Rob

Executive Summary: Do you enjoy sophomoric humor and the victimization of women by cartoon villains? If not, you may want to give this book a pass.

Audiobook: Christy Romano was the bright spot here. I really enjoyed her narration. She did a good job with voices and adding something to what was often at times an overly melodramatic and downright infuriating. I would definitely listen to another book read by her again.

Full Review
This book started out pretty strong for me. I should have been tipped off by an early scene, but I was enticed by the book's description and the thought that this book could be a cross between Blade Runner and maybe the Godfather.

Instead what it turned out to be was an excuse to subject the protagonist to repeated victimization at the hands a variety of boring/cartoonist antagonists. To me the best characters are always much more nuanced than this. Everyone is the hero of their own story, or so the adage goes. Not so here, as Molech and his followers know they are the villains, and they relish in it.

There were parts of this book I enjoyed, especially early on. The ideas of the city of Tabula Rasa and the technology it contained kept me interested for awhile. However once it became clear that their was really little depth to the plot and just a series of cartoonish confrontations, I started to check just how much time I had left in the book.

I feel like there could have been a good book in here, but the story I got instead fell far short of my expectations.

Executive Summary: I really enjoyed this, but it's probably best for those who are caught up on the Star Wars TV shows. I do wish it had been a bit longer but it does a good job in filling in the gaps after the Clone Wars.

Audiobook: So for anyone who doesn't know Ashley Eckstein is the voice of Ahsoka Tano, making her the perfect choice for an audio book about the character. She doesn't do a ton of voices, but I thought she did a good job as a narrator overall.

Full Review
I was late to game with Star War: Clone Wars. I didn't really care for the prequel movies, and the show was aimed at kids, so it was bound to be bad, right? Apparently not. While not every episode is a classic, the series as a whole was quite great, and one of the reasons was Ahsoka Tano.

It being a kid's show, they obviously wanted someone that kids could identify with, and Anakin Skywalker is no longer a Padawan. Enter Ahsoka Tano. I didn't love her right away, but she grew to become one of my favorite characters in Star Wars canon, and that's saying a lot.

When Disney bought Lucas, they invalidated most of the EU as “Legends”, but kept the Clone Wars show as cannon. Unfortunately, since the show aired on Cartoon Network, it was quickly cancelled in favor of a new show on a Disney owned network, leaving Ahsoka's story not only incomplete, but left off in a pretty awful place.

This book takes place after Clone Wars, and before the new show Rebels. It's a bit on the short side and I found the start a little meandering. However once things get going it was a lot of fun, and provided most of the answers I was looking for.

If your a fan of the Star Wars TV shows, there is a lot to like here. If you haven't seen them, I'd suggest checking them out first before picking this one up. You really don't get a lot of backstory on Ahsoka, so it may be less appealing.

I've never read a book by E.K. Johnston, but I feel like she did a good job with the book. I'd love to see a sequel, further exploring her activities before the start of Rebels. Really, I just want more Ahsoka stories. Maybe Disney will do a stand alone movie with her some day.

Overall, I'm happy I picked up this book, and it's nice that Disney provided some answers to its fans.

Executive Summary: Another fun entry in this series. Not quite as good as the first book, but still has me looking forward to the next one.

Audiobook: Ray Porter once again does a good job here. He's speaks clearly at a good volume and with good inflection. He does a few voices, though as most of the characters are variations of Bob, he doesn't go too crazy with it.

Full Review
My one complaint with the first book was too much time with Bob 2.0, and not enough time with Bill. This book definitely had more Bill. I also found Bob's story more interesting than in the first book. For me the real draw continues to be the exploration, and the overarching story of human colonization.

This book introduced some interesting new Bobs. In particular Howard. That may have been my favorite subplot this go round. I'm impressed at how well Mr. Taylor explores variations on the same character such that most of the Bobs feel distinct from each other, yet still similar enough to feel like they are still Bob.

Things get set up nicely for what I believe will be the final book. I'm very eager to see where things go. Depending on how it ends, I wouldn't mind if he did another series set in the same universe. I'm particularly interested in seeing how the AI develops over time.

Overall I highly recommend this series if you're looking for some fun Space Opera with geeky Easter Eggs.

Executive Summary: A pretty good short story in preparation for the next World of Warcraft expansion.

Audiobook: Steven Pacey is a good narrator, and makes this worth listening to over simply reading the freely available text. You can download a copy for free here: https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/20220886/the-tomb-of-sargeras-audio-drama

Full Review
I'm a bit Warcraft fan. I have been for over 20 years. I've read a handful of the books over the years, but far from all of them. Most of the last few I've done have been as free review copies of the audio.

