en-US Mon, 10 Feb 2025 10:59:21 -0800 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 218153843 From the internationally bestselling author of Tigana, All the Seas of the World, and A Brightness Long Ago comes a majestic new novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France.

Thierry Villar is a well-known--even notorious-- tavern poet, familiar with the rogues and shadows of that world, but not at all with courts and power. He is an unlikely person, despite his quickness, to be caught up in the deadly contests of ambitious royals, assassins, and invading armies.

But he is indeed drawn into all these things on a savagely cold night in his beloved city of Orane. And so Thierry must use all the intelligence and charm he can muster as political struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction.

As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one. He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king--and help his forces in war. A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story.

A new masterwork from the internationally bestselling author of All the Seas of the World, A Brightness Long Ago, and Tigana, Written on the Dark is an elegant tour de force about power and ambition playing out amid the intense human need for art and beauty, and memories to be left behind.]]> 320 Guy Gavriel Kay 0593953983 Josh 0 to-read 4.39 2025
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Josh
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> 213618143 The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.]]> 465 Robert Jackson Bennett 0593723821 Josh 0 to-read 4.54 2025
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Josh
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 2925331 340 Agatha Christie 0396085733 Josh 2
All in all, I was hoping for a better plot that was less dependent on coincidences to mislead the reader and with slightly more interesting supporting characters.]]> 3.98 1937
author: Agatha Christie
name: Josh
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1937
rating: 2
read at: 2022/02/03
date added: 2024/02/02
shelves:
review:
I find this genre, whether it's tv or book, difficult as everything always seems to follow the same set of predictable rules. So I had similar problems with this book, as there was very little surprising to me. The only question I really had was the how of it and that was basically obfuscated by a startling number of convenient coincidences that occur in the book so there's no satisfying "Oh yes, that all makes sense now!" While I tried not to judge the book based on modern attitudes about racism, etc. the umm commentary on the local Egyptian youths kept taking me out of the book. I was also frustrated that the male characters were kind of uniformly shitty in a stereotypical way while most of the female characters were kind of shitty in interesting and unique ways.

All in all, I was hoping for a better plot that was less dependent on coincidences to mislead the reader and with slightly more interesting supporting characters.
]]> 55401
Set in a brilliantly realized world ravaged by dark, uncontrollable magic, Deadhouse Gates is a novel of war, intrigue and betrayal confirms Steven Eirkson as a storyteller of breathtaking skill, imagination and originality--a new master of epic fantasy.]]> 604 Steven Erikson 0765310023 Josh 4 4.27 2000
author: Steven Erikson
name: Josh
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/10/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 31185918 New York Times-bestselling Tad Williams� ground-breaking epic fantasy saga of Osten Ard begins an exciting new cycle! � Volume One of The Last King of Osten Ard

The Dragonbone Chair, the first volume of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, was published in hardcover in October, 1988, launching the series that was to become one of the seminal works of modern epic fantasy. Many of today’s top-selling fantasy authors, from Patrick Rothfuss to George R. R. Martin to Christopher Paolini credit Tad with being the inspiration for their own series.

Now, twenty-four years after the conclusion of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, Tad returns to his beloved universe and characters with The Witchwood Crown, the first novel in the long-awaited sequel trilogy, The Last King of Osten Ard.

Thirty years have passed since the events of the earlier novels, and the world has reached a critical turning point once again. The realm is threatened by divisive forces, even as old allies are lost, and others are lured down darker paths. Perhaps most terrifying of all, the Norns—the long-vanquished elvish foe—are stirring once again, preparing to reclaim the mortal-ruled lands that once were theirs....]]> 733 Tad Williams 069819148X Josh 2
I was also disappointed by Williams' characterization of the main characters of the previous series as an elder married couple which seemed firmly in the media tropes of the nagging/worrying woman and the child-man. I expected better given the interesting and diverse characters Williams has presented in the past.]]> 4.17 2017
author: Tad Williams
name: Josh
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2019/10/04
date added: 2023/07/29
shelves:
review:
I was disappointed in this book. It was another fantasy/scifi novel first book in a series where it took about 700 pages to get to what probably should have been the start of the series but instead is just a setup for the second book.

I was also disappointed by Williams' characterization of the main characters of the previous series as an elder married couple which seemed firmly in the media tropes of the nagging/worrying woman and the child-man. I expected better given the interesting and diverse characters Williams has presented in the past.
]]> 150247395
Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears--quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.]]> 410 Robert Jackson Bennett 1984820702 Josh 0 to-read 4.28 2024
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Josh
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55883882
Collects MONSTRESS #1-6

About the Creators:

New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Marjorie Liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. She teaches comic book writing at MIT, and leads a class on Popular Fiction at the Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshop. Ms. Liu's extensive work includes the bestselling "Astonishing X-Men" for Marvel Comics, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Prior to writing full-time, Liu was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.

Sana Takeda is an illustrator and comic book artist who was born in Niigata, and now resides in Tokyo, Japan. At age 20 she started out as a 3D CGI designer for SEGA, a Japanese video game company, and became a freelance artist when she was 25. She is still an artist, and has worked on titles such as "X-23" and "Ms. Marvel" for Marvel Comics, and is an illustrator for trading card games in Japan.]]> 192 Marjorie M. Liu 1632157098 Josh 4 3.96 2016
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: Josh
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/07/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 30333227
Collects MONSTRESS #1-6]]> 208 Marjorie M. Liu Josh 4 3.93 2016
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: Josh
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/07/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 62873999
Qven was created to be a Presger translator. The pride of their Clade, they always had a clear path before them: learn human ways, and eventually, make a match and serve as an intermediary between the dangerous alien Presger and the human worlds. The realization that they might want something else isn't "optimal behavior". I's the type of behavior that results in elimination.

But Qven rebels. And in doing so, their path collides with those of two others. Enae, a reluctant diplomat whose dead grandmaman has left hir an impossible task as an inheritance: hunting down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. And Reet, an adopted mechanic who is increasingly desperate to learn about his genetic roots--or anything that might explain why he operates so differently from those around him.

As a Conclave of the various species approaches--and the long-standing treaty between the humans and the Presger is on the line--the decisions of all three will have ripple effects across the stars.

Masterfully merging space adventure and mystery, and a poignant exploration about relationships and belonging, Translation State is a standalone story set in Leckie's celebrated Imperial Radch universe.]]> 422 Ann Leckie 031628971X Josh 0 to-read 3.96 2023
author: Ann Leckie
name: Josh
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 75407667
Sancia, Clef, and Berenice have gone up against plenty of long odds in the past. But the war they’re fighting now is one even they can’t win.

This time, they’re not facing robber-baron elites, or even an immortal hierophant, but an entity whose intelligence is spread over half the globe—a ghost in the machine that uses the magic of scriving to possess and control not just objects, but human minds.

To fight it, they’ve used scriving technology to transform themselves and their allies into an army—a society—that’s like nothing humanity has seen before. With its strength at their backs, they’ve freed a handful of their enemy’s hosts from servitude, even brought down some of its fearsome, reality-altering dreadnaughts. Yet despite their efforts, their enemy marches on—implacable. Unstoppable.

Now, as their opponent closes in on its true prize—an ancient doorway, long buried, that leads to the chambers at the center of creation itself—Sancia and her friends glimpse a chance at reaching it first, and with it, a last desperate opportunity to stop this unbeatable foe. But to do so, they’ll have to unlock the centuries-old mystery of scriving’s origins, embark on a desperate mission into the heart of their enemy’s power, and pull off the most daring heist they’ve ever attempted.

