Jessica Strider

Pros: interesting premise, strange

Cons: few answers

The Biologist is one of four women sent into Area X on the twelfth expedition to learn more about this mysterious region.

Written as a journal, the book details the expedition, their findings, and the strange occurrences of Area X. Events happen quickly and are very focused, so there isn't time to learn much about anyone other than the Biologist. The Biologist herself is taciturn and secretive, though you do get flashback scenes that help flesh her out. She's also not the most reliable narrator, as you sometimes learn that she hasn't been entirely honest in this account.

The mystery is interesting, though don't expect to fully understand what's going on. The story does wrap up nicely.

It's a quick, unsettling story.

Pros: complicated & diverse characters, interesting plot

Cons: some far fetched action

Several years ago Lyda was part of a scientific company looking for a drug to cure schizophrenia. But on the night of their success, the team was drugged, and the resultant overdose left one of them dead and the others seeing god. Now in a mental hospital for delusions, Lyda encounters a young woman who's symptoms resemble those of the drug her team created, NME 110, numenous. In order to stop the drug from spreading in this new world where designer drugs can be printed onto paper and drug parties are de rigueur, Lyda gets herself released to hunt down the remaining members of the team and find out who's behind it.

Be prepared to reread sections of this book in order to figure out what's going on. The author cleverly leaves out information that forces you - when you finally realize what's missing - to reevaluate what's happening. The first one of these comes at the end of chapter one.

One aspect of the plot was easy to figure out, but other aspects kept me guessing until the very end.

I loved the diversity of the characters and how they each deal with their own... issues. Most of the main characters have a mental problem of some sort, and these get exacerbated by the use - and abuse - of drugs. Lyda, a middle aged black lesbian, is the point of view character for the majority of the book, and has a guardian angel thanks to NME 110. As an atheist and scientist she knows the angel is part of her own psyche, but has to constantly remind herself that it's not real. Ollie is an ex-intelligence officer, whose abuse of drugs made her paranoid. To counter those effects she must stay on different drugs, ones that dull her senses making it difficult for her to see as well as think analytically. I loved Sasha as a character who overcomes the challenges she faces - both physical and mental - using technology.

With the exception of Sasha, who only comes in towards the end, and perhaps Dr. Gloria, the characters weren't particularly likeable. They were people dealing with difficult circumstances in realistic ways. Lyda is often angry and demanding, not willing to listen to her conscience if it gets in the way of what she feels she needs to do. At the same time, I didn't dislike anyone, though Rovil is a bit irritating in how much of a pushover he is when faced with Lyda's demands.

While I enjoyed watching Lyda get around her medical implant and deal with the Millies, I didn't believe how things worked out with her getting into the US. It seemed far fetched and over the top. Though, I'm left wondering if Lyda was meant to be an unreliable narrator, and if so, whether her version of events is wilder than what actually happened.

This is an interesting book that looks into drug use, mental disorders, extreme belief systems and more.

Pros: organic world-building, fascinating characters, slow build up, satisfying conclusion

Cons:

The Emperor of the Annurian Empire has died. His oldest child, a daughter, Adare, lives in the Dawn Palace and has been raised to the post of Finance Minister. Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has been training under the tutelage of the Shin monks for eight years, trying to master a technique he'll need in order to rule. Their younger brother, Valyn, is close to becoming a member of the Kettral, an elite force that flies on gigantic birds.

As the plot that killed the emperor spreads to his children, they must master their various skills in order to survive.

This is a slow building story that allows the reader to learn about the world through the actions and knowledge of the characters. There are no info dumps, and a lot of information is left unstated. The characters develop slowly, changing as the events of the book affect them.

The world is multicultural, though the focus remains on the three protagonists, each of whom live in very different places. The majority of time is spent alternating between Valyn's brutal training as a warrior and Kaden's rather different, but equally brutal training to learn how to empty his mind. While Adare gets fewer pages devoted to her story, it's in no way less important to the plot or interesting to the reader. Hers involves more political intrigue while her brothers' tales have more blood and pain.

While the book employs familiar elements, the writing feels fresh and the ideas are cleverly used. It's a fantastic debut and I can't wait to see what comes next in the story.

Pros: fun, witty storytelling; engaging and diverse characters, interesting politics, Todd Lockwood artwork

Cons:

This is the second volume of Lady Isabella Trent's memoir regarding the study of dragons. Despite the dangerous political situation in the Talu Union, she requests permission for herself and two companions to visit Bayembe and the Mouleen swamps in order to study the various dragon species found there.

These ‘memoirs' are such a joy to read. This is a character driven novel, told from a lady's point of view. And that lady refuses to adhere to society's norms when it comes to what women are and are not allowed to do in scholarly pursuits. But this isn't a simple story. There's a lot of character development as she's forced to adapt to the customs of the different peoples she meets and come to terms with things in her past.

This series takes place in an imaginary world that has similarities to Earth in the 1800s. While the three protagonists are Scirling (analogous to colonial Britain), there are several natives of different tribes (patterned after African tribes) who play important roles in the book. Each tribe has different political goals, religious beliefs, customs, clothing, skin tones and languages. They all feel intrinsically real. I especially loved that the king of Bayembe had prosthesis that allowed him to walk and was seen as a powerful figure, whose ‘iron' legs made him more than human.

