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I think Jacka is Verus

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-16-25

This was my favorite book of the series thus far, but I would have said after finishing #3 & then #4 and so on. It's rare an urban fantasy series gets stronger with each novel--aside from Jim Butcher's Dresden series and Lindsay Buroker's Death before Dragons--and it's hard for me to take the time to write this review because I want to jump to next novel right now. Brilliant writing, fantastic world-building, this series has it all.
After a slow start--yes, Alex & Co. are always being bullied and manipulated and treated terribly by the "good" guys as well as the bad--"Bound" just takes off. Each chapter ends with an "omg, what next?!" and I had trouble stopping the audiobook. Cliffhangers for all! And all that abuse? Well, Alex and we the readers finally get the answers as all the threads since "Fated" are brought together, tied up, and (mostly) revealed! No spoilers here, just wow. Granted, I doubt Alex's life--along with Ann, Luna, Veri (?spelling, sorry), and Arachne's--is about to get easy, but at least there's a major power shift in Alex's direction.
As for Jacka being the mage? I think he's the one who's prescient. All the "good" and "bad" guys (all bad in my book) getting away with literal bloody murder every time, the authorities and their security arms being compliscent in the outrages perpetrated against the very people they should be protecting? Sound familiar to life in 2025? I missed this series in 2013 or whenever Jacka started it, so I don't know how believable some of the politics would have seemed to me then, but now? The parallels between actions & reactions in these books and what's going on now in winter and spring 2025 is startling. I don't mean the magic, of course, but the actions taken (or not, when they turn blind eyes away from abuse and illegality) by governing bodies and their armies. Naivety is out the window for all, too.

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The story is a lovely sci-fi fantasy

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-12-24

Since a month ago when half our fellow citizens opted for bigotry, hatred, and fascism, there hasn't been a lot of joy. Listening to Project Hail Mary has been a bright spot this past week for me.

If we were faced by an extiction level threat as in this novel, do I believe humanity could band together to save our planet? of course not. We're not doing it now because climate change isn't hurting most of those in Western societies. By the time even idiots can't deny climate change & it comes for all of us, it will be too late to save the planet.

Still, the optimism in PHM is a nice fantasy, though I liked how the first half of the book is hard sci-fi. If I had known the trajectory the book would take, I'm not sure I would have listened. It turns into fantastical speculative fiction & (SPOILER) has a happy ending. But if you're needing a story with heart, vivid imagery, and hope, I recommend this audiobook highly. I loved Ray Porter's narration and the way they mastered Rocky's voice. I actually listened to 'Artemis' first & liked it enough to spend my one Audible credit on another Andy Weir book. And due to PHM, I'll get The Martian next month, even though I saw the movie. Weir is a great storyteller, even if his view of humanity is a lot brighter than mine. But maybe I need a microdose of hope every so often.

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Original world-building!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 10-07-24

I've loved Rachel Aaron's work since I first read her Eli Monpress series. As much as I enjoy her Nice Dragons and Minimum-Wage Magic series set in an alternate Detroit, this one is my new fave. I've never read much about Babylonian and Sumerian mythology beyond learning about Ishtar, but I plan to remedy that. Aaron's blending of characters from millennia
l-ancient myths (Ishtar, Gilgamesh, assorted demons) with witches and sorcerers of different traditions shouldn't work, but it does, and brilliantly! Hell of a Witch is so much more than the second book in a series--instead of being a bridge or placeholder, the plot went in myriad directions, yet all the strands flowed back together. Simply loving these characters from The Queen of Wrath, Bex, to her crew of Lyss, Nimini, and Iggs (sorry about the spelling, audiobook); to Adrian Blackwood and Boston, his familiar & my favorite cat in urban fantasy since Mister, Harry Dresden's very large feline. And I didn't expect the Celtic Goddess of War & Death to make an appearance, but thrilled she did. After listening, I might reread Demon for Hire, book one, because I missed a lot of the symbolism, metaphors, and psychological depth of Bex, a female character who never feels worthy and is laden with guilt. Watching her grow is half the fun. This is my favorite series of 2024.

