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Just a Geek: Unflinchingly Honest Tales of the Search for Life, Love, and Fulfillment Beyond the Starship Enterprise
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I first read the two books that comprise Mordant's Need (The Mirror of Her Dreams and A Man Rides Through) many, MANY years ago. I loved them then, and I still love them now. Stephen Donaldson paints an unusual, perhaps unique, system of magic that I find refreshing and intriguing. The magic system aside, world-building is a little on the light side, but you get enough history of Mordant and its neighbours - and their conflicts - to give a satisfying background to the story. For me, the primary strength of these books is in their characters - not just Terisa and Geraden, the central characters, but all the supporting cast as well. Many of them appear somewhat one-dimensional and clichéd to begin with, but the more you learn about them the more interesting they become. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, talents and flaws which influence everything they do. If you like good old-fashioned fantasy, with just enough darkness to give it a bit of spice, then I highly recommend this book (or books, depending on whether you get the omnibus edition or not).
Evocative and creepy - which is what Ray Bradbury does best. I've had this short story on my (virtual) shelves for a while now, but had never got around to reading it. In light of Bradbury's sad passing, I rectified that.
Like the Laundry novels by the same author, this was a fast paced adventure with some dizzying twists and turns. It took me a little while to get into it - the far-future tech and world-building takes some getting used to - but once I did, I was very much hooked. Highly recommended sci-fi thriller.
The second novelisation of the Girl Genius webcomic, this is equally as entertaining as the first. While they naturally follow the same plot as the webcomic, the novels bring more character insights, along with added details and backstory. Great fun, and a highly enjoyable read. If you like your steampunk (or gaslamp fantasy, if you prefer) with lots of adventure, strange creatures and mad science, then this is for you. And there's a circus, too!
A light but entertaining time travel story. I'd have preferred more character development, but the actual time travel aspects of the plot worked well for me, with no obvious glaring paradoxes. It felt rather like a modern take on H.G. Wells's classic, which I didn't mind - it was different enough to feel like its own story, while still having echoes of the other.
A light but entertaining time travel story. I'd have preferred more character development, but the actual time travel aspects of the plot worked well for me, with no obvious glaring paradoxes. It felt rather like a modern take on H.G. Wells's classic, which I didn't mind - it was different enough to feel like its own story, while still having echoes of the other.
I've meant for some time to read this novella which was the basis of John Carpenter's THE THING (as well as the earlier THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD which I've not seen). Sadly, being familiar with John Carpenter's film, the story held little in the way of shocks or suspense for me, but it was nonetheless a very interesting read - if only to see how many core ideas from the novella were used in the film. I can easily see how powerful a story it must have been when it originally came out.
A very worthy collection of science fiction stories - most of which I'm slightly ashamed to say I hadn't read previously, given how many classics are present - ranging from 'The Golden Age' up to more contemporary stories. In any anthology, there are going to be hits and misses for most readers, and this was no exception for me, but the hits made it well worth the time invested, and there were definitely more hits than misses. The stories are separated into three chronological sections: 'The Golden Age', 'The New Wave', and 'The Media Generation', allowing the anthology to serve as a kind of journey through the history of science fiction. The first section was my favourite of the three, while the section containing the most recent stories actually fell most flat for me - probably the opposite of what I'd expected. Which goes to prove, of course, that those stories are considered classics for a reason.If you like science fiction and you're not averse to reading shorter-length stories, then this is a must read - unless you've read these stories before, of course!A list of the included stories can be found here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterpieces:_The_Best_Science_Fiction_of_the_Century
As always, the Dresden Files series does not disappoint. If you liked the previous books, you'll like this this one. And if you haven't read the previous books, start at the beginning (Storm Front)! A fantastic series with a great protagonist in Harry Dresden, wizard-for-hire and trouble-magnet-extraordinaire.
A fantastic end to a fantastic series. The emotional roller-coaster the series as a whole - and this last book in particular - took me on has left me somewhat dazed, but certain in the knowledge that this is one of the best series of books I've ever read. It is perhaps not for the faint-of-heart, because the setting of these books is most assuredly not a nice place, and the twists and turns of the plot are likely to leave you crying as often as cheering. But it is definitely worth your time to read. Thought-provoking, exhilarating, shocking, emotional, instructive - The Hunger Games is all of this and more. I'm torn between sadness and relief that my journey through this world with the characters is over, but I feel richer for having spent time with them.
