An easy read, but a poor man's First Law story.
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A lifelong bookworm who has never made it to Goodreads. Sci-fi, fantasy mostly. Kindle. The City of a hundred spires.
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Jan B reviewed Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
Once upon a time, there was a neutron star collapse...
5 stars
Neutron stars, gamma rays, curvature, multiverse, Euler, Planck, six-dimensional space and the gang are at it again! This time in a story which, despite not being exactly original, is challenging and captivating. Had to do a ton of googling while reading, physics is not my cup of tea, and have enjoyed myself. Cannot but recommend.
Jan B reviewed Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Jan B reviewed Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Jan B reviewed Empire of Silence (Sun Eater) by Christopher Ruocchio
Jan B reviewed Geometry for Ocelots by Exurb1a
OK-ometry
3 stars
The Dune vibes are strong with this one, and it is a solid three-star book. Read, put aside and never revisit. A pity, though, as the world and its dynamics and inhabitants could have been used to carve a better story.
Jan B reviewed The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson
Jan B reviewed The Source by James A. Michener
From hunter-gatherers to kibbutzniks
5 stars
The sheer time scope of the narrative is epic. Stories related to a patch of land cover almost 12.000 years. The past protagonists are fairly believable, while the "real time" characters of the tell diggers are not credible at all. They are just too stereotypical, but the narrative compensates for it. I enjoyed the Crusader bit the most. Defo worth a read if history is your thing.
I have spent almost the same amount of time googling for stuff I came across in the book as reading it. I thought of Jeremiah by Franz Werfel, Exodus by Leon Uris and some of the characters from I.B.Singer's novellas.
Jan B reviewed Children of Gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless
From Limerick to Dublin
5 stars
This is not the pinnacle of modern literature, but man, it is so readable! The author manages to keep superb pacing with dialogue-driven narration through the eyes of two strong female characters. They face both pagan and Christian prejudice in late 10th century Ireland, a world where nothing can be taken for granted. Especially if one is a woman and magically gifted.
I have learned a few things about pre-conquest Ireland.