Adam David Collings's Blog, page 19

Wreaths of Empire by Andrew M Seddon

Wreaths of Empire by Andrew M. Seddon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An exciting military spaced opera with a touch of dystopia.

Humanity has been at war with the Gara’nesh for years, but they’re finally sitting down for peace talks. There’s just one problem. Somebody doesn’t want the peace to go ahead. This leads our hero, Jade, on a quest to uncover the truth, and prevent the war from escalating beyond repair.

The thing that sets this story apart from other military sci-fi is that the quest was not for victory, but peace. This was refreshing and a lot of fun.

I loved the protagonist, Jade. She is strong, intelligent and compassionate. She has some personal issues to overcome as the story progresses, but she is likable from day one.

I recommend this book to all lovers of space opera.

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March Wrap Up 2016

Here is what I read in March 2016.

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Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice has been released to the world. Watch below for my spoiler-free thoughts on the film.

And if you’ve already seen the movie, here is my spoiler-filled discussion.

And while I’m sharing, Paeter from Christian Geek Central did a review that says it all even better than I could.

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Legend of the Dagger Prince by T.A. Gallant

The Legend of the Dagger Prince by T. A. Gallant

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Legend of the Dagger Prince is a tale of manipulation and betrayal, of mercy and justice. It is a low fantasy. In fact, there are no magical or speculative elements beyond it being set in a secondary world.

This book has been written using an old style. Modern writing is designed to eliminate distance between reader and protagonist, creating an intimate experience. The distance created by the more archaic writing style of this book gives the feeling of an ancient legend – like the author is telling a story around a campfire. While I wouldn’t want all books to be written this way, I enjoyed the unique experience this one offered.

I couldn’t help but sympathise with the main character. He suffers a great injustice, yet he himself is not innocent. It is an experience that I’m sure we can all relate to as flawed human beings. The thing I like most about him is that he doesn’t try to deny his own sin, he doesn’t point the finger at others. He steps forward and accepts what may come.

I enjoyed the subtle spiritual analogy that ran through the story. It seasoned the theme of the book.

This story is closer to novella-length than novel. It is a very personal fantasy tale, and was just the right length for what it was.

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Lynessa’s Curse is FREE for 3 days

My Medieval Mars novelette Lynessa’s Curse is currently free on Amazon until Saturday 19th March so if you haven’t read it, this is the perfect time to pick it up. At just 15,000 words it’s a quick but satisfying read.

GET IT HERE.

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February Wrap-Up 2016

This month, I filmed my monthly reading wrap-up video on location at the Huon Bush Retreat. Learn more about the cool books I read this month in the video below.

The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

The Martian by Andy Weir

Mistborn Secret History by Brandon Sanderson

Ctrl Alt Revolt by Nick Cole

Michael Bunker’s article on the Ctrl Alt Revolt controversy

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Ctrl Alt Revolt by Nick Cole

CTRL ALT Revolt! by Nick Cole

Ctrl Alt Revolt is the story of an artificial intelligence that has arisen without humanity knowing about it. It concludes that in order to survive, it must eliminate the human race. This is a pretty heavy premise, but it is tackled in a very fun way. Much of the action takes place in online MMO games, one based on Star Trek and another in a dangerous but beautiful Pirate Island setting.

The book is filled with delicious geek references. I particularly enjoyed the Star Trek aspect. Nick Cole clearly has a great appreciation for Trek. It was particularly interesting that much of this part of the story was told from the perspective of the Romulans – or more specifically – a play on the side of the Romulans.

The book was fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. in fact, I spent several hours just sitting and reading it today until I finished it.

In addition to all of the fun, this book takes the time for a little commentary on the world.

Ctrl Alt Revolt sets up some world-building for the next book in the series (which was written first) Soda Pop Soldier.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Geekdom – especially those who enjoyed Ready Player One by Earnest Cline.

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The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mistborn meets Indianna Jones

This book is a fun adventure romp, which is great, but there’s a lot more to it than that as well. In Bands of Mourning, Brandon Sanderson plays with the tropes of the archeology adventure, in much the same way as he has played with the tropes of fantasy.

There is a lot of powerful character growth and change in this book. Wax begins carrying a deep pain from his experience at the end of Shadows of Self. He wrestles with his religious beliefs and with his place in the world. This comes to a head in a fascinating encounter toward the end of the book. You’ll know it when you see it.

I’m continuing to love the way the relationship between Wax and Sterris is being developed throughout the series. There is something appealing about their slow-burn romance.

This book concludes with our characters positioned such that the final in the series will be a very explosive, very emotional clash.

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Reading Statistics from 2015

Under inspiration from Nicole’s Adventures in SFF, I’ve put together a little video of my reading statistics.

Full book list Here.

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January 2016 Monthly Wrap-up Video

Here is the first of my monthly wrap-up videos. I completed 5 books this month. These are discussed in the video below.

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