Star Wars Catalyst – Book Review: Bridging The Gap

James Luceno, author of Star War Catalyst, is a master in character development. Tarkin and Darth Plagueis are both examples of how he wove stories about characters who exerted their will on the galaxy. Catalyst is no different in showing the motivations of the two main characters and how their decisions ultimately lead to the development of the Death Star. Catalyst is a Star Wars fans Star Wars book. It takes a deep dive into how and why the Death Star took so long to develop after the end of Revenge of the Sith until A New Hope. Along with this it gives a great introduction to two of the main characters in the upcoming Rogue One A Star Wars Story.

Star Wars Catalyst isn’t for the uninitiated. A Star Wars fan thinking of getting into the reading the books shouldn’t jump off with Catalyst. The book is a great primer for Rogue One, but it is not an action packed adventure which will hook the general fan. It’s a slow burn character story about the machinations of Orson Krennic and the idealist scientist he manipulates to his cause in Galen Orso. Luceno’s weaves and interesting and plausible story as to how each makes their contributions to the Death Star. The book is more about political intrigue and how well-meaning intentions can be used against good people.

Krennic is shown to be a political climber who is looking to gain power at every level. He looks for every angle to gain more standing and uses numerous schemes to gain control. He is put in charge of the Death Star construction and planning because he is an engineer but also because he knew how to maneuver to get the job. On the opposite side of Krennic is Galen Orso who just wants to create a power source which can be used by everyone in the galaxy. At the start of the novel he is trying to produce synthetic Kyber crystals so he can provide power. The war between the Republic and Separatists force him to abandon this work, but the rise of the Empire and fall of the Jedi allows him access to true Kyber crystals. This allows him to start his research and figure a way to harness the Kyber crystals power.

Catalyst is able to show how each of these characters goes about accomplishing their goals. Galen sacrifices some of his principles, or turns a blind eye to what is happening around him.  Krennic has little to no consciences when it comes to accomplishing his goals.  If there is one criticism for the book it is how evil Orson is for the story. There is no grey to him, he manipulates his situations to better himself and the Empire. By developing these characters Luceno shows how the Death Star is constructed. Each choice these characters make either impede or advance the construction of the super weapon. This is a true prequel to Rogue One and gives fantastic background on major characters in the new film.

The book is a great introduction to Galen and Orson along with Galen’s wife Lyra. Luceno is able to flesh out these characters in order to make the Death Star construction interesting. There had to be a reason why the construction of the Death Star took so long to complete from the end of Revenge of the Sith until the start of A New Hope and this book provides the reason. If fans of the series are at all interested in these reasons or they want more backstory for the characters found in Rogue One then the book is a must read. I don’t think it is a must read for casual Star Wars fans, and in fact it might be disappointing if they are not into more political or character studies.

If you have finished Catalyst let me know what you thought. If not does it sound interesting. Comment and let me know. 

Star Wars Aftermath Life Debt Book Review: I Want an Ewok Therapy Helper

Chucks Wendig’s second novel in the Star Wars universe is a direct sequel to his first. Aftermath Life Debt starts a few months after the conclusion of the first novel. The ragtag crew introduced in the first book has been going on missions to capture high ranking Imperial dignitaries and officers.  The book opens up with one of their capture attempts and does a great job of setting up the rest of the novel. I was letdown by the first Aftermath, but I think it was due to the expectations I had for the book. I was expecting a story about Wedge and the establishment of the New Republic after Return of the Jedi. Instead the first book introduced new characters and told personal stories about how the collapse of the Empire had affected different worlds. I enjoyed the second half of Aftermath once the team of characters met up, but Life Debt was enjoyable all the way through.

One reason why I liked Life Debt more than the first Aftermath is that the characters are already established. Wendig did a good job of introducing all of the characters in the first book, and now you are invested in their stories. They are all interesting, with Sinjir being my favorite of the new characters introduced. He is one of, if not the most, complex character brought into the Star Wars Universe. He has a certain skill set that is valuable to the New Republic, but doesn’t like the way he feels when he uses it. Sinjir doesn’t see himself as a good person because of the things he has done and continues to do. He wants to move away from this life, but he seems to keep getting pulled back in. The complexities he adds to the book expands upon the universe and paints the galaxy in more colors of grey rather than black and white.

This is something which has been happening across many of the new cannon materials. Making many of the Imperials more relatable so you can understand their motivations. Grand Admiral Rae Sloan is a good example of this. I don’t root for her to succeed, but you can understand her drive because of where she came from. You also feel that the Empire may not be as evil with her in charge. It still wouldn’t be the government I would want to live under, but she isn’t inherently evil. Though she was pretty nasty to Wedge in the last novel. The new character who is pulling her strings is interesting. She sees him as bad for the Empire, but doesn’t see a way to beat him. I thought Wendig was going to introduce Thrawn with the way he setup the epilogue in the first Aftermath. We now know they had other plans for Thrawn, but this new character is interesting as well. He is calculating and his history is instantly intriguing. Wendig again in his epilogue tantalized and left me wanting more, because of this character.

One other major aspect Life Debt has over its predecessor is the inclusion of Leia and Han. We don’t get a ton of them, but they are in the novel much more than Wedge was in Aftermath. They tie into the story together nicely. Titling the novel Life Debt and not including much of Han, Leia, and Chewie could have caused unreal expectations again. The way the story is told makes how much they are in the novel a natural progression. Wendig does a good job in writing and portraying both Han and Leia, and I’m interested to see what he will with them in the final chapter of his trilogy. I’m curious if Luke will finally make an appearance in the final installment. If he does it might have some impact on events we see in Force Awakens and in Episode Eight.

The only drawback the novel has was that the conclusion was predictable, and an unneeded love triangle.  It doesn’t take away from the story, but I saw where it was headed. The only other issue I have with the novel are the interludes. I like every single one in the book, but they pull you out of the main story. I want to spend more time with the interludes instead of the small tastes given. It is great to see what the state of the galaxy is and how different walks of life are handling it. I especially enjoyed the story about the news reporter who was imbedded with Republic forces, along with the trooper who lost his leg on Endor and is dealing with PTSD. He is given a therapy droid, and turns down a therapy Ewok. I laughed extremely hard when I read this part of the story. Ewok’s would be perfect therapy companions and good on Wendig with coming up with the idea. It is perfect. The issue with the interludes is that they are too short. They deserve to be short stories in their own anthology book. Some of the best Legends books were collections. They could easily do this again with these stories and expand upon them. Then these stories would be given their due, and the main story of Life Debt wouldn’t be interrupted. My suggestion for those reading is skip the Interludes and go back and read them after you finish the main story.

I really enjoyed Aftermath Life Debt. Wendig’s characters are intriguing and you are invested in them after the first novel. He also writes action extremely well, and he captures the essence of Star Wars battles in both of his novels. The last part of Aftermath left me excited for Life Debt and Wendig delivered. This is a good addition to the new cannon of Star Wars, and I look forward to the conclusion of his trilogy.

What did you think of Life Debt if you have finished it? Comment and let me know. 

Star Wars Bloodline Book Review (No Spoilers): Political Intrigue

One of the biggest complaints from the Star Wars prequels is the political aspects the movies focus on. People think the Senate scenes are boring, and I agree for the most part. This doesn’t mean political films are bad. Lucas just wasn’t able to draw us in with the story he tried to tell. If they were to make a movie out of Claudia Gray’s Star Wars Bloodline it would be the political thriller the prequel films should have been. It has compelling characters, even ones we don’t know, and an enthralling twisting story.