There's a decent amount of politics involved, and while it's not dwelt on heavily, it's necessary as the climax hinges on what the wider world is up to while her party is trying not to die of malaria and yellow fever in the swamps. Even beyond the military and economic politics are the more subtle politics of life, for example, Isabella isn't allowed to join a scientific symposium because of her gender while one of her companions on the trek is barred from the same symposium because he's not of a high enough social class. Similarly, her second companion on the trip has to defy her father, who wants her to stay home and get married rather than ruin herself on this expedition.

In addition to the cover, Todd Lockwood has a series of illustrations peppering the novel itself. These are done sketchbook style and really add to the atmosphere of the book as well as your ability to visualise what's happening.

If you like fun, witty storytelling that's quick to read and thoughtful about representing diversity, then pick this up.

Pros: shows multiple viewpoints of challenging issues, thought-provoking, wide range of interesting characters

Cons: first chapter's style didn't work for me

It's been a year since the Declaration that made it illegal for Gemtech companies to own their genetically modified humans went into effect. In a few days Dr. Eli Walker's report on wether gems are fundamentally different from unmodified humans will be delivered at a European Conference.

Zavcka Klist of Bel'Natur, one of the main Gemtechs, has a plan to get the gems working again, and earning Bel'Natur more profits. Aryel Morningstar, a petit gem with a disfiguring hump, is the spokeswoman for the gems, savvy and hopeful despite the realities of the challenges ahead. Gabriel is a young boy, found by a gem in Aryel's community, who has an unusual, and highly desirable, ability.

Tensions are high and, as the conference nears, a godgang starts attacking gems in the streets.

This is a brilliant book. It takes place over 7 days, the last 5 days preceding the conference, the conference itself and the aftermath of Eli's report. It's remarkable how much information and how many differing viewpoints Saulter manages to pack into those days. She deals with the necessary background information via reports and news stories, so it feels natural.

There's a lot of politics going on in the book as various players try to influence Eli and his report. But the author makes sure the complexity of the issues being address is front and centre by showing not only the extremes of positions, but also the concerns of regular people, if mostly through mentions of what's happening on streaming sites.

The economics of amalgamating a large group of people is also dealt with, both in terms of supporting those who are unable - or unwilling - to work and by showing the reaction of norms when gems ‘steal' their jobs.

The issues being explored, slavery, humanity, discrimination, acceptance, as well as the gems themselves, with their engineered abilities, reminded me of Karen Sandler's Tankborn trilogy, but the treatments and tones of the books are wildly different. While Tankborn follows two protagonists who don't have much power to change things, Gemsigns follows those at the forefront of the politics deciding what laws will be put into affect. Gemsigns was very thought-provoking and relevant with regards to today's politics, with its social issues (ex: do LGTBQ people deserve the same rights and privileges as their straight neighbours?).

I loved the ending and the fact that I figured out the twist a few pages before it was revealed.

The only complaint I had with the book was the style of the first chapter, which was a bit off-putting for me. After that, the book took off and never stopped.

Pros: fascinating premise, thought provoking, hard SF

Cons: Seivarden's personality changes a lot

Twenty years ago she was Justice of Toren, the artificial intelligence of a Radchaai spaceship with thousands of ancillary units at her command. Now she is simply Breq, a single ancillary. Her mission: to destroy the entity that reduced her to her present state.

This is a fascinating novel. It's predominantly told in chapters alternating between Breq's present and what happened 20 years ago when One Esk was stationed in the newly annexed city of Ors.

I liked the idea that the Radchaai language had no genderization (he/she), so Breq finds it difficult to determine the genders of people when speaking other languages, often guessing wrong. The use of ‘she' in the book for everyone made me question my own preoccupation with gender, as I first tried to figure out what gender all the characters were, with some difficulty. As the book wore on, I finally gave up, even though the correct genders for several characters were stated. Once I got used to the idea that the character's gender didn't matter, I found it oddly liberating not caring about what gender everyone was and simply appreciating the characters for their actions.

There were several quotes that spoke to me in the book, like this one by Breq about the actions of her ancillaries and officers who participated in a genocide:

“It's easy to say that if you were there you would have refused, that you would rather die than participate in the slaughter, but it all looks very different when it's real, when the moment comes to choose.” (p. 114, ebook edition)

The book definitely makes you think about identity and choices.

While there are jump gates to facilitate and speed up space travel, the book is hard SF in that it still takes a long time to get places. While you won't find detailed explanations of how the ship and station AIs work, there is enough information about it to create a good backdrop for the rest of the book.

While there is a plot, it's the character of Breq/One Esk that carries the book. She's such a fascinating figure that you read on just to find out more about her and her past.

I'm not sure I believed the extent of Seivarden's transformation from highborn snob to what he becomes at the end of the book, but I did appreciate what he went through and could see how such events would change a person a lot.

The ending was exciting and satisfying given what's happened in the story. It's open enough for the coming sequel but does stand on its own.

I highly recommend this book.