I always feel like these stories work best in audio. This one is no different. It's pretty short (about 90 minutes as I recall) but you can't be the price.

If you're a current or former Warcraft player, or just a fan of the universe it's worth grabbing this for a quick listen. There isn't a ton of depth here, but it has me excited for the expansion, which is probably the point.

Executive Summary: Dark Fantasy/Sci-Fi that is more gruesome in places than anything I've read from [a:Joe Abercrombie 276660 Joe Abercrombie https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1207149426p2/276660.jpg] or [a:George R.R. Martin 346732 George R.R. Martin https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1351944410p2/346732.jpg].Full ReviewIt's hard to believe this book was published in the late 90's. It would be right at home with all the Dark Fantasy that seems to be abundant these days. This book is way more gruesome in places than most of the so-called “grimdark” fantasy I've read recently. This seems to be a book that has gone under the radar of most fantasy fans.This is definitely one of those man's man kind of books. Caine is a total badass who kills first and doesn't even bother asking questions later. I can imagine a lot of grunting and snarling as I read along.The female characters are rather thin. They are badass too, but they also bombshells. You won't find a Brienne of Tarth, or Arya Stark here.If you don't read the description before starting the book, you'll likely be a little taken aback when an assassin in a fantasy novel starts making references to CRTs and Elmer Fudd. It's not bad writing/editing though.This is really the story of two worlds. A futuristic dystopian Earth, and a fantastical world full of magic called Overworld. Somehow humanity has found a way to send people to Overwold all while allowing the super rich to virtually “ride along”.It is the most popular form of entertainment for the privileged class. Watching lower class “Actors” fight, kill and often times die for their entertainment. This is no simulation. These are real people who are dying. The ultimate in bloodsport experience.This is what makes really made the book for me. The parallels between the two worlds, and how the politics and caste system of Earth's impact on the politics of Overworld.This is no simple revenge story, but one with political undertones. Similarly Caine is no simple thug, but the smart and calculating Hari Michaelson.Overall I really enjoyed it. The story feels pretty self contained, so while there are other books, I don't feel a need to rush out and read the next one.It got a little slow in places though. Mr. Stover doesn't seem to write the politics as well as he does gruesome violence and action sequences. That cost it the extra star, but I will definitely be continuing on the series at some point. I'd highly recommend it to any Dark Fantasy fans who like me had never heard of this series/author.

Executive Summary: This is a short, fast-paced fantasy adventure series in the vain of many shonen fighting series, especially Naruto which definitely puts this series into my wheelhouse. I really enjoyed it and plan to continue reading.Full ReviewA good friend of mine who I innendate with book referrals almost constantly has been telling me to check out [a:Will Wight 7125278 Will Wight https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442891069p2/7125278.jpg] for awhile, but like most (all?) of you on this site my backlog of books to check out is huge and I just never seemed to get to him. He actually recommended [b:House of Blades 18047306 House of Blades (Traveler's Gate, #1) Will Wight https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1370699959s/18047306.jpg 25327975], but when the new book in this series came out they were giving this book away for free so I figured it was finally time to give him a shot.The idea of a protagonist whose less powerful/an outcast than everyone around him is not a new one. One of my favorite fantasy series, Codex Alera does a very similar thing. Then of course there is Naruto. I'm sure there are numerous other examples but those are the first two that come to mind.There are some similarities to both series but Mr. Wight definitely does a good job putting his own spin on the trope. The magic system is interesting enough, but so far it doesn't seem to be too well explained or very unique.The supporting characters and the world building are both pretty good. I was hoping for a bit more of the magic school trope as our protagonist strives to rise above his station in life, but we'll see what the latter books hold.I do like the contrast of a character whose much less powerful than everyone he encounters because it forces them (and therefore the author) to explore interesting ways to either use the limited magic they have or to simply work around it. Many of the work-arounds proved to be some of my favorite part of the story so far.Things took a turn for the unexpected about 25% that definitely ramped up my interest in the series beyond just a story of an outcast whose determined to “level-up”. These books seem pretty short (about 250 pages) compared to most fantasy I read which tends to be door-stopping epics. It makes for a nice change of pace and I already bought the second book to jump right into it. I haven't seen too many people talking about Will Wight, but I feel like he's one of those Indie authors going under the radar of many readers who'd enjoy his work like myself.

