tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15004218412611294472024-03-01T20:05:46.781-05:00Strakul's ThoughtsRandom thoughts from a book-loving Puerto Rican astronomical data scientist in Baltimore.Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.comBlogger286125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-88006644430667879102024-01-07T14:17:00.000-05:002024-01-07T14:17:34.709-05:00Defiant by Brandon Sanderson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://b1512865.smushcdn.com/1512865/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Defiant-cover-webres.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://b1512865.smushcdn.com/1512865/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Defiant-cover-webres.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1" width="212"></a></div><b>Defiant </b>is the 4th novel in the <b>Skyward </b>series by Brandon Sanderson. This is the epic conclusion to a series of young adult sci-fi novels Sanderson has been leading. There's even a secondary series that includes author Janci Patterson, though I haven't read those yet. Here is the book blurb:<p></p><p><i>Spensa made it out of the Nowhere, but what she saw in the space between the stars has changed her forever. She came face to face with the Delvers, and finally got answers to the questions she’s had about her own strange Cytonic gifts.</i></p><p><i>The Superiority didn’t stop in it’s fight for galactic dominance while she was gone, though. Spensa’s team, Skyward Flight, was able to hold Winzik off, and even collect allies to help with the cause, but it’s only a matter of time until humanity–and the rest of the galaxy–falls.</i></p><p><i>Defeating them will require all the knowledge Spensa gathered while in the Nowhere. But being Cytonic is more complicated than she ever could have imagined. Now, Spensa must ask herself: how far is she willing to go for victory, if it means losing herself–and her friends–in the process.</i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2024/01/defiant-by-brandon-sanderson.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-81776531652545725482023-12-07T08:41:00.001-05:002023-12-07T08:41:20.503-05:00Book Review: System Collapse by Martha Wells<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1674587835i/75319056.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1674587835i/75319056.jpg" width="200"></a></b></div><b>System Collapse</b> is the next novel installment in the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Walls coming immediately after <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/05/book-review-network-effect-by-martha.html">Network Effect</a>. Note that Fugitive Telemetry, which was released after Network Effect is more of a flashback novella rather than continuing the story chronologically. Here is the Goodreads blurb:<p></p><p>Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.</p><p><i>Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back.</i></p><p><i>Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.</i></p><p><i>But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast!</i></p><p>Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.</p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/12/book-review-system-collapse-by-martha.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-84714945498557522582023-11-21T15:22:00.000-05:002023-11-21T15:22:56.009-05:00Book Review: The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601972697i/55578956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601972697i/55578956.jpg" width="213"></a></div>I've read several of Ann Leckie's science fiction books, like <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2014/05/book-review-ancillary-justice-by-ann.html">Ancillary Justice</a> and <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-provenance-by-ann-leckie.html">Provenance</a>. The Raven Tower is her newest fantasy novel and I decided to give it a try. Here is the Goodreads blurb:<p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai. His will is enacted through the Raven's Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself. His magic is sustained via the blood sacrifice that every Lease must offer. And under the Raven's watch, the city flourishes.</i></p><p><i>But the power of the Raven is weakening. A usurper has claimed the throne. The kingdom borders are tested by invaders who long for the prosperity that Vastai boasts. And they have made their own alliances with other gods.</i></p><p><i>It is into this unrest that the warrior Eolo--aide to Mawat, the true Lease--arrives. And in seeking to help Mawat reclaim his city, Eolo discovers that the Raven's Tower holds a secret. Its foundations conceal a dark history that has been waiting to reveal itself...and to set in motion a chain of events that could destroy Iraden forever.</i></p></blockquote><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/11/book-review-raven-tower-by-ann-leckie.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-46555540548474766952023-10-22T17:13:00.004-04:002023-10-22T17:16:37.296-04:00Book Review: The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHY5-fgXBXQNV_NjOEyrIrIZRD7fbaWbOGFjacJoqFCZ2l3U_OMK5b-Zz6ml9Lu7Tv60w665Hj1gJ4D5hBE7t9PVv2vtt_6bYLIFtH7lCBuhYd4UV7oJrsw8nfj8hi6s8_RfaC1aJaK1nFJr7W2CK_RTuaSgqkNne76dl4xINSAEnRIQZmaU3qBPed1gs/s1920/SP4_wallpaper_vertical_recolored.