Science fiction and fantasy. Astronomical Data Scientist at STScI/MAST in Baltimore. Opinions are my own. Follow me on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@VirStrakul Longer reviews on my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/
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Success! Strakul has read 17 of 12 books.
It is the middle of the summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is …
"She answered the Emperor's call.
She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only …
Holy shit this was an incredible book. It has it all: a very intriguing setting that keeps you wondering how things work. A plot that keeps you glued to the story; I had many theories on what was going on- most of them wrong. And characters that are fascinating to read about, whether they are discussing the mysteries of life and death, visiting other planets, or just enjoying some soup. I highly recommend this series and can't wait for the next book!
Read my full review at my blog (warning: has spoilers for [b:Gideon the Ninth|42036538|Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1)|Tamsyn Muir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546870952l/42036538.SY75.jpg|60943229]): strakul.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-review-harrow-ninth-by-tamsyn-muir.html
Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. 'It is time,' he said, 'for me to tell …
"A thriller of war that never was--of survival in an impossible city--of surreal cataclysm. In …
This was quite an interesting ride. I was not too familiar with Surrealist art, but gained a deeper appreciation of it thanks to this novella. I also appreciated its length since a much longer novel would have been exhausting with all the craziness that takes place. The characters were decent, but the main selling point was New Paris and the unique setting were art and devils roam the streets alongside Nazis and resistance fighters. While not my favorite Mieville story, this is in line with the weird fiction he is known for.
For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-review-last-days-of-new-paris-by.html
Connie Willis' entertaining comedy inspired by Jerome K. Jerome's [Three Men in a Boat (to …
This was an excellent book. I had some initial hesitation, since I tend to favor more epic stories and this one was described to me as a more comedic story. However, I ended up enjoying it immensely. It is indeed a playful story with a bit of detective work, some romance, some action, and a lot of crazy characters. I'll be remembering the antics for quite some time and look forward to wrapping up the time travel series with Blackout/All Clear sometime soon.
For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2020/07/book-review-to-say-nothing-of-dog-by.html
Fourteen-year-old Harry Potter joins the Weasleys at the Quidditch World Cup, then enters his fourth year at Hogwarts Academy where …
Harry Potter #1
When mysterious letters start arriving on his doorstep, Harry Potter has never heard of Hogwarts School of …
In Manhattan, a young grad student gets off the train and realizes he doesn't remember …
This was an excellent book. Jemisin manages to take an already well-established setting, the "mythological" New York, and take it to new heights with surrealist magic and eldritch horrors. A diverse set of characters lead the story as the avatars of the five boroughs of New York and it's really neat to see them embracing who they are and interacting with each other. Thanks to a fast paced plot, I finished this fairly quickly and kept wanting for more as there are some tantalizing mysteries left out in the open. I was presently surprised to hear in the acknowledgements (yes, I read those too) that this is the first of a trilogy. Looking forward to more books in this strange new universe!
For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2020/04/book-review-city-we-became-by-nk-jemisin.html
This was a lighthearted novel with a funny, if somewhat incompetent, set of characters in situations way over their heads. It has the typical humor you see in other Discworld novels which leads you shaking your head wondering how a society like this could exist. It was good fun, though the light-ness of it felt very out of place when I was reading news. In hindsight, a more engrossing novel that kept me thinking far into it would probably have been better.
Check out my full review on my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2020/04/book-review-guards-guards-by-terry.html
Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian …
This was an incredible book to read and I can see why it's being praised so highly. I though the characters were great and I wanted to learn more about the individual Houses and what made them unique. The plot was very engaging as well and I raced through the last hundred pages or so. I look forward to the next in the series, which I understand is coming out in June of this year, and I highly recommend it for fans of either fantasy or science fiction.
For my full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2020/03/book-review-gideon-ninth-by-tamsyn-muir.html
This was a great book that was very fun to read. Very lively characters and engaging plot all set in a refreshing fantasy setting that breaks from the European tropes. The magic was exciting, yet not overbearing- at the end of the day the story is about the relationship between the four main characters and how that ties to the greater geopolitical struggles they find themselves in. The novel also wraps up very neatly making this a good standalone book, though I wouldn't mind reading other stories set in this world!
For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2020/01/book-review-steel-crow-saga-by-paul.html
All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero …
I'm a fan of Sanderson and this is a classic Sanderson novel. Good characters, intricate setting, and a racing plot. One of my favorite things about his books is how he sets up a mystery for the characters to solve and effectively encourages the reader to do the same. Yet somehow, he always manages to stay one step ahead of me- I always think I know what the 'answer' is yet at the end, I'm always proven wrong and the real answer is far more interesting than what I expected. This happens again here and in hindsight there is plenty of cleverly hidden foreshadowing that would be rewarding to look through in a re-read.
For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2020/01/book-review-starsight-by-brandon.html
Deep below the University, there is a dark place. Few people know of it: a …
It's interesting to read a book where the author actively warns you that you might not like it. This is indeed a very odd, short novella. It focuses solely on Auri, preparing for the arrival of Kvothe and deals with her daily activities up to that point. Right from the get-go you realize how broken and shattered Auri is, even if you had no prior experience with her from Rothfuss's other books. It's amazing how she survives alone while devoting so much of her attention to how inanimate objects should be placed all over the underground world she lives in. Though, with names like Mantle, Tree, Foxen, and Fulcrum, and having seen the magic of The Name of the Wind, you suspect there may be something deeper there. Very little happens in this story- there is one character and almost no plot, but there is a soft, subtle magic in …
It's interesting to read a book where the author actively warns you that you might not like it. This is indeed a very odd, short novella. It focuses solely on Auri, preparing for the arrival of Kvothe and deals with her daily activities up to that point. Right from the get-go you realize how broken and shattered Auri is, even if you had no prior experience with her from Rothfuss's other books. It's amazing how she survives alone while devoting so much of her attention to how inanimate objects should be placed all over the underground world she lives in. Though, with names like Mantle, Tree, Foxen, and Fulcrum, and having seen the magic of The Name of the Wind, you suspect there may be something deeper there. Very little happens in this story- there is one character and almost no plot, but there is a soft, subtle magic in language, in repetition, in the melancholic musings of a young woman all alone. It is a book for slightly broken people and for those who can spare the time for a slow, achingly sweet story that is a poem written in prose.
When a catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb, it triggers a feverish …
This was quite a good book, with lots of grand topics and epic feats as ordinary people struggle against the forces of nature. It has a decent set characters, though it changes part way, and there is no single main character across the whole story. In typical hard-scifi fashion, a lot of time is spent describing scientific concepts, such as orbital mechanics or genetics. I was OK with this, but your mileage may vary.
For a more in-depth review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2019/07/book-review-seveneves-by-neal-stephenson.html
"The bestselling author of the groundbreaking novels Under Heaven and River of Stars, Guy Gavriel …
This was a great book. It combines an interesting historical period with some magic and strong character-driven stories. I was fascinated by the historical aspect and kept trying to guess or find out what the various nations and people were supposed to represent. Although I can't say I'm an expert of the late 1400s, I still was able to see the main historical players at the time and could research the rest. Of course, none of this is required to enjoy the story, but for me it was an added bonus.
For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2019/04/book-review-children-of-earth-and-sky.html
