Reviews and Comments

The 3rd of the 4 books in the Long Price Quartet and my favorite thus far. Lots of complex character interactions going on and the culmination of a lot of plot threads that have been teased in the prior two books. I honestly don't know what the 4th one could be about, if it's not a long epilogue...

This is the second book in the Long Price Quartet and a worthy successor to the first. I'll be holding out for my complete review until I finish the four books, but this was enjoyable on its own. I was surprised by the large time jump between the first and the second, but pleased that many of the same characters reappear. Some similar themes are explored in this one, primarily the nature of relationships and family, though absent are the themes of humanity and slavery. There is a bit more intrigue and politics in this one, something is shaking up and I wonder what the next two books will focus on.

Read this on my international trip and enjoyed it a lot. I got the other books in the series during my trip, in case I had more time, but haven't started them yet. I also haven't done a full review, but that may come later or I may group the entire series under one review. For now, I found this to be an enjoyable story with a decent plot and some pretty good characters. I look forward to seeing how the world develops.

This was a fun book and a great way to end the series. It had an explosive finish and managed to tie up pretty much all the major plotlines going through (though as a young adult novel it was fairly straightforward). The characters were interesting and the plot very fast paced. Overall, an enjoyable science fiction/fantasy series. Apparently there is more to continue in this universe which sounds exciting to me!

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2024/01/defiant-by-brandon-sanderson.html

Re-read this in prep for the 4th book in the series. There is so much foreshadowing that I caught this time!

Overall, this was a fun book, albeit a bit shorter than it's predecessor. It's still a fun ride with the usual cast of characters we've come to enjoy. A relatively simple plot with plenty of action and high-stakes moments and a recognizable setting with hints of more complexity in Murderbot's psyche. I recommend it for folks that are already reading the Muderbot Diaries at it continues its story.

For a full spoiler-free review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/12/book-review-system-collapse-by-martha.html

I thought this book was pretty good, though it has a bit of a rough start. Once you get past the initial part and get used to the first/second person narrative it becomes much better. It's also not a particular long story, but the characters, especially the Strength and Patience of the Hill, are cool.

I can recommend this as a quick jump into Ann Leckie's works, particularly if you are more interested in fantasy than her usual science fiction.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/11/book-review-raven-tower-by-ann-leckie.html

This was quite a ride, another Cosmere novel which felt like it had a breakneck pace as characters kept running to safety. There's plenty of action and development, though the fast pace limits how much characters could explore of their world. It's probably the most Cosmere-heavy of the Year of Sanderson (though 3 of the novels are set in the Cosmere) so the hints at the greater struggles and connections to other worlds were appreciated.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/10/book-review-sunlit-man-by-brandon.html

Overall this was a decent book. It's not the best in the series and very much feels like a middle book, but it had it's moments. There is a lot brewing behind the scenes as the Dark One's forces regroup and revise their strategy after Rand's return from the Aiel Waste. The stage is slowly being set for some explosive confrontations in books to come.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/10/book-review-lord-of-chaos-by-robert.html

Overall, this was an interesting short novel. While deceptively simple, the premise makes you think about a lot its concepts, including dreams, reality, and the power to change it. The characters lead the conflict- there is an abusive relationship at its core as one takes advantage of the other. That was disturbing but the main character is a little too passive in working to get out of it.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/08/book-review-lathe-of-heaven-by-ursula.html

Overall this was a good book. It was fairly straightforward in its plot and characters, which allowed it to have a more personal feel to the main character. The setting is hindered a little by aspects of the language which, while they add some depth, they also add a great amount of complexity. I can certainly see the similarities to The Hands of the Emperor, though I prefer that book for its broader story and the focus on the secretary rather than the emperor himself.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/07/book-review-goblin-emperor-by-katherine.html

This was probably one of the more engaging Cosmere novels that Sanderson has written thus far. It features a pair of very different artists from very different worlds. The story involves a bit of a body-swap with a twist, so each gets to see how their other world looks like and learns from it. Combined with an intriguing setting and a plot focused on the mystery of what is going on, you get a formula for a book that is hard to put down. It also features plenty of illustrations by Aliya Chen which further add to the story.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/07/book-review-yumi-and-nightmare-painter.html

Overall, this was a decent book, though I approached it with expectations that were unreasonably high. On it's own, it's an interesting story and sets the stage for an interesting setting that could lead to further adventures. It does feel like you're coming in right in between the action so I felt a little lost as to what was possible and who the characters were, which I think is my biggest problem with the book- there is a lot to absorb, but we're only given tidbits in the interest of keeping the plot moving.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/06/book-review-witch-king-by-martha-wells.html

Overall, the book was a very fast read and very fun. Once all the pieces click together it's more waiting to see how much the main character will take it and how his unique personality will play into the narrative. At the end, I was left wondering about some details. There are some subtle hints that make me wonder if Sanderson will revisit this universe.

For a longer review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/06/book-review-frugal-wizards-handbook-for.html

This was an interesting read. I enjoyed the Tiberian sections of the story quite a lot as it's a bit of a reverse first contact, where we see from their point of view what happens when they reach Earth and find Stone Age humans. The science and engineering concepts were interesting and always a hallmark of hard sci-fi stories. I found the cast too large for the narrower scope of the story (pretty much everyone is given a name, description, job, etc even if they never get any lines of dialogue) and the plot at times slowed down, but it was otherwise an enjoyable story. It makes me wish humanity was more united in its pursuit of knowledge and of a better tomorrow.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/05/book-review-encounter-with-tiber-by.html