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHY5-fgXBXQNV_NjOEyrIrIZRD7fbaWbOGFjacJoqFCZ2l3U_OMK5b-Zz6ml9Lu7Tv60w665Hj1gJ4D5hBE7t9PVv2vtt_6bYLIFtH7lCBuhYd4UV7oJrsw8nfj8hi6s8_RfaC1aJaK1nFJr7W2CK_RTuaSgqkNne76dl4xINSAEnRIQZmaU3qBPed1gs/w180-h320/SP4_wallpaper_vertical_recolored.jpg" width="180"></a></div><b>The Sunlit Man</b> by Brandon Sanderson is the 4th and final novel of the "Year of Sanderson", the crowd-funded project started towards the end of the COVID pandemic. This one in particular is a very interesting book dedicated to the fans of the Cosmere.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Years ago he had comrades in arms and a cause to believe in, but now the man who calls himself Nomad knows only a life on the run. Forced to hop from world to world in the Cosmere whenever the relentless Night Brigade gets too close, Nomad lands on a new planet and is instantly caught up in the struggle between a tyrant and the rebels who want only to escape being turned into mindless slaves—all under the constant threat of a sunrise whose heat will melt the very stones. Unable to understand the language, can he navigate the conflict and gain enough power to leap offworld before his mind or body pay the ultimate price?</i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/10/book-review-sunlit-man-by-brandon.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-52214281899152449812023-10-14T13:07:00.001-04:002023-10-14T13:10:19.719-04:00Book Review: Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480096417i/35231.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480096417i/35231.jpg" width="190"></a></div><b>Lord of Chaos </b>is the 6th book in <b>The Wheel of Time</b> series by Robert Jordan. I revisited my re-read after watching a bit of the new season on Amazon. I'll probably get through a full re-read, but taking my time since I already know the story. Here's the Goodreads blurb:<p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>On the slopes of Shayol Ghul, the Myrddraal swords are forged, and the sky is not the sky of this world ...</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>In Salidar the White Tower in exile prepares an embassy to Caemlyn, where Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, holds the throne -- and where an unexpected visitor may change the world ...</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>In Emond's Field, Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers, feels the pull of ta'veren to ta'veren and prepares to march ...</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Morgase of Caemlyn finds a most unexpected, and quite unwelcome, ally ...</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>And south lies Illian, where Sammael holds sway ...</i></p></blockquote><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review, though spoilers for the prior books are fair game.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/10/book-review-lord-of-chaos-by-robert.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-5389060416700024652023-08-03T16:05:00.001-04:002023-08-03T16:05:59.112-04:00Book Review: The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1281368352i/3770459.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="276" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1281368352i/3770459.jpg" width="186"></a></div>When one of my friends left town, she left me a lot of varied books. This was one of them and I finally picked it up to read while waiting for Baldur's Gate 3 to release. It's an older title, from 1971, and has that classic sci-fi feel to it. Here's the Goodreads blurb for it:<p></p><p><i>A classic science fiction novel by one of the greatest writers of the genre, set in a future world where one man's dreams control the fate of humanity.</i></p><p><i>In a future world racked by violence and environmental catastrophes, George Orr wakes up one day to discover that his dreams have the ability to alter reality. He seeks help from Dr. William Haber, a psychiatrist who immediately grasps the power George wields. Soon George must preserve reality itself as Dr. Haber becomes adept at manipulating George's dreams for his own purposes.</i></p><p><i>The Lathe of Heaven is an eerily prescient novel from award-winning author Ursula K. Le Guin that masterfully addresses the dangers of power and humanity's self-destructiveness, questioning the nature of reality itself. It is a classic of the science fiction genre.</i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/08/book-review-lathe-of-heaven-by-ursula.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-45320031510528803712023-07-29T20:39:00.000-04:002023-07-29T20:39:00.679-04:00Book Review: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1654572004i/17404280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="535" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1654572004i/17404280.jpg" width="214"></a></div>This book has been on my to-read for a long time and I had heard it was very similar to <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/04/book-review-hands-of-emperor-by.html">The Hands of the Emperor</a>, which remains one my favorite books to date. I finally decided to give it a try. Here is the Goodreads blurb:<p></p><p><i>The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.