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Science Fiction
Showing posts with label Science Fiction. Show all posts

Sunday, 25 March 2018

BB Book Club | March 2018 Roundup | Broadcast

This year we decided to launch our very own online book club, with a new book for you to join us in reading every month. Chosen by Erin, our third BB book club read was Sci-Fi title Broadcast by Liam Brown. Here's our March infographic to tell you a little bit more...


Reader's comments and favourite quotes:

“Somehow it looks even bluer on the screen. Even realer” 


"The book tackles the interesting subject of social media/vlogging and living our lives online. I found it to be an enjoyable, thought-provoking short read." - Erin @ A Natural Detour 

"That ending! What!" - Anjali @ This Splendid Shambles

“I still can’t get used to the idea of no one being interested in my life anymore. After all, if nobody’s there to watch me, what’s the point in doing anything in the first place?”


"It was obvious that the book was going to have negative views of social media being very much a Black Mirror sort of plotline. I wouldn't personally use MindCast if it was a thing but it's not stopping me from sharing what I currently share with the world.
Yes [I would recommend the book], but I would probably be more likely to recommend the Black Mirror series over this." - Sophie @ Sofilly

"It's so short and snappy to read. It's definitely unique in the ideas it brings to the table." - Anjali @ This Splendid Shambles

"People read to be entertained. To pass the time on those rare occasions when their battery's dead or they can't get a WiFi signal. But the main reason, I believe, or at least the most important reason people still read, is because books are the only opportunity we ever get to experience true empathy with another human being. To see the world through their eyes. To walk in their shoes."


"I finished the book, and the idea of MindCast is interesting, but it could have been explored in greater depth. I think that due to the length of the book you weren’t able to really get to know, or care about, the characters." - Anon

"I liked when David was just learning how MindCast worked and learning all the features and developments." - Sophie @ Sofilly

"My kingdom for a search engine."


Thank you to everyone who read along with us this month! If you would like to get involved with next month's BB Book Club check back here tomorrow where Kelly will be introducing her selection for April.

You can also sign up to our mailing list to make sure you don't miss out on any future book club updates!

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Monday, 26 February 2018

BB Book Club | March's Book Is...

broadcast liam brown book club

I can't believe it's time to announce our third BB book club read already!

I originally had a short story collection in mind for my first book club pick however after January and February's titles both fell under this umbrella I decided to mix things up for March's selection and settled on something a little different; Liam Brown's Broadcast.

Back in November last year Ria and I took a trip to Libreria in Shoreditch and spent a little time browsing the shelves (and sheltering from the rain!) in search of book club inspiration. Drawn in by the promise of “Black Mirror meets Inception in the YouTube age” Ria plucked Broadcast off the shelf and passed it to me, declaring it sounded like 'my kind of book'. Of course, after 5+ years of running a book blog together Ria knows what she's talking about and after taking a quick look at the intriguing blurb (and striking cover design) I decided to buy a copy.

The idea behind MindCast is simple. We insert a small chip into your skull and then every thought, every feeling, every memory is streamed live, twenty-four hours a day. Trust me - within a few months you'll be the most talked about person on the planet.

So what's the book about?

According to the blurb, Broadcast follows vlogger David Callow who is offered the chance to star in a new online show, quickly becoming a huge celebrity and leading him to rethink his decision to share his life with the world. Commenting on social media culture, it sounds like the story is set to get pretty dark as David rebels against MindCast and discovers more about the person or people behind this truly terrifying idea.

Although I wanted to dive in and find out more back when I bought the book I also knew that it was a strong book club contender and at just shy of 200 pages Broadcast fits our theme of 'short stories' perfectly (online listings all seem to say the book has 288 pages but my copy definitely has 195!). The book had been sitting quietly on my bedside table for a few months although I have to confess I pre-read it earlier this month (twice!) in order to plan some related content. Of course, I won't give anything away other than to say I really enjoyed it and I hope you will too!

If you decide to join in with the BB Book Club this month you can let us know your thoughts on the book by completing this Google form by 23rd March. You can also use the hashtag #bookshelfbookclub to share your book photos and thoughts with us.

No matter where in the world you're based, you can pick up a copy of Broadcast over on The Book Depository, or head to your local library.


I hope that you're excited to read our March selection but don't worry if it doesn't sound like your thing - check back next month for Kelly's first book club pick!
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Monday, 30 October 2017

The Red Men | Matthew de Abaitua | Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

In the near future the company, Monad, has revolutionized AI to the point where some people believe it came from the future. Nelson just wants to be a good family man and provide for his family and help his friend get a job to do the same. Unfortunately he gets caught up in a war, not just between the rival companies Monad and Dyad, but also between the AIs called Red Men and their real life counterparts. 

