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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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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Book Review: The Chaos Grid (The Chaos Grid, #1) by Lyndsey Lewellen

Book Review: The Chaos Grid (The Chaos Grid, #1) by Lyndsey Lewellen


The Chaos Grid by Lyndsey Lewellen
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I love retellings, especially stories that riff on either a fairytale or a Bible story. Some stories—like “Beauty and the Beast” or the Book of Esther—have been retold often. I’ve read quite a few takes on both of those, some of which have been wonderful. But then there are stories that reimagined less frequently, like the story of Jonah. I can only remember encountering one other loose retelling of that particular tale, but it didn’t hold a candle to this book in terms of originality. The Chaos Grid is the first half of a duology that blends Mad Max with the Book of Jonah, set within a post-apocalyptic, dystopian Texas. I found it fascinating and unique, fast-paced and compelling. There was never a dull moment in this first half of the story, and it left me hungry to know what happens next.

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Book Review: Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5) by Martha Wells

Book Review: Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5) by Martha Wells

Cover art by Jaime Jones

Network Effect by Martha Wells

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Murderbot Diaries (Book #5)

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 346 pages (Kindle Edition)

Word count: 112,000 words

Published: 5th May 2020 by Tordotcom


I can say with ease that Network Effect, the fifth title and the first full-length novel in the series, is the best book in The Murderbot Diaries so far.

“Oh shit, my media!…No, wait, I had access to some of it.”

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Book Review: Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4) by Martha Wells

Book Review: Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4) by Martha Wells

Cover art by Jaime Jones

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Murderbot Diaries (Book #4)

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 150 pages (Kindle Edition)

Word count: 32,400 words

Published: 2nd October 2018 by Tordotcom


Exit Strategy concluded the first story arc of The Murderbot Diaries with another action-packed narrative.

“I was having an emotion, and I hate that.”

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Book Review: Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3) by Martha Wells

Book Review: Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3) by Martha Wells

Cover art by Jaime Jones

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Murderbot Diaries (Book #3)

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 150 pages (Kindle Edition)

Word count: 32,400 words

Published: 7th August 2018 by Tordotcom


An action-packed story and Miki turned Rogue Protocol into a pleasant surprise for me, despite my preliminary disappointment.

“There needs to be an error code that means “I received your request but decided to ignore you.”

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Book Review: Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2) by Martha Wells

Book Review: Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2) by Martha Wells

 

Cover art by Jaime Jones

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Murderbot Diaries (Book #2)

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 149 pages (Kindle Edition)

Word count: 32,400 words

Published: 8th May 2018 by Tordotcom


Artificial Condition offers one great new supporting character to accompany our beloved Murderbot.

“I would defer to your expertise in shooting and killing things. You should defer to mine in data analysis.”

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Book Review: The Fall of Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #2) by Dan Simmons

Book Review: The Fall of Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #2) by Dan Simmons

Cover art by Gary Ruddell

The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Hyperion Cantos (Book #2 of 4)

Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera

Pages: 676 pages (Kindle Edition)

Word count: 184,000 words

Published: 1st March 1990 by Spectra


Utterly awesome. This book was phenomenal in every way. The Fall of Hyperion is a riveting sci-fi epic with heart, intensity, unpredictability, and gigantic scope.

“It’s hard to die. Harder to live.”

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