprentice. While learning a new trade is rough, most jobs don't result in the destruction of reality if done wrong, as Mort is about to learn. This is the start of the Death story line.

Sourcery is about a type of magic that only crops up every couple thousand years. Every time it does rear its destructive head people get turned into weird things, wizards start battling wizards, and the world almost gets destroyed. In Sourcery we do see the reemergence of Rincewind. You might remember as the failed wizzard(as his hat says) from the start of the series.

I quite like reading Pratchett. It seems that everything he writes comes out hilariously good and these are no exception. I eagerly look forward to reading more of the Discworld series. Though I am not sure how many more times the world can survive almost being destroyed.

Saga Volumes 1-4

Saga Volumes 1-4 by Brian Vaughan(writer) and Fiona Staples(artist), 160, 144, 144 and 152 pages (600 total)

For some reason everyone else knew about this series before I found it miss shelved and decided to read it. At least three times while reading I was interrupted by people that recognized the art, or saw the title. I don't know if you three are all on the same mailing list or something, but I wish I would have come across this sooner.

Saga in its most basic form is about two soldiers fighting in an intergalactic war who fall in love and run away to be together. This and the fact that they have a kid together, angers people on both sides who try to kill them.

This story has a lot of unusual quirks that only add to uniqueness of the story. The first is that the infant, though I am assuming grown up, is the one narrating the story. The second is the ghost babysitter, well half a ghost babysitter. And finally are the bounty hunters who seem to be going through midlife crises while trying to kill them.

I really enjoyed how well this was both written and illustrated. I look forward to continuing the Saga series as new issues come out.

The first Formic Wars series

Earth Unaware, Earth Afire, and Earth Awakens by Orson Scott Card, 368, 399, and 395 pages (1162 total)

When I finished reading Enders Game so long ago and decided to continue reading this series, I decided to start at the very beginning. According to numerous sites this is it. This is when humanity first discovers that there is life beyond the stars. And that life does not like them.

I found this series to be quite excellent, though maybe a little heavy on the machoness, especially the final attack on the ship. But that does not detract from how well written the series is. Card is able to not only capture human nature all to clearly but also is able to reflect how politics always seem to come first, no matter what is at stake.

If you have read anything else by Card, I would recommend this to you, and everyone else that is looking for a good science fiction series.

There are still a lot of books to go before I finish with this story arc and Card is not helping. He has another section of the series coming out this fall.

Note: I am on a laptop with no mouse, so I will add pictures and links to everything tomorrow.