Finished another book - Regeneration Book 3 of the Species Imperative Trilogy
I finished up the Species Imperative trilogy Julie E. Czerneda on Thursday night. I marathon read the last 100 pages late into the night. That was surprise. I have set myself an early bedtime and an early wake up here so I usually get pretty tired by 11:00 at night. Often I am yawning before 10:00 and already in bed. I lay down at around 10:30 and expected to read a bit before dozing off. Instead the culmination of the series kept me engrossed and awake until 1:30 when I finished.
I feel pretty "meh" about these books. I liked the characters and the aliens, but I found the pacing off. It was over 1600 pages (averaging just over 500 pages a book) of good, basic sci fi. I don't know. I have been reading a lot of classics lately. I wouldn't have picked this series myself. It was recommended by a good friend. It was nice as I read to email her and tell her my thoughts. It could have been worse. I was concerned that I wouldn't like the series at all. Like I said about the previous books it's kind of like a dessert - good but not filling, not something you can really sink your teeth into. I do read light books sometimes, but I prefer those kinds of books to be less than 200 pages. Good for travel when you don't have the options to sit in silence and focus on the book (which is how I prefer to read). Good when my reading will be interrupted frequently. And again I found the pacing of the books off. I think book 1 and 2 could have been a lot shorter with less focus what the main character did before and when she wasn't saving the universe.
Weirdly some of the hardest moments for me to suspend my disbelief were in the actions of some of the humans. I had no problem with the aliens or the sci fi elements. The main character, Mac, eventually finds out that she has been betrayed by her best friend. In fact Mac was befriended in the first place because of what she was; Her friend was using her the whole time. She forgives the friend. At another point someone who to this point has only served as a bureaucratic impediment for Mac in her primary job which has little to do with saving the universe shows up at her vacation home. Essentially stalking her. I'd be way more suspicious of this guy than she was. He eventually turns out to be above board, but when aliens are trying to kill you because you might hold the secret to saving the universe, you have to be very suspicious and less trusting.
My friend is now trying to read another series by Czerneda now and is having trouble getting through it. I am not too enthralled by the description of the plot. I do find myself drawn to Czernda's first book A Thousand Words for Stranger. It's the cool, lyrical title that draws me in. My reading pile is high, my "to buy" list is long, and it's book 1 of a trilogy so I probably won't get to that novel any time soon. The title will remain in my mind though.
Last night I started A Paradigm of Earth by Candas Jane Dorsey. Already it is drawing me in. This novel seems to have some meat to it too. Hopefully the rest of it holds up.
"A Paradigm of Earth is a sophisticated and moving study of alienation and humanity, with real characters in complex relationships, full of humor and hope. An excellent book for lovers of literary science fiction." --Roz Genessee
"Those interested in gender and feminism, as well as fans of thoughtful, emotion-centered SF, have a treat in store." --Publisher's Weekly
I feel pretty "meh" about these books. I liked the characters and the aliens, but I found the pacing off. It was over 1600 pages (averaging just over 500 pages a book) of good, basic sci fi. I don't know. I have been reading a lot of classics lately. I wouldn't have picked this series myself. It was recommended by a good friend. It was nice as I read to email her and tell her my thoughts. It could have been worse. I was concerned that I wouldn't like the series at all. Like I said about the previous books it's kind of like a dessert - good but not filling, not something you can really sink your teeth into. I do read light books sometimes, but I prefer those kinds of books to be less than 200 pages. Good for travel when you don't have the options to sit in silence and focus on the book (which is how I prefer to read). Good when my reading will be interrupted frequently. And again I found the pacing of the books off. I think book 1 and 2 could have been a lot shorter with less focus what the main character did before and when she wasn't saving the universe.
Weirdly some of the hardest moments for me to suspend my disbelief were in the actions of some of the humans. I had no problem with the aliens or the sci fi elements. The main character, Mac, eventually finds out that she has been betrayed by her best friend. In fact Mac was befriended in the first place because of what she was; Her friend was using her the whole time. She forgives the friend. At another point someone who to this point has only served as a bureaucratic impediment for Mac in her primary job which has little to do with saving the universe shows up at her vacation home. Essentially stalking her. I'd be way more suspicious of this guy than she was. He eventually turns out to be above board, but when aliens are trying to kill you because you might hold the secret to saving the universe, you have to be very suspicious and less trusting.
My friend is now trying to read another series by Czerneda now and is having trouble getting through it. I am not too enthralled by the description of the plot. I do find myself drawn to Czernda's first book A Thousand Words for Stranger. It's the cool, lyrical title that draws me in. My reading pile is high, my "to buy" list is long, and it's book 1 of a trilogy so I probably won't get to that novel any time soon. The title will remain in my mind though.
Last night I started A Paradigm of Earth by Candas Jane Dorsey. Already it is drawing me in. This novel seems to have some meat to it too. Hopefully the rest of it holds up.
"A Paradigm of Earth is a sophisticated and moving study of alienation and humanity, with real characters in complex relationships, full of humor and hope. An excellent book for lovers of literary science fiction." --Roz Genessee
"Those interested in gender and feminism, as well as fans of thoughtful, emotion-centered SF, have a treat in store." --Publisher's Weekly