82. Leviathan Wakes – James S A Corey

Fast plot and intriguing characterization.

The future isn’t all that terrific as humanity is stuck in our own star system, not having found an FTL solution as yet. 

A faint SOS beacon brings a response from a passing transport ship, and when its shuttle  reaches the disabled ship, the crew watches in horror as a cloaked warship blows away their transport. Now stranded and hiding from this unknown enemy, they struggle to find a place to go, how to get there, and what to do then. They find some evidence that the culprits in attacking their ship are from the Mars federation. The disclosure of that evidence starts a shooting war between the Belters and Mars. Earth remains surprisingly quiescent.  But how long will that last?

Two POVs which you know will mesh up eventually. Lots of action, interesting trying to piece together what the heck is going on.

Great read!

80. Black Order–James Rollins

 

The third in Rollin’s Sigma series – scientists with guns – starts out with two seemingly harmless assignments. Gray Pierce is in Copenhagen looking into some weirdness regarding sales of expensive scientific treatises and a Darwin Bible.  Meanwhile, Painter Crowe heads off to a Buddhist retreat where Gray had spent some time, when the head of the monastery asked for help regarding some mysterious illness and mysterious lights.

It isn’t long before both of them are under ferocious attacks by folks tattooed with runic characters. 

Another compelling Sigma Force entry with lots of twists, turns and quantum physics.

78. Initiate’s Trial–Janny Wurts

 

I received this book through the Early Reviewer program. I decided not to just pick it up and read it but instead decided to read the entire series in order first. I'm very glad I did. This is not the sort of series you can jump around in. Each book builds upon the previous one, with consequences from earlier actions affecting not only the individuals but the overall course of the plot.

The characters are multi-layered and complex. They grow, they evolve, they make a LOT of mistakes, and then they have to live with those mistakes and, where possible, right wrongs done or at least try to mitigate the unfortunate fallout. But that isn't always possible. Sometimes you just have to accept.

The world is well-drawn and with many hidden, or little-understood or long-forgotten complexities. It's a fantasy world, but one with tightly drawn rules and when something surprises you, you can remember, far back in a previous book, there was a hint of this to come.

If you love fantasy, love your characters tricksy and smart, determined, sometimes nefarious, and you love a world you have to work at to get a grasp on, then this is a series for you.

Me, I'm loving it.