</i></p><p><i>Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.</i></p><p><i>Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend... and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne – or his life.</i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/07/book-review-goblin-emperor-by-katherine.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-14460595009620685662023-07-06T18:04:00.004-04:002023-07-06T18:04:56.156-04:00Book Review: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCShNCZl2wRPYZwvjOuW_j2bUg6JKYMI_OhLj41DcLuajiCDpwX2NhG1EeAtfsoeUQaF89UhBTv2F76GRmvKDLKek1hF86HZl6RAudVkQgXRa7O03dKwzDNsMoH_Cw5dP8mLuUlCXHzLSJPIkKlgbU0hLKCq75OmztCYq2fsGYe8_rgY56pA48rh9SYMA/s1920/Yumi_wallpaper_vertical_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCShNCZl2wRPYZwvjOuW_j2bUg6JKYMI_OhLj41DcLuajiCDpwX2NhG1EeAtfsoeUQaF89UhBTv2F76GRmvKDLKek1hF86HZl6RAudVkQgXRa7O03dKwzDNsMoH_Cw5dP8mLuUlCXHzLSJPIkKlgbU0hLKCq75OmztCYq2fsGYe8_rgY56pA48rh9SYMA/s320/Yumi_wallpaper_vertical_v2.jpg" width="180"></a></div>This is the third of Sanderson's Secret Projects. It's another Cosmere novel, but with a more personal feel as it's about the unique relationship of the two main characters. Drawing from a lot of recognizable influences, this one is quite interesting.<br><p></p><p><i>Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster?</i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/07/book-review-yumi-and-nightmare-painter.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-41925583071124393562023-06-24T22:02:00.000-04:002023-06-24T22:02:00.074-04:00Book Review: Witch King by Martha Wells<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663769821i/57861689.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1663769821i/57861689.jpg" width="207"></a></div>I've several books of Martha Wells, but all of them have been about Murderbot and featured a science fiction setting. I saw plenty of advertisements about this book and figured I'd give it a try. I like to vary between science fiction and fantasy and if this is as good as the Murderbot Diaries then this one should be quite fun. Here's the Goodreads blurb:<p></p><p><i>"I didn't know you were a... demon."</i></p><p><i>"You idiot. I'm </i>the <i>demon."</i></p><p><i>Kai's having a long day in Martha Wells' WITCH KING....</i></p><p><i>After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.</i></p><p><i>But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?</i></p><p><i>Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.</i></p><p><i>He’s not going to like the answers.</i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/06/book-review-witch-king-by-martha-wells.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-80597737527623744092023-06-04T08:32:00.000-04:002023-06-04T08:32:09.721-04:00Book Review: The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQOIaF1iEMRRFD05HXCU11vDRVxLnJNgBGKhklr5aUSPDuxohlbNeUw6ABPT53yjhCqSmOuqsbuQ-1FBzHYYiTGH8G0QSYb3Gnt9u7jDXpIsbUbYQcgo7qym6m_S5hIpyUW8PK5quOnVnnyr8FZeTlFl684d2LfJmNNVqP12HZGwv6mxDGIdM3x94/s600/The-Frugal-Wizards-Handook-For-S.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="386" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQOIaF1iEMRRFD05HXCU11vDRVxLnJNgBGKhklr5aUSPDuxohlbNeUw6ABPT53yjhCqSmOuqsbuQ-1FBzHYYiTGH8G0QSYb3Gnt9u7jDXpIsbUbYQcgo7qym6m_S5hIpyUW8PK5quOnVnnyr8FZeTlFl684d2LfJmNNVqP12HZGwv6mxDGIdM3x94/s320/The-Frugal-Wizards-Handook-For-S.webp" width="206"></a></div><p>Book 2 of Sanderson's Kickstarter is here and it's an interesting deviation from this usual style. Here's the blurb:</p><i>A man awakens in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts. His only help from the “real world” should have been a guidebook entitled The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, except his copy exploded during transit. The few fragments he managed to save provide clues to his situation, but can he figure them out in time to survive?</i><p></p><p>As a novella, I'll forgo my usual format and just write out some impressions. More after the jump.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/06/book-review-frugal-wizards-handbook-for.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-43277459485408104822023-05-30T18:35:00.005-04:002023-05-30T18:44:11.393-04:00Book Review: Encounter with Tiber by Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpu4_6X-tzXxQ40cuSrwUmqj3qpWowpKlW2r3z-pAAW0Bdh8BEh3a13wxTU6SmYGToWUnTpm1jk26lJmhF8hD240nBIsfAKIueZF5tDMGa4YXTZS6V0H-faDnoA72bNIM8f8SMO9fWpyvXPLNnR6hgKNY_ZG1waAuXe9BeM-ueTjQ3CMBN0xQkEvN/s390/Encounter_with_Tiber.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpu4_6X-tzXxQ40cuSrwUmqj3qpWowpKlW2r3z-pAAW0Bdh8BEh3a13wxTU6SmYGToWUnTpm1jk26lJmhF8hD240nBIsfAKIueZF5tDMGa4YXTZS6V0H-faDnoA72bNIM8f8SMO9fWpyvXPLNnR6hgKNY_ZG1waAuXe9BeM-ueTjQ3CMBN0xQkEvN/s320/Encounter_with_Tiber.jpg" width="213"></a></div>I was recommended this book because it was about space travel and by a famous astronaut. I hadn't heard about it before, but the premise sounded interesting and figured I'd give it a try. It ended up being pretty good. Here's a short blurb:<p></p><p><i>Born the year of the Moon landing, Chris Terence spends his life fighting to return humanity to that pinnacle. An engineering student with dreams of spaceflight, he finds upon graduation that the United States no longer has need for astronauts. Years of bureaucratic meddling have reduced the space program to a shell of itself, and it will take the greatest scientific find in history to send humanity skyward once more. After years battling budget hawks, Chris finally gets his chance to walk on the Moon. While there, he finds evidence of an ancient alien civilization, the Tiberians, who visited Earth’s satellite eight thousand years before. Understanding what happened to those long-forgotten travelers will define the lives of Chris and his son, as they fight against all odds to unlock the secrets of the universe.