Well. He did it again.
I love the Dresden Files. I love Codex Alera. I love The Aeronaut’s Windlass.
JP's Blog
Chasm City Revelation Space *
Chasm City takes a bit of a step sideways from Revelation Space, which on more reading makes perfect sense. It’s not a sequel but rather a novel set in the same universe, a bit earlier in the timeline.
From the worldbuilding perspective, this extends and deepens what came earlier in Revelation Space, in particularly giving us a few insights into how early colonies could have been created in a universe without faster than light travel, the origins of the Melding Plague, and more backstory about Chasm City. All around, a very interesting world. It’s a relatively grim possible future, but a well imagined one.
Revelation Space Revelation Space #1
Nice bit of science fiction to kick off the new year.
Where Revelation Space really shines is showing a future that humanity might just see if we take several of the trends in current technology and thoughts that futurists hold about how the world might entail and dial them up even further.
The Name of the Wind The Kingkiller Chronicle #1
I’ve heard rather good things about this book, so figured I had to read it.
On the good end, it’s an interesting fantasy world with something of its own take on worldbuilding, magic, and critters (near enough to various sources, but it still fresh to me). I particularly like how magic works. There are parts of it which are well understood by those who study such things and work more or less like technology. Then there are the truly fantastical bits, used by few and understood by fewer–but still with a hint of structure under it. I like it.
Lord Sunday The Keys to the Kingdom #7
Overall, everything I was hoping for in an ending to the series.
We get to see a lot of Sunday and Sunday’s realm: the Incomparable Gardens. It makes as much sense as anything in the rest of the House, so just go with it.
Superior Saturday The Keys to the Kingdom #6
I like the visuals around Saturday’s realm. It’s one of the better ones when it comes to motivation and the idea of a gigantic clockwork tower stretching upwards… cool.
On the other hand, we saw even less of Saturday than we did of Friday, which is saying something. I think she and Arthur were in the same scene for maybe a half dozen paragraphs? It’s a bit weird. I assume we’ll see more of her in the next book, but it’s something of a departure.
Lady Friday The Keys to the Kingdom #5
It’s interesting throughout the whole series, Nix has managed to combine a relatively formulaic story with new twists and weird new worlds in each and every book.
The House just keeps getting weirder. I’m not sure how it’s even really a ‘House’ at all. I think originally it was going to be and the Tuesday and Wednesday happened…
Sir Thursday The Keys to the Kingdom #4
Not much to say. Onwards and upwards for Arthur, taking on another of the Trustees and gaining another of the Keys.
Pretty much all of the problems in this book seemed overly easy to subdue, the Skinless Boy and Sir Thursday included. I think this has been going on for all of the rest of the books, but it seemed even more obvious in this one. Perhaps it’s a factor of how relatively short they are?
2016 Reading List
I enjoyed keeping public track of my 2015 Reading List, so here’s the same thing for 2016:
