Rai
This and my other reviews are on my site: Aspects of Me.
The Silent Patient is a mystery/thriller with a twist I did not guess. That's a claim a lot of PR tends to make only for it to not be true. There are a lot of books out there that I have guessed the endings to and while I was expecting something a little different to the standard cookie-cutter thriller (my theory in the first half of the book was it would be some sort of Shutter Island switch-up) the ending was well disguised.
Alicia murdered her husband and never spoke again; Theo thinks he will be the one to “save her” and get her to talk again. They both had a tumultuous upbringing with asshole fathers, which Theo believes gives him an edge to figuring out why Alicia stopped speaking. All the while, telling us about his unfaithful actress wife, Kathy. Some of Theo's white-knighting and general attitude towards women is frustrating and disappointing, although stick with the story as it feeds into the ending.
In between Theo's narratives we have entries from Alicia's journal that she began to keep in the weeks running up to the murder of her husband Gabriel. These offer us a glimpse into the character of Alicia who - present day - is silent. It's a clever mechanism to build up a rapport and empathy with a character that would otherwise be inaccessible.
There are plenty of little twists and turns in the story along the way that will keep you guessing at what's going to happen next. It's a great read, well written, paced and with good character development on both Theo and Alicia's part. As Michaelides begins to peel back the Big Reveal, and it starts to click into place, it'll have you thinking “Hang on a second...!” before hitting you with the full secret. Expertly done.
‘A Cup of Tea...' is a clever, at times surreal, hard-hitting exploration of grief. If you have ever experienced loss, you may see yourself reflected in Lucifer as he deteriorates over a missing kettle. A kettle given to him by his mother. It is often small, surprising things, that drag us back into our grief: a Christmas card, a certain drink, the passing thought “I bet they'd love this” that jars us into remembering that person is gone. Tarzian has expressed this perfectly within A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell.
It feels almost odd to offer praise for such a raw and vulnerable piece of work. It becomes very personal as Tarzian explores specifically his own grief and mental state following the sudden loss of his mother. It feels perhaps crass to say “well done!” when reading through such intimate thoughts and experiences. I can only hope a review goes some way to counteracting the heavy imposter syndrome Tarzian speaks of that is so synonymous with creative pursuits.
There is no real resolution because grief doesn't have a real resolution. Tarzian talks about his ongoing recovery from loss and the use of Lucifer and his kettle shows that loss can surprise us and take back over. It is inspiring to see the truth laid out bare in this novella both as an exercise in recovery and as a confirmation that we are not alone in how grief can derail us. As someone who lost a grandparent this year, I found ‘A Cup of Tea...' to resonate strongly with my experiences and I found this somewhat of a comfort to see some reflection of my losses in Tarzian's words.
Whether it's through the dreamlike, chaotic sequences in Hell or the raw, unbridled, journal-like entries from the author that follow; A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell will take you on a journey through grief. At 90 pages, it is a short and impactful story that I certainly recommend as a window into grief and the toll it can take on us mentally, physically & spiritually.
From champion of Africanfuturism, [a:Nnedi Okorafor 588356 Nnedi Okorafor https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1507148868p2/588356.jpg], author of the [b:Binti 25667918 Binti (Binti, #1) Nnedi Okorafor https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433804020l/25667918.SY75.jpg 45491127] novella series, is this first episode in the coming-of-age story of Sunny, an albino African American girl living in Nigeria who discovers she is a magical Leopard person - one who can use juju. Sunny has been suffering at the hands of bullies in school because of her appearance, one day Orlu intervenes and walks Sunny home. These two become friends and in doing so Sunny meets Chichi, Orlu's friend and neighbour. Chichi has a hunch about Sunny and when it turns out to be right, Sunny is thrown into a whole new world and a whirlwind of new experiences.The key to this new world is to learn. That is how you earn chittim, which is used as currency within the Leopard world. Reading a book that places such a high importance on the idea of continual learning was wonderful. Despite being a 34 year old and our protagonist being a mere 12, I was wishing I could live in Okorafor's world because even with all the scary stuff Sunny & co have to face it is a world that seems much better than our own.Sunny, Chichi, Orlu and newest friend Sasha discover they have been brought together to fight against an evil that threatens the world and Sunny finds out this threat is linked to her Grandmother's death, a woman she never knew but who holds the key to who Sunny really is.This is a brilliant story about friendship, outcasts, belonging, justice and selfhood. If you're looking for an alternative to a certain book series about outcasts in magical schools... look no further!
