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Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
I wanted to love this book, I really did. The publisher offered me an e-arc of this book because I adored the bear and the nightingale. And honestly it should have been an awesome read.
The story involves five daughters of a king. A king who happens to have fallen into a deep coma-like slumber. So all of the daughters are drawn to their father’s side to say their goodbyes. But what if it is not illness but a magical spell that holds the king in slumber? The sisters must find out quickly before the kingdom’s peace is torn apart.
I did enjoy the sisters for the most part. They are all named after plants –
- Bluebell – a warrior who is set to be the next king
- Rose – a mother whose unhappy marriage was the price for peace
- Ash – a student of magic who may possess magic she never asked for
- Ivy – a young girl who just wants admiration from everyone
- Willow – a zealot of a new religion who wants the world to convert
So I had two problems with this book. The first is that the plot was just plodding at parts. It took me forever to get into this book and I didn’t really get engrossed in the story until after the 60% mark. It could have been trimmed. There was too much time where nothing interesting happened and the characters were waiting around.
Which leads to the second problem. While the characters were waiting around, all of them were confused, upset, and could be annoying. The sisters seemed to never use their intelligence and instead made extremely rash choices that were a) stupid, b) completely emotionally based, and c) the worst possible choice. I thought it was ridiculous that all of them couldn’t seem to use logic and reasoning. I could sort-of accept it for Willow due to her particular set of problems but not for the others. Ultimately I didn’t totally like any of the sisters and found it hard to wish for success for any of them.
The one really fun note for me was the bad guy, Wylm. He is a step-brother by marriage. While his bad-guy motivation was rather lame (having the throne for the sake of being important) I did like that the author had him make some choices that took me completely by surprise. While most of his actions are caused by his cowardice and need to stay alive, he did have others that led to excellent plot lines and he actually used his brain. He could be crafty even if his underlying reasons were illogical. I also enjoyed how his portion of the story resolved in the first book.
Ultimately I would consider this an okay read. I found Bluebell and Ash’s sections to be very engaging at times. I did enjoy the magical system and would like to see that explored further. I am not adverse to reading the next book but I think I would wait for reviews from me crew before making the choice to continue the series.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Random House!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
I wanted to love this book, I really did. The publisher offered me an e-arc of this book because I adored the bear and the nightingale. And honestly it should have been an awesome read.
The story involves five daughters of a king. A king who happens to have fallen into a deep coma-like slumber. So all of the daughters are drawn to their father’s side to say their goodbyes. But what if it is not illness but a magical spell that holds the king in slumber? The sisters must find out quickly before the kingdom’s peace is torn apart.
I did enjoy the sisters for the most part. They are all named after plants –
- Bluebell – a warrior who is set to be the next king
- Rose – a mother whose unhappy marriage was the price for peace
- Ash – a student of magic who may possess magic she never asked for
- Ivy – a young girl who just wants admiration from everyone
- Willow – a zealot of a new religion who wants the world to convert
So I had two problems with this book. The first is that the plot was just plodding at parts. It took me forever to get into this book and I didn’t really get engrossed in the story until after the 60% mark. It could have been trimmed. There was too much time where nothing interesting happened and the characters were waiting around.
Which leads to the second problem. While the characters were waiting around, all of them were confused, upset, and could be annoying. The sisters seemed to never use their intelligence and instead made extremely rash choices that were a) stupid, b) completely emotionally based, and c) the worst possible choice. I thought it was ridiculous that all of them couldn’t seem to use logic and reasoning. I could sort-of accept it for Willow due to her particular set of problems but not for the others. Ultimately I didn’t totally like any of the sisters and found it hard to wish for success for any of them.
The one really fun note for me was the bad guy, Wylm. He is a step-brother by marriage. While his bad-guy motivation was rather lame (having the throne for the sake of being important) I did like that the author had him make some choices that took me completely by surprise. While most of his actions are caused by his cowardice and need to stay alive, he did have others that led to excellent plot lines and he actually used his brain. He could be crafty even if his underlying reasons were illogical. I also enjoyed how his portion of the story resolved in the first book.
