An adventurous tale set in a unique, alien world populated by fascinating creatures, though some of the characters aren’t...
Shaw (AAA Pest Control, 2013, etc.) sets a thoughtful coming-of-age tale on a faraway planet, where terraforming has transformed a small continent into an Earth-like habitat but left vast stretches of wilderness and ocean teeming with life forms.
Fallon is a foundling with two remarkable talents: his ability to draw and perfect recall, even if he only experiences an event for a split second. The second skill enhances his already formidable drawing talent, turning it into an almost priceless resource. Fallon’s planet, known as Neworld, is ruled by the mysterious—and increasingly tyrannical—Council. Opposing the Council are the Solarists, members of a renegade group whose publications argue a truth very different from the social and spiritual truths approved and viciously enforced by the Council. Missy Howard, Fallon’s only friend and confidante, upends his world when she secretly enlists Missus Grier—the head of the nascent resistance—to recruit Fallon and his remarkable talents. These events set Fallon on a journey beyond the borders of the world he knows, into the wilds of the planet, where strange new life forms—and hopefully the truth about Neworld’s past—are waiting to be discovered. The mystery of Neworld’s origins and the wonderfully imaginative alien flora and fauna bring this book to life. “A translucent organism,” for instance, “floated through the mist. It looked like a fancy gelatin mold of unique design, with a multitude of fine tentacles dangling and writhing beneath.” The action progresses steadily, although a number of the characters suffer from stock-character syndrome. That shallowness also crops up in the love triangle among Fallon, Addie—Missus Grier’s granddaughter—and her friend Lenore. Fortunately, Shaw eventually freshens up the love triangle trope with a surprise twist.
An adventurous tale set in a unique, alien world populated by fascinating creatures, though some of the characters aren’t quite as vivacious.Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2013
ISBN: 978-1490515632
Page Count: 312
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 21, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Punchy, plausible, and bittersweet; studded with zingers until the very last line.
The desperate logistics of planning for the apocalypse reach their climax in the conclusion to a space opera trilogy that began with The Collapsing Empire (2017) and The Consuming Fire (2018).
Time is running out for Cardenia Wu-Patrick, aka Grayland II, emperox of the planet-spanning Interdependency. As she struggles to come up with a plan to save the billions who will suffer and starve in the wake of the collapse of the Flow, the extradimensional network connecting the planets of her far-flung empire, her nemesis, Lady Nadashe Nohamapetan, continues to scheme against her. With the support of many of the noble houses—who plan to abandon their subjects while preserving themselves and their wealth in a flight to End, the only self-sufficient planet in the Interdependency—Nadashe now seeks the throne for herself. Meanwhile, Cardenia’s lover, the Flow physicist Lord Marce Claremont, attempts to devise a scientific solution to the Flow collapse, unaware that Cardenia is hiding vital data from him. And the clever but hot-tempered Lady Kiva Lagos attempts to spy on Nadashe in hopes of defusing the coup, but she may have gotten herself in too deep this time. Scalzi treads a delicate line here: He set out to chart an apocalypse, and a deus ex machina would be cheating. The book also serves as an acknowledgment that intelligence and good intentions are not an impregnable armor against venality and the pitiless laws of physics. (In addition to slowing down Scalzi's writing—something he acknowledges in an afterword—the current sociopolitical situation in the U.S. has clearly flavored the story.) Given those parameters, Scalzi plays fair while still offering his readers some hope. And even when depicting the direst situations, Scalzi’s work retains its snarky cheer.
Punchy, plausible, and bittersweet; studded with zingers until the very last line.Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7653-8916-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Piratical antics along with a few sex jokes.
A pirate crew, a big secret, and a meddling ambassador meet at a cake competition—what could possibly go wrong?
Avra Helvaçi has a secret that might get him back in Teveri’s good graces, if he can just convince them to give him the time of day. Teveri az-Ḣaffār, captain of the The Running Sun, needs to pay their crew, and preferably not with the fancy straw that has been their only booty recently, making them more receptive to Avra’s pleas, despite their better judgment. And it seems like Avra might really have something valuable, important enough to destabilize the pact between the pirates and the Araşti government, but Avra’s information will need to be interpreted by Julian, the ship’s newest crew member, who is too handsome for his own good and, unluckily, a monk who has taken a vow of celibacy. Begrudgingly, Teveri allows Avra back on the ship, counting on his good luck (about which Avra remains agnostic) to see them through negotiations with possible bidders, interference from government officials, angry sea serpents, and more. Avra, for his part, is eager to please, and also eager to get back in Teveri’s bed, no matter how mean Teveri is to him. Avra’s manic energy permeates every page, making ridiculous scenarios seem plausible and even expected. Hijinks, of course, ensue, with a smattering of heartfelt commentary from Julian on emotions and getting along. Queer relationships, consent, scheming, mishaps, and more make for truly good fun and a quick read.
Piratical antics along with a few sex jokes.Pub Date: June 11, 2024
ISBN: 9781250802538
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Tordotcom
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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