Posts in category 'books'
Review: Going Postal
Review of Going Postal (Discworld #33.0) by Terry Pratchett (9780060502935)★★★★(https://b-ark.ca/_UMkgW)
Suddenly, condemned arch-swindler Moist von Lipwig found himself with a noose around his neck and dropping through a trapdoor into ... a government job?
By all rights, Moist should be meeting his maker rather than being offered a position as Postmaster by Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork. Getting the moribund Postal Service up and running again, however, may prove an impossible task, what with literally mountains of decades-old undelivered mail clogging every nook and cranny of the broken-down post office. Worse still, Moist could swear the mail is talking to him. Worst of all, it means taking on the gargantuan, greedy Grand Trunk clacks communication monopoly and its bloodthirsty piratical headman. But if the bold and undoable are what's called for, Moist's the man for the job -- to move the mail, continue breathing, get the girl, and specially deliver that invaluable commodity that every being, human or otherwise, requires: hope.
Who knew a book about starting up a post office could be so enjoyable! While not one of my favourite in the Discworld, Pratchett still cuts deep with his satire, taking hard shots at short-sighted corporations, ruthless financiers, and, randomly, naturopathy.
Review: Ancillary Justice
Review of Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1.0) by Ann Leckie (9780316246637)★★★(https://b-ark.ca/iuO_uE)
On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.
Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.
Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.
Ancillary Justice feels like the archetype of the massive vision science fiction novel… i.e., all concept, no character.
The first person perspective ensures that the only character we really get to know is Justice of Torren One Esk, but as a character, One Esk is a cardboard cutout. This is ironic as the setup would seem to make this narrative a great opportunity for a character study, but as we draw back the covers of One Esk, there just isn’t much there there.
As for the supporting cast, there’s little to recommend them, and in fact Seivarden is downright unpleasant for most of the book, with a mysterious turnaround partway through that I still don’t understand.
Continue reading...Review: Babylon's Ashes
Review of Babylon's Ashes (The Expanse #6.0) by James S. A. Corey (9780316217637)★★★(https://b-ark.ca/k6wC_c)
A revolution brewing for generations has begun in fire. It will end in blood.
The Free Navy - a violent group of Belters in black-market military ships - has crippled the Earth and begun a campaign of piracy and violence among the outer planets. The colony ships heading for the thousand new worlds on the far side of the alien ring gates are easy prey, and no single navy remains strong enough to protect them.
James Holden and his crew know the strengths and weaknesses of this new force better than anyone. Outnumbered and outgunned, the embattled remnants of the old political powers call on the Rocinante for a desperate mission to reach Medina Station at the heart of the gate network.But the new alliances are as flawed as the old, and the struggle for power has only just begun.
Babylon's Ashes is a breakneck science fiction adventure following the bestselling Nemesis Games.
Slow. Decent ending, but the journey wasn’t worth the effort.
Review: The Player of Games
Review of The Player of Games (The Culture #2.0) by Iain M. Banks (9780061053566)★★★★(https://b-ark.ca/WYa6yK)
Curgeh is the best, the champion. In the ancient, all-embracing Culture in which there is no disease or disaster, only the endless games, he has beaten them all. But an empire's challenge will teach him what the Game is really all about."Striking for its breadth of vision, its ability to suggest the sprawling facets of an old, far-flung culture." -- "Publishers Weekly" "A genuine and original talent." -- "The Detroit News" No serious science fiction fan can resist this seminal novel in Banks' renowned series about the universe of the Culture.
Well, as evidenced by my slow progress, you can tell this book didn’t catch me immediately (and it also coincided with the latest Binding of Isaac DLC coming out, which promptly trumped any extracurricular activities besides groping for achievements). It’s definitely a slow burner, but once Gurgeh makes his decision and the story really starts moving, it quickly becomes a solid, fast-paced read, with many excellent twists and turns along the way.
Continue reading...