A fantastic end to a fantastic series. The emotional roller-coaster the series as a whole - and this last book in particular - took me on has left me somewhat dazed, but certain in the knowledge that this is one of the best series of books I've ever read. It is perhaps not for the faint-of-heart, because the setting of these books is most assuredly not a nice place, and the twists and turns of the plot are likely to leave you crying as often as cheering. But it is definitely worth your time to read. Thought-provoking, exhilarating, shocking, emotional, instructive - The Hunger Games is all of this and more. I'm torn between sadness and relief that my journey through this world with the characters is over, but I feel richer for having spent time with them.
Equally as compelling as the first book of the trilogy, perhaps even more so thanks to increased familiarity with many of the characters. Once again, I had that 'can't put it down' feeling. On with the final book!
Equally as compelling as the first book of the trilogy, perhaps even more so thanks to increased familiarity with many of the characters. Once again, I had that 'can't put it down' feeling. On with the final book!
I was a bit wary of this trilogy because of all the hype. Last time I read a book that had this much hype around it before I read it, it was The Da Vinci Code...But anyway, I needn't have worried, because this book was GOOD. More than that, it grabbed me and refused to let go until I'd finished reading it - which I did in record time. I hadn't really noticed, but I guess it's been a while since I really had that 'can't put it down' feeling with a new book, even books I've enjoyed. Well, I had it in spades with this.The setting is interesting and feels original, despite having familiar elements (yes, the concept has elements reminiscent of Battle Royale, but Suzanne Collins takes that concept and runs with it in whole new directions). You get a real sense of a fully-formed world here. The characters all feel like real people, flaws and all, and the plot takes twists and turns that I didn't see coming, even when I thought I was sure I had it all pegged. There's drama, trauma, and heartbreak galore, but also moments of unexpected (especially given the circumstances) sweetness. The writing is straightforward but engrossing and the pacing is brilliant, continually driving the plot, and the reader, forward. It is, as they say, a real page-turner.I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone.
I was a bit wary of this trilogy because of all the hype. Last time I read a book that had this much hype around it before I read it, it was The Da Vinci Code...But anyway, I needn't have worried, because this book was GOOD. More than that, it grabbed me and refused to let go until I'd finished reading it - which I did in record time. I hadn't really noticed, but I guess it's been a while since I really had that 'can't put it down' feeling with a new book, even books I've enjoyed. Well, I had it in spades with this.The setting is interesting and feels original, despite having familiar elements (yes, the concept has elements reminiscent of Battle Royale, but Suzanne Collins takes that concept and runs with it in whole new directions). You get a real sense of a fully-formed world here. The characters all feel like real people, flaws and all, and the plot takes twists and turns that I didn't see coming, even when I thought I was sure I had it all pegged. There's drama, trauma, and heartbreak galore, but also moments of unexpected (especially given the circumstances) sweetness. The writing is straightforward but engrossing and the pacing is brilliant, continually driving the plot, and the reader, forward. It is, as they say, a real page-turner.I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone.
This is the third Dragon Age novel, but unlike the other two, it takes place after both the games so far, dealing in part with the fallout from the events in the second game. There are new characters as well as some familiar faces, and an intriguing glimpse into the state of Thedas leading into the next Dragon Age game.This is not a book I'd recommend to anyone not already a fan of the Dragon Age series, both books and games. For those who are, however, there is much to love. David Gaider weaves a compelling tale from seemingly small beginnings that grows into something much bigger. Things we thought we knew about various aspects of the Dragon Age universe are challenged, and the novel sets the stage for the next turbulent chapter of Thedas' history.The new characters, around whom the novel centres, are well-drawn and for the most part sympathetic, and I found myself genuinely invested in their fates. As always, David Gaider's love of this world and the characters who's stories we follow through it shines through in his writing, and makes you want to love them just as much.My only complaint is that, at least in the e-book edition I read, the proofing/editing was dire. There were many, many occasions where words had been incorrectly split into two (plea sure instead of pleasure, for instance), and some instances of incorrect case or grammar being used. There was even one place where a whole paragraph was repeated, slightly altered. This threw me out of the story on many occasions, and had I been enjoying the story less, I might have given up on it altogether. This shouldn't be seen as a criticism of the book itself, but rather of lazy production values on the part of the publisher. This unfortunately seems to be getting more common, which makes me sad.This aside, however, I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves the Dragon Age universe. I would perhaps rate this lower than the first two Dragon Age novels, if only because the younger Loghain is one of my favourite characters in this world. However, since I can't give it three and a half stars, I've settled for four, editing errors and all!