</i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/05/book-review-encounter-with-tiber-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-70271110307871955872023-04-30T14:59:00.003-04:002023-07-05T16:46:52.491-04:00Book Review: The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1653582568i/59768312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1653582568i/59768312.jpg" width="210"></a></div><b>The Lost Metal</b> is a long overdue conclusion to the Wax and Wayne series of Mistborn novels, the second era for the Misborn series. <p></p><p><i>For years, frontier lawman turned big-city senator Waxillium Ladrian has hunted the shadowy organization the Set-with his late uncle and his sister among their leaders-since they started kidnapping people with the power of Allomancy in their bloodlines. When Detective Marasi Colms and her partner Wayne find stockpiled weapons bound for the Outer City of Bilming, this opens a new lead. Conflict between Elendel and the Outer Cities only favors the Set, and their tendrils now reach to the Elendel Senate-whose corruption Wax and Steris have sought to expose-and Bilming is even more entangled. After Wax discovers a new type of explosive that can unleash unprecedented destruction and realizes that the Set must already have it, an immortal kandra serving Scadrial's god, Harmony, reveals that Bilming has fallen under the influence of another god: Trell, worshipped by the Set. And Trell isn't the only factor at play from the larger Cosmere-Marasi is recruited by offworlders with strange abilities who claim their goal is to protect Scadrial...at any cost. Wax must choose whether to set aside his rocky relationship with God and once again become the Sword that Harmony has groomed him to be. If no one steps forward to be the hero Scadrial needs, the planet and its millions of people will come to a sudden and calamitous ruin.</i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review, though bear in mind prior novels to this one are fair game when it comes to spoilers.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/04/book-review-lost-metal-by-brandon.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-81669217681949842952023-02-04T18:20:00.000-05:002023-02-04T18:20:21.410-05:00Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387124618i/9361589.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387124618i/9361589.jpg" width="211"></a></div>A friend of mine had recommended several books by Erin Morgenstern and I had read and thoroughly enjoyed <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2020/11/book-review-starless-sea-by-erin.html">The Starless Sea</a>, so I figured it give <b>The Night Circus</b> a read. Instead of a magical library we have a magical circus. It seemed intriguing and atmospheric, here's the Goodreads blurb:<p></p><p><i>The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.</i></p><p><i>But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.</i></p><p><i>True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.</i></p><p><i>Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.</i></p><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Read on for my spoiler-free review.</span></h4><div><span></span></div><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/02/book-review-night-circus-by-erin.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-74064293649672471112023-01-14T13:33:00.002-05:002023-07-05T16:46:52.491-04:00Book Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfc2k1EfuSTD_fCdGlSa9wFumQFNnWCVhKeLhj6DrbcfgZPUYcdXAXd1MPFO-IPAthI_Dp60DrunjJN0_klVwPKkv09q8pFL7_FaNRgn-phiPJyKkmr2oBdrps0XlkX5xRaiiVLH_1DDO7Z3SQIlvUCmyiNJeKtCtFKp_BifmnVCmkjAMWMADEyF9/s2200/cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1415" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfc2k1EfuSTD_fCdGlSa9wFumQFNnWCVhKeLhj6DrbcfgZPUYcdXAXd1MPFO-IPAthI_Dp60DrunjJN0_klVwPKkv09q8pFL7_FaNRgn-phiPJyKkmr2oBdrps0XlkX5xRaiiVLH_1DDO7Z3SQIlvUCmyiNJeKtCtFKp_BifmnVCmkjAMWMADEyF9/s320/cover.jpg" width="206"></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tress of the Emerald Sea is the first of Sanderson's "Secret Project"- a set of four novels written during the height of the covid pandemic and being independently published. As a Sanderson fan I had to sign up for them since I knew they would be fun reads and indeed the first hasn't disappointed. Plus as a Cosmere novel it connects to his grander universe. I look forward to seeing what the other 3 will be.</span><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: inherit;"><i>The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><br></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><span>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</span></span></span></div><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2023/01/book-review-tress-of-emerald-sea-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-85801733678244595402022-12-14T19:54:00.001-05:002022-12-14T19:56:41.455-05:00Book Review: At the Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1660066326i/61918023.