The events of Bloodline take place six years before the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The First Order is still lurking in the shadows, and has not made its presence known. The New Republic Senate is ineffective and fractured into two parties, the Centrist and Populist. The Centrist believe in a strong central government and control.  The populist believe a strong central government is what lead to the Empire and should be avoided at all cost. Leia is a Populist and an influential one, but who is getting tired of the political struggle and ready to retire. She however finds one more reason to stick around after an emissary from Ryloth pleads to the Senate to look into organized crime activity happening in his area. This spurs Leia into action, but she is forced to accept the help of a popular Centrist Senator, Ransolm Casterfo, so the mission can proceed.

Claudia Gray did a fantastic job in Lost Stars of portraying the mindset of Imperials. She showed how normal people with certain mindsets could believe in the Empire and keep working for it. Ransolm Casterfo is another example of Gray introducing us to an extremely nuanced character. We at first view him from Leia’s eyes. As an Empire loving arrogant fool. By the end of the novel you want him to succeed just as much, if not more than, Leia. At the end he wasn’t really a fan of the Empire with Palpatine and Vader ruling, but more of the control and order it provided. Misguided in my opinion, but Gray paints in him in a way where his views are plausible and you can at least see his side of the argument. One thing is for certain, something has to change with the Senate or the New Republic could collapse. It is hard not to do draw some parallels between the situation Gray paints in the book and our current political climate. I won’t get bogged down here, but I think she made some good points about real life politics in a galaxy far far away.

Along with the functional political story in the book the main mystery plot is well done. I enjoyed trying to figure out how all the parts fit together and who was on what side. There are some big reveals that have impact on The Force Awakens. If you want a good entry point into the Star Wars books this would be a great place to start because it introduces many interesting facts that play into Episode 7. While reading I didn’t necessarily like the reaction to a big reveal in the book. I didn’t think characters in the universe would react the way they did when they found out a truth, but after thinking about it more I ended up liking the choice. I think the choice plays a big part for where Leia is during the Force Awakens. Without events in this book it would make sense for Leia to still be a Senator in the New Republic, and this helps explains why she is not.

The only other issue I had was how Han came swooping in at one point of the book. It was too convenient and I thought they could have used him in another way, or had him be introduced a little earlier to make it seem more plausible. It is a small gripe for a long novel. I do think some will take issue with the reaction to the big reveal in the novel.  I don’t think this book may be for everyone. If you are looking for an action packed adventure, this isn’t it. It is more of a slow burn, but the action in it was perfect for Star Wars. I enjoyed this book and can see myself listening to it again on audiobook, which is something I reserve for only some of my favorite books.

Claudia Gray has written two great novels for the Star Wars universe and I hope we get more books from her. If they decide to write a book about the fall of Ben Solo, she is the author I want to write it. She writes characters so well, if someone could show Ben’s decent into darkness I think it would be her. She can show his perspective, and while I know many don’t think he can be redeemed, I think Claudia could add good depth to him as a character.

Have you read Bloodlines yet, if so what did you think? Did you like the how the story progressed or did you think characters in the universe would have reacted to certain news differently? If you haven’t read it yet will you give it a try? Comment and let me know. 

Star Wars Dark Disciple Book Review: A Clone Wars Love Story Done Well

Star Wars Dark Disciple is a new cannon novel based on undeveloped Clone Wars episodes. The original story scripts were written by Katie Lucas, yes that Lucas’s daughter. The novel was adapted and written by Christie Goldstein. Dark Disciple is the story of how Jedi Master Quinlan Vos is charged to assassinate Count Dooku. The Jedi Council also wants Vos to enlist the help of Asajj Ventress, Dooku’s former apprentice and current mortal enemy.

What works so well in Dark Disciple is the relationship between Vos and Ventress. Vos is a roughish Jedi who lives undercover and flirts with the seedy underworld on a regular basis. It makes him the perfect Jedi to try and get close to Ventress. Ventress starts off hating Vos, but his charm finally starts to wear on her. The relationship harkens to the love story of Han and Leia, with how much Ventress outwardly hates on Vos and everything he does. Slowly however, she starts to warm to the man who portrays himself as her bounty hunter partner. Ventress soon lets Voss know that she was aware he was a Jedi all along.

The story then picks up when Ventress begins to train Vos in the dark side. It’s not the Sith Arts, but how the Witches of Dathomir use the dark side. Ventress takes Vos to Dathomir to train him. The training scenes reminded me of Dagobah and Yoda training Luke. This time we get to see the reverse. We get witness how a Dark Jedi is trained surrounded by living things. It is still eerily similar to how Yoda trained Luke, but perverted. What makes this interesting is Vos is already a Jedi Master. He has lived the Jedi code for his entire life, but Ventress opens his view to a much larger world in more ways than one.

To have Vos simply start using the dark side would not be enough to turn him completely. Something else must commit him down this path. The love that grows between Voss and Ventress is what locks him into turning his back on his Jedi beliefs. It is a good example of explaining why the Jedi do not marry. It shows how dangerous losing yourself completely to another person can be and how much it can corrupt. The love story is needed to make the plot believable. Without it the question of how a Jedi Master is turned to using the dark side could not be answered. Using love, Ventress is able to bend Voss’s will and get him to buy into using the dark side. Ventress thinks using the dark side is the only way to defeat Dooku.

Where the story suffers is that we know the eventual ending of the main mission. We know that Ventress and Voss do not succeed in killing Dooku. We do know it takes some dark side powers to finally defeat him, just not by these two force users. I’m not sure if that is foreshadowing since we already knew the events of Revenge of the Sith, but I like the use of whatever device it is. You want both Voss and Ventress to succeed in their task, but know it will fail. What is interesting is the different twists the story takes.

I was never quite sure where the story was going to go next. I did have one part of the story spoiled for me, but I wasn’t sure how the event would unfold. Vos’s descent into the darkside is not predictable.  In the end I am extremely glad we got this story in book form. I’m not sure the Clone Wars show would have been able to fully develop the themes the book brought up. The show did go dark in the last few seasons, but I’m not sure they would have been able to include everything in this book. I think it deals with the love story in such a way that would have been lost on what was supposed to be a children’s show.

From this story I truly wish Lucas would have let his daughter have a crack at rewriting Clone Wars the movie. She might have been too young at the time, but just the development of this concept proves she has talent. Which her father does too, but writing dialogue isn’t his strongest trait. I wouldn’t be typing this review without the man, and the prequels faults have been well established. That being said if Anakin’s and Padme’s love story were developed in the way this story progressed The Clone Wars movie would have been vastly better. We would have actually cared about what happed between Padme and Anakin, not just waiting for her to give birth to Luke and Leia. There I said my peace.

Dark Disciple is a must read for those who were fans of the Clone Wars. For those who never watched the show it probably can be passed up. That is not an indictment of the story. I just think to have a good reference on who Ventress is as a character you need to have watched Clone Wars. I don’t think people would be lost in the story, but some of the impact of the would be diminished. If you want to read a love story set in the Star Wars Universe done right, pick it up.

Have you read Dark Disciple? What did you think of it if you did? Do you think fans need to have read Clone Wars to enjoy the book? Comment and let me know. 

Star Wars Lost Stars Book Review: It’s all from a Certain Point of View

Romeo and Juliet for the Star Wars universe. The book isn’t quite as tragic, but it has elements of star crossed lovers. Above all else this book feels like Star Wars. It captures what is the essence of the Star Wars universe. Author Claudia Gray weaves a magical masterpiece through the events of the original trilogy. She is able to give a fresh and different perspective on what happens during this time. I can’t help but marvel at how she introduced two new characters into the Star Wars universe and placed them effortlessly into all of the major aspects of the original movies.

The story starts with two kids on an outer rim world who come from vastly different backgrounds. Ciena comes from a lower income segment of society on the world Jelucan whose traditions are steeped with honor and loyalty. She dreams of making her family proud by becoming a pilot in the Empire. Thane on the other hand comes from the upper crust of Jelucan society. All he dreams about is escaping from his abusive parents and getting as far away from them as possible. The Imperial Academy offers both of them this opportunity. They befriend each other at a young age and work together to get off the planet and become Imperial Officers.

