Book Reviews, 40-44
Quick Summary:
40 - Gordon R. Dickson, On the Run, 3.5 stars.
41 - Graham Joyce, Dark Sister, 4 stars.
42 - Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, The Palace, 3 stars.
43 - C.S. Friedman, This Alien Shore, 5 stars.
44 - Kim Harrison, Dead Witch Walking, 5 stars.
Book 40:
Gordon R. Dickson: On the Run, 213 pages. A bookcrossing.com book. A quick reading sci-fi novel that doesn't feel "dated" to its 1956 writing origin. A hypothetical future where the world's problems have been solved by setting humans into castes and where no one gets to stay in one place for more than six months. Although things seemed to go far too smoothly for Kil in searching for his wife at first, the reason is revealed near the end. Believable, if a bit more fantasy than sci-fi at the end, and a good short read. 3.5 stars out of 5. Finish Date: 23 Jul 05.
Book 41:
Graham Joyce: Dark Sister, 300 pages. This author's style (and subject matter) reminded me strongly of Charles de Lint (in fact, there is a dust jacket blurb from de Lint in the book). Joyce dips into a combination of Celtic mythology, witchcraft, and history to present a mostly-believable tale about a woman who finds her path as a witch after finding an old diary during a fireplace renovation in her house. The only real gripe I had about the story is some of the husband's behavior mid-book, which I felt was rather out of character for him and inserted only so that the author could have his lead female flit off on her own without any "real" blame on her. I'll definately be looking for his other work. 4 stars out of 5. Finish Date: 24 Jul 05.
Book 42:
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro: The Palace, 480 pages. Unfortunately, this book simply didn't hold my attention the way that Hotel Transylvania did, and I often felt that San Germano was a bit too perfect and the male equivilant of the Anita Blake character from Laurell K. Hamilton's books (without the chapters and chapters worth of sex, of course). I'm not 100% certain I will read the other Saint Germain book I have on loan from a friend, especially considering it combines with a period of history I'm not fond of for fantasy/sci-fi (Nazi Germany). It just feels like Yarbro is sticking the character into major history points and making him be some sort of savior and driving force in them, and her prose style wears thin after a while for me. 3 stars out of 5. Finish Date: 28 Jul 05.
Book 43:
C.S. Friedman: This Alien Shore, 592 pages. I hadn't realized I'd read anything by Friedman before, until I glanced inside the cover and saw Black Sun Rising. This led me to anticipate a good read, an expectation that was not disappointed. The science is explained in layman's terms, including the computer hacking that is central to the book's plot of a major virus infecting (and killing) the Guild Pilots who provide the only means of transport between the far flung human worlds and space stations. While I was not all that fond of the lead female character (Jamisia), she was not annoyingly perfect and jarring like many female-written female leads are. However, I found the male characters (particularly Masada and Phoenix) to be a bit more interesting. The ending is fitting, and not quite what I expected. The only real quibble I had with the novel is that it ends rather abruptly, without really showing Jamisia except as an afterthought mentioned by another character. After the intensity of her climatic scene, it was a bit of a disappointment for her to just disappear off-camera and her fate be really told in passing in another character's final scene. 5 stars out of 5. Finish Date: 31 Jul 05.
Book 44:
Kim Harrison: Dead Witch Walking, 415 pages. Rachel Morgan series, book 1. I sincerely hope that this series doesn't take the downward turn that LKH's Anita Blake novels did, or I shall just give up this genre entirely. Reviews compare Harrison somewhat blandly towards LKH and Charlaine Harris, but I actually found the book a bit better than Harris' work and maybe on a par with early LKH books. Rachel certainly does not seem to be superhuman, despite being an Inderlander witch, and the poor woman seems to have the sort of bad luck that no one ought to be privy to. I quite enjoyed the supporting characters, especially pixy Jenks and the appearances made by his wife and children. Very good brain candy. 4.5 stars out of 5. Finish Date: 1 Aug 05.
Currently Reading
Julie E. Czerneda: In the Company of Others, 576 pages.
Mount To-Be-Read
Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Chosen, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Tempting Fate, Piers Anthony's Bio of a Space Tyrant, Richard Matheson's Earthbound, Diane Duane's So You Want to Be a Wizard?
