The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars.
Series: The Interdependency (Book 1 of 3)
Genre: Science fiction, space opera
Published: 21st March 2017 by Tor US & 23rd March 2017 by Tor UK
I think two words perfectly describe The Collapsing Empire – entertaining and accessible. This is science fiction for the masses that is fun and riveting.
…
Caliban’s War by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Expanse (Book #2 of 9)
Genre: Science fiction, Space opera
Pages: 624 pages (UK paperback edition)
Published: 7th June 2012 by Orbit (UK) & 1st January 2012 by Orbit (US)
Avasarala is finally here!!! …
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Expanse (Book #1 of 9)
Genre: Science fiction, Space opera, mystery
Pages: 592 pages (UK paperback edition)
Published: 15th June 2011 by Orbit (UK) & 2nd June 2011 by Orbit (US)
Leviathan Wakes was so good; a character-driven space-opera that combines sci-fi, noir, mystery, and a slice of horror into one. …
I received an ARC of The Unspoken Name from the publisher (Tor UK) in exchange for an honest review.
The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Serpent Gates (Book #1 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, Science-fiction, Space Opera
Published: 20th February 2020 by Tor (UK) & 11th February 2020 by Tor Books (US)
An extraordinary debut from a fresh and exciting new voice in fantasy!
It has been a while since I added a book by an unknown author to my tbr that fast. It was unavoidable though, as the blurb of the Unspoken Name spoke to me! On the day of her inevitable death as a sacrificial bride to the god of desolation, Csorwe is gifted a choice. She can ignore her fate and walk away from this needless death. All she has to do is join a wizard named Belthandros Sethennai as his loyal agent. Her duties? Fulfilling the role of thief, spy & assassin in the mage’s quest to regain rulership of the city Tlaanthothei, and helping him recover his ultimate prize – the Reliquary of Pentravesse. As choices go, it’s not the hardest one to make, but it has consequences. Gods do not forget.
“Nothing in this world has earned the power to frighten you, Csorwe,” he said. “You have looked your foretold death in the face and turned from it in defiance. Nothing in this world or any other deserves your fear.”
ARC provided by the publisher—Tor UK—in exchange for an honest review.
The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Serpent Gates (Book #1 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, High fantasy, Science-fiction, Space Opera
Pages: 496 pages (UK hardcover edition)
Published: 20th February 2020 by Tor (UK) & 11th February 2020 by Tor Books (US)
The Unspoken Name is a terrifically-written debut that merged science fiction, space-opera, and high fantasy into one inventive book that’s incredibly suitable for SFF enthusiast.
One look into the striking cover art by Billelis, and I already wanted to speak about this book. My urge to read this book increased when both Nicholas Eames—the author behind The Band series— and Dyrk Ashton—the author behind Paternus trilogy—recommended the book to me. Then I found out that Lindsey Hall, the editor behind two books—Kings of the Wyld and the upcoming The Bard’s Blade by Brian D. Anderson—I truly loved edited this book too, suffice to say that The Unspoken Name has attained all the package that made it a necessity for me to read; I’m glad I did.
“Csorwe had spent a lifetime readying herself to die, not to talk to strangers.”
Dark Age by Pierce Brown
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Series: Red Rising Saga (Book #5 of 6)
Genre: Science fiction, Space Opera, Dystopia
Pages: 800 pages (UK Hardback edition)
Published: 30th July 2019 by Hodder (UK) & 30th July 2019 by Del Rey (US)
Gory (literally) damn insane, violent, bleak, and ruthless. Helldivers, prepare your soul to be hell-drilled by Dark Age’s brutality.
“During war, the laws are silent.”—Quintus Tullius Cicero
Two things first. If it has been a long time since you’ve read Iron Gold or Red Rising Saga, I strongly recommend you to reread the entire series before you read Dark Age. I didn’t do this and I truly believe that my reading experience of this book suffered from it. Secondly, throughout the years since Red Rising publication, many people still insist that this series is for YA audience; by the time you read this book, you’ll probably be traumatized or maybe even loathe this book for its extreme darkness. Seriously, Dark Age is one of the darkest, bleakest, and goriest novel I’ve ever read in my life; the humor and heartwarming aspect of the series that’s usually common to find are close to non-existent in this installment. I will edit this review in the future when I’ve reread the series from the beginning in preparation for the sixth and—maybe—last book of the series, but for now, this is my thoughts and opinions on my first read-through Dark Age.