The story takes them through their time at the Imperial academy, The Battle of Yavin, Hoth, Endor and one new battle. What’s fantastic about the story is how Gray is able to switch the perspective to the Imperial point of view. Ciena has nothing but praise for the Empire. They gave her Mother a higher paying job and afforded her the opportunity to make something of herself. She pledged an oath to the Empire and has to keep it. The Rebels through her eyes are nothing but terrorists. Ciena has friends on the Death Star when the Rebels destroy it, which cements her hatred for the Rebellion. She is blinded to the Empires evils for a long time not wanting to believe the stories, or just simply not knowing about them. She even finds ways to justify the destruction of Alderaan. They aren’t great justifications and she sees the evilness behind the Death Star and “thinks” the Empire will have learned its lesson after the first was destroyed.

Thane on the other hand is more of a cynic. He sees the corruption of the Empire at every turn. He just accepts that all forms of government are going to be corrupt. He would rather serve and do something that he loves than worry about the overall politics of what he is doing. Gray presents and excellent character study about the people who serve a totalitarian regime. Not everyone living under or serving for that regime would be evil. Not everyone who served in the German army was a Nazi, but I’m sure many saw things they did not agree with and still did not act. Is this right? No, but it can at least be understood.  Thane sees enough of the Empire to know he can’t serve with a clean conscious and leaves the Empire. He eventually finds his way to the Rebellion and our two heroes must fight against each other.

This is where the star crossed lover aspect of the story comes into play. Both Thane and Ciera have been attached to each other since they were children. They were close friends which blossomed into a passionate romance. They love one another and have a strong connection because of their deep friendship. I don’t mind a love story when it’s done well (Empire’s Strikes back good: Clone Wars very very bad). This love story is excellent and very believable. We care about each of these characters and want to see them together. Gray paints a picture were both characters are justified in their decisions they make because of who they are. They want to be together, but have opposite ideals about what each is fighting for. She did a fantastic job of fitting this story into the current framework of the galaxy far far away.

The only extremely small nitpick I have of the book is the way Thane reacts to Luke Skywalker. Thane acts jealous of the hero of Yavin. This is the only aspect were I think Thane acts out of character. I don’t think Thane would act jealous, I think Thane would be Luke’s friend. He would want to pick his brain. I understand Thane lost friends on the Death Star, but he also understood the necessity in destroying it. Maybe he still couldn’t get over Luke being the instrument who destroyed the Death Star.  I just found the jealous aspect out of character. I’m guessing Gray might not have been allowed to use Luke in her story, and had to find a way to mention him without any direct interaction with Thane. This would make more since than how Thane acts in the book anytime he hears Luke’s name.

Noting else negatively sticks out in the book for me. We get some great tidbits about things we have already seen in Force Awakens footage, and a great story to go along with it. I did not hate Aftermath as much as others, but I still didn’t love it. The first half of that book was hard to get through. This is not the case with Lost Stars. It was engrossing from the first few pages. Claudia Gray wrote an excellent addition to the New Cannon and it is my favorite of anything published to date. Lords of the Sith was great, this was just a bit better. If you have not picked this book up and you are a Star Wars fan this is a must read. If you are picking and choosing sparingly from the new cannon this is a must. Personally three things have been essential reading from the new cannon. Lost Stars, Shattered Empire (comic book) and Lords of the Sith. Other things have been great, but these are the gold standard for now.

Let me know what you think if you have finished Lost Stars. Do you think my list of essintal new cannon reading material is right? What did I miss?  Comment, like, share, and all that other fun jazz. Thanks for reading. 

Star Wars Aftermath Book Review: Epilogue gave me Goosebumps

I built up Aftermath to giant proportions before it was released. I wanted it to be an epic novel about the immediate repercussions of the Emperor's death and the destruction of the second Death Star.  The actual result is a solid installment in the new cannon. It was unrealistic to heap so much hype on the novel, but it is the first step in the journey to The Force Awakens.  Aftermath has some flaws, but it is an enjoyable story with a cast of characters that grow on you by the end of the novel. I listened to the audio version of the novel and had to force myself to get through the first half of the book. Once the book hits the halfway point it picks up and the ending is satisfying. I didn’t get everything I wanted out of Aftermath, but it is worth reading if you are fan of Star Wars books.

The story starts out with Wedge Antilles scouting systems for Imperial remnants. He soon finds what he is looking for and is captured. The Imperials have to keep Wedge and other Rebels from finding out they are at the planet, Akiva. The major leaders left in the Empire are holding a summit to reorganize and fight back against the New Republic. Wedge is able to get a message out to another Rebel, Norra, who works to try and save him and get the message back to the Republic. Bare bones of the plot. The Imperials are having a meeting, and they don’t want the New Republic to find out about it. The heroes need to break out Wedge and alert the New Republic.

The issue with Aftermath is it takes half the novel for the plot to get any traction and advance. It takes this long for our band of heroes to assemble and figure out what they are actually going to do. I felt their where too many new characters at the start of the novel, and it was hard to relate and get behind them. This is mainly due to the weird interludes spread throughout the novel. After a certain number of chapters we get interludes completely unrelated to the main story of the novel. I get why they are in the novel. We are seeing the “Aftermath’ of the war between the Rebellion and the Empire. They are interesting, but would have been better served as part of an anthology series, in which each of these chapters is developed into an actual story with a conclusion. Another idea would have been to just have one story in the interludes, instead of six or seven random ones. I liked many of the interludes, and hope we finish many of these stories either in the next Aftermath book, or in a true anthology novel.  However with these interludes is was hard to get behind many of our new characters. One last thought on the interludes, have our big three, Han, Leia, and Luke be the focus of them. This way the interludes have characters which stand out and are juxtaposed against all the new heroes introduced.

All the main characters are new. Wedge is the only character we have seen in the movies, and his role is minor. By introducing all new characters it was a bit hard to keep them straight with the interludes in between the main chapters.  The author would also put the characters in a complete new place from where we last saw them. He wouldn’t give an explanation of how the character got to the new place from where we last saw them and it added confusion. I found myself constantly rewinding to see if I missed something, which I hadn’t. Once our main characters meet up, the story becomes easier to track, and it is when I started enjoying the novel.

The characters introduced are also a minor issue. I didn’t relate to Temmin who has the biggest arch in the novel. His mom, Norra, is a Rebel hero and just helped destroy the second death star. She went off to fight for the Rebellion against the Empire after her husband was arrested. Temmin resents his mom for leaving, and doesn’t want to leave his current home. Understandable teenage angst, but just not the type of character I related too. He did grow during the story, but was not someone I enjoyed reading about. I did like the bounty hunter Jas. She is the typical rouge bad ass with a heart of gold. She stands out in the story and so does Sinjr the former Imperial loyalty officer.  Sinjr is lost after the Battle of Endor and this adventure gives his life purpose once again. The way all of these individuals team up is a bit ludicrous and too coincidental for my liking, but once they do the climax to the story is satisfying(Insert lewd joke here).

Our team of unlikely heroes is up against the Imperial Admiral Rae Sloan. This is Sloan’s second appearance in the new Star Wars canon books. She was a Star Destroyer captain in Star Wars: A New Dawn. She is one of the highest ranking Imperials left, and has access to the last Super Star Destroyer.  She is a cunning villain, and is someone who truly believes in the Empire. She fights hard for her beliefs and has worked hard for the Imperial summit to succeed. Sloan does an admiral job of trying to keep things together as the situation deteriorates around her. She is not a sympathetic villain, but she is also not someone who you immediately despise.

