CLYDE WISHAM
Miles Vorkosigan's adventures continue in this the sixth book* in the series. Miles and Ivan have been dispatched to the capital of Cetaganda to represent Barrayar at the funeral of the Cetagandan empress. Things start to go very strange as soon as they arrive. A priceless relic goes missing, and there is something odd about an apparent suicide. The young envoys are soon caught up in a Cetanandan internal power struggle. A series of puzzling and dangerous incidents cause Miles to suspect that he is being set up as a scapegoat. Plunged into a strange and intricate society and with nobody to trust, he must rely on his wits and find new allies. There are crimes to be solved and a mystery to unravel, but any misstep could be his last.
This book doesn't have quite the pace of the previous *The Vor Game*, but I think it is better plotted. I quite enjoyed it. 5 stars (4+ stars updated to 5 stars by Grover Gardner's narration).
* In internal chronological order.
Miles Vorkosigan's adventures continue in this the sixth book* in the series. Miles and Ivan have been dispatched to the capital of Cetaganda to represent Barrayar at the funeral of the Cetagandan empress. Things start to go very strange as soon as they arrive. A priceless relic goes missing, and there is something odd about an apparent suicide. The young envoys are soon caught up in a Cetanandan internal power struggle. A series of puzzling and dangerous incidents cause Miles to suspect that he is being set up as a scapegoat. Plunged into a strange and intricate society and with nobody to trust, he must rely on his wits and find new allies. There are crimes to be solved and a mystery to unravel, but any misstep could be his last.
This book doesn't have quite the pace of the previous *The Vor Game*, but I think it is better plotted. I quite enjoyed it. 5 stars (4+ stars updated to 5 stars by Grover Gardner's narration).
* In internal chronological order.
TVG provides another romping Miles Vorkosigan adventure. It is the sixth book in publication order but the fifth novel in internal chronological order. I think the series is best enjoyed in chronological order (YMMV).
This story starts with Miles graduating from the Barrayar military academy and being assigned to a freezing arctic station as a meteorological officer. He is informed that this assignment will give him a chance to deal with his issue of not treating authority with the proper respect. That of course doesn't work out. 😯
In this book the hyper Miles's ability to get into trouble surpasses even the level in The Warrior's Apprentice. However, I think he is a more complex, thoughtful, and believable character in this story. Also, this story further develops some important secondary characters -- most especially Emperor Gregor. After a bit of a slow start the action becomes fast and furious as Miles goes from crisis to crisis.
The ending, as I have come to expect from Bujold, is quite satisfying.
I am quite enjoying the audio versions of the Vorkosigan saga. Mostly rereads but it seems I somehow missed this one back in the day.
Solid 4 stars.
TVG provides another romping Miles Vorkosigan adventure. It is the sixth book in publication order but the fifth novel in internal chronological order. I think the series is best enjoyed in chronological order (YMMV).
This story starts with Miles graduating from the Barrayar military academy and being assigned to a freezing arctic station as a meteorological officer. He is informed that this assignment will give him a chance to deal with his issue of not treating authority with the proper respect. That of course doesn't work out. 😯
In this book the hyper Miles's ability to get into trouble surpasses even the level in The Warrior's Apprentice. However, I think he is a more complex, thoughtful, and believable character in this story. Also, this story further develops some important secondary characters -- most especially Emperor Gregor. After a bit of a slow start the action becomes fast and furious as Miles goes from crisis to crisis.
The ending, as I have come to expect from Bujold, is quite satisfying.
I am quite enjoying the audio versions of the Vorkosigan saga. Mostly rereads but it seems I somehow missed this one back in the day.
Solid 4 stars.
Another good Kate Shugak story. Perhaps not as gripping as some in this series, but still a good read.
Another good Kate Shugak story. Perhaps not as gripping as some in this series, but still a good read.
How I Proposed to My Wife
Once again Scalzi serves up some off-kilter SF humor.
Far from his best work, but still fun.
Once again Scalzi serves up some off-kilter SF humor.
Far from his best work, but still fun.
