Behind Blue Eyes

Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead My rating: 2 of 5 stars DNF'd at 35%. I'm just not feeling this. The story is decent enough and I love the idea of a gritty, realistic, Welsh Robin Hood. The execution is just falling flat, and there's too much out there I want to read to continue reading a book I don't care about. There's something off about this writing. While I wouldn't necessarily call it bad, it feels forced. Like the author is making a conscious effort to "dumb down" his narrative to make it YA. It ends up reading about as flat as a poorly done translation from a foreign language. So yeah, I don't think this fails because it is YA. I think it fails because the author isn't writing YA well. I have no idea how his writing is for his "adult" books, but this didn't give me a lot of incentive to try any. View all my reviews

Superman/Wonder Woman, Vol. 3: Casualties of War by Peter J. Tomasi My rating: 3 of 5 stars I was given the opportunity to read this graphic novel by the publisher through NetGalley. The artwork was really good and vibrant (though I'm not crazy for that cover). The story was decent, though not entirely inspiring or captivating. I did enjoy how Superman and Wonder Woman worked through their problems together, learning to balance the need to protect the innocent with the urgency to take down the bad guys. They are able to play to each others' strengths, which is what you want in a super team up. That said, it was a decent little bit of entertainment without being something to pass awards out for. View all my reviews

Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald My rating: 5 of 5 stars Brilliant!! I devoured this book over a few days, skipping television and movie options to just immerse myself into the low gravity. I'm still depressurizing. I've seen this book called "Game of Thrones in Space", and I'd have to say not so much. Only in the sense that it would make a fantastic series on HBO which would compare. I've also seen it compared to "Dallas", and there is a bit of that, but the most accurate comparison is easily The Godfather . That book/movie's sense of family and survival against long odds and adversaries definitely struck more of a moonbeam here. When is the sequel coming out?? That one will shoot straight to the top of my TBR as soon as it's available. View all my reviews

Jersey Tough: My Wild Ride from Outlaw Biker to Undercover Cop by Wayne "Big Chuck" Bradshaw My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received a copy of this ebook for review from the publisher through NetGalley. My recent love of the TV series Sons of Anarcy drew me to request this book, with its subject matter of a patched outlaw biker turned policeman. I was curious to see how he pulled that off, and how he came to the decision to make the potentially lethal switch in careers. Beyond that, I found this to be a fascinating memoir. Bradshaw's experiences with the Breed and the Pagans was as interesting as anticipated, but I was even more intrigued by his accounts of his life in the US Army and then later in his police work. This is a man who has been through quite a bit in his lifetime. He's witnessed lots of violence and seen the darker side of humanity throughout much of his life. But this isn't a story that makes us feel sorry for his exp...

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey My rating: 5 of 5 stars Love. Yes, folks, it is love at second sight. I liked this book quite a bit the first time around, when I'd listened to the audiobook. Here's my review of that listen, from 2012. It's interesting to look back at that review now, as I enjoyed the book quite a bit more this time around. The things that annoyed me on that earlier review didn't bug me at all this time. So I'm not sure if that's that I prefer the reading to the listening, or if I'm just getting more of the fine detail this time through. I remember being lost at times before, and I didn't get that now. So it's probably a combination of the two. At any rate, I read this again in preparation for moving forward with the series. I'm glad I did, as in many ways this felt like a new experience. I'm certainly a lot more fresh on the story, and the universe laid out by "Corey" here. S...

The Sandman: Overture by Neil Gaiman My rating: 3 of 5 stars I got this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. 2.5 stars. I'm rounding up because of the artwork, the cool McKean covers, and the great epilogue. Oh, and the special appearances of Merv Pumpkinhead and The Corinthian. Yes, it was fun to revisit some of our old friends from The Sandman . As per usual, Neil Gaiman's imagery is wonderful and goes perfectly with the excellent artwork provided. The story though, left me mostly confused and eager to get through it. I get that it's part of it, the Dreaming and all of that. If Dream himself is confused and lost, I imagine that all of us dreamers would be too. It just didn't pack the punch of the main series. It's decent enough as a revisit, but I would not recommend a new reader to start here. If I had started with this volume, I highly doubt I would have continued with the main series. View all my reviews ...

