The Ghost Brigades is the first sequel to Scalzi’s very good and widely praised Old Man’s War, and it hits in many of the same ways Old Man’s War hits. The Ghost Brigades is the story of Jared Dirac, created like all of the Special Forces to be the ideal soldier. Born in such a way as to be able to learn at an incredible pace and do things normal humans and even enhanced human soldiers can’t do. However, unlike other members of Special Forces, Dirac is born for another purpose… to help root out the plans of a traitor who has allied other races in a war against humans. 

Like Old Man’s War, much of the Ghost Brigades is straight-up, military science fiction.  However, this time Scalzi adds to the story by highlighting the ambiguous morality of the human military actions, and political structure.  He also really hits a homerun with his strong characters. Dirac is a fascinating protagonist and is pretty much the lens through which the reader gets to experience the story (though the reader is not entirely limited to that). The Ghost Brigades is a quick, fun read.  It’s very good military science fiction, but with more depth than Old Man’s War.  This novel is really Scalzi coming into his own. 

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

Felan’s Rescue is now available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Hardback, and Paperback!

It’s Banks science fiction, but not a culture novel…and that’s o.k.  Against a Dark Background was the first Banks book I read outside of the culture series. Like all of Banks’ work Against a Dark Background features his tremendously vivid prose (particularly in his action sequences) and his consistently fun wit.  

Against A Dark Background follows the Lady Sharrow, a noble from a family that has lost much, on a series of adventures as she tries to keep herself alive and find different old antiquities. The plot is interesting, and the universe is original, but really Against a Dark Background is a never-ending series of brilliant action sequences. I think it’d be hard not to read this book and be very entertained.

The story gets its depth more from Sharrow’s flashbacks to her childhood with her half sister and her time in the military than from any of the current interactions between the characters. This certainly was not my favorite Banks story, but none the less it was engaging throughout. If you enjoy Banks’ other work than you should definitely read this book.

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

Felan’s Rescue is now available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Hardback, and Paperback!

I knew nothing about this book when I started it, other than that it was very well reviewed by people I respect and part of a three-book series.  This was another case of those I respect holding up their end.  This was fun as hell.  The initial depiction of red life was a good entry into the world. The author doesn’t hold your hand describing everything, but you quickly get a feel for everyday life as a “red” on Mars. The payoff for the early line regarding when you hang someone on Mars you have to grab their legs to break the neck was done well and gave me confidence the structure of the story would work.

Darrow is a good protagonist despite being reasonable familiar in being the best of the very best…the smartest of the smartest (like Kvothe or Ender among many others). There are real short term and long-term stakes to what he is doing and the relationships he builds along the way (good and bad) work. In my reviews I try not to give away too much of the plot, but this is a novel where the world is well setup, the themes are clear, and everything is well realized and delivered. There are plenty of surprises and minor twists along the way, but none feel cheap, many in fact are incredibly well earned.  This is a great opening to a great series.  I’ve since read some comparisons to The Hunger Games, which I get at some level, though to me this is much more ambitious and does so much more over the course of 3 (or 5+ depending on how you look at it) novels.

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

Felan’s Rescue is now available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Hardback, and Paperback!

I kept seeing this book pop up on recommendations everywhere, but when I read the description, I kept passing.  It just didn’t feel like a novel that hit my interests.  But people I trust started reading and swore by it.  They talked about how unique it was, how just plain kick-ass the story was.  And they didn’t let me down.  

Gideon the Ninth was magnificent from the beginning though it took a little time before I was completely sucked in. It just felt different, and I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but I kept wanting to know more.  And as more and more began to be revealed and more questions kept popping up, this novel became pure nonstop, can’t put it down, fun.  It’s kick-ass scene after kick-ass scene.  Don’t be put off by a description that sounds different than the typical novel you’d read.  In this case, that’s a great thing.  Read it.

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

Felan’s Rescue is now available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Hardback, and Paperback!

This is a beautiful, fun book.  I’m frankly not a huge fan of what I would label as “quest fantasy”, and this story really is a quest story.  But there is something unique about its structure.  It’s light.  It’s a series of adventures Bilbo finds himself in after his unexpected party.  When Bilbo finishes one obstacle, he finds himself in another (escape from Goblins to be eaten by wolves).  Despite all the obstacles, the stakes never really feel that high, but that’s perfect for the novel.  And the scene with Gollum stands out so much once you get to Lord of the Rings. 