Short, fast-paced and engaging; a good introduction to the protagonist and the world.
A neat little introduction to a protagonist I'd like to know more about. In a bleak world, with a violent history. Interesting exploration of the idea destiny, belief and faith. I'm curious to know what happened next to The Last General, our Lady of Flames.
I first heard about this book/series via booktube when a readalong was announced for August-November 2020. The blurb sounded interesting and I had seen it mentioned a few times that it wasn't too long a book and easy to get through so I decided to join in with the readalong. Plus it has a cool cover and the Kindle edition was £1.99!
While Traitor's Blade feels a little bit like a ‘setting-the-scene' for a greater story sort of book I don't think that is a big deal. The world- and character-building are both great and the story is plenty engaging to keep you reading to the end. There are some very obvious points where information is not revealed to the reader, which I think you have to take with a pinch of salt - and faith - that all will become clear in the later books. Although those parts felt a little bit clumsy this is the first book not only of the series but of the author's published works so I am willing to give a bit of leeway there.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and that's worth a lot in my opinion. I can't wait to get started on #2 even if it's another 200+ pages longer than this one! While I haven't finished the series (yet) I can say that Traitor's Blade was a fun, engaging fantasy with well written combat (not gory) and characters that's sub-400 pages and easy to get into. Well worth a try!
This was Mark Lawrence's debut and first in The Broken Empire trilogy where we follow Jorg, a prince to one of a hundred kingdoms all vying to become Emperor and reunite the lands. He's also a character who has suffered some unimaginable hardship and loss. He has seen terrible things and it broke him as a child so that now, as a young man, he is whip sharp and hardened.
Prince of Thorns is a fast-paced dark science-fantasy (grimdark, specifically) following Jorg and his road brothers as he tries making his first advances to be King. I knew this was going to be a Sci-Fantasy before starting out but if I hadn't there are plenty of clever little nods to it that Lawrence has worked into the prose before the point where it becomes readily obvious. At times, you can tell this was a debut and the writing could use a touch more polish and this doesn't impact on the story.
The eponymous short story is an interesting read, mostly as comparison to the film as they are two very different entities. The other two short stories in this collection are dull as dishwater. All have the problematic elements typical of something written in the 1920's and set even before that, two big offenders are: racism and misogyny. So, yes, it is “of an age” but that doesn't mean we can't criticise it for being problematic.
Benjamin in this story is a lot less likeable, I found, than in the 2008 film because he's a bit of a philandering arse once he gets going. He ditches his wife and goes off to war because she's too old for him (at 45!), which given his predicament is a bit rich. She married him when he looked 50 yet somehow it's OK for him to bugger off and leave her when the tables are reversed.
As I say, the story is only worth reading if you want to see how different the film was to the original. The film is a lot more romantic and Benjamin a lot more likeable in it. It's a quick read so it depends how curious you are as to whether I'd recommend you bother.
4.5 stars
This was my first foray into any of Sanderson's work and it seems to have been a good entry point. For me, it lost that last half-star as there were times where the plot felt a little nebulous and the pacing was a little slow however once I got used to that I didn't have any other complaints. The world- and character-building were both great and the prose was rich without being dense.
It is a multi-POV fantasy that spans less than a year of in-world time but that draws on a lot of history and lore to build up the story. The magic system is clever and makes sense without being difficult to grasp. Through the three key characters, Siri, Vivenna & Lightsong, we see two countries pushed to the brink of war and their efforts to prevent it. The characters develop and change over the course of the novel, learning and growing as events unfold.
I specifically decided to start with something that wasn't Mistborn or Stormlight Archive as I didn't want his works outside of those two series to be spoiled by raising the bar too high as I've seen a lot of people who have read Mistborn first going back to Warbreaker or Elantris and not liking them as much. If that's a consideration for you, I can certainly recommend Warbreaker as I am now quite keen to read some more of Sanderson's books.
3.5 stars. Slow going, heavy character study.
I had a bit of a struggle with this (my first Hobb read) and unfortunately that's where it losing some star-points. It is very slow paced. Apparently, that's a staple of Hobb, though I didn't know that in advance.
What it is, however, is an excellent character study following Fitz from aged 5 to 17-ish(?) as he grows up the bastard son of a prince, learning the skills and politics to survive as such. I initially was expecting the childhood to just be a flashback but it is the entire book. There were a couple of small continuity issues that bugged me that broke immersion for me but bear in mind I can be quite picky on these things.
I do want to read more of Fitz's life so will continue the series, albeit with a faint hope of a little more action in the sequels.
