Category: writing

My review @ Goodreads
Nanoshockby K.C. Alexander
Genre: Cyberpunk

So here’s the first sentence of the book.

You haven’t lived until you’ve fisted a nun under the cheap light of a neon Jesus.

If you think you can take a book that follows that sentence, go ahead and try. I apparently couldn’t and it would have ended up being a 3* except…

Both books – Necrotech as well – probably highly depend on the mood of the reader (yes most books do but…). This time it was like eating raw steak, when I really wanted to indulge in chocolate. And I am allergic to beef.

Dangerous as masturbating with the barrel of a Sauger 877, safety off. The hunger riding my high made that sound like a great idea.

So the trend from book one continues, nitty, gritty, bloody, gutter street action with an out-of-control anti-hero as MC (a protagonist is something else entirely). I spent most of the book rooting for Riko to-get-a-fucking-grip-for-once.

Continue reading “Review: Nanoshock (SINless 2)”

My review @ Goodreads
Red Sister is book one in the Book of the Ancestor series by Mark Lawrence
Genre: Fantasy with hints SF-Crossover

IT IS IMPORTANT, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy Convent Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men.

This story is an ass-kicking story of ninja-nuns wrapped in a melange of opposites: politics & prophecy, magic & technology and most of all friendship & treachery.

Continue reading “Review: Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor 1)”

My review @ Goodreads
Penric’s Mission is part 4 of the Penric and Desdemona series by Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Penric and his interactions with the demon Desdemona, who is sharing his mind, have fascinated me from the first novella I read, and their interaction & cooparation are once more at the center of this one.

“I’m not talking to myself.” Just to the voices in my head. All ten of them. Not, [Penric] knew from long experience, a useful thing to mention.

Their story takes place in Bujold’s „Five Gods“ universe and the protagonist Penric is a magician/priest of the Bastard’s order who shares his mind with a magical entity – aka demon – known as Desdemona who has 12 different personalities from previous riders. Through her, he as access to magical powers beyond those of most mortals. But he is also bound by the rules set upon him by the Bastard‘s order, and his special connection to the Bastard himself. By the time this story takes place, Penric and Desdemona have been together for a decade, and are used to working together. That practice makes it just a little easier to survive all the myriad mishaps they encounter. But magic doesn‘t come for free – unless its destructive.

Continue reading “Review: Penric’s Mission (Penric & Desdemona 4)”

My review @ Goodreads

Caliban’s War (Expanse 2) – by James S.A. Corey

Genre: Hard Science Fiction

For unknown reasons I kept putting off reading this book for … years. Even though I liked Leviathan Wakes. Recently, I’ve tried to read many different books and committing to an unfinished 9 book series was probably what kept me from it. Then we watched Season 1 of The Expanse and I was amazed by the casting and when Season 2 came out I finally read this book. That I am halfway through Abbadon‘s Gate should suffice to show how much I enjoyed this one.

For those who are wanting to combine reading and watching: characters from this book are introduced at the start of season 2 but the plot of this book begins halfway through the season. Season 2 so far has also introduced characters from later books (I checked – searching via kindle can be helpful)

Continue reading “Review: Caliban’s War (Expanse 2)”

My review @ Goodreads

Children of Time by Aidan Tchaikovsky

Genre: Science Fiction

It is a perfect time to read this and that’s why I am posting my 2015 review of this now. Because the other day I heard that  there will be a big-screen adaption of Children of Time by Lionsgate.

If you ever wanted to see zoology turned into science fiction and are not afraid of spiders, read this book. I am absolutely Team Spider 😉
Continue reading “Review: Children of Time”

My review @ Goodreads
Necrotech by K.C. Alexander
Genre: Cyberpunk

I was searching for female-written female SciFi protagonists when I stumbled across this gem. Even better: this qualifies as Cyberpunk with the emphasis on Punk, very much in the “the street finds its own use for things” kind of way.

Continue reading “Review: Necrotech (SINless 1)”

My Review @ Goodreads

 Tyrant’s Throne is book 4 of the Greatcoats series by Sebastien de Castell.

Genre: Swashbuckling Epic Fantasy

„There‘s a trick to fighting on the deck of a ship. I don‘t know what it is, but I fully intend to find out one day.“

After reading Greatcoats 1-3 in about a single sitting, I couldn‘t bring myself to get started on the 4th and – I knew – final book of the story.

The first three books were so good, that I was scared the end might not live up to it and just attach some extra baggage to a great story. And more important throughout the first three books I got more and more invested into the characters and the emotional rollercoaster became faster and faster … and I was terrified that I wouldn‘t make it through this book without a total breakdown.

Continue reading “Review: Tyrant’s Throne (Greatcoats 4)”

My Review @ Goodreads

The Stone Sky is the third installment in the Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin.

Genre: Post-apocalyptic Epic Fantasy

I find it terribly difficult to write reviews for this series. Because I read the books and they impress me so much that I can’t write the review immediately. And then a week goes by and I feel it’s been too long to adequately convey how much I liked the book.

Continue reading “Review: The Stone Sky (Broken Earth 3)”

My Review @ Goodreads

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee

Genre: Military Space Opera Science Fiction

This story takes place far in the future, in the Hexarchate a human empire divided into 7 factions – oh no 6 … one turned out to be heretics and was annihilated a while back. Each faction is equivalent with a choice of profession. The Kel for example are the soldiers who guided by their formation instinct are super-humanly loyal. The Shuos are the spies, the Nurai the mathematicians and so on.

Continue reading “Review: Ninefox Gambit”