Signor Finzione Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Great review of the Reynolds, Steve. You have a knack of making me want to read things I know I won't actually enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 You have a knack of making me want to read things I know I won't actually enjoy. x He does, doesn't he? I fully agree . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 Great review of the Reynolds, Steve. You have a knack of making me want to read things I know I won't actually enjoy. If you go into it with that attitude you really won't enjoy it! Thanks, though. I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Yes, it was a compliment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 # 18 Absolution Gap by Alastair Reynolds 2003 - Gollancz ebook - 704 pages From Amazon: Mankind has endured centuries of horrific plague and a particularly brutal interstellar war...but there is still no time for peace and quiet. Stirred from aeons of sleep, the Inhibitors - ancient alien killing machines - have begun the process of ridding the galaxy of its latest emergent intelligence: mankind. As a ragtag bag of refugees fleeing the first wave of the cull head towards an apparently insignificant moon light-years away, they discover an avenging angel, a girl born in ice. She has the power to lead mankind to safety and the ability to draw down their darkest enemy. And on a planet where vast travelling cathedrals crawl towards the treacherous fissure known as Absolution Gap, an unsettling truth becomes apparent: to beat one enemy, it may be necessary to forge an alliance with something much, much worse... Thoughts: One aspect I have enjoyed of this trilogy is that there has been little repetition between each book, that they have each set out to tell their own story whilst still progressing the overarching plot threads that were started in the first book. Absolution Gap both revisits storytelling techniques from the previous books (three stories set in different time periods that ultimately converge) and breaks new ground by focusing on Hela, ice moon to a gas giant, where a quite frankly bonkers religion has grown from the discovery of a forty mile long bridge built - where intelligent life has supposedly never been before - across a vast gouge in the surface called, unsurprisingly, Absolution Gap. In a nice piece of symmetry, Reynolds here has his characters investigate the extinction of an alien race, the scuttlers, much as the first book dealt with the extinction of the Amarantin. He avoids repetition with a little mis-direction, the unique setting of the travelling cathedrals, and his exploration of the religious aspect. He also populates this thread with some excellent new characters: Rashmika, a 17 year old girl convinced that her missing brother has been indoctrinated into the religion, and refusing to toe the accepted line regarding the scuttlers; Grelier, a scheming doctor-type obsessed with the so-called 'bloodworks'; and Quaiche (which I kept reading as 'Quiche' - this book made me very hungry ), the treasure hunter whose succumbing to an indoctrinal virus started the whole merry-go-round in the first place. Other characters return, too. I won't say who. Some will survive, some won't. The lighthugger Nostalgia for Infinity plays a large part again, and is still one of the creepiest and most oppressively atmospheric settings I've come across in sf. Despite its excessive length, I found Absolution Gap to be a hugely enjoyable slice of modern British sf. In fact, it was only once I had finished it that its problems started to become apparent to me. I actually finished it a few days ago, and have been trying to work out what to say about it ever since. The main issue, I think, is that because Reynolds has chosen to take this story in such a different direction, the huge war against the Inhibitors, which was really beginning to kick-off so impressively in the latter stages of Redemption Ark, is largely relegated to the background. I don't have a major problem with this, really, because it allows him to maintain close focus on the characters, but it did feel somewhat anti-climactic. The main problem, though, is the ending. Reynolds' writing is as engaging and atmospheric as ever, his characters are much, much improved, and the story moves along at a good pace for 650 of its 700 pages. But then, in the last 50, it's as if he suddenly realised he was hitting a deadline and has to get it finished, and the story suddenly hurtles to a somewhat downbeat ending that, although it ties up most plot points, somehow lacks impact and complete closure. Room for another sequel, perhaps, but - even though there have been three more books since that are set in the same universe, none to date have been a direct continuation. It's a logical ending, given the scale of the backstory, it just seems a little rushed. So I'd say, in the end, that this trilogy is very good indeed, hugely enjoyable and brilliantly written, with good characters and science explained and used in a coherent and easy-to-understand way. For me to read three books on the trot by the same author and not get burn out is a sign of how good they are. Ultimately, though, it doesn't quite achieve that honoured place on the shelf. For me, of the six of his books I've read so far, House of Suns and Chasm City are still the ones that deserve that accolade. 