Executive Summary: I didn't enjoy this one as much as the Magic 2.0 books, but by the end I ended up liking it about as much as [b:Master of Formalities 24602307 Master of Formalities Scott Meyer https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1430403854s/24602307.jpg 44211513]Audiobook: Luke Daniels is awesome. As always. Reviewing his narration feels redundant. I'm always more likely to do a book if the audio is done by Mr. Daniels.Full ReviewI really enjoy Mr. Meyer's Magic 2.0 books. I'm still hoping he does another one soon. In the meantime, I've been doing his other books, especially since they all seem to get Luke Daniels as the narrator and available for pretty cheap.Cop/murder stories are overplayed. It seems like you can't tell a mystery story without murder. Or at least no one wants to. So of course this centers around a murder. However at it's core about this ridiculous private investigation company created by an eccentric tech billionaire.I really didn't like most of the characters, which was part of my issue with his last book too. I did warm up to some of them by the end however. That pretty much sums up my overall feelings on the book as well. I was kind of bored early on, but warmed up to things by the end. Likable characters go a long way for me.The humor wasn't as good for me as his Magic books, but probably about as good as Master of Formalities. It's always a subjective thing, but it probably comes down to the subject matter than anything. I'd probably be more likely to call this book ridiculous (at least some of the time) than funny.I'd probably read another book in this series, but I hope that now that all the setup is out of the way, it would be more enjoyable sooner.

Executive Summary: After a bit of a slow start, this is another solid entry in Mr. Chu's Quasing series.Full ReviewI really enjoyed Mr. Chu's Tao series. I still think [b:The Rebirths of Tao 20765775 The Rebirths of Tao (Tao, #3) Wesley Chu https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1425062273s/20765775.jpg 40099648] is his best book to date. This one is a good addition to the Quasing world and helps to build on the story established by the original trilogy.Ella is a very different protagonist from Roen in [b:The Lives of Tao 15981711 The Lives of Tao (Tao, #1) Wesley Chu https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361886088s/15981711.jpg 19932371]. And Io is very different from Tao. The relationship between the two is also very different. That said, I found some of the initial plotting very similar to that book. I was enjoying the story, but it was a bit on the slower side and I was concerned it was simply a remake with a female protagonist in a different setting.Thankfully that wasn't the case. I forget at what point in the book the story picked up, but once it did the fast paced action/thriller aspect of the original series was once again there, and instead of a reboot, the book felt like a natural progression of the original series.While this is book 1 of a new series, it picks after the event's in Mr. Chu's original series. The author and the publisher would likely say you can start here having never read the original series, and they aren't entirely wrong. You get enough background to not be lost, but there are details from the original series that are important here. Personally I'll always do publish order, even if the author suggests otherwise.If you're looking for a fun sci-fi thriller, I highly recommend checking out [b:The Lives of Tao 15981711 The Lives of Tao (Tao, #1) Wesley Chu https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1361886088s/15981711.jpg 19932371] and the rest of that series before picking this one up. If you already read and enjoyed that series, I think you'll be happy with this new book.

Executive Summary: A really fun start to a new series. Plus it introduced me to my new favorite John Scalzi character. I'm eagerly looking forward to the next book.Audiobook: I've always found Wil Wheaton a great fit for John Scalzi books, and this one is no different. He reads clearly at a good volume, with good inflection, and the occasional voice for male characters. Not to mention he delivers the snark well. As usual, this book is a good option in audio.Full ReviewI have yet to read a John Scalzi book I didn't enjoy, and this one is no different. I'd put this up there among some of my favorites, though not quite as good as [b:Fuzzy Nation 9647532 Fuzzy Nation John Scalzi http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1316132345s/9647532.jpg 18280046].I love space opera, and character driven stories. We get a mostly dialogue driven story, with some decent world building, and only 1 big info dump, cleverly disguised as a children's field trip.I'm sure someone could spend time talking about the influences of president day politics have on this book, but you won't find those from me here. I read to escape, and while I couldn't help in drawing parallels in my mind as I listened, it wasn't so overwhelming as to be distracting.The characters are all great, probably some of his best yet. Kiva is easily my favorite character that Mr. Scalzi has created thus far. She swears like a sailor, and has ZERO filter on her thoughts. I'm sure we wouldn't get along at all, but she sure is a lot of fun to read about.Cardenia is a pretty interesting character as well. She's more likely to be someone I'd like to know/be friends with, and probably has the biggest obstacles to overcome.Marce too a bit to grow on me, and he's probably the weakest of the Three POV characters, but I liked him as well by the end. The main problem was I liked his sister better. I thought the book had a bit of a pacing issue. Part 1 was a bit slow, and part 3 felt a bit fast, but overall the pace seemed to balance out in the end.I knew very little about this book coming in, but it was a release day buy for me, because I really enjoy Mr. Scalzi's work. It didn't disappoint. I'm looking forward to reading the next on just as soon as it's available.

I really didn't like this much (1.5 stars rounded down), so I'm going to forgo my usual format and just say give a few sentences so I can move on.