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="530" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1660066326i/61918023.jpg" width="212"></a></div>This is the highly anticipated sequel to <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/04/book-review-hands-of-emperor-by.html">The Hands of the Emperor</a>. While it follows a few months after that book, I recommend those interested in this book read first <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/05/book-review-return-of-fitzroy-angursell.html">The Return of Fitzroy Angursell</a> and <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/10/book-review-redoubtable-pali-avramapul.html">The Redoubtable Pali Avramapul</a> at the very least. The stories there happen in tandem and set the stage for what will happen in this particular novel.<p></p><p><i>Cliopher Mdang has been appointed Viceroy of Zunidh by his beloved Radiancy, the Last Emperor, who has now left him behind in the Palace to safeguard the world during his absence on a quest to find an appropriately magical heir. When he returns, he will abdicate, and Cliopher will at last retire, satisfied with having achieved most of his life's political goals--even if his long-suppressed personal dreams are starting to bubble up.</i></p><p><i>(Surely he used to have hobbies besides running the government?)</i></p><p><i>All he has to do is wait patiently for his lord's return... until adventure quite literally hits him from behind, and what was once safely hypothetical becomes intensely real.</i></p><p><i>Cliopher has always followed the stars of his chosen course: the epic oral histories of his people, the poetry of the rebel poet Fitzroy Angursell, decades of devotion and service to his Radiancy... They were enough to change the world. But are they enough to guide Cliopher home?</i></p><p>Read on for my review, spoilers for the preceding books.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/12/book-review-at-feet-of-sun-by-victoria.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-43790547810230346192022-10-30T13:00:00.000-04:002022-10-30T13:00:05.731-04:00Book Review: The Redoubtable Pali Avramapul by Victoria Goddard<p><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1652952480i/61127243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1652952480i/61127243.jpg" width="210"></a>After learning of a delay to <b>At the Feet of the Sun</b> and at my friend's recommendation, I went ahead and picked up this book set in the same universe. We had already met Pali in prior novels so this was a chance to get to see her in more detail and see more about the various adventures of the Red Company. Here is the Goodreads blurb:</p><p><i>Before the Fall of the Empire of Astandalas, the Red Company was legendary. A dozen or so years after that cataclysm, they have almost faded into myth.</i></p><p><i>Pali Avramapul may not have gone under her own name since the dissolution of the Red Company, but she is no myth, and has certainly not faded. She fights folly and injustice as fiercely as ever—although, as a respected scholar of history at one of the Circle Schools of Alinor, she now tends to use her tongue and pen more than her sword.</i></p><p><i>She still keeps the sword sharp, of course. You never know when adventure will come calling.</i></p><p><i>She expects her sabbatical to be a decorous, respectable sort of adventure, the kind with which she can regale her colleagues in the Senior Common Room upon her return.</i></p><p><i>She’s not very upset when she finds one or two of her old friends and it turns out the adventure is much more likely to involve a plot to kidnap the Last Emperor of Astandalas.</i></p><p><i>There’s respectable, after all, and then there’s respectable.</i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/10/book-review-redoubtable-pali-avramapul.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-41611216461240316492022-09-18T19:19:00.004-04:002022-09-18T19:30:30.576-04:00Book Review: Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1646716702i/59830943.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1646716702i/59830943.jpg" width="207"></a></div><b>Nona the Ninth</b> by Tamsyn Muir is the third book in <b>The Locked Tomb</b> series. This has been highly anticipated by fans all around. The series merges science fiction, fantasy, horror, with a splash of comedy and romance. It is weird and engaging in so many odd ways. The blurb for this one is pretty unusual as well, though it gets the point across:<p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>Her city is under siege.</i></p><p><i>The zombies are coming back.</i></p><p><i>And all Nona wants is a birthday party.</i></p><p><i>In many ways, Nona is like other people. She lives with her family, has a job at her local school, and loves walks on the beach and meeting new dogs. But Nona's not like other people. Six months ago she woke up in a stranger's body, and she's afraid she might have to give it back.