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| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | ------ | | | checkbox | position | cover Wondering Sight (The Extraordinaries, #2) | title Wondering Sight(The Extraordinaries, #2) | author McShane, Melissa * | isbn 1620076551 | isbn13 9781620076552 | asin B01M5KGN5H | num pages 392pp | avg rating 3.74 | num ratings 1,044 | date pub Jan 19, 2017 | date pub edition Jan 19, 2017 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review **Kindle freebie alert! August 31, 2017.**3.5 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:In Wondering Sight (2017), the second book in Meliss **Kindle freebie alert! August 31, 2017.**3.5 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:In Wondering Sight (2017), the second book in Melissa McShane’s THE EXTRAORDINARIES series, we return to a fantasy-touched version of Regency-era England where some people have magical talents ― throwing and extinguishing fire, shaping one’s appearance, flying, teleporting, and more. Sophia is an Extraordinary, one of the very few people who have particularly strong magical abilities. As a Seer, she can cast herself into Dreams, which show her future events as a series of doors in her Dreams that she can open and explore, as well as Visions, where she can see past and current events by holding an object that has a significant history with a particular person.Before this book begins, Sophia, like Elinor in the first book, Burning Bright, was working for the British military in the Caribbean, where she was instrumental in helping the British fight against pirates. But when she told the War Office that her Dreams also showed a powerful British lord embezzling from the Army, she was dismissed when the evidence didn’t support her accusation against him. Though the War Office didn’t make public the reason for her severance, everyone there believed she had a false Dream or, worse yet, was lying about having a Dream showing Lord Endicott embezzling supplies. Now Lord Endicott has followed her back to England, dividing his time between subtly harassing Sophia and engaging in a new and different criminal enterprise.Sophia is deeply embittered by her disgrace, even though the War Office kept the reason for her leaving them non-public, especially since she knows her Dream of Lord Endicott was a true one. She turns to her Dreams again (and again and again) to try to catch him in his crimes, expose him as a fraud and criminal, and prove her talent is true and that she was Right. All. Along.Sophia gathers some allies in her single-minded quest for justice and revenge: her best friend Cecy, with whom Sophia is staying in London; her cousin Lady Daphne, who has the useful talent of Bounding, instantly teleporting from place to place (as long as she’s familiar with the place she is Bounding to); and Mr. Rutledge, whose offer of employment Sophia angrily rejects when she realizes he doesn’t believe that her initial Dreams about Lord Endicott were true. Despite getting off to a bad start, she and Mr. Rutledge gradually develop a friendship tinged with romance, even though they’re both keeping secrets. But Lord Endicott has talents and some unexpected resources of his own in connection with his new criminal enterprise. Sophia discovers some entirely new aspects to the Seer Talent, but she also tips over into obsession, sliding toward ruining her health and her friendships in her efforts to bring down Endicott and have her revenge ― even if it’s the last thing she does.Wondering Sight focuses on an entirely new set of characters than Burning Bright, though there are a few brief references to the main characters and events in that book. Wondering Sight also takes a different and unexpected path for a Regency-era fantasy, with less time spent on society events and romance, and more time exploring the way Sophia’s visionary talent work and how she is using them to try to entrap a bitter enemy. It’s more of a detective story. There’s no real mystery here ― it’s clear from the outset who the villain is and what he’s up to ― but there is suspense in the cat-and-mouse game that the two of them play, and in seeing how it all plays out.The heroine is a rather prideful, prickly person, sometimes difficult to empathize with, as she endangers her health by Dreaming too much and repeatedly lies to her concerned friends about what she’s up to, because she knows they won’t approve. She tells herself she wants justice, but it’s clear that it’s revenge she’s really looking for. The love interest for the widowed Sophia, Mr. Rutledge, is an interesting person in his own right, but I never really felt any real spark or heat between them.So as a romance it’s a little underbaked, but as the tale of a chase to bring down a dangerous criminal using some unusual magical powers (which, though powerful, have their limitations), and as an exploration of obsession and revenge, and examining the personal costs of following that path, Wondering Sight is an intriguing and worthwhile read. One of the more delightful characters was Sophia’s exuberant cousin Daphne, the Extraordinary Bounder, who will be the main character in the next book of this series._I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher, Curiosity Quills, in exchange for a review. Thank you!_Merged review:**Kindle freebie alert! August 31, 2017.**3.5 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:In Wondering Sight (2017), the second book in Melissa McShane’s THE EXTRAORDINARIES series, we return to a fantasy-touched version of Regency-era England where some people have magical talents ― throwing and extinguishing fire, shaping one’s appearance, flying, teleporting, and more. Sophia is an Extraordinary, one of the very few people who have particularly strong magical abilities. As a Seer, she can cast herself into Dreams, which show her future events as a series of doors in her Dreams that she can open and explore, as well as Visions, where she can see past and current events by holding an object that has a significant history with a particular person.Before this book begins, Sophia, like Elinor in the first book, Burning Bright, was working for the British military in the Caribbean, where she was instrumental in helping the British fight against pirates. But when she told the War Office that her Dreams also showed a powerful British lord embezzling from the Army, she was dismissed when the evidence didn’t support her accusation against him. Though the War Office didn’t make public the reason for her severance, everyone there believed she had a false Dream or, worse yet, was lying about having a Dream showing Lord Endicott embezzling supplies. Now Lord Endicott has followed her back to England, dividing his time between subtly harassing Sophia and engaging in a new and different criminal enterprise.Sophia is deeply embittered by her disgrace, even though the War Office kept the reason for her leaving them non-public, especially since she knows her Dream of Lord Endicott was a true one. She turns to her Dreams again (and again and again) to try to catch him in his crimes, expose him as a fraud and criminal, and prove her talent is true and that she was Right. All. Along.Sophia gathers some allies in her single-minded quest for justice and revenge: her best friend Cecy, with whom Sophia is staying in London; her cousin Lady Daphne, who has the useful talent of Bounding, instantly teleporting from place to place (as long as she’s familiar with the place she is Bounding to); and Mr. Rutledge, whose offer of employment Sophia angrily rejects when she realizes he doesn’t believe that her initial Dreams about Lord Endicott were true. Despite getting off to a bad start, she and Mr. Rutledge gradually develop a friendship tinged with romance, even though they’re both keeping secrets. But Lord Endicott has talents and some unexpected resources of his own in connection with his new criminal enterprise. Sophia discovers some entirely new aspects to the Seer Talent, but she also tips over into obsession, sliding toward ruining her health and her friendships in her efforts to bring down Endicott and have her revenge ― even if it’s the last thing she does.Wondering Sight focuses on an entirely new set of characters than Burning Bright, though there are a few brief references to the main characters and events in that book. Wondering Sight also takes a different and unexpected path for a Regency-era fantasy, with less time spent on society events and romance, and more time exploring the way Sophia’s visionary talent work and how she is using them to try to entrap a bitter enemy. It’s more of a detective story. There’s no real mystery here ― it’s clear from the outset who the villain is and what he’s up to ― but there is suspense in the cat-and-mouse game that the two of them play, and in seeing how it all plays out.The heroine is a rather prideful, prickly person, sometimes difficult to empathize with, as she endangers her health by Dreaming too much and repeatedly lies to her concerned friends about what she’s up to, because she knows they won’t approve. She tells herself she wants justice, but it’s clear that it’s revenge she’s really looking for. The love interest for the widowed Sophia, Mr. Rutledge, is an interesting person in his own right, but I never really felt any real spark or heat between them.So as a romance it’s a little underbaked, but as the tale of a chase to bring down a dangerous criminal using some unusual magical powers (which, though powerful, have their limitations), and as an exploration of obsession and revenge, and examining the personal costs of following that path, Wondering Sight is an intriguing and worthwhile read. One of the more delightful characters was Sophia’s exuberant cousin Daphne, the Extraordinary Bounder, who will be the main character in the next book of this series.I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher, Curiosity Quills, in exchange for a review. Thank you! ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 62 | # times read 2 | date started Feb 02, 2017 not set | date read Feb 11, 2017 not set | date added Sep 24, 2024 | owned | format ebook | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Killing Curse (Omar Zagouri #4) | title The Killing Curse(Omar Zagouri #4) | author Moore, H.B. * | isbn 194114599X | isbn13 9781941145999 | asin B06XB5MHKW | num pages 450pp | avg rating 4.25 | num ratings 356 | date pub unknown | date pub edition May 02, 2017 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review I picked up this suspense thriller as a Kindle freebie a little while ago, but just got around to opening it up. Once I started reading, it was really I picked up this suspense thriller as a Kindle freebie a little while ago, but just got around to opening it up. Once I started reading, it was really tough to put down, so props for that! In this adventure from Moore's Omar Zagouri spy novel series, Aamira, a young woman from a prominent family of Al-Karak, Jordan who's been going to college in Britain, is in deep trouble (though she doesn't know it yet) from the very first chapter: Her father, a prideful and traditional man, has been having her watched and knows she's been sneaking out at night on dates with a man, when she's promised in marriage to her cousin. That's enough for Dad: he picks up the phone and orders an honor killing of his daughter, to take place when she returns to Al-Karak within the next ten days. Meanwhile, Omar Zagouri is uneasy because his cousin Chad is dating Aamirah, and Omar knows that her family is involved in some high-profile art thefts that Omar's been investigating. He moves to confront Chad and Aamirah, thinking she must be aware her brother is an art thief, and ends up far more deeply involved than he ever would have guessed!This modern timeline alternates with one from the year 1187, in the thick of the Crusades and the Europeans' battles with Saladin. This earlier timeline focuses on a young woman, Eleanor, who is the stepdaughter of Raynald of Châtillon, a French nobleman and prominent leader in the Crusades. Her mother was Stephanie of Milly, a wealthy heiress. (Raynald and Stephanie are actual historic people, although Eleanor is fictional). Eleanor is supposed to obediently become engaged to a nobleman, Azzo, but she meets a handsome Muslim warrior while she's sneaking out of the castle for a walk. Of course, there are links between Eleanor's story and the one set in modern times.Though this is part of a series, it works fine as a stand-alone read. There were a few slower parts, and a few eyebrow-raising coincidences, and the novel didn't have quite the depth I would have liked. It's a little lightweight, PG rated. So it's a bit of a soft 4 stars for me. But overall it was a compelling story, and I learned a lot about a rather obscure historic time and place. The whole honor killing tradition is such a terrible one that still continues today. Props to Heather Moore for taking it on in this novel.Merged review:I picked up this suspense thriller as a Kindle freebie a little while ago, but just got around to opening it up. Once I started reading, it was really tough to put down, so props for that! In this adventure from Moore's Omar Zagouri spy novel series, Aamira, a young woman from a prominent family of Al-Karak, Jordan who's been going to college in Britain, is in deep trouble (though she doesn't know it yet) from the very first chapter: Her father, a prideful and traditional man, has been having her watched and knows she's been sneaking out at night on dates with a man, when she's promised in marriage to her cousin. That's enough for Dad: he picks up the phone and orders an honor killing of his daughter, to take place when she returns to Al-Karak within the next ten days. Meanwhile, Omar Zagouri is uneasy because his cousin Chad is dating Aamirah, and Omar knows that her family is involved in some high-profile art thefts that Omar's been investigating. He moves to confront Chad and Aamirah, thinking she must be aware her brother is an art thief, and ends up far more deeply involved than he ever would have guessed!This modern timeline alternates with one from the year 1187, in the thick of the Crusades and the Europeans' battles with Saladin. This earlier timeline focuses on a young woman, Eleanor, who is the stepdaughter of Raynald of Châtillon, a French nobleman and prominent leader in the Crusades. Her mother was Stephanie of Milly, a wealthy heiress. (Raynald and Stephanie are actual historic people, although Eleanor is fictional). Eleanor is supposed to obediently become engaged to a nobleman, Azzo, but she meets a handsome Muslim warrior while she's sneaking out of the castle for a walk. Of course, there are links between Eleanor's story and the one set in modern times.Though this is part of a series, it works fine as a stand-alone read. There were a few slower parts, and a few eyebrow-raising coincidences, and the novel didn't have quite the depth I would have liked. It's a little lightweight, PG rated. So it's a bit of a soft 4 stars for me. But overall it was a compelling story, and I learned a lot about a rather obscure historic time and place. The whole honor killing tradition is such a terrible one that still continues today. Props to Heather Moore for taking it on in this novel. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 41 | # times read 2 | date started Oct 13, 2017 not set | date read Oct 13, 2017 not set | date added Sep 23, 2024 | owned | format ebook | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover West (East, #2) | title West(East, #2) | author Pattou, Edith * | isbn 132853071X | isbn13 9781328530714 | asin B0789D3765 | num pages 528pp | avg rating 3.87 | num ratings 2,665 | date pub Oct 23, 2018 | date pub edition Oct 23, 2018 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review I really enjoyed Edith Pattou's first fantasy novel, East, which is an award-winning YA retelling of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," a Norwegi I really enjoyed Edith Pattou's first fantasy novel, East, which is an award-winning YA retelling of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," a Norwegian folk tale that kind of mirrors the Snow Queen folk tale, except with More. Trolls.[image]Actually, in Pattou's world trolls are attractive and look like humans, except they have hard, woody skin. Anyway, you do NOT want to mess with the Queen Troll and her magic, but at the end of East (spoiler for East)(view spoiler)[everyone thinks she's comfortably dead (hide spoiler)].Fifteen years later, Pattou has finally followed up East with this sequel, appropriately titled West. West picks up three years after the end of East. Rose has married Charles (aka the White Bear), they have a baby boy they call Wynn, and life is pretty good ... until Charles is lost at sea in a suspiciously odd storm. Rose refuses to believe Charles is dead, even though they get a direct report from someone who says they saw him die, and hands over his wedding ring to Rose. So Rose leaves baby Wynn with her family in Norway and takes off to try to track down her husband. Trolls ensue. [image]West isn't a bad story, but it's basically a theme and variation on the first book, East. Though the details are different, it tracks the same basic plot a little too closely. Add to that the rather simplistic writing, kind of on a middle grade level, and West just never really engaged me.It was clean as a whistle, though.Full review to come. I received a free copy of this book through the publisher and Netgalley. Thanks!Merged review:I really enjoyed Edith Pattou's first fantasy novel, East, which is an award-winning YA retelling of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," a Norwegian folk tale that kind of mirrors the Snow Queen folk tale, except with More. Trolls.[image]Actually, in Pattou's world trolls are attractive and look like humans, except they have hard, woody skin. Anyway, you do NOT want to mess with the Queen Troll and her magic, but at the end of East (spoiler for East)(view spoiler)[everyone thinks she's comfortably dead (hide spoiler)].Fifteen years later, Pattou has finally followed up East with this sequel, appropriately titled West. West picks up three years after the end of East. Rose has married Charles (aka the White Bear), they have a baby boy they call Wynn, and life is pretty good ... until Charles is lost at sea in a suspiciously odd storm. Rose refuses to believe Charles is dead, even though they get a direct report from someone who says they saw him die, and hands over his wedding ring to Rose. So Rose leaves baby Wynn with her family in Norway and takes off to try to track down her husband. Trolls ensue. [image]West isn't a bad story, but it's basically a theme and variation on the first book, East. Though the details are different, it tracks the same basic plot a little too closely. Add to that the rather simplistic writing, kind of on a middle grade level, and West just never really engaged me.It was clean as a whistle, though.Full review to come. I received a free copy of this book through the publisher and Netgalley. Thanks! ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 58 | # times read 2 | date started Nov 09, 2018 not set | date read Nov 11, 2018 not set | date added Sep 21, 2024 | owned | format ebook | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Loss of Signal | title Loss of Signal | author Divya, S.B. * | isbn 1250306671 | isbn13 9781250306678 | asin B07FCF6YNZ | num pages 16pp | avg rating 3.36 | num ratings 173 | date pub Aug 01, 2018 | date pub edition Aug 01, 2018 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review A touching Tor online short story, free online here at Tor.com. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature: Toby Benson was a wheelchair-bound, sixteen A touching Tor online short story, free online here at Tor.com. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature: Toby Benson was a wheelchair-bound, sixteen-year-old African American, with a terminal condition, when he was given the chance to leave his dying body behind and become a part of the space program. Now Toby is nineteen, the bodiless intelligence operating an experimental spacecraft that is circumnavigating the moon. But he’s still human in his thoughts and emotions, and panic hits as he approaches the point where he’ll have radio silence for thirty minutes. It’s possible to abort the mission and circle back to earth, but his failure would set the program back years. Houston advises him and Toby’s mother comforts and encourages him, but he’s not sure if he has the strength to complete the mission.“Loss of Signal” is a short and fairly straightforward story, but Toby’s internal struggle and his deep and loving relationship with his mother gives it depth. She’s a strong single mother who has always been an example of love and determination to Toby:Heroes aren’t bothered by the cold. They don’t complain. My mother never did. She would come home at night and rub bag balm onto her hands. Chapped skin would curl away, powder white against coffee black, especially after she’d pulled a double dishwashing shift.On one of those nights, years ago, I asked her, “Does it hurt?”“Like the devil on Sunday, baby, but it’s only pain. Buckle down and push through. Get the job done.”There’s more than one hero in this story. Her assurance to Toby that her love for him is unconditional, whether or not he’s able to complete the lunar mission, is part of what gives Toby strength. It’s a heartwarming tale, a tribute to bravery of different types.Merged review:A touching Tor online short story, free online here at Tor.com. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature: Toby Benson was a wheelchair-bound, sixteen-year-old African American, with a terminal condition, when he was given the chance to leave his dying body behind and become a part of the space program. Now Toby is nineteen, the bodiless intelligence operating an experimental spacecraft that is circumnavigating the moon. But he’s still human in his thoughts and emotions, and panic hits as he approaches the point where he’ll have radio silence for thirty minutes. It’s possible to abort the mission and circle back to earth, but his failure would set the program back years. Houston advises him and Toby’s mother comforts and encourages him, but he’s not sure if he has the strength to complete the mission.“Loss of Signal” is a short and fairly straightforward story, but Toby’s internal struggle and his deep and loving relationship with his mother gives it depth. She’s a strong single mother who has always been an example of love and determination to Toby:Heroes aren’t bothered by the cold. They don’t complain. My mother never did. She would come home at night and rub bag balm onto her hands. Chapped skin would curl away, powder white against coffee black, especially after she’d pulled a double dishwashing shift.On one of those nights, years ago, I asked her, “Does it hurt?”“Like the devil on Sunday, baby, but it’s only pain. Buckle down and push through. Get the job done.”There’s more than one hero in this story. Her assurance to Toby that her love for him is unconditional, whether or not he’s able to complete the lunar mission, is part of what gives Toby strength. It’s a heartwarming tale, a tribute to bravery of different types. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 3 | date started Aug 26, 2018 Aug 10, 2018 not set | date read Aug 26, 2018 Aug 10, 2018 not set | date added Sep 20, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover How to Move Spheres and Influence People | title How to Move Spheres and Influence People | author Kloos, Marko * | isbn 1250206871 | isbn13 9781250206879 | asin B07PCL24MG | num pages 44pp | avg rating 3.96 | num ratings 229 | date pub Mar 27, 2019 | date pub edition Mar 27, 2019 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review This is a charming Tor.com short story set in the "Wild Cards" universe.* T.K. attends a privileged high school and feels like an outsider in the soci This is a charming Tor.com short story set in the "Wild Cards" universe.* T.K. attends a privileged high school and feels like an outsider in the social scene. This shows up the most in her PE class, where a couple of mean girls deliberately target her during the weekly dodgeball games, perhaps partly because T.K. has one disabled arm. T.K.'s frustration at being targeted leads to a sudden discovery of an interesting "ace" superpower: she can control any spherical object with her mind. (T.K. = telekinesis, hah) This new skill proves to be quite useful in getting revenge against catty girls in dodgeball games ... but should T.K. be doing more with it?Some nice insights into high school social scenes as well as the fallout from becoming a newsworthy story and having superpowers that can be used as a weapon. Free online here at Tor.com.*A virus has spread worldwide, killing some, giving others useless and often grotesque mutations (jokers), disfiguring others but giving them useful superpowers. A very few lucky people get mutations that don't disfigure them at all, along with superpowers that are really useful (aces).Merged review:This is a charming Tor.com short story set in the "Wild Cards" universe.* T.K. attends a privileged high school and feels like an outsider in the social scene. This shows up the most in her PE class, where a couple of mean girls deliberately target her during the weekly dodgeball games, perhaps partly because T.K. has one disabled arm. T.K.'s frustration at being targeted leads to a sudden discovery of an interesting "ace" superpower: she can control any spherical object with her mind. (T.K. = telekinesis, hah) This new skill proves to be quite useful in getting revenge against catty girls in dodgeball games ... but should T.K. be doing more with it?Some nice insights into high school social scenes as well as the fallout from becoming a newsworthy story and having superpowers that can be used as a weapon. Free online here at Tor.com.*A virus has spread worldwide, killing some, giving others useless and often grotesque mutations (jokers), disfiguring others but giving them useful superpowers. A very few lucky people get mutations that don't disfigure them at all, along with superpowers that are really useful (aces). ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 21 | # times read 2 | date started Jul 2019 not set | date read Jul 2019 not set | date added Sep 20, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover TRUEL1F3 (Lifelike, #3) | title TRUEL1F3(Lifelike, #3) | author Kristoff, Jay * | isbn 152471402X | isbn13 9781524714024 | asin B082713H5K | num pages 480pp | avg rating 4.03 | num ratings 2,941 | date pub Jun 30, 2020 | date pub edition Jun 30, 2020 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review 3.25 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:Jay Kristoff’s latest novel TRUEL1F3 wraps up his YA dystopian LIFELIKE trilogy with a lo 3.25 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:Jay Kristoff’s latest novel TRUEL1F3 wraps up his YA dystopian LIFELIKE trilogy with a long buildup to an epic battle, set in a nuclear-blasted future version of the “Yousay.” Some humans have (presumably due to radiation-induced mutations) developed superpowers and are often treated as deviants by normal humans; most of our main characters, like Lemon Fresh (named after the detergent box she was found abandoned in as a baby) are in this group. Intelligent robots are everywhere and are bound by Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics … other than a rebel group of advanced “Lifelike” robots, who were treated years ago with a Libertas virus that reprograms them without the Three Laws.Several of the Lifelikes have been destroyed over the course of the series, but the remaining ones, led by the mentally unstable