Review:

This was an interesting book. It felt like it was modeled after a 70's drug-trip dystopian movie. It goes back and forth between Nelson's perspective and his friend Raymond's with a couple other minor characters as well. I greatly appreciated Nelson's everyman perspective. He is genuinely a good person who wants to do the right thing, but wants to put his family's well being above all. I kinda wish we could've gotten to see the world from the perspective of a Dr. Easy robot. We got a monologue from the main AI, but I the things that the Dr. robots have to go through would have been really interesting. 

It took longer to read than I expected, and I felt frustrated with that at a few points, bored at others, but the ending was really worth it. I finished the book feeling like I had spent my time well. There were a few time jumps that I had a little trouble following, but overall the story was well paced with the occasional needed humor, there was just a lot of story. And this is the edition that had some stuff removed!

If you like corporate dystopia books or drug-trip books, you'll really enjoy The Red Men. I greatly appreciated the philosophical/ethical discourse about those who conquer, those who fight and those who remain quiet. I kinda wish this wasn't such a book for our times, but it's got some good messages for the world today. 

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Monday, 7 August 2017

Skyfarer | Joseph Brassey | Review

*Image and book provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

Aimee de Laurent is a freshly graduated apprentice from the Academy of Mystic Sciences and she's signed up to learn under Harkon Bright, despite rumors about his unusual ship, the Elysium, and her crew. When her very first attempt to send the ship to their destination goes wrong, the crew finds themselves going up against The Eternal Order and one if its star knights, Lord Azrael, in a race to find a jewel that can show you where whatever treasure you're looking for can be found.

Review:

This book was a delightful experience. The cast of characters are my kind of do-good rogues (they'll do good things, but they'll take payment for doing so). Every character is a character and that's why they work so well together. I'll admit, I'm looking forward to more books in this series so I can get to know them better. I really appreciated that Brassey didn't throw in a love story. This book was all about setting up the world and its characters and he did a great job of it.

The story was predictable, but it was still quite charming. There were a lot of things the you could see coming, but the characters were still worth investing in and the full story was a fun ride. What's more is the world this book takes place in. So many possibilities, so many new and interesting things to learn about (seriously, one world has dragons!) and, most intriguingly, potentially a new species of sentient, evil beings. 

That reminds me, there were a couple of scenes that were a little too much for me, violence wise. Nothing strongly graphic in its description or presentation but still, be a little wary.

Another reason I'm looking forward to the next book is to learn more about this amazing world where magic and technology work together almost seamlessly. One of the reasons I love science fiction so much is the technology. This fantasy book has given me a look at some new, wonderful mechanics that are magic based and I want to know more! 

I really think this would be a good book for sci-fi fans who are interested in dipping their toe into fantasy. Or for fans of space fantasy who are fans of rogue-like characters.



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Monday, 26 June 2017

The Rebirths of Tao | Wesley Chu | Review


Summary:

The Prophus struggle for survival never seems to end. This book follows three Prophus agents struggling to not only reduce the Genjix threat, but keep off the IXTF's radar, the international task force created to take down all aliens. To make matters worse, one of the agents is a 16 year old boy whose parents are both high on the Genjix target list. 

Review:

A while ago I reviewed Rise of Io by Chu and promised myself I would go back and read the trilogy that came before it in that world. With this, I have kept my promise and it was a very easy and rewarding promise to keep. Despite ultimately knowing how things would turn out, I was still on the edge of my seat and heavily emotionally invested. 

This book, in particular, was such a wonderful blend of just about every emotion. As per usual, Chu does kill a character that I wanted so badly to live. However, true to form, he makes it a good death that leaves you feeling like they were truly the hero you knew them to be. I'm not gonna lie, I was almost in tears. At the same time, there were so many points in the book where I was moved to tears because I was laughing so hard. Seriously, Marco and Roen's spats were the stuff of legends and I LOVED it! Heck, I'm not usually one for teenage hormone driven over-dramatics, but Chu made it so much more tolerable to read. 

Of course, no story is truly great without a truly great villain. This entire trilogy has had villains that are more than just top notch chess players. They are almost impossibly intelligent and ruthless. They are the kind of villains that you love to hate, but recognize how much better, stronger, faster they are than the good guys. The Genjix do a wonderful job of making the Prophus struggle feel so much greater. 

This book was a wonderful end to a truly engaging trilogy. I cannot praise it enough. If you are at all interested in books that are a combination of real life, military, and sci-fi, you won't regret picking up these books. 
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Monday, 19 June 2017

Allies and Enemies: Fallen | Amy J. Murphy | Review


Summary:

 Commander Sela Tyron is a member of the Eugenes race, a lower class member who was bred and raised for the sole purpose of being a soldier. For her entire life she's been loyal to the Council of First and the teachings of Decca. Then her commanding officer, Captain Jovenlish Veradin gets arrested with no chance of a trial before his execution. Sela makes the not-so-easy decision to abandon everything and go save him. The conspiracy behind Veradin's execution order takes them through the galaxy and puts them on the run.

