Read this on a whim. Highly impressed with the research that must have gone into this, and deeply troubled by the findings and implications.
In a nutshRead this on a whim. Highly impressed with the research that must have gone into this, and deeply troubled by the findings and implications.
In a nutshell, it reveals the real story behind the Indian generic drug industry, and how it managed to fool regulators across the world, while having rampant corruption, shady manufacturing practices , outright fraud, and very little consequences.
Some of the undrawn parallels with the Indian software boom are interesting to ponder about: Our BPO and IT boom happened for very similar reasons: cheap labour, little oversight by regulators, and a government that protects corporate interests above everything else. However, the drug industry has a few facets that make it stand differently:
1. The blast radius for, say a IT consultancy screwing up is much lower. It will be limited to a few companies at most. Lives are rarely at stake, with very few exceptions. 2. It is easy for a small-sized change in drug quality to have a large impact down the road. This is hard to understand at first, but makes complete sense once you understand the importance of quality in the drug industry.
Drugs are the cornerstone of modern healthcare. In order for us to be able to trust the healthcare system, we need to be able to trust our drugs, and that means a high quality reliable drug manufacturing pipeline. Doctors need to be able to trust that their prescriptions will work. Even if one out of every hundred batches of a medicine is faulty, the whole system breaks down. If your clinic gets a bad batch - all your patients are screwed.
What Ranbaxy (and other indian manufacturers) did resulted in patient deaths across the globe, and doctors losing trust in the drugs themselves, such was the shoddy quality of the same. In the race to the bottom for profits, Indian Pharma puts its morals on fire and sells everything.
Another aspect that the book covers is how tied up the FDA itself is, and how badly underfunded and under prepared it was throughout the crisis. Despite having evidence going back to 2005, it took them more than half a decade to take any action at all. The Indian regulators are still on the side of the pharma companies.
By the end, I was hoping for a lifeboat of sorts, against all odds, to see some changes. Sadly, that's not the case.
The book reads like a thriller, and reminds me the most of Bad Blood in a way. Except that the impact here was so much higher, and yet there ends up being no criminal action against any of the executives. The only minor nitpick I had was regarding superfluous callbacks to people who were already well introduced.
Highly recommended, and I'm gonna go read news reports from the time, that I somehow completely missed back then. ...more
Finally finished this. I think I'll have to do another read somewhere down the line to see if I actually learned anything out of this.
Cognitive psychoFinally finished this. I think I'll have to do another read somewhere down the line to see if I actually learned anything out of this.
Cognitive psychology is not my thing, but this is the closest HP fan-fic that attempts magical realism, and I admire it for that. There are certain background story changes that I consider to be canon in the back of my head. Things like the secret of Philosopher's stone, Salazar Slytherin having taught Battle Magic, the True Patronus charm, the safety rules of Transfiguration, and much more....more
I read SciFi. Lots of it. However, unlike most people I started this with zero expectations. I have had a copy of it for almost 2.5 weeks, but didn't I read SciFi. Lots of it. However, unlike most people I started this with zero expectations. I have had a copy of it for almost 2.5 weeks, but didn't start reading it right away.
So, when I started it, I'd forgotten why I even had it in the first place. So I started it.
Almost 3-3.5 hours later, I was still reading. I was nearing halfway, and didn't want the book to end. I slept off. I didn't pick it up the next day, because I knew I'll get sucked right in and won't be able to get anything else done.
So yeah: awesome book. Hits the perfect spot between gritty-hard scifi, and the pop scifi. (I've skipped Rendezvous with Rama mid-read because it was a bit too hard for me). Sure there might be some inaccuracies, or somethings that went straight over my head, but the writing is really good and it makes up for everything else.
My verdict: Go read it. Especially if you liked Gravity.
Aside: Just found out that Matt Damon has been signed up for the lead role. I liked him in his astronaut role in Interstellar, and can't wait to see this in theaters....more
//I reviewed this book on my very old website, and this is copied from there.