Gabriel, are determined to set all robots free and, by the way, use that new freedom to annihilate humanity. One of the Lifelikes, Ezekiel, is determined to thwart their plan to wipe out humans, and is doing his best to convince some of the other Lifelikes, particularly his one-time love interest Eve, to switch sides. Meanwhile two mega-corporations — Daedelus, based on cybernetics and high technology, and BioMaas, based on biotech, genetic modification and cloning, but both equally oppressive — are gearing up for a battle to overthrow the other and take control over the entire country.TRUEL1F3 begins immediately after the end of the second book, DEV1AT3. Lemon Fresh has been taken captive by BioMaas, which wants to use her superpower to destroy the technology of Daedelus. For its part, Daedelus has taken Eve and Gabriel prisoner, and is experimenting with Eve in an effort to unlock the multi-layered security vault that hides the Veritas virus and other trade secret technology. After narrowly averting a nuclear missile attack, the remaining main characters — Ezekiel, the loyal robot Cricket, the Lifelike robot Faith who’s nursing an unrequited love for Gabriel, and several “deviates” that Lemon had befriended — regroup at their not-so-hidden hiding place, a former missile silo, and determine to rescue their friends from Daedalus and BioMaas.The LIFELIKE trilogy is an action-packed, hard-hitting SF series aimed at older teens and young adults. There are some painful deaths and a good deal of blood and gore along the way, but in standard YA novel style, hope and love prevail in the end. Lemon Fresh has grown from Eve’s sidekick to a strong character in her own right, a damsel who’s determined to rescue herself and burn down the tower, rather than wait for the handsome prince to liberate her. Eve, on the other hand, remains to all appearances firmly on the side of Gabriel and the robots, committed to wiping out all of humanity, and she has the body-count to back it up. It’s difficult to sympathize with her at this point.The endless made-up slang and jargon can get tiresome, and I think the whole series dragged on for a little too long. Though I was engaged with the characters for most of the series and determined to see how it would all wind up, by the time of the great climactic battle at the end of TRUEL1F3 I was starting to skim.Overall, though, Kristoff has created a pleasingly complex dystopian world with engaging characters and some intriguing philosophical questions about the nature of humanity and the importance of choices. TRUEL1F3 is a fitting end to the series. I’d recommend it to younger (but not too young, or squeamish) readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic science fiction.I received a free review copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Thanks!Merged review:3.25 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:Jay Kristoff’s latest novel TRUEL1F3 wraps up his YA dystopian LIFELIKE trilogy with a long buildup to an epic battle, set in a nuclear-blasted future version of the “Yousay.” Some humans have (presumably due to radiation-induced mutations) developed superpowers and are often treated as deviants by normal humans; most of our main characters, like Lemon Fresh (named after the detergent box she was found abandoned in as a baby) are in this group. Intelligent robots are everywhere and are bound by Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics … other than a rebel group of advanced “Lifelike” robots, who were treated years ago with a Libertas virus that reprograms them without the Three Laws.Several of the Lifelikes have been destroyed over the course of the series, but the remaining ones, led by the mentally unstable Gabriel, are determined to set all robots free and, by the way, use that new freedom to annihilate humanity. One of the Lifelikes, Ezekiel, is determined to thwart their plan to wipe out humans, and is doing his best to convince some of the other Lifelikes, particularly his one-time love interest Eve, to switch sides. Meanwhile two mega-corporations — Daedelus, based on cybernetics and high technology, and BioMaas, based on biotech, genetic modification and cloning, but both equally oppressive — are gearing up for a battle to overthrow the other and take control over the entire country.TRUEL1F3 begins immediately after the end of the second book, DEV1AT3. Lemon Fresh has been taken captive by BioMaas, which wants to use her superpower to destroy the technology of Daedelus. For its part, Daedelus has taken Eve and Gabriel prisoner, and is experimenting with Eve in an effort to unlock the multi-layered security vault that hides the Veritas virus and other trade secret technology. After narrowly averting a nuclear missile attack, the remaining main characters — Ezekiel, the loyal robot Cricket, the Lifelike robot Faith who’s nursing an unrequited love for Gabriel, and several “deviates” that Lemon had befriended — regroup at their not-so-hidden hiding place, a former missile silo, and determine to rescue their friends from Daedalus and BioMaas.The LIFELIKE trilogy is an action-packed, hard-hitting SF series aimed at older teens and young adults. There are some painful deaths and a good deal of blood and gore along the way, but in standard YA novel style, hope and love prevail in the end. Lemon Fresh has grown from Eve’s sidekick to a strong character in her own right, a damsel who’s determined to rescue herself and burn down the tower, rather than wait for the handsome prince to liberate her. Eve, on the other hand, remains to all appearances firmly on the side of Gabriel and the robots, committed to wiping out all of humanity, and she has the body-count to back it up. It’s difficult to sympathize with her at this point.The endless made-up slang and jargon can get tiresome, and I think the whole series dragged on for a little too long. Though I was engaged with the characters for most of the series and determined to see how it would all wind up, by the time of the great climactic battle at the end of TRUEL1F3 I was starting to skim.Overall, though, Kristoff has created a pleasingly complex dystopian world with engaging characters and some intriguing philosophical questions about the nature of humanity and the importance of choices. TRUEL1F3 is a fitting end to the series. I’d recommend it to younger (but not too young, or squeamish) readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic science fiction.I received a free review copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Thanks! ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 2 | date started May 23, 2020 not set | date read Jul 25, 2020 not set | date added Sep 20, 2024 | owned | format ebook | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Ambersley (Lords of London, #1) | title Ambersley(Lords of London, #1) | author Atwell, Amy * | isbn 0984968202 | isbn13 9780984968206 | asin B0056TJOSY | num pages 288pp | avg rating 3.78 | num ratings 829 | date pub Jun 18, 2011 | date pub edition Jun 18, 2011 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 2 | date started not set not set | date read not set not set | date added Sep 12, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Red | title Red | author Shehadeh, Ramsey | isbn | isbn13 | asin B06Y17GLZ7 | num pages 24pp | avg rating 3.06 | num ratings 95 | date pub May 24, 2017 | date pub edition May 24, 2017 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Tor fantasy short story, free to read online at Tor.com. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature (click on the link for several more online short fi Tor fantasy short story, free to read online at Tor.com. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature (click on the link for several more online short fiction reviews): Ansel, age 17, is playing a homemade board game with his parents. It’s a type of detective game, a little like Clue, and it once was a favorite game of Ansel and his younger sister Louise. Louise has been missing for some time, and Ansel, who was the last person to see her, has been racking his brain, trying to figure out a way to find her. In his desperate grief, he finds himself inside of the game, playing the part of a detective, seeking clues to Louise’s whereabouts from the characters in the game.“Red” is a fascinating story: The gradual disclosure of the story of Louise’s disappearance in the real life scenes, and its effect on Ansel’s family, interweaves so well with Ansel’s investigation inside of the game. It’s never clear whether he is actually magically inside the game, having found a portal into another world, or whether it’s in his imagination, or is a psychotic effect of his guilt and sorrow. The characters he meets inside the game have many of the same limitations that they do in the actual board game, but there’s some flexibility there, as with the LIBRARIAN:They’d drawn her as a kind of caricature. She had a large undifferentiated shelf of breasts, bee-stung lips, absurdly high heels. But she was philosophical about it. They just made me, she always said. I am me.I loved everything about this story … except the ending. It’s abrupt and annoyingly ambiguous, though perhaps I’m simply not perceptive enough to get the author’s subtle clues. Confusingly, there are both positive and negative images and hints, both light and dark. Despite multiple rereadings of the ending, it’s simply not clear to me whether Ansel’s direction at the end is a positive step for him or a nihilistic one. Ansel says, in the end, “Ok, I get it” … but I don’t. (view spoiler)[I'm leaning toward the nihilism theory, because the ending feels downbeat, but I'd love to be shown that I'm wrong. (hide spoiler)]But this very bittersweet story is still really appealing to me.Merged review:Tor fantasy short story, free to read online at Tor.com. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature (click on the link for several more online short fiction reviews): Ansel, age 17, is playing a homemade board game with his parents. It’s a type of detective game, a little like Clue, and it once was a favorite game of Ansel and his younger sister Louise. Louise has been missing for some time, and Ansel, who was the last person to see her, has been racking his brain, trying to figure out a way to find her. In his desperate grief, he finds himself inside of the game, playing the part of a detective, seeking clues to Louise’s whereabouts from the characters in the game.“Red” is a fascinating story: The gradual disclosure of the story of Louise’s disappearance in the real life scenes, and its effect on Ansel’s family, interweaves so well with Ansel’s investigation inside of the game. It’s never clear whether he is actually magically inside the game, having found a portal into another world, or whether it’s in his imagination, or is a psychotic effect of his guilt and sorrow. The characters he meets inside the game have many of the same limitations that they do in the actual board game, but there’s some flexibility there, as with the LIBRARIAN:They’d drawn her as a kind of caricature. She had a large undifferentiated shelf of breasts, bee-stung lips, absurdly high heels. But she was philosophical about it. They just made me, she always said. I am me.I loved everything about this story … except the ending. It’s abrupt and annoyingly ambiguous, though perhaps I’m simply not perceptive enough to get the author’s subtle clues. Confusingly, there are both positive and negative images and hints, both light and dark. Despite multiple rereadings of the ending, it’s simply not clear to me whether Ansel’s direction at the end is a positive step for him or a nihilistic one. Ansel says, in the end, “Ok, I get it” … but I don’t. (view spoiler)[I'm leaning toward the nihilism theory, because the ending feels downbeat, but I'd love to be shown that I'm wrong. (hide spoiler)]But this very bittersweet story is still really appealing to me. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 2 | # times read 2 | date started May 28, 2017 not set | date read May 28, 2017 not set | date added Sep 11, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Margery Sharp Collection Volume One: Something Light, The Nutmeg Tree, The Flowering Thorn, and The Innocents | title The Margery Sharp Collection Volume One: Something Light, The Nutmeg Tree, The Flowering Thorn, and The Innocents | author Sharp, Margery | isbn 150405301X | isbn13 9781504053013 | asin B07CMDQ11G | num pages 974pp | avg rating 4.31 | num ratings 35 | date pub unknown | date pub edition Apr 24, 2018 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review 2.99Kindlesale,July16,2016,forthiscollectionforfourBritishcomedyofmannersnovelsfrommid−20thcenturyauthorMargerySharp.Sharphas2.99 Kindle sale, July 16, 2016, for this collection for four British comedy of manners novels from mid-20th century author Margery Sharp. Sharp has 2.99Kindlesale,July16,2016,forthiscollectionforfourBritishcomedyofmannersnovelsfrommid−20thcenturyauthorMargerySharp.Sharphas2.99 Kindle sale, July 16, 2016, for this collection for four British comedy of manners novels from mid-20th century author Margery Sharp. Sharp has some distinct feminist sensibilities so, though there are at least some HEAs here, it's not all sweetness and fluff.Merged review:$2.99 Kindle sale, July 16, 2016, for this collection for four British comedy of manners novels from mid-20th century author Margery Sharp. Sharp has some distinct feminist sensibilities so, though there are at least some HEAs here, it's not all sweetness and fluff. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 14 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Sep 10, 2024 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover How I Met Your Brother | title How I Met Your Brother | author Rallison, Janette * | isbn | isbn13 | asin B01K7N51PI | num pages 241pp | avg rating 3.87 | num ratings 1,603 | date pub Nov 01, 2016 | date pub edition Nov 01, 2016 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review [image]This is a fun, clean, light contemporary romance that mixes both humor and some meaningful ideas about family in with the romantic feelz. Also: [image]This is a fun, clean, light contemporary romance that mixes both humor and some meaningful ideas about family in with the romantic feelz. Also: Cancun setting![image]... and a really hot guy who's trying to keep our heroine away from his equally hot twin brother. If you're in the mood for a romantic escape, what's not to like?Isabelle Lind had one of those crushes on her old college friend Marco Dawson ― the kind that lasts for years. The kind where the guy never sees you as more than a friend, because you're too shy and understated. And, most painfully, the kind where the guy dates and marries your roommate and best friend, Daisy.It's about seven years later now. Belle has gained in confidence and style, and now has a successful career as a fashion designer, but she's never forgotten Marco. When a mysterious and helpful matchmaker (Pearl) happens to mention Marco is now divorced and will be at a week-long family reunion at a Cancun resort the next week, Belle decides it's time to take matters into her own hands and take a vacation (she needs one anyway, right?) and accidentally-on-purpose run into Marco.It works like a charm, apparently, except the one she runs into first is Flynn, Marco's charming twin brother ... who Daisy has recently contacted, begging him to help her to get the chance to patch things up with Marco. What's a loyal brother to do? Especially when there's a sexy blond girl making eyes at him. Even if she thinks he's his brother. Duh: pretend to be your twin brother and keep her away from him! Of course!!Flynn's impersonation scheme gets exploded a lot sooner than I expected, which actually made this book a lot of fun. He and Belle continue to maneuver, each trying to put their plans into play and block the other's, while fighting the attraction they have for each other. Flynn's surrounded by the rest of his family ― parents, sisters, nieces and nephews, and more, not to mention Marco ― and they're adorable. Meanwhile, Daisy is staring daggers at Belle.A few things happened toward the end a lot more quickly than I thought made sense(view spoiler)[, especially when Belle suddenly realizes that Marco isn't as perfect as she remembered and then, in very quick succession, that Flynn is the one she really wants anyway (hide spoiler)]. I also could have lived without the Big Misunderstanding trope coming into play, but its role is very short-lived so I could deal. Generally, though, this is a great escape, with some satisfyingly hot kisses.Now I need to go to Cancun, or Cabo, or somewhere ...I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for ... not a review, actually, but some copyediting. But she gets the review too. :)Merged review:[image]This is a fun, clean, light contemporary romance that mixes both humor and some meaningful ideas about family in with the romantic feelz. Also: Cancun setting![image]... and a really hot guy who's trying to keep our heroine away from his equally hot twin brother. If you're in the mood for a romantic escape, what's not to like?Isabelle Lind had one of those crushes on her old college friend Marco Dawson ― the kind that lasts for years. The kind where the guy never sees you as more than a friend, because you're too shy and understated. And, most painfully, the kind where the guy dates and marries your roommate and best friend, Daisy.It's about seven years later now. Belle has gained in confidence and style, and now has a successful career as a fashion designer, but she's never forgotten Marco. When a mysterious and helpful matchmaker (Pearl) happens to mention Marco is now divorced and will be at a week-long family reunion at a Cancun resort the next week, Belle decides it's time to take matters into her own hands and take a vacation (she needs one anyway, right?) and accidentally-on-purpose run into Marco.It works like a charm, apparently, except the one she runs into first is Flynn, Marco's charming twin brother ... who Daisy has recently contacted, begging him to help her to get the chance to patch things up with Marco. What's a loyal brother to do? Especially when there's a sexy blond girl making eyes at him. Even if she thinks he's his brother. Duh: pretend to be your twin brother and keep her away from him! Of course!!Flynn's impersonation scheme gets exploded a lot sooner than I expected, which actually made this book a lot of fun. He and Belle continue to maneuver, each trying to put their plans into play and block