Tag Archives: Reading

Space Opera!

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Artifact Space by Miles Cameron

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Potential Spoilers.

I read, and did very much enjoy this book. The pace didn’t slow down and there was plenty of action. A true space opera. The world building / universe building was well done. The actions of the book clearly changed based on other things happening outside the main character and her sphere of influence.

I have two main quibbles with this book.

The first is names. Having names, ranks and alternate pronouns gave everyone about 6 different combinations of name that are all used at various times, sometimes in multiple forms on the same page. There were times when I just couldn’t figure out who the hell was talking or being spoken to and it pulled me out of the flow of the story. One or two names or alternates per character might have been easier.

The second is the end. This book is not the same as some other transgressors I have read in the past – they did not commit the unforgivable sin of just stopping without any conclusion as if the back half of the book just fell out of the binding. That said, the great ship reaches the point where they’re going to complete their trade mission (the goal) and then it stops. I understood going in that this was a trilogy. I was hoping that the first book would stand alone and the others would be ‘more’ but not necessarily mandatory. That is not the case.

I am on the fence about getting the next one. We’ll see. If you like space opera, this is worth a read.



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King Sorrow

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I’m keeping this review on my website and not leaving it on Goodreads because it’s likely to be longer than what Goodreads wants. It is also going to have SPOILERS in it. Also, I want to retain control, own it and have it be totally mine, much the same as many of the things on my website. I want to be able to come back to this later. Using a website run by someone else, particularly something like a Goodreads, there’s no guarantee that I can come back to this later. By later I mean it could be next week, next year, or 5 years from now. Saying Goodreads will be there or accessible in the way that it is now (particularly since it’s in the realm of Amazon now) is a risk.

This book was a selection (by me – more on that soon) for Watch The Skies.

Description:


Arthur Oakes is a reader, a dreamer, and a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters, exceptional library, and beautiful buildings. But his idyll—and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot—is shattered when a local drug dealer and her partner corner him into one of the worst crimes he can imagine: stealing rare books from the college library.

Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for comfort and help. Together they dream up a wild, fantastical scheme to free Arthur from the cruel trap in which he finds himself. Wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren suggests using the unnerving Crane journal (bound in the skin of its author) to summon a dragon to do their bidding. The others—brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen—don’t hesitate to join Colin in an effort to smash reality and bring a creature of the impossible into our world.

Apology first – I’m sorry. That description? That’s what I saw, and it’s listed as ‘fantasy’. Old fashioned sword and sorcery (right, wrong or indifferent) has been lumped in with science fiction and is part of what we pick for our reading list. Goodreads presented this as dark fantasy. Let’s call them flexible about what categorization they use for where this book fits. It was presented as dark fantasy and the description didn’t contain anything about time frame or setting (or didn’t specifically state modern versus quasi-medieval). It could be implied modern by way of having college students, but I’ve read many portal fantasy stories involving college kids. This formed my expectation. I expected some kind of traditional portal fantasy where characters from the book end up going through a portal into some sort of fantasy world that contains the dragon touted in the description.

Nothing in the original description of the book puts it in a modern horror with fantasy elements category. It was pointed out to me it is a portal fantasy, just not in the direction I was expecting. The portal was just headed in the other direction. And the story was filled with horror.

The starting point then, is this book didn’t meet my expectations. Right out the gate, I’m not happy. That is not necessarily someone’s fault, or more accurately, that is a marketing thing. They made the sale. I definitely blame the book companies for that.

The other piece of the puzzle is… and this is my fault… I had no idea who the author was when I picked it. I didn’t understand who Joe Hill is, and definitely didn’t realize that Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son. If I had known that I would have expected something closer to what Stephen King writes. Modern horror. That would have affected my expectation. Because they didn’t present it that way, and I didn’t know, that’s how I get to the choice. That’s the book selection and the overall ‘how I got here’ portion of this (which I think is probably very rambly). As for the story itself there were a couple of pieces that I want to cover.

