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Ahoy there me mateys! This be the thirteenth book in me Ports for Plunder – 19 Books in 2019 list. When I went to read this book, I realized that there was a problem. The library had unloaded this book from their catalogue! Not a good sign. I currently have a self-imposed rule that I can only buy books that I know I will reread (library book sales being the exception). So I decided to download an Amazon sample to see if it be good enough to spend me loot. Usually Amazon samples be dangerous because I read, fall in love, and immediately buy the book. Sadly the answer was no to this book. I didn’t like what I read at all. In fact I am not even including this book in the tally of reads for the year. The only reason this post is being written is because of it was on the 19 in 2019 list. If this writing style is indicative of all of the author’s works then I likely won’t read any more of it. Sorry Simon! No offense meant. The rest of the crew does seem to like this book though. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! This be the fourteenth book in me Ports for Plunder – 19 Books in 2019 list. This book was described as “The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Hunger Games in this brilliantly imagined debut” but takes place in a bee hive. Weird no?
So the story follows bee Flora 717 who is a mutant and the member of the lowest caste. She should have been destroyed but Flora 717 has unusual talents that keep her alive. All she wants to do is support her Queen and hive – “Accept. Obey. Serve.” Flora 717 is given lots of different jobs in the hive. Her unique position leads her to realize that something is wrong in the hive. Should she investigate? Or she keep her head down and go with the flow? Cause Flora 717 has secrets of her own.
This book was super odd but I rather liked it. That said, I didn’t really get a handmaid’s tale vibes from this even though it be a dystopian. And no hunger games vibes at all. It really is it’s own strange little story. I enjoyed the hive’s religion and social structures.
I did very much like Flora 717 and following her struggles as she both wants to do what’s expected and also use her skills to support the Queen. Her journey leads to questions about the ideals of conformity, an authoritarian state, class systems, and individual rights. There is literally a hive mind that controls the overall welfare of the bees.
Even with this commentary on society, the story really doesn’t get too bogged down by it. It really seems more of a personal journey of Flora 717 and her desire to find her place within the hive and feel useful and loved. I did really love the ending especially in that regard.
Even though that hive has problems, the book seems to suggest that it is not the system or culture that is broken but the bees (people) in charge. I really don’t think this book is good for every reader but it worked for me. I do think I will read this author’s second book, the ice. Arrr!
Side note: Apparently the author is working on a theatrical adaptation of the bees. I would LOVE to see the choices made in all of the production departments, especially costumes and directing!
So the story follows bee Flora 717 who is a mutant and the member of the lowest caste. She should have been destroyed but Flora 717 has unusual talents that keep her alive. All she wants to do is support her Queen and hive – “Accept. Obey. Serve.” Flora 717 is given lots of different jobs in the hive. Her unique position leads her to realize that something is wrong in the hive. Should she investigate? Or she keep her head down and go with the flow? Cause Flora 717 has secrets of her own.
This book was super odd but I rather liked it. That said, I didn’t really get a handmaid’s tale vibes from this even though it be a dystopian. And no hunger games vibes at all. It really is it’s own strange little story. I enjoyed the hive’s religion and social structures.
I did very much like Flora 717 and following her struggles as she both wants to do what’s expected and also use her skills to support the Queen. Her journey leads to questions about the ideals of conformity, an authoritarian state, class systems, and individual rights. There is literally a hive mind that controls the overall welfare of the bees.
Even with this commentary on society, the story really doesn’t get too bogged down by it. It really seems more of a personal journey of Flora 717 and her desire to find her place within the hive and feel useful and loved. I did really love the ending especially in that regard.
Even though that hive has problems, the book seems to suggest that it is not the system or culture that is broken but the bees (people) in charge. I really don’t think this book is good for every reader but it worked for me. I do think I will read this author’s second book, the ice. Arrr!
Side note: Apparently the author is working on a theatrical adaptation of the bees. I would LOVE to see the choices made in all of the production departments, especially costumes and directing!