the other's, while fighting the attraction they have for each other. Flynn's surrounded by the rest of his family ― parents, sisters, nieces and nephews, and more, not to mention Marco ― and they're adorable. Meanwhile, Daisy is staring daggers at Belle.A few things happened toward the end a lot more quickly than I thought made sense(view spoiler)[, especially when Belle suddenly realizes that Marco isn't as perfect as she remembered and then, in very quick succession, that Flynn is the one she really wants anyway (hide spoiler)]. I also could have lived without the Big Misunderstanding trope coming into play, but its role is very short-lived so I could deal. Generally, though, this is a great escape, with some satisfyingly hot kisses.Now I need to go to Cancun, or Cabo, or somewhere ...I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for ... not a review, actually, but some copyediting. But she gets the review too. :) ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 47 | # times read 2 | date started May 2017 not set | date read May 2017 not set | date added Nov 18, 2023 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Starbreaker (Pimpernel #3) | title Starbreaker(Pimpernel #3) | author Pratt, Sheralyn * | isbn | isbn13 | asin B07L6J2BTP | num pages 265pp | avg rating 4.29 | num ratings 130 | date pub Jan 20, 2019 | date pub edition Jan 20, 2019 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review 3.5 stars. I recently reread the first two books in this fun self-published series, a mix of crime heist and conspiracies with a little SF and fantasy 3.5 stars. I recently reread the first two books in this fun self-published series, a mix of crime heist and conspiracies with a little SF and fantasy thrown into the mix, and found myself interested enough to buy this third book ... and hoping that we'd get some resolution on the cliffhangers at the end of the second book. That last hope wasn't satisfied - this book kind of goes off on a side trail and focuses on a separate story that's very tangential to the main plot arc. But it was an interesting romantic suspense novel that kept me engaged until the end. Theme- and style-wise it's kind of in a middle ground between the first book, Pimpernel, which I really liked, and the second book, Royal Ball, which was somewhat less appealing to me.Jack, the Pimpernel of the series, is asked by Margot, a "Cupid" in their hidden society (which is a Venus-type of semi-magical character) to help two "soulmates" come together, Sebastian (Seba), a rich forger/semi-conman, and Victoria (Vic), a high fashion model with dreams of being something more, but who's been boxed in by her mega-wealthy and harsh adoptive father. The biggest problem is that an international assassin, the Starbreaker of the title, has been hired to kill Vic within the week. Jack, with the help of the shady fighter Kali, takes on the task of saving Vic. Their plan: get Seba involved to take the lead on saving Vic from whoever is threatening her, with their secret assistance in the background. Bringing down a Starbreaker in the process is the icing on the cake. When Seba gets an anonymous letter (from Jack & Co.) asking him to save Vic, who he shared a memorable kiss with a few years ago and then never saw again, it's an irresistable lure. Fun times, though the ending was a bit anti-climactic; I think it needed another scene or two with the main characters. And, as I said, I was a bit disappointed that there was no progression here on the overall story arc with Jack and Claire. But this is still a fun read for those invested in the series. Don't start here; though; start with Pimpernel, which really is a roller-coaster of a ride.Merged review:3.5 stars. I recently reread the first two books in this fun self-published series, a mix of crime heist and conspiracies with a little SF and fantasy thrown into the mix, and found myself interested enough to buy this third book ... and hoping that we'd get some resolution on the cliffhangers at the end of the second book. That last hope wasn't satisfied - this book kind of goes off on a side trail and focuses on a separate story that's very tangential to the main plot arc. But it was an interesting romantic suspense novel that kept me engaged until the end. Theme- and style-wise it's kind of in a middle ground between the first book, Pimpernel, which I really liked, and the second book, Royal Ball, which was somewhat less appealing to me.Jack, the Pimpernel of the series, is asked by Margot, a "Cupid" in their hidden society (which is a Venus-type of semi-magical character) to help two "soulmates" come together, Sebastian (Seba), a rich forger/semi-conman, and Victoria (Vic), a high fashion model with dreams of being something more, but who's been boxed in by her mega-wealthy and harsh adoptive father. The biggest problem is that an international assassin, the Starbreaker of the title, has been hired to kill Vic within the week. Jack, with the help of the shady fighter Kali, takes on the task of saving Vic. Their plan: get Seba involved to take the lead on saving Vic from whoever is threatening her, with their secret assistance in the background. Bringing down a Starbreaker in the process is the icing on the cake. When Seba gets an anonymous letter (from Jack & Co.) asking him to save Vic, who he shared a memorable kiss with a few years ago and then never saw again, it's an irresistable lure. Fun times, though the ending was a bit anti-climactic; I think it needed another scene or two with the main characters. And, as I said, I was a bit disappointed that there was no progression here on the overall story arc with Jack and Claire. But this is still a fun read for those invested in the series. Don't start here; though; start with Pimpernel, which really is a roller-coaster of a ride. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 4 | votes 1 | # times read 2 | date started Feb 13, 2020 not set | date read Feb 14, 2020 not set | date added Nov 18, 2023 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Compulsory (The Murderbot Diaries, #0.5) | title Compulsory(The Murderbot Diaries, #0.5) | author Wells, Martha * | isbn 1645241726 | isbn13 9781645241720 | asin B0CD39L16K | num pages 8pp | avg rating 4.34 | num ratings 9,103 | date pub Dec 17, 2018 | date pub edition Jul 20, 2023 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 1 | date started Aug 11, 2023 | date read Aug 11, 2023 | date added Aug 11, 2023 | owned | format ebook | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most | title Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most | author Holmes, Cassie * | isbn 1982148802 | isbn13 9781982148805 | asin 1982148802 | num pages 320pp | avg rating 3.82 | num ratings 4,493 | date pub unknown | date pub edition Sep 06, 2022 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 1 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added May 19, 2023 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier, #1) | title What Moves the Dead(Sworn Soldier, #1) | author Kingfisher, T. | isbn 1250830753 | isbn13 9781250830753 | asin 1250830753 | num pages 165pp | avg rating 3.88 | num ratings 92,306 | date pub Jul 12, 2022 | date pub edition Jul 12, 2022 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Wow. This started off reading like a fairly straightforward novelization of The Fall of the House of Usher and then veered off in a direction I TOTALL Wow. This started off reading like a fairly straightforward novelization of The Fall of the House of Usher and then veered off in a direction I TOTALLY was not expecting. It's certainly more of an explanation than Poe gave in his original story, hah. There are some other interesting differences here: more characters, including a non-binary narrator with an intriguing background and unusual personal pronouns (which pronouns actually comes into play in a surprising way much later in the story), a mushroom scholar and artist who appears to be Beatrix Potter's maiden aunt, and the narrator's horse who has personality to spare. Madeleine Usher is a more fully developed character, which is all to the good. And there's a tarn around the Usher mansion with odd lights in the water ...Excellently creepy.Full RTC! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.Merged review:Wow. This started off reading like a fairly straightforward novelization of The Fall of the House of Usher and then veered off in a direction I TOTALLY was not expecting. It's certainly more of an explanation than Poe gave in his original story, hah. There are some other interesting differences here: more characters, including a non-binary narrator with an intriguing background and unusual personal pronouns (which pronouns actually comes into play in a surprising way much later in the story), a mushroom scholar and artist who appears to be Beatrix Potter's maiden aunt, and the narrator's horse who has personality to spare. Madeleine Usher is a more fully developed character, which is all to the good. And there's a tarn around the Usher mansion with odd lights in the water ...Excellently creepy.Full RTC! