The nitty-gritty: A (mostly) gentle character study about a motley crew of hotel staff and patrons, Floating Hotel is light on plot but succeeds with its lively characters and emotional connections. Floating Hotel is a delightful found family, slice-of-life story revolving around a group of people aboard the Grand Abeona Hotel, a spaceship that ping-pongs […]
The nitty-gritty: Gear brings more deadly creatures, more political maneuvering and lots of action to the table in Reckoning, another fantastic entry in his Donovan series. It’s always fun when a new W. Michael Gear Donovan book comes out, a series that could keep on going as far as I’m concerned. I’m convinced Gear isn’t […]
The nitty-gritty: Another fantastic entry into the Africanfuturism subgenre, Noor blends sci-fi tech with interesting characters and an intriguing African desert setting. I’ve read enough Nnedi Okorafor books now to recognize her particular writing style, and Noor not only embraces that style, but it’s full of the author’s brilliant, futuristic ideas and social commentary. If […]
The nitty-gritty: A complex world full of fascinating characters, Nightwatch on the Hinterlands is an excellent start to a new science fiction series. I was so excited when this book was announced, a story set in K. Eason’s Rory Thorne universe but far in the future with different characters. And wow, was this a lot […]
The nitty-gritty: Gear kills it in his latest Donovan installment, a high-octane adventure that is almost impossible to put down. “How bad can it be?” Dek wondered. “If it’s just people, like Tal says, we knock a couple of heads. If it’s beasties, we’ve got rifles. Problem solved.” How bad indeed…Gear’s Donovan series is still […]
The nitty-gritty: Another strong entry in Dan Stout’s retro noir urban fantasy series, Titan Song is a rollicking good time. This is the third book in The Carter Archives series, and it’s still going strong, I’m happy to report. Stout has combined a unique set of elements—noir urban fantasy, a 1970s vibe that seems familiar […]
The nitty-gritty: A unique seafaring story set in a brilliantly inventive world and populated with interesting characters, The Forever Sea was a feast for the senses. Never has a book surprised me as much as The Forever Sea. What started as a slog through heavily detailed worldbuilding and a slow moving plot suddenly made a […]
The nitty-gritty: Threader Origins had a lot of potential, but a sluggish middle section made this an uneven read for me. Threader Origins has a great hook: a machine called the Quantum Power Source, designed as a solution to the world’s energy needs, misfires and pushes a young undergrad into a dystopian parallel world where […]
The nitty-gritty: An enjoyable but slightly uneven sequel in K. Eason’s imaginative Star Wars inspired space opera series. Last year I was surprised by how much I loved How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse, so I was very excited to read the sequel. And for the most part, I enjoyed it. Rory Thorne was more […]
The nitty-gritty: Big ideas, big dinos and lots of thoughtful commentary, Hella was an odd combination of quick thrills, fascinating facts and very uneven pacing. I had high hopes for Hella, and although it started off with lots of promise, halfway through the book I realized that there were several problematic elements that would ultimately […]