In general I don't much care for short stories, and this book is essentially a collection of loosely related short stories. That might have been OK, but there is a lot of awful (or sometimes just weird) sex stuff.

I don't have a problem with sex in books, but it's not something I actively seek out either. Nothing in this book is very graphically depicted which would be fine except the kinds of sex that's depicted had me consider dropping the book all together (something I pretty much never do).

I'm stubborn though so I kept on. There was one part I actually enjoyed that centered around a pair of brothers who lived in a palace full of diamonds. I think that was maybe 2 or 3 chapters out of the whole book though so that leaves me very little enjoyment.

I'm not sure if there are other books by Tanith Lee I'd enjoy but this book pretty much put me off the rest of her work completely.

Executive Summary: I like the premise, but not the execution. 1.5 stars. Generously rounded up.Audiobook: Jonathan Sleep did a great job with the narration. It's too bad he wasn't given a better book to read. I'd definitely listen to another book he narrates, just not the sequel to this one.Full ReviewI really love [b:NPCs 22088245 NPCs (Spells, Swords, & Stealth, #1) Drew Hayes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1400095217l/22088245.SY75.jpg 41426688] and hoped that this would be another book in the same vein. While it does have a similar premise there was one major difference. That book was great. This one, not so much.I did most of this on my ride home, and it was short so I finished it. There were some cool story telling details but the characters and what I can only assume is the author's general outlook on life and dungeons and dragons based on his facebook page really make this a hard pass for me.Everyone is an asshole. There is no one worth rooting for. I think they all deserve what happens to them. Hopefully I can find another “trapped in a D&D book series” because this one is not for me.

Executive Summary: Another great Riyria book. I hope we get another one soon! 4.5 stars.Audiobook: If you don't know how great this series is in audio, you're missing out. I first discovered it due to a daily deal on [b:Theft of Swords 10790290 Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations, Vol 1) Michael J. Sullivan https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1307959785s/10790290.jpg 15702572] a few years ago, and quickly devoured the rest. Tim Gerard Reynolds is Riyria for me. He does voices for all the characters and really adds to Mr. Sullivan excellent story telling.It's for that reason that despite dropping a substantial amount of money on the kickstarter for this book, and having early access to the ebook version (and a hardcover version on the way), I still waited for and bought the audio version. Full ReviewI was a little apprehensive about this book. Mr. Sullivan has been working on his First Empire series for the last few years, and suddenly discovered that if he didn't publish a Riyria book by the end of the year, he wouldn't be able to do so for at least another or year or two. He did a kickstarter in order to get it out on time and seems to have written the whole thing in only a few months.I should have known better. Mr. Sullivan really knows these characters well and always writes an entertaining story. It's fun to be back with Royce and Handrian. It's interesting to see how the characters have changed and grown in the original series from how they used to be. Royce has become more like Hadrian and vice-versa.It's also a lot of fun to see how certain details originally came to light. There are some great nuggets in here for people who have read the original series already. I know Mr. Sullivan has tried to make an effort to make it possible to read the prequels first, but after this book, I'm not sure that's still true. I've always recommended publication order anyways, but now I'll actively recommend against reading the prequels first too. I think some of the things here will ruin their revelations (see what I did there?) in the original series.Mr. Sullivan's writing is great, and the plotting is tight. He seems to mix humor, action and intrigue effortlessly. Despite knowing a lot of about the future of these characters, he was still somehow able to leave me guessing about what will happen next. He largely accomplishes this by adding some excellent supporting characters. I think both Lady Dulgath and Scarlet Dodge are great additions to the world. That said, it's the banter between Royce and Hadrian that really steals the show for me. This goes double for the audio. Mr. Reynolds does such a great job bringing it to life.Overall this another solid Riyria book. It's fun and light, in a genre that seems overrun with serious dark fantasy most of the time. If you haven't checked out Riyria yet, I highly recommend you do, starting with [b:Theft of Swords 10790290 Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations, Vol 1) Michael J. Sullivan https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1307959785s/10790290.jpg 15702572]. I hope we get a new Riyria book at some point in the next two years or so, but in the meantime I'm eagerly waiting for Mr. Sullivan's next book [b:Age of Myth 17664893 Age of Myth (The First Empire #1) Michael J. Sullivan https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1450300630s/17664893.jpg 24657657]. I hope that Tim Gerard Reynolds narrates that series too. :)

