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)

This is book 2 in the 4 book Hyperion Cantos, but is really the second half of one story (with the Endymion books making up a separate, related story).  Hyperion is a masterpiece, which you’ll find later on this list.  The Fall of Hyperion is still a damn good read, but Simmons doesn’t quite bring it home as well as he started.  I think part of that is a format thing.  Hyperion is such a unique, wonderful novel but it was going to be hard to tell a fully realized story continuing in the same way. 

The Fall of Hyperion does a great job taking the stories of the Pilgrims from the first novel and interweaving them toward a satisfactory, fun resolution.  It’s hard to talk about this novel without spoiling too much of the first, so I’ll just say every fan of Science Fiction (or literature in general) should read Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion.

Felan’s Rescue is now available on Audiobook!

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

We’re back in the culture for probably one of Banks’ more divisive Culture novels.  Like the rest, I think it’s very strong.  Time after time going back into Bank’s Culture Universe is some of my most enjoyable reading. Matter is no different. There is plenty of greatness in Matter, which often highlights Banks’ wit and world building. My biggest complaint is that though I enjoyed the raising of the stakes at the end, I felt it at some level did a disservice to much of what had come before. The players within the Sarl who were the focus of much of the novel, just seemed far less relevant than they needed to be. I feel like this was intentional and I get what Banks was trying to do, but ultimately, I thought it could be handled better.

That said, the early betrayal grabbed me and made me care about the story. The way the story gradually expanded, the plot getting bigger and the stakes getting higher, was a credit to the story and world building. The shell world was a fascinating setting as were some of the ships visited throughout the story. I enjoyed all of the main characters, despite wanting a bit more payoff to some of the Sarl relationships. It’s firmly in the middle for me among Banks’ Culture novels.  It has a few more flaws, but it has so much of what makes Banks great too.

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

Once again Iain M Banks takes us to the Culture Universe and delivers an incredibly interesting book. Look to Windward is probably Banks’ most introspective and least action-packed book among the Culture novels, but at the heart of the book is war and its effect on those who have been involved. The Chelgrian were another believable and very interesting alien species, and it is their dealings in response to what the Culture deemed a mistake on their part that is the central focus of the story.

Much of this story takes place on a Culture Orbital where Banks paints the best picture he has to date of everyday life in the Culture. There are quite a few references in this book to the Idiran-Culture War so it is probably best to read this book after you have at least read Consider Phlebas (though I’d recommend reading at least the first three Culture books in publication order to begin with). If you enjoy Banks’ science fiction writing and particularly the Culture, you will likely very much enjoy this book. 

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

I first saw this book at Joseph Beth Bookstore in Cincinnati and it immediately caught my interest. I wasn’t disappointed. The world building is exceptional with each London having a different feel. The villains, while not spectacular, are interesting and memorable in their own way. The magic is well realized, brought to life organically through the storytelling.

Most importantly the 2 protagonists work. Kell is a flawed but admirable hero. He does what he can to protect those he cares about and ultimately the worlds. However, for me the standout creation of this story is Lila Bard. I enjoyed almost every moment she was on the page. Her attitude, swagger and general outlook made her memorable and loveable. All in all, this was a solid, quick read. 

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

This is the first book Banks has written in the Culture Universe where it’s probably best if you have some background on the Culture before you start delving into it (start with one of the first three published novels).  Like all Banks’ Culture books, Excession stands alone in the sense that it is a self-contained story, but I think it would be a much easier read if you were already familiar with the Culture universe. I also believe Excession is not quite to the level of Consider Phlebas, The Player of Games and Use of Weapons so it simply makes sense to start with those (though many Banks fans consider Excession to be the best novel in the Culture universe…it’s really good).

All that being said, Excession really gets you more immersed in the politics of the Universe…particularly the minds. Like all of Banks’ work it is still fascinating and still full of incredibly exciting action scenes. Banks once again demonstrates an ability to create an original alien species with his descriptions of the Affront.  If you are a Banks fan, I do not think this book will let you down, but again if you are unfamiliar with Banks, it is probably best to start somewhere else.   

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

Jade City is a unique twist on fantasy with the plot taking place in a modernish world, where gangs dominate the city at issue and a mysterious magical mineral called Jade is at the center of it all. Lee does an incredible job of playing into the mystery of Jade, not info-dumping all at once, but allowing the reader to understand it by various characters’ interactions with it as the story moves forward.

The characters all feel unique and real and the universe feels lived in and truly fleshed out. The story moves, wasting little time, particularly once through the first section where it moves at a breakneck pace. Combining fantasy, gangster stories, and family dramas, Jade City is a unique modern fantasy, the first in a series I look forward to continuing soon.

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

Heinlein is one of the classic science fiction authors that gets the most praise and I firmly believe this is his best work (among his novels I have read at the very least).  The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is so close to being a special book (among the all-time best). I greatly enjoyed Mike and his relationship with the narrator. I liked the idea of the Lunar Colony rebelling against Earth by “throwing rocks.” The unique social constructs in the Lunar Colony as a result of their own issues were well thought out and logical (the emergence of polygamist families made sense and was treated in such a way as to make the reader believe this was the best way for these people to live).  

Yet, Heinlein’s great fault in this book was his need to be very preachy about his views on the uselessness of government and its inherently oppressive nature. The professor, in fact, is a not very subtle mouthpiece for these viewpoints and it’s distracting amid an otherwise great novel. It’s perfectly reasonable for political/religious viewpoints to come out in fiction, but Heinlein does it in a distracting way that takes away from the story. It’s this fault that holds this novel back, but the rest is so good that it is still worth your time and secures a good spot in my top 100. 

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

This is the sequel to Lynch’s The Lies and Locke Lamora and the general consensus among readers seems to be that it does not reach the level of its predecessor.  While I do tend to agree, this is more a compliment to Locke Lamora and not a critique of Red Seas Under Red Skies. This is a very entertaining novel in its own right.

Though not as fresh in terms of its thief plots, Locke and Jean’s dealings at the casino alone are worth the read. The scenes on the high seas can be very entertaining as well. I missed the more active involvement of the Bondsmage, but nonetheless I feel this is a worthy sequel.

At some point, it would be nice to see Locke and Jean in more control of their destinies…to see them back as the manipulators and not subject to the whims of multiple characters throughout the course of the story. Still, I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoyed The Lies of Locke Lamora.

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

This is the 7^th book in Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen and Erikson continues to deliver at an exceptional level.  He always manages to give you something new that you’ve never read before.  My critiques of Reaper’s Gale are small in that I think some of the build-up took a bit too long and one of the plot threads ended up being pretty disconnected from everything else (though that thread was interesting enough). That’s pretty much it.

Everything about the Malazan invasion was amazing. I continue to love reading the Hellian stuff in particular. Tehol and Bugg are the funniest duo in epic fantasy, making me smile or laugh nearly every time they are on the page. I blasted through the last 300 pages as everything converges (a common theme in an Erikson novel). This series makes you work but it is one rewarding book after another.  

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