Readers hunting for solarpunk would do well to read this. It's like if Ready Player One were good.
A fit book for the twenty-first century, in Freedom Readers hunting for solarpunk would do well to read this. It's like if Ready Player One were good.
A fit book for the twenty-first century, in Freedom a rogue AI gamifies revolution. It brings people together to try living in new ways, and united, they fight to beat the end boss of late-stage capitalism.
I didn't read the first book because I'm more interested in seeing the solarpunk side of things than the dystopian cyberpunk....more
The most solarpunk thing about this anthology is its cover, so enjoy looking at it but don’t buy this book.
You would think thSci-fi but not solarpunk.
The most solarpunk thing about this anthology is its cover, so enjoy looking at it but don’t buy this book.
You would think the editors would have some understanding of solarpunk, between the illustration and the introduction of “What if stories could plant the seeds of hopeful futures?” Unfortunately, the majority of the stories here are set in climate apocalypse, the antithesis to solarpunk, or offworld in struggling colonies.
Climate apocalypse settings trigger me, as that's what I have to live in. I found no relief in this book....more
If you're looking for a gay love story on the high seas, including magic and gender fluidity, then you'll enjoy this book.
I would've preferred a titlIf you're looking for a gay love story on the high seas, including magic and gender fluidity, then you'll enjoy this book.
I would've preferred a title of The Mermaid, the Pirate, and the Sea, as the book had more pirates than rats in the bilge water. The Witch played a more minor role. The pirates were a critical check on the empire's power, an empire that would like nothing more to see every last mermaid caught and killed. Black mermaid blood is a potent drug for men and a precious conduit of memory for the Sea. Should the Sea lose all her memory-aids, she would lose herself, making way for even more hegemony for the empire.
The first few chapters are the roughest waters in the story. After that, it's smoother sailing. I would recommend skipping both prelude and epilogue....more
Chanel Miller fought against the long odds stacked against rape survivors. She endured the legal system thaThis is not a critique. It's a celebration.
Chanel Miller fought against the long odds stacked against rape survivors. She endured the legal system that did all it could to silence her and retraumatize her. She spoke her truth in the Emily Doe Impact Statement, and she wrote her story in this book.
Believe survivors, and know her name: Chanel Miller....more
If you care to ride away with the righteous knights of Eldraine, or if you would follow the Planeswalker Garruk into the woods, you may relish The WilIf you care to ride away with the righteous knights of Eldraine, or if you would follow the Planeswalker Garruk into the woods, you may relish The Wildered Quest. You will learn more of the Arthurian Realm in a plane thrumming with faerie tales. The cover features Rowan Kenrith, but her brother Will may be the more important of the twin protagonists. Neither appear in the first chapter, which I suggest you skip. Not only is it a prelude but also the viewpoint character is Planeswalker Oko. When reading his lines I could not help but wonder how much Magic Story Editor Nic Kelman's voice bled through the faerie, which drew me out of the narrative.
For a longer discussion, listen to my thoughts on the Loregoyfs podcast. ...more
Reads like an Avengers movie and is gay as fuck. Neither of those two things are criticisms.
An actual criticism: Because of the ASpoiler-free review:
Reads like an Avengers movie and is gay as fuck. Neither of those two things are criticisms.
An actual criticism: Because of the Avengers-size cast and because it is was written to be inclusive of people unfamiliar with all those characters---and the guilds---the story may tire readers with its exposition.
The War of the Spark does not cover anything from Guilds of Ravnica or Ravnica Allegiance, and you may enjoy it more if you wait for Django Wexler’s free stories. Sign up here: http://www.randomhousebooks.com/campa...
My Kobo eBook had multiple formatting errors, but I would still recommend it over Amazon. Sounds like the audiobook was not a better option.
The War of the Spark novel was written at a middle-grade fiction reading level, similar to previous Magic Stories but different from most epic fantasy. Characters also speak with modern vernacular. These deliberate choices suggest a broader target market of readers. That said, the story has strong continuity and other details that will delight dedicated Vorthos Magic fans....more
This novella-length story is about a teenager learning to live having lost one arm, her ability to draw, and her privacy. It seemed just about perfectThis novella-length story is about a teenager learning to live having lost one arm, her ability to draw, and her privacy. It seemed just about perfect for a young-adult story. Best part? No shoe-horned romance. ...more
I thought this book would be about a young man drawing his way into a dark dimension. Turned out it was about traveling back in time to uncover the crI thought this book would be about a young man drawing his way into a dark dimension. Turned out it was about traveling back in time to uncover the crimes of Nazi prisoners in the USA. So, still good, and all too relevant. ...more
In the Metamorphosis, Kafka asked us what if a man became an insect. In Kockroach, Tyler Knox asks us what if an insect became a man. Roaches are freeIn the Metamorphosis, Kafka asked us what if a man became an insect. In Kockroach, Tyler Knox asks us what if an insect became a man. Roaches are free of any human empathy. Truth, kindness, and respect for laws would only be so much water running off the bug's glistening back. A roach knows only survival. His creed is to thrive. His soul is hunger.
The insectile sensibilities serve the protagonist well. He exploits everyone he can and builds a financial empire on ruthlessness and crime. Turning to politics, he dominates. Guilt holds others back. He scuttles forward, speaking lies with confidence. To the roach, there's no difference between falsehoods and man truth.