Pros: thought provoking, fascinating characters, interesting premise, tight prose

Cons:

Melanie loves the story of Pandora. She loves attending Miss Justineau's class, where she heard the legend. She doesn't love Sergeant Parks, who sometimes makes Miss Justineau look sad, or Dr. Cauldwell, who's responsible for some of her classmates going away and never coming back. She likes her routine, and when that routine changes, all of their lives are irrevocably altered.

This is a post-apocalyptic story with zombies (called hungries) that will feel very familiar. But Carey's prose and storytelling ability makes it a brilliant addition to the subgenres.

The book alternates between several viewpoints but starts with Melanie, explaining her day, her week, her life. She's such an intelligent girl and the author manages to explain so much of what's happening - and what's wrong in the world - by her observations of her normal life. Pay close attention, as there's a lot of detail, with certain things being inferred rather than told outright.

I loved the rivalry between Miss Justineau and Dr. Cauldwell, both of whom believe very strongly that they're in the right about the issues they face, and it's hard at times to say they aren't, even when their points of view are opposite. There are some great thought provoking moments, particularly around Dr. Cauldwell's work and Melanie's coming of age. Even Sergeant Parks has some introspection as he questions the experiments he's been helping.

The book is definitely geared more for suspense than horror, though there are some horrifying scenes. The ending too, will remind readers of a memorable horror novel. The real question of the book lies in whether Dr. Cauldwell will find a cure for the hungries, and if the means she uses justify the ends she's trying to achieve.

The story starts slow in order to really introduce the characters and the world before things get messy. The prose is tight, and the story, while not fast paced, is highly compelling. It's a brilliant novel.

Pros: some chilling scenes

Cons: it takes Eliza a long time to figure out what's happening

After the sudden death of her father, Eliza Caine answers an ad to become governess at Gaudlin Hall. But something's not right in her new home and no one will answer her questions about the parents of her charges, the tragedies that have taken place at Gaudlin Hall, or the ghost that's trying to kill her.

I'd say this book is a cross between The Haunting of Hill House, for the atmospherics and period, and The Shining, for the constant anticipation of something bad happening. Boyne does an excellent job of putting you in Eliza's place, feeling her terror, and trying to survive what's to come.

While I really liked Eliza I did feel it took longer than it should have for her to figure out what was going on. Having said that, I enjoyed seeing regular life at the Hall interspersed with her learning more about the place's history.

If you like ghost stories, this is a winner.

Pros: complex plot, interesting characters, fascinating world

Cons:

Kavekana is an island with no gods of its own, where offshore interests can purchase an idol to store soulstuff. When the priestess Kai jumps into the sacred pool to try to save her co-worker's created idol, Seven Alpha, her actions have many unforeseen consequences.

Izza is a thief. When the Blue Lady she worships dies, she realizes it's time to leave the island before her age makes her eligible for her crimes' punishment: being placed inside one of the stone Penitents that guard the island. But she's soon pulled into the mystery surrounding a poet who's lost his inspiration, and Kai's investigation.

This is the third book published in Gladstone's Craft Sequence series. While it stands alone, like the others, this one uses characters from the first two books and shows some aftermath from what's come before. It's storytelling that doesn't alienate newcomers while giving more depth to those who've read the other books.

The world-building, as with the previous books - is top notch. Gladstone's created a world of interconnected everything: trade, tourism, religion, law, war, history, etc. There's always the sense that there's more to know, that each book is only scratching the surface, and with each book more of the world and its past and people are uncovered. Because the protagonists are from very different social strata, we get to see a lot of the island - security, police, tourism, slums, offices, etc.

The characters are interesting. Kai and Izza are both challenged by what's going on, attempting to solve several mysteries, if from different sides. The Penitents are a chilling - if effective - punishment, that evolves into a police force that's 100% loyal. Even the poet has his moments.

The plot weaves around and eventually comes to a satisfying conclusion, though one that takes place in a world that continues on after the book ends.

These are fantastic books that take place in a fantasy realm with all the complexity of the real world. If you like well written fantasy with some mystery thrown in, and diverse characters, these are for you.

Pros: Q&A format, includes some of his fiction

Cons: will possibly make you cry in public

This is a non-fiction book written by a 13 year old Japanese autistic boy, in which he answers questions he's been asked numerous times about why he does the things he does. It's an amazing look inside autism.

This is a book that may well make you cry, so beware of reading it in public. In David Mitchell's introduction, when talking about some of Higashida's included fiction and the accusation that autistic people have no empathy, he writes:

“Like all storytelling mammals, Naoki is anticipating his audience's emotions and manipulating them. That is empathy. The conclusion is that both emotional poverty and an aversion to company are not symptoms of autism but consequences of autism, its harsh lockdown on self-expression and society's near-pristine ignorance about what's happening inside autistic heads.”

Similarly in his answer to the question “Would you like to be ‘normal'?” Higashida says that when he was younger he wanted to be normal but now,

“I've learned that every human being, with or without disabilities, needs to strive to do their best, and by striving for happiness you will arrive at happiness. For us, you see, having autism is normal - so we can't know for sure what your “normal” is even like. But so long as we can learn to love ourselves, I'm not sure how much it matters whether we're normal or autistic.”

