What have I read this week?

The Forgotten Hours by Katrin Schumann

This is a novel about a woman called Katie Gregory whose father is about to leave prison after six years. The novel takes place in both the past and present as Katie tries to find out what really happened with her father’s crime, and come to terms with it. This book didn’t particularly grab me; I pretty much worked out the big reveal at the beginning.

The Armageddon Machine by Simon Kewin

This is a science fiction novella about Mackenzie, the commander of a fleet of spacecraft who is attempting to deal with an enemy craft which could destroy the universe. I found this quite interesting, although I would have liked to find out more about the universe it is set in.

The Windsingers Series by Megan Lindholm

This series consists of four books: Harpy’s Flight, The Windsingers, The Limbreth Gate and Luck of the Wheels. These are fantasy novels about Ki, a human woman who recently lost her family, and Vandien, a human man who is down on his luck. I enjoyed these: the characters are good and the world is interesting.

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What have I read this week?

The Edge of Worlds by Martha Wells

This is another novel in the Books of the Raksura series about Moon. I enjoyed it, but it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I really want to read the next one!

One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence

This is a science fiction novel about a boy called Nick, who gets cancer and then meets a mysterious man called Demus. I didn’t especially like this, although I have enjoyed other books by the same author.

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What have I read this week?

The Cloud Roads, The Serpent Sea and The Siren Depths by Martha Wells

These are the first three Books of the Raksura, a fantasy series about a Raksura named Moon, who grows up alone after an attack on his court. He is found by another Raksura and persuaded to join a court. I enjoyed these – the world is really interesting and I like the characters.

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What have I read this week?

The Fever King by Victoria Lee

This is a science fiction novel about a young man called Noam who develops powers after an illness. I didn’t particularly like or dislike it. Some of the characters were interesting, but overall it didn’t grab me.

Stories of the Raksura by Martha Wells

This is a collection of stories set in the world of the Raksura. I enjoyed them, although it definitely would have helped to have read the Raksura novels first.

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What have I read this week?

The Fallen Empire Omnibus (Books 1-3 and prequel) by Lindsay Buroker

This is an anthology consisting of Star Nomad, Honor’s Flight, Starseers and the prequel Last Command. The three novels follow an ex-fighter pilot named Alisa who is trying to find her daughter after the end of an interstellar war. The prequel follows Leonidas, a character from the novels. I enjoyed these, but reading them all together was a little samey. I would prefer to have spaced them out a bit.

Of Sand & Malice Made by Bradley Beaulieu

This is a fantasy novel about a girl named Çeda who is a pit fighter. She becomes entangled with Rümayesh and ends up in a fight for survival. I enjoyed this. The world is interesting and I found the characters fascinating. I will definitely be reading more in this series.

The Shotgun Arcana by R.S. Belcher

This is a fantasy novel set in the American Old West about a town called Golgotha where strange and evil things happen. It was quite interesting, and also a bit gross, but I don’t think I want to read any more in this series.

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What have I read this week? Just the one, this week.

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng

This is a fantasy novel about a woman called Catherine who goes to Arcadia, land of the fae, to be with her brother, who is a missionary there. I found the premise interesting, but neither the characters nor the plot really grabbed me. I did finish it, but it was slow going.

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What have I read this week? Absolutely nothing, it turns out. I am about halfway through something, but won’t finish it tonight. Hopefully I will manage to finish it tomorrow.

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What have I read this week? Only the one book.

The Never King by James Abbott

This is a fantasy novel about a man called Xavir who was a general who was tricked into killing some of his own countrymen and then imprisoned. Some years later, he is persuaded to escape from prison to overthrow those who put him there. I quite enjoyed this, although I felt that the fight at the end was a bit too quick and easy compared to the buildup. I might read more by this author if I came across them.

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What have I read this week?

The Lost Witch by Melvin Burgess

This is a children’s book about a girl named Bea who discovers that she is a witch. I liked it: it was a little predictable in parts, but well done overall. I’d read other books by the author.

Crimson Death by Laurell K Hamilton

This is another book in the Anita Blake series. I didn’t like it, and it’s probably the last of these that I’m going to read. It was too long, full of too much (boring) relationship drama, and the conflict with the big bad felt like it was an afterthought, and got resolved way too quickly.

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What have I read this week?

Goldenboy by Michael Nava

This is a detective novel about a gay lawyer named Henry Rios who is asked to defend a young gay man accused of murder. The characters and plot didn’t particularly grip me, so I’m unlikely to read any more in this series.

Fish Change Direction In Cold Weather by Pierre Szalowski

This is a children’s book about a boy whose parents are splitting up. He asks the sky to help him and an ice storm occurs. I didn’t really like this. I didn’t find any of the characters compelling, or even particularly likeable.

© bardofupton 2019