Memory’s Legion: The Complete Expanse Story Collection by James S. A Corey- book review

A must read for any fan of The Expanse. Here is my review of Memory’s Legion by James S. A. Corey- collection of short stories from The Expanse universe.

Review

The Expanse (review here) is one of my favourite series of books- a science fiction saga spanning generations with the most intricate space battles, political and aliens, so I was looking forward to reading Memory’s Legion by James S A Corey. Memory’s Legion is a collection of short stories and novellas fleshing out some of the characters backstories.

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.

The stories are varied in their range which shouldn’t have surprised me given how good the books in The Expanse are.  There are stories that are sad, some optimistic and some downright scary ones too.

The collection covers the origin of The Epstein drive, Amos’s and Fred Johnson’s backstory alluded to in the tv series. There also stories that also tell you a little more about what happened to some of the minor characters such as Filip, Naomi’s son.

As always, the world-building and descriptions of tech are amazing but it is the characters that drive the story.

I particularly enjoyed the author’s note after each story revealing a little more behind the creative process.

Perfect for Fans of

Anyone who is a fan of The Expanse either the books or tv show needs to read Memory’s Legion but the uninitiated reader may struggle with some of the stories.

Orphan Planet by Rex Burke- Book review

Here is my review of Orphan Planet by Rex Burke- science-fiction with plenty of humour reminded me of the best parts of Red Dwarf.

With Earth in crisis, humans are travelling deep into space. But humanity’s future just took a wrong turn.
A seventeen-year colony-ship voyage – a straight shot to a new planet. Handpicked, single-minded crew, and a thousand settlers in hypersleep. No children, no families, no fuss.
That was the plan, anyway.
Captain Juno Washington commands a ship of loners and oddballs. The teenagers of the Odyssey Earth didn’t ask to be born, and face an uncertain future. And Jordan Booth really didn’t want to be woken up early.
After an unexpected change of course, relationships are tested like never before. If they listen to advice, pull together and stop squabbling, they might just make it.

Review

Red Dwarf (both the TV series and the books) was the first thing that came to mind when I started reading Orphan Planet by Rex Burke.

The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan- Book review

Here is my review of the page turning science-fiction dystopian The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan.

Welcome to Apex City, formerly Bangalore. Here, technology is the key to survival, productivity is power, and even the self must be engineered, for the only noble goal in life: success.
Everything is decided by the mathematically perfect Bell Curve. With the right image, values and opinions, you can ascend to the glittering heights of the Ten Percent – the Virtual elite – and have the world at your feet. The less-fortunate struggle among the workaday Seventy Percent, or fall to the precarious Twenty Percent; and below that lies deportation to the ranks of the Analogs, with no access to electricity, running water or even humanity.
The system has no flaws, and cannot be questioned. Until a single daring theft sets events in motion that will change the city forever…

Review

Lavanya Lakshminararayan’s, The Ten Percent Thief is one of those books I couldn’t stop reading- a truly impressive dystopian science fiction novel.

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.

High Tech Apex city is a deadly meritocracy, where everyone has their place, a place they have to earn and keep earning. If they don’t they fall down the ranks to the Twenty percenters or worse find themselves deported to the Analog world outside ( and yes, it is a very Analog world with no resources).

Read more: The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan- Book review

I found it initially difficult to get into the book as the chapters are told from multiple points of view but when I figured out there is no main character as such I enjoyed each point of view chapter which highlights different aspects of life in Apex city.

The underlying story is how the analogs fight back and the awfulness of Apex City despite its wealth, gloss and high tech which makes everyone’s life easier.

As I said world-building is intricate and clever. I loved the idea of the richest people living on floating Lily leaves and the idea that people from Apex City send their children for a trip through the Analog world to warn them of the perils of not conforming. I felt sometimes that there were too many new terms for new tech but this is just me and it does help with the world -building.

Despite the dystopian feel, there are flashes of humour which stops the book from feeling too dark. This book is clearly set in the future but some of the themes in the book such as society and governments portray people not actively in work or needing extra as being a drain on society.

I did feel the book ended on an optimistic note with some hope for the analog and victuals to live together.

Perfect for Fans of

High tech or Dystopian science fiction

Dark Dweller by Gareth Worthington- Book review/Blog Tour

I’m pleased to be part of the blog tour for Dark Dweller by Gareth Worthington- here is my review for this science-fiction thriller.