Ultimately I would consider this an okay read. I found Bluebell and Ash’s sections to be very engaging at times. I did enjoy the magical system and would like to see that explored further. I am not adverse to reading the next book but I think I would wait for reviews from me crew before making the choice to continue the series.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Random House!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! This was an audiobook that I picked up for two reasons: 1) the author previously won the Newbery Medal and 2) it has a giant cat on the cover.
The cat was supposed to be both invisible and magic. I had assumed that the story would be lighthearted and that the cat and little boy would get into all kinds of adventures. This book had a way more serious tone. It was about a struggling boy named Jackson. His mom lost her job and his dad has MS. They are poor and about to lose their home . . . again. His parents continue to treat every situation with an upbeat attitude. Jackson knows the problem is serious and doesn't know how to make his parents tell him the truth about their circumstances.
Like how Harvey the rabbit is a sign of alcoholism, Crenshaw is a sign of troubled times. One of the more interesting points of this book is that Crenshaw doesn't magically fix things. He is more of a sounding board and a solid presence in Jackson's life. A friend. Only, in the beginning, Jackson thinks he is going insane because why should he be seeing a giant talking cat that he thought was an imaginary friend he left back in kindergarten.
I enjoyed the fact that Jackson is going through self-discovery and that the cat doesn't magically fix the parents' situation. The cat is a background personality for the most part and much of his involvement is through flashbacks. I loved that Jackson had loving parents who did want the best for their children. I loved silly Crenshaw. This was a wonderful story, dealing with the effects of poverty, friendship, family, and resilience. I will certainly be reading more of Katherine Applegate's work.
Side note: The narrator, Kirby Heyborne, did a wonderful job!
The cat was supposed to be both invisible and magic. I had assumed that the story would be lighthearted and that the cat and little boy would get into all kinds of adventures. This book had a way more serious tone. It was about a struggling boy named Jackson. His mom lost her job and his dad has MS. They are poor and about to lose their home . . . again. His parents continue to treat every situation with an upbeat attitude. Jackson knows the problem is serious and doesn't know how to make his parents tell him the truth about their circumstances.
Like how Harvey the rabbit is a sign of alcoholism, Crenshaw is a sign of troubled times. One of the more interesting points of this book is that Crenshaw doesn't magically fix things. He is more of a sounding board and a solid presence in Jackson's life. A friend. Only, in the beginning, Jackson thinks he is going insane because why should he be seeing a giant talking cat that he thought was an imaginary friend he left back in kindergarten.
I enjoyed the fact that Jackson is going through self-discovery and that the cat doesn't magically fix the parents' situation. The cat is a background personality for the most part and much of his involvement is through flashbacks. I loved that Jackson had loving parents who did want the best for their children. I loved silly Crenshaw. This was a wonderful story, dealing with the effects of poverty, friendship, family, and resilience. I will certainly be reading more of Katherine Applegate's work.
Side note: The narrator, Kirby Heyborne, did a wonderful job!
Ahoy there me mateys! I have noticed this evocative cover time and time again since I was a young’un’. But for reasons that escape me now, I never did pick it up. But I have always had intentions to read it. Well then two of me crew in rather quick succession wrote their thoughts about it and solidified me desire to read it. And so I have.
For such a short book, it took me a rather long time to read because I had to savor it in delightful little bits. This novel truly deserves the designation of a classic. The story is silly and seemingly simple but oh what delightful use of language. I loved the evocative illustrations by Jules Feiffer and how even the type on the page helps to tell the story. It is the kind of book with clever layers that make it a lovely read for people of all ages.
A favourite quote:
“Do all those words mean the same thing?” gasped Milo. “Of course.” “Certainly.” “Precisely.” “Exactly.” “Yes,” they replied in order. “Well, then,” said Milo, not understanding why each one said the same thing in a slightly different way, “wouldn’t it be simpler to use just one? It would certainly make more sense.” “Nonsense.” “Ridiculous.” “Fantastic.” “Absurd.” “Bosh,” they chorused again, and continued. “We’re not interested in making sense; it’s not our job,” scolded the first. “Besides,” explained the second, “one word is as good as another—so why not use them all?”
I would like to visit the Doldrums where sleeping is a priority. Wouldn’t ye want items on yer schedule like this:
“From 2:00 to 2:30 we take our early afternoon nap. “From 2:30 to 3:30 we put off for tomorrow what we could have done today. “From 3:30 to 4:00 we take our early late afternoon nap."
