Tag: book reviews

Book reviews written by me and originally posted via GoodReads, then re-posted as blog entries at WordPress and Blogger.

Book Review: The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi (4 stars)

The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi

4 out of 5 stars

Read in May 2009

The first half of this sequel to Old Man’s War immersed us in Special Forces, as experienced by Jared Dirac, a very unusual recruit to the Ghost Brigades. Jared’s squad leader is none other than Jane Sagan. Unlike Old Man’s War, combat and battle are secondary to what’s going on inside of Jared’s brain.

The second half reveals more of the politics driving the war and fight to colonize in this corner of the galaxy. Jared meets Charles Broutin, and more importantly, his daughter Zoë. Jane and Jared discover ever more frightening information regarding the aliens Charles is aiding to the detriment of humanity.

I enjoyed this novel at least as much as the first installment. Scalzi might not have made me laugh, but he did make me cry on more than one occasion. If you’ve read Old Man’s War, you won’t be disappointed in this sequel.

Book Review: Alas, Babylon by Frank (4 stars)

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

4 out of 5 stars

Read in March 2009

It’s 1959. It’s the height of the Cold War. The threat of thermonuclear war hangs in the air like an impending thunderstorm.

Randy Bragg is a lawyer living in the backwaters of Florida in the small town of Fort Repose. He’s the younger brother of an Air Force Colonel, Mark Bragg, stationed at Offutt AFB in Omaha – the renowned home of SAC HQ. Mark sends Randy a cryptic telegram telling him his wife and kids were coming to visit and ends with the phrase “Alas, Babylon.” This is a code word they discussed a few months earlier that meant a nuclear strike against the US was imminent.

Randy attempts to stock up for the aftermath, but really doesn’t have a grasp of what will be left after the attack. It’s not like a hurricane where your power and water might be interrupted for a few days or a few weeks. The entire infrastructure of modern life was shattered and disrupted beyond recovery in most large cities. Medical supplies, food, communications, transportation – everything was thrown back one hundred or even two hundred years in a matter of days.

The author did an excellent job of showing how one small town, uniquely spared the nuclear holocaust, managed to not only survive but retain some civilization and hope for the future.

I noticed a couple of obvious missing resources. The author mentions in passing amateur radio operators when he is describing retired Admiral Hazzard’s sideband radio. However, in 1959, it would have been difficult to toss a rock without hitting an amateur radio operator, and we (I am a licensed amateur radio operator) are usually involved in Civil Defense. We are the first line of communication when all other forms fail.

Also, Fort Repose was not far from Cape Canaveral (where NASA is now) and I would have thought there would be more military or engineers (retired or otherwise) living in Fort Repose.

I find it difficult to believe that even a small town would only have one bicycle – the one that belonged to the Western Union office used by the messenger boy. Every child would have had one and I’m sure some of the adults as well. Drive three or five miles on a bicycle in flat Florida wouldn’t have been too arduous.

In hindsight, we now know more concerning the other hazards of nuclear attacks; things like nuclear winter and electromagnetic pulses. Still, I am very impressed, even fifty years later, with Pat Frank’s chilling tale of survival and hope.

Book Review: Assassin’s Apprentice by Hobb (3 stars)

Assassin’s Apprentice

by Robin Hobb

3 out of 5 stars

Read in July 2009

A hard knocks coming of age tale that never lets up nor provides relief or a glimmer of hope for the protagonist.

A boy of six, drug through the harsh winter weather by his maternal grandfather, and returned, like unwanted goods to a retailer, to an outpost of the King of the Six Duchies. The boy is the offspring of the King-in-Waiting, Chivalry, conceived out of wedlock. The second son of the King, Verity, happens to be in residence and assigns the care of the boy to the King’s Stablemaster, Burrich. Burrich eventually names the boy “Fitz,” a derogatory reference to his heritage (i.e. a bastard).