</i></p><p><i>The whole city is falling to pieces. A monstrous blue sphere hangs on the horizon, ready to tear the planet apart. Blood of Eden forces have surrounded the last Cohort facility and wait for the Emperor Undying to come calling. Their leaders want Nona to be the weapon that will save them from the Nine Houses. Nona would prefer to live an ordinary life with the people she loves, with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes, but she also knows that nothing lasts forever.</i></p><p><i>And each night, Nona dreams of a woman with a skull-painted face...</i></p></blockquote><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review; spoilers for the prior books (<a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2020/03/book-review-gideon-ninth-by-tamsyn-muir.html" target="">Gideon the Ninth</a> and <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-review-harrow-ninth-by-tamsyn-muir.html">Harrow the Ninth</a>) may be present, though.<br></p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/09/book-review-nona-ninth-by-tamsyn-muir.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-14155798007943442552022-07-20T20:23:00.003-04:002022-07-20T20:25:59.262-04:00Book Review: The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440954554l/140975._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="291" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440954554l/140975._SY475_.jpg" width="196"></a></b></div><b>The Fires of Heaven</b> is the 5th book in <b>The Wheel of Time</b> series by Robert Jordan. If you've been reading this series, you need to read this one to continue the story. Here's the Goodreads blurb:<p></p><p><i>The bonds and wards that hold the Great Lord of the Dark are slowly failing, but still his fragile prison holds. The Forsaken, immortal servants of the shadow, weave their snares and tighten their grip upon the realms of men, sure in the knowledge that their master will soon break free...</i></p><p><i>Rand al' Thor, the Dragon Reborn, knows that he must strike at the Enemy, but his forces are divided by treachery and by ambition. Even the Aes Sedai, ancient guardians of the Light, are riven by civil war. Betrayed by his allies, pursued by his enemies and beset by the madness that comes to the male wielders of the One Power, Rand rides out to meet the foe.</i></p><p><i><br></i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/07/book-review-fires-of-heaven-by-robert.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-17841368181810212372022-06-19T13:22:00.007-04:002022-06-19T14:30:30.171-04:00Book Review: A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600715136l/52504334._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600715136l/52504334._SY475_.jpg" width="209"></a></div>A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark is a Hugo novel finalist and has gathered a bit of attention lately. I've been curious about it and seeing it so broadly praised decided to give it a read. Here's the Goodreads blurb:<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><i>Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world 50 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Alongside her Ministry colleagues and her clever girlfriend Siti, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city - or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems....</span></i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read on for my spoiler-free review.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span></span></span></p><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/06/book-review-master-of-djinn-by-djeli.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-24901740215420022722022-05-18T17:01:00.000-04:002022-05-18T17:01:06.706-04:00Book Review: Network Effect by Martha Wells<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1640597293l/52381770._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1640597293l/52381770._SY475_.jpg" width="208"></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Network Effect</b> is the 5th book in the Murderbot series and the first full length novel. I've been enjoying the series and reading them on and off between other books. Here's the blurb from Goodreads: </span><p></p><p><span style="color: #262626;"><i>I’m usually alone in my head, and that’s where 90 plus percent of my problems are.</i></span></p><p><span style="color: #262626;"><i>When Murderbot's human associates (not friends, never friends) are captured and another not-friend from its past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.</i></span></p><p><span style="color: #262626;"><i><span style="background-color: white;"></span></i></span></p><p><span style="color: #262626;"><i>Drastic action it is, then.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">Read on for my spoiler-free review.</span></span></p><p><span></span></p><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/05/book-review-network-effect-by-martha.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-24246676535660654952022-05-01T19:57:00.004-04:002022-05-01T19:57:53.902-04:00Book Review: The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608755753l/56392665._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608755753l/56392665._SY475_.jpg" width="207"></a></div>This book pretty much immediately follows <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/04/book-review-hands-of-emperor-by.html">The Hands of the Emperor</a> and while it is very different in scope and tone, you can consider it a bit of a sequel and should start with the former.