Out of the Blue

2022-07-28

Take part gay teenage lifeguard lover of rom-coms, just broken up with the Love Of His Life(tm), add a non-binary (because they all are) mermaid, sent on a month long Rumspringa to the surface, make it into a love story (of course) with all the (teenage) relationship twists and turns that entails¹… and you have Out of the Blue.

That … is not at all the sort of book I normally find myself drawn to (I picked it up for the 2022 Book Bingo), but you know… It’s actually kind of sweet. And now that it’s over, I think I’m glad to have read it.

Last Argument of Kings The First Law #3

2022-07-17

I have learned all kinds of things from my many mistakes. The one thing I never learn is to stop making them.

And so it ends… for now. Some of our old friends (more or less) are dead, some are broken, and some … miraculously seem to have gotten everything they wanted in life. There are more surprises and political shifts than one knows how to deal with, a chunk more of world building around the First and Second Laws, and all manner of battles and death and destruction.

It remains fascinating what Abercrombie can do with characters. Glokta is a terrible person–and he makes us root for him. Logen is a berserker in the truest sense–and he makes us feel sorry for him. Jezal is excellent at failing upward–and he makes us feel sorry for him. It’s all around amazing and the real strength of the series.

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

2022-07-14

Take the timeloop premise of Groundhog Day (et al), apply it to lifetimes, add a few neat worldbuilding twists, break things up with a cataclysm coming back through time… and you have The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. I love all of those things, so of course, I love this book as well. :D

The Unwritten, Vol. 3: Dead Man's Knock The Unwritten #3

2022-07-10

He’s on the run and–eventually–starting to accept his destiny. It’s interesting to get further into who everyone is and how the world works. I’m curious where things will go next!

A Snake Falls to Earth

2022-07-06

I do love stories that take mythology I don’t know as well and expands on it. In this case, the Lipan (Apache) people of what became the southwestern US down into Mexico. The idea of a world inhabited by animal people–those that can shape shift between an animal and a human form–that was once connected to Earth… and now is not. “And if they don’t?” I muttered. “Pfft. You’re a cottonmouth,” she snickered.

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within Wayfarers #4

2022-06-22

People – a group comprised of every sapient species, organic or otherwise – were chaos, but chaos was good. Chaos was the only sensible conclusion. There was no law that was just in every situation, no blanket rule that could apply to everyone, no explanation that accounted for every component. This did not mean that laws and rules were not helpful, or that explanations should not be sought, but rather that there should be no fear in changing them as needed, for nothing in the universe ever held still.

Oh, I do love these books. Especially on audio. There just such a delightful take on the sci-fi ‘slice of life’ genre. Once again, it’s a new cast and new stories, with loose tiebacks to the previous characters (seeing Pei and hearing her talk about Ashby is a nice change of view). Chambers really shines at taking a bunch of weird and wonderful aliens, sticking them in a tight space (this time what’s essentially a ‘space truck stop’) for a few days, and seeing what happens. Nothing earthshaking¹ or deadly², but a lot of interpersonal drama. It’s great. Worth a read.

The Unwritten, Vol. 2: Inside Man The Unwritten #2

2022-06-22

Things are starting to move now! Prison, dedicated journalists, some real magic, and death. I’ll still trying to figure out the rules, but I’m enjoying it so far!

The Outside The Outside #1

2022-06-21

Well, it did what Outside usually did in stories. Showed up. Violated all the known laws of physics. Killed some people and drove the rest mad.

Well that’s certainly an interesting book. It’s one part autism as ‘different, but that’s okay and sometimes it’s a superpower and sometimes it sucks’, one part cosmic horror, and one part fascinating worldbuilding with technoreligion writ large.

Overall, it didn’t quite feel finished to me. There’s a lot of setup, but the ending drew somewhere between a true horror ending and something much ‘better’. There’s potential for a sequel there, but without it, it could have been better. Still an enjoyable enough read.

Before They Are Hanged The First Law #2

2022-06-20

We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.

Before They Are Hanged takes The Blade Itself and takes everything up a notch. It’s still a dark and twisted world, there are still terrible people on all sides… but now we have even more hints and worldbuilding on darker things coming.

Overall, it’s a worthwhile continuation to the first story and I’m really looking forward to see where it goes next. The narration in particular remains well worth it.

The Unwritten, Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity The Unwritten #1

2022-06-20

Well that’s a start. A world where Tommy Taylor is a modern hidden world fantasy even bigger than Harry Potter… until the author disappears, leaving behind disillusioned son Tom Taylor. There are more than hints of a darker truth behind the story, hidden worlds within hidden worlds. And a section at the end establishing how far back in time the truth goes.

So far, a fascinating sort of story. Well written and illustrated. I’m willing to bet that I can guess a chunk of what’s to come, but I bet the getting there will be the best part.

Onward!