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 141 | # times read 2 | date started Jan 31, 2022 not set | date read Feb 02, 2022 not set | date added May 03, 2023 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Blitz (The Checquy Files, #3) | title Blitz(The Checquy Files, #3) | author O'Malley, Daniel | isbn 146075638X | isbn13 9781460756386 | asin 146075638X | num pages 496pp | avg rating 4.04 | num ratings 4,269 | date pub Oct 18, 2022 | date pub edition Oct 04, 2022 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 1 | # times read 0 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Apr 24, 2023 | owned | format Paperback | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #214 | title Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #214 | author Andrews, Scott H. | isbn | isbn13 | asin B01MSTKIK0 | num pages 33pp | avg rating 3.48 | num ratings 25 | date pub unknown | date pub edition Nov 29, 2016 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review This novelette, free online here at Beneath Ceaseless Skies, is a 2017 Nebula award nominee. Review first posted at Fantasy Literature: This Greek myt This novelette, free online here at Beneath Ceaseless Skies, is a 2017 Nebula award nominee. Review first posted at Fantasy Literature: This Greek mythology-inspired novelette alternates between the voices of two nameless narrators. The first, the guardian of the Orangery, lives a solitary life, caring for and protecting the trees that are in her keeping, who were once human women. The trees’ startled shrieking one day warns her of an intruder: Apollo has come, searching for Daphne, whom he still longs for, though he’s more than willing to have sex with the guardian (or any other woman). The second narrator is the guide, who shows visitors through the Orangery and tells the stories of the women who now live there as trees, and their fraught dealings with the men who wanted them, but too often were abusive in the process. Not coincidentally, Apollo plays a role in all of these tales she tells to the visitors.Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam’s story focuses on the relationships and issues between men and women, with a strong feminist message, woven together with the guide’s stories, which are variations on ancient Greek myths. It’s a disturbing story, with the ruthless Apollo symbolizing the men who are unwilling to take no for an answer. On the other hand, one of the stories features Dryope, a married woman who engages in an affair with Apollo to her ultimate sorrow, giving the story an interesting element of complexity.The guardian makes some questionable choices: instead of leading Apollo to Daphne, she sacrifices another nameless woman, telling him this woman’s tree is Daphne, to try to protect the real Daphne. And she ultimately breaks away from the isolated Orangery to explore the world and herself:Time had not been as kind to me, for I’d lived the kind of life some would be ashamed of. I’d known a hundred men, women too. I’d embraced Dionysus and explored other states of reality. I’d exhausted many of the world’s possibilities. I wasn’t ashamed.Yay? For me that message doesn’t resonate, but others may find it, and this story, more appealing.Merged review:This novelette, free online here at Beneath Ceaseless Skies, is a 2017 Nebula award nominee. Review first posted at Fantasy Literature: This Greek mythology-inspired novelette alternates between the voices of two nameless narrators. The first, the guardian of the Orangery, lives a solitary life, caring for and protecting the trees that are in her keeping, who were once human women. The trees’ startled shrieking one day warns her of an intruder: Apollo has come, searching for Daphne, whom he still longs for, though he’s more than willing to have sex with the guardian (or any other woman). The second narrator is the guide, who shows visitors through the Orangery and tells the stories of the women who now live there as trees, and their fraught dealings with the men who wanted them, but too often were abusive in the process. Not coincidentally, Apollo plays a role in all of these tales she tells to the visitors.Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam’s story focuses on the relationships and issues between men and women, with a strong feminist message, woven together with the guide’s stories, which are variations on ancient Greek myths. It’s a disturbing story, with the ruthless Apollo symbolizing the men who are unwilling to take no for an answer. On the other hand, one of the stories features Dryope, a married woman who engages in an affair with Apollo to her ultimate sorrow, giving the story an interesting element of complexity.The guardian makes some questionable choices: instead of leading Apollo to Daphne, she sacrifices another nameless woman, telling him this woman’s tree is Daphne, to try to protect the real Daphne. And she ultimately breaks away from the isolated Orangery to explore the world and herself:Time had not been as kind to me, for I’d lived the kind of life some would be ashamed of. I’d known a hundred men, women too. I’d embraced Dionysus and explored other states of reality. I’d exhausted many of the world’s possibilities. I wasn’t ashamed.Yay? For me that message doesn’t resonate, but others may find it, and this story, more appealing. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 31 | # times read 2 | date started Jun 17, 2017 not set | date read Jun 17, 2017 not set | date added Mar 22, 2023 | owned | format ebook | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 148, January 2019 | title Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 148, January 2019 | author Clarke, Neil * | isbn | isbn13 | asin B07PHHJ5LG | num pages 145pp | avg rating 3.83 | num ratings 36 | date pub Jan 01, 2019 | date pub edition Mar 10, 2019 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review 3.5 star average for the two stories I've read in this issue so far, which are both free online here at Clarkesworld magazine. Reviews first posted on 3.5 star average for the two stories I've read in this issue so far, which are both free online here at Clarkesworld magazine. Reviews first posted on Fantasy Literature: 3 stars for "Fire in the Bone" by Ray Nayler, a humans-vs.-robots tale: While robots work in the field harvesting pakata for the great harvest ship that looms overhead, the unnamed narrator watches them. He somewhat impatiently listens to the philosophical musings of an acquaintance, Albert, who obliquely warns him of youthful desires that should be put away. But the narrator isn’t listening; he’s much more interested in his upcoming clandestine meeting with his forbidden lover … a robot. She meets him in the hallway, and they make arrangements to meet after the upcoming “ritual meal.”The little church where they meet has stained glass windows that tell a story of his ancestors’ landing on this planet and their dealing with an uprising of the robots. (Some strange Christian symbolism here, BTW.) Despite his love for the robot, the narrator is uneasy about the future. But there are more reasons to be uneasy than he realizes.It’s an interesting story, but relies too heavily on the surprise factor of an event toward the end, building up to that climactic point. It wasn’t a particularly successful build-up for me, because several events in the story seemed either highly improbable in light of the final reveal (view spoiler)[why would robots need a giant harvest ship? (hide spoiler)]or simply innately unlikely. 4 stars for "They Have All One Breath" by Karl Bunker. It's a reprint from the Dec. 2016 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction and I've posted my review there, but I'll copy it here for convenience:James is walking down the street late one night when he meets an old friend, Ivan. They walk together toward their apartment building, talking about the huge changes that have occurred ever since the AIs started taking over. It began with weapons falling apart in soldiers’ hands and missiles and tanks fizzling out and dying, averting a war in the Middle East. At the same time, flying bots were dropping tons of food and other necessities on refugee camps to alleviate the suffering.No one claimed ownership of these Good Samaritan cargo-bots, nor of the gremlinesque nanoes that were screwing up the mechanisms of war. It soon became known that these were machines built and run by other machines. It was becoming undeniably evident that something new was moving upon the face of the land. Indeed, that the world was being rebuilt around us, disassembled and reassembled under our feet. The AIs were taking over, and they were changing the rules.Over the next months and years the AIs continue changing our world in ways that seem clearly benevolent, or at least intended to improve society. They create nano-bots that cure disease, they solve worldwide problems of hunger and needs, and resolve other problems … often in surprising ways. But not everyone is fully on board with the actions of “the Machine.”“They Have All One Breath” is strongly reminiscent of Jack Williamson’s well-known classic 1947 novelette With Folded Hands..., but takes a somewhat more ambivalent, nuanced approach to the takeover of society by robots. Karl Bunker effectively uses flashbacks to relate the details of the takeover by the AIs, with the division of opinion about the benefits of the takeover being represented by James and his former partner Lisa. Though Bunker owes a major conceptual debt to Williamson, his story is a thought-provoking and well-written one that’s worth reading.Content note: several F-bombs.Merged review:3.5 star average for the two stories I've read in this issue so far, which are both free online here at Clarkesworld magazine. Reviews first posted on Fantasy Literature: 3 stars for "Fire in the Bone" by Ray Nayler, a humans-vs.