And as if that weren’t enough, their adversary might just have a spy in their ranks—and a last trick up its sleeve.]]> 560 Robert Jackson Bennett 1984820680 Josh 0 to-read 4.13 2022
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Josh
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 53487923
Collects EAST OF WEST #30-45]]> 512 Jonathan Hickman 1534314997 Josh 5 4.43 2020
author: Jonathan Hickman
name: Josh
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/05
date added: 2023/03/05
shelves:
review:

]]> 58662507
The zombies are coming back.

And all Nona wants is a birthday party.

In many ways, Nona is like other people. She lives with her family, has a job at her local school, and loves walks on the beach and meeting new dogs. But Nona's not like other people. Six months ago she woke up in a stranger's body, and she's afraid she might have to give it back.

The whole city is falling to pieces. A monstrous blue sphere hangs on the horizon, ready to tear the planet apart. Blood of Eden forces have surrounded the last Cohort facility and wait for the Emperor Undying to come calling. Their leaders want Nona to be the weapon that will save them from the Nine Houses. Nona would prefer to live an ordinary life with the people she loves, with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes, but she also knows that nothing lasts forever.

And each night, Nona dreams of a woman with a skull-painted face...]]> 480 Tamsyn Muir 1250854113 Josh 3 4.36 2022
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: Josh
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/23
date added: 2023/02/24
shelves:
review:
I probably enjoyed this more than Harrow but not as much as Gideon. I felt the middle part of the book dragged a bit. I do enjoy/appreciate the thoughtful world/character building. I thought some parts/choices were a little overly cute. But all in all, if you've enjoyed the series so far, you'll probably enjoy this one. I still miss the teens from Gideon. They were so great.
]]> 61272805
Return to The Meridian with New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s sequel to the most critically hailed epic fantasy of 2020 Black Sun —finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Lambda, and Locus awards.

There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying

The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent.

The a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded?

As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan of Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth.

And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?

Welcome back to the fantasy series of the decade in Fevered Star —book two of Between Earth and Sky from one of the “Indigenous novelists reshaping North American science fiction, horror, and fantasy� ( The New York Times ) and the “epic voice of our continent and time� (Ken Liu, award-winning author of The Grace of Kings ).]]> 388 Rebecca Roanhorse 1534437746 Josh 0 to-read 4.03 2022
author: Rebecca Roanhorse
name: Josh
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 57653271
COLLECTING: Beta Ray Bill (2021) 1-5]]> 128 Daniel Warren Johnson 1302928120 Josh 2 4.19 2021
author: Daniel Warren Johnson
name: Josh
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2022/06/01
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 61294937 Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.]]> 483 Shannon Chakraborty Josh 0 to-read 4.25 2023
author: Shannon Chakraborty
name: Josh
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60399181 Four-time Hugo Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N.K. Jemisin crafts a glorious tale of identity, resistance, magic and myth.

All is not well in the city that never sleeps. Even though the avatars of New York City have temporarily managed to stop the Woman in White from invading—and destroying the entire universe in the process—the mysterious capital "E" Enemy has more subtle powers at her disposal. A new candidate for mayor wielding the populist rhetoric of gentrification, xenophobia, and "law and order" may have what it takes to change the very nature of New York itself and take it down from the inside. 

In order to defeat him, and the Enemy who holds his purse strings, the avatars will have to join together with the other Great Cities of the world in order to bring her down for good and protect their world from complete destruction.

N.K. Jemisin’s Great Cities Duology, which began with The City We Became and concludes with The World We Make, is a masterpiece of speculative fiction from one of the most important writers of her generation.
]]> 357 N.K. Jemisin 035651269X Josh 0 to-read 4.05 2022
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: Josh
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58155181
For fans of Chew and Assassin Nation comes a new action-mystery series from Eisner Award nominees Chris Schweizer (Crogan Adventures) and Kyle Starks (Sexcastle).

The world's most unlikable action star has been found dead and his previous TV sidekicks are looking to solve the mystery. But how can you catch a murderer when almost everyone hated the victim?

Now these sidekicks are going to learn what it means to the stars of the show...that is, if anyone of them survive the STUNTMAN WAR!

Collects THE SIX SIDEKICKS OF TRIGGER KEATON #1-6.]]> 164 Kyle Starks 1534320083 Josh 4 3.89 2021
author: Kyle Starks
name: Josh
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/28
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 58257527 Supergirl returns to DC’s comics this summer to headline her first new series in years: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, a new eight-issue limited series. Launching in DC’s Infinite Frontier era with art by Bilquis Evely and Mat Lopes, written by Tom King, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow takes Supergirl—and sidekick Krypto—into space on a journey that will have Supergirl fans cheering for more!

Kara Zor-El has seen some epic adventures over the years, but has recently found her life without meaning or purpose. Here she is, a young woman who saw her planet destroyed and was sent to Earth to protect a baby cousin who ended up not needing her. What was it all for? Wherever she goes, people only see her through the lens of Superman’s fame.

Just when Supergirl thinks she’s had enough, everything changes. An alien girl seeks her out for a vicious mission: her world has been destroyed and the bad guys responsible are still out there. She wants revenge and if Supergirl doesn’t help her, she’ll do it herself, whatever the cost.

Now, a Kryptonian, a dog and an angry heartbroken child head out into space on a journey that will shake them to their very core!

Brought to you by Eisner Award-winning writer Tom King (Batman/Catwoman, Mister Miracle and Rorschach) and Eisner nominee artist Bilquis Evely (Sandman Universe: The Dreaming) this maxiseries promises to be a character-defining masterpiece the likes of which has never been seen before for DC’s Maiden of Might.]]> 224 Tom King Josh 3 4.40 2022
author: Tom King
name: Josh
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/28
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 58886081
One of those arriving on that stony strand is a young woman who had been abducted by corsairs as a child and sold into years of servitude far from her home. Having escaped, she is trying to chart her own course � and is bent upon revenge. The man who will bring the others out from the city on his ship � if they survive their mission � still remembers being exiled as a boy with his family, for their faith; it is a moment that never leaves him. In what follows, through a story both intimate and epic, unforgettable characters are immersed in the fierce and deadly struggles that define their time.

While it shares a vivid setting, timeless themes, and signature "quarter-turn to the fantastic" with his most recent novels, A Brightness Long Ago and Children of Earth and Sky, Guy Gavriel Kay's All the Seas of the World is a stand-alone page-turning drama that also offers moving reflections on memory, fate, and the random events that can shape our lives � in the past, and today.

]]> 528 Guy Gavriel Kay 0735244715 Josh 3 4.16 2022
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Josh
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/06/14
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 58340712 Kithamar is a center of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold. This is Alys’s.

When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.

Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.

From critically acclaimed, New York Times–bestselling author Daniel Abraham, co-author of The Expanse, comes a monumental epic fantasy trilogy that unfolds within the walls of a single great city, over the course of one tumultuous year, where every story matters, and the fate of the city is woven from them all.]]> 448 Daniel Abraham 0316421847 Josh 2 3.57 2022
author: Daniel Abraham
name: Josh
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2022/04/15
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 58918652
This time, they’re not facing robber-baron elites, or even an immortal hierophant, but an entity whose intelligence is spread over half the globe—a ghost in the machine that uses the magic of scriving to possess and control not just objects, but human minds.