Once the main events of the novel comes to a conclusion the epilogue left me giddy and excited for the next book. A person is revealed who could very well be a major old expanded universe character. No names were used for this individual in the epilogue, but if you have read the old books you can guess who this person probably is. If this character is not who I think it is I will be disappointed, but I don’t know who else it could be.  It gives me great hope for the next installment of the trilogy. The interludes, while detracting from the start of the story, also introduced exciting tidbits about the universe after the Battle of Endor. The Han and Chewie interlude was the best followed closely by the scene on Taris. The interludes did a great job of opening up questions that need to be answered.

While Aftermath didn’t live up to my vaulted expectations, it is still a solid installment into the new Star Wars canon. The first part of the novel is a slog, but it pays off in a major way by the end. With the epilogue I already have high hopes for the second installment. Maybe I shouldn’t with some of the characters and choices during this story. Without the need for introductions to our characters the next book can hit the ground running. Aftermath stumbles a bit as the first step to Star Wars: A Force Awakens, but our journey isn’t off the rails.

My Rating: Worth reading if you like Star Wars books.

Have the negative reviews of Aftermath scared you off? If you have read it what did you think? Did Temmin annoy you as much as me? Did you like Sinjr and Jas? Did you think the way they met up was too coincidental? Am I asking enough questions? Final one, Who do you think the character in the epilogue was? 

Star Wars: A New Dawn Book Review: Impressive Introduction to Star Wars Rebels

I initially stayed away from Star Wars: A New Dawn. The Rebels television show didn’t impress me at the start, and I didn’t want to spend more time with the characters.  The book however seemed to be getting decent reviews. A New Dawn has a different tone than the television show. It is darker, but not to an extreme level. I enjoyed the book, and it was interesting to see how Hera and Kanan meet and begin their journey together.

The novel starts out with Kanan hauling explosive mining material back and forth between a moon and a planet. An Imperial Star Destroyer makes a quick appearance and our main villain is introduced. At first I thought the villain was going to be a Darth Vader clone. The character, Count Vidian, is a cyborg who had a disease which ate away most of his human body. He replaced most of his human parts with robotic ones. Eyes, ears, voice, arms, and legs are all mechanical. My worries about a Vader clone where misplaced. He has a few similarities to Vader, such as ruthlessness, but is different enough to stand alone.  One reason this book has a darker tone than the show is we read about Vidian killing individuals, and one is particularly graphic. The murder truly hit home, invoking an emotional response from me. It helped that I was listening to the novel and the production added in classic Star Wars music to elicit more emotion from the scene.

Kanan at the start of the novel is in full Han Solo mode. He’s not a smuggler, but if the mood struck him he could be. He drinks and may or may not be a ladies man. No matter how hard he tries, he still does the right thing. His Jedi training is ingrained in him. No matter where he runs to, he still intervenes on behalf of those who need help. Kanan tries to limit his involvement and puts on a face of indifference, but he still acts when he must.

Hera on the other hand is already a rebel leader in some capacity. We don’t find out much about who she is working for, or where her funding is coming from. It is one complaint I had with the novel, more backstory would have fleshed Hera out. She’s still a strong character in the novel, and it’s a good introduction to her. I just wanted more, because hey, I’m greedy. Hera is meeting a contact to get information about how Imperials collect surveillance.  She gets caught in the middle when Count Vidian shows up and starts wreaking havoc on the planet and moon.

Along with Hera and Kanan we get introduced to a couple of sidekick characters. One is a clone wars explosive expert who is a bit unhinged. Scully is a bit of a conspiracy theorist, and doesn’t really see the way the universe truly works.  I loved his character, the author, John Jackson Miller, wrote him perfectly. Everyone dismisses the crazy old coot, but in the end he knows what he’s talking about. The other character is an Imperial surveillance expert named Zaluna. This was another great side character. It showed us as a reader just how invasive the Empire has become in the universe. Zaluna had some hard choices to make during the course of the novel, and the deliberation to act or not to act was well done.

This band must try and stop Count Vidian from accomplishing his goal. It’s a fun adventure which is a great first addition to the new Star Wars cannon. The plot is fairly standard adventure novel, but it’s Star Wars, and it fits nicely within the galaxy far far away. I did like a few of the twists and turns, and the small amount of political elements introduced into the novel. I get the feeling this novel is trying to hook me as an adult to then watch the Rebels television show. If I would have read it last year it would have done just that. The first few episodes of Rebels were rough, but I enjoyed the second half of the season and I am excited for the second season.

I would rate A New Dawn as my second favorite book, of the new canon, next to Lords of the Sith. It has great characters and a solid plot. If you are a Star Wars fan and haven’t checked this book out, give it a chance. It’s a book I can revisit and listen or read again. The characters alone are good enough for another read. This is a great start for the Rebels show, and while the show is geared more for kids, this book is meant for adults.

My Rating: Must Read for Star Wars Fans

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey Book Review: Get Excited for The Expanse on Sci-Fi!

I downloaded and listened to Leviathan Wakes after finding out it is being developed into a television show. I was listening to a Nerdist podcast with Chad Coleman as the guest, and he plugged this show as in development. I’m always on the lookout for new sci-fi stories and decided to give this book a try before the series kicks off this winter. It’s an interesting book and good story, but I wish I would have waited for the television show.

The book is very episodic. Which is why I think it will make a perfect television series. I can already see where they will break each episode down. They should be able to stretch the first novel into two seasons if they want to. The problem is the story never drew me in as a book. The characters would accomplish one task and I wouldn’t be compelled to continue on to see what happened next.  It’s not that the story isn’t interesting, it is, I just never felt hooked enough to binge listen. I could see myself being excited enough to tune in week to week if they do the show right.  I hope they give the show enough of a budget to be successful.  They have a good actor, Chad Coleman, to play Fred Johnson who is a big supporting character in the book.  Thomas Jane is set to play one of the major roles, Detective Miller, so the cast is anchored well.

Didn’t mean to go into a preview for the TV-show for my book review.  I just want a new science fiction show to succeed on the sci-fi network.  This series has a good chance to succeed based on the content in the book. I really enjoy the universe Corey builds in the novel.  There are three different factions of humans in the solar system. People from Earth, Mars, and the Belt. Each faction is naturally at odds with the other because, hey, we’re all still human.  I really liked how the Belters where truly the misunderstood people in the solar system. Corey did a great job of setting up how different they were from people who grew up on actual planets.  Actions transpire in the book that cause the fragile peace to be broken between the three different groups.

In the middle of all the mess are the two main characters, XO Holden and Detective Miller. Corey jumps back from each of their perspectives and it works for the most part. I’ll be honest and say I didn’t relate well to Detective Miller. He’s a down on his luck burnout cop. He’s jaded and cynical about the universe.  I usually like these types of characters, but I just couldn’t get behind Miller. It’s one reason why I would suggest to wait for the Television series, the characters are the weakest part of the book. Corey tries to make Miller complex, and he works hard to develop him, it just fell flat for me. Holden is the opposite of Miller. He is an idealistic starship executive officer, who does well with the ladies. A tad cliché, but of the two main characters I related to Holden more than Miller.

Where the characters are a tad weak, the universe Corey develops is stellar.  Corey is very heavy on the science in his science fiction. There are no inertia compensators, so the accelerating of starships have effects on the human body. Living a life in space also affects the body. The belters reflect this. They are more lanky and elongated, and if they are subjected to high gravity bruise easier. Everything for a belter is perilous. If one thing goes wrong it could set a chain of events in motion which could collapse their society. If ice haulers from Saturn don’t make a run on time or at all, it could spell disaster for the entire system. They have to rely on Earth and Mars for much of their livelihood and want to be able to break away.  This is the underlying current for the novel. “Earther’s” are looked down upon in the belt, and Belters are thought of as second class citizens to people from Earth and Mars. Humans in the future aren’t immune to racism. The scale is just vastly larger, and the groups have changed.