Ahoy there me mateys! Those who have been aboard for a while know that urban fantasy and I are not usually friends. In fact we tend to be enemies. I can’t explain why. It’s just a truth. And yet this here be a combined review of the first two books in this urban fantasy series. Keep reading to find out why. While I try to post no spoilers, ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
So basically, I can blame two things for reading this series. One is the fascinating cover of book one that always drew me attention to the book when I saw it. It is striking and appealing. It made me want to know what the book was about when I saw it. Every single time. So I would read the blurb, think it sounded interesting, think “nah urban fantasy,” and then forget about it again. See cover. Repeat. The other influence be this review from Matey Niki Hawkes @ theobsessivebookseller which finally convinced me to read the dang thing. It it she says:
So basically, I can blame two things for reading this series. One is the fascinating cover of book one that always drew me attention to the book when I saw it. It is striking and appealing. It made me want to know what the book was about when I saw it. Every single time. So I would read the blurb, think it sounded interesting, think “nah urban fantasy,” and then forget about it again. See cover. Repeat. The other influence be this review from Matey Niki Hawkes @ theobsessivebookseller which finally convinced me to read the dang thing. It it she says:
within this world Rachel Aaron has created a fun fusion of genres – fantasy elements (dragons, magic), urban fantasy plot and settings, all told with an exuberant YA feel (without any unfortunate YA tropes or issues). If you’re sick of the same old stuff, let this author give you a breath of fresh air.
Ahoy there me mateys! Those who have been aboard for a while know that urban fantasy and I are not usually friends. In fact we tend to be enemies. I can’t explain why. It’s just a truth. And yet this here be a combined review of the first two books in this urban fantasy series. Keep reading to find out why. While I try to post no spoilers, ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
So basically, I can blame two things for reading this series. One is the fascinating cover of book one that always drew me attention to the book when I saw it. It is striking and appealing. It made me want to know what the book was about when I saw it. Every single time. So I would read the blurb, think it sounded interesting, think “nah urban fantasy,” and then forget about it again. See cover. Repeat. The other influence be this review from Matey Niki Hawkes @ theobsessivebookseller which finally convinced me to read the dang thing. It it she says:
So basically, I can blame two things for reading this series. One is the fascinating cover of book one that always drew me attention to the book when I saw it. It is striking and appealing. It made me want to know what the book was about when I saw it. Every single time. So I would read the blurb, think it sounded interesting, think “nah urban fantasy,” and then forget about it again. See cover. Repeat. The other influence be this review from Matey Niki Hawkes @ theobsessivebookseller which finally convinced me to read the dang thing. It it she says:
within this world Rachel Aaron has created a fun fusion of genres – fantasy elements (dragons, magic), urban fantasy plot and settings, all told with an exuberant YA feel (without any unfortunate YA tropes or issues). If you’re sick of the same old stuff, let this author give you a breath of fresh air.
Ahoy there mateys! While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the first book in this series, the girl with ghost eyes, then ye might want to skip this post and go read the first book. Worth the read. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
I absolutely loved book one and have been avidly waiting for this sequel. The short story set in this world did briefly satisfy the craving but only until I finished reading it. So I was absolutely overjoyed to get an eArc of book two.
For those who haven’t heard of this series, it is a historical fiction fantasy set in Chinatown of San Francisco in the late 1890s. It deals with elements of Daoism, kung fu, monsters, magic, love, and Chinese folklore. The main character is Li-lin who is a Daoist priestess who can see the spirit world due to her “yin eyes.” She has to struggle with the social stigmas of her role in the spirit world, being an immigrant, being a girl in a male-dominated society, and the shame of being a widow. In the first book, Li-lin had to stop a sorcerer but the consequences to her livelihood and relationship with her father were rough.
In this book, Li-lin has been tasked to help solve the mystery of the death of a nine year-old who suffocated by flowers growing out of her nose and mouth. Armed with her peachwood sword, martial arts, burning paper talismans, and intelligence, she is determined to bring justice to the dead. Of course everything is always more complicated then it seems.
This book was so intense! This story certainly has plenty of action. But the real heart of this story is about the reflections on family as expressed by the relationship between Li-lin and her father. I was on an emotional rollercoaster experiencing the two of them trying to communicate and relate to one another. And that revelation at the end was heart-wrenching.
But I also had so much fun! Li-lin is such a fantastic character. She can be beset by guilt and loss and self-doubt. But her tenacity, intelligence, loyalty, bravery, and spunk make her one of the best characters I have read about. Li-lin continues to mature and find her place in society. I continue to love the spirit world and watching Li-lin practicing Daoism.