There aren’t a ton of simple fantasy novels like this anymore.  Hell, when they decided to adapt this for a movie, they took all the lighthearted fun out and tried to turn it into a brooding, epic fantasy tale.  Maybe that’s why I despised the movies so much.  You’ll be seeing more of Tolkien soon, but I think we often underrate the brilliance of The Hobbit, which in many ways stands out as more unique than the great trilogy that follows it.   

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

Felan’s Rescue is now available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Hardback, and Paperback!

            This was the novel that started it all in the excellent Expanse series.  Leviathan Wakes is an excellent, fast-paced, intriguing science fiction novel. The prose are easy to follow. Each chapter alternates point of view perspectives from the two main characters (this will expand as the series moves on) as they are increasingly entangled in a mystery with potentially cataclysmic consequences. That mystery that puts the solar system at risk of war and must be solved or humankind may suffer dire consequences.

The novel is set in a universe where humankind has settled much of the solar system but has not yet left the solar system. The characters are interesting and the story flies.  The authors manage to balance making the science believable without boring the reader with technical explanations.  They clearly put a lot of thought into making the science feel real, while still not making it distract from the narrative thrust of the novel or the characters.  This is a perfect start to an incredible series. 

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

Felan’s Rescue is now available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Hardback, and Paperback!

It’s the first book in Sanderson’s massive Stormlight Archive series (and also the only one I’ve read to date).  Several fantasy readers raved to me about this series so when I finished Malazan I thought it would be a good chance to dive into another epic journey.

Once again Sanderson’s world-building stands out. So much thought and craft went into creating Roshar, its environment, magic, political/religious systems, and history. Sanderson lets you explore and learn the world with far more nuance than he did in Mistborn. He doesn’t over-explain and trusts the reader to pick things up as he or she goes.

Things fit well, the characters were engaging and as the story moved to its climax, I found myself not wanting to put it down. My only complaints are minor. I thought it was slow at times with the three main stories all seeming like setup for what’s to come. As a novel, it resolves little and sets up a ton. For a series of 5 novels (or 10 depending on how you view it) this isn’t a big complaint, but I am used to Erickson’s ability to make each novel feel complete on its own.  I still can’t wait to continue with this series. The love fantasy readers have for Sanderson is well earned.

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

Felan’s Rescue is now available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Hardback, and Paperback!

This novel picks up where book 2 left off throwing you right into the midst of the central conflict of the series. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed, thrill ride the entire time. The novel honestly plays like one giant climax to the three-book series. Where book 1 straddled the three London’s and both book 1 and 2 had major showdowns in White London, book three takes place almost entirely in Red London. It is there where magic is strongest, where we get our best glimpse into the system Schwab created.

But it’s the characters that drive the story. I’m going to miss Lila and Kell and Rhy. I loved all the Holland development this novel in particular gave us. This isn’t the typical fantasy I dive into, but I have been thrilled that I did. If you enjoyed the first two books, you’ll surely be satisfied with this conclusion to this intriguing, easily readable, trilogy.

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

Felan’s Rescue is now available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Hardback, and Paperback!

Another middle novel in a trilogy I have ranked as the lowest of the three (much like with The Shades of Magic and Mistborn trilogies), which shows how difficult these middle novels can be.  Of course, this book ranks 60^th in my top 100, so you can tell how much I loved this series.  Scalzi continues to write incredibly readable, fun science fiction.

The Consuming Fire is a worthy sequel to The Collapsing Empire. The vast majority of the key players are back, and the plot once again moves at a rapid pace. Kiva Legos continues to be one of the greatest characters in science fiction, but we also get to see the Emperox grow into her role in new ways. The novel wraps up in a satisfactory way but leaves you wanting to know what happens next (which seems to be the goal for every middle book in a trilogy).

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

Felan’s Rescue is now available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Hardback, and Paperback!

Iron gold is another adrenaline-filled, nonstop story, set in the Red Rising universe and involving many of the characters we have grown to love.  It’s separate from the Initial Trilogy but meant to be read after.  Pierce Brown continues to engage the reader from the get-go with a story that moves and begs the reader to keep going.

He expands the point of view beyond Darrow for the first time, which is a welcome addition expanding the scope and giving the reader new perspective in this universe. The end, much like the end to Golden Sun leaves us wanting to know what happens next but does enough to resolve aspects of the novel to not feel cheated.  Few Science Fiction authors have Brown’s flair for action-filled drama.  These books are always a treat.

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

Felan’s Rescue is now available in Hardback and Paperback!

(Felan’s Rescue Available in all formats August 19, 2022. E-book Preorders Available now)