Even after all my friends told me not to, I decided against them and boug//I reviewed this book on my very old website, and this is copied from there.
Even after all my friends told me not to, I decided against them and bought "The Three Mistakes Of My Life" by Chetan Bhagat, author turned scriptwriter. After reading it, I would not advise anyone to read it. the book seems to be the author's biggest mistake. I started the book, and saw the email id Ahd_bussinessman@gmail.com. WOW, is that his first mistake, I thought, Gmail doesn't allow underscores, when will he learn. Anyways, I continue to read it, and marvel the way the number 3 crops up again and again in the book: 3 friends, 3 mistakes, 3 things: cricket, politics, and religion, and 3 real incidences. Anyways, the book lacks a single plot line. It doesn't at all appeal to me at any point. Its just the story of one boy, sometimes interesting, but mostly you would bang your head to the book, and think: nobody would act that way. Overall the book feels incomplete in a way, I don't expect after 2 books. I am no fan of him, but i expect something more from the alleged "Best selling Indian Author" as said by New York Times....more
An amazing account of the two Johns. I was obviously more bent towards Carmack, him being a programmer, but this book beautifully highlights the ups aAn amazing account of the two Johns. I was obviously more bent towards Carmack, him being a programmer, but this book beautifully highlights the ups and lows of the journey. It leaves you waiting for more, and I wish to hear more of this story. Even though it focuses mainly on the two Johns, this book is not a biography. Rather it is an account of the Silicon Valley Gaming & Startup Scene in the 80-90s. I would go so far ahead to label this as a "startup-book", with two entrepreneurs making it big time.
The book doesn't end on much of a high note, ending with the launch of Quake III Team Arena and Carmack firing his rockets. It would be awesome if the author came up with a DLC for the book with more chapters covering what both of them have done in the past 13 years....more
I remember a quote from a suspense thriller called Paranoia, which went something like, "Success demands paranoia.". I've often changed the word para I remember a quote from a suspense thriller called Paranoia, which went something like, "Success demands paranoia.". I've often changed the word paranoia to the far-more-apt 'obsession'. Reading this biography brought that point really forward. But in this case, it wasn't really success or money that Steve was after. He was obsessed at making the word a better place through what he could do, and that amounted to making great products. It shows through his entire story as he continues to believe in a version of reality where his word is the truth, and his ability to ignore problems out of existence.
Yes, he was an arrogant asshole but maybe that was just a requirement of being him.
As for the book itself, I really liked it. I had never expected the hipped phase of his life to be as long as it really was. A few chapters on Lisa, and his love life seemed a bit odd to me, and took out the punch for me. But otherwise, a good read on a great man. Highly recommeneded....more
There are some interesting ideas in the book, and I liked it overall. It was fun to listen to two of my favorite authors together, in a way. There werThere are some interesting ideas in the book, and I liked it overall. It was fun to listen to two of my favorite authors together, in a way. There were a few places where the character/world-building disconnect was interesting to note - both definitely come from different authors.
I have a feeling that writing this helped Brandon somewhat in the character development for Rhythm of War, but that just might be wishful thinking.
World-building/setting: There were a few places where I chuckled because of the clear parallels with Aadhaar (and other digital ID systems) based surveillance. It wasn't intentional, but being a "checkout" (the in-universe equivalent of being without an Aadhaar) it made the setting more fun to explore, in a way.
Character: Full props to the authors. Loved Holly's thoughts, very well done - you do get in her head over time and _really understand her motivations_.
Plot: There's some obvious foreshadowing and twists, but I guess that's expected from a short book.
This has made me interested in near-future-SF that tackles ID systems (or government surveillance). If someone has suggestions, happy to hear. Would like to pick up something along those lines in 2021....more
3 stars for the actual book, and adding a half star for the "Author's Notes" at the end.
While it has some great ideas, the story itself is v3.5 stars.
3 stars for the actual book, and adding a half star for the "Author's Notes" at the end.