While it's a short read, it's both inspiring and educational. Understanding is the first step towards becoming better people with regards to how we interact with those who are autistic in our midst.

Pros: horrifying invasion story, believable protagonists, compelling story

Cons:

For Parents: some swearing, kissing, the violence isn't graphic but there are child soldiers, executions, and murder

Cassie has survived the first 4 waves of the alien invasion: light's out, surf's up, pestilence and the silencer. Seven billion people didn't, including her mother and father. Her five year old brother was taken away in the 4th wave. Now she waits for the 5th wave and the courage to keep the promise she made to her brother, that she'd come after him.

This is a brutal invasion story. These aliens know how to wipe out humanity and do so in sweeping waves, each more destructive than the last. Through Cassie's eyes we learn about the 4 previous waves, and through her eyes, and those of a few other characters, we slowly learn what the 5th and final wave is.

There's a fair amount of violence, particularly when the child soldiers come into the picture. But it's violence that serves a purpose and isn't graphically portrayed. This is a book that questions humanity. What will humans do to survive? What makes you human in the first place? The book doesn't answer these questions, making it a great jumping point for discussion.

The characters are believable, falling apart under the pressures of the new world and picking themselves up again because doing otherwise means death. This makes the book difficult to put down. The writing is intense and while you may see the revelation that is the 5th wave coming, it doesn't stop it from being horrifying in its implications.

The ending is very tense, though I'm not sure I believe the kids could accomplish everything they do, and it ignores the larger picture. But it does give a good closure for the book.

I highly recommend it.

Pros: lots of action, character development, satisfying series ending

Cons: at a disadvantage if haven't read the novellas

This is the fifth and final volume of the Demon Cycle. A lot has happened as Arlen and Jardir finally take their party down to the core. Their captured mind demon alerts them that the hive is close to swarm, but it's too late for them to help their friends and loved ones who are about to be overrun at the new moon. All they can do as they journey below is hope they've prepared those they leave behind well enough to survive on their own.

There are a lot of point of view characters, some for the first time. This allows the reader to see events all over Thesa as the demons attack. And they attack hard. The book does a fantastic job of consolidating all of the people and places that have been visited in the series.

Having said that, I was surprised that the people and events of some of the novellas were referenced without preamble. Derek from Brayan's Gold shows up with no introduction and I'm assuming the novella Messenger's Legacy (which I haven't read) explains why Ragen and Elissa aren't in Miln when The Core begins. While I felt Briar was properly introduced in The Skull Throne, when Regan and Elissa showed up it felt like I'd missed a chapter, as there's no explanation of what they've been doing though there are a few cryptic hints that they were in Laktown looking for Briar. Once they were back in Miln I found their political situation quite interesting.

There is a lot of action both with the defenders up top and those penetrating the deeps. The battles are varied, as the mind demons fight dirty. Once or twice we're shown the after effects of a scene rather than a scene itself, which lessened the impact of some tragedies. But on the whole it's a whirlwind of battles intercut with preparations for surviving the next battle.

I liked that Arlen and Jardir continue to develop as people. Seeing Jardir start to question his beliefs as he learns more about Kaji's own descent while Arlen starts to realize there may in fact be a Creator after all, was kind of neat. I thought that the birth of Leesha's child and the politics surrounding its identity were handled well.

There are a number of touching, heartfelt moments in the book. I particularly liked when Jardir says his goodbyes.

The final battle was hard fought and gave a very satisfying ending for the series.

Pros: excellent world-building, interesting and varied characters, political intrigue

Cons: less mystery, Seraphina misses some obvious connections

With the dragons fighting a civil war and Comonot living in exile in the palace, things in Goredd remain tense. When word of a possible half-dragon mind weapon is uncovered, Seraphina is sent to find the others from her ‘mind garden' and bring them back with her. She's also tasked with sending aid in the form of men and supplies from the southern states she'll be travelling through. But her task is hard and her allies few, especially when a powerful figure from her past reappears.

This is the sequel to Seraphina, a novel I thoroughly enjoyed. For those who read Seraphina a long time ago, there's a fantastic summary at the beginning going over all the important elements of the previous book. I really wish more series books would do this.

While Seraphina had elements of mystery and romance, Shadow Scale is more of a quest story, with Seraphina combing the world for others of her kind. I have to admit I missed the interplay between Seraphina and Kiggs, who stayed behind as she travelled. While I enjoyed the whole book (seeing how other lands functioned was really interesting), I liked the second half the best. Porphyry was really fun, especially their contempt for the more barbaric southlands, which put the protagonist in the position of being the uncouth foreigner. The second half is also when the villain's actions start to have real effects on the story.

There's a wide variety of characters, humans (from 4 distinct cultures), dragons, half-humans, quigutl (draconic cousins), as well as people from different statuses and belief structures. Another thing I loved about Porphyry was the complexity of its language - that it has six genders and seven cases and that “[y]ou use cosmic neuter for a stranger, ... And he's a stranger until you've asked, ‘How may I pronoun you?'” (p207). I love the idea that this culture allows people to choose their own gender and form of address, and that you ask people when you meet, how they prefer to be addressed.

