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Book Review: Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

November 10, 2025 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

I’ve always been fascinated by Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. This is due in large part to my deep and abiding affection for the film adaptation of V for Vendetta, which has been my favorite movie for well over a decade, which helped popularize the famous poem quoted above. And yet, I’ve never read any fiction inspired by the actual historical events. I’m happy to have now rectified this oversight in my reading life. Fawkes is a fantastic, fantastical reimagining of one of the most famed failed plots in history. …

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Book Review: Glass Across the Sea (Realms of Allumeria, #1) by Sara Ella

November 3, 2025 Celeste Comments 2 comments

Glass Across the Sea by Sara Ella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Light always finds a way to break free.”

Cinderella has never been one of my favorite fairytales. But after reading Glass Across the Sea, my opinion has radically shifted. This YA fantasy reimagining of “Cinderella”—with nods to The Count of Monte Cristo mixed in—did a beautiful job of paying homage to the original tale while still being very much its own wonderful, compelling story. Ella did a brilliant job of portraying Noelle, her Cinderella, as selfless, kind, and strong in ways that retroactively improved my opinion of the literary figure who served as her inspiration. This is a truly lovely novel, one that stands strong on its own while still leaving me hungry for whatever comes next in the series. …

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Book Review: Singularity (Eternities, #2) by Shannon McDermott

October 16, 2025 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Singularity by Shannon McDermott
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

While Singularity is the second half of the Eternities duology, there is no cohesive plot linking this book to The Time Door While both novels take place in the same world, sharing a speculative history and technology and certain characters, each book is entirely its own self-contained story. I loved The Time Door, and found it one of the strongest works of science fiction I’ve read in years. While Singularity was still tense and thought-provoking, it didn’t entrance me in quite the same way, or to the same intensity, as its predecessor. …

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Book Review: All That We See or Seem (Julia Z, #1) by Ken Liu

October 15, 2025 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

ARC provided by the publisher—Saga Press—in exchange for an honest review.

All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Julia Z (Book #1 or 3)

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

Pages: 416 pages (Kindle Edition)

Published: 14th October 2025 by Saga Press (US) & 9th October 2025 Head of Zeus (UK)

All That We See or Seem is the newest near-future sci-fi thriller from Ken Liu, one of my favorite authors of all time. Did it manage to live up to the quality of his previous works?

“Freedom, belonging, telling a story about yourself that you love. Dreaming together. Meaning in all that we see or seem.”

…

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Book Review: The Time Door (Eternities, #1) by Shannon McDermott

October 14, 2025 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

The Time Door by Shannon McDermott
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

“One thing I know…God did not bring us this far, and save us from so much, for nothing. There is more for us. Let’s go discover it.”

The Time Door is exactly what I’m always looking for on the rare occasions I venture into hard science fiction, though it’s something I rarely find. This book is by turns fanciful and believable, philosophical and propulsive. It swept me away while also keeping my mind fully engaged, and I never found myself drowning in the science or the politics that were both so vital to the story. I drew comparisons to both The Martian and Project Hail Mary as I read, which is some of the highest praise I can give any work of science fiction as I adored both novels. …

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Skysworn (Of Earth and Sky, #2) by Katee Stein

October 9, 2025 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Skysworn by Katee Stein

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the author. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Skysworn is a fantastic followup to Earthbound, one of the most compelling and unique science-fantasies I’ve had the pleasure of reading. This completes the Of Earth and Sky duology, and gives readers the culmination of a story that is truly epic in every sense of the word. Both books are packed with compelling characters, brimming with depth and passion and their own kind of brokenness. This world is expansive and refreshingly original, beautifully fleshed-out in terms of worldbuilding. The plot is propulsive, the prose tight and crisp, and the romance believably messy. …

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Book Review: System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7) by Martha Wells

September 29, 2025 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

Cover art by Jaime Jones

System Collapse by Martha Wells

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Murderbot Diaries (Book #7)

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 256 pages (Kindle Edition)

Word count: 63,000 words

Published: 14th November 2023 by Tordotcom

System Collapse is undeniably action-packed, and it certainly dives deep into the psyche of Murderbot. But it did not progress the plotline of the series as much as I hoped.

“So the next time I get optimistic about something, I want one of you to punch me in the face.”

…

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Book Review: Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries, #6) by Martha Wells

September 16, 2025 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

Cover art by Jaime Jones

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Series: The Murderbot Diaries (Book #6)

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 176 pages (Kindle Edition)

Word count: 39,000 words

Published: 27th April 2021 by Tordotcom

This is quite likely an unpopular opinion, but I found Fugitive Telemetry to be a big step-down after Network Effect

“It had been such a stupid question, I had forgotten not to have an expression.”

…

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Book Review: A Study of Shattered Spells (Chintor’s Legacy #1) by Josiah DeGraaf

September 16, 2025 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

A Study of Shattered Spells by Josiah DeGraaf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been excited about A Study of Shattered Spells for close to a year now. As soon as information about it started to drop, months before the Kickstarter campaign opened, I was captured by it. A dark academia novel featuring a magic school and a music-based magic system, told from a professor’s perspective and written from a Christian worldview? I can’t think of any description more specifically tailored to my interests and reading tastes. …

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Book Review: Framed in Death (In Death, #61) by J.D. Robb

September 3, 2025 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Framed in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, in exchange for an honest review.

Framed in Death is the 61st installment in the In Death series. I’ve loved Nora Roberts (and her pen name, J.D. Robb) for well over half my life. I’ll read—and have read—pretty much anything that she writes. But there’s something about this series that is just so special to me. I’ve been following the adventures of Eve Dallas and Roarke, Peabody and the rest of the crew, since I was sixteen. Which was twenty years ago. Because Nora publishes two installments in the series per year, it feels like I have this bi-annual chance to catch up with a great group of friends. Some installments are more successful than others, but all of them provide me with that cozy feeling of sitting down to a meal with good friends I haven’t seen in months. That being said, Framed in Death is a very strong installment, one that had me glued to its pages late into the night. …

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