While it has some great ideas, the story itself is very incoherently told. I'm a huge fan of the 1995 film, and while the book has a lot of additional content - I'm gonna stick to recommending just the film for now. (Seriously, if you haven't seen it you're missing out)
If you're planning to read it - make sure you read the "Author's notes" alongside the main chapters. I read them at the end, and reading them alongside would have helped a lot with improving readability.
There are 2 main issues with the book that I faced:
1. The art isn't coherent. It is very easy to lose track of what's happening in scenes. This isn't always the case - there's a lot of beautiful panels in here. But the bad ones are so bad, they act as confusion goalposts.
2. Too much of the world-building is in the author's head. What we're told is usually just-enough for the scene to make sense, and sometimes not even that. These are better explained in the author's notes at the end, but it doesn't feel adequate. I can tolerate being thrown into a world, but the ambiguous understanding that we get of the world ends up muddling the author's intent.
For all its faults, it is still a very prescient story. Here is just one of the many interesting notes (from the Author's Notes section at the end):
In talking about what is right or just, whether with regard to groups or individuals, Muslim society or Christian society, etc., the different concepts of what is right lead each to view the other as evil. This makes the whole concept of right or wrong seem rather antiquated. If a consensus of the majority is all it takes to determine what is right, then having and controlling information becomes extraordinarily important.
Way of Kings is one of my favorite fantasy books, one which I've read multiple times in skimming. This means, that the burden## Original review (2014)
Way of Kings is one of my favorite fantasy books, one which I've read multiple times in skimming. This means, that the burden on Book 2 (WoR) was very heavy. And yet, it manages to maintain that spirit over from WoK.
This book manages to shock you, make you laugh or cry, taking you through an emotional roller-coaster ride. Sometimes all at the same time. This is the book of Shallan, and we watch as she changes from Jasnah's frightened ward to something else (I won't say what). Kaladin, on the other hand grows as a character, taking decisions that may cost him his life.
As for the other PoVs, the interludes were amazing, especially Lift and Eshonai's (the two interludes released before the book). I really liked Adolin's point of views, and its endearing how Sanderson has managed to give him his own life, without casting him to Dalinar's shadows.
Dalinar is more of a politician in this book than a soldier. He is brilliant in the couple of fight scenes we see him in, and watching him rule the kingdom is really amazing.
The world-building reaches the high bar that Sanderson has set for himself, and then crosses far above it. We get to see a live chamsfiend, captured sprens, real Honorblades, a duel of 5 shardbearers, an everstorm, Oathgates, and lots of other spoiler-ish things. One of my favorite moments was when 2 characters are basically talking to each other over spanreed, giving the world its own version of IM. Sanderson plays to his strength in building the amazing world he craeted in WoK.
So, should you read it? Absolutely yes; but please do read WoK before attempting this one. Even though you could read it without the first book, knowing Kaladin's backstory is important to really understand the choices he makes. Plus, Roshar is not a world to be understood in just one Book. The few shortcomings in the book are so far and few in between that I can essentially neglect them (esp in a book of this size).
Can't wait for Book 3.
## Re-read thoughts (2020)
(Spoilers for Cosmere below)
Re-read this in anticipation of Rhythm of War (comes out Nov 2020). Every bit as good as I remembered it. It is nice to catch more tidbits about the heralds, Evi, spren, and actually understand them in context of the world as we know it now. The emotional roller coaster was as good as last time. Sanderson changed a scene slightly for a character after the book was published, and if you're re-reading this - you might wanna get an updated edition, or read a summary here....more
I'd read the first one-third of this book as it was published at Tor.com. I even wrote a script that would compile and provide meRe-read review (2020)
I'd read the first one-third of this book as it was published at Tor.com. I even wrote a script that would compile and provide me EPUB files for easy reading. As such, the re-read gave me a chance to get a fresh/complete look after 3 years, especially for the first one-third which I had to read episodically.
Sanderson's strength is endings, but this is book 3 of a 5 part sequence, and while there are things happening - it is hard to keep a balance in the middle books. Oathbringer manages it quite well - each character arc holds up to the promises that were made in the last book. We first encounter (view spoiler)[2 different Unmades (hide spoiler)] and get a sense of the enemy.