First, it’s unclear who the protagonist is. There’s one protagonist at the beginning, or maybe Arthur is our protagonist, except that he’s killed about two-thirds of the way through the book. In fact, almost the entire group of people you might consider protagonists die. This is a horror eliminator movie. That’s the best analogy I can come up with. The sort of horror film where you have a group of people the only question is how many die before the end of the book. Even the Alien series had Ripley. Strike one.

Second, in a piece where the protagonist is unclear, shouldn’t the antagonist stand out? Be particular or unique? Not here. The antagonist is unclear as well. The initial thought is the dragon. Turns out the dragon may or may not be real and is essentially just a weapon. The antagonist is actually one of the members of the college student group who are being eliminated. I say that that’s the case, that he’s the antagonist, but he dies before the end too. Hero or anti-hero does not apply to any of them. They are a whole stack of gray areas who mostly die. That could be okay, even though not my favorite, except it’s hard to find a particular person to identify with. The point of view character changes from book to book. This monster volume is made up of smaller books. The point of view changes depending on which part of the book you’re in. I struggle with that under some circumstances, but this is on top of already not meeting my expectations. Strike two.

While I thought fantasy (aka sword and sorcery), this was modern day America. The events mixed into the story included terrorist attacks and bombings and all of the sort of things that I don’t want when I’m going to read for entertainment. If I’m reading fantasy (or anything other than the news) I don’t want it to be filled with the news! Another piece that bothers me is that while the book is set over a number of decades, a lot of those news events were things from my lifetime, things that I was aware of as an adult. I remember the Oklahoma City bombing. I don’t find it fiction worthy. Not interested. Strike three.

Trying to balance out the negative a little, I think the characters were very real. They were believable. They weren’t as likable as I would hope, but they were real. The portion of the book where the twins taken by a vague but menacing government agency was quite real feeling. It should have been shorter, but it was real enough.

At well at over 800 pages this just took so much time. I couldn’t file it to DNF, it was *my* pick. I did want to know what happened. Wanting the outline or idea of what happens wasn’t enough and meant I was not enthusiastic about dragging myself through that many pages. IF you’re thinking of picking this one up, understand that it’s a modern horror doorstop (daunting at best). The characters are strong, but not likable. The vague but menacing government agency is just as scary as the monster. I should have done better doing my homework before I got to part where I picked this.

Lastly, I do think this could work if made into a movie or a limited series. I would be interested in seeing how they do this on film, who the actors would be that they pick and how they’d handle the dragon. There’s a lot of potential there. There are a number of very visual aspects of this that would play really well on screen. Maybe something will come of it ~ I know they have adopted other works from Joe Hill. Locke and Key and Black Phone come to mind. I suppose more positive reviews would help move something to the screen, but I’m sure the author will be just fine without me.

Corrupt

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A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


At first I was a little bit upset. When I went to pick up the first book (online shopping) I got the second one by mistake and had to go back for the first. I was prepared to try to figure out some kind of return.

I am very glad I did not! This was an excellent follow up to the first book. The explanation of the abilities, the character connections and the world building get deeper. The mystery is still a good one (locked room murder and go).

Moving to another, deeper place in the world was just fantastic. The abilities of our characters were challenged. This was not a formulaic ‘next step’ kind of thing. I enjoyed it very much. The biggest thing I did NOT like is that it skipped past the meeting that was mentioned at the end of the first book. I wanted to see that meeting. I wanted to know more about that!

I do recommend this series and I am looking forward to the next one coming out!



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Tainted

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The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is actually the third book series I’ve started from this author. I think that alone says something about the quality of his writing.

I might not have picked this one up, but it was a book club selection. I’m glad somebody picked it.

I don’t remember if there are spoilers in here – be warned! The characters were very believable. The world building was excellent (more on that in a minute). The ‘magic’ system was actually really interesting. Altering a person genetically via the blood of a dead kaiju is a super neat idea. There’s no real explanation of why the kaiju come or why they are battled, but it is part of the world, and accepted by the characters. Tying perfect recall memory to the sense of smell makes so much sense! I particularly enjoyed that it was something that got an explanation and then the continuation of noting it. Not a small detail to be lost as the story moves along!

