Addison
Even better than the first!
A great second installment, continuing in the episodic vein, and revealing some interesting hints at an overarching story. Recommended for sure!
A great collection of bite-size stories
This book had a lot of fun ideas explored 100 words at a time. Many of the drabbles could have supported longer stories, but were refreshing in their brevity. Very fun collection!
I really enjoyed this novella, though I was missing some context when I started it. This is a deeper look at an interactive novel published with Choice of Games, which I have not read, but I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have done so. I enjoyed spending time with Jules and Lisa Marie in a slice-of-life story of growth, identity, and resistance.
Just as important, I enjoyed this as an audiobook and the author did a great job with the narration. Not all authors can do that. I'm going to go pick up one of the more standalone books now. :p
This is the second book I've read from this publisher and it didn't disappoint. It does what it says on the tin: 23 tales of dark fantasy all centered around the ocean. In some stories that means pirates or sirens, in others horrible sea creatures and even a castle among the waves. The stories pass quickly, but some of them are going to live in my thoughts for a while. Short, dark, frequently heartbreaking. A fun read and time well-spent.
Beautifully written
I enjoyed the writing and atmosphere of this story immensely. While the structure is certainly atypical and the end left me wanting more than I got, the overall experience of the story was wonderful.
A wonderful start to what it seems will be my next “RELEASE THE NEXT BOOK ALREADY! >.<” series. The scope of this story is absolutely massive, and if the interludes were put in for more than just worldbuilding, we have hardly seen anything. I have read a couple of reviews where people say that the worldbuilding was “excessive” or “intrusive,” but I disagree. Maybe not every mention of retreating grass or rockbuds was necessary to the story, but it helped me truly immerse myself in it. Well done Mr. Sanderson!
This book was my introduction to the work of Brandon Sanderson. When I heard that he was going to be completing the Wheel of Time, I immediately went online and ordered it with overnight shipping, to see if he was up to snuff. I was instantly hooked. I have since read this, and a few of his other books, multiple times, and am more than happy with the way he is handling Jordan's work. Now, I sit eagerly awaiting his own epic series, “The Stormlight Archives,” to begin. 14 years? Yeah, I can do that. It should be a fun ride!
Fun little personal note: After I set this book down after finishing it for the first time, I said aloud, “I want to do this.” This bring writing. I had no real experience in writing, save a few short stories in High School, one of which my teacher wanted me to enter into a young writers contest, but I had no faith in my own work, and so, didn't. It has only been a couple of years now, but I have learned a lot about writing, and am working on a second novel at the moment. :) (Though the first only came out to be 74k, so I am not sure I would call it a novel...)
A wonderful book that I recommend highly. Due to other projects, it took me a solid month to finish this book, but it wasn't for lack of interest. Wonderfully developed characters and two very interesting magic systems. In the latest Writing Excuses podcast, Brandon said that the two magic systems were from two entirely different “trunk” novels, but I would never have guessed it. A web well woven Mr. Sanderson. :) Loved the ending by the way. I had a moment of, “I hope it doesn't end the way I think it will, that is way too obvious!” and then it didn't. :D
Great characters and realistic reactions to the trauma of the situation had me rooting for our accidental adventurers through the whole book. I really enjoyed this and read it in two sittings. The strange biology of the world provided a great backdrop to a story of survival and healing, and I really enjoyed the way it finished.
In BELOW, Laurel Hightower showed off her knack for creating characters you care about, and surprising you with their stories. BELOW is a Mothman story, and while I don't know enough about the legend to judge faithfulness to the monster, it was a really fun take. I'll be reading more of Laurel Hightower.
This is my second time this year dipping my toe into the worlds of Hailey Piper, and just like with BENNY ROSE, THE CANNIBAL KING, it was a thrilling experience. In just these two novellas she has already shown a fair amount of diversity in what she is capable of writing, but there are things it seems you can expect from a Hailey Piper story:
* Visceral imagery
* Evocative prose
* Well-examined characters
* Straight-up fun
This novella takes the reader into the realm of Space Horror, which is always an arena worth jumping into. In YOUR MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING, communications specialist Alto wakes to find their new lover (and therapist) missing, and they are dropped in the middle of a fight for life and ship as they try to find her, save themselves, and escape the strange creatures onboard. The story incorporates themes of mindhacking, modding/flesh hacking, and growth, while also putting forward a positive representation of self with a character who genuinely loves their body, no matter the horrors that are thrown at them.