Review:

 My favorite part about this book is that it shows the different ways a person can be strong. Sela is bred and trained to be strong physically and mentally while shunting down anything emotional. At a couple points her obvious strengths are complimented. At the same time, Erelah is obviously of frail build and naive, yet she has the mental endurance and strength to do whatever it takes to shut out Tristic, one of the most powerful mental influences. Sela's sergeant, Valen, has the strength of will to look out for the less fortunate, even while severely injured. The point is, you don't have to be muscular or be a bully in order to be strong. There are many ways you can show strength and this book does a good job of showing those.

I also greatly appreciated the mythology/theology Murphy included in this world. It's easy to draw a some parallels to myths we have on Earth, but it still different enough that it really adds another layer to the world.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. It wasn't a great book, I'll admit that, but for $.99 it was a good grab. The world is well built and the characters even more so. There is a love story, but also a lot of action and spaceships. Definitely an entertaining read for a sci-fi fan.


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Monday, 20 March 2017

Riven | Belinda Crawford | Review

*This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

In the direct sequel to the book Hero we are brought back to the planet Jørn where Hero Regan and Fink are trying to adjust to life after the momentous events of the first book. Problem is, both of them seem to have developed some overly aggressive habits. Hero has occasional "tantrums" and physically lashes out at whoever is around. Meanwhile Fink is throwing his considerable weight around at anyone and everyone. To make matters worse, the Librarian has conscripted Hero for another task that will result in her going to the dangerous, inhospitable planet surface.

Review:

My favorite part of the first book was the technology and the world itself. Fortunately Crawford expands on both of them in this book. We get to learn a lot more about how the biotechnology of Jørn is designed, how it bears the signature of the one who works with it. We also get to learn more about how the cities hover above the surface and, in the last section of the book, what the surface of Jørn even looks like. I was very happy to read these developments.

The character work was a little less appealing in this book than in the first one. Hero and her best/only friend Norah have a lot of arguments that, from my perspective, seem more awkward than genuine. I do appreciate Timon's character being a nice balance to Hero's with, seemingly, no ulterior motive beyond racing. 

Overall, Riven is a good continuation of the series, but, like most second books, it's purpose is clearly to get from point A to point B and nothing else. One character, Timon, is more firmly established. We get to learn much, much more about the world of Jørn. We learn of some of the consequences of Hero's previous actions. But it's not as good as the first book, and probably won't be the best book of the series. 

Still, I enjoyed the read and do look forward to the next book. If you're interested in biotechnology science fiction, mutant species, alien worlds, this is a good series. 



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Monday, 9 January 2017

Numenera: The Poison Eater | Shanna Germain | Review

*Book and Image provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review

Summary:

Talia is The Poison Eater, a title given to those who risk their lives (and often lose them) by taking poisons that give them clues about the dangers on their way to the city so the zaffre can cut them down and keep everyone safe. Problem is, for the past 7 poisons, Talia doesn't see glimpses of the future, she sees her past and has been continuously lying about dangers so no one sees her true plan. If she survives ten poisonings, she becomes the orness, in charge of the aria, a weapon so strong it can defeat all of Talia's enemies, but take the city out with it.

Review:

I did not find out until well into this book that it was actually the result of a kickstarter and that Germain had written many short stories about Numenera and the poisons before writing this book. Fair warning, this book is definitely for people more familiar with those short stories. Many times I felt a little lost on what was going on in the world or even what the world was. I highly recommend reading through some of the short stories by Germain before reading this book.

That being said, the world I found myself in was an interesting one. A nice blend of technology and belief. A real story about how people can change, and I'm not talking about just the main character. The characters that you meet in this book are interesting and memorable, even though Germain has to speed through some of the introductions and scenes (this isn't a very long book). As per the usual, though, my favorite characters are the little girl and the warbeast who looks out for her. 

Some of the pacing feels a little off. Almost every time we're introduced to a character, we get a flashback to when Talia first met them and it can be little confusing figuring out if you're reading "now" or "then". After a while, however, we stop meeting new characters and pacing gets pretty steady. The ending felt a bit rushed, but it did set itself up pretty well for a sequel without giving us a true cliffhanger. 

Overall this book is a bit rough around the edges, but it was still entertaining enough that I gladly read the whole thing and enjoyed the ride. If you're looking to get into a new science fiction world, start out by reading some of the short stories by Germain to get familiar with it and then dive into The Poison Eater. 