The Fold by Peter Clines My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received a free ebook of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. That was a fun ride. Just what I needed at the time - a fast paced read with fun characters, interesting science, occasional humor, and lots of weird. It may have very well pulled me up from a recent reading slump as I devoured the bulk of the story over a weekend. This is my second Clines book, and it read as well as the first one, 14 . I'll definitely be taking on more books by this author. View all my reviews

The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi My rating: 2 of 5 stars Eh. Poetic and introspective, but not really all that interesting. View all my reviews

Columbine by Dave Cullen My rating: 0 of 5 stars I graduated in 1985 from Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colorado. I remained in the area for a few years, and I still have family there. A few years later, I joined the US Air Force. I still go back when I can, but vacations aren't cheap. Thanks to the internet, media, and remaining family in the area, I keep up with some of the important events. I follow the Broncos, Avalanche, and Rockies, counting them among my favorite sports teams. By April 20, 1999, I hadn't been back for awhile and one event brought it all back home: The Columbine Massacre. In the thirty years since I graduated, there have been far too many tragic stories in the news. On December 13, 1993, a disgruntled former employee returned to a Chuck E Cheese store in Aurora and killed 4 people. One of those was a Smoky Hill graduate named Ben Grant that my younger brother knew. The perpetrator has been sitting on Death Row ever ...

Professional Integrity by Michael J. Sullivan My rating: 4 of 5 stars I love the Riyria books by Michael J. Sullivan. I enjoyed this novella as well as the other stories and novels in this world, but I suppose you can say that the rating here is lower than the others because the bar has been set pretty high. That said, this was pretty darn good. I enjoyed the banter of Royce and Hadrian, and it was great to see them handling another heist that didn't go as planned. View all my reviews

Dune by Frank Herbert My rating: 5 of 5 stars It took me a few months to get through this, but it was my third or forth reading. It's still a great book, and most of the gap between readings was caused by real life and other books that I didn't already know. Still, it's good to revisit. View all my reviews

Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Down Town by Jim Butcher My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received a free ebook copy of this graphic novel from the publisher through NetGalley. Stars and stones! It's great to get a new story in the Harry Dresden series. One thing that I really like about these graphic novels, is that Butcher himself is involved in the writing. That makes the characters and pacing fit what fans of the longtime series are used to. The art is pretty darn good too, capturing the characters in a way that's close to what I'd pictured them as by reading the books. This story wasn't as solid as most of the novels, but it still made for a great afternoon diversion, and a little something to tide us over until Peace Talks . View all my reviews

Wonder Woman Vol. 7: War Torn by Meredith Finch My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Lots of action, decent story line, fantastic artwork, and some great cameos made this an enjoyable read for me. This was my first taste of the New 52 Wonder Woman, and I was pretty impressed. Admittedly, I probably would have enjoyed the story even more if I had read the earlier volumes, but the writers here were good at summarizing things that had gone before and making it easy for new readers to join the ride. As I said, the artwork was awesome. One thing I've seen on these New 52 titles so far is consistently impressive art. The colors come right off the page. To be honest, I haven't been too familiar with the character of Wonder Woman since the days that this lady played her on television: She's quite the impressive in-depth character today, and I'm very glad that I requested this title...

The Little Men by Megan Abbott My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This was fun. Right from the start I could tell I had something worthwhile in my hands, as Abbott lays out the 1950s Hollywood neighborhood that is the setting for this novella. In a few short paragraphs, she conveyed the imagery so well that I wanted to visit there, or maybe stop and have a beer. This story actually felt like an episode of The Twilight Zone . Perhaps the time period that the story was in added to that feel, but the while way it unfolded would have fit perfectly into one of their half hour segments. There's a mystery here, and several chills as Abbott weaves her chilling little tale. Megan Abbott is certainly on my list of authors to watch. View all my reviews

The Names by Peter Milligan My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received a free eBook copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. This was a new title in the DC Vertigo line, and it seemed interesting enough by its description. Well, it's pretty good. Lots of big finance espionage and secret organizations and murdering psychopaths aplenty, and the key is figuring out which of these that the characters belong to. It has humor, sex, violence, and lots of twists and turns. So it's certainly worth reading on a weekend afternoon, and the artwork is pretty decent too. All in all, a good read if you're in the mood for a graphic novel with a good storyline, but need a break from the superhero standard fare. View all my reviews

The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan My rating: 5 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I was invited to be a part of a Beta read of this novel, and was provided an ebook copy of it with which to read and take part in chapter analysis and surveys. Once more, I have to say that I really enjoyed an entry in the Riyria series of books by Michael J. Sullivan. These books are always a satisfying read, full of action, intrigue, suspense, and twists and turns. One thing I enjoy most is reading character development. Regardless to what happens or goes on around them, I like to see characters reacting like real human beings. That is, they all have unique qualities that define them, and yet they also grow and adapt to their experiences and feelings. Within that scope, both Hadrian and Royce come into this true to the characters longtime readers are familiar with. And they also learn some things about the world around them, people in it, and about themselves. Both hav...