I can see the love and work put into this story. It be exquisite. As the author’s Goodreads bio says:
This book does capture those sentiments. I also loved the author’s note at the end. I didn’t want to start the book because I knew I would be sad when it was over. Once I did start, I couldn’t put it down and gobbled it up. And of course, I now want the next book in the series. The world needs more fantasy like these books. If ye haven’t started this series yet, what are ye lollygagging for? Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank ye kindly Talos Press!
I absolutely loved book one and have been avidly waiting for this sequel. The short story set in this world did briefly satisfy the craving but only until I finished reading it. So I was absolutely overjoyed to get an eArc of book two.
For those who haven’t heard of this series, it is a historical fiction fantasy set in Chinatown of San Francisco in the late 1890s. It deals with elements of Daoism, kung fu, monsters, magic, love, and Chinese folklore. The main character is Li-lin who is a Daoist priestess who can see the spirit world due to her “yin eyes.” She has to struggle with the social stigmas of her role in the spirit world, being an immigrant, being a girl in a male-dominated society, and the shame of being a widow. In the first book, Li-lin had to stop a sorcerer but the consequences to her livelihood and relationship with her father were rough.
In this book, Li-lin has been tasked to help solve the mystery of the death of a nine year-old who suffocated by flowers growing out of her nose and mouth. Armed with her peachwood sword, martial arts, burning paper talismans, and intelligence, she is determined to bring justice to the dead. Of course everything is always more complicated then it seems.
This book was so intense! This story certainly has plenty of action. But the real heart of this story is about the reflections on family as expressed by the relationship between Li-lin and her father. I was on an emotional rollercoaster experiencing the two of them trying to communicate and relate to one another. And that revelation at the end was heart-wrenching.
But I also had so much fun! Li-lin is such a fantastic character. She can be beset by guilt and loss and self-doubt. But her tenacity, intelligence, loyalty, bravery, and spunk make her one of the best characters I have read about. Li-lin continues to mature and find her place in society. I continue to love the spirit world and watching Li-lin practicing Daoism.
I can see the love and work put into this story. It be exquisite. As the author’s Goodreads bio says:
One day he realized he could combine everything he loved: Chinese ghost lore, Buffy, kung fu movies, fantasy novels, history. He could write stories about Chinese magic and monsters, using these incredible cultural details as metaphors to dramatize the experiences of immigrants in America.
Stories told from inside the culture, centered on people whose lives had been treated as marginal. Stories inverting the margins, subverting stereotypes. Chinese American characters portrayed as three-dimensional, diverse human beings — facing challenges, earning a living, supporting families, struggling to hold on to traditional values in a new country. Exciting, action-packed stories that base their fantasy imagery in Chinese folklore, but tackle issues of vital importance in today’s world, like race, class, gender, culture, and power.
This book does capture those sentiments. I also loved the author’s note at the end. I didn’t want to start the book because I knew I would be sad when it was over. Once I did start, I couldn’t put it down and gobbled it up. And of course, I now want the next book in the series. The world needs more fantasy like these books. If ye haven’t started this series yet, what are ye lollygagging for? Arrrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank ye kindly Talos Press!
Ahoy there me mateys! This here be a combined review of the last two books in the Book of the Ancestor trilogy. While I try to post no spoilers, ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
I did read the last two books back to back. I really appreciated the synopsis recaps at the beginning of each book given that I read book one in the summer of 2017. I very quickly got back into the world and characters. Sadly the feeling I had when I was finished both books was meh. Here be why:
So book two picks up a handful of years after the events in book one. In this installment, Nona has entered into the Mystic Class training. She has a nemesis in another student who be determined to bring her down. Even though the issue of bullying in school has been done before, I really enjoyed this particular take and where it led to. And where it led was unexpected and fun. I loved the portion that takes place in the abbey. In addition, ye get Abbess Glass POV chapters and absolutely loved those. There was a fantastic new character named Keot that I kinda adored even if he was a jerk. I continued to love Kettle and Zole. The friendships in this book make me happy. It was also great to see that Nona has to struggle despite many of her talents. It is always nice to watch a character make mistakes and grow from them.