Our characters get caught in the middle of a conspiracy and must navigate their way through to survive. It’s perilous, and Corey does a good job of building tension throughout the book. Again I was never sucked completely in because each chapter was almost its own adventure. I was happy with each section, but able to walk away and wait for a bit to come back to the novel.  Corey throws in some sci-fi horror, which is a good addition to the book and keeps the story moving forward.

I’m excited for this book to be made into a television series. It should make for a good television show. According to IMDB 10 episodes are ready to go (The Expanse), so it looks like we will get an entire season.  If you want to get ready for the season pick up the book. I’ll visit the next couple of books in the five book saga (thanks @Peter Gulka for the assist)  if the series doesn’t make it, but I think I’ll wait to be surprised if the show goes past season one.

My Rating: Good Science Fiction Novel.

Have you read the Expanse trilogy? Are you exited to see it on the sci-fi network? Comment and let me know. 

Armada Book Review: An 80’s Classic for the Current Age

Ernest Cline second book didn’t disappoint me. Could anything live up to the crazy hype which has been generated by his epic first novel Ready Player One? I really don’t think so. Is Armada as good as Ready Player One? No, not quite, but it’s a different type of book and was still immensely enjoyable. The hero is likeable, his sidekicks are interesting, and the story is fast paced and exciting. You can’t ask for much more out of a novel. Armada takes the best aspects of 80’s science fiction movies and brings them together. While reading the book, I felt like I was reading an adaption of a classic 80s movie. If you ever have enjoyed 80’s science fiction action adventure, then you should enjoy Armada.

Armada follows the journey of Zach Lightman, who has always dreamed of being whisked away on a grand adventure. He was instantly relatable to me. I spent countless hours in my youth daydreaming about being taken away and caught up in a galactic struggle. Like in The Last Starfighter or Star Wars. Granted it wasn’t in my high school years, but many of my elementary years where filled with this dream. Lucky for Zach, or so we think at the time, he gets to go on the adventure. Zach sees a starship from his favorite video game outside of his school. At first he thinks he is going crazy, but soon learns the Earth will be under attack.  The video games he has been playing for years are training simulators for everyone on the globe. Zach is quickly transported to a secret global defense base where he learns about the aliens and what is at stake.

Armada is standard classic science fiction adventure. I loved reading the book, and all of Cline’s pop references to the 80s and current day. Nerds get to save the earth! What more can you ask for? Well I’m glad you askedJ. Armada does have a couple of issues. While I loved the quick pace of the book, it didn’t leave much for character development. Zach has good growth and development, but we don’t get to see him develop any meaningful relationships with anyone else in the book.  I also found it a tad predictable, but that’s because it follows classic science fiction adventure tropes. I won’t say cliché, because the book has original thought. I just would have liked one more surprise or twist thrown in at some point, for no other reason because I’m greedy.

I think many could complain about the standard storyline, but if the hero is likeable and the adventure feels fresh you don’t have to re-invent the wheel.  What makes Armada so much fun are the culture references. I even had to look up a few, just because I’m not as immersed in some of the gamer culture as I am in the movie and book genres. They fit perfectly into the book, because they are a part of our hero, and part of us as a culture. I won’t spoil a main plot point, but the theories put forth by Zach’s Father, while crazy, are great to lose yourself in.  While the book is great fun, it does speak on a deeper level about us as a culture.

Ready Player One, I thought had a great message about not living your life completely through technology. Armada is another coming of age story, but its message dealt more with the unity of the human race, and what it would take to unite everyone for a common cause.  I don’t think the main theme is as prevalent as Ready Player One, but it still has a good message.  Maybe the theme will be continued in another Armada novel.

 Armada seems to be setup for a sequel. At least I hope so.  There seems to be more story for Zach Lightman and his friends. Ready Player One could have a sequel, but I feel it is a great standalone novel that doesn’t really need one. Armada seems ripe for a trilogy. I am hopeful, because I want to see Zach and his friends get fleshed out as characters.

Writing such a great novel your first time out is a spectacular thing. I can only imagine how much pressure Mr. Cline felt in trying to write a second novel. He did a great job, and I loved reading his second offering. If you like Science Fiction and are a fan of 80’s cinema read this novel!!

My Rating: Must Read for 80’s or pop culture junkies  

My Top five Favorite 80’s Science Fiction Adventure Movies:

1.      Star Wars (Duh)

2.      The Last Starfighter

3.      Explorers

4.      Flight of the Navigator

5.      Flash Gordon

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch Book Review: London’s Harry Dresden

Audible is great. If you like audiobooks, I can’t recommend them enough. They seem to always have sales, and you can pick up good books on the cheap. I was able to pick up Midnight Riot through an Audible editor sale for 4.95. It was well worth the 4.95 price tag, and it would have been worthy of my precious monthly audible credit. Midnight riot is an urban fantasy novel set in London. It has the unique twist of our main character actually being a policeman, instead of an outsider. The higher ups in the government seem to also sanction and approve of the special “sorcerer division” within the metropolitan police department. They may not like it, but they know things that go bump in the night exist, and magic users are needed.

Enter Peter Cline, probationary copper. He’s just about to be placed on assignment, when while guarding a crime scene he is approached by an eye witness to the murder. The only issue is this witness is a ghost. Thus Peter is introduced into the magical world. It isn’t quite as grandiose a reveal as in Harry Potter, nor is he an already seasoned wizard like Harry Dresden, jeez what is it with wizards named Harry? He is just a beat cop who had dreams of being a detective. Instead he gets to train to be a wizardJ.

Aaronovitch does a great job of setting the scene. London comes alive in his story. I have never been to the UK, but I feel like I could find places based on his descriptions in the book. The city is part of the magic. It holds vestigia, or magical radar. Peter can since the vestigia from other magical creatures, along with structures in the city. Stone holds vestigia, and ghost can imprint on locations.  Old historical sites, as in London are rich in magic and vestigia. It’s an interesting twist, and I enjoyed Aaronovitch magical world. It has a more scientific approach. Newton is not only the founder of science, but practical magic as well. Peter, the main character, tries to experiment himself and figure out why magic affects technology, like ruining his new cellphones.

Peter is an interesting main character. We only see from his perspective, which adds to the noir aspect of the novel. Peter is absentminded, easily distracted. During his assignments he will look at the historical plaques on the buildings, and not pay attention to the group of youth who could cause issues. It doesn’t make him a bad cop, just not the best. Honestly, he is extremely relatable, at least to me. I can be absentminded, shocker, and want to investigate the why and how to a problem, rather than just solving it. His magical mentor, Thomas Nightingale, keeps wondering why he wants to find out how technology is affected by magic. He thinks he should just focus on creating the limited spells he has told him to practice. Sensible, but Peter wants to continue to focus on his problems. He is also a nerd, which automatically endears him to me. Making jokes and references to Star Wars and Dr. Who others around him don’t understand. Aaronovitch has created an interesting world with a good main character and supporting cast.

The villain is a little lacking, and because of this the story falls a little flat. The first 2/3 is really good, and I was flying through. The last 1/3 just didn’t quite do it for me. The villain once revealed was an interesting take, but just didn’t suck me in. It was a tad abstract, which pulled away from the story and main plot. There is also a side story that gets integrated towards the end, but it seemed forced. The magic and other aspects are also obscure at this point. We don’t get a ton of explanations on certain aspects of the world, but I assume later novels will expand.  It’s what made the book go from excellent to good. I want to continue the series, just for the character and world. I’m hoping the writing style and plots get a tad better.

I got my money’s worth with Midnight Riot. Can’t beat a new interesting world, with a character who gets to explore the world with new eyes.  Even though the villain is a bit of a letdown, I am looking forward to continuing Peter Brown’s story and finding out how he becomes a wizarding policeman.