As with the previous book Seraphina is forced to grow as a person. As her dearest wish becomes a nightmare, she's forced to make difficult decisions. There were a few times when she misses what seemed like obvious connections, but she's 16 and in some of those cases the final result wasn't quite what I'd expected either.

There's a decent amount of political intrigue. I loved that though Seraphina was travelling and time was obviously passing, her communications with Queen Glisselda reminded her - and the reader - that things were happening elsewhere in the world. While some action happens off page, there's enough on page to keep you invested in the story and the end of the book will have you flipping pages pretty fast to see how things are resolved. While the ending doesn't tie up everything, it's a satisfying conclusion to the duology.

Pros: complex mystery, great characters, more mythology

Cons: didn't touch on one of the unresolved plot points from the first book

The past year has brought economic trouble to the city of Elendil. When a creature from mythology starts a series of terrorist attacks, targeting the governor, whom Marasi believes to be corrupt, Waxillium and Marasi become more and more convinced that these problems are related.

Wax and Wayne make for a fun team. Wax is driven, with a strong moral compass while Wayne has a crude sense of humour and loose beliefs with regards to ownership. Their different abilities complement each other, making them powerful. Wayne's ease with accents, dialects, and costumes gets a good workout.

I found myself liking Steris more in this book, and wishing she had more page time. While her relationship with Wax isn't a love match, I do think they're a couple that could work, given how things progress.

I also like how Marasi is developing as a character. She faces different kinds of challenges in this book and acquits herself well.

While you don't technically have to read Alloy of Law to understand and enjoy the events of this book, it does help. Certain events have more weight if you know what's happened, and you'll have a sense of missing information during a few conversations (I ended up skimming the first book half way through this one to remind myself of what's happened). There's also a lot more mythology in this book, making me want to read the original Mistborn trilogy.

I love how Allomancy and Feruchemy work and the skills the powers allow the characters to use. This book also uses a third type of metal magic, which was cool to learn about.

I was somewhat surprised that one of the major unresolved plot points from the first book wasn't really touched on or dealt with in this one. I'm assuming it will come back in the third book.

This is a fun book and while the ending isn't a cliffhanger, it is designed to have you reaching for the next book, The Bands of Mourning, which luckily comes out in January.

Pros: interesting characters, carefully realized reviver process and reactions to it

Pros/con: lots of flashbacks and info dumps

Cons: little narrative tension

Twelve years ago Daniel Harker broke the story on revivers, people who could revive the dead and let them physically speak. Now the process is considered routine for forensic work and many people have insurance offering them the chance to say a final good-bye.

Jonah Miller has been a reviver since the accident that took his Mom's life when he was 14. With higher abilities than many of his colleagues, he works for a forensic office and is given tough cases. At the end of a routine revival, something - unexpected - happens. For a few moments the subject is possessed by a malevolent force. Told the incident was a hallucination, more and more things happen to convince Jonah that maybe overwork wasn't the cause.

This is a slow-moving but interesting story. The author gives you a good grounding of how revival works and how the revelation that there's something after this life affected the world, from the protesting afterlifers to insurance brokers arranging for final meetings.

I personally found the numerous info dumps and flashbacks interesting, because they offered firm grounding in the world and the protagonists. For the sake of variety, it might have been nice to learn some of this information more organically, via conversations, etc.

The characters were very interesting. Jonah's the protagonist, whose sense of morality is strong even as his mind is taken over by remnants of his recent revivals. Then there's Noah, a revival technician who keeps Jonah company and Annabel Harper, a journalist like her father, who's investigating a crime and gets Jonah's help.

Because the story is so slow moving, there's little narrative tension. A few scenes were creepy but I never really felt Jonah was in danger of insanity, though I did fear for his life towards the end of the book, but not on a level that I'd expected to.

It's an interesting story with good world-building, smart characters, some interesting speculative elements and a lot of mystery.

Pros: interesting aliens, thought provoking

Cons: hard to sympathize with Tao's POV

When Tao's host is killed during a mission the alien entity must find a new host fast. Roan Tan is unsuitable in every way but beggars can't be choosers. Now Tao has months to get him up to speed as an agent in the war between the Genjix and the Prophus because the enemy is up to something and Tao's skills are needed.

I found this a challenging read in that I know enough history to understand that both alien sides of this war have done horrific things to humans and question the humans' insistence that their side is doing things ‘for the betterment of humankind'. I'm sorry, causing a plague to make the war you started end faster isn't helping the humans who will die either way. I therefore had a lot of difficulty sympathizing with Tao's viewpoint.

If you can divorce yourself from the larger issues involved in the story (like the lack of human consent to becoming a host and having your life hijacked by a cause you can't fully understand as these aliens have been waring on earth since their cashed spaceship killed the dinosaurs) it's a fun romp. The story is basically a long training montage as Roen goes from an unhealthy lifestyle to becoming a decent agent (there's still room for improvement in later books).

The book does - towards the end especially - deal with some of the above issues I had and I found the book quite thought provoking in several ways.

I loved the underpinning of the aliens. It's horrifying and clever to show that they've manipulated the largest events in human history. I'd have liked learning more about Tao's past, though the story gives enough to understand how things got to this point.