To fight it, they’ve used scriving technology to transform themselves and their allies into an army—a society—that’s like nothing humanity has seen before. With its strength at their backs, they’ve freed a handful of their enemy’s hosts from servitude, even brought down some of its fearsome, reality-altering dreadnaughts. Yet despite their efforts, their enemy marches on—implacable. Unstoppable.

Now, as their opponent closes in on its true prize—an ancient doorway, long buried, that leads to the chambers at the center of creation itself—Sancia and her friends glimpse a chance at reaching it first, and with it, a last desperate opportunity to stop this unbeatable foe. But to do so, they’ll have to unlock the centuries-old mystery of scriving’s origins, embark on a desperate mission into the heart of their enemy’s power, and pull off the most daring heist they’ve ever attempted.

And as if that weren’t enough, their adversary might just have a spy in their ranks—and a last trick up its sleeve.

A god wages war—using all of humanity as its pawns—in the unforgettable conclusion to the Founders trilogy.]]> 560 Robert Jackson Bennett 1984820672 Josh 0 to-read 4.06 2022
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Josh
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 54025861 176 Juni Ba 1952203244 Josh 3 3.70 2021
author: Juni Ba
name: Josh
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/01/27
date added: 2022/01/27
shelves:
review:
I liked the style and it's refreshing to have a story based on non-western mythology. Not sure the story completely came together for me but overall I enjoyed this.
]]> 58291430
Following Edison Harki, a haunted, self-loathing Chinese-American detective on the trail of a killer in 1936 Chinatown, THE GOOD ASIAN is Chinatown noir starring the first generation of Americans to come of age under an immigration ban, the Chinese, as they're besieged by rampant murders, abusive police, and a world that seemingly never changes. Collects THE GOOD ASIAN #1-4, plus covers by SANA TAKEDA, ANNIE WU, JEN BARTEL, DAVE JOHNSON, and more.]]> 128 Pornsak Pichetshote 1534320946 Josh 3
I'm pro anything that teaches folks little bit more about the Chinese Exclusion Act. Plus you get a fun pulpy noir detective story.]]> 3.78 2021
author: Pornsak Pichetshote
name: Josh
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/01/25
date added: 2022/01/26
shelves:
review:
I might have given this 4 stars if the mystery was resolved within this collection but since it isn't, it holds at 3 stars pending the conclusion.

I'm pro anything that teaches folks little bit more about the Chinese Exclusion Act. Plus you get a fun pulpy noir detective story.
]]> 57065662
The first murder in 500 years. Twenty billion suspects. One hope.

The City Enduring, a booming metropolis at the edge of the universe, hasn’t experienced a violent crime in generations. The Emotion Exploit has erased its citizens� full range of feelings, allowing three resident races to overlook their turbulent history and coexist peacefully—until now. 

Rookie Green Lantern Sojourner “Jo� Mullein is still adjusting to her assignment to protect this strange world when a brutal murder rattles its social order, threatening to undo centu r ies of controversia l pro gress . As the populace rises up against the legacy of the Emotion Exploit and leaders grapple for power under threat of a new war, Jo must rely on her unique instincts—as a Green Lantern and the only human in this sector—to solve the crime and guide the City Enduring toward a more promi sing future. 

Hugo Award-winning author N.K. Jemisin joins bestselling Naomi artist Jamal Campbell in the Eisner Award-nominated sci-fi murder mystery Far Sector , collecting all 12 issues, concept art and character designs, and an introduction by Gerard Way.]]> 336 N.K. Jemisin 1779512058 Josh 2 4.25 2019
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: Josh
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2022/01/21
date added: 2022/01/26
shelves:
review:
I wanted to like this more than I did. I couldn't help comparing it to Omega Men by Tom King. It never quite clicked for me. It felt predictable and surprisingly surface level for a Jemisin work. I hope her future comics work goes a bit deeper.
]]> 40642113 The third book in The Song of Shattered Sands series--an epic fantasy with a desert setting, filled with rich worldbuilding and pulse-pounding action.

Since the Night of Endless Swords, a bloody battle the Kings of Sharakhai narrowly won, the kings have been hounding the rebels known as the Moonless Host. Many have been forced to flee the city, including �eda, who discovers that the King of Sloth is raising his army to challenge the other kings' rule.

When �eda finds the remaining members of the Moonless Host, now known as the thirteenth tribe, she sees a tenuous existence. �eda hatches a plan to return to Sharakhai and free the asirim, the kings' powerful, immortal slaves. The kings, however, have sent their greatest tactician, the King of Swords, to bring �eda to justice for her crimes.

But the once-unified front of the kings is crumbling. The surviving kings vie quietly against one another, maneuvering for control over Sharakhai. �eda hopes to use that to her advantage, but whom to trust? Any of them might betray her.

As �eda works to lift the shackles from the asirim and save the thirteenth tribe, the kings of Sharakhai, the scheming queen of Qaimir, the ruthless blood mage, Hamzakiir, and King of Swords all prepare for a grand clash that may decide the fate of all.]]> 592 Bradley P. Beaulieu 0756409772 Josh 0 currently-reading 4.21 2018
author: Bradley P. Beaulieu
name: Josh
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/11/28
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 44436221 A deeply personal novel about race, pop culture, immigration, assimilation, and escaping the roles we are forced to play.

Willis Wu doesn’t perceive himself as the protagonist in his own life: he’s merely Generic Asian Man. Sometimes he gets to be Background Oriental Making a Weird Face or even Disgraced Son, but always he is relegated to a prop. Yet every day, he leaves his tiny room in a Chinatown SRO and enters the Golden Palace restaurant, where Black and White, a procedural cop show, is in perpetual production. He’s a bit player here, too, but he dreams of being Kung Fu Guy—the most respected role that anyone who looks like him can attain. Or is it?

After stumbling into the spotlight, Willis finds himself launched into a wider world than he’s ever known, discovering not only the secret history of Chinatown, but the buried legacy of his own family. Infinitely inventive and deeply personal, exploring the themes of pop culture, assimilation, and immigration�Interior Chinatown is Charles Yu’s most moving, daring, and masterful novel yet.]]> 288 Charles Yu Josh 4
Aside from that, the ending was little on the nose with the characters just basically monologuing the point the author was trying to make.

But it is something I would probably recommend, just because of how different it is, but also how it has these moments that hit so hard for me about the Asian American experience. I do wonder how this book would be different if it was written now, given what the Asian American community has experienced in the last 2 years.]]> 3.95 2020
author: Charles Yu
name: Josh
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/11/18
date added: 2021/11/28
shelves:
review:
Disclaimer: This is not the type of book I generally read so take my rating with a grain of salt. The book definitely hit home for me (I am Chinese-American) and it did make me cry at least once.

Aside from that, the ending was little on the nose with the characters just basically monologuing the point the author was trying to make.

But it is something I would probably recommend, just because of how different it is, but also how it has these moments that hit so hard for me about the Asian American experience. I do wonder how this book would be different if it was written now, given what the Asian American community has experienced in the last 2 years.
]]> 57282621 Set in the New York Times bestselling world of Osten Ard, this short novel continues the saga that inspired a generation of fantasists

Pride often goes before a fall, but sometimes that prideful fall is so catastrophic that it changes history itself.