Executive Summary: Princep's fury was more enjoyable than I remember. Like it's predecessors, it's a blend of war, politics, romance, humor and magic that makes for a fun read.Audio book: Kate Reading once again does gives an enjoyable reading. I'm pretty much repeating what I've said for the last 4 books. She's becoming one of my favorite readers now.Full ReviewMy recollection was this book was a step down after [b:Captain's Fury 346087 Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, #4) Jim Butcher https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1315083292s/346087.jpg 6614434]. However I find myself changing my mind on this reread. Unlike that book all of the subplots in this book greatly interested me. There was no slowdown in the middle and this might be the only book where anyone's story was more interesting to me than Tavi's. I think this series shines best when dealing with internal politics of the Alerans followed closely by the interactions with the Canim. This series has large amounts of both. We learn a lot more about the Alerans, and see that people can be just as petty towards their fellow man under even the most dire of circumstances.My least favorite parts have to do with the Vord, but in this book they are still mostly relegated to the setting. In other words they are a looming threat hanging over everything and impacting the interactions between the characters, while not really being on screen all that much.Tavi still has to rely on his ingenuity more than his personal strength to overcome most obstacles which I think is what makes him such a likable character to me. The interplay between him and Max and Kitai are always my favorite scenes.Overall a pretty fun book, although compared to [b:Captain's Fury 346087 Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, #4) Jim Butcher https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1315083292s/346087.jpg 6614434], this ends on a pretty bad cliffhanger such that I jumped right into [b:First Lord's Fury 6316821 First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera, #6) Jim Butcher https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327903582s/6316821.jpg 6502096] immediately.

Executive Summary: Another solid thriller story from Mr. King, where once again the characters shine.Audio book: Will Patton is a perfect fit for this series. He does a bit of voices for some of the characters, but really it's just his normal reading voice that is just the right tone.Full ReviewDespite a bit of a slow start, I think I liked this one slightly better than [b:Mr. Mercedes 18775247 Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) Stephen King https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403347795s/18775247.jpg 26680281]. It's hard to put my finger on why. Morris Bellamy isn't nearly as terrifying as Brady Hartsfield, but he's still a fascinating character. I really enjoyed Pete Sauberg as well.It might be the premise of this that I think is better. It all centers around reading, and obsession with fictional worlds/characters. That is something I can understand to a lot more than a crazy person with mommy issues.The first half or so focuses largely on the new characters. For me, things really stepped up once we get back to Bill, Holly, and Jerome. I especially love Holly. She might be one of my favorite characters than Mr. King has written.Much like its predecessor, this book is certainly more thriller or mystery than Horror. Often times people see [a:Stephen King 3389 Stephen King https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1362814142p2/3389.jpg]'s name on a book and assume horror.The book geek in me really wants to read the Jimmy Gold novels. Or at least the plot summaries. We get dribs and drabs of it as the book unfolds, but not a ton. They sound more literary than my usual fare, but it would be interesting to see Mr. King do a more in depth write-up on the series within the series.Overall, another solid novel from King that makes for great summer reading, and I'm already looking forward to the final novel in the trilogy.

This book has long been on my to read list as has Asimov in general. It's the first thing I've read by him mostly due to it being a pick from my Sword & Laser book club.

I'd maybe rate the book at a 3.5, but having to choose between like (3) and really like (4) I chose to go for 3 in this case.

I enjoyed the book, but it hasn't aged very well. The story was good but many parts of it made it obvious to me how old the book is.

In particular the fact that they seemed to making a paper encyclopedia rather than digital (although this wasn't explicit). In general there seemed to be no notion of an internet where a character visiting the encyclopedia office ask for a copy to be transcribed for him. Another major sign is the prevalence of nuclear power/weapons. Man is pretty innovative, and I doubt over 15,000 years of humanity hasn't led to even more powerful deadly/weapons or new/improved power sources

Despite feeling dated, I enjoy the overall story and plan to check out other books in the series at some point in the future.

Story
I didn't read very many comics anymore. When I was younger I consumed a lot of superhero stuff, but then I pretty much rolled off with a few exceptions. Then along came Saga. I still don't read a ton of comics, but this series has lead me to pick up several other great series.

With the announced hiatus of this series and the lament of friends of mine about the cliffhanger ending, I debated waiting to pick this one up, but inevitably, there was no way could do that.

This was another great entry in the series, but they've all been great. I don't love the cliffhanger, especially with the series hiatus, but if there is any series worth waiting for it's this one.

Artwork
Fiona Staples is easily my favorite comic artist. Her characters are so great, and often so disgusting. She does such a great job matching Mr. Vaughan's vision that I don't think anyone else could draw it properly. I've read a few other series Mr. Vaughan has written and this one easily has the best artwork.

Story
This series continues to be excellent, though maybe some of the wonder that a graphic novel could be this good has worn off a bit. I maybe found this volume a bit slower than the previous ones, but it still has that excellent blend of great story, interesting characters and (often) perverse humor than first endeared it to me.

Artwork
Ms. Staples continues to be on the top of her game. I love her art, and she adds so much to the words and story that Mr. Vaughan is writing.