This is a short philosophical book that explores the cycles of community beliefs and how a single pebble can cause ripples that change far more than could have been predicted. This version is one reprinted with the fourth section (previously languishing in a desk drawer) and I definitely think the addition of that final section makes the whole story feel more finished. The cycle is completed by that last section; a full turn of the wheel.
“...the forces of rulers and ritual slowly, slowly will kill our freedom to live as we choose.”
This and my other reviews are on my website: Aspects of Me.
A Shade of Madness follows on where successful debut A Touch of Light left off and dives straight back into a world in increasing peril. Thiago Abdalla continues to demonstrate excellent worldbuilding and the exploration of flawed characters trying to do what they believe is the right thing...
Full review is available on Grimdark Magazine, here: https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-a-shade-of-madness-by-thiago-adballa/
A Prelude to Ashes is a prequel novella to Thiago Abdalla's debut novel, and SPFBO8 entry, A Touch of Light. It introduces the world, the nations and the people that will fill the pages of A Touch of Light to great effect and piques the reader's interest and draws you into the series.
My full review can be found at BookNest.eu, here: https://booknest.eu/reviews/rai/2444-a-prelude-to-ashes-the-ashes-of-avarin-0-5-by-thiago-abdalla-book-review
Single mother Kelda and her son Dylan are looking for a fresh start when moving into the old toll house on a quiet road out of town. It's not much but all Kelda could afford; it's gets them out of her mother's house and moved them closer to friend Nick, and into a new job. Dylan has to start at a new school and make new friends, though he doesn't get along with his new teacher Mr Yeo. Stresses of the move and the clean slate boil over and during an argument, Dylan throws a saucepan at the wall in the kitchen, cracking the plasterboard and revealing a creepy death mask sealed inside.
The novel also swaps between present day and the 1860's following the former toll collector who lived in the house and whose wife passed away there. The death mask is linked back to this time period and after it is revealed in the present day, Kelda and Dylan begin to experience disturbances. Dylan sees a woman in his room, there's a pervasive feeling of sorrow, and being watched for Kelda. As thing escalate Kelda tries to protect her son as best she can while being unsure of her own mind.
There are a lot of relationship interactions within The Toll House, which adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story. The paranormal aspects are creeping and sinister as we learn more about Kelda, Dylan and the former residents of the house. Little twists along the way keep you guessing as to who is causing the disruption in the toll house and why. Exploring themes of child loss, death, love and obsession, The Toll House offers readers an alternative to the vast gothic mansion horror with the cosy/claustrophobic setting.
While I had this on my TBR for a couple of months already, I was fortuitously assigned this for SPFBO 8 Phase 1! You can find my full review over on Booknest.eu below:
https://booknest.eu/reviews/spfbo/2447-a-touch-of-light-the-ashes-of-avarin-1-by-thiago-abdalla-spfbo8-book-review
It is hard to write a review that is more than just “CAT IN SPAAAAAAAAAACE” for this book. Pumpkin (the cat) is clearly MVP of the story but, as a cat-lover, I might be biased. It's also brilliant to see a non-binary main character who isn't an alien. So there's two reasons to hype this book up.
The Last Gifts of the Universe is a bit of a slice-of-life sci-fi that follows Scout, their brother Kieran and Pumpkin the space cat, as they scour the universe for caches containing information from civilisations that came before - hoping that one day there will be something on what wiped out everyone and everything else. On one seemingly average mission, they discover a cache that hints at knowing what the big-bad enemy was but they are interrupted in their recovery of it by corporate mercenaries intent on copywriting it all and shoving it behind a paywall. Not being particularly well-equipped to fight off super soldiers Scout and Kieran lose the first cache but get enough from it to pinpoint the next one in the series.
What follows is a series of mad-dash races to see who gets to each next cache first, as Scout desperately tries to reason with the corpo-goons that this is information that needs to be free. The reason behind the end of all civilisation isn't something to be hidden away for only the wealthy to access.
In between these confrontations Scout, Kieran and Pumpkin get on with their jobs aboard their ship, The Waning Crescent, and spend their downtime with video games, TV serials and pizza. In their exploring of what little cache data they saved, Scout finds a recording from Blyreena, who made a last stand against the encroaching darkness hundreds of year before. Will Scout find answers in Blyreena's last words?
Besides the cat in adorable space-booties and the exquisite normalising of a non-binary character, The Last Gifts of the Universe presents some excellently thought-out themes that will engage you, while the characters keep you coming back for more. It's about ends and beginnings, loss and hope, and fighting for what you believe in and those you love. Adeptly balanced with action and cosy vibes, this is a must-read for sci-fi afficionados.