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Monday, 26 December 2016

Ninefox Gambit | Yoon Ha Lee | Review


Summary:

 Cheris, a captain in the Kel faction, is being pulled from the front lines and brought into working with the Shuos and Nirai factions in an effort to use her intelligence to defeat the heretical faction. She would prefer to stay on the front lines with her fellow Kel, but with mathematical skills like her, others believe she is wasted there. She ends up reawakening an old "tool" to defeat the heretics that has her struggling to hold on to her sanity.

 Review:

 The world of Ninefox Gambit isn't the easiest to get into or visualize. The concept technology that only works because of a belief in calendrical mathematics (not a typo) is somewhat difficult to wrap my head around. Having a faction be rebellious because they believe in and use a different calendar and base their mathematics on it is actually more thought provoking than anything else in the book. The use of mathematics and algorithms to create the most effective of formations makes sense, though with how quickly Cheris comes up with them, it's clearly not a task for everyone.

Despite some initial hesitation, I did end up getting into the story, learning about the world through its characters. I actually really enjoyed Cheris' dialogues with Jedao. Some of his lessons on tactics and looking from another perspective really challenged my brain in a good way. I'll probably never be a master tactician but, as Jedao puts it, "I wasn't born a tactician. I had to learn like everyone else." It makes sense, you get good at these things through practice.

The Servitors were a delightful, regular distraction, along with Cheris' love of bad romantic comedies with ridiculously bad dueling. I really enjoyed Cheris' interactions with the Servitors and their own appreciation of her treating them as allies instead of mindless drones.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book. It has a lot of death, and I do mean a lot. Joining the Kel is considered to be a suicidal move and there are many battles and heart-wrenching situations. For all it's death, though, there are moments so full of humanity that it carries you through the entire book. If you're okay with reading about major wars and have any interest in using mathematics as the basis of a culture, I highly recommend this book. Not for everyone, but still a nice mental workout. 
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Rise of Io | Wesley Chu | Review

Monday, 3 October 2016

Rise of Io | Wesley Chu | Review

*Image and book received from NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

Ella Patel couldn't care less about international politics since her amma was killed in the Alien War, her appa left her for dead and she ended up learning how to survive in the slum called Crate Town. Unfortunately she isn't given much of a choice in getting involved with the war when she is possessed by a Quasing (alien life form that needs a human host) called Io. To make matters worse, despite being around since the dinosaurs, Io really doesn't know what it's doing. Ella and Io must learn to work together if they're to be any help to the Prophus against the Genjix. If that's even what they want.

Review:

You know you're reading a good, engaging book when you want to shout and scream "if you kill [character's name] I'm going to burn this book!" and you're reading an e-book. This book has EVERYTHING that I love! It's got action, it's got mischievous characters, it's got a fully developed world, it's got intelligent characters, and it keeps me guessing. I was so worried that, because Chu wrote other books about this world before this one I was going to feel left out or feel like I was missing something but no. The learning curve for this world was quite easy to follow.

This book was so well designed. The pacing was perfect, I didn't figure out any of the twists and turns until the characters did. The dialogue and character development were wonderfully done. I'll admit, I have a soft spot for lovable trouble-makers like Ella, so I may be a bit prejudice. Her stubbornness and temper versus Io ages of experience and advice had me chuckling so often. I did feel a bit sorry for the people Ella took to dinner, though. As someone who has only made the mistake of eating spicy curry once, I can empathize with Hamilton and Carmen's distress. 

And the characters! Holy wah, the characters! Even the side-characters that only had a few lines were so well developed that I worried about them (see quote above). Whenever they engaged in dialogue it was always so real, so natural, that it was easy to empathize with them and want them to live. 

Rise of Io is such an amazing read that I now have no choice but to go and read Chu's previous series from this world. If you are at all interested in sci-fi, aliens, sci-fi military, or even street smarts versus military smarts, or just want a good read with great characters, pick up this book!
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Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Red Rising | Pierce Brown | Guest Review


'Red Rising' takes us to a future reality where the Earth is dying, and people have started to colonise the Moon and other planets. On Mars, our main character Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of the planet. The Reds' job is to extract enough precious elements to one day terraform Mars and allow humans to live on the surface - Reds are the "last hope".

One day Darrow discovers that this is a lie told to the Reds to keep them compliant. In fact, Mars has huge cities on the surface inhabited for generations by Golds - a higher class of people who see Reds as slave labour. A mysterious group of rebels helps Darrow disguise himself as a Gold to infiltrate the command school in order to take down the Golds from the inside. The command school is a dangerous place, with all the Gold students fighting each other for the chance at the best start to their career.