But while the beginning was excellent, the middle of the book really sagged for me plotwise. The change in setting rocked but the plot and action stalled. I thought the circumstances of the middle portion of the book were lackluster. Part of that was because of Nona’s limitations in that section. The POV changes were interesting but the whole section seemed choppy. Zole’s actions in particular were kinda silly and boring. An old character randomly makes an appearance to save the day and set up the next section. The threads of the story didn’t seemed to be tied together that well. I felt annoyed through most of this part of the book and kept wanting to put the book back down and not pick it up again. Abbess Glass’ sections kept me going.
In the third section of the book, the setting changes again and the book did get a lot better. I absolutely loved the politics and watching Glass manipulate things. The political fighting was the best part of this section and made me happy. I enjoyed the potential set ups for book three but the threads tied together did not help me appreciate the middle of the book any better. And while the politics were awesome, many of the fight scenes at the end were silly. I basically hated how Nona got everyone to safety. The sections about Glass being a badass saved this book for me. So I was looking forward to the last installment.
Book three started out very well. The book jumps forward in time and switches between the past (Zole and Nona on the run) and the present circumstances at the abbey and the gear up for war. I liked the beginning but once Nona finally becomes a nun, well, the book kinda went downhill for me. I thought all of the war politics and junk with the Emperor’s sister was lame. I didn’t like the big reveal of the plans of Glass. I absolutely hated the entire ending dealing with the moon. Also too much of the time between books two and three were told in throwaway lines about both deaths and romance. Umm what? I didn’t like the Zole sections (or what happened to her) and she used to be one of me favourite characters. I didn’t like Nona’s special snowflake evolution of her powers and how she manages to do the improbable again and again. I hated that Joeli comes back. A lot of the action and outcomes of the plot made no sense to me. The epilogue was dumb. And why did the Emperor never make an appearance? Seriously book two set up an interesting premise for how the politics were going to work out and book three tossed it all out. Basically the only part of this book that I adored was Sister Pan. She seriously rocks. The Moment with her saved the book from walking the plank.
Basically this went from a promising series to one I have to say I really didn’t like. Good moments existed and I don’t regret reading it. But book three kind of sucked. The good news is that I finished another series on me list. Arrrr!
I did read the last two books back to back. I really appreciated the synopsis recaps at the beginning of each book given that I read book one in the summer of 2017. I very quickly got back into the world and characters. Sadly the feeling I had when I was finished both books was meh. Here be why:
So book two picks up a handful of years after the events in book one. In this installment, Nona has entered into the Mystic Class training. She has a nemesis in another student who be determined to bring her down. Even though the issue of bullying in school has been done before, I really enjoyed this particular take and where it led to. And where it led was unexpected and fun. I loved the portion that takes place in the abbey. In addition, ye get Abbess Glass POV chapters and absolutely loved those. There was a fantastic new character named Keot that I kinda adored even if he was a jerk. I continued to love Kettle and Zole. The friendships in this book make me happy. It was also great to see that Nona has to struggle despite many of her talents. It is always nice to watch a character make mistakes and grow from them.
But while the beginning was excellent, the middle of the book really sagged for me plotwise. The change in setting rocked but the plot and action stalled. I thought the circumstances of the middle portion of the book were lackluster. Part of that was because of Nona’s limitations in that section. The POV changes were interesting but the whole section seemed choppy. Zole’s actions in particular were kinda silly and boring. An old character randomly makes an appearance to save the day and set up the next section. The threads of the story didn’t seemed to be tied together that well. I felt annoyed through most of this part of the book and kept wanting to put the book back down and not pick it up again. Abbess Glass’ sections kept me going.
In the third section of the book, the setting changes again and the book did get a lot better. I absolutely loved the politics and watching Glass manipulate things. The political fighting was the best part of this section and made me happy. I enjoyed the potential set ups for book three but the threads tied together did not help me appreciate the middle of the book any better. And while the politics were awesome, many of the fight scenes at the end were silly. I basically hated how Nona got everyone to safety. The sections about Glass being a badass saved this book for me. So I was looking forward to the last installment.