Among the immortal Sithi of Osten Ard, none are more beloved and admired than the two sons of the ruling family, steady Hakatri and his proud and fiery younger brother Ineluki -- Ineluki, who will one day become the undead Storm King. The younger brother makes a bold, terrible oath that he will destroy deadly Hidohebhi, a terrifying monster, but instead drags his brother with him into a disaster that threatens not just their family but all the Sithi -- and perhaps all of humankind as well.

Set a thousand years before the events of Williams's The Dragonbone Chair, the tale of Ineluki's tragic boast and what it brings is told by Pamon Kes, Hakatri's faithful servant. Kes is not one of the Sithi but a member of the enslaved Changeling race, and his loyalty has never before been tested. Now he must face the terrible black dragon at his master's side, then see his own life changed forever in a mere instant by Ineluki's rash, selfish promise.]]> 258 Tad Williams 0756412684 Josh 0 to-read 4.08 2021
author: Tad Williams
name: Josh
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 30212517
Çeda could become the champion they’ve been waiting for, but the need to tread carefully has never been greater. After the victory won by the Moonless Host in the Wandering King’s palace, the kings are hungry for blood. They scour the city, ruthless in their quest for revenge. Unrest spreads like a plague, a thing Emre and his new allies in the Moonless Host hope to exploit, but with the kings and their god-given powers, and the Maidens and their deadly ebon blades, there is little hope of doing so.

When Çeda and Emre are drawn into a plot of the blood mage, Hamzakiir, they sail across the desert to learn the truth, and a devastating secret is revealed, one that may very well shatter the power of the hated kings. They plot quickly to take advantage of it, but it may all be undone if Çeda cannot learn to navigate the shifting tides of power in Sharakhai and control the growing anger of the asirim that threatens to overwhelm her.]]> 662 Bradley P. Beaulieu 0756409748 Josh 3 4.14 2017
author: Bradley P. Beaulieu
name: Josh
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2021/08/26
date added: 2021/08/30
shelves:
review:
I think this was serviceable sequel. I find myself wanting to like the books more than I do. Can't quite put my finger on what's not clicking. I think it loses steam every time the narrative focus moves away from Ceda. That being said, they've been good enough that I'll keep reading.
]]> 45200535
But even the merchant houses of Tevanne might have met their match. An immensely powerful and deadly entity has been resurrected in the shadows of Tevanne, one that's not interested in wealth or trade routes: a hierophant, one of the ancient practitioners of scriving. And he has a great fascination for Foundryside, and its employees - especially Sancia.

Now Sancia and the rest of Foundryside must race to combat this new menace, which means understanding the origins of scriving itself - before the hierophant burns Tevanne to the ground.]]> 496 Robert Jackson Bennett 1524760382 Josh 4 4.17 2020
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Josh
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/06/30
date added: 2021/06/30
shelves:
review:
I quite enjoyed the cast of characters from the first book and I enjoyed following their further adventures as the author continued to flesh out their world and its history. The book felt a little uneven pacing wise but I give it major kudos for keeping me on my toes and not going where I expected it to.
]]> 48837448
COLLECTING: X-MEN (2019) #6, X-FORCE (2019) #6, MARAUDERS #6, EXCALIBUR (2019) #6, FALLEN ANGELS (2019) #6 AND NEW MUTANTS (2019) #6]]> 168 Jonathan Hickman 1302921614 Josh 2 3.91 2020
author: Jonathan Hickman
name: Josh
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2021/01/18
date added: 2021/01/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 312081 198 Edward Eager 015202073X Josh 5 favorites 4.04 1956
author: Edward Eager
name: Josh
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1956
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/01/16
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 13662
Then a wizard, Ged Sparrowhawk, comes to steal the Tombs� greatest hidden treasure, the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. Tenar’s duty is to protect the Ring, but Ged possesses the light of magic and tales of a world that Tenar has never known. Will Tenar risk everything to escape from the darkness that has become her domain?]]> 180 Ursula K. Le Guin 0689845367 Josh 4 favorites 4.12 1971
author: Ursula K. Le Guin
name: Josh
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1971
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/01/16
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 50892360 The first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

A god will return
When the earth and sky converge
Under the black sun

In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.]]> 454 Rebecca Roanhorse 1534437673 Josh 3
*SPOILER (non-major)*
One of the main characters is the high priest and I don't think her narrative was fully baked. All of the other characters are fish out of water types so they didn't need as much establishment/grounding since they were in new environments themselves. However the high priest has been in the Celestial Tower for most of her life, entrenched in the priesthood politics and it just felt that all of that needed more time spent establishing it so the reader could have a better understanding of the character. As it is, it's unclear how much of the challenges the high priest faces are due to her own naivety/kind of being rather dumb or being a capable person outmaneuvered by the gathering forces around her. We don't get enough backstory establishing her as an otherwise capable/savvy individual or an otherwise blundering idiot.]]> 4.17 2020
author: Rebecca Roanhorse
name: Josh
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2021/01/15
date added: 2021/01/16
shelves:
review:
Once again, great to read a fantasy novel not set in European modeled myth. The book follows multiple characters and jumps around in time a little bit. I'm not sure the time jump stuff serves any real purpose. I think if the story had been told in chronological order it would have been just as effective (if not more?). Also I think that the book was let down by one of the character's narratives being much, much weaker than the others. Basically one of the table's legs wasn't quite the quality of the others.

*SPOILER (non-major)*
One of the main characters is the high priest and I don't think her narrative was fully baked. All of the other characters are fish out of water types so they didn't need as much establishment/grounding since they were in new environments themselves. However the high priest has been in the Celestial Tower for most of her life, entrenched in the priesthood politics and it just felt that all of that needed more time spent establishing it so the reader could have a better understanding of the character. As it is, it's unclear how much of the challenges the high priest faces are due to her own naivety/kind of being rather dumb or being a capable person outmaneuvered by the gathering forces around her. We don't get enough backstory establishing her as an otherwise capable/savvy individual or an otherwise blundering idiot.
]]> 48837447
COLLECTING: X-MEN (2019) #5, X-FORCE (2019) #5, MARAUDERS #5, EXCALIBUR (2019) #5, FALLEN ANGELS (2019) #5 and NEW MUTANTS (2019) #5.]]> 168 Jonathan Hickman 1302921606 Josh 3 3.87 2020
author: Jonathan Hickman
name: Josh
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2021/01/11
date added: 2021/01/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 52637764
The long-dreaded war between the Federation and Arcanics is about to explode. Maika must choose her next steps: will she help her friends, or strike out on her own?

Collects MONSTRESS issues #25-30]]> 176 Marjorie M. Liu 1534316612 Josh 3 4.34 2020
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: Josh
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/12/20
date added: 2021/01/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 225038 Half Magic coin that gets their mother Alison half-way home, rescued by Mr Smith. Mark's wish zaps them to a desert without island, where half-talking cat Carrie gabbles to a camel. Romantic Katherine battles Launcelot. Eldest Jane rejects siblings for another family. Stubborn youngest, Martha, causes a riot downtown.]]> 192 Edward Eager 0152020683 Josh 5 favorites 3.94 1954
author: Edward Eager
name: Josh
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1954
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 763477 185 Ellen Raskin 0380679914 Josh 4 4.21 1978
author: Ellen Raskin
name: Josh
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1978
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 569765
Escaping the doomed city of Istar, Raistlin-now a wizard of great power-casts a spell that brings his twin brother Caramon, and the cleric Crysania forward to this point in time. Here, in the Tower of High Sorcery, Raistlin intends to enter the Portal and challenge the Dark Queen.