It's quite difficult to introduce this book without spoilers! I went into it not knowing what it was about, only that it was set on Mars. I like going in "blind", as it means I am more open-minded about what's inside!

I enjoyed this book immensely. Darrow is believable, and I cared about what he cares about - his attachments to loved ones feel genuine and part of who he is. I really like Pierce Brown's characterisation. I liked the way he includes various different personalities within Reds and within Golds, showing that the "Colors" are not just a stereotype, despite the initial characteristics from their breeding. We also learn about other Colors briefly, but I have a feeling that these groups will be fleshed out in the next books in the trilogy - also I don't want to give those away for you! They're just very clever factions of society that make sense as a whole. Of course, it's limiting that one's parents, siblings, spouse, children and so on are all the same Color and therefore only ever capable of that one role in society, but that's what the book illustrates is wrong with humanity - that's why Darrow wants to overthrow the leaders.

I am always a little wary when I see reviews saying that books are amazing or on the contrary, did not "live up to the hype". I don't take any notice of hype, especially when it comes to Young Adult novels. In this case I trusted my own judgement from the summary which I read when I first bought it, and I knew I'd probably like it!

Even if you think you don't like Young Adult books, I still recommend this novel for anyone with a cursory interest in different societies and world views, as well as any fascination with terraforming other planets or with Roman gods/archetypes which are used a lot in Gold society. I'm certainly looking forward to book 2.

★★★★★

This review was submitted by guest blogger Jemma.  
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Wednesday, 6 July 2016

The Martian | Andy Weir | Guest Review


I had heard that this novel was a good read from several friends/reviewers, but I was not in any hurry to read it as I have so many other books. However, then the movie was released and had great reviews! My fiancé wanted to watch it, so I had to step up my game and read the book before we could watch the movie together.

I suppose I went into the book open-minded, but expecting something enjoyable. I had no idea I would have such a good time reading a science fiction novel!

Mark Watney is stuck on Mars after a mission went wrong. His team believe him dead, so they left Mars to travel back to Earth without him. The novel follows Mark’s trials to stay alive and make it back to Earth with only the items he is left with. Occasionally the narrative switches from his first-person narration to third-person when we take a look at the NASA employees/Houston back on Earth, trying to figure out what to do next. I didn’t mind this narrative switching; it felt natural, and emphasised the importance of hearing Watney’s story directly from him.

There was quite a lot of science and technology described in the novel - procedures Watney needs to follow or equipment he needs to use - but I never felt like this was overwhelming or that it made me feel stupid. Each step Watney takes is explained well and the reader can see the reasoning behind his actions, even if they cannot specifically imagine exactly what is happening.

I really got absorbed in the story and kind of felt like I was along for the ride with Watney. For example, when he has to figure out when he can be rescued and how long he has to survive, and on what food, I felt sympathy with him the whole way through.

The best thing about this novel is the excellent sense of humour Watney retains, the whole time he is on Mars. He doesn’t give into the isolation and go crazy, and he doesn’t give up. He is positive and humorous throughout, which kept me rooting for him to get back to Earth.

I think Weir writes people perceptively well. The conversations between the NASA employees, the frame of mind of the crew who left Watney behind, and Watney’s survival motivation are all portrayed wonderfully through realistic dialogue.

I would recommend this book to anyone - seriously, even if you don’t think you like science fiction or space or survival stories, please try this one out because it’s a pleasant surprise! Weir has created a wonderful, interesting adventure.

★★★★★

This review was submitted by guest blogger Jemma.  
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An Eighty Percent Solution | Thomas Gondolfi | Review

Monday, 13 June 2016

An Eighty Percent Solution | Thomas Gondolfi | Review


Summary:

The future's looking pretty glum. A handful of Mega Corporations rule EVERYTHING. Everyone knows it, but no one does anything because they'd rather have a chance at success than live like a Nil, someone without any rights who can be killed for any reason. The only people fighting back are eco-terrorists, The Greenies. The corporations come up with a way to get rid of the Greenies, which has an 80% chance of success. Too bad for Tony Sammis, it involves ruining his life.


Review:

I have to Gondolfi a lot of credit for creating an interesting, and consistent, world without too much of an exposition dump. There were some aspects I would have liked to have more fleshed out, such as Sonya's magic, but overall I felt that the rules of the world were explained well through a balance of action and dialogue. Even the roles of the various groups were easily established in the first few chapters. The mega corporations are quickly identified as the bad guys. The Greenies are quickly identified as the good guys. And the rest of society is very quickly seen to be passive in all that goes on around them. Except for Tony Sammis, the star of the show who gets threatened with being sued for malpractice for performing CPR on a woman having a heart-attack that no one else will help.