2005 Reading List
40 - Gordon R. Dickson, On the Run, 3.5 stars.
41 - Graham Joyce, Dark Sister, 4 stars.
42 - Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, The Palace, 3 stars.
43 - C.S. Friedman, This Alien Shore, 5 stars.
44 - Kim Harrison, Dead Witch Walking, 5 stars.
Book 40:
Gordon R. Dickson: On the Run, 213 pages. A bookcrossing.com book. A quick reading sci-fi novel that doesn't feel "dated" to its 1956 writing origin. A hypothetical future where the world's problems have been solved by setting humans into castes and where no one gets to stay in one place for more than six months. Although things seemed to go far too smoothly for Kil in searching for his wife at first, the reason is revealed near the end. Believable, if a bit more fantasy than sci-fi at the end, and a good short read. 3.5 stars out of 5. Finish Date: 23 Jul 05.
Book 41:
Graham Joyce: Dark Sister, 300 pages. This author's style (and subject matter) reminded me strongly of Charles de Lint (in fact, there is a dust jacket blurb from de Lint in the book). Joyce dips into a combination of Celtic mythology, witchcraft, and history to present a mostly-believable tale about a woman who finds her path as a witch after finding an old diary during a fireplace renovation in her house. The only real gripe I had about the story is some of the husband's behavior mid-book, which I felt was rather out of character for him and inserted only so that the author could have his lead female flit off on her own without any "real" blame on her. I'll definately be looking for his other work. 4 stars out of 5. Finish Date: 24 Jul 05.
Book 42:
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro: The Palace, 480 pages. Unfortunately, this book simply didn't hold my attention the way that Hotel Transylvania did, and I often felt that San Germano was a bit too perfect and the male equivilant of the Anita Blake character from Laurell K. Hamilton's books (without the chapters and chapters worth of sex, of course). I'm not 100% certain I will read the other Saint Germain book I have on loan from a friend, especially considering it combines with a period of history I'm not fond of for fantasy/sci-fi (Nazi Germany). It just feels like Yarbro is sticking the character into major history points and making him be some sort of savior and driving force in them, and her prose style wears thin after a while for me. 3 stars out of 5. Finish Date: 28 Jul 05.
Book 43:
C.S. Friedman: This Alien Shore, 592 pages. I hadn't realized I'd read anything by Friedman before, until I glanced inside the cover and saw Black Sun Rising. This led me to anticipate a good read, an expectation that was not disappointed. The science is explained in layman's terms, including the computer hacking that is central to the book's plot of a major virus infecting (and killing) the Guild Pilots who provide the only means of transport between the far flung human worlds and space stations. While I was not all that fond of the lead female character (Jamisia), she was not annoyingly perfect and jarring like many female-written female leads are. However, I found the male characters (particularly Masada and Phoenix) to be a bit more interesting. The ending is fitting, and not quite what I expected. The only real quibble I had with the novel is that it ends rather abruptly, without really showing Jamisia except as an afterthought mentioned by another character. After the intensity of her climatic scene, it was a bit of a disappointment for her to just disappear off-camera and her fate be really told in passing in another character's final scene. 5 stars out of 5. Finish Date: 31 Jul 05.
Book 44:
Kim Harrison: Dead Witch Walking, 415 pages. Rachel Morgan series, book 1. I sincerely hope that this series doesn't take the downward turn that LKH's Anita Blake novels did, or I shall just give up this genre entirely. Reviews compare Harrison somewhat blandly towards LKH and Charlaine Harris, but I actually found the book a bit better than Harris' work and maybe on a par with early LKH books. Rachel certainly does not seem to be superhuman, despite being an Inderlander witch, and the poor woman seems to have the sort of bad luck that no one ought to be privy to. I quite enjoyed the supporting characters, especially pixy Jenks and the appearances made by his wife and children. Very good brain candy. 4.5 stars out of 5. Finish Date: 1 Aug 05.
Currently Reading
Julie E. Czerneda: In the Company of Others, 576 pages.
Mount To-Be-Read
Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Chosen, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Tempting Fate, Piers Anthony's Bio of a Space Tyrant, Richard Matheson's Earthbound, Diane Duane's So You Want to Be a Wizard?
2005 Reading List