Captain Kara Psomas was pronounced dead when her research vessel slammed into Jupiter.
More than a century later, the crew of the Paralus, a helium mining freighter, find a pristine escape pod with a healthy young girl nestled inside. A girl who claims to be Kara-and she brings a message of doom.
She says she has been waiting in the dark for that exact moment. To be found by that particular crew. Because an ancient cosmic being has tasked her with a sacred responsibility.
She claims she must alter the Fulcrum, a lever in time-no matter the cost to the people aboard-or condemn the rest of civilization to a very painful and drawn-out demise.
She sounds convincing. She appears brave. She might well be insane.

Review

I enjoyed Dark Dweller by Gareth Worthington, dark and grown-up standalone science fiction.

Quantum Radio by A G Riddle – Book Review

I enjoyed the fast-paced science fiction by A G Riddle- here is my review of Quantum Radio.

Dr. Tyson Klein is a quantum physicist who has dedicated his entire life to his research. At CERN, he analyses data generated by the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest and most powerful particle accelerator. Now, Ty believes he’s found a pattern in its output. It looks like an organised data stream, being broadcast over what he calls a quantum radio.Could it be a signal from another universe? A message sent from the future? Or something else entirely?As Ty peels back the layers of his discovery, he learns that what he’s found isn’t what he thought it was. The encoded message is far more profound. It may alter our understanding of human existence and the universe.But Ty is not the only one looking for it. Someone has been following his research for a long time. And they’ll do anything to prevent him from unravelling what is being broadcast by the quantum radio…Because the first one to discover the truth may well control the future.

Review

I enjoyed Quantum Radio- a fast paced science fiction thriller by A G Riddle.

Where it rains in colour by Denise Crittendon- Book Review

Here is my review of Where it rains in Colour by Denise Crittendon-an Afro-futuristic science-fiction

Lileala has just been named the Rare Indigo – beauty among beauties – and is about to embrace her stardom, until something threatens to change her whole lifestyle and turn the planet of Swazembi upside down.Colonized by the descendants of Earth’s West African Dogon Tribe, the planet of Swazembi is a blazing, color-rich utopia and famous vacation center of the galaxy. No one is used to serious trouble in this idyllic, peace-loving world, least of all the Rare Indigo.
But Lileala’s perfect, pampered lifestyle is about to be shattered. The unthinkable happens and her glorious midnight skin becomes infected with a mysterious disease. Where her skin should glisten like diamonds mixed with coal, instead it scabs and scars. On top of that, she starts to hear voices in her head, and everything around her becomes confusing and frightening.Lileala’s destiny, however, goes far beyond her beauty. While searching for a cure, she stumbles upon something much more valuable. A new power awakens inside her, and she realizes her whole life, and the galaxy with it, is about to change…

Review

Where it rains in Colour by Denise Crittendon is the perfect title for this book- I felt like I was hit was explosion of colour as I was reading.

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.

The world-building in the book is unlike anything I have read before- so vivid and rich, bursting with colour and originality Swazembi is a modern, high-tech future society but with a difference, it is bright, vivid, happy utopia where colour plays an important role. The people in Swazembi have skin that can shimmer and shine   future leader Lileala has been chosen as the Rare Indigo because of her outstanding radiance. The technology in the book is truly unique and magical, people get swept up in gusts of wind to travel to destinations which I think should be viable mode of transport in the future.

While I liked Lileala arc from a girl spoilt and pampered for her beauty that’s places values outer looks to a person concerned for other people and an ambassador for peace, I really didn’t warm to her as character.

I struggled with the pace of the book and just couldn’t follow the story at places which was disappointing as I wanted to like it so much. I wish I had been aware of the glossary at the end of the book which may have helped a little ( I which all ebooks would put the glossary in the front of the book!). I’m still not sure what the overall plot of the book was after finishing this

Even though this book wasn’t for me, I imagine many other readers will love the descriptive prose and the world-building.

Swashbucklers by Dan Hanks- Book review

I loved this sci-fi fantasy featuring a group of tired Gen Xers trying to fit in saving the world around the school run!

When Cisco Collins returns to his home town thirty years after saving it from being swallowed by a hell mouth opened by an ancient pirate ghost, he realises that being a childhood hero isn’t like it was in the movies.Especially when nobody remembers the heroic bits – even the friends who once fought alongside him.
Struggling with single parenting , Cisco isn’t really in the Christmas spirit . A fact that’s made worse by the tendrils of the pirate’s powers creeping back into our world and people beginning to die in bizarre ways.
With the help of a talking fox, an enchanted forest, a long-lost friend haunting his dreams, and some 80s video game consoles turned into weapons, Cisco must now convince his friends to once again help him save the day. Yet they quickly discover that being a ghostbusting hero is so much easier when you don’t have schools runs, parent evenings, and nativity plays to attend. And even in the middle of a supernatural battle, you always need to bring snacks and wipes

Source: My own

Review

If you ever wanted to read a book about a group of tired middle-aged parents trying to prevent an apocalypse with flair, humour and wet-wipes then Swashbucklers by Dan Hanks is the book for you.

Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell – Book review

I enjoyed this science fiction featuring two very different people packed with action, intrigue and romance. Here is my review of Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell

Rich socialite, and walking disaster Tennalhin Halkana can read minds. Tennal, like all neuromodified “readers,” is a security threat on his own. But when controlled, readers are a rare asset. Not only can they read minds, but they can navigate chaotic space, the maelstroms surrounding the gateway to the wider universe.
Conscripted into the military under dubious circumstances, Tennal is placed into the care of Lieutenant Surit Yeni, a duty-bound soldier, and the son of a notorious traitor. Tennal can read minds, Surit can influence them. Like all other neuromodified “architects,” he can impose his will onto others, and he’s under orders to control Tennal by merging their minds.
Surit accepted a  promotion-track request out of desperation, but he refuses to go through with his illegal orders to sync and control an unconsenting Tennal. So they lie: They fake a sync bond and plan Tennal’s escape.
Their best chance arrives with a salvage-retrieval mission into chaotic space. And among the rubble is a treasure both terrible and unimaginably powerful.
Tennal and Surit can no longer abandon their unit or their world. The only way to avoid life under full military control is to complete the very sync they’ve been faking.
Can two unwilling weapons of war bring about peace?

Review

I loved Winter’s Orbit ( review here ) by Everina Maxwell, so I was so pleased to have my request to review Ocean’s Echo approved on Net Galley.I have to say I enjoyed Ocean’s Echo more than Winter’s Orbit-this had more science-fiction and action with just the right amount of romance for me.

A Symphony of Echoes By Jodi Taylor – Book review

The chaotic romp through time continues with A Symphony Of Echoes, the second book in the St Mary Chronicles by Jodi Taylor.

In the second book in the Chronicles of St Mary’s series, Max and the team visit Victorian London in search of Jack the Ripper, witness the murder of Archbishop Thomas a Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, and discover that dodos make a grockling noise when eating cucumber sandwiches.
But they must also confront an enemy intent on destroying St Mary’s – an enemy willing, if necessary, to destroy History itself to do it.

Review

A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor continues Max’s story (click here for the review of One Damned Thing After another) and her time-travel adventures with St Mary’s along with the rest of her eccentric colleagues.

In the second book, Max heads to the future and has to face her nemesis(s), Isabella Barclay and Ronan again and ends up interim director but after she faces off with Jack the Ripper.

Max continues to be feisty, and funny (even when she has to lead) but vulnerable in this book particularly with her relationship with Leon Farell. I have to admit I wasn’t a big fan of Leon in this book and I did want to throw the book at the wall when reading about their relationship. I preferred Max’s more healthy relationships with her colleagues and friends which forms the heart of the book but her reaction to Leon’s boorish behaviour was hilariously unhinged.

As expected, there is plenty of tea, accidents and mishaps and of course a completely bonkers take on history- I loved the explanation of why Jack the Ripper disappeared from history. The team also head off to Tudor Scotland to stop Mary becoming the Queen of England and Scotland- a complicated scheme hatched by Ronan to save his love Anne.

 We do learn a little bit more about the past (or future) history of St Marys.

Content warning

References to rape, sexual assault, torture and violence (this is in a historical context and boy were they violent in the past!)

Perfect for Fans

Who loves Time travel books

Series: Book two in the St Marys Chronicles

Source: My Own

One Damned Thing after another by Jodi Taylor

I’m finally reading the St Mary Chronicles in order. Read my review of One Damned Thing after Another by Jodi Taylor which introduces the chaotic, tea drinking time travellers.

Meet the disaster-magnets of St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around History. Their aim is to observe and document – to try and find the answers to many of History’s unanswered questions…and not to die in the process. But one wrong move and History will fight back – to the death. And, as they soon discover – it’s not just History they’re fighting.
Follow the catastrophe curve from 11th-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. For wherever Historians go, chaos is sure to follow in their wake.

Review

I love time-travel stories and the St Mary Chronicles is one of my favourites. I have dipped in and out of the series ,reading the books in random order ( which works fine for this series) but decided to finally read them in order.