Jack

"No", Kaladin said, "I'm his therapist."

Revisado: 01-20-25

That is a real quote above. I could elaborate further all the terrible parts of this book, but Audible would probably hide my post. It isn't even close to the worst, most jarring scene in the novel.

I'm done with Sanderson now. Everyone has their politics in their books, and that's fine. Sanderson has odious views and I'm not going to support more of his work. He had a great first two books in this series, and I wish I had stopped reading there. Hundreds of hours of my life are gone to this trash.

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I had fond memories of this book

Revisado: 09-10-24

but it didn't hold up. Robinson spends most of the novel trying to rehash cliche themes from Heinlen, specifically "Stranger in a Strange Land". Those hippy ideals almost made sense at the time, but for a book written in the 90s they come off as soppy liberalism that is already out of touch.

In 2024, this book is painful.

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An Unpolished First Draft of Bad Fanfiction

Revisado: 10-12-23

I can't help but wonder if this was ghost written. Of my many gripes, the most egregious is that he tells, not shows. Instead of painting pictures or letting the work speak for itself, the novel breaks away from the action so the narrator can explain basic concepts like he is talking to someone in the 20th century. This is blatantly lazy story telling. I expect far more from a veteran author who has shown himself to be more talented than that.

Once you get past the laziness, you need to confront what Anthony described as "cutting social commentary". It isn't. Again, Piers was lazy and didn't put the effort in to attempting real commentary. What you get is 27th century people recycling lukewarm political takes from the 1980s. For no reason at all, the US stand-in from 2770 is made up of "Saxons" who discriminate against "Hispanics" in their space empire. What a load of tripe.

If you make the mistake of disregarding my warnings, just wait until they introduce "Emerald". If that character doesn't totally ruin the story for you, then you'll probably love any crummy modern sci-fi.

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Drivel that fits the contemporary audience.

Revisado: 09-24-23

I am shocked to see so many people describing this as a product of its time. I feel it fits the contemporary milieu so much better. It is confused on religion in general - Christianity in particular - and fits in with current sexual and racial mores so well you'd think Heinlein studied gender at Cal. I fail to see anything classic about it.

I found the world he painted grotesque, hippie, and idealist in the most naive way.

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promising at first, but meandering and forgetful

Revisado: 07-20-23

I don't know how this book won any awards. It had an interesting beginning, heavily inspired by Kafka, but it is very obviously a prison book written by a man with no concept of prison at all, much less human behaviors outside of an academy setting. He picks up interesting threads of plot constantly, then forgets them and leaves them be, only to suddenly try and wrap it all up at the end. This book is more of a promising first draft than a finished novel.

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A Disappointing Sequel That Feels Anachronistic

Revisado: 01-09-23

The first book was amazing. It brought a real sense of the ancient Mediterranean and the motivations a person of that age would have. At times I felt like it was adapted straight from an ancient scroll, long buried but recently translated.

Unfortunately, this second book feels like it was cobbled together by a modern American/Canadian author, as it was. Contemporary views on race, feminism, and religion pop up throughout the novel. If you want to read a 21st century person's views on these topics, fair enough. But if you're looking for a gripping semi-historical account of the Ancient World that makes you feel like you're listening to an ancestor, look elsewhere. Gene Wolfe's "Latro" trilogy does a much better job of returning you to the past.

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Avoid this audiobook at all costs.

Revisado: 11-21-22

The narration of this book is beyond challenging. It sounds like a text-to-voice app the entire time. The biography is written in a narrative form by the author, interspersed with excerpts of diaries and official letters. The narrator does nothing to indicate this, whether it be changing his tone of voice, cadence, or even pausing. He continues with the same monotone throughout the entire book.

I honestly can't tell whether the book is even a good biography of Bismarck. It was almost impossible to follow along due to the poor reading.

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Amazing historical fiction in early Europe

Revisado: 10-10-22

I came across Dan Davis through his YouTube channel, where he makes excellent historical videos. In his video on the origins of Yanmaya culture, the precursors to modern Europeans, he mentioned he wrote this book. Wow. I loved it.

Davis does a masterful job of creating a time we know very little about. This gives him the freedom to make a truly unique and mythological portrayal of our ancestors. Dive in, it is wonderful.

Alex Wyndham's narration is great.

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Simply Beautiful

Revisado: 05-22-22

The characters of the Long Sun Whorl are some of the noblest, most intriguing, and human ever put to paper. Gene Wolfe has one of the greatest catalogues of any author, and this may be his best work. You owe it to yourself to listen.

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Read It Now

Revisado: 05-15-22

There is no more important author of our current time than Gene Wolfe. Every book he wrote is divine, and this one may be the most of them all.

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