My Rating: Solid Start to a series

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Book Review: Willie Wonka for the Twenty First Century

If you ever stepped foot into a video arcade during the 70’s, 80’s or early to mid-90’s this book is for you. Regardless if you like the sci-fi elements or modern dystopian books, the nostalgia alone will draw you in and not let you go. I loved this book. I listened (re-listened) to the audio version narrated by Wesley Crusher himself Will Wheaton. He isn’t the most skilled narrator and he reads the book to you rather than making it a performance. It doesn't pull you out of the story which is the most important aspect for any narrator. I’m not sure you could find another book with the perfect balance of nostalgia and new interesting tech set in a dystopian future. Cline created a realistic dystopia with a great hero to guide us through a fantastic story.

We start with an overview of the world and the setting. We find our main character Wade getting ready to go to school. It’s school in the modern age. He logs into an virtual reality(VR) machine and appears at his high school online in the OASIS. OASIS is the virtual game world. It also has everything from schools to churches for people to partake in. It has games and quests like modern day MMORPG, just on a grander scale. Virtual reality has been perfected, but modern society is in tatters. Cities are crowded with energy and food shortages. It is a bleak world, but everything is escapable in the OASIS. People flock to the OASIS to run from the troubles of the real world. Our main character Wade is no different. He is a socially awkward teen with no real friends or family.

Wade is a Gunter, a person in the OASIS who has devoted the last five years to trying to find secret Easter Eggs the creator, James Halliday, left in the OASIS upon his death. The person who finds the egg gains control of Halliday shares of his company, and inherits his fortune. This really does give the novel a Willie Wonka feel. Wade is an impoverished boy with the hope and dream of improving his station by winning the grand prize. To find the egg Wade has to immerse himself in 80’s culture. He has to know all of Halliday’s favorite games, movies, TV-shows, music, and books. He plays classic Atari games non-stop and watches classic 80’s TV shows and movies. Two of his favorites are Ladyhawke and Family Ties. In five years no one has found the egg. Wade makes a breakthrough and finds the first key to unlock the egg and gets our story rolling.

Once Wade finds the first key others do as well and it is a race to unlock the next two keys and gates. The first gates trial is fantastic. I want/need them to invent this type of game, I would play it non-stop. Wade is transported into a movie. He has to quote the lines, and perform the actions of the actor to gain points. If he doesn’t he loses points. This would be a fantastic game. I would probably become a reclusive hermit and play it all the time. After Wade clears the main gate he is approached by the main protagonist. The villain in the novel is an evil corporate internet service provider who hopes to find the egg first and gain control over the OASIS so they can slap adds on every service in the VR world.  The face of the ISS, Nolan Sorrento, is a little cartoony and one dimensional, but makes for a great person to hate.

The challengers and clues escalate, along with Wade’s relationships with his friends who are also hunting for the egg. Wade slowly begins to realize how sad his existence is, and that he wants more out of life than living in the game. He grows up, and Cline does a good job of capturing teenage angst and coming of age. It is instantly relatable, or will be for those of us who are nerds. The only negatives I can find in the book are a few instances of inconsistencies. At one point Wade makes a point to explain that he can’t afford to miss anymore school, and then a few chapters’ later Wade states he had enough credits to graduate and hadn’t been back in weeks. I also glazed over the musical reference, but that’s because I’m not much of a music geek. I appreciate Rush, just not a band I fawn over.

The book is soon to be made into a movie, and Steven Spielberg is attached to direct. This should make it fan-freaking-tastic. It is a great novel, and with Spielberg at the helm it should make for an excellent film. It will be at least an original work. If you like the 80’s and dystopian settings you must read this book.

Cline has his second novel coming out, Armada, this month on July 14, 2015. Check it out too J

My Rating: Worth Re-Reading Multiple Times

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch Book Review: Gods (or luck) > than Brains

Lies of Locke Lamora is a con artist novel set in a rich an exciting fantasy world. WOW, it sounds like I ripped that line directly from the back of the book. It’s an apt description, we follow Locke Lamora a con artist, also a priest, who robs the rich nobility for fun. Locke was a boy genius who has turned into an ultra-successful conman in the city of Camorr. Lies of Locke Lamora is a good book, but it left me wanting more, and not in a good way. I expected more out of the character Locke Lamora.  He seemed to stumble through the last act of the book. I’m in the vast minority for not loving this book. I just liked it, just didn’t love it.

The book starts off a little slowly. It then splits into two different time frames. We have a present day storyline, and also see how Locke grew up, and became a successful con-man. For the first part of the book, I wanted to stay with the young Locke storyline. It was the more interesting of the two. I wanted to find out more about the brilliant schemes the young Locke hatched. Lynch writes Locke to be a con-man Mozart. A natural and gifted liar, at an extremely young age, who can hatch schemes to steal anyone blind. The present day storyline did not interest me much. The scheme they were hatching against a noble was not very interesting. It didn’t have any thrilling elements or cool twists, but then all of sudden Lynch sprang a turn I wasn’t expecting in the first scheme. After this the present day storyline became more entertaining and intriguing.

The middle part of the book had me hooked. I wanted to find out how Locke and his friends wiggled out of their predicament. I liked the tough situation Lynch put the characters in.  The flashbacks or “interludes” added to how the characters where able to escape from the present day situations. I also like the setting and world Lynch created. It’s has renaissance feel to it, but with magic and interesting alchemical concoctions. The religion is another interesting aspect. Our main characters our priests in the church of the benefactor, or the god of thieves. It is a secret God, the thirteenth in the pantheon. The characters deeply believe in their religion, taking time to practice rituals and pray to it on many occasions. This seems to pay off, because our characters had very little to do with their actual survival.

Maybe I was expecting too much. Most of the reviews I have read compare the book to a fantasy Ocean’s Eleven. I think this is a horrible comparison. SPOILER, but I think you need to read on if you have read the other reviews.  Locke does not pull of a big heist to end the book. It just isn’t there. It is a thrilling conclusion to the book, but Locke has a little to actually do with the outcome. He doesn’t plan for anything. He actually goes against his strengths and plays to his weaknesses.  Without some luck, or the help of his God, he shouldn’t survive his trials at the end. From what I had read about the book, and from the interludes, I was expecting Locke to come up with a brilliant scheme to get him and his friends out of their predicament. Instead he just keeps getting beat at his own game.  I like my hero’s to have challengers, but at some point they have to be the hero. Maybe this is Lynch’s writing style, and I enjoyed other aspects just not this part.

Lynch does a great job with the action sequences to end the book. They are clear and well-paced. I didn’t want to put the book down at the end to see what happened. Just because it wasn’t the ending I wanted, didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the payoff. Lynch has a brutal and gritty style. We get some excellent torture sequences, which made me want to gag while reading. They are great and extremely descriptive. If you have a weak stomach I would stay away from these parts of the book. There aren’t very abundant, but they stick with you.