The language is literally delicious. I wish I could have had a phantom tollbooth as a child!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
For such a short book, it took me a rather long time to read because I had to savor it in delightful little bits. This novel truly deserves the designation of a classic. The story is silly and seemingly simple but oh what delightful use of language. I loved the evocative illustrations by Jules Feiffer and how even the type on the page helps to tell the story. It is the kind of book with clever layers that make it a lovely read for people of all ages.
A favourite quote:
“Do all those words mean the same thing?” gasped Milo. “Of course.” “Certainly.” “Precisely.” “Exactly.” “Yes,” they replied in order. “Well, then,” said Milo, not understanding why each one said the same thing in a slightly different way, “wouldn’t it be simpler to use just one? It would certainly make more sense.” “Nonsense.” “Ridiculous.” “Fantastic.” “Absurd.” “Bosh,” they chorused again, and continued. “We’re not interested in making sense; it’s not our job,” scolded the first. “Besides,” explained the second, “one word is as good as another—so why not use them all?”
I would like to visit the Doldrums where sleeping is a priority. Wouldn’t ye want items on yer schedule like this:
“From 2:00 to 2:30 we take our early afternoon nap. “From 2:30 to 3:30 we put off for tomorrow what we could have done today. “From 3:30 to 4:00 we take our early late afternoon nap."
The language is literally delicious. I wish I could have had a phantom tollbooth as a child!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! So in previous times, wendy @ the biliosanctum set me on a series of adventures that led to me reading the first book in The Craft Sequence, three parts dead. I absolutely loved it. The second book was two serpents rise. That was not nearly as good as the first but I adore the world and certainly wanted the next book. Like the others, I read this one without reading the blurb first. No real spoilers aboard but read at yer own peril . . .
This installment turned out to be much better than the last. It was also a companion novel featuring a new city and new characters. The difference in this book was that some characters from the other two books appeared in this one! It was fun to have the books tie together in a fashion.
This one takes place on the island of Kavekana. It is not run by a god or a deathless king but by a business entity. The conglomerate creates idols for use in business transactions for those who don't want to worship in other cities. The idols don't have feelings or true consciousness but can "die" in business deals gone wrong. Kai is one of the creators of the idols. When she witnesses an idol about to die, she dives into danger hoping to prevent its' demise. Instead she ends up severely injured and has jeopardized the business. For her botched attempt, she is moved to another department until the company can decide her future role. Everyone thinks she has gone crazy. Is she or is there a bigger game at play?
Besides Kai, there is also a spunky street urchin named Izza that is the other main point of view. I loved the interplay of all of the women in this book. Also while there some elements of Kai's relationship with her ex in this novel, it serves a function in the plot and does not overtake the story. In general, I found the machinations of the idols and the business to be fascinating. This novel weaves the characters and their wishes and aspirations together in a very powerful mix. Gladstone yet again takes the novel in directions I wasn't expecting.
I will be reading the fourth book at some point and, no, I won't be reading the blurb for that one either. Wish me luck. Arrrr!!!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
This installment turned out to be much better than the last. It was also a companion novel featuring a new city and new characters. The difference in this book was that some characters from the other two books appeared in this one! It was fun to have the books tie together in a fashion.
This one takes place on the island of Kavekana. It is not run by a god or a deathless king but by a business entity. The conglomerate creates idols for use in business transactions for those who don't want to worship in other cities. The idols don't have feelings or true consciousness but can "die" in business deals gone wrong. Kai is one of the creators of the idols. When she witnesses an idol about to die, she dives into danger hoping to prevent its' demise. Instead she ends up severely injured and has jeopardized the business. For her botched attempt, she is moved to another department until the company can decide her future role. Everyone thinks she has gone crazy. Is she or is there a bigger game at play?
Besides Kai, there is also a spunky street urchin named Izza that is the other main point of view. I loved the interplay of all of the women in this book. Also while there some elements of Kai's relationship with her ex in this novel, it serves a function in the plot and does not overtake the story. In general, I found the machinations of the idols and the business to be fascinating. This novel weaves the characters and their wishes and aspirations together in a very powerful mix. Gladstone yet again takes the novel in directions I wasn't expecting.