Book three started out very well. The book jumps forward in time and switches between the past (Zole and Nona on the run) and the present circumstances at the abbey and the gear up for war. I liked the beginning but once Nona finally becomes a nun, well, the book kinda went downhill for me. I thought all of the war politics and junk with the Emperor’s sister was lame. I didn’t like the big reveal of the plans of Glass. I absolutely hated the entire ending dealing with the moon. Also too much of the time between books two and three were told in throwaway lines about both deaths and romance. Umm what? I didn’t like the Zole sections (or what happened to her) and she used to be one of me favourite characters. I didn’t like Nona’s special snowflake evolution of her powers and how she manages to do the improbable again and again. I hated that Joeli comes back. A lot of the action and outcomes of the plot made no sense to me. The epilogue was dumb. And why did the Emperor never make an appearance? Seriously book two set up an interesting premise for how the politics were going to work out and book three tossed it all out. Basically the only part of this book that I adored was Sister Pan. She seriously rocks. The Moment with her saved the book from walking the plank.
Basically this went from a promising series to one I have to say I really didn’t like. Good moments existed and I don’t regret reading it. But book three kind of sucked. The good news is that I finished another series on me list. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! This here be a combined review of the last two books in the Book of the Ancestor trilogy. While I try to post no spoilers, ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
I did read the last two books back to back. I really appreciated the synopsis recaps at the beginning of each book given that I read book one in the summer of 2017. I very quickly got back into the world and characters. Sadly the feeling I had when I was finished both books was meh. Here be why:
So book two picks up a handful of years after the events in book one. In this installment, Nona has entered into the Mystic Class training. She has a nemesis in another student who be determined to bring her down. Even though the issue of bullying in school has been done before, I really enjoyed this particular take and where it led to. And where it led was unexpected and fun. I loved the portion that takes place in the abbey. In addition, ye get Abbess Glass POV chapters and absolutely loved those. There was a fantastic new character named Keot that I kinda adored even if he was a jerk. I continued to love Kettle and Zole. The friendships in this book make me happy. It was also great to see that Nona has to struggle despite many of her talents. It is always nice to watch a character make mistakes and grow from them.
But while the beginning was excellent, the middle of the book really sagged for me plotwise. The change in setting rocked but the plot and action stalled. I thought the circumstances of the middle portion of the book were lackluster. Part of that was because of Nona’s limitations in that section. The POV changes were interesting but the whole section seemed choppy. Zole’s actions in particular were kinda silly and boring. An old character randomly makes an appearance to save the day and set up the next section. The threads of the story didn’t seemed to be tied together that well. I felt annoyed through most of this part of the book and kept wanting to put the book back down and not pick it up again. Abbess Glass’ sections kept me going.
In the third section of the book, the setting changes again and the book did get a lot better. I absolutely loved the politics and watching Glass manipulate things. The political fighting was the best part of this section and made me happy. I enjoyed the potential set ups for book three but the threads tied together did not help me appreciate the middle of the book any better. And while the politics were awesome, many of the fight scenes at the end were silly. I basically hated how Nona got everyone to safety. The sections about Glass being a badass saved this book for me. So I was looking forward to the last installment.
Book three started out very well. The book jumps forward in time and switches between the past (Zole and Nona on the run) and the present circumstances at the abbey and the gear up for war. I liked the beginning but once Nona finally becomes a nun, well, the book kinda went downhill for me. I thought all of the war politics and junk with the Emperor’s sister was lame. I didn’t like the big reveal of the plans of Glass. I absolutely hated the entire ending dealing with the moon. Also too much of the time between books two and three were told in throwaway lines about both deaths and romance. Umm what? I didn’t like the Zole sections (or what happened to her) and she used to be one of me favourite characters. I didn’t like Nona’s special snowflake evolution of her powers and how she manages to do the improbable again and again. I hated that Joeli comes back. A lot of the action and outcomes of the plot made no sense to me. The epilogue was dumb. And why did the Emperor never make an appearance? Seriously book two set up an interesting premise for how the politics were going to work out and book three tossed it all out. Basically the only part of this book that I adored was Sister Pan. She seriously rocks. The Moment with her saved the book from walking the plank.
Basically this went from a promising series to one I have to say I really didn’t like. Good moments existed and I don’t regret reading it. But book three kind of sucked. The good news is that I finished another series on me list. Arrrr!
