Jeff
Definitely problematic in parts, but it bookends the series so well; the Omega to The Magician's Nephew's Alpha. I love the final act, especially following downbeat after downbeat of the first two-thirds, but I wish there was more of an explanation of why everything happens, beyond just needing events to lead to that bookend.
I actually liked this better than the Ga'Hoole books, although I guess it has the advantage of the worldbuilding already laid down in the original series. The six–year-old is into wolves right now, so I'm guessing we'll be cranking through this series before getting back to the owls. Six books is an easier pill to swallow than 15 at least.
Seven-year–old: I liked it because he thinks he's a narwhal but he figures it out and I like the ending and how he doesn't have to choose between being a land narwhal or a sea unicorn. It's a really great book.
Less racist than The Horse and His Boy, but maybe more sexist? Serves as a drawn-out prologue to The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Watership Down for birders.
I'm surprised this was developed into a screenplay; it can get a little impenetrable when goes into detail about bird biology, scientific species names, and flight terminology. It's an interesting concept, but I'm not sticking around for fourteen(!) more books without something stronger to hold onto.
Finished reading it to the girls — seemed to be enjoyed by all, even the 6yo, although the 9yo gave it a pretty stiff 4 stars. I blame the current state of children's media.
But they both want to keep going with Fellowship so I can't complain. We'll see how long that holds up though.
Fleshes out the backstory outlined in the film — fairly similar to the manga source material — with focus on the lives of Ido, Chiren, Hugo, and Vector prior to Alita's arrival. Some additional mentions of Nova as well which is exciting.
Not exactly an essential read, though. The extra detail being filled in is nice, but nothing really consequential happens. Which, I suppose, is expected, being a prequel.
I'll always be here for more Battle Angel content though. I continue to hope for 2–3 more Alita films, instead of six more Avatar films or whatever Cameron has planned.
Her pen had a heart inside, and the nib was a wound in a vein. She stained the page with herself. She sometimes forgets what she wrote, save that it was true, and the writing hurt.
Poetry as prose. I don't know if I've ever read something as sensory as this. A little impenetrable at first, but once that surface tension is broken and you pick up the general vibe it just carries you right along.
Just finished reading this to my six–year-old; wonderfully realised, lyrical prose, exciting, and heartfelt. The girls would groan whenever we had to stop for the night, and I was right there with them!
I never really got into the Warhammer game itself — too crunchy — but the setting and world built up around it always fascinated me. The neo-Roman stylings of the Empire and its various hierarchies, the vast scale of space exploration and history, and the cosmic horrors lurking in the warp.
The Horus Heresy books haven't had a lot of the latter so far, which this book makes up for in spades. There's the introduction of the Eldar, a fallen race that had previously conquered the galaxy, and the gradual corruption of a Space Marine legion and the civilians accompanying them culminating in an absolutely horrifying set piece.
This is a gripping tale that stands on its own outside of the previous books in the series, and moves along at a tight clip. My favourite of the series so far.
Definitely the most blood-soaked of the first three in this series, and starting to head toward the grimdark-ness of its source material, but if this trilogy arc is a barb then I might be hooked.
Gonna have to pace myself though; binging this series is gonna get expensive
The first five books were each better than the previous one, building on and fleshing out a cohesive story. This one hits like a huge speed bump. It's kind of like two separate stories smashed together (or maybe one and a third) neither of which have any relation to the overarching story of the series. They're kind of lopsided as well; the first “half” drags on and you start to forget it's a Warhammer 40K story at all, while the second half feels more like the rest of the series with some interesting warp horrors but is really rushed.
Took me a bit to find my footing with this one, as it starts in medias res following the fifth book, Network Effect, rather than being a standalone or sequel to the previous book. Once it hits its stride though, it's an enjoyable ride.
An alternate draft of an Alien³ screenplay? By William Gibson? Adapted by Pat Cadigan? Yes please!
Although I found some of the action a little hard to follow at times, it's as exciting as you'd imagine, given the story's pedigree. Way less Ripley (apparently Sigourney Weaver wasn't confirmed to return at the point the screenplay was drafted) but plenty of Bishop & Hicks, with the requisite Company stooges, rookie Marines, and hapless researchers and technicians; plus a whole communist space station for a Cold War vibe to Aliens' Vietnam.
I was initially put off by the many references to the previous film, but it's part of Hicks's PTSD which puts a tragic spin on it. Between Hicks trying to hold it together while keeping the group together, Bishop dealing with a shoddy repair job, and the newest twist to the alien threat, this is something I would have loved to see on the big screen (although there are echoes of this in the subsequent Alien and Prometheus films).
If I hadn't already started reading All Systems Red, this fun prequel short would definitely have me hooked.
High water mark of the series, maybe topped only once or twice before the finale trilogy with Brandon Sanderson. So many great moments throughout:
- Callandor and the limits of The Power
- Perrin and Faile and the scourging of the Two Rivers
- First encounter with the Eelfinn and the Aelfinn
- Tel'aran'rhiod and its inhabitants
- Discovering more of The Forsaken
- The history and truth of the Aiel
While Network Effect was heavy on the alien thriller angle — and I do enjoy all the alien remnant stuff — Fugitive Telemetry was more of an almost noir whodunnit, and it really worked for me. There's also a shift from SecUnit as avatar of neurodivergence to SecUnit as subject of casual prejudice/racism, underscoring the story's focus on slavery practices in the CorporationRim.
While it didn't have the same emotional impact/ personal growth of the previous book, it's no less exciting or fast-paced (maybe more so since it's shorter) and I can't wait to find out what's in store for SecUnit next!
This was good for some light chills, but (ironically) it felt about as deep as the pixel-thin façade alluded to in the descriptions of the willow world. I kept expecting it to tie back in to the divorce or something. All the stuff to do with the willow world was very effective though. I'd watch a film adaptation of this for sure.
Felt more cyberpunk and less hard sci-fi than Revelation Space, particularly with all the different explorations of transhumanism. I was worried I'd be too drained after Revelation Space to dip in to this world again so soon but I'm glad I did; this is a gritty companion to that series that was a lot of fun to read!
The bomb lives only as it is falling.
Very nearly a Did Not Finish for me about halfway through. Maybe it was my own circumstances at the time but it really felt like it dragged in the middle and I was getting frustrated with the alternating chapter narratives.
Whatever the reason, the latter half started to gel and gripped me right through to that crushing ending. I definitely want to give this a reread at some point, to piece the flashback details together.