Executive Summary: Things are really picking up in the 3rd of this 4 volume doorstopper.

Audio book: Another excellent job by George Newbern. With books as long as these, it's important to have a good narrator, and thankfully they've made a good choice. Clear, good volume, good inflections and a variety of voices making the audio a good choice.

Full Review
Both the previous two books in this series suffer from slower parts, and this one was no different. However, I found this one to have the fewest number of slow parts yet.

We finally start to get answers to many of the questions I've had since the first volume. Additionally the pace seems much better. Everything feels more important to the story and the characters journey for answers and not just some exercise in writing for the author.

The prose are once again excellent and I find myself increasingly attached to the characters. This is especially true of Orlando, Fredricks and !Xabbu. Renie who got on my nerves at times in the last book, was much less so in this book. Paul's plotline provides some of the best reveals of the series thus far, but I found myself a bit less interested in him as I was in the previous two books.

In this novel we start to finally get some convergence of several plotlines that had previously felt only loosely related to one another. We get yet even more new sim worlds to explore, but thankfully they don't seem to be explored for exploration's sake, but with real purpose to the plot. Many of the minor plotlines are starting to finally feel more important as well.

Unlike the previous two, where I found it was easy to take a break with something shorter/lighter, there was no way I couldn't jump into the fourth and final book with how this ends. Overall this has been a pretty enjoyable series for me and I'll be curious to see how Mr. Williams wraps it all up.

Executive Summary: Another fun Riyria short story.Audio book: Tim Gerarld Reynolds has spoiled me. I've owned the book this story was originally released in for a few months and didn't read it, but once an audio version was made available, I jumped all over it.There is no other way for me to experience Riyria at this point than when narrated by Mr. Reynolds. He really brings the characters to life for me.Full ReviewFor someone whose claimed they can't write short fiction, Mr. Sullivan once again does a good job in my opinion. I had largely backed [b:BLACKGUARDS: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues 23156342 BLACKGUARDS Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues J.M. Martin https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409823447s/23156342.jpg 42703565] because I knew a Riyria story would be in it.I think I enjoyed this one more than [b:The Jester 20611669 The Jester (The Riyria Chronicles #2.5) Michael J. Sullivan https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420893543s/20611669.jpg 39890176], but it's hard to choose. The story is a lot of fun. I could listen to Royce and Hadrian banter for hours. Or 90 minutes as the case may be.A bit of a strange job for a pair of thieves leads to a rather amusing story. While it won't be as legendary as some of their other capers, it's still a good story to share over a pint of ale at Rose and Thorn. That is if they ever talked to anyone about their past jobs.If you haven't yet given Riyria a shot, you haven't been paying much attention to my reviews. Much like the Jester this is an excellent way to sample both the Riyria stories and the excellent audio narration to whet your appetite for what is a really excellent series.

Story
At first this had a bit of a Stranger Things vibe. A group of 4 preteens riding around on bikes in the eighties. However once the story got going, the similarities ended there.

So far the premise has been pretty good. I'm really curious what is going on and why. I'm glad I can jump right into the second volume, because I have a TON of questions.

Artwork
I think the artwork on this is pretty good. It's not as good as Saga, but still pretty well done. The colors are a bit confusing at times. Everything has a sort of blue or pink overtone to it. It's good, but different from most comics I've read.

Executive Summary: I found this book incredibly hard to read at times, yet somehow hard to put down at the same time. I tore through it in only a few days (fast for me) and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. 3.25 Stars. Maybe 3.5?Full ReviewI was familiar with Charlie Jane Anders from i09. I knew she had a book coming out this year, but I wasn't really planning to read it. I can't say why, probably because I already have so many other books I want to read.I was interested to see how this book would turn out. The answer for me was largely depressing. I spent a few years reading dark fantasy, before burning out on it. This isn't really in the same category, but it's definitely not what I'd consider a fun book.This seems to be a tale of two halves. I seem to have a few friends who like me found the first half of this book incredibly difficult to read through, and not very enjoyable, but found the second half better. Then there are others who seemed to love the first half and not the second. It goes to show you how books often speak differently to people.Laurence and Patricia were interesting characters, but hard to like at times. I was sympathetic to their horrible upbringing, but their actions often left me confused. They often seemed to make matters worse. Maybe it's because while I had my issues growing up, it was nothing like Ms. Anders subjects them too. I really feel bad for anyone who has a childhood remotely like theirs, and consider myself lucky that I didn't.Normally a book I read this fast would be an easy 5 star rating for me, but I found myself so conflicted for much of the story. I very much liked the idea of mixing magic and engineering. That's right in my wheelhouse. I would categorize this book as pure fantasy in a modern (or near future) setting though. The engineer may be based on sound principles (I can't speak to that myself), but you won't get much explanation about what Laurence and his friends are doing. I think that's for the best though. There is enough going on here without mixing hard sci-fi in too.I liked this book. I didn't love it. I really don't enjoy depressing stories, and I found this far more depressing than something like [b:The Magicians 6101718 The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) Lev Grossman https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1313772941s/6101718.jpg 6278977], which is pretty up there too. I think if the first part of the story had been a lot less cringe inducing for me it would have been a solid 4 for me.I enjoyed the ending, though it felt a bit rushed. I would have liked more time spent on the “big reveal” rather than just the final few chapters. I saw part of it coming, but I think the ending might have been stronger if it was revealed a bit earlier on.Overall I think this is one of those books where people may enjoy one half more than the other. If like me you don't enjoy the first part, you might enjoy the second half better. I'm glad this was chosen for the March Sword & Laser because I probably wouldn't have read it otherwise. I will definitely pay more attention if Ms. Anders releases another book.