The ending itself is, as you can expect from a Sanderson's book, an avlanche of emotions, and one of the best written battle sequences I've read. With so many viewpoint characters in the (view spoiler)[Battle of Thaylen city (hide spoiler)], it is a tough act to make sure that the reader doesn't get confused (what happens in the Endgame final battle, for eg). At every point, as the viewpoints keep switching - you know where everyone is, and what are they upto. The (view spoiler)[Odium showing up to supervise (hide spoiler)] was superb - showing how high the stakes are getting.
Highly recommended, and if you haven't started the series yet - now is a good time - you can finish the first 3 books in time for release of Rhythm of War this november....more
**spoiler alert** This review contains **SPOILERS**. Read at your own risk.
So, you can ask Brandon for a copy and he'll mail it to you.
Good things abo**spoiler alert** This review contains **SPOILERS**. Read at your own risk.
So, you can ask Brandon for a copy and he'll mail it to you.
Good things about the book:
- Balanced magic system - Well thought out economy - Very well written characters - Plot and pacing is excellent
Things I didn't like:
- Bad worldbuilding in certain areas - Way too many twists - No map (I guess the published version will have one)
White Sand is set on a tidally locked planet called Taldain. Which means that the two faces of the planet are either in constant sunlight or darkness. This should in theory mean that life, as we know it, shouldn't be able to exist. But apparently, it does. And not only on the dayside, it even exists on the darkside where plants grow without sunlight. Dayside should be under constant heating, and all the water should have evaporated ages back, but it hasn't. Darkside is cold, but not so cold to be freezing.
The thing I like most about Sanderson's worldbuilding is that it always makes sense. The conclusions you'd draw from the given scenario would be the exact same conclusions that Brandon makes (perhaps even better). That guarantees you suspension of disbelief.
For eg, at the end of the Mistborn trilogy when Terris-people are freed, and start to populate again, it becomes logical that the powers of Allomancy and Feruchemy would become mixed and come out in the same person. And that is what the next book is all about.
The second issue I have with the book is that it has way too many character twists. It is often required of the plot, and some of it requires clever foreshadowing; both of which Brandon tries. But apart from the few cases where it works (the Aha! moment), there are like 5 extra character twists where the character is not what you thought him to be. It feels too much like a heavy-handed trope used far too many times for a single book.
I would have liked to see a map of the book, but I guess that will be fixed in the final published version. My rating is 4.5 because while I enjoyed the book overall, there were times I felt like it could have been made better. The rating is actually bumped from 4 to 4.5 because its still unpublished.
I can't wait for the graphic novels to come out and see what all is changed from the original material....more
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Overall: I liked the book, but I found it the weakest in the series so far. The frame structure of the series (flashback c3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Overall: I liked the book, but I found it the weakest in the series so far. The frame structure of the series (flashback character per book, tight plotting within each book) are things that usually make each of these huge tomes great and fun to read. And even if some aspect falls a bit short (I wasn't a fan of the Alethkar plotline in Oathbringer, but the flashbacks more than made up for it). In this book however - neither the main plotline (Urithiru-under-siege) nor the flashbacks caught me right.
It's still a good book - just not as good as the previous ones.
Minor spoilers for the book. If you've read Part 1, you should be good. Don't click behind the spoilertext unless you've finished it.
What I liked:
1. Interesting setup in Part 1. I liked how the frame structure was changed, and the first part rushed through. 2. Navani doing science. I think it might have been a bit too overwhelming for usual readers at times, but I liked the change - you rarely get to read a book about scientists figuring out things, and its superbly done. From Accidental discoveries to discoveries causing accidents - its all in there. Navani's on her not considering herself as a scholar felt a bit too much at times, but the journey was worth it. 3. Adolin's character arc. His undying optimism gets to you. 4. Mental health depiction, for the most part. Characters in fiction are often thrown into situations where anyone would be scarred for life - this book tries to take a realistic approach to that - showcases PTSD, and contrasts what is possible if people are willing to listen. 5. The chess-piece ending. (view spoiler)[How the next book is going to be 10 days. How Taravangian ascends to Odium, and the whole Ishar side-plot. (hide spoiler)] 6. The who's-the-spy stuff that Shallan fights in Shadesmar. I really liked the resolution.