Fitz is raised along with the puppies and ponies. He eventually comes to the notice of the King while roaming Buckkeep. The King decides he should have a more formal education. Fitz soon begins training in weapons, horse and hound handling, reading/writing and more clandestinely as an assassin.

There aren’t many fantasy elements in this story. No magical creatures or magic, beyond psi powers of the Skill and the Forging done by the Red Ship Raiders. Most of the tale involves political intrigue and the tortured trials of Fitz, the bastard-in-residence at Buckkeep.

Robin Hobb does a masterful job of evoking emotions from me in response to all the heartache Fitz suffers and even his triumphs are bittersweet.

Book Review: A Canticle for Leibowitz by Miller (4 stars)

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.

4 out of 5 stars

Read in May 2010

Excellent weekend spent pondering man, God, science, religion, death, life, despair and hope. Miller’s award-winning novel stands the test of time (over fifty years now) and justifiably deserves to be continuously in print.

So many questions to ponder, presented through Miller’s monastic brothers preserving the last scraps of our civilization and an undying Jewish hermit (assumedly the Wandering Jew of legend) searching for Him who said ‘Come forth!’ Never once did I feel preached at, so skillful was Miller’s presentation.

Even though the Cold War is over, and mutually assured destruction no longer so assured, A Canticle for Leibowtiz posits convincingly that ‘those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.’

Book Review: To Reign in Hell by Brust (3 stars)

To Reign in Hell by Steven Brust

3 out of 5 stars

Read in January 2010

Brust’s second published novel, To Reign in Hell, seemed to me almost an alternate history/legend/mythos to Milton’s Paradise Lost. Not having read Milton’s works thoroughly, I probably missed much of Brust’s subtleties, wit and demonic humor. I still smiled at his quirky repartee among the bit characters. He coaxed me into sympathizing with the traditional enemy host, illustrated that truth can be in the eye of the beholder and perception is everything.

I read the novel quickly and the story kept me turning pages. My only complaint stems from the over abundance of dialog. It reads more like a screenplay (without any indication of whose speaking nor stage directions). I got used to all the dialog by the end of the book, but I struggled through the first third of the book because of it.

Book Review: Before They Are Hanged by Abercrombie (4 stars)

beforehanBefore They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie

4 out of 5 stars

Read in May 2009

Returning to the Circle of the World, where Auda was the hub of activity in The Blade Itself, this middle installment of the trilogy spends most of its time on the fringes of the world.

The Union deployed nearly all its military resources to retaining and regaining Angland from Bethod in the North. Field promoted Colonel West strains to breaking, first by being saddled with Prince Ladisla, who charges his troops into Bethod’s trap. West, the Prince, and a handful of others survive the massacre, but barely survive the flight back to the Union army. The Northman, including Dogman, spurned by the Union army when they offered to assist, lead the refugees roughly ahead of Bethod’s scouts to report the debacle to Field Marshall Burr.

Meanwhile, ignoring the axiom that you should never fight a war on more than one front, the Closed Council send Superior Glokta to hold Dagoska at all costs and to the last man against the Emperor and his legions (eight of them at one point) in the South. While investigating the disappearance of his predecessor, Glokta finds the assassin, an Eater, and discovers that torture is ineffective against such paranormal beings.

Bayaz and his quest for the Seed crawls across the western continent and the Old Empire. Jezal, Ferro, Ninefingers, Quai and Longfoot round of the rest of the band of not-so-merry men. Their trek traverses across the entire continent, through the ancient, dessicated capital, over treacherous mountains and finally to a forgotten remanent of the past on the shores of the western ocean. Ultimately, Bayaz is frustrated by his clever former master, Kanedias the Maker.

Abercrombie amazes me with his ability to write heart-pounding battle scenes. The chapter “Among the Stones” stands out as my favorite from this novel. But there are many opportunities for violence to choose from. While not as grand as Tolkien, his style reminds me of Robert E. Howard, only more intense.