I didn't find it the most engaging read. Roan grew on me but wasn't someone I wanted to spend a lot of time with. While the pacing was ok, there was a lot of downtime, especially around the training when I found the book kind of dull. It does give the ending more punch but this isn't a book I'd reread.

Lord of the Fading Lands By: C. L. Wilson If you enjoy the blend of romance and fantasy employed by LUNA books, then you will love this new book by Dorchester Publishing: Lord of the Fading Lands. C.L. Wilson's city of Celieria is impeccably detailed and populated with an interesting and yet wholly realistic cast of characters. The Fey Truthspeaker is coming for her annual visit, and this year the Feyreisen, King of the Fey, is accompanying her. He is searching for the woman whom their oracle showed could save the dying tairen, magical winged cats, whose fates are intertwined with those of his people. Little does he realize that this woman is his shei'tani, his soul-mate, and that she is already unwillingly betrothed to another. As if that weren't enough, the Eld, mages and ancient enemy of the Fey, are plotting once more. This debut will draw you into a magical weave of spirit and air that won't release you until the last word is read.

Pros: interesting characters, fully realized worlds

Cons: Catherine's relationship with Josh didn't feel real, book ends abruptly

Catherine Rhoeas-Papaver grew up in a powerful family of Aquae Sulis, the Nether version of England's Bath. But she ran away to Mundanus, hoping to build a life for herself away from the machinations and abuses of her family. Now they're bringing her back and forcing her to get married.

Meanwhile, the Master of Ceremonies has disappeared and a Bath Arbiter, charged with keeping the people of Mundanus safe from the fae and their Nether puppets, has uncovered corruption in the London Chapter.

There's a lot going on in this book that isn't said, due to Aquae Sulis rules of propriety and the mundanes that feature in parts of the story. In many ways it makes things fun as you get to figure out aspects of society, the sorcerers, etc. organically. Only a few things were a bit confusing and took time to figure out, like discovering that Patroon wasn't a typo for Patron, but a separate office.

The different worlds were realized well. I liked the amount of detail put into the Nether - the unchanging light, lack of wind, etc. and the glimpses of Exilium were perfect.

The characters were fun, though since we were only told about Catherine's relationship with Josh, rather than allowed to see them together as a couple, I kept forgetting she was in love with him. This becomes a problem because I found myself liking her intended groom in the Nether, who tries so hard to impress her. Seeing her previous relationship in action, and getting to know Josh more, would have grounded that relationship and made her plight - forced to leave him and marry someone else - starker.

The main mystery of the story wraps up, but the book itself ends very abruptly. I found myself turning the page, expecting more, only to find I was done. You'll want the next volume ready to go if you start these, because this book ends with several people in tight spots.

Pros: interesting characters, fascinating cultures

Cons: didn't emotionally connect with the characters, ending felt anti-climactic

Four groups of humanoids developed on different worlds. Many outcasts of those worlds found a home on Cygnus Beta. When the Sadiri homeworld becomes inhabitable, killing most of the species with it, a group of the survivors head to Cygnus Beta, where they try to find genetically compatible mates from the various settlements.

I really liked all of the characters. Delarua, as predominant narrator, is a lot of fun, and her observations of the nigh emotionless Sidari and their hints of emotional expression are wonderful. This is her story, and so her family shows up a time or two, an along with them, some person and psychological problems she faces. Dllenahkh is also great, quite unique, and I enjoyed the ‘will they, won't they' aspect of their relationship. I also liked that the supporting cast included a character who identified as gender-neutral.

Which is good, because while there is a plot, the book is really character driven.

The different cultures they encounter at the settlements were fascinating, especially the Seelie court. The author did an excellent job of making each one sound unique in terms of government, customs, etc.

While I enjoyed the subtle - very subtle - romance, I didn't feel particularly invested in the characters emotionally. So for me the ending seemed to fizzle out. The two main climactic style events didn't come with a feeling of satisfaction when they were resolved, both because of that absence of emotional connection and because they were so drawn out that any tension was gone well before the resolutions.

It was a fun, fairly quick read, with some interesting aliens, and cultures, and characters.

Pros: very interesting mystery, well paced, some great twists

Cons: characters don't consider that the past dangers might still be around, don't really get to know any of the characters

Nate Tucker's new apartment has a few issues. The kitchen light always shines as a blacklight, no matter what bulb he puts in, the cockroaches are green, and the elevator doesn't work. But the price was unbelievably low for L.A. and his data entry job doesn't pay well. The mysteries of the building intrigue him and he slowly gathers a group of other tenants who want to know why it is the way it is and why so many rooms are padlocked.

When I requested this for review I thought it was a horror novel. It's not. The cover's calling it an “Apocalyptic Mystery” is accurate. There are no jump out of the closet scares. But, the last third of the book has a lot of horror based imagery (and location) in it. The book is predominantly a mystery regarding the apartment building. Why does each room have a different layout? Why does room 14 have four padlocks on it? What's up with the mutant cockroaches? Where's the elevator? Some famous people are mentioned, including an important horror author, whose works the last few chapters reference.

