Monday, November 27, 2017

Review: The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man

The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Hodder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought the plot a bit muddled, but as usual the world is quite amusing. Good steampunk worldbuilding.

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Review: Marque and Reprisal

Marque and Reprisal Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

82. [Marque and Reprisal] - Elizabeth Moon - Vatta's War 2 - ROOT


Rating: Fun and couldn't putdownable.

'The whole trick in moving on a hull without safety lines, the instructor had said, is not to do it in the first place.' But of course Ky ended up doing just that.

Kylara Vata, thrown out of her planet's military academy, had just endured her first exposure to being a trading captain in her family's trading company. It hadn't gone that well, not entirely because of her, but it certainly had given her experience.

This time out, she's on an old tug of a ship, slow, old, desperately in need of an upgrade, when she learns that her family is being targeted and that Vatta ships across the known worlds are being targeted.

So, her new mission: the hell with trading. Survive.

So much fun. She's a hoot, her friends are as well, and she goes from one crisis to another barely holding it together. And, secretly, loving every dangerous moment of this life.


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Monday, November 20, 2017

Review: Six Wakes

Six Wakes Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rating: Impressive!

Ostensibly, this is a locked-room murder mystery. In reality it is a pretty deep dive into philosophy - of life, of what life is, of what is really important, and of what you choose to do with that life.

It's the story of a generation ship, where the only crew awake are six clones. The story begins as the clones are awoken amidst carnage. Their previous clones have all been murdered. Blood and other fluids are floating all over the room. All over the ship. And the clones have no memories of what happened, who killed them, why it happened, and not much of an idea what to do about it all. Their AI computer has been hacked and is inaccessible.

Although there is a lot of action, there is also a lot of pretty deep thought on the implications of cloning, of AIs, of betrayal, revenge and finding a way to live with past actions you cannot undo, no matter how much you might wish to do so.

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Saturday, November 18, 2017

Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally got around to this one. I was surprised at how closely the English movie kept to the book.

The setting really helped to set the mood, true for the Nordic mystery genre, I guess. The plot was complex and the characters were well-drawn with depth and an obvious care.

As an aside, I want to bitch about the use of 'GIRL' in titles. I hates it. Hates it! It infantilizes women, even while it sexualizes girls. Publishing industry: stop it!

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Monday, November 13, 2017

Review: Six of Crows

Six of Crows Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disappointed by cliffhangers, but otherwise a fun read. Interesting characters, and a massive heist with complex plan for that heist.

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Wednesday, November 08, 2017

Review: The Quiller Memorandum

The Quiller Memorandum The Quiller Memorandum by Adam Hall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

old school spy drama situated in Berlin as Nazis (back when they were the enemy) and the Communists (ditto) were plotting an attack on the US forces in Berlin.

Ah, the good old days.

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Saturday, November 04, 2017