Characters developed apace with the circumstances they survived or overcome. Jezal learned humility. Glokta committed great evil and great good. West overcame his inhibitions. Ferro fought against hope and trust. Quai disturbed me but didn’t get much focus. I suspect he will become troublesome next time.

With Prince Ladisla dead, leaving only one heir to the Union throne, the political intrigue and corruption reach new heights and twists, culminating in the murder of the remaining an heir. Now the Open Council will be put to a vote to select a new heir and you can bet the gloves will come off in the next book, Last Argument of Kings.

I feel obliged to warn parents that this novel is not for young teens or children. It contains graphic violence, graphic language and adult situations.

Book Review: The Name of the Wind by Rothfuss (5 stars)

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

5 out of 5 stars

Read in September 2008

The story is told by the protagonist years after the events occurred. He’s actually dictating his life story to a wondering Chronicler so there is no real sense of danger when something terrible happens to him – you already know that he survives to tell the tale. It’s almost an autobiography of the main character (Kvothe) from pre-adolescent boy through “college” (as an adolescent). Definitely a coming-of-age tale of a renowned hero and adventurer.

Kvothe starts his story from his early days as a curious contented son of traveling entertainers. But all does not remain rosy, as he becomes an orphan by a tragic and horrific event. Kvothe survives, living on the streets, and eventually attends University to study to be an arcanist. Ill fortune often finds him and his curiosity and pride get him into trouble frequently.

Kvothe is the protagonist and the one relating his story. Denna is the love of his life, who he met on trip to University and keeps meeting sporadically throughout the rest of the tale. Ambrose is one of the annoying antagonists, the rich brat and bully at University who thinks he can put Kvothe in his place through any means at his disposal, including assassination attempts. The Chandrian are elusive terrifying beings who killed his family and the entire entertainer troupe and also wiped out everyone attending a wedding near the town of Trebon. Various Masters at the university both help and hinder Kvothe’s progress through his terms and he has a handful of friends who are fellow students, patrons or musicians.

Because the story is a story within a story, being told from the first person point-of-view, I only really connected with the main character when he was a helpless orphan fending for himself on the streets. Once he liberated himself from those dire circumstances, I could follow his progress through secondary education mostly by shaking my head at his thickheadedness – not over a lack of intelligence on his part but more the lack of experience socially. Typical coming of age stuff.

I would recommend this book to all fantasy readers. Be prepared to wait for the rest of the story, though, as the rest of the trilogy is not published yet.

I updated my rating to match my feelings for this book. It was the best book I read last year (2008) by far.

Book Review: Old Man’s War by Scalzi (4 stars)

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

4 out of 5 stars

Read in December 2008

A good story, regardless of genre, and an especially great military science fiction tale.

Our point of view is through the eyes of John Perry. We meet him on Earth, as a seventy-five year old widower living in Ohio. It’s his birthday and it’s time for him to report for duty. He (and his wife) both signed up for the Colonial Defense Force ten years ago, recruited with visions of renewed youth and minimum of two years of service. Kathy died eight years ago of a stroke while making cookies in their kitchen. John makes his farewells to friends and family and visits his wife’s grave one last time.

John and several thousand other 75-year olds are transported to a Colonial transport ship and enjoy the usual military “hurry up and wait” routine. Eventually, after seemingly endless and pointless tests, the day of truth arrives and the recruits report for their final physical improvements regimen.

Rather than a retrofit of his existing body, John receives a new improved not quite human body with many enhancements, including green photosynthetic skin, cat-like eyes, SmartBlood (nanotechnology), BrainPal (PDA and HUD with extreme Internet access all embedded in the brain – both voice and thought activated) and superhuman reflexes, strength and endurance. After training, designed mostly to convince the recruits that their old inhibitions do not apply to their new bodies, the soldiers are dropped into battle with a variety of incomprehensible, tenacious and prolific alien species. Their goal – to defend the scarce “real estate” of the human colonies and potential colony planets.