I enjoyed Lynch’s style and the world he created for the Locke to live in. You can tell he put a ton of time in creating his world. There is a mountain of history and backstory that we just scratch the service of in his first novel.  I just didn’t care for Locke at the end of the novel. If I can’t get behind a hero or main character there isn’t much need for me to continue the series. Others have greatly enjoyed this novel and the others in the series. If Lynch starts another book series I would consider picking it up.  Maybe I’ll give the gentlemen bastards another chance in a few years, but for now I liked the book, but not enough to continue 

The Dresden Files: Storm Front by Jim Butcher Book Re-Listen Review: Epics have to start somewhere

I love the Dresden files. I am a fairly recent convert to their magic. I discovered them a little over a year ago. This is my third listen to storm front, and while it is not the best book in the series it is the first, and all great stories need a beginning. The only reason I picked up the Dresden files was due to the fact James Marsters, aka Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is the narrator. I wanted to listen to Marsters and the reviews of the series where really good. I was hooked after Storm Front. I tore through the 13 books of the series in a little over a month. I couldn't get enough. I'm not sure what it is about the series. They are great popcorn books, but they are more than that. If I can convert one more person to a Dresden lover I feel I have done a good deed. Anyone can enjoy the series, but if you are a fan of any type of fantasy you should enjoy these books. If you like audio books, you cannot go wrong with Marsters as Harry Dresden. He is Harry Dresden. Storm Front is our introduction into Dresden world, and it is a wonderful introduction which has spawned countless hours of entertainment.
Since this is my third listen to Storm Front, some of the luster has worn off. I see some things that didn't really work, or things that Harry can do in later novels that he couldn't in this novel. These are not things Harry grew into doing, he should be able to do the things he can in later novels in this one. Magic in Storm Front does not come as easy to Harry as it does in later novels. Butcher changed how his universe worked from the first novel. I think he had a grand outline how his world would work, but added to and expanded on it from the when he wrote the first book. That's ok, this was his first publication, and he wasn't sure if this would be his only book he would ever publish. It's still a good book, but it suffers when looking back after reading some of the other books in the series.
Dresden is a wizard. Look him up in the Chicago yellow pages, he is listed under wizard. Storm Front mixes two different genres extremely well. It's a noir novel set in an urban fantasy universe. All the things that go bump in the night are real, and Harry investigates and protects Chicago from all the evil that lurks in the darkness. It doesn't pay well, which plays into the stereotypical private eye trope. He is down on his luck, hated by the police, expect for one friend on the force. He does get called into consult, and this is where our story starts. Harry must help find a murder who is killing by magic.
Harry for the most part is on his own in Storm Front. As the series builds he gets his own Scooby squad, but he flies solo here. The two main people we see are Susan, an attractive reporter, and Karen Murphey, his friend on the police force who brings Harry in as a consultant. They help out some, but Harry solves this crime on his own. It's an exciting ride, and learning about the world Harry lives in is just as much fun as discovering the murderer. The explanations on how magic works, or how Dresden makes potions drive the novel forward while the action is not going on. One of my favorite parts of the novel is the capturing of a fairy and the explanation of how it can be accomplished.
The plot is a little straightforward, and I would have liked a bit more of a twist. It doesn't take away from the overall story, but more of a surprise would have put it over the top. . Still a good murder mystery, with drugs and crime lords. Butcher just mixes in a dark wizard, vampires, and magic to spice things up.
The immense backstory Harry has is also a key to the novel and the overall series. We want to learn more about him and how he became a wizard. Dresden is a great character, he is a likeable and you root for him. He is also a nerd at heart, which endears him to me. He also is not infallible. He screws up showing he is human and adds to his likability. If you have never heard of Dresden files, pick it up! Download it, listen to it, you just need to ingest it in some form or another. You won't be disappointed.

The Martian by Andy Weir Book Review: Funny, Intense, and Extremely Enjoyable

I listened to The Martian in a little under 2 days. It clocks in at just a tick under eleven hours of listening time. I did not quite binge listen, I had a work day during this time. If I didn't I would have had the book finished in close to one sitting. It was a great listen. I cannot count the times I laughed out loud listening to the audio. You also want to find out what happens to our main character, this drives the book forward and is what caused me to finish so quickly.
I finally decided to give The Martian a try because it is soon to be released as a motion picture starring Matt Damon. Go watch the trailer: The Martin Trailer. I had thought about reading/listening to the book a few times before now, but didn't because some of the reviews said the book was too technical and boring. I am really not sure what book these individuals read, because it can't be the same one I finished in a day and half. Maybe the added audio content made it more exciting. The narrator, R.C. Bray, did a fantastic job with the book. The book does have technical scientific aspects to it, but I loved this, probably because I'm a geek. It seemed plausible. I won't pretend to know if everything he did on the planet would have or could have worked.
The premise of the book is simple. Mark Watney was injured while his crew was fleeing Mars. He gets left for dead, only to awaken and begin a long struggle for survival. What I liked most about the book was Mark as a character. He is a quick witted smart ass, and it's his ability to laugh that keeps him going through his ordeal. Part of the psych profile, we learn later, is that under stress he cracks jokes as a coping mechanism. It works for the book, and it had me laughing through most of it. I don't generally laugh out loud while listening or reading, but I did many times during this. We jump back and forth between what NASA is doing to try and rescue him, and Mark surviving on Mars. It works, and speeds the book along. I preferred listing to Mark's survival on Mars to the Earth storyline, but it was all well done.
The only negatives I can find with the book are the fact Mark has potatoes that were not normal space food. This allowed him to try and grow them on Mars. I'm not sure how plausible it would be for them to be taken to Mars. Mark states he has them because they were celebrating Thanksgiving on the red planet, and NASA wanted them to have some normal food. Probably would not have happened on a normal NASA mission, but it created a great interesting storyline. I loved finding out how he was going to try and get them to grow in Martian soil.
Mark has to survive countless ordeals during his life on Mars. True to life is how I would classify these struggles. Weir doesn't pull any punches for our hero. Yes he is inventive and resilient, but not everything works out how he plans. I would say all of things that happen to him would be impossible to survive, and maybe they would be. We do have a great real life example of people surviving impossible odds in Space: Apollo 13. It has an Apollo 13 feel to it, which I am sure Weir was aiming for. He nailed it, and the intensity is strongly felt from the work.
If you like science, survival, and adventure stories this one is for you. Any type of literature fan should enjoy this novel, not just science fiction fans. I am glad I took the plunge and didn't get scared away because of the negative technical reviews. The technical stuff is in there, but I enjoyed it (so be warned if you don't like detailed explanations of how things workJ). Pick up the book, get ready for the movie. I will eagerly await the release, and hope the movie can capture the books magic.
My Rating: Worth Re-reading multiple times.

Machine World: Undying Mercenaries Book 4 by B.V. Larson Audiobook Review: Hey! We got some character development this time

Well that is an extremely long title for a blog entry, sorry for that. Not really though.
I stumbled on the Undying Mercenaries series by chance, or by the magic of suggestion algorithms on amazon and audible. I enjoy the series, they are good popcorn books. They are fast paced with cool tech and interesting characters. Well I say interesting characters, but I mainly mean one Mr. James McGill. If you read one of the books you have read them all so far. Larson is almost painting by numbers at this point. Every book has followed the same formula. I mean, look at the titles for the books in the series: Steel World, Dust World, Tech World, Machine World, and up next Death World. If it isn't broke why fix it? The third book, Tech World, was a bit of disappointment to me, this one was at least as good as the first two.
The biggest change in this book is James McGill grew as a character a small bit. He found out about some major life events that affect him, and he had to do a little bit of introspection. I think Machine World does a good job showcasing his moral compass. He has always had one, it's a little warped, but his heart is usually in the right place. He actually refrained from sleeping with a girl on moral grounds in this book! I really like McGill as a character. He is a complicated simple character. Does that make any sense? Probably not, but read the books and it will. However Larson could stop beating us over the head with the fact he is more complex than on the surface. Every single female he comes in contact with in this books notes on the fact he is more complicated than they first thought. Larson writes McGill well enough that we don't have to be told he is more complicated than meets the eye. While I am on a rantJ. I could also do without adding in an event in every book that forces him to escape permanent death. I know it makes the books exciting, but they are exciting without trying to shoehorn an impossible scenario for him to escape from. I thought machine world may not have one, but sure enough it did. McGill finds a way to escape permanent death once again.
Ok rant done. Those are the problems with Machine world and the series, but they are still fun. I don't think they are meant to be inspiring literature. I am going to take them for what they are, great action science fiction pieces, with a fun main character. Death World is already out in Kindle form, but the audio version has yet to be released. I will probably wait for the audio version. The narrator, Mark Boyett, for this series is great! He really brings to life all the characters, and you lose yourself in his telling. If you enjoy audiobooks, his narration alone is worth listing to the first book. I may have not continued on with the series after Tech World without his narration.
If you are a science fiction fan, who likes fast paced action and interesting tech pick up this series. Just don't expect mind blowing introspection and deep character development. McGill is a fun main character, but not one who grows much through the series. I hope to see a bit more growth, and a cut-down of the one quota per book permanent death scenario. Probably won't happen with a title like Death World.
My Rating: Better than the last one (will buy the next one)