Lobo Vol. 1: Targets by Cullen Bunn My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received a free eARC copy of this graphic novel from the publisher through NetGalley. Well then. All said, I'm ummm...well. Fragged. If I had not been a fan of the imposter "old" Lobo, I probably would have enjoyed this more. The writing was pretty good, and the art was as well. The character of Lobo was good, if not totally original. Badass assassin with a code that always completes his contracts and is cold-hearted. The storyline was interesting enough as he plucks his way around trying to find all the targets that he's been hired to kill. But then again, I used to read Lobo. The Main Man was a complete Bastich, and didn't care who got in his way. He was completely psychotic, riding his space-chopper around and fraggin' anyone that got in his way. Always with a clever line of pure badassery. He looked like a mix up of King Diamond, Sons of Anarchy, and the Ins...

Pure Insanity by Sean Ryan My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received a free eARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. 3.5 stars. I enjoyed this pretty well, though it felt like the beginning of something (which it was) that never really got off the ground like it has the potential to. Well, it gathers the first 8 issues of the New Suicide Squad, and perhaps it is with further issues that I would really become invested in the story a bit better. Now, I should note that this is my first reading experience with the Suicide Squad. It does seem like a decent entry point, moving forward. What with the New 52 DC reboot and the reforming of the Squad itself. But my concern at this point is the suddenly shifting lineup change. Is this normal and expected of Suicide Squad? I know it happens with many of the super teams, and with this one being made up of criminals I imagine it might happen more often. It just seemed like a certain lineup was advertised...

Batman: Arkham Knight Vol. 1 by Peter J. Tomasi My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received a free eARC copy of this graphic novel through NetGalley. Well, this was a decent Batman story, and a good way to kill a couple of dead hours this afternoon. I guess it's supposed to tie in to the new Arkham Knight game, but since I don't play these things, I missed any direct references to that. Still, a Batman story. Not as good as some of the Scott Snyder penned recent Batman titles that I've read, but worth the time nonetheless. I did struggle with some of the assumed Bat-lore knowledge one would expect from a hard core fan. But then, I'm only a passing fan of the Bat at best. Once more, Snyder handled this better in his works. Am I interested in continuing? Probably not, unless I got another free copy. View all my reviews

Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb My rating: 4 of 5 stars What I've come to expect from a Robin Hobb book. That is, it has about twice as many pages as the plot should support, but that's alright. Because the remaining text is filled with essential character development, which is Hobb's greatest strength as a writer. So in that sense, it's a typical book from her. But on the other hand, it's very much its own story, or sub-story of the greater tale of FitzChivalry Farseer. I won't really comment much on how it wraps up this trilogy, for fear of spoilers, but I will say that it fit. View all my reviews

Slow Bullets by Alastair Reynolds My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. Alastair Reynolds has easily become one of those authors that I've taken an interest in, ever since I read Revelation Space last year. That was a novel that I like quite a bit, even though many parts of it were above my comprehension level. So even though I enjoyed it overall, I became leery of reading more. Then I saw that this was coming out, a short novel with an interesting premise: a soldier dealing with the aftermath of a war that's just had a ceasefire and not everyone's been told. I was quickly engaged with Scur and her story, and better yet, I understood what was happening! This was some seriously cool space opera as it should be. I like my science fiction to be heavy on the fiction, with a dash of the science. Or even more than a dash if it's told in such a way that I can follow it. That's what this was, and I would definitely gra...