I will be reading the fourth book at some point and, no, I won't be reading the blurb for that one either. Wish me luck. Arrrr!!!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! This sci-fi novella caught me eye because many many crew members wouldn’t stop talking about how good it was.
Plus this novella won all these awards:
Hugo Award for Best Novella (2016)
Nebula Award for Best Novella (2016)
Locus Award Nominee for Best Novella (2016)
So I read this and found it to be absolutely stunning. It has a strong black female protagonist, interesting tech, diversity, self-discovery, fantastic world-building, discussions about traditions vs. modernity, and was a quick read. I found meself completely engrossed from the very first sentences. I already picked up the next novella in the series. Arrr!
Plus this novella won all these awards:
Hugo Award for Best Novella (2016)
Nebula Award for Best Novella (2016)
Locus Award Nominee for Best Novella (2016)
So I read this and found it to be absolutely stunning. It has a strong black female protagonist, interesting tech, diversity, self-discovery, fantastic world-building, discussions about traditions vs. modernity, and was a quick read. I found meself completely engrossed from the very first sentences. I already picked up the next novella in the series. Arrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! Yesterday I reviewed binti, the first novella in the series. It was so good I had to immediately read the second one. If ye haven’t read the first book then ye might want to skip this post and go read me review of that one. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
This was a great second installment. In this novella, Binti goes home to see her parents and family for the first time since leaving them without any warning a year ago. We get to see Binti continue to struggle to come to terms with her new role in the family. She continues to defy gender norms and expectations handed down to her from birth. As she changes and grows she has to make decisions about if she will accept the consequences of her choices in order to find her own destiny.
The world-building and characterization continue to be exquisite. The exploration of tribal life and modernity continue to be explored. It was another quick read. I will certainly be reading the last novella in the series once I get ahold of it. Arrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
This was a great second installment. In this novella, Binti goes home to see her parents and family for the first time since leaving them without any warning a year ago. We get to see Binti continue to struggle to come to terms with her new role in the family. She continues to defy gender norms and expectations handed down to her from birth. As she changes and grows she has to make decisions about if she will accept the consequences of her choices in order to find her own destiny.
The world-building and characterization continue to be exquisite. The exploration of tribal life and modernity continue to be explored. It was another quick read. I will certainly be reading the last novella in the series once I get ahold of it. Arrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
This book appealed to me because it's about anthropologists from another plane doing research on the Black Death. Their plane is also suffering from a plague and they are hoping the research can save lives back home. Anthropologists are supposed to stay neutral but one member of the team, Habidah, breaks the rules and rescues a Florentine Carthusian monk named Niccolucio.
Now I abandoned this book at 48% but, to be fair, I loved the first half. I thought the story of Niccolucio was excellent and really enjoyed reading about the research of Habidah and her team. The imagery was well done and I really cared about both of the characters. The problem arose once the politics of the other plane got involved. The entire tone of the book switched, and I began to feel like I was reading a different book.
Because apparently the expedition had another goal besides the one that Habidah was given. I won't get into it here but basically it spoiled the premise for me and I didn't want to read about where the author wanted to take the story. I wanted a book more along the lines of the Doomsday book rather than a space opera. I did attempt to keep reading several times because I wanted to know what ends up happening to Niccolucio specifically. But alas I couldn't stay engaged once the plot switched. I do have other crew members that loved it though so it might work for ye.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Angry Robot Books!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
This book appealed to me because it's about anthropologists from another plane doing research on the Black Death. Their plane is also suffering from a plague and they are hoping the research can save lives back home. Anthropologists are supposed to stay neutral but one member of the team, Habidah, breaks the rules and rescues a Florentine Carthusian monk named Niccolucio.
Now I abandoned this book at 48% but, to be fair, I loved the first half. I thought the story of Niccolucio was excellent and really enjoyed reading about the research of Habidah and her team. The imagery was well done and I really cared about both of the characters. The problem arose once the politics of the other plane got involved. The entire tone of the book switched, and I began to feel like I was reading a different book.
