Ahoy me mateys. It is time for this book to walk the plank . . .

This is a young adult sci-fi novel. It takes place on a nameless moon. There are two cultures on this moon – humans and the non-humans they call the Cheese (of all things). The book has a cool cover with a girl on a horse and a flying creature:

The cover made me interested in the novel because it has been a while since I read any space-related sci-fi, and I wanted to remedy that. If only this book was as fun as its cover. Overall, the humans’ community felt like a western town. Horses in space? Usually I will read anything that has horses in it. But the horses in the book could not help me suspend my disbelief. The Cheese lizard culture was even weirder.

I only finished this book because it was short (322 pages with large-ish font). The main character, Rae, had some good qualities, and I was entertained by the sister Temple. However, the plot was just too simple and unexciting. The history of the human colony and the other native communities was never really explained to my satisfaction. The tech of the planet seemed arbitrary. And the humans had an annoying version of a seemingly simple Christian-based religion. This book also seems to set itself up for a possible sequel. I will not partake.

Ahoy there mateys! Several years ago, I was lamenting that there were no standalones that were somehow intertwined in one universe or world. Me brain is usually a sieve and lots of time in-between books in trilogies and such means that I lose details and sometimes have to start the series over. I wanted the effect of extreme world building with a tied-up story in each book. The First Mate suggested the Culture “series” in which every book is set in the same universe but all can be read as standalones and in any order. And sci-fi to boot. Arrrr! So I began with the novel consider phlebas which was Bank’s first Culture novel. Have read it twice now and loved it even more the second time. So eventually I bought this book which was Bank’s second written Culture Novel and the First Mate’s favorite.

I loved this book and the world Banks has set up so very much. The game player in this book is named Jernau Morat Gurgeh. He is considered one of the best game players in the galaxy. Through a series of circumstances, he is recruited/forced to play a top secret high-stakes game in another star system, Azad. However the “game” he is playing is anything but just for fun. The planet’s society, politics, religion, and very existence hinge of the outcome of the conclusion of the tournament.

What I found fascinating about this novel is that the tone is extremely different from the other Culture novel that I read. That one was full of action and multiple settings and a dare-devil protagonist. In this one, Gurgeh is a thinker and philosopher of games. He likes his routine and current lifestyle. He is an unwilling game participant at first but becomes engrossed as he gets more and more involved in the life and game of Azad. Yet the background of the Culture makes this book as compelling as the first novel in spite or maybe because of these differences.

I am not a huge game theory fan so the game itself did not always have me focus. But what certainly did were the politics and interactions of the characters. The Culture world has a “humanoid/machine symbiotic society.” Yet Azad is more primitive. I loved Gurgeh and his attitude of almost nonchalance towards everyone else. The game is the only thing for him.

I also loved his robot friend, Chamlis, who is crazy old and lovable for a machine. Gurgeh’s machine ambassador, Flere-Imsaho was also a hoot. He spends his free time bird watching and the remainder of the time trying to keep Gurgeh from making political and social blunders. He also has to hide what he is and he made me laugh with his complaints. I love the spaceship, Limiting Factor. Basically all the machines in this novel have fantastic and distinct personalities. They were nice contrasts to Gurgeh’s own personality.

There is no major way to explain the plot any further due to its complexity. This book was a fast read and I think the writing is superb. Needless to say I recommend the two culture novels I have read so far and I certainly shall be reading more in the series.

Apparently there are 10 books in total. Only 8 to go. But I shall take me time with them to savor the Culture flavor.

Side note: Apparently Mr. Banks passed away in 2013 from cancer. Boo-hiss! Cancer sucks. But I am grateful he left behind a whole world for me to explore.

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Ahoy there mateys! Me last review was of this author’s novel brother’s ruin which was extremely enjoyable but an oh so very very different fantasy read. I loved that one immensely which made me immediately pick up this recently purchased novel. I am extremely glad I did.

This sci-fi novel is the story of a colony on a remote alien planet far far from Earth. The settlers came chasing a dream of a woman named Lee Suh-Mi, known as the Pathfinder. Suh-Mi had visions of an unknown society calling to humanity. The settlers make planetfall and establish new lives working towards a purpose. Little does the colony know that it is living a lie – one that Renata Ghali, Suh-Mi’s best friend, helps perpetuate. When a stranger arrives at the colony, his presence threatens to spill old secrets. At what cost?