What I didn't like:
1. The whole Urithiru-under-siege plot. The climax didn't feel like the right ending (except for maybe the (view spoiler)[Kaladin bits - wohoo! (hide spoiler)]). The whole idea of a singer invasion being so benevolent that barely anyone dies doesn't feel right in a large-scale war. The setting had too much plot armor for me to ever be worried about Hesina/Lirin/Rlain/Dabbid/Lift. 2. Kaladin's (view spoiler)[PTSD at times. It felt like barely a barrier at times where Kaladin just gets up and becomes amazing and basically says - I can deal with this later. Felt like a cop-out. (hide spoiler)] 3. The Shadesmar plot - mainly because it disappears for too long in the book, and the consequences are not directly in this book. 4. The Venli/Eshonai flashbacks. This was my most boring part of the book, for some reason. I wasn't interested at all in the Venli/Eshonai dynamic. Maybe I shouldn't have skipped (some of) their parts in my re-read? I'm not sure - but they felt nowhere near as impactful as the flashbacks in the previous books. 5. The Leshwi/Raboneil/Venli politicking. Wasn't too much of it, but I spent some time confused as to why Venli has a new master.
Favorite Bits (non-cosmere stuff)
1. Navani - (view spoiler)[Journey before destination, you bastard (hide spoiler)] 2. Kaladin - (view spoiler)[I AM DEATH (hide spoiler)] 3. (view spoiler)[Maya - MY SACRIFICE! (hide spoiler)] 4. (view spoiler)[Chiri Chiri - EAT VOOD! (hide spoiler)] 5. I loved the mutual admiration between (view spoiler)[Sibling and Navani once they bonded (hide spoiler)]. They do get each other. 6. All of Wit's scenes. 7. Jasnah being a badass. And still learning. And still finding time to be a scholar. And (view spoiler)[THAT DUELING SCENE (hide spoiler)]. I find it weird when she quotes contemporary research - who are these scholars researching societal changes in war v/s peace times in Roshar?
**HEAVY SPOILERS FOR COSMERE FOLLOW. DO NOT SCROLL UNLESS YOU HAVE READ ALL COSMERE**
Interesting Cosmere stuff:
1. Thaidakar=Kelsier confirmed. 2. Taravangian is new Odium. This is gonna be very interesting. Taravangian understands Dalinar, and has the best chance at actually beating him. 3. Shallan has a Seon 4. Did Wit get tricked at the end? How many breaths did he lose? Will he notice at the end of the day? 5. Cultivation's vessel is a Dragon. 6. The Wit/Jasnah dialogue was so interesting. 7. Raboniel's mention of Raysium. She doesn't mention how they get it, but I'm curious - what happens to it now that Taravangian is the vessel? 8. The Tones of Roshar. Apparently, its a cosmere wide thing. Going to be interesting how it plays into more things 9. No signs of Azure, but Zahel fixes his classification system. 10. The madness cure that Ishar mentions is going to be interesting - I can think of far more implications than just Ishar getting cured temporarily. 11. I have a feeling something is up at Purelake (Cultivation's Perpendicularity), due to Rock's absence. 12. Cultivation is apparently playing some long-game. 13. How cosmere aware was Gavilar? How did he (view spoiler)[make those spheres? (hide spoiler)] 14. After seeing how much (view spoiler)[Harmony manipulated Wax (hide spoiler)], I'm wondering how much effort did Cultivation have to put in getting this done? 15. So many more SHARDS NAMED. We got Invention/Mercy/Valor/Whimsy. We're at 14/16 now. 16. The Dalinar/Odium negotiation was amazing. 17. Ishar's house-of-horrors. AARRGHH.