Overall this was a fairly quick read for me. I found the villains to be intelligent, though a couple of things made me think Gondolfi was trying a little too hard to make me not like them. The final weapon they use against The Greenies was one I did not see coming, but made complete sense and was executed quite well. The good guys were the rag-tag-hero types that so many of us love to read. They know the world isn't right and want to fix it, but don't have the best, or most organized vision, of how to do that. Tony is the hero whose world gets pulled out from under him, but whose actions make him easily identifiable as a good guy who just wants to do the right thing. Seriously, saving a kitten from getting sent to the compost easily makes for a good guy.

Probably my favorite part of this book was the ending. No, that's not a joke about the book being lousy. The ending chapter(s) showed that good guys know that there are economic impacts of their actions. If they truly want to help the people, they need to be careful of how they do things. I really appreciate that the world view is taken up, rather than the "destroy them all" banner.

For me, this book was okay. I'm not sure if I will pick up the next book in the series or not. However, if you like dystopian future reads, bringing down the corporation reads, or even the heroic little guy read, you may enjoy An Eighty Percent Solution. 

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Hero: The Hero Rebellion Book 1 | Belinda Crawford | Rachel

Monday, 30 May 2016

Hero: The Hero Rebellion Book 1 | Belinda Crawford | Rachel

*This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Centuries ago humanity attempted to colonize the planet Jørn. Unfortunately the AI sent to determine suitability for colonization, Ayumon, did not take Pollen into account. Pollen attacks human brains and kills humans in a very bad way. To accommodate, humans created floating cities that stay above the clouds. Today, Hero is a young girl with a lifelong history of hearing the thoughts of others. She is forced to take medicines that she hates and always has a minder around. Her only comfort is her ruc-pard companion, Fisk. What she doesn't know is that her telepathy is a sign that the world of Jørn is changing. Not everyone wants that to happen.

Review

I absolutely loved this world. The use of DNA for technology instead of wires and resistors was fascinating to me! Couple that with youths having half Terran half Jørnian animal companions and you've got me wanting to read more! The best part about this book, the aspect that sold me on reading it, no romance. You don't have to worry at all about a love story cluttering up this incredible read.

It isn't often that I come across a book that combines an incredible world and a great story. Often I only get one or the other. Hero, however, combines the two. This is the kind of book I'd love to see in another format (graphic novel, movie) because I want to see the technology in action. I would LOVE to see one of the races, with all of their traps, and the different animals that Jørn has to offer.

Yes, some of the bullying scenes in the first half of the book are kinda typical. The hero always gets bullied or fights bullies. But the means of bullying and fighting against them are incredibly interesting. If anything, I'd love to figure out how to create some programs of my own to mimic the bio-tech of their world like that.

This book is so different from many that I have read before. There are little details and bigger pictures that are so intriguing. I'm hoping there will be another book. This one ended on a great note to lead to continue the series. If you are at all interested in YA Sci-Fi without the hassle of a love story, and with a focus on new technologies and creatures, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this book!
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Wednesday, 20 April 2016

Cinder | Marissa Meyer | Guest Review

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Like everybody else, I was familiar with the hype of Marissa Meyer's series The Lunar Chronicles. It seemed that any self-respecting book-lover had read the series and adored it, and couldn't stop raving about it. I didn't know what to think, but knew I should probably try the books for myself before forming an opinion. Fate stepped in and, having given my vast book wishlist to two different people, they both decided to give me this book out of all the others! If that's not telling me I NEED to read it, then I don't know what is. As I had two copies, I donated one to somebody who agreed to "buddy-read" the novel with me. Thus began my experience.

The story follows Linh Cinder living in New Beijing. The futuristic world is a different place. There are cyborgs, people who have been surgically altered to have android body parts, amended nervous systems, retina displays. They are seen by society as lower-class citizens and many people fear to go near them, or let children play in their vicinity. Cinder is a mechanic with a booth in the centre of the city, earning a little money for fixing androids, "portscreens", anything technological. She has an android companion, Iko, who is a good friend. Cinder's stepmother Adri behaves awfully towards her, disgusted by her presence. Cinder also has two stepsisters. Have you figured out that we're re-telling Cinderella yet?

One day Cinder has a special visitor to her booth, Prince Kai, son of the Emperor of the Commonwealth. He has an android he needs fixing, but Cinder desperately wants to hide her cyborg parts from him. On the same day, the plague is found in another booth owner, who is swiftly dispatched for "the quarantines". The plague has no cure and spreads viciously, and all people must try to avoid it. Of course, Cinder gets caught up in something bigger than herself or the Commonwealth, and finds out much about her mysterious past - she has no memory before the age of 11 when she was in an accident and had to be turned into a cyborg.