7/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Great review ! I look forward to read some of Alastair Reynolds' work some time. I'm glad you enjoyed the book though it's a shame of the rushed ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 (edited) Thanks Ho hum, there was trouble on the tube when I left work, so naturally I went book browsing to pass the time whilst they sorted it out. Forbidden Planet is just a short bus ride away, and I remembered to take my list with me this time - although I only really went for one book, but they had most of the ones I wanted, and they were all in perfect condition, so of course I bought more than one (although, to be honest, I could have ended up with more than the three I did get). Young Miles (Vorkosigan Saga Onimbus 2) by Lois McMaster Bujold - contains the novels The Warrior's Apprentice and The Vor Game, plus the novella The Mountains of Mourning. This is the one I specifically went for, as I'm currently reading the first omnibus and thoroughly enjoying it. Deathstalker by Simon R. Green. The cover's rubbish but the blurb sounds awesome Tour of the Merrimack Volume One by R. M. Meluch - contains the novels The Myriad and Wolf Star. This one's currently getting great word of mouth over on the Malazan forums. It's basically space opera set in the future using an alternate history where the Roman Empire never fell. Swords in space - what's not to like? That's twice I've been to Forbidden Planet in as many weeks, after only going there once in the past year or so. It could get worryingly habit forming Very pleasantly surprised by how cheap their import books are - these were all £5.99 each ETA: Oh, and a second-hand copy of Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny has arrived, too. Edited March 24, 2014 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Great review! Glad you're enjoying the series. It's not a trip to London without a visit to Forbidden Planet. Cambridge has one but the fiction section is appallingly small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Great review Steve! Again, you really make me want to read this series, despite knowing it's not my cup of tea. Tut tut with the book buying - looks like you'll have to start exercising restraint before it becomes a problem. Great buys, though I've never heard of any of 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 It's not a trip to London without a visit to Forbidden Planet. Cambridge has one but the fiction section is appallingly small. Yeah, I've been to the one in Cambridge - although that was a few years ago now. I'm assuming it's still in the same place, across the park from the town centre? Great review Steve! Again, you really make me want to read this series, despite knowing it's not my cup of tea. Thanks! I reckon the one I'm reading at the moment might be more up your street <<ponders>> Tut tut with the book buying - looks like you'll have to start exercising restraint before it becomes a problem. Great buys, though I've never heard of any of 'em. You have now! I'm still trying to work out whether the character on the cover of Deathstalker is a man or a woman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Yeah, I've been to the one in Cambridge - although that was a few years ago now. I'm assuming it's still in the same place, across the park from the town centre? Yeah it is, but it recently moved across the street, the new premises are nicer and bigger but the fiction section appears to have shrank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 (edited) # 19 Shards of Honor (Vorkosigan Saga Book 1) by Lois McMaster Bujold 1986 - Baen paperback - 253 pages From Goodreads: The start of the Vorkosigan Saga! It was the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons. And Captain Cordelia Naismith of the Betan Expeditionary Force would be forced into a separate peace with her enemy, Lord Vorkosigan .... Thoughts: Shards of Honor is the first of two novels included in the omnibus edition Cordelia's Honor, hence the cover image above. This is the story of Cordelia Naismith, commander of a team surveying a newly discovered planet. When their camp is attacked she is left stranded on the planet - in true Captain Kirk style, telling her crew to get her ship away to safety and leave her behind - and encounters the enemy, the Barrayaran officer Aral Vorkosigan. She soon discovers that he has also been marooned as the result of a mutiny, and the only way out is for them to work together to survive. All sounds pretty 'ho-hum' doesn't it? So it's something of a surprise as to just how enjoyable a tale it turns out to be. This is science fiction with the emphasis on the 'fiction' - the science side of