The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds Book Review: Mystery in Space

I listened to The Prefect in audio book form. I am an audio book fan, if you don’t have an audible account, I would highly recommend it (www.audible.com).  It’s an older book, released in 2007.  The book was recommended by a friend at work who is an Alastair Reynolds and Revelation Space series fan. It is an entertaining book, and I may give more of the series a chance. Though, it will be at the end of a very long list of books I want to listen to or read. I like science fiction and mystery books, probably my two favorite genres. I was intrigued by the premise of a mystery set in space. The book starts off slowly. I almost lost interest and gave up on it. I know my friend at work would ask me about what I thought, so I wanted to give it a fair chance. I’m glad I did, because the second half of the book picks up steam, and makes for a fast paced finish.

I may have had issues with the first part of the book do to the audio version. The narrator did not pause before jumping to other characters points of view. It was really hard to follow what character I was listening to. He would start on a part, and before I knew it we were on to another character. I lost track more than a few times and had to rewind to see who we were following at the time. Once I figured out the characters, it was easier to follow. There are a number of characters to follow so it took a little time. I would highly suggest, if you listen, to be aware of the quick changes in points of view. I don’t really understanding not pausing more for the listeners. Give us a heads up that something is about to change. It doesn’t have to be a long pause, two seconds makes all the difference. The other hard part to follow during the first part of the novel is all the tech of the universe we are dropped into. This may be because it was my first novel in this universe. This was the last book written for the universe, but set first in the timeline, which is why I started with it. Maybe if I had read the other novels the tech would make more sense to me. I liked the tech and the universe once I got used to it. It took me a while to realize the glitter band, the place in the universe our story takes place, is in another solar system away from our sun.  There is something to be said about dropping the reader into the world without giving any explanation to how things work, or what is going on. I think it can give a sense of emersion. I am not sure it works as well for the audio version. If I was going to read another in the series, I would read instead of listen.

The overall story is very well done. I did not figure out all the pieces of the puzzle until very close to the end. I liked who they had a main antagonist, Aurora, in the book. They were revealed early, but you did not know what they had planned. I really enjoyed the slow build of how the plan Aurora set in motion unfolded. I was not sure how our heroes were going to save the day. Hard choices had to be made, and it was not a clean victory. It was enjoyable to see how all the pieces of the novel fit together. We are dropped into the middle of the story and the main problems. These initial problems do not seem to be connected, but fit nicely into the overall story at the end of the novel. The only story which could have been curtailed was that of Thalia. She has a critical part to play in the overall story, but after her part is done her side story does not add much. Her story could have been cut shorter to pick up the pace of the book. I liked her as a character, but her development was not necessary. For those who have read the books I know her initial part is critical. It is her story after she succeeds in a task that I took issue with.

There was one other storyline I did not much understand. The story of the supreme prefect Aumonier did not add much to the overall story either. She had a very interesting backstory, and very exciting rescue scenario. Again not sure if it added to the overall story. I feel like I am focusing more of the negatives of the book. There are many positives of the book as well. I really enjoyed all the characters, even the antagonists. The tech and universe are really intriguing. I loved the whiphounds the prefects used as weapons. They are attention-grabbing, and would be excited to see how they evolve in the other books. The society they live in is unique. The people live in a very loose confederacy. Each habitat in the glitter band gets to set up their own type of government, even tyrannies. The people can leave and migrate if they want. There is an overall government, but it is very loose and is not strong central government. Panoply, where the prefects work, enforces the laws of the weak central government. They basically make sure the voting machines are not manipulated.

The Prefect was a good read. I enjoyed the mystery, intrigue, environment, and characters of the novel. Reynolds created a good universe, a person can get lost in. I will eventually give the next books in the series a try, but they are not ones I have to go out and read immediately to find out what is happening.  Maybe I should since the other three books are the main part of the story. It probably has more to do with I want to read the books, instead of listen to them. I will get to them, and I am sure I will enjoy them when I do.

My Rating: Worth Reading (May want to pass on this audio version)

Golden Sun: Book II of the Red Rising Trilogy, by Pierce Brown: Book Review

This will assume you have read this the first book of the trilogy, and know the character’s names and plots from the first bookJ.

If one word could sum up Golden Sun it would be, predictable. I still enjoyed the characters, the overall story arc, and the world the story is set in. The big glaring issue with the book is its predictability. Maybe it is just me, but I found I knew what was going to happen with characters five to ten chapters before Brown got around to finally making it happen. There is one glaring example of this, in fact, I was hoping Brown was going to throw me for a loop. He could have made the character not do what he had hinted at for almost the entire book. In the end he did what he had hinted at, and the book went according to plan. The issue is these parts are supposed to be surprising. I guess they are supposed to be surprising for Darrow, but if he knew his friends, they should not be.

To summarize the plot, some slight spoilers follow. We find Darrow a couple of years after we left him. He is getting ready to graduate from the fleet academy. He fails to take top prize at the school, and as a result falls out of favor with Augustus. Darrow must find a way back into Augustus favor so he can continue to try and bring down the Gold society from within. He is able to reestablish his favor, and in doing so, kicks off a civil war. Darrow hopes that by starting the civil war it will spark the other castes in the society to rise up, and reform and rebellion will ensue.

The intriguing part of the book is Darrow’s character development. He feels utterly alone, and Brown does a great job of showing how isolated Darrow feels. Spoiler: Darrow revels he is a Red to Sevro. It is an extremely touching well written exchange in the book. Darrow has not been able to find the Sons of Ares, and he is not sure what he is supposed to be doing. He is adrift with no true purpose. When he is finally able to revel his true self to one of his Gold friends, Darrow breaks down. It is great job of writing, the feeling jumps off the page.  This is the part of the book which really shines. The development of Darrow is spectacular. He grows as a person through his struggles and triumphs, and Brown should be commended for how he makes the character change in the novel.

I like the plot, and the action is top notch. Brown does a great job writing the action, and you never feel lost while it is going on. The action in this book was more developed and improved from the first novel. There is only one spot in the novel that did not think add to the overall story. I will not go into detail, but Darrow meets up with Harmony, Mickey, and Evey in the first third of the novel. This story line does not really add any substance to the overall plot. It could have been cut, or maybe changed so it would have had more impact on the novel overall.  This one small point is all I had to quibble with the plot, and the pace of the book.

So why, if I like the plot, would I classify the book as predictable? It simply is. You know who is going to pop up, who is going to die, and who is going to backstab our hero.  It is still a great read and kept me entertained. I am invested in the character, and I want to find out how Brown gets us to the end point. Slight Spoiler:  A few characters betray Darrow during the course of the story. Not saying which ones, but you will be able to figure it out. One instance is extremely obvious. While the action was unfolding you know the character is going to betray Darrow. It is just in the characters nature. Darrow should have known, and it was out of character for Darrow not to know. This is the only part of Darrow’s character development which did not mesh well with his other growth. Brown may be trying to show how much Darrow trusted his friends, when he shouldn’t have.

The book is more about the journey than the destination. You know where it is going to go, but it is a great ride to get there. If you read the first book, you will enjoy the second. It is fast paced action, and still has some of the deeper social aspects from the first book. It is not quite as deep as the first, but a reread might be needed to absorb some of Brown’s finer points.  Give the trilogy a try if you like an interesting world, and great characters. I will look forward to reading the third book when it comes out next year.