The mystery is very intriguing and is well paced so you never get bored. And this building is WEIRD, with a lot of minor and some major issues the group discovers.

The characters themselves are interesting, with all sorts of backgrounds. You don't learn as much about them as you'd like, but it makes it feel real as how much do you know your neighbours?

Most of the twists were completely unpredictable, though I was surprised that, given what they'd discovered, the tenants never considered that the danger that faced the people who built the building might still be around.

The ending fit all of the build up, being appropriately freaky and challenging.

Pros: gritty, complex characters, intricate mystery

Cons: gritty

Juno Mozambe is a member of the Koba Office of Police, and like the chief, Paul, his former partner, and numerous other members of KOP, he's dirty. When Paul asks him to take a homicide case his trembling right hand and concerned wife remind him that his enforcer days are over. But this is an important case and Juno can't say no to Paul, even when Paul sticks him with a new partner, fresh from the academy Maggie Orzo. Something's going on that's even dirtier than the partnership between the chief of police and Koba's kingpin of crime, Ben Bandur, and Juno's got to prove it.

This is a noir SF set on a planet 15 light years from Earth. The planet's main export dried up years ago and now its economy is dead. The worldbuilding is quite good, with various slum neighbourhoods and the remnants of the plantation rich in crime free neighbourhoods. Most outside money comes from tourism, but even that's turned bad for the locals. It's the perfect setting for a crime novel, and the mix of races gives it flavour.

The grittiness is both a pro and a con for this book as it is the scene, but can become overbearing at times. The world is thoroughly depressing and it's unclear if the protagonist is doing the right thing.

Juno's dirty but he's also, somehow, a decent guy. His enforcer history is mentioned and towards the end of the book he denegrates back into the lifestyle somewhat, and yet, he's very sympathetic and likeable.

As is Maggie. I was impressed that the two of them end up working together so well and trusting each other despite his being dirty and her being a straight arrow. It's entirely realistic when she discovers that his way gets results that hers wouldn't, and so she starts letting things slide while still being optimistic about cleaning up the force in the future.

The case begins as fairly straight forward, but takes several turns as the pair discover just how much things are changing for the worse. It's very intricate with twists that are hard to predict.

This is a fantastic noir tale. If you like gritty SF, pick this up.

Pros: brilliant concept, brilliant writing, compelling characters, thought provoking

Cons:

For Parents: some sexual content, some swearing, very minor violence (two teens fight), mention of drug use

‘A' wakes up in a new body every day. The only similarities are the age of A's hosts and their relative proximity to A's previous host. A has come up with a guideline for his/her life: don't mess with the host's life.

When A wakes up in Justin's body and meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon, his/her guideline changes to: spend as much time with Rhiannon as s/he can, often making his/her daily hosts act completely unlike themselves for one day. This starts to cause problems, both for them and for A.

But A no longer cares. All A wants is for Rhiannon to reciprocate his/her love.

This novel is brilliant. The writing is amazing, the premise is bizarre but handled brilliantly, the characters are interesting, both A and Rhiannon. Similarly A's host bodies are varied by gender, sexuality, race, religion, social class, size, etc. Some are drug addicts, some are nice, some are definitely not nice - to themselves or others.

The premise allows for a lot of interesting social and cultural issues to be brought up - how we see ourselves and how we judge others - making this a really thought provoking book. A's acceptance of everyone as they are, and his/her eventual judgements regarding them as s/he starts to see his/her hosts the way Rhiannon does, with her social conditioning, is fascinating.

It's a brilliant novel and even if you're not a fan of romances, it's worth the read.

Pros: lots of action, interesting characters, thought provoking, accessible science

Cons: some of the characters were underused, not as much emotional connection with characters as I would have liked

Kaden Lane and a small group of other brilliant college students come up with a way to add programmable code to Nexus 3, a drug that allows people to communicated telepathically. Their still incomplete code, which has the potential to transform humans into transhumans, puts them and their upgraded Nexus 5 on the hit list of the Emerging Risks Directorate, a subsection of Homeland Security, taxed with maintaining laws restricting research into certain areas of science. Kaden believes in the best of humanity, and knows that Nexus 5 could do great things for people. ERD officer Samantha Cataranes has seen the worst that mind altering drugs can do, and believes - along with her organization - that Nexus 5 will be horribly abused.

This is a novel that examines the morality of augmenting humans to help them become more than human and how the tools of such augmentation can be used to benefit and harm people. Both Kaden and Sam start the book firmly entrenched in their positions, but the events of the story make them both question what they believe. This questioning is thought provoking for the reader, for whom the various pros and cons aren't immediately obvious, but also allow the characters the chance to grow as individuals.

There's a fair amount of action, culminating in numerous showdowns at the end of the book.

I loved that Naam has an ‘extras' section at the end of the book where he explains the science that he extrapolated from to come up with Nexus and the other scientific advances in the book. It's amazing the things we're currently capable of, and both inspiring and terrifying to see what might come next. The science contained in the book is clearly and concisely explained. There are no long expository passages weighing the book down. It starts fast paced and continues so throughout.