Because apparently the expedition had another goal besides the one that Habidah was given. I won't get into it here but basically it spoiled the premise for me and I didn't want to read about where the author wanted to take the story. I wanted a book more along the lines of the Doomsday book rather than a space opera. I did attempt to keep reading several times because I wanted to know what ends up happening to Niccolucio specifically. But alas I couldn't stay engaged once the plot switched. I do have other crew members that loved it though so it might work for ye.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Angry Robot Books!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
Upon reading the synopsis, I thought this novel would float me boat. But I just could not finish it and had to abandon ship at 80%. Why ye ask? Well for a myriad of reasons:
- Sophie – She is the main character and at first I really liked her. She was hard-working, dedicated, driven, intelligent, and fun. But basically she is a character who waffles forever, makes the wrong choices every time, is extremely selfish, and doesn’t use her brain. People DIE because of her stupidity and yet even that doesn’t help her decide. By doing nothing (but lying) she creates a situation that could have been solved in the very beginning just by turning the bad man into the police. I kept waiting for her to fix her own mistakes and instead (at 80%) she FINALLY makes a decision and then runs to a man to whine and ask for help. That was the point where I had to stop reading. Ugh.
- The Magic – Sophie is a seamstress who sews magic into clothing with her stiches. This aspect of the novel was awesome. It just really didn’t get used to its potential. I wanted to see more of the magic in action, not just hear about some of the small things it could do as an aside.
- The Love Story – Sigh. Insta-lust turned into love in a couple of weeks. She is a commoner. He is a noble. Star-crossed lovers that ye be supposed to cheer for. But I didn’t really.
- The Love Interest – Okay so despite disliking the insta-lust, I did like a couple of things about Sophie’s man. He is a botanist and a violinist. He has an eye for artistry. He is strong and intelligent. But oh so naïve. The “commoners live like this?” and “well yes we are so rich but we have responsibilities that are given to us by birth and oh it’s so hard” kinda crap. Sophie of course opens his eyes to the common folk problems while he wines, dines, and seduces her with his charm and riches.
- The Brother – Sophie’s brother is frankly an ass. Everything she does is because her brother always gets his way and she loves him. Is civil war worth saving yer selfish idealistic stupid brother. Ummm apparently yes. And then the plot twist happens and Sophie sees the truth! Well it was apparent to this pirate Captain from the beginning.
- The Bad Guy – He seemingly wants to bring down society in flames because of revenge. But his sister was spurned! Her reputation was ruined! So isn’t it justice? No it’s because he doesn’t feel important enough and no one realizes his superiority and intelligent. Bah!
- The Hired Help – I actually loved the girls working in the shop with Sophie. But in her selfishness she really treats them like crap and they deserved better. I wanted to see more of the good aspects of the friendships that were hinted at the beginning of the novel.
- The Pacing – It took forever to get into the story and was rather repetitive. We had to hear about brother’s beautiful writing, the anger of the populace, how nobles are evil, and the taverns meetings a bit too much. Poor = grumpy. Nobles = evil. Sophie needs nobles and money to survive. Seriously for something that simplistic, the author pointed it out an awful lot. There was no real build up or action. Most of that happened off the page. Instead we get Sophie waffling and visiting the rich people artists’ salon.
I kept reading because I wanted to see how Sophie used her magic to solve the problem. When she ran to lover-boy for help I got grumpy. When he agreed to help her without any commentary about her mistakes or stupidity because he loved her so, I had to stop. With so many books on the horizon, I just gave up. I want me reading to make time seem to disappear, not to accentuate every second passing. I am sad, but I couldn’t fight the tide.
I wish this one would have focused on the magic and had Sophie be a strong woman and not an idiot. I loved the sewing magic!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Orbit!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Upon reading the synopsis, I thought this novel would float me boat. But I just could not finish it and had to abandon ship at 80%. Why ye ask? Well for a myriad of reasons:
- Sophie – She is the main character and at first I really liked her. She was hard-working, dedicated, driven, intelligent, and fun. But basically she is a character who waffles forever, makes the wrong choices every time, is extremely selfish, and doesn’t use her brain. People DIE because of her stupidity and yet even that doesn’t help her decide. By doing nothing (but lying) she creates a situation that could have been solved in the very beginning just by turning the bad man into the police. I kept waiting for her to fix her own mistakes and instead (at 80%) she FINALLY makes a decision and then runs to a man to whine and ask for help. That was the point where I had to stop reading. Ugh.