But, one by one, Raistlin’s plans start to unravel.
Too late he discovers that he is caught in a time loop-one that must lead inexorably to his own destruction! One from which there seems to be no escape…]]> 400 Margaret Weis 088038266X Josh 4 3.92 1986
author: Margaret Weis
name: Josh
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1986
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 7113498
You give a man one of the famed Sardian horses to reward him greatly. You give him four or five to exalt him above his fellows, propel him towards rank, and earn him jealousy, possibly mortal jealousy. Two hundred and fifty is an unthinkable gift, a gift to overwhelm an emperor.

Wisely, the gift comes with the stipulation that Tai must claim the horses in person. Otherwise he would probably be dead already...]]> 573 Guy Gavriel Kay 0451463307 Josh 3 4.14 2010
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Josh
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 1254574
One man the powerful archmage Raistlin, intends that the darkness return.

Two people alone can stop him. One is Crysania, a beautiful cleric of good, who is drawn to Raistlin as a moth is drawn to flame. The other is his twin, Caramon, who must come to an understanding of himself before he can redeem his brother. Together with the irrepressible kinder, Tasslehoff, these three take a perilous journey back in time to the days just before the Cataclysm.

In the doomed city of Istar, poised on the brink of disaster, dark magic and darker ambition battle love and self-sacrifice in a quest to save not only the world but more importantly-a soul.]]> 398 Margaret Weis 0880382651 Josh 4 3.93 1986
author: Margaret Weis
name: Josh
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1986
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 2172181
Jason always wondered. Then one day Gareth, Jason's cat, tells him his secret. Gareth can take Jason across the world, across all time, on nine amazing adventures! In the wink of an eye Jason and Gareth are floating down the Nile, headed straight for the palace of the Pharaoh of Egypt! What faraway places will Jason and Gareth discover? and what magical adventures will be waiting for them?]]> 191 Lloyd Alexander 0440486777 Josh 4 3.54 1963
author: Lloyd Alexander
name: Josh
average rating: 3.54
book published: 1963
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 688561 Transported from the mid-twentieth century to New York City in the year 1882, Si Morley walks the fashionable "Ladies' Mile" of Broadway, is enchanted by the jingling sleigh bells in Central Park, and solves a 20th-century mystery by discovering its 19th-century roots. Falling in love with a beautiful young woman, he ultimately finds himself forced to choose between his lives in the present and the past.
A story that will remain in the listener's memory, "Time and Again" is a remarkable blending of the troubled present and a nostalgic past, made vivid and extraordinarily moving by the images of a time that was...and perhaps still is.]]> 399 Jack Finney Josh 4 4.05 1970
author: Jack Finney
name: Josh
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1970
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 290645 673 Guy Gavriel Kay 0451451155 Josh 5 favorites 4.16 1990
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Josh
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 13654
A lifetime ago, they helped each other at a time of darkness and danger. Now they must join forces again, to help another--the physically and emotionally scarred child whose own destiny remains to be revealed.]]> 281 Ursula K. Le Guin 0689845332 Josh 4 3.96 1990
author: Ursula K. Le Guin
name: Josh
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 7060522
After many hard lessons, Taran learns the secret of the Mirror Llunet and of the past--and finds not an ending but a beginning.]]> 272 Lloyd Alexander 0440484839 Josh 4 4.19 1967
author: Lloyd Alexander
name: Josh
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1967
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 317450
It is a time of darkness, dread, and ultimate testing for the realm of Osten Ard, for the wild magic and terrifying minions of the undead Sithi ruler, Ineluki the Storm King, are spreading their seemingly undefeatable evil across the kingdom.

With the very land blighted by the power of Ineluki’s wrath, the tattered remnants of a once-proud human army flee in search of a last sanctuary and rallying point—the Stone of Farewell, a place shrouded in mystery and ancient sorrow.

An even as Prince Josua seeks to rally his scattered forces, Simon and the surviving members of the League of the Scroll are desperately struggling to discover the truth behind an almost-forgotten legend, which will take them from the fallen citadels of humans to the secret heartland of the Sithi—where near-immortals must at last decide whether to ally with the race of men in a final war against those of their own blood.]]> 749 Tad Williams 0886774802 Josh 4 4.07 1990
author: Tad Williams
name: Josh
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 126078 ISBN 0345353145

In the middle of the South Pacific, a thousand feet below the surface of the water, a huge vessel is discovered resting on the ocean floor.

Rushed to the scene is a group of American scientists who descend together into the depths of the sea to investigate this astonishing discovery.

What they find defies their imaginations and mocks their attempts at logical explanation. It is a spaceship of phenomenal dimensions, apparently undamaged by its fall from the sky. And, most startling, it appears to be at least three hundred years old...
--back cover]]> 371 Michael Crichton Josh 3 3.71 1987
author: Michael Crichton
name: Josh
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1987
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
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]]> 690211
Inspired by the glorious world of the troubadours, A Song for Arbonne is Guy Gavriel Kay's love song to medieval Provence.]]> 528 Guy Gavriel Kay 0140132899 Josh 4 4.02 1992
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Josh
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 352661 448 Guy Gavriel Kay 0061051179 Josh 5 favorites 4.16 1998
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Josh
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 28615 243 Susan Cooper 0590433202 Josh 4 3.82 1965
author: Susan Cooper
name: Josh
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1965
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 1111857 142 John D. Fitzgerald Josh 4 4.09 1969
author: John D. Fitzgerald
name: Josh
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1969
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 39208001 No prison can hold him. No trap can contain him. He is Scott Free, the worldwide celebrity sensation known as Mister Miracle, and he is the greatest escape artist who ever lived. But can he pull off the ultimate trick–and escape death itself?

Something has gone horribly wrong with the perfect life that Scott and his wife Big Barda have made for themselves on Earth. With war raging between their homeworlds of Apokolips and New Genesis, Scott's cruel adoptive father, Darkseid, seems to have finally found the Anti-Life Equation–the weapon that will give him total victory.

As the mountains of bodies on both sides grow ever higher, only Mister Miracle can stop the slaughter and restore peace. But the terrible power of the Anti-Life Equation may already be at work in his own mind, warping his reality and shattering the fragile happiness he's found with the woman he loves.

Is death the trap that's been waiting for him all along? Or is it life itself? And what price will Scott Free have to pay to learn the answer?

Eisner Award winners Tom King and Mitch Gerads present a bold new vision of one of Jack Kirby's greatest creations with Mister Miracle–powerful, intimate and utterly unique, this modern comics classic will challenge everything you know about super-heroism!

Collects Mister Miracle #1-12.]]> 300 Tom King 1401283543 Josh 5 4.41
author: Tom King
name: Josh
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2019/05/06
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 533819 554 Guy Gavriel Kay 0061056219 Josh 5 favorites 4.28 1995
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Josh
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 587311 Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here

On Midwinter Day and his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers he is the last of immortal Old Ones dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. He must find six magical Signs for the final battle.]]> 244 Susan Cooper 0689710879 Josh 5 favorites 4.12 1973
author: Susan Cooper
name: Josh
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1973
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 444339 224 Lloyd Alexander Josh 4 3.93 1964
author: Lloyd Alexander
name: Josh
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1964
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 557424
Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, and his friends are led into a mortal struggle with Arwn and his deathless warriors. Taran must wrest the black cauldron from them, for it is the cauldron that gives them their evil strength. But can he withstand the three enchantresses, who are determined to turn him and his companions into toads? Taran has not foreseen the awful price he will have to pay in his defence of Prydain...]]> 229 Lloyd Alexander Josh 4 4.10 1965
author: Lloyd Alexander
name: Josh
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1965
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
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]]> 2206434 The 13 Clocks 124 James Thurber 0671721003 Josh 5 3.78 1950
author: James Thurber
name: Josh
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1950
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
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]]> 1239434 512 Guy Gavriel Kay 0451459652 Josh 3 3.94 2004
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Josh
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 34962215 This special boxed set includes the New York Times bestselling author Ann Leckie's complete Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke, and Locus Award-winning Ancillary space opera trilogy.
On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was the Justice of Toren-- a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of corpse soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.