For me, the best parts of this story were the relationships. They were sparse but gripping. Perry’s memories of his wife and marriage. The familial bonding among the Old Farts and the grief of their passing. I was especially touched with the death of Maggie, who composed a heart-wrenching jisei poem as she plummeted through a planet’s atmosphere:

Do not mourn me, friends
I fall as a shooting star
Into the next life

And lastly the burgeoning relationship between Jane Sagan, occupying the body of Kathy, John’s wife, and John Perry. Her anonymous postcard sent to John inviting him to find her when he retires and start a new life with her brought tears to my eyes.

I recommend this to anyone who loves military science fiction, with a good dose of wit and sarcasm, flavored with a gentle touch of what it means to be human in an insane non-human galaxy.

Book Review: The Forever War by Haldeman (3.5 stars)

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in July 2009

If I had been born in the 50s and also been born male, I’m positive I would have loved this story. All the pain, confusion and futility of Vietnam but strung out and extrapolated over three thousand years (or about three years relatively speaking). The last fourth of the book salvaged the first three parts.

I didn’t have any trouble grasping the science, the physics or the technology. Haldeman did an excellent job conveying them without making me take a course in quantum physics or string theory.

But again, similar to The Accidental Time Machine, character development suffers, even though we spend months bored in transit. I personally didn’t care for or agree with his predictions for societal changes on Earth and elsewhere that occurred while Mandella travelled at relativistic speeds. I did agree with the morale of his story, which is similar to Ender’s Game in philosophy.

I’ve now read most of the classic (and one neo-classic) military science fiction novels. My personal favorite seems to be Old Man’s War by John Scalzi, followed closely by Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. Haldeman’s Forever War follows and the distant finisher remains Armor by John Steakley.

Book Review: The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts (5 stars)

The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts

5 out of 5 stars

First Reading (June, 2009):

Great prose, good characters, intriguing plot twists.

In fact, I spent the first part of this book in total confusion. I love maps and Janny’s website has a great interactive map of Athera. Before I’d read forty pages, I had minutely scrutinized the online map in total frustration. I could not find the places Janny was referencing!

Eventually, my questions were answered (I should have had more patience).

I absolutely loved the first half of this book, riding along in the headlong rush to the first climax. I struggled a bit with the aftermath and could only watch in disgust and horror at the damage done to the characters I’d come to know and love. It made for great drama, sometimes almost melodrama, but boring it was not.

It’s one of the longest books I’ve read in quite some time – nearly seven hundred pages as a mass market paperback. After finishing it, I wondered if it wouldn’t have been better as two separate novels. I really should have taken a break after the first climax to let my mind and emotions come to grip with the consequences to the characters.

I don’t know how I missed this book when it was first released in the early nineties. I’ve been reading fantasy for over twenty-five years and this was too good to miss. I’ll have to chalk it up to having toddlers and no time to devote to reading.

I highly recommend this novel to fantastic fiction fans everywhere.

Second Reading (July/August, 2010):

Since I gave away my older Roc MMP edition to spread the ‘good news’ of Janny’s Wars of Light and Shadow series, I took the opportunity in mid-May to purchase the re-released MMP edition while at DemiCom, where I had the privilege of meeting and visiting with Janny Wurts. I felt compelled to complete my collection of the series so that I could re-read Curse of the Mistwraith repeatedly to refresh my memory of the unfolding layers and complexities that comprise Athera.

I highly recommend this book and this series for the devoted lovers and perspicacious readers of complex multifaceted myriad-layered epic fantasy brimming with inimitable characterizations and sublime universe craftsmanship.

March 2013 Update:  HarperCollins is still running a sale I referenced in a previous blog posting on the first three ebook editions for the Wars of Light and Shadow series.  For just under a buck, you can start on your journey to find the Paravians in The Curse of the Mistwraith.