it is simply accepted, as we accept our present-day technology. There are no lengthy descriptions of how or why something works, Bujold just gets on with the story and, most importantly, the characters. I would describe it as an easy, entertaining, absorbing read, definitely at the 'softer' end of the sf market - in contrast to Alastair Reynolds, who's at the 'hard sf' end of the same market - so I think it was perfect for me to wind down with, coming off the back of the Revelation Space books. It's space opera with a female main protagonist, told from a 'tight' third-person viewpoint, meaning we see everything through Cordelia's eyes. There is action, but it is kept brief whilst it concentrates on the clash of cultures and politics. This was Bujold's first novel, so there are some rough edges, the occasional piece of clunky dialogue and/or jarring change in tone, but these are minor complaints. Cordelia is a truly likeable character, who I warmed to straight away. She is not perfect, she has faults, she is strong but her vulnerability is shown through her not being a soldier, meaning she fights more with her wits. There's some nice humour that comes naturally through the dialogue, and there is enough going on to keep the story moving at a fair pace. It held my interest all the way through. That said, I looked at this series a few years ago and, when I saw mention of it being a 'science fiction romance', I thought 'Nah, probably not for me'. I was wrong. Yes, there is romance - you can tell from the set-up explained above cos it sounds so cliched: they're just two kids from opposite sides of the track, drawn together by circumstance, and their love blossoms despite opposition from all sides. It's very 'Romeo and Juliet', except without the suicidal tendencies. Or the balcony. But no, in truth it doesn't work out like that. For a start, Vorkosigan is in his 40s and Cordelia her 30s. It's kind of strange, although probably explained by this being Bujold's first novel, that there seems to be little in the way of actual fireworks between them, and their feelings seem to spring out of nowhere as a result, but that could be put down to their respective military and scientific upbringings. It is far from the sappy romance I feared it would be. It is generally handled in a very mature and believable way, particularly when their respective pasts are slowly revealed through well-written dialogue. I also need to mention that these two are not the main protagonists of the series as a whole: that, erm, honor falls to one Miles Vorkosigan - and this, colour me stunned, is the story of how his parents met. So out of sight, out of mind, I've been ignoring this series ever since I gained that initial impression, but my current craving for sf - and space opera, in particular - somehow brought me back to it, coupled with the excellent reviews that have been appearing on The Wertzone over the past few months, plus glowing comments on both Amazon and Goodreads. My curiosity was piqued still further when I saw that all of the novels plus all the novellas are available on Kindle, but it was finding the first omnibus edition in Forbidden Planet the other week that sealed the deal. The paperback omnibus editions can be bought for between five and six quid each and generally contain two or three novels and occasionally a novella, whereas the Kindle editions are over £5 for each indiviual novel plus around £2.50 for each novella, so the paperbacks are really a bargain. Additionally, the omnibus editions present the stories in internal chronological order, rather than publication order, so it makes it easy to sort out which story you should be reading next. From everything I've read, this is probably the weakest book in the series, and things really start to kick off with the immediate sequel, Barrayar. These two are essentially one story, so I've started on it straight away. 7/10 Edit: corrected the year of publication. Edited March 28, 2014 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Congrats on your new books! I liked Forbidden Planet, but unfortunately the one I used to go to near my boyfriends' house, closed down. A while later he moved. But it was a great shop when I visited it. I loved to look at all the things that you hardly ever see here in the Netherlands. Great review ! I think I'd enjoy the book. I hope you enjoy the sequel too . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 Thanks If anyone's interested, here's a list of the 'Vorkosigan Saga' novels and novellas (in italics), with the applicable omnibus edition shown in brackets. Falling Free (Miles, Mutants & Microbes)Shards of Honor (Cordelia’s Honor)Barrayar (Cordelia’s Honor)The Warrior's Apprentice (Young Miles)"The Mountains of Mourning" (Young Miles)The Vor Game (Young Miles)Cetaganda (Miles, Mystery & Mayhem)Ethan of Athos (Miles, Mystery & Mayhem)"Labyrinth" (Miles, Mystery & Mayhem)"The Borders of Infinity" (Miles Errant)Brothers in Arms (Miles Errant)Mirror Dance (Miles Errant)MemoryKomarr (Miles in Love)A Civil Campaign (Miles in Love)"Winterfair Gifts" (Miles in Love)Diplomatic Immunity (Miles, Mutants & Microbes)Captain Vorpatril's AllianceCryoBurn Not sure at the moment whether or not I'd be prepared to walk around with a book called 'Miles in Love' We'll see if the series maintains my interest that far Not all of the omnibus editions have the same cover style, which is strange and a bit annoying. Falling Free is shown first because it pre-dates the main series but is a totally separate story set in the same universe. Bujold herself recommends reading it later on, hence its inclusion in the sixth of the omnibus editions. Her commentary and reading order suggestions/explanations can be found here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Thanks for that! I'll have to keep it in mind, might be able to find an omnibus sometime . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Nice review, it sounds great. Not sure I'd want to be seen reading something called 'Miles in Love' either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Yeah, if I get that far into the series I think I'll be getting those particular entries on Kindle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 # 20 Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga Book 2) by Lois McMaster Bujold 1991 - Baen paperback - 336 pages Thoughts: Barrayar follows on immediately after Shards of Honor, without pause, so I don't think I can post a blurb for this one, or even go into much detail about the plot, so as not to spoil the end of the previous book. Suffice to say, now the story moves to the planet of Barrayar where Cordelia, cast in the role of outsider, has to come to terms with Barrayaran culture and tradition, and the responsibilities that have suddenly been thrust upon her. Little does she know the dangers that lie ahead. Barrayar, following the series' internal chronological order, is the second novel in the series, and the second novel included in the omnibus edition called Cordelia's Honor. It wasn't the second novel in the series that Bujold wrote, however. From reading her afterword, and from various other sources, she actually started writing Shards/Barrayar as one novel, and had already written half of Barrayar in the early 80s when she realised that the book was getting too long (she was working on the assumption that editors will pick up unsolicited manuscripts that are shorter before any others) and so stopped writing, went back to find a natural ending point for what turned out to be Shards of Honor, and eventually submitted and sold that novel. In the meantime, she had written a further two Vorkosigan novels (The Warrior's Apprentice and Ethan of Athos), which she also sold, and then went on to write Falling Free and The Vor Game (for which she a Nebula and a Hugo award, respectively). It was only then that she returned to finish Barrayar. It was, I think, something of a stroke of genius. Her writing style, her plotting, her characterisation - everything about this book is several leagues above what she did in Shards. This is the sort of science fiction novel, I think, that those normally wary of the genre will enjoy, and genre-regulars like me can appreciate for its refreshing approach. Again, it's told in a tight third-person view, from Cordelia's perspective, and her character development is a joy, as are most of those around her. Yes, some of them verge on stereotype, especially the bad guys, but this is all about Cordelia and her immediate relationships. Cordelia is the most convincing female protagonist I've come across in science fiction a long time. Aral perhaps spends a bit too much time in the background, but it is hard not to like him or sympathise with him when he's front and centre. Other characters like Koudelka and Droushnakovi get ample screen time and become winning characters in their own right. Aral's father, Piotr, provides some scenes of crackling tension. Best of all, apart from Cordelia, is poor, tortured Bothari, who grows from the hired muscle into a fully-fledged character so naturally I didn't even realise it was happening. Sometimes in sf the authors are too busy being clever to develop their characters properly. Bujold's characters give the novel both heart and soul. Character-wise, it's the best sf novel I've read since A Deepness in the Sky and A Fire Upon the Deep. You don't need a degree in astro-physics to understand this story because it's a very human tale, but it's also a book with brains. The plot clicks together like clockwork and it seems to fulfil everything that it sets out to do, and it's central theme - that of the price of becoming a parent - is one that will resonate with many, I suspect. Bujold's worldbuilding is as subtle as her characterisation, the science a vital part of the story, rather than vice versa. It may, on the face of it, seem like a novel that's full of the tropes of the genre, and yet I thought Bujold was clever enough to take those tropes and use them as a framework to let her characters breathe. It's a book that seems in cruise control for its first 150 pages before a particular event turns everything on its head. From that point on I found it tense and thrilling, perfectly paced and full of brilliant dialogue. Barrayar became Bujold's second book to win the Hugo award for 'Best Novel', meaning she won it two years running. It's my favourite sf read so far this year. I thought it was fantastic. 