An act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with only one fragile human body. And only one purpose-- to revenge herself on Anaander Mianaai, many-bodied, near-immortal Lord of the Radch.

The Ancillary Trilogy

Ancillary Justice
Ancillary Sword
Ancillary Mercy

For more from Ann Leckie, check out:Provenance]]> 1248 Ann Leckie 0316513318 Josh 4 4.51 2017
author: Ann Leckie
name: Josh
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 5047305 304 Lloyd Alexander Josh 4 4.24 1968
author: Lloyd Alexander
name: Josh
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1968
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 17277800
Collects Hawkeye (2012) #6�11.]]> 136 Matt Fraction 0785165630 Josh 5 4.23 2013
author: Matt Fraction
name: Josh
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 1942745 192 John D. Fitzgerald 0440430712 Josh 4 4.09 1967
author: John D. Fitzgerald
name: Josh
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1967
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 1437283 With more than ten million copies sold, Frank Herbert's magnificent Dune books stand among the major achievements of the imagination. Of them all, God Emperor of Dune, the fourth, is the greatest and the grandest. Centuries have passed on Dune itself, and the planet is green with life. Leto II, the son of Dune's savior, is still alive but far from human. He has become a human-sandworm creature, ruling over his angry and frustrated empire with his vast legions of Fish Speaker soldiers, enforcing peace for dozens of generations to teach the universe a lesson, while also waiting for the right time to turn Dune back into a desert planet. The fate of all humanity hangs on Leto's awesome sacrifice.

]]> 423 Frank Herbert 042507272X Josh 4 3.69 1981
author: Frank Herbert
name: Josh
average rating: 3.69
book published: 1981
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 939334 343 Patricia A. McKillip 0152008691 Josh 4 4.08 1974
author: Patricia A. McKillip
name: Josh
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1974
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 140975
Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.]]> 989 Robert Jordan 0812550307 Josh 3 4.03 1993
author: Robert Jordan
name: Josh
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1993
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 1307 410 Margaret Weis 0553295411 Josh 4 4.08 1991
author: Margaret Weis
name: Josh
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1991
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 531042
Morgan Llywelyn, bestselling author of Lion of Ireland, has enthralled readers with magnificent tales of her native land. Now she has recreated Ireland's most amazing man in a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and awesome adventure.

"Powerful...Llywelyn has created a lusty, poetic and legendary world". - The New York Times Book Review on Red Branch]]> 531 Morgan Llywelyn 0812524012 Josh 3 4.01 1994
author: Morgan Llywelyn
name: Josh
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1994
rating: 3
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date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 776572 Librarian's Note: For an alternate cover edition of the same ISBN, click here.

Darkness threatens to overtake Earthsea. As the world and its wizards are losing their magic, Ged -- powerful Archmage, wizard, and dragonlord -- embarks on a sailing journey with highborn young prince, Arren. They travel far beyond the realm of death to discover the cause of these evil disturbances and to restore magic to a land desperately thirsty for it.]]> 259 Ursula K. Le Guin 0689845340 Josh 4 3.99 1972
author: Ursula K. Le Guin
name: Josh
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1972
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 28481
In Arianus, Realm of Sky, humans, elves, and dwarves battle for control of precious water--traversing a world of airborne islands on currents of elven magic and the backs of mammoth dragons. But soon great magical forces will begin to rend the fabric of this delicate land. An assassin will be hired to kill a royal prince--by the king himself. A dwarf will challenge the beliefs of his people--and lead them in rebellion. And a sinister wizard will enact his plan to rule Arianus--a plan that may be felt far beyond the Realm of Sky and into the Death Gate itself.]]> 430 Margaret Weis 0553286390 Josh 4 3.96 1990
author: Margaret Weis
name: Josh
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 28485 367 Margaret Weis 0553290983 Josh 4 3.99 1990
author: Margaret Weis
name: Josh
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 53732 Librarian's note: There are Alternate Cover Editions for this edition of this book here, here, here and here.

Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.
A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what it undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.]]> 535 Frank Herbert Josh 5 favorites 4.28 1965
author: Frank Herbert
name: Josh
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1965
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 618232 400 Morgan Llywelyn 0804108447 Josh 3 3.80 1991
author: Morgan Llywelyn
name: Josh
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1991
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 1082246
Creatures of legend. Stories told to children.

But now dragons have returned to Krynn. The darkness of war and destruction threatens to engulf the land.

A small band of heroes brings hope to the land. But the hope is fragile as a rose and many be lost completely, shattered by the bitter winds of winter.

Knights and barbarian, warrior and half-elf, dwarf and kender and dark-souled mage; they begin a perilous search for two artifacts that may help them or lead them to their destruction-

the Dragon Orbs...

and the legendary Dragonlance.]]> 399 Tracy Hickman 0880381744 Josh 3 4.02 1985
author: Tracy Hickman
name: Josh
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1985
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 260220
The greatest battle they have left to fight is within each of them.

Yet, in the end, they will be heroes.]]> 384 Margaret Weis 0880381752 Josh 3 3.98 1985
author: Margaret Weis
name: Josh
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1985
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 259813 paperback 448 Margaret Weis 0394727924 Josh 3 3.97 1984
author: Margaret Weis
name: Josh
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1984
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 317449
Only a small, scattered group, the League of the Scroll, recognizes the true danger awaiting Osten Ard. And to Simon - a castle scullion unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League - will get the task of spearheading the quest for the solution to a riddle that offers the only hope of salvation, a ridde of long-lost swords of power...and a quest that will see him fleeing and facing enemies straight out of a legend-maker's worst nightmares!]]> 783 Tad Williams 0886773849 Josh 4 3.99 1988
author: Tad Williams
name: Josh
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1988
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 22608506 206 Lloyd Alexander Josh 3 4.03 1966
author: Lloyd Alexander
name: Josh
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1966
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 2962701 William's beloved nanny retires to England, she entrusts him with a real-looking model castle and a tin knight. For uncounted generations, Mrs. Phillip's family has passed the heirlooms down; with rumours of a spell to be broken by the right person. A fantastical quest ensues.]]> 182 Elizabeth Winthrop 0553154338 Josh 4 3.97 1985
author: Elizabeth Winthrop
name: Josh
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1985
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 41458663
Danio's fate changed the moment he saw and recognized Adria Ripoli as she entered the count's chambers one autumn night--intending to kill. Born to power, Adria had chosen, instead of a life of comfort, one of danger--and freedom. Which is how she encounters Danio in a perilous time and place.

Vivid figures share the unfolding story. Among them: a healer determined to defy her expected lot; a charming, frivolous son of immense wealth; a powerful religious leader more decadent than devout; and, affecting all these lives and many more,  two larger-than-life mercenary commanders, lifelong adversaries, whose rivalry puts a world in the balance.