The Golden Fool by Robin Hobb My rating: 4 of 5 stars Here we are again, the middle book of a Hobb trilogy. I really think she hits her stride in these second books. The pace has built up a bit from the first, and it sets up the third one nicely. There were a couple of emotional scenes in this that are certainly appreciated by a long time reader of this overall series. I won't go into it, but they alone made this book something special. I hope they are a good preview of what's to come in Book #3, which I'll be starting soon. View all my reviews

Pines by Blake Crouch My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. 3.5 stars, for being a great page-turner. The characters and plot lines were solid, but nothing that grabbed me and wouldn't let go in and of themselves. The pacing was excellent, and I do like where Crouch seemed to be going. The end game was worth a half star all on its own; where there wasn't a lot of surprise along the way, there was as it wrapped up. I really didn't see that coming. I'll be continuing with this series, for sure. And I'll be watching it on Fox in a couple of weeks. View all my reviews

Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb My rating: 4 of 5 stars I see that I still haven't reviewed this, and I'm already 40% into the second one. Well, there isn't a lot to say, really. If you like Hobb and her previous two trilogies about the Elderlings Realm, you'll want to continue. Here, we're back to the first person narrative of Fitz himself, and it's great to catch up with old friends. The story itself is decent enough, but what struck me about this particular book was the slow build. True, this is a staple of long Hobb books, but here is where it really works. Not a lot happens for a long time, but with Hobb, that's ok. She doesn't make it boring, but rather gets us into a comfort zone from which we can branch when it is time for stuff to happen. So there, not a lot to review. Just enough to say yeah, I liked this and I'm moving right into the next one... View all my reviews

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi My rating: 4 of 5 stars Wait, what? What did I just read? Yeah, something like that, Captain. I tell you what though. I liked it! If this was a series, I'd read more of them. Yeah, if you write a Malazan Book of the Windup, I'll damn read it. Because there was so much I didn't understand. There was so much I scratched my head about and wondered WHY?! But I was engrossed. The future Thai Kingdom depicted here and the world it's set in are brilliant. I felt like I was there. I didn't always get what was coming, but if you saw someone with a white shirt, you want to blend into the crowd. I wonder though, what those white shirts were made of. I mean, as hot and sticky and humid as it was, how did they stay white? Mr. Bacigalupi is definitely on my radar. View all my reviews

Clash of Eagles by Alan Smale My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. What a satisfying read. Imagine an alternate history where Rome didn't fall, and was responsible for leading the age of discovery into the New World. How would their early encounters with the Native Americans go? This book turned out to be much more than a "what if?" situation, developing into a richly constructed historical fantasy. While the author mentions it as the first of a trilogy, the story here is pretty much self-contained. Still, I'll definitely want to read more! The pacing is good, though a bit on the slow side. It feels alright though, as it takes time to properly world-build and to get the key players into place. Smale does a good job keeping it interesting even at points where he has to make brief info-dumps. It's a little a time, and is interspersed with bits of humor and action scenes. And the battles! Oh yes, Bernard Cor...

Once Upon an Ever After by Angela N. Blount My rating: 4 of 5 stars Here is the disclaimer that Angela N. Blount is a friend of mine on Goodreads, and that she provided me a free ecopy of this book. I will say that I like the author's writing style quite a bit, and not just because she is my friend. Though after reading these, I would want her to be my friend if she wasn't already - the autobigraphical character in her stories really rings true, someone that I would like to know. As such, it's a character driven story and Blount's skill at bringing out her characters echoes heavily. This was a shorter book than its predecessor, Once Upon a Road Trip . It was longer than an epilogue but shorter than a sequel of equal importance to the original story would have been. It completes the story (for now) begun in the first book and is good closure after reading that. That said, it's not quite as engaging for me as the first book. It's just as well-written, but I thi...

Dragons at Crumbling Castle by Terry Pratchett My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was a fun little collection of early Pratchett stories for kids all ages. They were told as if they were children's tales, but there is always an undercurrent of humor that's a treat to adults. Kinda like his later work in that respect. This book was chosen as a March 2015 book selection in a Good Reads group that I'm in, Flights of Fantasy . Little did we know when we nominated it and voted it in, that it would appear on our group shelf in the very month that Sir Pratchett passed away. That's a sad coincidence, but at the same time I'm glad we had the book on hand to read. Those of us that have read Sir Terry and those that haven't but have felt his influence can take this moment to celebrate his life, and his body of work. I've also been working on some of the early Discworld novels, and this was a nice sidetrack in that pursuit. So delve in here and meet the Carpet People, and...

