This took me a while to get through. It’s not because it’s bad, more like it just feels a bit dated.
Basically, it’s a circa 1990 story about just how boring life as a glorified construction worker in space could be. Basically, if you’re into hard science fiction that doesn’t glamorize space and all that involves, this could be your book.
No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away—until the clock wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life is only the core of their actual existence.
If it were your time to go, yet Death didn’t come for you… what then?
If I hadn’t been told, at first I wouldn’t realize that The Emperor’s Soul takes place in a far away corner of the same world as Elantris. But as the story wears on, and the details of the magic system are revealed, it becomes more obvious that the worlds are one and the same. I really do love how Sanderson does magic systems. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, especially not at the same scale. Every system seems new, yet there’s a shared core to all of them. I love it.
Other than that, I did like the character of Shai. There’s something about an artist who works entirely to know that she did it, rather than for public acclaim that I enjoy. Sneaky and subtle. Excellent. I could see a few of the twists coming (that she wouldn’t escape until the last moment; the changes she made), but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable.
Tʜᴇʀᴇ’s ɴᴏ ᴊᴜsᴛɪᴄᴇ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’s ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍᴇ. —Death
Another day, another subseries of Discworld. This time: DEATH. We’ve seen him in a few other series, but this is the first point we really get to look at the skeletal anthropomorphization itself.
Well. That was a book.
On one hand, you’re sort of tossed into the world and it takes rather a while to really figure out what was going on. For that matter, I still have a handful of questions on exactly how this world works, although I guess that’s what sequels are for.
The witches are back! Or at least Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. Magrat’s off being queen or somesuch.
Short version of the plot: Phantom of the Opera, Discworld style.
“Carpe Jugulum," read Agnes aloud. “That’s… well, Carpe Diem is ‘Sieze the Day,’ so this means-”
“Go for the throat”
Ringworld is a pretty much the poster child for the hard science fiction ‘big dumb object’ novel. In that way, it’s very similar to the first of the Rama series (actually published 3 years later; ). It’s light on plot and characterization, instead opting to spend much of the novel on the titular Ringworld itself.
The technology of the Ringworld itself is interesting, although a decent amount of exactly how it works and its long history are left out. Essentially, take all of the planets and other objects in several solar system and turn them into a ring roughly 1 AU in radius. Spin it fast enough that you get fake gravity by way of centrifugal motion, add overhead plates to block sunlight into a fake day/night cycle, and add some plants. Bam Ringworld.
So. Opal Koboi is back and she’s trying once again to rule/end the world (I’m not sure she knows the difference any more).
The basic idea of Koboi ordering her younger self killed in order to set up a paradox / magical explosion… just to steal that energy and use it to activate some ancient Fairy doomsday spell? That’s pretty cool.
Best thing about the Artemis Fowl series? Artemis Fowl.
Missing through a large chunk of The Atlantis Complex? Artemis Fowl.