This story is told from the point of view of Renata, also known as Ren. Part mystery, part adventure, and part character study, this novel was emotionally compelling and fascinating. While Ren is intelligent and capable, she has personal demons to fight. I continually seemed to float between curiosity, pity, and hopefulness about Ren’s situation. While slow-burning in many ways, I was always fully engrossed in the story and desperately wanting to find out more details and what happens next.

I loved the world building and technology. From the use of 3D printers, to how the homes were built, the structure of society, and the mysterious God’s City, this novel was full of wonderful details. I will certainly be reading more of this author’s work. Ye should too.

Side note: there is a companion novel out. Arrrrr! I had to buy it!

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Ahoy there me mateys! So me crew has been recommending this one. It is a sci-fi with murder mystery and philosophical bents. Six crew members run a generation ship that is supposed to take a 400 year journey to a new planet. All six of them have criminal backgrounds and if they run this mission successfully then all of them get clean slates on the new planet. How are they supposed to live that long? Well, they are clones of course! Everyone else on board is in stasis.

The hitch is that all six crew members wake up in new bodies at the same time only to find their own dead bodies floating around them. And they have lost at least 25 years of memories. They seem to have been rebooted with copies that only contain the memories of up to when they first entered the ship. The evidence, of course, points to murder but which one of them did it?

So this book is 361 pages. I adored it up until page 268 and then the momentum went down from there. This is not to say I didn’t like the book. I thought the plot was suspenseful, the characters were fun, the legal and philosophical debate around clones was fascinating, the technology was cool, and most of the murder solving was great. There were flashback scenes that enhanced both the characterizations and the mystery. I just didn’t love the climax and the ending. I knew overall why the crew was placed there but didn’t really guess any of the details. And the details were a mixed bag. I would say I liked this book very much but overall it left me strangely unsatisfied.

I am however in the minority and most readers seem to have adored it. So don’t just take me word for it . . .

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Ahoy there me mateys!

This was a fun little space romp with romance. I loved the main character of Solara. The love interest, Doran, was the perfect jerk guy who comes around to be not so bad. The eccentric crew is fun. The ship’s mascot rocks. The plot did not lead me to deep pondering or philosophical thinking but it was entertaining. The whole crew is full of banter and snarkiness that was right up my alley. And there are space pirates (Arrrrr!). Basically there is one major disaster after the other. I thought the ending’s plot twist was a little strange but I thought “Fluff book. Go with it.” The world building was light, the actual science was light, and it is cheesy. If you just want quick fast entertainment with silliness then this book might be for you.

Side Note: There is going to be a companion novel, starfall, that I will pick up when it eventually comes out.

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Ahoy there me mateys!

I couldn’t sleep so I starting reading this in my bunk at 8 Bells (4:00 a.m. for you landlubbers) until I felt tired enough to go back and catch a little bit more shut eye until I had to be on deck.

So this novel was recommended by several of my fellow bloggers as one of the best books of 2015. I am sadly going to have to disagree. Now don’t get me wrong, the book certainly had its fun moments. I certainly enjoyed the character of Kady Grant. As usual a smart intelligent feisty girl – who happens to be a kickass hacker. Ezra, her love interest, not so much. I couldn’t help it. He was just too immature sounding for me and really seemingly had little to do with the plot overall. While their relationship is sweet in parts, I have to admit that overall they just seemed not to work for each other. As a side note the AI in the book is crazy and fun.

The interesting part of the book is that it is full of illustrations and “hacked” documents like interviews, computer logs and other quirky things in odd formatting to make things more interesting. Too bad that I read it on my kindle because I was in my bunk in the dark. I had a hard time seeing the details in my digital copy because I couldn’t enlarge the illustrations. I suggest if you read a copy, get one in paper format. My favorite illustration showed what happened to Kady in the airlock. For the formatting, layouts, and illustrations this book is worth a read.