I had two complaints about the book. The first was that one of the characters was underused, in that I expected interesting things to happen with that person's storyline but nothing really came of it. The second is that though you really get into Sam and Kaden's heads, you don't feel a close connection to them, or the other people who they interact with in the book. When the bodies started piling up I didn't really care about anyone that was dying. I wasn't too afraid for Sam and Kaden, mainly due to Sam's augmentations, but again, I wasn't as invested in them as I wanted to be.

This isn't a subgenre of SFF that I normally read, so I was afraid I'd find the science over my head. Naam does a great job of making the science accessible and the action fast and furious. There's enough down time to appreciate the difficult position Kaden is in while wondering how (and if) he'll escape it. It's a book that makes you think about science and technology and where we're headed as well as what role governments should play - if any - with regards to regulating the advancements to come. In other words, it's a great hard sf novel.

Pros: quick paced, interesting protagonist, several plot twists, minor romantic elements

Cons: elements of the ending were problematic

For Parents: kissing, violence, nothing graphic

Seventeen year old Jenna Strong has spent the last 2 years in prison for the murder of her parents, agents of ACID (Agency for Crime Investigation and Defense), because she didn't like the boy they'd picked to be her LifePartner. Sprung by a mysterious organization for reasons she doesn't understand, her life outside quickly goes downhill.

Jenna's an interesting character in that she's sympathetic for readers, but apparently quite prickly to people around her in the book. She's standoffish and quickly alienates several of the people trying to help her, though in her defense, she's given little reason to trust the people helping her. She's pretty street smart, though she does make some decisions that cause her serious problems.

While I saw a few plot twists coming the book goes in a lot of directions I did not anticipate, making it a fun book to read.

There are minor romantic elements that enhance what's happening with Jenna without becoming the focus of the story. And while there is some kissing, there's no other sexual content.

There's a variety of violence in the book (which involves some prison scenes, an interrogation, bombing and more) nothing is graphically described.

Part of the ending required Jenna to be an angry teen who doesn't care that the adults around her know more about what's happening than she does and are better prepared than she is, just that they're not doing what she wants, which was kind of annoying. It also depended on an adult making some very stupid decisions, which I questioned while I was reading. Having said that, I did like the ultimate resolution.

It's a quick paced book with some very tense moments.

Pros: fascinating and unique blend of technology, religion and magic; interesting and personable characters; subtle humour; self-contained novel; brilliant ending

Cons:

Tara Abernathy has been cast out by the Hidden Schools, but not before she graduated as a Craftswoman, able to use soulstuff to perform God-like tasks. She's hired by Ms. Kevarian of the firm of Kelethras, Albrecht, and Ao, to help with a delicate legal case.

In the city of Alt Coulumb the God, Kos Everburning, has died. Ms. Kevarian, hired by the clergy to oversee his resurrection, must contend against her former associate, and Tara's former professor and the reason she was kicked out of school, Alexander Donovo.

Helping the two women in their investigation of why Kos died, is the last person to see Him alive, Novice Technician Abelard.

This is a novel with a lot going on. There are several interconnected plots set up by various people for various reasons. They take place in a city that's a fascinating mix of technology, religion and magic. The city, for example, has trains and elevators that run off steam produced by Kos. The Craft is an attempt by humans to recreate the power of the Gods by using the stars and soulstuff, either their own or that stolen from others. Use of the Craft is centered around dealing with legal contracts regarding the use of the power of the Gods for different purposes (like powering elevators) and for raising the dead. But it can also be used for protection and myriad other things. It's never fully explained and while it has limits, the limits are not examined in much detail.

The book has been marketed as an urban fantasy novel, probably because it takes place in a city - though a fantasy one (a throwaway line in the book implies that this world is in an alternate dimension). But the tone, feel and use of magic are all traditional fantasy, if fantasy with a heavy mystery slant. The complex ending reminded me of James Knapp's Revivors books, with several seemingly unimportant details actually being crucial to the story. And for those looking for fantasy novels that aren't parts of giant series, this book is entirely self-contained. There's plenty of room for the author to continue the story, but readers get a finished plot arc in this volume.

Tara's a great character, strong but still learning and always looking for approval from her Boss. My only complaint with her is that she's quite smart and yet does something remarkably stupid at the beginning of the book. She hides the fact that she's a Craftswoman, but then uses craft in a major way that was bound to cause trouble for her. I liked that she was a dark-skinned character, though, beyond the occasional descriptions there was nothing that indicated she was different from the others (which could just be because this world doesn't have the same cultural/racial divisions our world has). It was nice to see a POC protagonist without being a stereotype of one kind or another. Tara was definitely her own woman.

All of the characters in this novel feel three dimensional. They each have failings, though Ms. Kevarian is more of an enigma than the others up to the end. I really liked Cat and her addiction, and how that played out in the novel at large.

I really enjoyed Gladstone's writing style, with its occasional bouts of subtle humour and subversion of expectations. Gladstone uses the occasional ‘big word', but if you don't have a dictionary handy (or don't want to look the words up) it's easy to understand the meanings from context.

This book is well worth reading for the plot and characters. It has one of the most brilliantly tied up endings I've read in quite some time. If you're looking for a different kind of fantasy, one with excellent world building and a complex mystery, here's your book.