It turns out I love this book! I never thought I'd dislike it, I just went in with an open mind. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Meyer's writing is compelling, and I found this novel unputdownable, which has not happened to me for a long time! I could not stop reading. I'm afraid I outpaced my buddy reader! As each new secret or gripping scene unfolded, I was dying to find out the next step of the story. I have to say that I figured out Cinder's big secret about halfway through the novel, once we were given all the strands to piece things together, but this didn't make the book boring for me. In fact, it made me read faster, anxious to find out what would happen next to reach the dramatic conclusion/explanation/revelation!

I am definitely going to continue on with the series. I loved the fantasy world building, the realistic relationships, the imagination shown in the writing. I enjoyed Cinder as a protagonist, and thought her reactions were reasonable, plausible, and fitting for someone in her situation. I grew rather attached to her and her worries. She's not a whiny teenage girl with a crush. We leave that to her more unpalatable stepsister! This is a recommended read, please try it. :)

★★★★★

This review was submitted by guest blogger Jemma.
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Planet Janitor | Chris Stevenson | Review

Monday, 18 April 2016

Planet Janitor | Chris Stevenson | Review

*Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Captain Zachary Crowe (Zaz) created the small company Planet Janitor. Their mission is usually space salvage, though they sometimes help environmental surveys of new planets. Unfortunately, for all the accolades they get, Planet Janitor has an equal amount of condemnations. Hoping to improve his crew's reputation, Zaz agrees to space jump mission that will take 25 Earth years and will lay the foundation for the colonization of a new planet. Once they get there, however, the crew sees nothing but evidence of the genocide of an entire species (literally, bones everywhere). After a few days, the crew meets up with the creatures responsible for the genocide and suddenly this simple job has become a survival scenario.


Review:

This book ended up being a lot more of a mystery/thriller than I thought it would be. The mystery of the dangerous creatures and revelation of their background really threw me for a loop. And those creatures were also incredibly scary. There were some scenes that left a strong enough impression to make me hesitate to turn off the lights. All without any really gruesomely detailed scenes. There is mention of blood and guts, but nothing to really churn the stomach.

The cast of characters were equally engaging. Everyone had their place, their role to play, even the seemingly useless stowaway. The crew interact well together, with one or two exceptions that were stress induced. The characters are creative and intelligent and, most importantly, know how to get themselves out of bad situations. 

When I was first contacted about Planet Janitor, I was told about its strong comparisons to Firefly. Admittedly, it was difficult not to picture Carl, the self-proclaimed doctor of pyrotechnics, as Jayne and Zaz certainly shares several of Mal's noble attributes, but I feel like this book/world is strong enough to stand on its own. Especially since, in this world, there was no major war (Alliance vs Independents) and much of this book takes place on the same planet. 

I really enjoyed reading this book. There is humor, mystery, scares and more. If you're interested in Sci-Fi Survival stories, this is definitely the book for you. I highly recommend giving Planet Janitor a read.
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Monday, 4 April 2016

Press Start to Play | Daniel H. Wilson | Review



Summary:

A collection of short stories with the central theme of video games. Stories are written by a combination of fiction authors and video game story writers. 

Review:

One of the things I love about anthologies is that I get introduced to new authors. After reading this anthology, I a large number books to my wishlist by almost every single author in this collection. The wide range of genres represented in this anthology (yes, they're not all sci-fi!) makes it feel like a great stepping stone to the types of books I wouldn't normally read. There were love stories, horror stories, mysteries and dramas. One of the scarier stories actually really freaked me out and I had put the book down for a while to fully recover. 

I know that one of the biggest draws people will probably have to this book is that one story is by Andy Weir (The Martian) and the foreword is by Ernest Cline (Ready Player One). Fortunately for the readers, every story in this book is entertaining, engaging, and well worth the money. This is a book that I would take with me to a desert island because of its re-readability. 

Even if you don't have a strong interest in gaming in general, I feel that there are plenty of stories in this collection that focused more on drama, love, humor, horror, etc. that you will find something you enjoy. Or, if you're trying to get a gamer to do some more reading, this may be a good book for them. 
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Friday, 1 January 2016

Gold Fame Citrus | Claire Vaye Watkins | Review

I received this book from Hachette Publishing New Zealand, 
in exchange for an honest review. 
 
"Your people came here looking for something better.
Gold, fame, citrus."