Executive Summary: Young Adult Romance is not my thing, and I probably would have enjoyed this one more if that wasn't the main plotline.

Audiobook: Like all Star Wars audiobooks, you get music and sound effects. That kind of thing annoys me in general, but seems to work well for Star Wars books. Pierce Cravens isn't nearly as good as Marc Thompson, but he's decent. His normal reading voice seems more appropriate for this book anyways.

Full Review
I was reluctant to pick this one up knowing it was both Young Adult, and Romance. I read very little YA, and try to avoid Romance books in general. However, every review I saw about this one was positive. I got caught up in the Star Wars hype with Force Awakens coming out and decided to give it a go anyways.

The general premise of two friends growing up during the events of the original trilogy on opposite sides was appealing. Many of those elements of this book worked really well for me too. I liked the sort of “boots on the ground” view of events.

I thought the book was well written. It's always hard to write in someone else's world, especially Star Wars. This one was even harder because the overarching plot was already written and well-known by most if not all the people likely to pick the book up. Ms. Gray does a good job of working her story around notable events of the original trilogy while making it about her characters and not the better known ones. Plus, without getting into spoilers, there were some nice tie-ins to Force Awakens as well.

There are parts of this book I really enjoyed. I liked a pro-empire viewpoint. It offers a nice contrast to what your normally get. The idea that everyone in the empire is evil always seemed too black and white. I really liked the imperial flight school. I wish more time had been spent on the training and classes than the relationship of the protagonists though.

That was my main issue with the book. I just didn't care about the Romance part. I'm the wrong person to ask if it was well done. It's just not my thing. However, I can understand why this book is so popular. I think it's a good thing that Disney/authors are trying to tell new/different kinds of Star Wars stories that might appeal to different audiences.

Overall, I thought this was a decent story whose execution didn't work as well for me as it seems to for others.

Executive Summary: Best one yet! I've always enjoyed this series, but I really loved this book. My only complaint would I don't have more to read! I can't wait for book 6.Audio book: Jefferson Mays is back! Huzzah! Don't get me wrong, he's not one of my favorite narrators or anything, but he is good. And the guy they got to replace him for book 4 was not. I was considering switching to text for this book if that narrator was used again. Thankfully I didn't have to. His accents for Avasarala and Alex are excellent as always. Everyone else isn't really anything special. He has good inflection and reads in a nice and clear voice. Hopefully they'll be able to get him for all the future books.Full ReviewThe Expanse books have been a lot of fun since I finally picked them up last year. However I was starting to feel like maybe it was running out of steam.I liked [b:Leviathan Wakes 8855321 Leviathan Wakes (Expanse, #1) James S.A. Corey https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411013134s/8855321.jpg 13730452] and thought [b:Caliban's War 12591698 Caliban's War (Expanse, #2) James S.A. Corey https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407572377s/12591698.jpg 17606541] was even better. However I felt [b:Abaddon's Gate 16131032 Abaddon's Gate (Expanse, #3) James S.A. Corey https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407572059s/16131032.jpg 17606564] and especially [b:Cibola Burn 18656030 Cibola Burn (Expanse, #4) James S.A. Corey https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405023040s/18656030.jpg 26109318] weren't as good.I've grown tired of the rotating POV's with new characters to follow around. Part of the problem is that Avasarala and Bobbie were so great in [b:Caliban's War 12591698 Caliban's War (Expanse, #2) James S.A. Corey https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407572377s/12591698.jpg 17606541], everyone that followed was a disappointment.Not only that, but they didn't really feature in books 3 and 4 and I think that's a waste. Thankfully that's been remedied in this book. While they aren't POV characters again, they do feature fairly heavily in the plot, albeit Bobbie moreso than Avasarala.The other problem was I always found at least 1 or 2 of the POV to be less interesting than the others. The best part is that instead of forcing the readers to deal with some new characters they won't like as much, they chose to make the other 3 POVs the remaining members of the Rocinante. Not only do we finally get in the heads of characters I've come to love in the last 4 books, but we get more of their backstories as well, especially Naomi and Amos. In fact if you haven't read [b:The Churn 20981355 The Churn (Expanse, #0.2) James S.A. Corey https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397146232s/20981355.jpg 40358593] previously, I'd highly recommend doing so before this novel. I think you'll get a lot more out of Amos's storyline if you do. I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite plotline. They were all just so good.So apart from excellent choice for POVs what really makes this book so great is the focus of the story. The stuff with the protomolecule in the last 4 books has been interesting, but this book mostly takes a break from that.The tensions have long been bubbling between the 3 human factions of Earth, Mars and The Belt/OPA have finally come to a head. And just when I thought I was enjoying this book, BAM! It somehow got even better.This is a very different story than last four. That may upset some fans, but for me it breathed new life into a series that seemed in danger of losing its way.Some characters in this book made me so mad! Others made me scared or nervous. Just seeing Bobbie and Avasarala made me happy. I hated having to stop listening each day, and I couldn't wait to start listening again. To me that's the sort of thing that pushes something from a 4 star rating into the vary rare company of a 5 star rating. It also put it solidly on my favorites shelf. I will definitely be listening to this one again.If I had one complaint it's that it's over! I can't wait for book 6! If you found yourself not as happy with the last book or two, I highly recommend giving this one a shot, I really think it's best one yet!