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Adding the series to my wishlist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Barrayar sounds really interesting - although I'm guessing you'd have to have read Shards beforehand? You seem to be having a really enjoyable reading year so far. It's always fun reading your reviews where you've clearly loved the book. Also, I posted this in Devi's, Tim's and Athena's threads and thought I'd better not leave you out. It's one of those Reddit things to count how many fantasy series' you've read. I bet you've read loads more than me - I've never even heard of half of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 Yeah, you'd need to read Shards beforehand. It's nowhere near as good, but it's a pretty short and easy read - and if you get the omnibus it makes sense Also, I posted this in Devi's, Tim's and Athena's threads and thought I'd better not leave you out. It's one of those Reddit things to count how many fantasy series' you've read. I bet you've read loads more than me - I've never even heard of half of them! Apparently I've read all of or part of 50 of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Great review, Steve, I'm glad you enjoyed the book even more than the first one . Wishlist material! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 Great review, Steve, I'm glad you enjoyed the book even more than the first one . Wishlist material! Thanks! I could've sworn you had Shards of Honor on your TBR pile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 # 21 Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny 1976 - Star paperback - 185 pages From Wikipedia: The star-stone is missing, and Fred Cassidy, a perpetual student and acrophile, is the last known person to see it. Various criminals, government agents and aliens torture, shoot, beat, trick, chase, terrorize, stalk, and importune Fred in attempts to get him to tell them the location of the stone. He denies any knowledge of its whereabouts, and decides to make his own investigation. Thoughts: Earth has become part of a cultural exchange with alien races, and part of this involved the Mona Lisa and Crown Jewels leaving the planet in exchange for a very odd contraption, called the Rhennius Device, and the mysterious star-stone. Fred Cassidy has been a student for 13 years, exploiting a loophole in his uncle's will that allows him to continue his studies whilst raking in a healthy income. When the star-stone goes missing various parties believe that Fred has it in his possession. Then things get weird. What follows is a series of chases, traps, kidnappings and confrontations that slowly lead Fred to the truth, involving aliens masquerading as wombats and kangaroos (among other things). This is a relatively short book, but I was still tempted to give up on it a couple of times - not because I didn't understand it, but because I found it quite irritating. It's one of those books that sets out to do humour and, because it is told in the first person, this resulted in me finding Fred to be quite the smartass, both arrogant and annoying. As mentioned somewhere up-thread, I don't really get along with comedic books and, whilst this isn't out and out comedy, it's so intent on showing how clever it is that it quickly began to grate on me. Page after page is taken up with nothing but dialogue - the kind where you can lose track of who's saying what if you don't pay attention, because everyone talks the same, even the chain-smoking aliens (everyone smokes in this book - you can tell it was written in the 70s). On top of that, every chapter begins at the end, on a cliffhanger of sorts, and then works back to tell you how Fred got into that situation. It was fun at first, but then quickly lost it's appeal. I'm not entirely sure what I think of Zelazny. I loved Lord of Light but wasn't at all keen on the Amber books. This one falls somewhere in between, I think. I liked the story itself, but wished it wasn't swathed in such underwhelming clothing. Fancy word-play and puns don't really work for me. If it hadn't been so short I doubt very much that I would have bothered finishing it. The most amusing thing about it, for me, was the price on the back of the book: 75p. Those were the days! 5/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Thanks! I could've sworn you had Shards of Honor on your TBR pile x No, it's on my wishlist . Great review ! It's a shame you didn't like Doorways in the Sand so much. I haven't read anything by Zelazny, but I have The Great Book Of Amber on my TBR. What was it you didn't like much about Amber? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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