It would be unfair to compare this soulless cockroach masquerading in a human skin-suit with presidential candidate Donald. After all, Kockroach was a self-made bug. Donald got by off his daddy's fortune. ...more
Plunge into the breathtaking grimness of Monstress, a dark-fantasy comic by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. The interweaving whorls of demonic art may mPlunge into the breathtaking grimness of Monstress, a dark-fantasy comic by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. The interweaving whorls of demonic art may mesmerize you. You may be drawn deeper into this world by the lush drawings of people and animals, or people animals. The half-breeds face persecution from humans in the form of dismemberment. Nations of magic and science teeter toward war. The only thing keeping the peace is fear of a power that devastated everyone at the last battle.
That power writhes within the heroine. It spools a madness of hunger through her. She can try to bargain with it, she can plead, but whatever is inside her is no simple curse. She looks human but doesn't feel like one. She's missing an arm and, worse, her childhood memories. Her story in this comic resonates with themes of surviving abuse.
The dark world is rich with myth and nuance. No side is shown as purely good or evil. The complexity may feel like drowning. There is so much setting beneath the surface that it could be bottomless. I want to call this comic a better Berserk led by women; it may even be true.
When reading you may notice that all the major characters are women (unless you count the talking, multi-tailed cat). This is an inversion of the historic norm, and it may lead to an eerie feeling for male readers. Savor it. Take this opportunity to understand what women have had to put up with since forever while you enjoy a fantastic comic. ...more
If you're looking for a few chapters of Arthurian legend written by Tolkien in the style of a Norse poem, then this book is for you. In the alliteratiIf you're looking for a few chapters of Arthurian legend written by Tolkien in the style of a Norse poem, then this book is for you. In the alliterative style, the ends of lines don't rhyme. Rather, each line is two sections linked by alliteration. As far as I understand it, this is a Norse or skaldic tradition, which is ironic because the historical figure of Arthur (if he existed) battled against the Angles and Saxons, the culture who came to honor and appropriate his legend for their own. Beginning around the thirteenth century, English writers popularized the Arthurian legend. They applied their medieval sensibilities to what was a Briton folk hero who may have lived in the Dark Ages.
I'm currently writing a young-adult novel featuring Arthurian legend that attempts a more historical portrayal of the era. Plus magic, because c'mon! ...more
Plunge into the breathtaking grimness of Monstress, a dark-fantasy comic by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. The interweaving whorls of demonic art may mPlunge into the breathtaking grimness of Monstress, a dark-fantasy comic by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. The interweaving whorls of demonic art may mesmerize you. You may be drawn deeper into this world by the lush drawings of people and animals, or people animals. The half-breeds face persecution from humans in the form of dismemberment. Nations of magic and science teeter toward war. The only thing keeping the peace is fear of a power that devastated everyone at the last battle.
That power writhes within the heroine. It spools a madness of hunger through her. She can try to bargain with it, she can plead, but whatever is inside her is no simple curse. She looks human but doesn't feel like one. She's missing an arm and, worse, her childhood memories. Her story in this comic resonates with themes of surviving abuse.
The dark world is rich with myth and nuance. No side is shown as purely good or evil. The complexity may feel like drowning. There is so much setting beneath the surface that it could be bottomless. I want to call this comic a better Berserk led by women; it may even be true.
When reading you may notice that all the major characters are women (unless you count the talking, multi-tailed cat). This is an inversion of the historic norm, and it may lead to an eerie feeling for male readers. Savor it. Take this opportunity to understand what women have had to put up with since forever while you enjoy a fantastic comic. ...more
Children wishing to dive underwater into a magical sea may love Song of the Deep by Brian Hastings.
Twelve-year-old Merryn wishes to go to sea with herChildren wishing to dive underwater into a magical sea may love Song of the Deep by Brian Hastings.
Twelve-year-old Merryn wishes to go to sea with her farther. She’d also like to treat him to some jam on his toast, but he explains that its sweetness would only attract the queen leviathan. Her turnings are what cause all the world’s waves.
Merryn has no reason to believe her father’s fish tales, but she does have reason to fear for her father’s life one day when he doesn’t return from the sea. To search for him she cobbles together a submarine out of some metal and old bicycle parts. Then she starts peddling underwater. She is leery. After all, she’s already lost her mother to the sea. Her odds of finding her father seem grim. Luckily, magic!
Turns out, all her father’s crazy stories were true. Or, trueish. In her briny adventures, she finds some help from a seal-eyed merrow maiden and Swish, a leviathan, which is like a sea serpent but friendlier. What are not so nice are the unmanned submersibles from an underwater empire built on greed. Also, the ambush of a monstrous bell spider comes too fast to be seen, and a kelpie made of strangler kelp immobilizes her vessel.
When I leafed open the Song of the Deep, I started grinning at once. Stirling Children’s Books has published a lavish little tome, with internal illustrations and a map on the inside cover. I had all the glee of poring over a treasure map, with locations such as Glowkelp Forest, Bone Vaults, and the Undying Cave.
Young Merryn does traverse most (or perhaps all) of the locations on the map, but she does so at speed. I would’ve preferred to linger amidst the spiny blue moon urchins, or meander among the lavender lantern jellies. However, this book wasn’t written for me.
Author Brian Hastings mentions in the forward he wished to write a story in which the heroine did not succeed because of her beauty but her persistence. This may sound like it goes without saying, but as a parent, Brian Hastings was concerned how often his daughter was praised for her appearance rather than her strengths as a person. He is all too correct that we as a society need to take steps against this entrenched mindset, and I hope his daughter enjoys this book, as may many other children between eight and ten, plus or minus a few years, especially if the young readers played the game of the same title by Insomniac Games.
I’m no stranger to companion books for games. This one reads much like a speed run of Song of the Deep. The only parts that aren’t fast are the beginning chapters. The heroine is consistently resourceful and kind throughout and does not grow.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to gather my magic seashell that allows me to breathe underwater, along with the sunstar that’ll light my way beneath the waves. ...more
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