Wow, this took time (I started this in summer 2019, as my first purchase on Audible India). In case you haven't read about it - the story is written aWow, this took time (I started this in summer 2019, as my first purchase on Audible India). In case you haven't read about it - the story is written ala Canterbury Tales, with travelers on a pilgrimage telling tales about how they ended up here. The frame-story intertwines with the tales that are told, and as you can expect (Previous on Lost:) Everything is connected.
Good stuff: Most of the stories stand well on their own. The stories themselves work very well within the frame structure - explaining the current scenario slowly. The world-building is mostly well-done, and while some characters feel a bit off at places - it is an overall well written book.
Bad stuff: (view spoiler)[The ending is a cliffhanger. Was totally expecting some resolution, but it leaves you hanging (hide spoiler)].
Favorite tale: Scholar's, and then maybe the Poet....more
**spoiler alert** Loved it. Spoilers are for all cosmere in this review.
1. Rysn is at the Third Heightening! (Or maybe fourth?) 2. Chiri-Chiri will bec**spoiler alert** Loved it. Spoilers are for all cosmere in this review.
1. Rysn is at the Third Heightening! (Or maybe fourth?) 2. Chiri-Chiri will become a full-sized larkin! Yay! 3. New Oathgate - interesting implications, but its gonna be pretty hard to transport armies via that, since the naval fleet isn't doing well. 4. I loved how Rysn's trading skills were put to use, both throughout and for the climax 5. Nikli is gonna be interesting to watch out for. 6. Wondering how the Sleepless communication works. Do they all have connected gemhearts? 7. Cord getting a shardplate is yay! 8. Rock was bearer of the Bow? For some ancient ritual. How come this has never come up before... And Cord mentions a pact that prevents Gods from hurting her.. interesting. 9. The Dawnshard was moved to Roshar via the Purelake. I'm guessing this was from either Yolen or Nalthis (given the effects of the Dawnshard on Rysn) 10. Someone get Rushu next to Khriss please. 11. I liked Rysn's portrayal with her disability and I think Brandon handled it pretty well, giving her viewpoint proper care. 12. I hadn't realized that the voidlight radiant was a Lightweaver. 13. The ship fabrials sounded amazing (weight-stabilizers built inside the hull, and the automatic pumps for keeping water off the deck). Wonder how they were charging the gems for those. 14. I love when obvious solutions are used/accounted for old problems. Like Lopen suggesting he could just fly more grain. Or Lopen sticking the captain's foot to the Deck. 15. I figured out the Mandra/luckspren bonding with Chiri Chiri connect before Nikli explained it - so nicely foreshadowed.
What I didn't like, or could have been done better:
1. The sailors. Their characters fell a bit flat, mostly due to a lack of screen time. 3 died, and we didn't even get their names 2. No Hoid (I think). I needed more Yalb. 3. The fake gems. Aimians could surely have done gotten real ones, no? ...more
I've played a bit of Witcher 3, watched a friend play a bit more, and then saw the TV Show (season 1). 80% of the content for season 1 comes3.5 stars.
I've played a bit of Witcher 3, watched a friend play a bit more, and then saw the TV Show (season 1). 80% of the content for season 1 comes from this one book, so it helped clear a lot of issues I had with the show (mainly around the pacing, and chronology).
Some of the chapters that were not adapted were quite refreshing. (view spoiler)[Especially the one about the Devyl's origin. (hide spoiler)]
Things I liked:
- Interesting worldbuilding. A lot of it adapts tropes, myths and sometimes subverts tropes in unexpected ways. Since a Witcher exists to kill monsters, we get to see lots and lots of monsters, some mythical, lots made up, and a few monster-like but not really monsters. - Witcher's internal monologue. - Weird comic interventions. Often by characters doing non-genre stuff. - One other unexpected finding was how "scientific" the book's viewpoint is. Witcher magic is fairly systematic, and Geralt is a staunch atheist, despite living in a world (view spoiler)[where he meets a God, and sees minor miracles via priests (hide spoiler)]. There was also a really interesting tidbit about greenhouses, UV rays, and genetic mutations play a big role in the storyline.