- The Magic – Sophie is a seamstress who sews magic into clothing with her stiches. This aspect of the novel was awesome. It just really didn’t get used to its potential. I wanted to see more of the magic in action, not just hear about some of the small things it could do as an aside.
- The Love Story – Sigh. Insta-lust turned into love in a couple of weeks. She is a commoner. He is a noble. Star-crossed lovers that ye be supposed to cheer for. But I didn’t really.
- The Love Interest – Okay so despite disliking the insta-lust, I did like a couple of things about Sophie’s man. He is a botanist and a violinist. He has an eye for artistry. He is strong and intelligent. But oh so naïve. The “commoners live like this?” and “well yes we are so rich but we have responsibilities that are given to us by birth and oh it’s so hard” kinda crap. Sophie of course opens his eyes to the common folk problems while he wines, dines, and seduces her with his charm and riches.
- The Brother – Sophie’s brother is frankly an ass. Everything she does is because her brother always gets his way and she loves him. Is civil war worth saving yer selfish idealistic stupid brother. Ummm apparently yes. And then the plot twist happens and Sophie sees the truth! Well it was apparent to this pirate Captain from the beginning.
- The Bad Guy – He seemingly wants to bring down society in flames because of revenge. But his sister was spurned! Her reputation was ruined! So isn’t it justice? No it’s because he doesn’t feel important enough and no one realizes his superiority and intelligent. Bah!
- The Hired Help – I actually loved the girls working in the shop with Sophie. But in her selfishness she really treats them like crap and they deserved better. I wanted to see more of the good aspects of the friendships that were hinted at the beginning of the novel.
- The Pacing – It took forever to get into the story and was rather repetitive. We had to hear about brother’s beautiful writing, the anger of the populace, how nobles are evil, and the taverns meetings a bit too much. Poor = grumpy. Nobles = evil. Sophie needs nobles and money to survive. Seriously for something that simplistic, the author pointed it out an awful lot. There was no real build up or action. Most of that happened off the page. Instead we get Sophie waffling and visiting the rich people artists’ salon.
I kept reading because I wanted to see how Sophie used her magic to solve the problem. When she ran to lover-boy for help I got grumpy. When he agreed to help her without any commentary about her mistakes or stupidity because he loved her so, I had to stop. With so many books on the horizon, I just gave up. I want me reading to make time seem to disappear, not to accentuate every second passing. I am sad, but I couldn’t fight the tide.
I wish this one would have focused on the magic and had Sophie be a strong woman and not an idiot. I loved the sewing magic!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Orbit!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! This piqued me interest because of the title and then the blurb sounded awesome. I had never heard of the author or the book. I brought it home and of course the First Mate had not only heard of it but had read both it and another book in the series. Apparently, yet again, I somehow missed one of the most important sci-fi works ever written. This novel won the following awards:
Hugo Award for Best Novel (1976), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1975), Locus Award for Best Novel (1976), Ditmar Award for Best International Long Fiction (1976)
Also it is a sci-fi novel in response to the Vietnam War. As Goodreads states:
Based in part on the author’s experiences in Vietnam, The Forever War is regarded as one of the greatest military science fiction novels ever written, capturing the alienation that servicemen and women experience even now upon returning home from battle. It shines a light not only on the culture of the 1970s in which it was written, but also on our potential future.
Well then. So, of course, I had to read it and I have to say that I thought this book was amazing! While the book’s Vietnam references are there, I overall felt that this book was timeless. It didn’t feel aged or dated. I thought it was absorbing and fascinating.
The plot follows Mandella as he fights in an interplanetary war. The issue is that due to the logistics of space travel, Mandella’s battles can last several years while back on Earth decades or centuries pass. The war is the one constant but every time Mandella’s on leave, he has to confront the social and economic changes that have been occurring back home. And goodness do things change.