"In a parched southern California of the near future, Luz, once the poster child for the country’s conservation movement, and Ray, an army deserter turned surfer, are squatting in a starlet’s abandoned mansion ... Holdouts like Ray and Luz subsist on rationed cola and water, and whatever they can loot, scavenge, and improvise ...  
When they cross paths with a mysterious child, the thirst for a better future begins. Heading east, they are waylaid in the desert by a charming and manipulative dowser – a diviner for water -- and his cult-like followers, who have formed a colony in a mysterious sea of dunes."- from Goodreads

Can I just start this review off by saying that I really wanted to get into this book, but I just couldn't. It think it was a mixture of things, but let me first just tell you a little about the plot. Like Goodreads has just explained to us (thank you, Goodreads), Luz and her partner Ray are in the near future California, water is scarce, dust is everywhere (think James Dashner's The Scorch Trials), life as they knew it doesn't exist. They barely survive as it is, but when they stumble across a small child, life changes even more. They run into a group of people in a vast dessert, with a leader who is clearly a madman and runs his followers more like a cult than friends. It's a dodgy outfit, and Luz doesn't really seem to see it.

It's a story full of ugly scenarios and horrible people, but in hindsight, it showed human nature and characteristics, and while that is sad, and a terrible realisation to come to, it's true. One thing that I can say is that it is beautifully written. Much of the chatter on Goodreads and Amazon and the like mention the writing style. Watkins does write extremely well, but I found at times it was too good. What do I mean? I think I mean that at times I was so fixated on the words she was using, and in the way she was using them, that it took away from the story. Every sentence was clearly and carefully thought out and crafted into a descriptive wonder paragraph of words, but it was too much for me. I was distracted with her words, and I didn't really care that much about Luz or the other characters.

However! If you're after a more adult dystopian-like story, definitely pick up Gold Fame Citrus. I thought it was, perhaps, going to be more like the dystopian-like stories I've read and loved over the years, but it was certainly more adult focused and geared towards an older audience than those others. If you're after an incredibly well written book about the horrors and also wonders of humanity, with a
dystopian feel, mixed with science fiction, and has a cult thrown into the mix, give this book a go.

Just because it wasn't for me, doesn't mean it won't be for you. In fact, it may be your new favourite book of the year. Give it a go, and let me know what you think! If you have read it, what did you think? Let me know!



Image from Goodreads.


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Far Orbit | Bascomb James | Review

Monday, 30 November 2015

Far Orbit | Bascomb James | Review


Summary:

This book is a collection of short Sci-Fi stories put together to show that Sci-Fi doesn't have to be scary and grim. The future can be bright and even funny. It doesn't have to be all scary aliens, death for humanity, etc.

Review:

I needed this book. I didn't realize how much I needed it until I started reading the stories and realized I was mentally prepping myself for all negative outcomes. Sci-Fi has become littered with depressing stories and this book was just the antidote I needed for all that negativity. 

Almost every story in this book left me feeling better than before I had read it. They are upbeat and hopeful about humanities chances without being sappy. There's still death and destruction, but you root for your heroes and don't feel traumatized afterwards. 

Also, while every story deals with space, each story has a different aspect of space Sci-Fi. One story has a contemporary location and technology. One story is about space pirates. Another story is about space cowboys. There is so much variation on the theme of Positive Space Sci-Fi. It's awesome!

So if you're tired of scary, judgmental Sci-Fi, or if you want a collection of good reads, I highly recommend Far Orbit from World Weaver Press. I was so happy to read this book. It was a buoy in a time of grim, dark reads. 
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Monsterland | Michael Phillip Cash | Review

Monday, 23 November 2015

Monsterland | Michael Phillip Cash | Review

monsterland1*Review copy c/o Netgalley, image via goodreads.com

In a world where werewolves, vampires and zombies exist, one man’s solution is to open theme parks across the globe, using these various ‘monsters’ as the attractions… and this is how Monsterland is born.

After a chance meeting with the park’s creator Dr Conrad, Wyatt and his friends score tickets to the big opening night of their local Monsterland park and we’re invited along for the ride! What could possibly go wrong?

The intriguing premise, somewhat reminiscent of Jurassic Park, is what drew me in to picking up the novel and I was excited to find out just what would happen when the Monsterland parks launched. Of course, it’s clear right from the start that housing a bunch of so-called ‘monsters’ in a theme park isn’t a good idea, and I really enjoyed finding out just how it would all go wrong.

The book built up to be quite action-packed and had a few twists thrown in along the way. The basic idea of the Monsterland parks would definitely be well-suited to a cinematic adaptation, and I felt the way it was written reflected this.

In all honesty as much I enjoyed the concept, I didn’t love the characters. Although we’re not given a huge amount of background information about what happened leading up to the creation of the parks, we have just enough to follow Wyatt and co. for the opening night of Monsterland. I would have loved to have known more about the world in which the story takes place, as well as our main characters, but I understand that this wasn’t necessary in telling this standalone tale.

Monsterland is a fun novel with an interesting concept and is a great quick read, especially if you’re looking for something a little different. It’s one for you to pick up if you like a little bit of horror - and social commentary!
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