Back to the world building. In the book club discussion somebody suggested that this world might be tied to the world of Foundryside. This is just later, when people have actually figured out the way to alter bodies and make it stick (and function). I have my doubts that this is the case, but I won’t rule it out.

I’ll be getting the second book to see what’s up next!



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This was a crawl

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The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


As with the first two books of this series, the format and snarky text remains very similar. The story continues…

Only the railroad stuff was just a slog really. There’s a disclaimer about not trying to puzzle it out at the start of the book and I thought it was something I would just shrug off. It was not, it was the whole book. I wanted this one to be better and it felt like a slump.

Did I still cruise through it faster than anything else I’ve read lately? Pretty much. Will I go and get the next one? Probably, but I think Carl is going to get a break for a minute. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.



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Crawling or Running?

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Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It’s odd to be part of a trend as it’s trending, but here I am. I was hesitant to dig into this one. I thought maybe after the first crawl I had seen enough. Incorrect.

I zipped through this book at a startling pace and polished it off very quickly. It is not significantly different in form, context or wording than the last one. If you read and enjoyed the first one, this one will be a quick addition to your finished pile of books!

I wouldn’t say I ‘crawled’ through this one, more like ‘ran’!



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Goliath

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Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I don’t want people to be put off by a 1 star review here. There are times when something is simply ‘not for you’. There are a lot of people out there that can’t accept that, but it’s true. Some things don’t relate or aren’t a shared… anything. I felt (a little bit) the same way about Black Panther when that movie first came out. There are parts (maybe the whole thing) that simply aren’t for me. Never were.

I suspect this is part of the reason I couldn’t struggle through the book. It might be an important book. Some people might find it to be the most wonderful or influential or whatever thing… but I am not one of those people.

I could not muster any relation to, nor any positive feelings for these characters. The situation may have been ‘real’ but it didn’t feel right to me. I just stopped because it did nothing good for me. That does NOT mean it might not be for you. Maybe it would be? Dunno – but I have other books to get to.



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Let’s Get Cozy!

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Cozy fantasy is more popular than ever. Why do we love it so much? What makes a story cozy? And is there such a thing as too cozy? We’ll talk favorite tropes and recommend lots of books as we celebrate this warm and fuzzy genre.

I was asked to be the moderator for this panel and happily accepted. Being the moderator means asking the questions and helping to guide the conversation, not (necessarily) giving one’s own answers. I’m going to put the questions here, along with some brief notes on what my answers would have been. Sadly, this panel was not recorded and I kind of wish it had been. My fellow panelists were delightful and had lots of great commentary. The audience was one of the better attended panels I’d seen for the weekend and they were actually really great too. Perhaps it had something to do with the topic itself and the type of person that might be drawn to that? Whatever the case, I did my best to keep the conversation moving along and staying lively. I was quite happy with the whole thing. Probably best of the weekend.

After introductions, How do you define a cozy fantasy?

What are the defining elements? Is it possible to quantify a ‘warm hug’ vibe?

How much conflict is too much conflict? There has to be some to make a story, right?

‘Cozy’ as a sub-genre is generally thought of as a 2020s arrival to the scene ~ are there older stories that fit?

Do we think this ‘cozy’ movement is a direct reaction as a response to the current socio-political environment?

If yes – do you think it will last?

If it doesn’t, will there be any of these works that transcend the movement and have saying power?

Here it is – what is your recommendations list?

So, you’ve indulged. You gave in to your sweet tooth. You’ve consumed all the gooey sweetness you can handle… what do you follow these with (other than many some insulin)?

Those were the questions and the panel easily filled an hour chatting about various aspects of all those things. Given some concern from the folks running the show that only 3 panelists might not be enough, I think it was great.

Coziest picture I have... now I want sweets...

Here are some of my notes on the questions I generated for everyone else.