I did read the last two books back to back. I really appreciated the synopsis recaps at the beginning of each book given that I read book one in the summer of 2017. I very quickly got back into the world and characters. Sadly the feeling I had when I was finished both books was meh. Here be why:
So book two picks up a handful of years after the events in book one. In this installment, Nona has entered into the Mystic Class training. She has a nemesis in another student who be determined to bring her down. Even though the issue of bullying in school has been done before, I really enjoyed this particular take and where it led to. And where it led was unexpected and fun. I loved the portion that takes place in the abbey. In addition, ye get Abbess Glass POV chapters and absolutely loved those. There was a fantastic new character named Keot that I kinda adored even if he was a jerk. I continued to love Kettle and Zole. The friendships in this book make me happy. It was also great to see that Nona has to struggle despite many of her talents. It is always nice to watch a character make mistakes and grow from them.
But while the beginning was excellent, the middle of the book really sagged for me plotwise. The change in setting rocked but the plot and action stalled. I thought the circumstances of the middle portion of the book were lackluster. Part of that was because of Nona’s limitations in that section. The POV changes were interesting but the whole section seemed choppy. Zole’s actions in particular were kinda silly and boring. An old character randomly makes an appearance to save the day and set up the next section. The threads of the story didn’t seemed to be tied together that well. I felt annoyed through most of this part of the book and kept wanting to put the book back down and not pick it up again. Abbess Glass’ sections kept me going.
In the third section of the book, the setting changes again and the book did get a lot better. I absolutely loved the politics and watching Glass manipulate things. The political fighting was the best part of this section and made me happy. I enjoyed the potential set ups for book three but the threads tied together did not help me appreciate the middle of the book any better. And while the politics were awesome, many of the fight scenes at the end were silly. I basically hated how Nona got everyone to safety. The sections about Glass being a badass saved this book for me. So I was looking forward to the last installment.
Book three started out very well. The book jumps forward in time and switches between the past (Zole and Nona on the run) and the present circumstances at the abbey and the gear up for war. I liked the beginning but once Nona finally becomes a nun, well, the book kinda went downhill for me. I thought all of the war politics and junk with the Emperor’s sister was lame. I didn’t like the big reveal of the plans of Glass. I absolutely hated the entire ending dealing with the moon. Also too much of the time between books two and three were told in throwaway lines about both deaths and romance. Umm what? I didn’t like the Zole sections (or what happened to her) and she used to be one of me favourite characters. I didn’t like Nona’s special snowflake evolution of her powers and how she manages to do the improbable again and again. I hated that Joeli comes back. A lot of the action and outcomes of the plot made no sense to me. The epilogue was dumb. And why did the Emperor never make an appearance? Seriously book two set up an interesting premise for how the politics were going to work out and book three tossed it all out. Basically the only part of this book that I adored was Sister Pan. She seriously rocks. The Moment with her saved the book from walking the plank.
Basically this went from a promising series to one I have to say I really didn’t like. Good moments existed and I don’t regret reading it. But book three kind of sucked. The good news is that I finished another series on me list. Arrrr!
Ahoy there me mateys! So last week I reviewed a novella by Peter Watts called the freeze frame revolution which I highly enjoyed. While writing that review, I learned that the novella was part of a series - the Sunflower series. There are three other stories and all are available for free on the author's website. So I decided to read this one - the second published but the first by chronology.
This story also deals with Sunday Ahzmundin, the protagonist from the freeze frame revolution. At 23 pages it is a short foray into the circumstances of the Spores. I won't even touch on the plot because I can't explain it well and since it's so short I don't want to give spoilers. Just know that I did love this brief excursion. The physics of it all went above me head as usual but I did get the gist.
Personally I be glad to have read them in the order I did. I got a longer story in the freeze frame revolution and truly grew to love Sunday. So then going back in time while knowing some of her future was fun.
I will certainly be readin' the island next. Keep a weathered eye out! Arrr!
Side note: Claudia @ goodreads' review (which is excellent) is what told me about the publication of the Sunflower series. As she says:
". . . it’s part of a series of stories, entitled the Sunflowercycle, which includes three more short ones (so far).*
Publication order is: The Island (2009) - Winner of Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 2010, Hotshot (2014), Giants (2014) and The Freeze-Frame Revolution (June 2018).
Now, after reading all, my advice is they are to be read in this order: Hotshot, The Freeze-Frame Revolution, The Island, Giants . . .