A Brightness Long Ago offers both compelling drama and deeply moving reflections on the nature of memory, the choices we make in life, and the role played by the turning of Fortune's wheel.]]> 423 Guy Gavriel Kay 0451472985 Josh 3 4.12 2019
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Josh
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2019/05/24
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
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This felt a bit like a greatest hits album, with a lot of themes and character types that Kay has covered in previous books and, in my opinion, covered more successfully in Tigana, Song for Arbonne, Lions of Al-Rassan, etc. The narrative structure, switching in and out of first person made it feel very disjointed. The tangents/asides that Kay favors where he follows a random supporting character, which can be delightful and give context when deployed sparingly, felt like they were happening every other page and added to disjointed feel of the narrative. Kay is one of my favorite authors and I hold him to higher standard that I don't think this book measures up to. It's not bad, just not the level I expect. I would also love to see him leave Italy (and the Mediterranean) alone for a while as I feel like he's tread these paths pretty thoroughly and I'd love to see him take on some other cultures/time periods.
]]> 45026 ]]> 465 Morgan Llywelyn 0812585151 Josh 4 4.13 1984
author: Morgan Llywelyn
name: Josh
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1984
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 7189997 104 Chris Onstad 1595824502 Josh 5 4.56 2010
author: Chris Onstad
name: Josh
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 6081493 136 Chris Onstad 1595822399 Josh 5 4.48 2002
author: Chris Onstad
name: Josh
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 37007781 In a city that runs on industrialized magic, a secret war will be fought to overwrite reality itself.

Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne's docks, is nothing her unique abilities can't handle.

But unbeknownst to her, Sancia's been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic--the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience--have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact's secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims.

Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there's nobody with the power to stop them.

To have a chance at surviving--and at stopping the deadly transformation that's under way--Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact's power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.]]> 505 Robert Jackson Bennett 1524760366 Josh 5 4.21 2018
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Josh
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 25402964
The over-sized prestige collection of the First Year of the Apocalypse.

Collecting: East of West 1-15]]> 504 Jonathan Hickman 1632154307 Josh 5 4.38 2015
author: Jonathan Hickman
name: Josh
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2018/03/30
date added: 2020/12/13
shelves:
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]]> 32473030
Collecting: East of West 16-29]]> 504 Jonathan Hickman 1534300597 Josh 5 4.44 2017
author: Jonathan Hickman
name: Josh
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2018/04/09
date added: 2020/12/13
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]]> 48837446
COLLECTING: X-MEN (2019) #4, X-FORCE (2019) #4, MARAUDERS #4, EXCALIBUR (2019) #4, FALLEN ANGELS (2019) #4 and NEW MUTANTS (2019) #4.]]> 160 Jonathan Hickman 1302921592 Josh 4 3.97 2020
author: Jonathan Hickman
name: Josh
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/12/11
date added: 2020/12/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 48837445
COLLECTING: X-MEN (2019) #3, X-FORCE (2019) #3, MARAUDERS (2019) #3, EXCALIBUR (2019) #3, FALLEN ANGELS (2019) #3 and NEW MUTANTS (2019) #3.]]> 168 Jonathan Hickman 1302921584 Josh 3 3.78 2020
author: Jonathan Hickman
name: Josh
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/12/11
date added: 2020/12/11
shelves:
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]]> 50409334 Ancient curses are awoken and timeless secrets are revealed in this explosive sequel to the critically acclaimed blockbuster Batman: White Knight from writer/artist Sean Murphy!

The Joker recruits Azrael to help him expose a shocking secret about the Wayne family's legacy--and run Gotham City into the ground! As Batman rushes to protect the city and his loved ones from danger, the mystery of his ancestry unravels and Batman begins to question everything he thought he knew about himself and his place in Gotham.

With Gotham City's identity and institutions hanging in the balance, Barbara Gordon decides to take matters into her own hands -- but will her rogue actions play right into The Joker's plans? After tragedy strikes, Renee Montoya steps into the fray to lead the GTO and restore order to the chaos that is quickly consuming Gotham City. Lightning-quick pacing and an all-star cast of Gotham's heaviest hitters will keep you on the edge of your seat until the breathtaking finale of this second installment of the White Knight saga!

Collects Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1-8 and Batman: White Knight Presents Von Freeze #1.]]> 272 Sean Gordon Murphy 1779504489 Josh 3
There are parts where I actually stopped and checked to make sure I haven't missed a couple of pages.

Also not sure how I feel about the evolution of Harley and Batman's relationship. Don't think I'm a fan of that.

]]> 4.18 2020
author: Sean Gordon Murphy
name: Josh
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/12/02
date added: 2020/12/02
shelves:
review:
As with his previous works, I love his art and I appreciate his story ambitions however I don't feel the writing/story quite comes together.

There are parts where I actually stopped and checked to make sure I haven't missed a couple of pages.

Also not sure how I feel about the evolution of Harley and Batman's relationship. Don't think I'm a fan of that.


]]> 39325105 Harrow the Ninth, the sequel to Gideon the Ninth, turns a galaxy inside out as one necromancer struggles to survive the wreckage of herself aboard the Emperor's haunted space station.

She answered the Emperor's call.

She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only friend.

In victory, her world has turned to ash.

After rocking the cosmos with her deathly debut, Tamsyn Muir continues the story of the penumbral Ninth House in Harrow the Ninth, a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman's shoulders.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath � but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her.

Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor's Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?]]> 512 Tamsyn Muir 1250313228 Josh 3
#SPOILERS (somewhat)#

It was kind of amazing how much the book came to life once certain characters from the first book re-enter the story at the end of the this book.

Hopefully the last book will be able to deal with expanded, more complicated narrative but infuse it with the fun and drive of the first book. #fingerscrossed
]]> 4.30 2020
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: Josh
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/12/02
date added: 2020/12/02
shelves:
review:
So I was worried, given how the last book ended, that I wouldn't find this book as enjoyable. And sadly I was right. This book felt like it kept getting bogged down its convoluted narrative timelines and plans within plans. I missed the fairly straightforward, driving plot of the final 2/3 of the first book.

#SPOILERS (somewhat)#

It was kind of amazing how much the book came to life once certain characters from the first book re-enter the story at the end of the this book.

Hopefully the last book will be able to deal with expanded, more complicated narrative but infuse it with the fun and drive of the first book. #fingerscrossed

]]> 42036538
The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.]]> 448 Tamsyn Muir 1250313198 Josh 4 4.19 2019
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: Josh
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2020/10/16
date added: 2020/10/16
shelves:
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I found the first act a bit laborious to get through, but once things kicked into gear in the second act, I quite enjoyed this book. I liked the balance of the humor (especially the whispering teens) with the horror/sci-fi/fantasy.
]]> 51323365
Solutions and Other Problems includes humorous stories from Allie Brosh’s childhood; the adventures of her very bad animals; merciless dissection of her own character flaws; incisive essays on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness; as well as reflections on the absurdity of modern life.

This full-color, beautifully illustrated edition features all-new material with more than 1,600 pieces of art.]]> 519 Allie Brosh 1982156945 Josh 0 currently-reading 4.21 2020
author: Allie Brosh
name: Josh
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/09/26
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 42074525
Every city has a soul. Some are as ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York City? She's got five.

But every city also has a dark side. A roiling, ancient evil stirs beneath the earth, threatening to destroy the city and her five protectors unless they can come together and stop it once and for all.]]> 437 N.K. Jemisin Josh 0 currently-reading 3.83 2020
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: Josh
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/09/26
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 77566 500 Dan Simmons 0553283685 Josh 2
I did like some parts of it but large swaths were a real chore to get through.