The story is quick, sexy, action-packed, and filled with enough disturbing imagery to make anyone happy (doesn't that make you happy?). Delving into the experiences that make and change a person, it comes across as a true celebration of self.
For the writers out there, this novella has things to teach you, so pay close attention. Piper has created a masterclass in the concept of “en media res,” but without the pitfall of confusing the reader with too much happening at once. The story starts with a relationship, two characters who want each other and the difficulties that may cause. It trasitions beautifully from that into the opening mystery and the horror that follows. It introduces characters and makes you care, but does not feel like the dreaded “Intro Scene” that often happens when authors set out to do just that.
Piper also displays a lot of fun, very pronounced and exaggerated voices in the dialogue of different characters, which was always a fun time, and the narrative itself is laced with evocative metaphor (see “brain full of glass”) and imagery.
This novella absolutely pulled me through, and I've yet to have a disappointing experience with the author. Hailey Piper, I will be reading more of you!
Busted Synapses holds all the trappings of a post-corporate takeover cyberpunk centered on the lives of two characters who have struggled to build their lives among societal decline.
I really loved this story. Don't expect everything to be answered for you, as this comes across as almost a slice-of-life story. People move forward and things change, and it feels very true-to-life.
Pick it up, give it a read. I definitely recommend it.
I remember loving this book years ago, and it is still a fun read. I loved the character Quickening, and ran into a bit of trouble with her earlier this year. I wrote about 40,000 words into a piece I was working on, and realized that a main character in it was a lot like Quickening in this book. I haven't scrapped the idea entirely, but she will need a major reworking, and thus the book will pretty much have to be restarted. sigh
Well that's one way to fight a monster. Benny Rose is a story of stories come to life, and come to life it did. The writing was great, the descriptions detailed and specific. When Benny Rose was there, you saw him, and when he wasn't there you felt his presence. This was my first of Hailey Piper's works, and I immediately picked up THE WORM AND HIS KINGS. I look forward to spending more time with the author and seeing what Hailey can do.
This review only needs two words: “More please.”
The first book was a bit iffy for me and took some time to finish, but the second book kicked it up a notch and felt like it had a lot more continuity. I really loved this and want book three. Now please.
My favorite read of the year
I picked up this book the day it was released, not even realizing it was brand new. As someone who doesn't read like they used to, saying that I devoured it in a sitting means something. It's a great story with interesting twists and turns, and a character I really enjoyed. Check it out! It's definitely worth a read.
I'm on an audio novella binge and picked this up this morning. The Sadist's Bible was wild, violently erotic and depraved. I have some small qualms about the end, but overall I really enjoyed this one. Nicole Cushing can certainly write.
Picked this book up on a tor.com novella binge, and am so glad I did. There are a lot of things to recommend it, starting with the world itself, a future setting where implants and cybernetics are commonplace, gender neutrality is the norm, and unmodified humans are an oddity. Our protagonist, Marmeg, lives on the outskirts, but strives to move up in a caste system that seems designed to keep her in her place. She has an opportunity, the Minerva Sierra Challenge, a day-long cross country race for the cybernetically enhanced. Her exosuit is built of salvaged scraps, she has no team, no sponsors. What she has is a ton of self taught know how, and a dream worth chasing.
Marmeg was a fun and believable character, and I had a lot of fun following her on her journey. This book as absolutely worth checking out.
Wonderful start!
This is a pretty great start to the Genrenauts series, and I'm looking forward to catching up with the rest. Whether you're a genre nerd, devourer of novels, or a film buff, this one will keep you entertained.
Not a bad book at all. I've read somewhere that the books get better later in the series, but I fully enjoyed this one, and it kept me turning the pages. I think Harry Dresden has been a fun character so far, and marvel at how little I actually know about him at this point. The author has managed to keep him interesting, while not divulging all of his secrets. Well done. I didn't think much of the denouement at the end, though. I feel that things could have been tied up in a more engaging fashion. It was a fun read, though, and I will continue with the series.