Things the show did better:
- Using Jaskier instead of Dandelion as the name. Dandelion is what the english edition uses, Jaskier is apparently the polish edition - and works better I think. - Music. I don't think Jaskier actually sings anything long anywhere in the book, but having Jaskier sing in the show makes for a much more lively tone....more
Fun read. Murderbot clearly needs a therapist, but I like the idea of looking at AI constructs from a almost-human perspective, while using the differFun read. Murderbot clearly needs a therapist, but I like the idea of looking at AI constructs from a almost-human perspective, while using the difference to tone up the awkwardness.
Think I'll run through the remaining books this month....more
The longest it took me to finish a Expanse novel so far. Meanders a lot, and doesn't get to the point till the very end. The ending was surprisingly wThe longest it took me to finish a Expanse novel so far. Meanders a lot, and doesn't get to the point till the very end. The ending was surprisingly well done, but the remainder was just meh.
Kept going through it, since the reviews for the next couple of books are great and I really want to read them....more
Fine ending to a fine trilogy. Tamas is one of the best fictitious generals (Field Marshal!) I've ever had the pleasure of reading.Fine ending to a fine trilogy. Tamas is one of the best fictitious generals (Field Marshal!) I've ever had the pleasure of reading....more
Can you grieve for something that never existed? Is it possible to lament the loss of an entire culture if it wasn't ever real?
The answer, is yes, as Can you grieve for something that never existed? Is it possible to lament the loss of an entire culture if it wasn't ever real?
The answer, is yes, as I learned by reading this book.
Someone on reddit said that this book solid protagonists and no antagonists. I assumed that would take the form of grim fantasy, akin to A song of Ice and Fire.
I was both right and wrong. This is not just a book about morally gray characters making the best of a situation.
This is far more than that. This is a book about cultural clashes, and the futility of war. It is no more a fantasy book than The Three Musketeers, which is what it reminded me most of.
There are things in this book, as in life, that might upset you. There is death and pain in here, tears and discomfort, violence of all kinds, cruelty, even abuse. There is kindness, too.
- Quote by Neil Gaiman on his own book, which I find fitting here.
Read it on Sanderson's recommendation, pretty nice for a debut novel. The writing felt far more crisp and better paced compared to other first books IRead it on Sanderson's recommendation, pretty nice for a debut novel. The writing felt far more crisp and better paced compared to other first books I've read in the genre.
The world-building is nicely done, and it draws you in. There are enough viewpoints that the story remains coherent, but not enough to make it jarring.
Also, there is a proper ending., which wraps up all story lines, something I enjoy greatly.
I'm reading Girl of Hrusch Avenue (which is a prequel short story) next....more
Launches back into the "space opera" setting nicely. The idea behind the crew of the Rocinante (view spoiler)[ being separated from each other (hide sLaunches back into the "space opera" setting nicely. The idea behind the crew of the Rocinante (view spoiler)[ being separated from each other (hide spoiler)] works nicely for the character development arcs.
It also is much grander in scope compared to the last book, and I rushed through this one (compared to the months I spent over the last book).
If you've gotten as far as book #3, stick with it (and maybe just read the summary for #4) and hop on - the ride gets crazy here....more
I'd read this first in 2012, and then followed along the Way of Kings reread for a while. This was a fresh-reread after q Spoilers for all of Cosmere.
I'd read this first in 2012, and then followed along the Way of Kings reread for a while. This was a fresh-reread after quite a long time, just in time for Rhythm of War (which comes out Nov '20).
I remember being blown away when I read this first, and it stands up very well to everything I felt back then. Kaladin's storyline is the most soul-crushing journey, and yet Sanderson manages to make you smile.