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson My rating: 3 of 5 stars Here's a well crafted mystery/thriller in the vein of Gillian Flynn, only not as sinister. The plus is that while it's not as nail biting as Flynn's, the characters are more likable. On its own, it's a pretty good mystery with some nice twists and turns, just paced a little slowly. View all my reviews

Heir to the Jedi: Star Wars by Kevin Hearne My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received an eARC copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. 3.5 stars. To be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed for the majority of the time I spent reading this book. Once again, a big name author was chosen to write a Star Wars novel, and like with the previous few, it didn't capture my attention the way I'd hoped. It was a good story, but not real exciting or engaging. But then the last couple of chapters brought it home and was enough to bump my rating by a half star. I finished the book feeling satisfied with the read, though not compelled to run out and buy books by Kevin Hearne or other Star Wars novels. This book does take an interesting perspective that I haven't seen in the others I've read. That is, a first person narrative from the perspective of Luke Skywalker. It was intriguing to get into his head and see how he felt about events in the Star Wars: A New Hope film, after...

The Gun Fight by Richard Matheson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Matheson was amazing, that's all there is to it. He was brilliant at capturing the human spirit and conveying it to readers, regardless to what genre he was writing in. This Western is no exception. It really deserves more, but I'm still feeling sucker punched from the amount of emotion Matheson put into this. View all my reviews

Sourcery by Terry Pratchett My rating: 2 of 5 stars 2.5 stars. I hate rating this low, but I have to be honest. I spent more time counting off pages to completion than I did on reading it. There were some really funny parts and snippets of awesome. But in the end, it just wasn't connecting with me. It took me a month to finish. Ugh... Still, I certainly didn't dislike it. I'm just hoping to get more hooked on the series before too much longer.... View all my reviews

The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham My rating: 4 of 5 stars Wow, great ending to a great series. This one was almost a letdown after the last two, but it turned into more of a slow build with yet another great payoff. That's a trademark of this series, the endings. I'm a bit sad that I've finished this. While I didn't ever love it enough to quite give it 5-stars, it came damn close, and it held that 4-4.5 star range beginning to end. The characters were a strong point too, many of them coming to full resolution here in the last book. It really makes me look forward to Abraham's other fantasy series that starts with The Dragon's Path , as well as getting back with the series he co-authored as James S.A. Corey, The Expanse . View all my reviews

Once Upon a Road Trip by Angela N. Blount My rating: 5 of 5 stars Disclaimer: The author is a friend of mine on Good Reads, and she provided me with a copy of her book for review. That said, I'm impressed. Told mostly in third person with a splattering of short journal entries, this story is a memoir disguised as a fictional work. It's a combination of travel memoir, and a record of personal growth. Set a few months after 9/11, the story perfectly captures life with the technology out there at that time. Cell phones existed, but we didn't all have them yet. Computers and the internet were common, but not as advanced as they are now. Pay phones still existed. Whoah - wow. Paper maps. And calling cards. These things made me smile, because I remember those years fondly. While this was "Angeli's" story, parts of it rang very close to my own memory. Yes, I spent quite a bit of time during the late '90s and early '00s traveling by car. And stopping to use...

Half the World by Joe Abercrombie My rating: 5 of 5 stars I received an ARC copy of this book from Good Reads in the First Reads giveaway program. I also received an eARC from NetGalley. The middle book of a trilogy that doesn't have that middle book drag we often see. No, this was an improvement to the first book, and at the same time building for the climax in the third. Say one thing about Joe Abercrombie, say the man can weave a good yarn. If any hesitate to pick up this Shattered Sea trilogy based on word that it's "YA" and toned down from his usual Lord Grimdark fare, hesitate no more! This works as YA, while at the same time doesn't feel like its trying to be YA. Abercrombie pulls no punches. There is plenty of grit and dirt and blood and wicked tough bastards and badass women to go around. This is a story where they're not afraid to blow snot right on the sand in front of Mother War and Father Peace and everyone else. And that ending? Freakin' ...

Little Fuzzy [Unabridged] by H. Beam Piper My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was a decent little story that I probably wouldn't have ever read if not for John Scalzi's reboot, Fuzzy Nation . That book was just so awesome, I had to see about the source material. Also, this audiobook was a surprise attachment to the Fuzzy Nation audiobook, so it was right there. Just press "play". That said, this wasn't as entertaining. It was good, it's just that Fuzzy Nation was incredible. Scalzi did some things that were improvements on the original story. That said, there wouldn't even be a Fuzzy Nation if it weren't for this book. On the audio, well. The narrator also wasn't as good as Wil Wheaton. This guy made Jack Holloway's interactions with Little Fuzzy sound like episodes of Mickey Mouse's Playhouse . Only without the "Hot Dog Song". (Don't judge me, my 1 year old grandson lives with us). But yeah, without this, there would be no Fu...