Cozy really is a feeling. That feeling can be prompted by lower/personal only stakes in a story. No overwhelming things tying the world to the character. That’s not to say there isn’t war or political unrest or danger, just that it’s distant. The story is smaller in scale – often a single location. It’s personal, and often relates to family (found is a particularly common part of that) or a positive romance. Generally the story must have some version of a happy ending. There’s a certain calmness to things, as opposed to the rush and chaos of so many epic stories. It is hard to define that feeling, but it is an important part of this sub-genre.

As for conflict? I once read part of a series where the author specifically set out to create something that had no conflict. The best way to describe it would have been character notes. Nothing happened, we just learned about this person. I say part of a series because she never finished writing or publishing it (to my knowledge). Nothing happened, so nothing happened with it. It just withered in place.

Earlier cozy stories. I wish I had better notes on some of the things others brought up, but my best example was “Howl’s Moving Castle”. I also asked about “The Hobbit”, but the consensus seemed to be that Hobbits themselves were cozy, the story with spiders and dragons and changing the world didn’t actually fit.

As with any literature response to political times, most will fade away and be noted as ‘of their time’, but any truly excellent writing and good story will sustain past the current moment. Only time will really tell for this question.

Skipping ahead – the next thing really can be heavier. I wouldn’t suggest going overboard. Don’t jump directly from a cozy to something like “The Poppy War”. Too jarring and would just not work out well. It would be very easy to just slide into cozy land and stay there, but sometimes you need more than the sweets. Dig up a solid recommendation from a friend and go there next.

And finally – the list of what I felt fit into the category (along with some I found at the con). I’m not going to link them here, other than the first. I’ve read a number of these, but not all of them. I’d be interested to hear if there are any that should be added to this list.

Tea & Treachery at the Infinite Pantry by Jo Miles. They were an excellent panelist – go buy their book!

The rest in no particular order:


Rewitched by Lucy Jane Woods

Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by Ursula Vernon (writing as T. Kingfisher)

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’niel

The Honey Witch by Sydney Shields

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

The Spell Shop by Sara Beth Durst

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

A Pslam for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers (Hugo winner)

Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by rebecca Thorne

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

and lastly, for this list – Greenwing & Dart series by Victoria Goddard.

This was the sort of panel I hope to end up on again. Lots of good stuff here – including some books I’m off to read now!

Not My Sci-Fi – Updated!

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This article was originally published in Watch The Skies, the April 2026 edition. This is actually the third time I’ve reviewed and rewritten this list. I suspect these will continue to change in the future.

One of the Watchers asked recently, “if you were going to recommend one book to start somebody off who wants to read science fiction, what would that book be?”

I had actually written a piece about this before but this is a topic that deserves an update. The sheer number of books published during any given month, let alone year, is impossible for an individual to keep up with. Having a solid recommendation from a friend goes a long way. I went hunting and found nothing in my own archive, but I did track down the original eventually.

NOT MY SCI FI – UPDATED

When my mother told me that her book of the month club steadfastly refused to read anything from science fiction, my immediate reaction was to become defensive of my favorite genre. How could any book club worthy of the name deny such a massive portion of today’s literature? Didn’t they realize that science fiction stories are the basis for 4 of the top 5 grossing movies of all time? How could anyone deny such a pervasive part of society, not just literature?

The more I pondered this, the clearer the answer became. Today’s society has attached a stigma to the terminology “science fiction”. Say those two words and the image conjured is that of an overweight middle aged man with an ill fitting 60’s style space uniform, and badly done prosthetic ears, quoting Gene Rodenberry.

“This is not my science fiction!” the voice inside me hollered.

Then it hit me. This is science fiction from my mother’s generation. If it’s what my mother identifies with, then it’s likely the same image is shared among her contemporaries.

Now is my big chance! After stating my personal disbelief, I have been granted an opportunity to defend the faith! I have been challenged to put forth a list of science fiction novels for the next selection of the book club.