Last summer, we were introduced to Kell Kressia, a man who was mistaken for a hero and sent on a quest to save the world from the terrible Ice Lich in the far Frozen North – and not for the first time. The Warrior picks up two years after he returned victorious and finds Kell stagnating: having been married off to Sigrid, and now appointed King, when he'd rather have gone back to his quiet life on the farm. Offering him a timely escape, comes Willow...
My full review can be read online via Grimdark Magazine, here:
https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-the-warrior-by-stephen-aryan/
2022 Awards for BooksJust a few award categories I thought up to make this a bit more interesting than just a “Top 10 of 2022” type post. Best Debut: [b:A Touch of Light 60154484 A Touch of Light (The Ashes of Avarin, #1) Thiago Abdalla https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1642527564l/60154484.SY75.jpg 94676600] Best Bookclub/readalong: [b:We Are the Dead 42602296 We Are the Dead (The Last War, #1) Mike Shackle https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553351197l/42602296.SY75.jpg 66304228] Best Creature: [b:Of Blood and Fire 56750401 Of Blood and Fire (The Bound and the Broken, #1) Ryan Cahill https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611043983l/56750401.SY75.jpg 88695878] Best Cover: [b:The Seep 45448133 The Seep Chana Porter https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556928267l/45448133.SY75.jpg 70212127] Book that came closest to making me cry: [b:A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell 61624249 A Cup of Tea at the Mouth of Hell (Or, an Account of Catastrophe by Stoudemire McCloud, Demon) Luke Tarzian https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1658289412l/61624249.SX50.jpg 97195341] Book that made me laugh: [b:The Kaiju Preservation Society 57693406 The Kaiju Preservation Society John Scalzi https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624897234l/57693406.SY75.jpg 90049719] Most impulsive buy (read): [b:Dinosaur Therapy 57652959 Dinosaur Therapy James Stewart https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618849951l/57652959.SX50.jpg 90303078] Biggest Heart: [b:The Last Gifts of the Universe 60103317 The Last Gifts of the Universe Rory August https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1642529071l/60103317.SY75.jpg 94769767] Most effort to get through: [b:Crossings 25743715 Crossings Ashley Capes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526030291l/25743715.SY75.jpg 45584254] Darkest of Grim Scenes: [b:Gunmetal Gods 55777447 Gunmetal Gods (Gunmetal Gods #1) Zamil Akhtar https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624243972l/55777447.SX50.jpg 85052502] Don't Judge a Book by its Cover: [b:Pallas Lost 60758000 Pallas Lost Jake Morrison https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649212477l/60758000.SY75.jpg 95801205]For the more traditional ‘Top Books of the Year' list, see: [post incoming]For my top anticipated releases of 2023, check out my post here: https://aspectsof.me/2022/12/30/top-anticipated-releases-2023/
A spectacular modern-day sci-fi romp through an alternate Earth with mountainous creatures and a bunch of nerds trying to study them. Jamie, our narrator, stumbles into a job as a lifter of things for KPS but, for some reason, doesn't ask what KPS stands for. Upon arriving at his new workplace it becomes apparent: the K means Kaiju. Jamie and three other newbies to the company become quick friends as they try to wrap their heads around their new surroundings and the ‘animals' they're going to be protecting.
Life on Kaiju Earth is a lot more exciting than lockdown COVID Earth back home: with everything on the planet trying to eat you while you try to study it, there are some close calls, although Jamie seems to take it all in stride. As a massive sci-fi nerd himself, he has the mental capacity to perceive of such a reality and so it's all not quite as much of a mind-melting shock as it could be.
Scalzi's writing is quick, chatty and funny, and this is the perfect book to decompress with. It's cool - there are giant monsters - it's fun - there's some great action - and, it has some heart too as the crew genuinely care about each other and the Kaiju around them. Capitalism rears is ugly head and threatens everything on both Earths and our team of plucky newbies take it upon themselves to fight back and save the day. They might not have a plan, per se, but they've got the right attitude.
The Kaiju Preservation Society is wonderfully written, includes diverse characters (without making a scene about it) and has a nicely cynical view of US politics back in 2020/21. Plus, Kaiju. I mean, what's not to get excited about there? As Scalzi himself says in his note at the end of the book, this is a story to feel better after the shit few years we've had back in reality. It's not meant to be a genre-breaking masterpiece for the ages; it's meant to be fun. In that, Scalzi has certainly excelled himself.