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Great trilogy, Scalzi & Wheaton rule!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 08-25-24

I bought & listened to The Interdependency when each novel was first published. I really enjoyed it then, but my second listen cemented this work as my other favorite sci-fi series (The Expanse by Ty Franck & Daniel Abraham aka James SA Corey). What struck me this time wad how well Scalzi captured the greed, pettiness, socio- and psychopathy, and all-around evil of most of the ruling class. His depiction of the soulless machinations of the 1% (the billionaires & their assorted toadies and foot soldiers) mirrored what was happening 4-6 years ago, but seem even more prescient now. Most of the Wu family and Nadashe & her mother and brothers are lifted from the society pages and seem to be future versions of the current ruling political figures who care only for themselves and find autocracy and tyranny expedient and preferable to democracy. Anyone who thinks the Orange Caligula cares about the "little people" is as deluded as he is. If the earth were going to be wiped out in a few years by a giant asteroid hurtling toward us, who will make it on the space station or moon habitats as representatives of the human race? It sure won't be the best & brightest, but the wealthiest, a point Scalzi brings home with no subtlety. Humanity only can hope some Graylands, Mars Clearmonts, & Kivas will be there to act in humanity's interest and thwart the uber-wealthy and tech bros. Scalzi does a brilliant job of portraying the worst of human nature, but with his protagonists, also shows the best in some. Cardenia (Emperox Grayland) is a realistic heroine and something about her and Mars give me hope, because I have to believe that people like these characters really exist. Draw your own parallels with a woman rising from the middle class but staying true to her values & fighting for the majority and a man who was an educator evolving into a public servant on a larger scale.
Also, Wil Wheaton is an amazing narrator. He delivers snarky lines with biting humor, only to soften his voice and inject so much true emotion three seconds later that I found myself tearing up several times. Wil brings Scalzi's heros and villians to life so wonderfully that I plan on listening to everything else he's narrated, mainly because my spirits need a lift and he can do that effortlessly.
If you love sci-fi that contains some hope and brightness, Machiavellian machinations, and skullduggery that would have made the ancient Roman's embarrassed, this trilogy is for you.

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Lovely story about pain and loss

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-09-24

that doesn't revel in the mire of those things. T Kingfisher is my favorite living fantasy author--her world-building and characters are superb. Tab the civet cat, enough said. Please read in any order, but I recommend Swordheart followed by Paladin books 1, 2, 3, and 4.

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Listen or else

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 07-04-24

I love the Crooked Media guys, but even after listening to Jon, Jon, and Tommy since 2017, I didn't realize how funny they are. At a time where we all don't know whether to laugh or cry, this book had me laughing out loud. And not because the alternative is despair. Somehow, they delivered zingers that were all kinds of funny. Black humor (if you don't have schadenfreude, what's left?) to hysterical one-liners (vote in every election, vote often) to inadvertent comedy (grab a hoof, boys). If you're expecting a serious how-to book, well... don't look elsewhere, but know that this audiobook is as funny as it is sincere. I just finished all 3 hours two nights ago and I'm ready to play it again. please, vote AND buy Democracy or Else.

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B Sanderson's 50th novel!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 06-09-24

I'm still reading Frugal Wizard's Guide, and read Tress and Yumi & the Nightmare Painter. So, The Sunlit Man was the last of the Kickstarter projects for me. What does it say about Brandon's writing and world-building that--although I liked this Cosmere novel enough to give it 5 stars--it is #4 when I rank them in terms of preference. The other novels are only tangentially part of the Cosmere system (galaxy? universe?) but each one is wildly different and wholly original. And none of them are overtly religious. I almost gave The Sunlit Man 4 stars because I simply don't enjoy stories that become didactic and preachy. Usually Sanderson is a great enough writer that he doesn't fall into the C.S. Lewis trap. He seems more like Tolkien--a person of deep faith and secure enough in it that he doesn't feel the need to proselytize in an overt manner. But Nomad is a savior figure and the people of Beacon, though admirable, are sheep. Granted, they are sheep I came to care about, and that's because Sanderson is such a wonderful storyteller. But this plot--in the hands of a lesser writer, I'd have quit halfway through. Sanderson saves it from becoming too religiously pedagogical through his use of humor (Aux) and well-done action. I still enjoyed it, but am thankful that chance led me to read it last (from the Kickstarter projects) because I might not have read the others, and I loved Tress and Yumi & the NP. (Btw, it's coincidental that those two have romance and TSM, not. I can't stand "romance" novels, but luckily, they're a benevolent bug, not a feature in Sanderson's writing.) Wow, I'm sorry to not be more positive about a sci-fi story that I liked. I guess it's not fair of me because Sanderson's weakest work is better than 95% of his peers, and I'm comparing this book to his others. Anyway, I'm interested now to read other reviews and see if I'm the only one who felt this way about the religious overtones in TSM. Trust me, they aren't subtle!
However, The Sunlit Man is still a good read and I'm happy I read it, as the idea of people living on a tiny planet that could kill them every day was fascinating.
And to end on a positive note, I don't want George RR Martin to "will" (i.e , die) GoT to Sanderson the way Jordan did with The Wheel of Time, but I wish he'd consider letting Sanderson finish his saga. If he'd hand it over to Sanderson, he'd stay faithful to the plots but also breath new life into it and FINISH it as well. I can't believe someone as young as Sanderson has written 50 novels--I've read between 15 and 20 of them, and they were anywhere from great to sublime. And at least you can start a series with Sanderson, knowing that he'll finish it brilliantly!