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi My rating: 5 of 5 stars How is it that this book has been out for 4 years and I'm just now reading it? I remember when it came out thinking that it was an homage to H. Beam Piper's novel (which it is), and that I'd need to have read that one to get this one. That's not the case; after doing a little more looking, I saw that this is a reboot of the original, rather than a sequel. Scalzi explains all of this very well in his introduction. Well, today was a good day for it, so that worked out; I needed a good distraction. This audio reading was perfect for that, with Wil Wheaton at the helm. While I've read several John Scalzi short stories over the last few years, this was the first novel I've tried. Well, if that's any indication of what I've been missing, I'll be looking into more of his work very soon. I loved the last sentence (before the epilogue). Perfect. View all my reviews ...

An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was brilliant at times. At others, it dragged a little. But even when it was moving slowly, I enjoyed it. I'm really starting to like some of these characters. New ones, and the ones carried over from the earlier books. Abraham writes them so well that love or hate them, they're worth reading about. Or listening, in this case. The audiobook performance of Neil Shah was perfect for this book. At first I wasn't sure at all I liked him, but after a couple of chapters his voice molded to the story. And his character voices are perfect. I really need to see where this series will go from here. One more book and it's over. The way this one has built up to it, I think I'm in for a real treat. View all my reviews

Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton My rating: 3 of 5 stars Well then. I hope that book reviews don't need to be a length that's proportional to the size of the book being reviewed. Actually, I can safely say that this one definitely won't be. Damn, that was a big tome. And as much as I like John Lee, I need a new reader in my next book. Between this and Revelation Space , I've heard John Lee's voice more this year than any member of my family's voice. My wife does say I can tune her out, and unfortunately I think this happened with Mr. Lee as well for large parts of the book. There were great parts, and great characters. Then there were long periods of slog and yawn. What's bad is that my brain had zoned out and gone elsewhere during some of the longer slogs, and ended up missing some of the good parts. I can't say how many times I'd regain focus and be like "when did they switch to that character?" I feel like I need some CliffNote...

Rhune by Michael J. Sullivan My rating: 5 of 5 stars My review and rating are based on the 2nd beta version of this book; the final published edition will likely be changed a bit. But not as much as you might think. While it will need some tweaking to give it a more polished story, this book is pretty awesome as it is now. I've been a fan of Michael J. Sullivan for a few years now, and he has never disappointed. Fans of his Riyria works will be on this book like a fat kid on a glazed donut. What happens in this book? I won't tell. One, I don't reveal spoilers. Two, this won't be released for over a year by the time it gets the full publishing treatment - things about it could change. And third, you need to read it for yourself. Don't worry; when the final version makes it to print (and ebook, and audiobook), I'll be among the first out there purchasing a copy. And I'll read it again, happily. I'm anxious to see an "imp...

The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin My rating: 4 of 5 stars 4.5 stars. This was better than expected, even with the hype. At first I hesitated to buy it. I mean, why do I want to sink this kind of money into one of GRRM's distractions? All that does is encourage him to work on stuff that isn't The Winds of Winter. Right? That, and I'm not even sure how much of this he wrote. He has endorsed it heavily, and I know that he's very protective of his material. So that kind of won me over, and I added it to my Christmas list. At least it isn't a snoozefest of an anthology, right? Right. This book is brilliant. I wouldn't even call it something to tide me over while I wait on TWOW. It's a great work on its own. This is a history textbook that is way more interesting than anything I had in school. And the artwork is breathtaking - it's worth picking up this book ...

Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks My rating: 4 of 5 stars To be honest, I had mixed feelings here. At times I was really into it, but during others I felt it dragged on. I'd say the good outweighed the bad, however. So I'll round up my 3.5 stars to a 4 rating. I really liked the characters, and I loved Banks's development. I also enjoyed the universe building that this first Culture novel has. I'm definitely curious enough to look into reading others (I've actually read Player of Games , but it's been 20 years and I don't remember much). View all my reviews

Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed this, and though I've been seeing great things said about it for a long time, I just now got to it. Well, I'm glad I did. I'm good and thoroughly hooked, and I'll be picking up more books in this series. Cross [b:The Winds of Khalakovo|9601072|The Winds of Khalakovo (Lays of Anuskaya, #1)|Bradley P. Beaulieu|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361611024s/9601072.jpg|14488183] with Firefly and you might have a basic idea of what to expect. Or not. It's kinda its own thing too. Recommended. View all my reviews