Interesting read though not as good as Kloos's Frontlines and Palladium Wars books IMHO.
This story is an offshoot from the Frontlines series. It has two very different parts. The first part is all about the MC and her fellow colonists fighting for survival on "Scorpio" a human colony world that has been overrun by Lankies. The second part, following a deus ex machina episode, is much less intense. It follows the MC as she tries to adjust to a new life. It is probably setting things up for the next book in this new series.
The publisher's cover text gives a good idea of what to expect in the first part.
3+ stars, but I cannot quite round it up.
Interesting read though not as good as Kloos's Frontlines and Palladium Wars books IMHO.
This story is an offshoot from the Frontlines series. It has two very different parts. The first part is all about the MC and her fellow colonists fighting for survival on "Scorpio" a human colony world that has been overrun by Lankies. The second part, following a deus ex machina episode, is much less intense. It follows the MC as she tries to adjust to a new life. It is probably setting things up for the next book in this new series.
The publisher's cover text gives a good idea of what to expect in the first part.
3+ stars, but I cannot quite round it up.
Still good on a reread many years later. Miles is an unstoppable force.
This time I listened to the audio version very ably narrated by Grover Gardner.
Still good on a reread many years later. Miles is an unstoppable force.
This time I listened to the audio version very ably narrated by Grover Gardner.
Updated a reading goal:
Read 75 books by December 30, 2024
Progress so far: 25 / 75 33%
Tireless, brave, highly skilled, and incredibly lucky, Virginia Hall was one of the most effective allied agents operating in France during WW2. A Woman of No Importance tells her story in great detail.
She was an exceptional woman who never got the credit she deserved. In addition to fighting alongside the French Resistance, she set up and controlled intelligence networks that fed back vital information on German dispositions and plans -- first for the British SOE and then for the US OSS.
Working undercover, setting up cells, recruiting active agents, suborning enemy operatives, establishing escape routes, sometimes bluffing, sometimes just escaping with her life -- her activities were myriad. There is enough material in this book for many Hollywood movies.
The only drawback, IMO, is that it is a bit dry at points, but overall this is a very good narrative. 4+ stars.
Tireless, brave, highly skilled, and incredibly lucky, Virginia Hall was one of the most effective allied agents operating in France during WW2. A Woman of No Importance tells her story in great detail.
She was an exceptional woman who never got the credit she deserved. In addition to fighting alongside the French Resistance, she set up and controlled intelligence networks that fed back vital information on German dispositions and plans -- first for the British SOE and then for the US OSS.
Working undercover, setting up cells, recruiting active agents, suborning enemy operatives, establishing escape routes, sometimes bluffing, sometimes just escaping with her life -- her activities were myriad. There is enough material in this book for many Hollywood movies.
The only drawback, IMO, is that it is a bit dry at points, but overall this is a very good narrative. 4+ stars.
This is quite a good duel timeline historical mystery with a nice twist near the end.
The early timeline is based on the real murder of a good-time girl in Fairbanks in 1915 -- somewhat altered to make it fit this Kate Shugak story.
The later timeline (set early this century) picks up a Kate who, though still hurt, is much recovered from the events of Hunter's Moon. She is hired as security for a political candidate who has been receiving death threats. Of course things go bad and bodies start showing up.
As in most books in this series, Alaska itself is a major character. Also, Kate has some wonky personal problems involving her heart, a runaway teen, and a nutso mom.
The publishers intro text gives a good idea of the overall setup. You might want to read that first.
Solid 4 stars.
This is quite a good duel timeline historical mystery with a nice twist near the end.
The early timeline is based on the real murder of a good-time girl in Fairbanks in 1915 -- somewhat altered to make it fit this Kate Shugak story.
The later timeline (set early this century) picks up a Kate who, though still hurt, is much recovered from the events of Hunter's Moon. She is hired as security for a political candidate who has been receiving death threats. Of course things go bad and bodies start showing up.
As in most books in this series, Alaska itself is a major character. Also, Kate has some wonky personal problems involving her heart, a runaway teen, and a nutso mom.
The publishers intro text gives a good idea of the overall setup. You might want to read that first.