“With every new endeavor, there’s always the hope that you will find happiness, be less lonely.”
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Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Red Rising Saga (Book #4 of 6)
Genre: Science fiction, Space Opera, Dystopia
Pages: 624 pages (Hardback edition)
Published: 16th January, 2018 by Hodder (UK) & 16th January, 2018 by Del Rey (US)
A bloodydamn spellbinding return to my number one favorite sci-fi series of all time.
There haven’t been any changes to my list of favorite authors of all time for a year now. I’m gratified to say that after reading his Red Rising trilogy and Iron Gold, Pierce Brown deserves to be included in the list.
For those of you who don’t know, Iron Gold is the continuation of the highly acclaimed Red Rising trilogy, which has now become a saga; making this book the fourth installment in the Red Rising Saga. The story takes place ten years after the end of Morning Star and to tell you what the book is about—spoiler-free, of course—there’s really no better way than to let Pierce Brown himself explain it:
“Iron Gold is about the struggle to preserve liberty in a bleak landscape, where heroes of the past look suspiciously like villains and the inspiring dream of liberty has been hijacked by politicians, dirtied by social strife, and muddled by interest groups and competing factions.
How in such a world can good prevail? On the back of one man? Certainly not. It takes a village—a host of disparate people who, despite their conflicting views and disparate pasts, must band together to find their own purpose, to replenish the dream of liberty with their own sacrifices and come together for the common good…”
– Pierce Brown
Full article here: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1…
There you have it. And as for my thoughts and review, here it goes. …
Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Praise-worthy imagination and world-building, but sadly, it’s time to admit that Max Gladstone’s books aren’t suitable for me.
Empress of Forever has been on my TBR ever since I first heard about it. Judging from the blurb alone, I was immediately intrigued. Just read the blurb, seriously, it sounds so cleverly insane and my god, Gladstone delivers completely on this; stunningly original and cool world-building to witness. That’s exactly what I found to be brilliant from Gladstone’s books, his world-building, action scenes, prose, and ideas always feel refreshing and unique. I’ve read only two books in his Craft Sequence series and the things that worked for me there is even more evident here. I won’t lie that there were a lot of moments from this book that made me truly flabbergasted because it’s extremely imaginative. Time travel, an ancient Empress that could destroy a planet with a single thought, character literally sitting on a freaking comet flying through space, sentient machines, dead planets, and many more insanity that’s crazier than the one I just mentioned; there’s no shortage to Gladstone’s ambitious imagination in creating this novel. …
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review
Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O’Keefe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An incredibly entertaining start to a new space opera series.
Velocity Weapon is the first book in The Protectorate series by Megan E. O’Keefe. This was my first experience reading O’Keefe’s work and I had a fantastic time with it. isn’t an easy book for me to review. It’s not because I found the book to be disappointing or not up to my preference, but I honestly think that many components of the storyline or what makes this book truly great can be considered a spoiler that the task of reviewing this book ended up being more difficult than usual.
“Being offended by facts is a long human tradition.”
ARC provided by the publisher—Tor Books—in exchange for an honest review.
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Easily one of the cleverest sci-fi debuts I’ve read so far.
A Memory Called Empire is Arkady Martine’s debut novel and the first instalment in the Teixcalaan series. Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in Teixcalaan only to find out that the previous ambassador from the same mining station as hers has died. Contrary to her belief, nobody wants to admit that his death wasn’t an accident, and now it’s up to Mahit to uncover who’s behind the murder. At the same time, she also has to save the place where she came from—Lsel—from the Teixcalaan expansion. A Memory Called Empire at its core is a murder mystery story. If you start this book expecting tons of action, there’s a chance that you’ll be sorely disappointed. The main charm of the book lies in Mahit’s challenges in navigating the unfamiliar culture of Teixcalaan; it’s a book heavily centered on politics. In my opinion, this novel was a bit reminiscent of The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson. The main difference between the two is that while I disliked The Traitor Baru Cormorant, I highly enjoyed reading this one due to a superb prose that clicked with me. …