The main message seems to be that war is begun from stupidity and greed as a means to control the populace. War is pointless and never has good consequences. A message I can certainly get behind. If ye haven’t read this one then I highly recommend it.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Hugo Award for Best Novel (1976), Nebula Award for Best Novel (1975), Locus Award for Best Novel (1976), Ditmar Award for Best International Long Fiction (1976)
Also it is a sci-fi novel in response to the Vietnam War. As Goodreads states:
Based in part on the author’s experiences in Vietnam, The Forever War is regarded as one of the greatest military science fiction novels ever written, capturing the alienation that servicemen and women experience even now upon returning home from battle. It shines a light not only on the culture of the 1970s in which it was written, but also on our potential future.
Well then. So, of course, I had to read it and I have to say that I thought this book was amazing! While the book’s Vietnam references are there, I overall felt that this book was timeless. It didn’t feel aged or dated. I thought it was absorbing and fascinating.
The plot follows Mandella as he fights in an interplanetary war. The issue is that due to the logistics of space travel, Mandella’s battles can last several years while back on Earth decades or centuries pass. The war is the one constant but every time Mandella’s on leave, he has to confront the social and economic changes that have been occurring back home. And goodness do things change.
The main message seems to be that war is begun from stupidity and greed as a means to control the populace. War is pointless and never has good consequences. A message I can certainly get behind. If ye haven’t read this one then I highly recommend it.
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult historical fiction eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
The beautiful cover led me to looking into this one. It is about a female barnstormer in the roaring twenties. What is a barnstormer ye ask? Well a barnstorming act is basically a flying circus. The pilots do aerial tricks and sell airplane rides. Some of these acts had wing-walkers, like Lillian Boyer, who would do car-to-plane transfers, walk on the wings while the plane was in flight, and do parachute jumps.
This story tells the fictional account of a wing-walker named Grace. Orphaned as a child, she grew up with her bachelor pilot uncle. Under duress, she became his wing-walker at the age of 13. Now 18, Grace has plans for her team to make it to the World Aviation Expo in Chicago and from there earn a contract to work in Hollywood. But competition is fierce and one team owner in particular seems determined to poach her or otherwise ruin her shot at Chicago. Can Grace’s dream come true?
This book was a lovely look into a slice of American history. It was a quick read that I read in one sitting. While I had heard of barnstorming before, I didn’t know that much about it. Grace was feisty, hard-working, determined, stubborn, loyal, and sometimes had a wicked temper. I was immersed in Grace’s story and the details of the planes and aerobatics. I have to admit that I was surprised by a couple of the plot twists. Though I don’t prefer romance, it was handled well.
The author seems to have done a stellar job at research. Better yet this book led me to further reading on figures who appear in the book like, Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman and Native-American descendant to earn a pilot license. I love when historical fiction makes me interested enough to do factual research. I recommend this one if any of the above sounds interesting.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Flux!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
The beautiful cover led me to looking into this one. It is about a female barnstormer in the roaring twenties. What is a barnstormer ye ask? Well a barnstorming act is basically a flying circus. The pilots do aerial tricks and sell airplane rides. Some of these acts had wing-walkers, like Lillian Boyer, who would do car-to-plane transfers, walk on the wings while the plane was in flight, and do parachute jumps.
This story tells the fictional account of a wing-walker named Grace. Orphaned as a child, she grew up with her bachelor pilot uncle. Under duress, she became his wing-walker at the age of 13. Now 18, Grace has plans for her team to make it to the World Aviation Expo in Chicago and from there earn a contract to work in Hollywood. But competition is fierce and one team owner in particular seems determined to poach her or otherwise ruin her shot at Chicago. Can Grace’s dream come true?
This book was a lovely look into a slice of American history. It was a quick read that I read in one sitting. While I had heard of barnstorming before, I didn’t know that much about it. Grace was feisty, hard-working, determined, stubborn, loyal, and sometimes had a wicked temper. I was immersed in Grace’s story and the details of the planes and aerobatics. I have to admit that I was surprised by a couple of the plot twists. Though I don’t prefer romance, it was handled well.
The author seems to have done a stellar job at research. Better yet this book led me to further reading on figures who appear in the book like, Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman and Native-American descendant to earn a pilot license. I love when historical fiction makes me interested enough to do factual research. I recommend this one if any of the above sounds interesting.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Flux!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/