I wrote that some years ago and published it in Watch The Skies. I have actually cut off the recommendations I gave them. In the time since then, my recommendations and my personal tastes have grown and changed. I also want to include works that can serve as an introduction for younger folks who are searching for something to read. Inclusion is an important aspect of many parts of genre fiction these days. This list will encompass fantasy and science fiction. The two parts have been paired for so long they have become inseparable.

I have read all of these books, many of them more than once. OK, most of them… fine. All of them, more than once. I’ve included a little of my thought process on each of them. These are all great books to get somebody started in science fiction or fantasy. I recommend all of these works – especially if you know somebody looking for an introduction.

The Hobbit – Tolkien, J.R.R.

This is the novel started it all for me. It is masterfully done. The key here is that it is meant to be read out loud to someone else. That method of delivery can make all the difference. Find an unabridged audio book – that IS reading it! This is a classic and deservedly so. I would also recommend staying as far away from the film adaptations as possible. Those simply failed after the first half hour of film.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Riggs, Ransom

Digging up odd old photos and creating the stories behind them. This is a paranormal / portal fantasy type book with an easy to access story. Following the main character as he navigates the ins and outs of the abandoned orphanage and all the curious, odd and outright scary images that go along with his travels makes for a great story. There are also a series of wonderful illustrations to supply vivid imagery. This is another work adapted into a film. As with most films, I recommend reading the book first.

The Martian – Weir, Andy

This book is truly science fiction. Take away the science and the story collapses. The parts of this book that ring true are likely because the author studied how the space travel aspects and orbital mechanics of the planets work. Despite having a large amount of that kind of content, it’s a fast and engaging read. This is yet another selection that has had a film adaptation made. Definitely read the book before seeing the film.

Steelheart– Sanderson, Brandon

For the comic book fans and the folks that like all the Marvel Cinematic Universe this is a book you should read. What if normal people are given super powers? What if those people are jerks? How do you fight a super human? I love the way Mr. Sanderson’s work reads. This is an engaging and believable story all the way. Well worth digging into.

The Red : First Light – Nagata, Linda

I will not lie, I envy the way Ms. Nagata writes. This is not the only work of hers I have read. She is an excellent author and this is a thought-provoking book. The story is set in the future where for profit wars and defense industry causes are what soldiers are involved in. This contains a lot of military elements along with the future tech for readers out there looking for some action and some excitement. When you read this, be prepared to finish out the series.

Fart Quest – Reynolds, Aaron

This last work is actually a children’s book. I felt it was important to have something that could fill that need and this book is both fun and a gateway into role playing games. Is the title childish? Of course it is. Meet them where they are, but allow them to want more. The cover illustration is great and so is all the interior artwork. It’s quick, it’s easy and is a great way to get a disinterested kid into reading.

Hopefully you’ll find something worthy on the list that will allow you to connect with somebody over a good book. Happy reading!

Am I a Crawler?

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Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Having just posted about a book that was a love story with romance and poetry… this is not that.

I was skeptical about this book. Anything with ‘buzz’ just sounds like a lot of disappointment waiting to happen. Pop culture often feels like a thing I want to avoid more than something I should know.

I have finished this one off at a very rapid pace – and have purchased the second in the series. That will stand as its own recommendation I think. Moving on to the second in a series is a rare thing for me.

This book could be considered a full story. Did I need to go to the second one? That is a pet peeve of mine – just stopping a story in the middle for the sake of creating a second book. I loathe that publishing tactic. This story teetered on the edge of that, but there was just enough closure to work. The writing style is very easy to read, with short chapters that keep the action moving right along.

The book starts with the set up from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and just moves in a different direction. Some of the humor seems cruel to me, but that, perhaps, is the point. The aliens aren’t trying to be nice, they’re trying to wipe people out while producing a Running Man style show where the characters are abused for the entertainment of the audience. I am not super fond of the main character, nor am I enough of a cat fan to be overly attached to the main duo. What this story does deliver is enough interesting world building to make the action feel important. There are a ton of threads dangling in the story that (if the author is good) will get tied back into the story later.

So… good, but will it carry past the second novel? We shall see.



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