Reviews and Comments

I'm disappointed at how much the characters dragged down this story. They are weak, static, and barely one-dimensional; such a huge contrast with many of the other books I read and enjoy. The story had some promise, even if the setting was a bit generic. One of the only redeeming features is that it's a short book that can be quickly read to get it over with.

See my blog for my full review: strakul.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-tau-ceti-by-kevin-j.html

It is easy to see why this novel was the 2016 Hugo Award winner. The story is just incredible, with plot, setting, and characters all being creative and engaging. It's the sort of story that leaves you wondering what do you want to be and do with life. And then confronts you with what to do when you realize you can't be what you want, but must instead struggle to survive.

For my full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2016/09/book-review-fifth-season-by-nk-jemisin.html

This was an fun, casual book. While the plot or characters aren't incredibly amazing, they are decent and the setting is very cool. I'll certainly be looking into real history to see how this novel and the subsequent ones compare. I did enjoy Temeraire as a dragon and the Epilogue sets the stage for future conflicts that will be interesting to read about.

For my full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2016/08/book-review-his-majestys-dragon-by.html

This was an enjoyable read and, though I read it slowly, I thought about it often. The plot is simple, but engaging, the characters unique, and the setting very interesting. I know the subsequent books are very different in style, but given the ending of this book, I'll certainly have to check out them out.

For my full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2016/08/book-review-hyperion-by-dan-simmons.html

This was an interesting first book on the life and adventures of Isabella as she sets out to learn about dragons. I found the memoir narrative style engaging, but didn't enjoy much the actual plot. The setting was promising, but not as magical as I expected coming in. I am curious as to how she gets the name "Lady Trent", but not so much that I would immediately dig into the rest of the series. I'm a bit disappointed I didn't like this more, but maybe I overhyped it by having heard good things on it before

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2016/06/book-review-natural-history-of-dragons.html

This book was great, much better than some prior Sanderson novels I've read recently (namely, Calamity and Perfect State). Not that the others were bad, just that they didn't seem as well crafted as this one. While Sanderson writes good books, he is at his best when writing long, epic fantasies. The Bands of Mourning excels at presenting intriguing new aspects to the world of Scadrial and at developing already great characters. I look forward to seen how Scadrial continues to develop over time in Sanderson's planned future books.

For my full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2016/04/book-review-bands-of-mourning-by.html

This is a great conclusion to the Reckoners series of books by Brandon Sanderson. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it in a flash. The setting is cool as always. It makes me wonder, which city of the three books would I prefer: Newcago, Babilar, or Ildithia? The plot races on with lots of action going on in every chapter. The only drawback is that I wasn't impressed too much with the characters for this particular book, though it may be that we already know most of them from prior books.

For my full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-review-calamity-by-brandon.html

It took me a while given all that was going on in my life, but I finally finished this book and I am so glad! Like the other Malazan books, this starts of slowly but inexorably speeds up to a massive finale that leaves you breathless. As the final book of the series, it does it job very well managing to tie together so many different threads that I am left impressed at the scope and magnitude of the story. The characters are still the same ones we have come to love (and hate) and the prose is still as intricate as the prior books. Overall, I very much enjoyed the concluding novel of this series.

For my full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2016/03/book-review-crippled-god-by-steven.html

This is a very interesting and very short read with a couple of surprising twists along the way. It was certainly not what I expected when I started reading, nor was it the same by the time I finished it. The setting is certainly where this shines. It's reminiscent of a major franchise which will become apparent quickly as you read the story. Overall, I encourage fans of Sanderson and science fiction in general to check this novella out.

For a full review, see my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2015/11/novella-review-perfect-state-by-brandon.html

This was another great book by Brandon Sanderson. The Mistborn series is one of his most popular and it's easy to see why. It combines interesting characters, action-packed plots, and an intricate world with amazing magic. While I'm not a fan of Western-type stories and this was not as good as the original trilogy, Shadows of Self was still fun and an enjoyable read. Most interesting for me were the little details thrown at the end that hint at future story developments.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-review-shadows-of-self-by-brandon.html

This was an excellent novel and a must-read for fans of classic science fiction. I was reminded of several of Arthur C. Clarke's novels and even of Sphere by Michael Crichton. The plot was a little slow at the beginning, particularly in comparison with The Three Body Problem. However, this does pick up and by the end it is rushing ahead getting cooler and cooler with each turn of the (digital) page. The characters are also pretty neat and provide a personal touch across the large timespan covered in the story. I eagerly await the translation of the third and final installment of this series.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.cl/2015/09/book-review-dark-forest-by-cixin-liu.html

This was an excellent book. I can count it among the masterpieces of modern science fiction. The story has elements similar to that of other science fiction stories, such as [b:Nightfall and Other Stories|70771|Nightfall and Other Stories|Isaac Asimov|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297455226s/70771.jpg|26652722] by Isaac Asimov, [b:Childhood's End|414999|Childhood's End|Arthur C. Clarke|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320552628s/414999.jpg|209414] and [b:Rendezvous with Rama|112537|Rendezvous with Rama (Rama, #1)|Arthur C. Clarke|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405456427s/112537.jpg|1882772] by Arthur C. Clarke, and [b:Anathem|2845024|Anathem|Neal Stephenson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436598125s/2845024.jpg|6163095] by Neal Stephenson. It is important to stress that this is a hard science fiction novel. Generally, hard sci-fi stories focus strongly on the premise of the story (the idea) rather than characters or plot, so approach the story with that in mind. While it is technically part of a trilogy, the story stands extremely well on it's own. Of course, I'll be paying attention for more translated works of Liu Cixin.

For my full review, see my blog at strakul.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-review-three-body-problem-by-liu.html

This was a great Discworld novel and I highly recommend it for newcomers to the series. The best part of the book is probably the character Death, who is very unique and surprising in this universe. The plot moves along quickly as well, making this a short, enjoyable read.

For my full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-mort-by-terry-pratchett.html

Sanderson is one of my favorite authors and he has yet to disappoint me. This is another great story featuring excellent characters with both fast-paced action and slow moments to ponder the mysteries of the world. Despite the fact that I usually don't enjoy straight up superhero stories, the Reckoners series is quickly becoming an excellent set of books to read. Maybe it's the fact the superhero story has been turned upside down, or the fact that Sanderson is such a good storyteller. Regardless, this is a series I'll certainly continue and I highly recommend you pick it up.

For a full review, see my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-review-firefight-by-brandon.html