Solid 4 stars.
Tireless, brave, highly skilled, and incredibly lucky, Virginia Hall was one of the most effective allied agents operating in France during WW2. A Woman of No Importance tells her story in great detail.
She was an exceptional woman who never got the credit she deserved. In addition to fighting alongside the French Resistance, she set up and controlled intelligence networks that fed back vital information on German dispositions and plans -- first for the British SOE and then for the US OSS.
Working undercover, setting up cells, recruiting active agents, suborning enemy operatives, establishing escape routes, sometimes bluffing, sometimes just escaping with her life -- her activities were myriad. There is enough material in this book for many Hollywood movies.
The only drawback, IMO, is that it is a bit dry at points, but overall this is a very good narrative. 4+ stars.
Tireless, brave, highly skilled, and incredibly lucky, Virginia Hall was one of the most effective allied agents operating in France during WW2. A Woman of No Importance tells her story in great detail.
She was an exceptional woman who never got the credit she deserved. In addition to fighting alongside the French Resistance, she set up and controlled intelligence networks that fed back vital information on German dispositions and plans -- first for the British SOE and then for the US OSS.
Working undercover, setting up cells, recruiting active agents, suborning enemy operatives, establishing escape routes, sometimes bluffing, sometimes just escaping with her life -- her activities were myriad. There is enough material in this book for many Hollywood movies.
The only drawback, IMO, is that it is a bit dry at points, but overall this is a very good narrative. 4+ stars.
Brilliant! 👍😊
I had read Shards of Honor years ago and quite enjoyed it, but I hadn't realized I needed to read Barrayar to complete the story. What a wonderful MC Cordelia Naismith is -- resolute and heroic she is, but her super power is her ability to inspire those around her.
Brilliant! 👍😊
I had read Shards of Honor years ago and quite enjoyed it, but I hadn't realized I needed to read Barrayar to complete the story. What a wonderful MC Cordelia Naismith is -- resolute and heroic she is, but her super power is her ability to inspire those around her.
When two high school boys disappear, Navajo tribal police officer Joe Leaphorn is faced with a difficult sleuthing job. As he starts his investigation, it soon becomes apparent that things are getting deadly. And he also finds that nothing is straight forward -- there seem to be multiple mysteries. Why are the FBI and DEA on the scene? Are the disappearances related to upcoming native religious ceremonies? And, what is going on at a nearby archeological dig and in an odd-ball hippy commune?
Pretty good neo-western crime fiction from back in the 1970's. I'll check out more Joe Leaphorn stories.
When two high school boys disappear, Navajo tribal police officer Joe Leaphorn is faced with a difficult sleuthing job. As he starts his investigation, it soon becomes apparent that things are getting deadly. And he also finds that nothing is straight forward -- there seem to be multiple mysteries. Why are the FBI and DEA on the scene? Are the disappearances related to upcoming native religious ceremonies? And, what is going on at a nearby archeological dig and in an odd-ball hippy commune?
Pretty good neo-western crime fiction from back in the 1970's. I'll check out more Joe Leaphorn stories.
With The Bezzle Cory Doctorow gives us another good book about the adventures of forensic accountant Martin Hench. This one centers on Hench's interactions with sociopaths who think it is great grins to run scams on and cheat those who are most vulnerable.
While not as tightly written and edge-of-the-seat suspenseful as the previous Red Team Blues, this is still a very good read. More please!
I listened to the audio version which is very professionally narrated by Wil Wheaton. (I got it from Libro.fm. It is not available at Audible because Doctorow refuses to have DRM on his works.)
With The Bezzle Cory Doctorow gives us another good book about the adventures of forensic accountant Martin Hench. This one centers on Hench's interactions with sociopaths who think it is great grins to run scams on and cheat those who are most vulnerable.
While not as tightly written and edge-of-the-seat suspenseful as the previous Red Team Blues, this is still a very good read. More please!
I listened to the audio version which is very professionally narrated by Wil Wheaton. (I got it from Libro.fm. It is not available at Audible because Doctorow refuses to have DRM on his works.)