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Sam

sam@books.theunseen.city

Joined 1 year, 6 months ago

Cooperator and Atlantan, when not reading 📚 probably wants to be out backpacking ⛺🥾, climbing 🧗, or mountain biking 🚵.

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Children of Memory (2023, Orbit) 4 stars

The modern classic of space opera that began with Children of Time continues in this …

Slow middle, interesting ideas

4 stars

Similar to a lot of the other reviews I'm reading this one just didn't grip me quite as much as the first two books. I liked the folk tale atmosphere and the fact that it uses the first two books being similar to trick you into thinking that this one would follow a similar path, but I didn't feel that the alien life forms were as well explored in this book. We got very little on the actual paired-mind of the corvids, with most of the focus being on the two individual parts of the mind, and the other mind that possibly exists in the book is only hinted at vaguely. I enjoyed the ending, but not as much as the first two since the big reveal at the end felt a bit obvious (albeit the details were all different from my own guesses).

Overall this felt like the middle …

Children of Ruin (Paperback, 2019, Orbit) 5 stars

The astonishing sequel to Children of Time, the award-winning novel of humanity's battle for survival …

A worthy sequel to Children of Time

4 stars

The alien development in Children of Ruin wasn't quite as good as the Portid chapters of "Children of Time", but the overall pacing of the book was much better with no boring human chapters to break up the palp-quivering goodness of the Portid and Cephalopod chapters. The ending of the book, despite sharing a similar flavor to the first book, still hits just as hard. These-of-We are looking forward to going on another adventure with the third book.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (Hardcover, 2020, Tor Books) 5 stars

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in …

A beautiful new take on a classic fairy tale

5 stars

"Be careful what you wish for" is a common Faustian moral, but Addie Larue expresses this classic story in beautiful new ways without turning into a mere morality tale. Not content with tricky fae folk, or a deal with the devil at the crossroads at midnight, Schwab's "gods who answer after dark" are a much more subtle and terrifying expression of our own misunderstandings, and her story telling across centuries make for an extremely compelling narrative. This is easily one of the best books I've read in a long, long time, and the ending turns the entire archetype on its head in a way that is absolutely inspiring!

The Motorcycle Diaries (Movie Tie-in Edition)  (Paperback, 2004, Ocean Press) 3 stars

The posthumously published diaries of the trip around South America that radicalized a young Che …

Well written travel diaries, insights into a historical figures youth

3 stars

I very much enjoyed the way Che writes, and learning about the youth and defining moments of a historical figure. I wish the motorcycle had lasted longer. This is one of those great travel books that absolutely makes you want to jump on a bike and drive off into the world.

Readers should be warned that, although Che Guevara is known for being a progressive who fought for equity and equality, this was still written in the 50s and there is some very stark racism in a few places.

reviewed Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Children of Time (Paperback, 2018, Orbit) 5 stars

The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a …

Good ending, didn't care for the human portions

3 stars

Content warning Discussion of the ending