Executive Summary: This is another one of those books that was alright, but whose premise offered me a lot more than I felt that I got. Audiobook: I have a hard time deciding how I feel about this. I had listened to Susan Duerden do [b:The Eyre Affair 27003 The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next, #1) Jasper Fforde https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1445540555s/27003.jpg 3436605] (which has a similar feel to me) and I thought she was much better there. It's not that she does a bad job exactly, it's just I felt distracted by her narration at times.It's as though she was whispering for much of the book, only I don't mean she was quiet so much as that sort of raspy sound that comes from someone whispering. After awhile I got used to it, and I thought she was alright enough, but every so often her narration would pull me out of the story and I'd be more focused on that than the plot.Full ReviewSo this book beat a beloved book of mine in the Sword & Laser March Madness tournament. I was intrigued by the premise, but after reading it, I'm a bit bummed out that it won.The idea of a secret library outside of all other parallel worlds sounds really cool. A book agent who acts as a cross between a spy and a detective of sorts sounds right up my alley. There are a lot of elements here for a fun story.There were definitely times I really enjoyed the book, particularly the end. The ending was intriguing enough to have me consider picking up the sequel at some point. I want to know more about the library itself, and the new mystery that was revealed near the end of the book.Irene is a pretty good character. Much like Thursday Next, she's capable and smart, and very likeable. Most of the supporting cast was pretty good too. As a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I enjoyed the obvious influence of those stories here.That said, I feel like too much of the book was focused on the wrong things. I wanted to know more about the library. I thought that we'd maybe get several worlds/books to be collected rather than spending most of the book on one.It could be that Ms. Cogman is just saving a lot of the “good stuff” for later in the series, but at this point I'm not sure that I'll continue on. The ending has definitely made a better case for it than the beginning, but I think I need a break from magic libraries for awhile.

Executive Summary: This series is a monster, and thankfully after all those hours, it comes to an enjoyable conclusion.

Audio book: Yup, George Newbern is still excellent. I might have liked this series less in text due to the slow parts, but Mr. Newbern really brings the world and it's characters to life in a way that put him up there in the top tier of audiobook narrators for me.

Full Review
This review will be a bit lighter than it probably would have been had I written it a month ago. Time sort of got away from me this month and I've fallen badly behind on my reviews.

Much like other books in this series, I found the plot a bit slow in places, but by the last third things were moving along at such a pace that I hate to stop. Thankfully I got to listen to the last 6 or so hours in one sitting.

The world building is once again the star for me. However several of the characters have become quite dear to me after so many hours spent with them, especially !Xabbu and Fredricks. Renie still annoyed me at times, but far less than in previous books. So obviously she's grown on me too.

I am sad I'll no longer be wandering through the vast expanse of Otherland with our little troupe of explorers, but I'm happy for the time I got to spend with them.

If you're a fan of cyberpunk and epic fantasy, this series to me was just about the perfect blend of those things. I felt that things were wrapped up nicely leaving you wanting more, but satisfied that there isn't.