Stones of Light by Zack Argyle is the sequel to 2020’s Voice of War and the second release in the author’s Threadlight series. I encourage you to read my review of Voice of War here, as I was impressed with Argyle’s ability to write relatable characters and intriguing, interweaving plot lines while still holding the main thread tight. And if book 1 is was an impressive debut, book 2 is where the author demonstrates his writing chops.
Review: Voice of War (Threadlight #1) by Zack Argyle
Voice of War is the first installment in the Threadlight series and Zack Argyle’s debut novel. It is a very well-written story with boatloads of intrigue built in, fascinating characters, and an interesting and unique magic system. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Mini-Review: Eight Cylinders by Jason Parent
Eight Cylinders is just one of several in the Jason Parent portfolio. Parent has authored books in many genres, including: science fiction, horror, thriller, and speculative fiction, among others. I reviewed another of the author’s books, Apocalypse Strain (a horror/thriller), in 2020 and found it to be quite an interesting read. Eight Cylinders (speculative fiction) is quite different from that book in many ways, though not any less interesting. I have chosen a mini-review format for this book for two reasons: it is a novella (right around 100 pages), and because it is so short almost any pieces of information I will get into spoiler territory; so the less I talk about the book directly, the better.
Review: Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6) by Martha Wells
You all heard that right: It’s a Murderbot Murder Mystery! Your favorite human-hating android is back with a brand-new mission: find the killer. And I have to say that author Martha Wells proves her genius over and over again by putting Murderbot into different types of situations and scenarios and demands that it find a way out.
Review: Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5) by Martha Wells
Network Effect is book #5 in Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries, and the first full-length novel in the series. I gave the previously-released 4-novella set a glowing review here. As for my review of Network Effect, you are going to find more of the same.
Recommended Reading: The Murderbot Diaries (#1-4) by Martha Wells
Let’s not bury the lede, here, and get right to the crux of what makes The Murderbot Diaries what it is: the rogue SecUnit known as Murderbot, though not everyone knows its name.
Review: The Fall of Koli (The Rampart Trilogy #3) by M.R. Carey
The Fall of Koli is the third and final book in The Rampart Trilogy by M.R. Carey, and I am going to admit something right up front: I was crying from page one. If you have been following my reviews (if not, they can be found here: The Book of Koli; The Trials of Koli) you know this has really been an emotional journey for me. From being introduced to Koli and friends I have grown to care more and more about them with every line, with The Fall of Koli being the pinnacle of that relationship. This is my first Carey series, but it is easy to see that connection to the books comes from the author’s phenomenal writing.
Review: King of the Rising (Islands of Blood and Storm #2) by Kacen Calendar
The King of the Rising is the follow-up to 2019’s Queen of the Conquered (my review of that book is here) and the finale in Kacen Callender’s Islands of Blood and Storm duology. This is a complex fantasy series built around themes of colonialism and power dynamics. I have mixed feelings about the direction this book ended up taking, so let’s dig in.
Review: The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst
The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst really caught my attention in the beginning. The author uses emotion and adventure to bring the reader in and set up the main storyline.
Review: The Sadeiest by Austrian Spencer
I want to start this review off by pointing out a few important trigger warnings. The Sadeiest is about death and describes people dying in many different ways in detail (including death by suicide, disease, drowning, etc). If that is a trigger or even just an upsetting topic to you, please do not continue.
Blog Tour: Dragonfly Girl by Marti Leimbach
Dragonfly Girl is a really interesting story that combines elements of science with political intrigue along with really good character development.
As I mentioned, there is a lot to like about this book. The science-y elements bring a lot to the story. It is not hard science, but there is enough talk about what is being done in this lab regarding life vs death to make one think about the possibilities. Cell regeneration, gene stimulation, neuron reactivation, nerve revitalization, organ regeneration, etc. With a book like this it would have been unfeasible to go into more detail for something that is not scientifically possible right now, but I enjoyed reading about it to the extent that it could.
The best part of the book for me was the character development. The story is told from Kira’s perspective, and being able to experience the ins and outs of things from her point of view allows the reader to get to know Kira really intimately. That is really important for a book like this because the narrative not only focuses on scientific events surrounding her, but also how she feels about them. For that to work the reader has to care about Kira, and Leimbach does a great job of that. There are not a lot of characters, though, with most of the secondary being people Kira works with in the lab and the scientific community (along with Kira’s mom, who also has a presence). As supporting cast each one of them plays their role well and fill out the character card successfully.
One aspect I want to bring up is that I think the story has a little bit of an identity problem. Is it science-y science fiction or is it a political spy novel? I do like the involvement of the international community in the story because it brings an element of depth (and a bit of realism), but I think this part of the story was taken too far toward the end. It almost felt as if the author was pulled in two different directions and tried to split the baby. I would encourage the author to pick a side on this one.
That being said, Dragonfly Girl is a good read. The science talk and character interactions are what kept my interest and make this book worth a read. I recommend for fans of science fiction written in YA style.
Review: The Last Watch (The Divide #1) by J.S. Dewes
The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes is as spectacular a science fiction story as one is going to find. From a plot that is full of drama to amazing characters that are relatable and interesting, all over a backdrop of a futuristic space setting, The Last Watch is nearly flawless.