However, be forewarned that the plot in parts is slow. This book is also the first in a series. While I enjoyed the ending of the novel overall, I have to admit that I have no urge to read additional books in the series. While it is not a best book of 2015 for me, it was an enjoyable way to spend the wee hours of the morning. But give it a shot . . . it might just work perfectly for you.

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Ahoy there me mateys! After reading the vatta’s war and the vatta’s peace series, I wanted to check out one of her standalone novels. Apparently this one won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2003. I can certainly see why. This novel was heart-warming, thought-provoking, and superb.

Set in our close future, genetic testing and treatment has cured most diseases including autism. But what about those born too late for treatment? This book follows Lou, a high-functioning autistic man who is part of the “missing” generation. He works for a corporation that is promoting a trial of a drug that might cure adult autism. Lou has a good job, friends who care about him, and successfully lives on his own. As ye follow Lou through his daily life ye see how he views himself and how both life and chance of a “cure” influence his self-worth. But what will happen to Lou’s self-identity if he accepts this treatment?

This book is a fantastic look into self-awareness, medical ethics, societal norms, and what makes a person human. It is so well-written. At the beginning, Lou’s thought process seemed so foreign and unusual. By the middle of the book, Lou’s perceptions seemed challenging but valid and sensible. By the end, I just wanted Lou to thrive. At all times, I was engaged and cheering for him and sympathizing with him. Lou was just an exemplary human being.

I really can’t do this justice but think it be one every sci-fi lover should read. Also the author has an autistic son and the author interview at the end of the book was wonderful. This was me 8th book of the year by Ms. Moon and the 11th overall. I will be reading others.

Side note: special thanks to Sarah @ brainfluff for telling me about this author’s sci-fi stories. Arrr!

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Ahoy there me mateys! The crew has been readin’ and reviewin’ this series like crazy. I have been meaning to check out both it and the author’s work for a while. So when I couldn’t think of what to read, I thought I would take a page out of Kate @ booksaremyfavouriteandbest’s tips and use Kindle samples to find me next book. I picked a sample of this as me first choice and liked it so much that I immediately bought it and read it.

This story follows Kellen, a young man whose magic hasn’t manifested yet. But his 16 birthday is fast approaching and he must find a way to spark his magic or join the servant caste. So when Kellen tries to win his first of four duels with a con, he sets in motion a mess that changes the very understanding of his society and his place in it.

I loved the magic system. I adored the traveler, Ferius Parfax (isn’t that a great name?). I loved the snarky “demons.” I liked many of the crazy plot twists. While I don’t think this book has a ton of reread potential, this was an outright fun read. And I will be picking up more of the series. Arrr!

Side note: Matey Kate may have created a monster by introducing me to Kindle samples!

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This was recommended to me by Sara in response to me review of h is for hawk in me last muster. It is a memoir of Stacey O’ Brien about the two decades she lived with Wesley the Barn Owl. Stacey was a Caltech biologist when she adopted four day old Wesley. I listened to this audiobook in one sitting. It made me laugh out loud (a lot) and cry (a bit at the end). It made me heart happy. Ye get to learn fun animal facts, learn about the life of the author, and above all learn about the specific traits of Wesley. Who knew that barn owls could have such personality and leave such an impression. This was absolutely delightful and I am so grateful that Sarah brought this gem to me attention. I would certainly listen to this audio book again!

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Ahoy there mateys! This be one a true crime book about one of the greatest naturalist thefts of all time – of bird skins from the British Museum of Natural History. The reason – their feathers for use in fishing lures. Aye matey, ye did read that correctly. Fishing lures that aren’t even used to fish. Who would think that that would be a big business? Well this book looks into the theft of the birds by a 20 year old flutist studying in London. That part ended unsatisfactorily by me standards. But this is more than just about that crime. This also looks into the history of the feather trade – like how women’s fashion almost decimated song birds. It discusses the theory of evolution and how Darwin had a competitor in Alfred Russel Wallace, the bird collector of many of those stolen skins. It talks about the history of fly fishing – which is weirder beyond belief. Such historical forays were interesting. While the poor handling of the crime angered me beyond belief (through no fault of the author), the book kept me interested in topics that, before this book, I would have found boring.

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