* all three available on the author’[s] site: http://www.rifters.com/real/shorts.htm"
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
This story also deals with Sunday Ahzmundin, the protagonist from the freeze frame revolution. At 23 pages it is a short foray into the circumstances of the Spores. I won't even touch on the plot because I can't explain it well and since it's so short I don't want to give spoilers. Just know that I did love this brief excursion. The physics of it all went above me head as usual but I did get the gist.
Personally I be glad to have read them in the order I did. I got a longer story in the freeze frame revolution and truly grew to love Sunday. So then going back in time while knowing some of her future was fun.
I will certainly be readin' the island next. Keep a weathered eye out! Arrr!
Side note: Claudia @ goodreads' review (which is excellent) is what told me about the publication of the Sunflower series. As she says:
". . . it’s part of a series of stories, entitled the Sunflowercycle, which includes three more short ones (so far).*
Publication order is: The Island (2009) - Winner of Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 2010, Hotshot (2014), Giants (2014) and The Freeze-Frame Revolution (June 2018).
Now, after reading all, my advice is they are to be read in this order: Hotshot, The Freeze-Frame Revolution, The Island, Giants . . .
* all three available on the author’[s] site: http://www.rifters.com/real/shorts.htm"
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! I loved the author’s debut and was excited to finally read the second book of the duology. While I try to post no spoilers if ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
I absolutely loved life on the river in song of the current. The second book returns to follow Caroline Oresteia and her new life on the sea. Many months have passed since the events of the previous book. All of Caro’s old wishes and dreams for the future are sunk. Caro feels adrift in her new role and has no real sense of purpose or direction. She has pledged her support Markos to win back his throne. Can she support him and figure out what she wants at the same time?
Well not easily that be for sure! Issues involve bounty hunters, pirates, a vengeful sea goddess, assassination attempts, hidden treasures, magic, shipwrecks, and making deals with old enemies. Plus there be relationship drama, self-doubt, and mistakes made. This book certainly increased the stakes for Caroline. There were plot twists galore, fun banter, and lots of conniving. The relationship between Caro and her enemy was one of the highlights for me. The world building continued to float me boat. I wouldn’t mind heading for many of these ports.
The only small issue I had was that Caro’s family does not play big roles in this installment. I kinda missed her dad and Fee. Ye did get to see some of her fierce cousin at least. The duology concluded satisfactorily but I wouldn’t mind another story set in this world. About Daria perhaps? Arrrrr!
Check out me crew member’s review of this one:
Raven @ dreamyaddiction’s review – “Overall, I loved this book! It’s a total entertaining read filled with adventure, magic, romance, pirates, ships, and treasure hunting. The story wrapped up perfectly with a satisfying ending. I’m really gonna miss this world and the characters. If there’s ever a spin off of this series in the future, I would definitely read it. I can’t wait to know what the author has in store for us next.”
I absolutely loved life on the river in song of the current. The second book returns to follow Caroline Oresteia and her new life on the sea. Many months have passed since the events of the previous book. All of Caro’s old wishes and dreams for the future are sunk. Caro feels adrift in her new role and has no real sense of purpose or direction. She has pledged her support Markos to win back his throne. Can she support him and figure out what she wants at the same time?
Well not easily that be for sure! Issues involve bounty hunters, pirates, a vengeful sea goddess, assassination attempts, hidden treasures, magic, shipwrecks, and making deals with old enemies. Plus there be relationship drama, self-doubt, and mistakes made. This book certainly increased the stakes for Caroline. There were plot twists galore, fun banter, and lots of conniving. The relationship between Caro and her enemy was one of the highlights for me. The world building continued to float me boat. I wouldn’t mind heading for many of these ports.
The only small issue I had was that Caro’s family does not play big roles in this installment. I kinda missed her dad and Fee. Ye did get to see some of her fierce cousin at least. The duology concluded satisfactorily but I wouldn’t mind another story set in this world. About Daria perhaps? Arrrrr!
Check out me crew member’s review of this one:
Raven @ dreamyaddiction’s review – “Overall, I loved this book! It’s a total entertaining read filled with adventure, magic, romance, pirates, ships, and treasure hunting. The story wrapped up perfectly with a satisfying ending. I’m really gonna miss this world and the characters. If there’s ever a spin off of this series in the future, I would definitely read it. I can’t wait to know what the author has in store for us next.”