-robots tale: While robots work in the field harvesting pakata for the great harvest ship that looms overhead, the unnamed narrator watches them. He somewhat impatiently listens to the philosophical musings of an acquaintance, Albert, who obliquely warns him of youthful desires that should be put away. But the narrator isn’t listening; he’s much more interested in his upcoming clandestine meeting with his forbidden lover … a robot. She meets him in the hallway, and they make arrangements to meet after the upcoming “ritual meal.”The little church where they meet has stained glass windows that tell a story of his ancestors’ landing on this planet and their dealing with an uprising of the robots. (Some strange Christian symbolism here, BTW.) Despite his love for the robot, the narrator is uneasy about the future. But there are more reasons to be uneasy than he realizes.It’s an interesting story, but relies too heavily on the surprise factor of an event toward the end, building up to that climactic point. It wasn’t a particularly successful build-up for me, because several events in the story seemed either highly improbable in light of the final reveal (view spoiler)[why would robots need a giant harvest ship? (hide spoiler)]or simply innately unlikely. 4 stars for "They Have All One Breath" by Karl Bunker. It's a reprint from the Dec. 2016 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction and I've posted my review there, but I'll copy it here for convenience:James is walking down the street late one night when he meets an old friend, Ivan. They walk together toward their apartment building, talking about the huge changes that have occurred ever since the AIs started taking over. It began with weapons falling apart in soldiers’ hands and missiles and tanks fizzling out and dying, averting a war in the Middle East. At the same time, flying bots were dropping tons of food and other necessities on refugee camps to alleviate the suffering.No one claimed ownership of these Good Samaritan cargo-bots, nor of the gremlinesque nanoes that were screwing up the mechanisms of war. It soon became known that these were machines built and run by other machines. It was becoming undeniably evident that something new was moving upon the face of the land. Indeed, that the world was being rebuilt around us, disassembled and reassembled under our feet. The AIs were taking over, and they were changing the rules.Over the next months and years the AIs continue changing our world in ways that seem clearly benevolent, or at least intended to improve society. They create nano-bots that cure disease, they solve worldwide problems of hunger and needs, and resolve other problems … often in surprising ways. But not everyone is fully on board with the actions of “the Machine.”“They Have All One Breath” is strongly reminiscent of Jack Williamson’s well-known classic 1947 novelette With Folded Hands..., but takes a somewhat more ambivalent, nuanced approach to the takeover of society by robots. Karl Bunker effectively uses flashbacks to relate the details of the takeover by the AIs, with the division of opinion about the benefits of the takeover being represented by James and his former partner Lisa. Though Bunker owes a major conceptual debt to Williamson, his story is a thought-provoking and well-written one that’s worth reading.Content note: several F-bombs. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 38 | # times read 2 | date started Jan 19, 2019 not set | date read Jan 19, 2019 not set | date added Mar 19, 2023 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Sea of Tranquility | title Sea of Tranquility | author Mandel, Emily St. John * | isbn 0593321448 | isbn13 9780593321447 | asin 0593321448 | num pages 259pp | avg rating 4.07 | num ratings 258,270 | date pub Apr 05, 2022 | date pub edition May 05, 2022 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating it was amazing | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Emily St. John Mandel does it again! Station Eleven was one of my favorites a few years back and this one is pretty close to it. I love science fictio Emily St. John Mandel does it again! Station Eleven was one of my favorites a few years back and this one is pretty close to it. I love science fiction and I really love a good time travel plot, and Sea of Tranquility does the job nicely, with intricate plotting. It has a deeper plot and a more lyrical than usual style of writing than most books I read (at least in the SF genre). And just a dash of Matrix in the plot along with the bouncing back and forth in time. It made my brain work a little harder than usual, had some thought-provoking insights into life and human nature, and it's only about 250 pages, which is something I've come to appreciate greatly in this era of overblown epics. Full review to come. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 5 | votes 58 | # times read 1 | date started Feb 04, 2023 | date read Feb 05, 2023 | date added Feb 11, 2023 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Killers of a Certain Age | title Killers of a Certain Age | author Raybourn, Deanna * | isbn 0593200683 | isbn13 9780593200681 | asin 0593200683 | num pages 368pp | avg rating 3.86 | num ratings 99,764 | date pub Sep 06, 2022 | date pub edition Sep 06, 2022 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review If you liked Red (the Bruce Willis movie where someone is trying to kill off the retired black-ops team and they decide to fight back), Killers of a C If you liked Red (the Bruce Willis movie where someone is trying to kill off the retired black-ops team and they decide to fight back), Killers of a Certain Age might be up your alley. Here we have an all-woman team of assassins who've been working for 40 years with a secret organization, called the Museum, to take out Nazis and other villains. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie are now being retired by the Museum and are given an all-expenses paid vacation as a send-off. It turns out to be planned as more of a send-off than the four women signed up for! They go into hiding together to figure out who's planned their demise and how to get the order for their deaths revoked ... or assassinate the people who gave the order. I noticed a couple of plot inconsistencies (they say at one point that the Museum doesn't want innocent bystanders being killed, but then what's up with (view spoiler)[the whole blow up the entire cruise ship part of the plot (hide spoiler)]?It's kind of a beach book, not deep but a fun read ... at least if you like murder mysteries and don't mind a high death count. And I loved Helen Mirren in Red and this is kind of like her times four. Hard to go wrong with that!3.5 stars. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 5 | votes 69 | # times read 1 | date started Feb 2023 | date read Feb 02, 2023 | date added Feb 11, 2023 | owned | format Hardcover | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Magic Tides (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years, #1; Kate Daniels, #10.5) | title Magic Tides(Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years, #1; Kate Daniels, #10.5) | author Andrews, Ilona * | isbn | isbn13 | asin B0BPN6QR9H | num pages 158pp | avg rating 4.52 | num ratings 15,387 | date pub Jan 17, 2023 | date pub edition Jan 17, 2023 | Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review 4.5 stars! I think I read this twice (maybe three times) within a couple of days of getting it, just because it was so much fun.I adore the Andrews te 4.5 stars! I think I read this twice (maybe three times) within a couple of days of getting it, just because it was so much fun.I adore the Andrews team's return to Kate Daniels, and the move to a new city opens up her world in some new and really intriguing ways. I'm REALLY hoping they keep up with more stories (and novels, please!) set in the coastal town of Wilmington, North Carolina. Curran, Kate and Conlan (now 8 or 9 years old) have moved there to get a little distance from the Pack and try to keep "a lower profile." (HAHAHAHA!) It turns out that the nephew of the guy who's fixing up their new home/castle/fortress was kidnapped by a local gang that specializes in child-kidnapping. Kate is having none of that, and immediately volunteers to track him down and get him back. The father is dubious but willing to go along for the ride. And a ride it is! The plot is kind of familiar, but the new scenery really adds some freshness to it. I enjoyed this novella thoroughly.Full review to come! I was lucky enough to be offered an ARC by the publicist - many, many thanks! ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 3 | votes 43 | # times read 2 | date started Jan 05, 2023 Dec 27, 2022 | date read Jan 05, 2023 Dec 27, 2022 | date added Jan 17, 2023 | owned | format Kindle Edition | actions view (with text) | | | |

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