There were lots of more hidden gems that I picked up on the re-read. Shallan's truths and lies about her past are much more obvious, and Bridge Four feels like more (for eg Teft's background getting explored further in Oathbringer makes his evasions much more pronounced)....more
Definitely a very solid book, although I didn't like the magic plot devices introduced towards the end of the book. They do make some sense in the booDefinitely a very solid book, although I didn't like the magic plot devices introduced towards the end of the book. They do make some sense in the book's framework and setting, but the ending felt a bit like a Deus-ex-Machina/Holywood endings.
But that does not reduce the strength of this book - marvelous writing, complex characters, even villians, and Druss.
Druss is a real badass.
4/5 because of the ending, but a really strong fantasy book. Glad I read it on Pat's recommendation.
*Update*: I gave this a 4/5 earlier, but now switching it to 5/5. Since I've read it, I keep coming back to it and have re-read several passages that I remember fondly. Its a book worthy of every praise it has been given....more
Finished a book in a single sitting (minus a plane landing) after a long time. By the end of it, you are so much more appreciative of how hard writingFinished a book in a single sitting (minus a plane landing) after a long time. By the end of it, you are so much more appreciative of how hard writing a good Historical SF novel is.
I was also appreciative of Parker's redemption ark. His character grows so much, and you feel for York's confused feelings - playing asshole or not?
For the book itself - if you've already read Book 1 (which came out just last month), go ahead and read this, if only for figuring out how hard getting to Mars is.
Some of this book is going to become my NASA headcanon now....more
This is a good SF book, however having read The Goblin Emperor, which was inched for the Hugo this year by The Three-Body Problem, I can't agree. WhilThis is a good SF book, however having read The Goblin Emperor, which was inched for the Hugo this year by The Three-Body Problem, I can't agree. While it has some excellent SF elements, and is set in an amazing backdrop of China, it breaks the suspension of disbelief for me a few more times than I can digest in a book.
I liked reading it, and I probably would do a re-read before the sequels and understand it better, but this isn't as good as The Goblin Emperor, which I adored....more
I think hard SF is harder to write. It's easy to fall in the trap of cardboard characters and too much science. This book has far too many mysteries aI think hard SF is harder to write. It's easy to fall in the trap of cardboard characters and too much science. This book has far too many mysteries and not much character development.
I was expecting better, but considering it took me more than an year to finish this short book, I think I'll stick with The Martian in the future.
Not that I don't like hard SF. I loved the Coyote series by Allen Steele, primarily because it has humans rather than science as the center piece.
This was probably just a bit too much for me....more
Good: Military SF - I don't read much of that. Distances are in light-travel-times.
Bad: Warfare itself, while a core part of the book - is given a shaGood: Military SF - I don't read much of that. Distances are in light-travel-times.
Bad: Warfare itself, while a core part of the book - is given a shallow treatment, beyond the "formation' aspect (ala Ender's Game?). There are 3 weapons (across an entire fleet with hundreds of ships) - which are described very vaguely. Same goes for ship classes themselves. Character development was meager, and most characters only stood as minor antagonists propped up against our revered Hero. It felt like someone wanted to write a more accurate treatment of Battlestar Gallactica - the constant chase felt quite similar.
Bad: The opposing faction (Human, Syndicate/Syndics) are given such a weird one-sided portrayal that it felt eerie.
Bad: Character Motivations. For plot reasons, we don't get to know why the war is being fought, or judge for ourselves if the dispute is worth a century of war in any way - that makes it "fighting for the sake of fighting", which feels odd for a century of war. Not knowing what motivates the fleet also feels like a hole in the story, because the characters feel that much unreal - they don't really have motivations to fight.
And finally, on the science side - this book has FTL. As the saying goes - FTL/Relativity/Causality - you can only have 2. This book keeps relativity in the spotlight (all battles and engagements have relativistic distortions featured), FTL at bay (there's slow and fast jumps via specific jump points) - but handwaves the causality concerns that this FTL brings (or rather ignores it entirely). The ships themselves only go up to 0.2c, so the time dilation doesn't impact causality that much beyond the time-delay and that gets covered decently....more
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