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She walks in beauty

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 06-04-24

like the night. I loved this novel and thought I haven't read The Sunlit Man, it's been my favorite of Brandon Sanderson's four Kickstarter projects. (And I enjoyed Tress immensely and I'm in the middle of Frugal Wizard.) It's a synthesis of art, beauty, love, betrayal, fantasy and sci-fi, and I loved it all. My biggest regret is not buying the actual books when Sanderson did the Kickstarter drive. Luckily, he's kindly posted the accompanying illustrations on his website. The art for Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is exquisite. I only learned about this AFTER I finished the audiobook, though. I don't want to give anything away, just listen or read to this lovely little novel now.

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Life's not fair, nor is the afterlife

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 06-01-23

This was my favorite book in the series, and as I learned from other reviews, it's also the final book. I'm okay with a cliffhanger ending because it's more like life (especially Kincaid's) than a tidy closure, but I'm sad if Charish planned another book and I know I would have enjoyed it, too. This is one of the best urban fantasy series I've read, so I don't understand why it wasn't continued. Kristi Charish is right up there was Seanan McGuire, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher (Harry Dresden), and Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid), four of my favorite purveyors of urban fantasy. Original system of magic, unique worldbuilding, a protagonist who is flawed and believable, and a varied cast of characters kept me listening constantly. The friendship between Kincaid and Nate the Grunge ghost is so well-developed and caring--it fills the space usually created by a romantic plotline, which I never missed. I didn't want to set my phone down--I even bought the 2nd and 3rd books on Audible in quick succession, though I normally never buy any book under 20 hrs. Another reviewer mentioned this, and I second her recommendation--do yourself a favor and read the three Kincaid Strange novels. And after you finish them, please read the series she wrote before this one. It's completely different (something that floors me) and just as exciting & original. Alix Hiboux, the Owl, makes Kincaid look all fluffy and well-adjusted, but she's a fascinating protagonist. Alix is a former grad student of archaeology turned antiquities thief, and her closest friends are an incubus, a Russian woman who was in the same grad program as Alix, and an Egyptian mau cat named Captain. Actually, since they both have apartments in Seattle, I wish the next book Charish publishes could be a crossover adventure with Alix and Kincaid (even though their worlds are nothing alike). I'm now at loose ends since I read Charish's seven wonderful novels in about two weeks. If you haven't read any, please start now.

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Unplugged in Seattle

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 05-26-23

Kristi Charish brings fresh blood to urban fantasy tropes. I loved her first series about an antiquities thief with a vampire-hating cat, and judging by this first novel, her Voodoo trilogy is going to be just as original. Set in Seattle, the worldbuilding and magic are unique. Kincaid runs headlong from one disaster to the next, never stopping to think about what she's doing. That her closest friend is the ghost of a Seattle grunge rocker who died in the 1990s says it all. She doesn't seem to realize she's as self-destructive as he was. And though the character's name is Nate, it was impossible for me not to see Kurt Cobain. There was something sad about that, but it added some melancholy to the story. I loved the idea that ghosts can manifest under the right conditions & the impromptu concert Nate puts on behind a frat house after Kincaid summons him was one of the best scenes in the novel. It's a different take on zombies, too, more iZombie than Night of the Living Dead. The idea that Cameron (a zombie with amnesia) never has full control of himself keeps the tension high. Given the plot twist at the novel's end, I can't wait to start the second book!

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