It also had one part that was basically the author writing about writing (the Poet's Tale) and that type of thing usually makes me want to throw a book into the sea as authors generally can't seem to help themselves from getting overly clever and precious when doing so. We all get what you're doing. And it's basic. Like anytime a tv show or movie has characters griping about what horror shows actors are. Hilarious!

Probably won't bother to read the rest of the series...]]> 4.26 1989
author: Dan Simmons
name: Josh
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1989
rating: 2
read at: 2020/09/25
date added: 2020/09/26
shelves:
review:
Maybe I would have liked this more if I had read it years ago?

I did like some parts of it but large swaths were a real chore to get through.

It also had one part that was basically the author writing about writing (the Poet's Tale) and that type of thing usually makes me want to throw a book into the sea as authors generally can't seem to help themselves from getting overly clever and precious when doing so. We all get what you're doing. And it's basic. Like anytime a tv show or movie has characters griping about what horror shows actors are. Hilarious!

Probably won't bother to read the rest of the series...
]]> 42450773
COLLECTING: IMMORTAL HULK 11-15]]> 112 Al Ewing 1302915061 Josh 3 4.06 2019
author: Al Ewing
name: Josh
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2020/09/03
date added: 2020/09/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 52214193 240 Al Ewing 1302516213 Josh 4 4.35 2019
author: Al Ewing
name: Josh
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2020/08/06
date added: 2020/08/24
shelves:
review:

]]> 23763447 The long awaited sequel to the Inheritance trilogy -- a novella by award winning author N. K. Jemisin where a godling must struggle to grow in the shadow of her parents.


SOME TRUTHS MUST BE LEARNED THE HARD WAY...

As the first new godling born in thousands of years -- and the heir presumptive to Sieh the Trickster -- Shill's got big shoes to fill. She's well on her way when she defies her parents and sneaks off to the mortal realm, which is no place for an impressionable young god. In short order she steals a demon's grandchild, gets herself embroiled in a secret underground magical dance competition, and offends her oldest and most powerful sibling.

But for Eino, the young Darren man whom Shill has befriended, the god-child's silly games are serious business. Trapped in an arranged marriage and prohibited from pursuing his dreams, he has had enough. He will choose his own fate, even if he must betray a friend in the process -- and Shill might just have to grow up faster than she thinks.
This novella, THE AWAKENED KINGDOM takes place after the events of The Kingdom of Gods and will also be included in both the print and ebook ominbus of THE INHERITANCE TRILOGY in 12/14.


]]> 96 N.K. Jemisin 0316259055 Josh 3 4.01 2014
author: N.K. Jemisin
name: Josh
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2020/08/17
date added: 2020/08/24
shelves:
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]]> 29579 The first novel in Isaac Asimov's classic science-fiction masterpiece, the Foundation series

For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future--to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire--both scientists and scholars--and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.]]> 244 Isaac Asimov 0553803719 Josh 3
It didn't grab me and pull me in the way some of my favorite sci-fi has, so I don't know if I'll continue on in the series.
]]> 4.18 1951
author: Isaac Asimov
name: Josh
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1951
rating: 3
read at: 2020/08/23
date added: 2020/08/24
shelves:
review:
Not at all what I was expecting. I think, because of its relationship to the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, I was expecting a huge tome. And much more hard sci-fi. Instead it's a series of vignettes that could as easily be in the fantasy genre as sci-fi.

It didn't grab me and pull me in the way some of my favorite sci-fi has, so I don't know if I'll continue on in the series.

]]> 41555947
But when Ivy is hired to investigate the gruesome murder of a faculty member at Tabitha’s private academy, the stalwart detective starts to lose herself in the case, the life she could have had, and the answer to the mystery that seems just out of her reach.]]> 336 Sarah Gailey Josh 1
Leaving all of that aside, the mystery was pretty obvious and not particularly well thought out. A lot of details that could have used being explained either get hand waved away or never explained. And given that it's first person and you only have the info that the character knows and they are presented as being at least a competent PI, it's shocking how bad they are at putting any of the clues together.

Also except for the fact that main character was on a "I'm not pretty (but actually I am)" and "I'm not like-able (but actually I am)" arc, I have no idea why the romantic interest falls for them besides the fact that they are basically the first person of the correct gender/orientation/age to be a love interest that the main character meets.]]> 3.58 2019
author: Sarah Gailey
name: Josh
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at: 2020/08/04
date added: 2020/08/04
shelves:
review:
I really struggled to get through this book. I think first person narration is hard and this was a very unsuccessful attempt at it. The main character had to do a lot of heavy lifting, acting as narrator, main character and "newb to the fantasy world as avenue for the reader". There was a lot of narration that provided insight into the main character's actions that was both unnecessary (show, don't tell - trust the reader to infer the why behind the actions) and seemed to display a level of insight into one's own actions that seemed at odds with the character as presented and would have required an almost superhuman level of self-awareness.

Leaving all of that aside, the mystery was pretty obvious and not particularly well thought out. A lot of details that could have used being explained either get hand waved away or never explained. And given that it's first person and you only have the info that the character knows and they are presented as being at least a competent PI, it's shocking how bad they are at putting any of the clues together.

Also except for the fact that main character was on a "I'm not pretty (but actually I am)" and "I'm not like-able (but actually I am)" arc, I have no idea why the romantic interest falls for them besides the fact that they are basically the first person of the correct gender/orientation/age to be a love interest that the main character meets.
]]> 52166786 The final chapter in the Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.

Daevabad has fallen.

After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.

But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara’s dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.

Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother’s homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith.

As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.]]> 766 S.A. Chakraborty 0062678167 Josh 3
I think the author fell into a trap that is not uncommon (see the last Harry Potter book) where, after a climactic/traumatic events closing out the previous book, they felt the main characters needed to pause, assess, and process their trauma/emotions. But the end result is 250 pages of the main characters essentially isolated and not much actually happening externally before the plot actually starts to move forward again.

That being said, I think the author sticks the landing pretty well, which is not something I often say about fantasy trilogies, and even more rarely about authors finishing their first books. So kudos.


]]> 4.48 2020
author: S.A. Chakraborty
name: Josh
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/07/27
date added: 2020/07/27
shelves:
review:
I'm torn on what rating to give this. I would give the first part of the book a 2 and the rest a 4 if I could?

I think the author fell into a trap that is not uncommon (see the last Harry Potter book) where, after a climactic/traumatic events closing out the previous book, they felt the main characters needed to pause, assess, and process their trauma/emotions. But the end result is 250 pages of the main characters essentially isolated and not much actually happening externally before the plot actually starts to move forward again.

That being said, I think the author sticks the landing pretty well, which is not something I often say about fantasy trilogies, and even more rarely about authors finishing their first books. So kudos.



]]> 17470674
Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house? The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books.

The classic dystopian novel of a post-literate future, Fahrenheit 451 stands alongside Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World as a prophetic account of Western civilization’s enslavement by the media, drugs and conformity.

Bradbury’s powerful and poetic prose combines with uncanny insight into the potential of technology to create a novel which, decades on from first publication, still has the power to dazzle and shock.

--back cover]]> 227 Ray Bradbury 0007491565 Josh 4 4.01 1953
author: Ray Bradbury
name: Josh
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1953
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/07/14
shelves:
review:

]]>