<p></p><p><i>Artorin Damara is the Last Emperor of Astandalas and present Lord Magus of Zunidh. He is respected as a great mage, revered as a living god, regarded as the embodiment of power and wealth and majesty. Few have seen him in anything but the most resplendent garments; fewer still have ever looked him in the eyes.</i></p><p><i>He is possibly the last person you would expect to find breaking into the tomb of the first Emperor of Astandalas. He could, after all, have entered it legitimately.</i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/05/book-review-return-of-fitzroy-angursell.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-46315694385399374632022-04-09T16:54:00.003-04:002022-04-09T16:54:50.438-04:00Book Review: The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547081914l/43525897._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547081914l/43525897._SY475_.jpg" width="207"></a></div>This book came highly recommended from a good friend of mine and caught me at a good time when I wanted to try something new. I had heard about it, but hadn't really committed to reading it. I am glad I did. Here's the Goodreads blurb for some context:<p></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">An impulsive word can start a war.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">A timely word can stop one.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">A simple act of friendship can change the course of history.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Cliopher Mdang is the personal secretary of the Last Emperor of Astandalas, the Lord of Rising Stars, the Lord Magus of Zunidh, the Sun-on-Earth, the god.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">He has spent more time with the Emperor of Astandalas than any other person.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">He has never once touched his lord.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">He has never called him by name.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">He has never initiated a conversation.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">One day Cliopher invites the Sun-on-Earth home to the proverbially remote Vangavaye-ve for a holiday.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The mere invitation could have seen Cliopher executed for blasphemy.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The acceptance upends the world.</span></i></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/04/book-review-hands-of-emperor-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-72757559947208843532022-03-17T23:51:00.000-04:002023-07-05T16:50:35.269-04:00Book Review: Elantris by Brandon Sanderson<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1475740953l/68427._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="294" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1475740953l/68427._SY475_.jpg" width="198"></a></b></div><b>Elantris</b> is Brandon Sanderson's first published novel and one that I've read now maybe 3 times. It's a standalone fantasy which makes it easy to pick up. The particular version I first got was a paperback whose blurb was very character-centric with almost no premise to the story. It wasn't until I read the short prologue that I actually picked it up to read. Regardless, after reading it a few times I realized I hadn't written a blog for it. So here it is.<p></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/03/book-review-elantris-by-brandon.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-21550344327563911672022-02-24T15:30:00.001-05:002022-02-24T15:30:15.964-05:00Book Review: A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine<p><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1591755604l/45154547._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1591755604l/45154547._SY475_.jpg" width="207"></a>This is the second b<span style="font-family: inherit;">ook in the <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><b>Teixcalaan</b> series by Arkady Martine and follows a few months after the prior, <a href="https://strakul.blogspot.com/2020/06/book-review-memory-called-empire-by.html">A Memory of Empire</a>. Here is the Goodreads blurb:</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"></span></p><blockquote><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"></span></i><blockquote><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"></span></i><blockquote><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is running out of options.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">In a desperate attempt at diplomacy with the mysterious invaders, the fleet captain has sent for a diplomatic envoy. Now Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass—still reeling from the recent upheaval in the Empire—face the impossible task of trying to communicate with a hostile entity.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">Whether they succeed or fail could change the fate of Teixcalaan forever.</span></i></blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"></span></blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"></span></blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Read on for my spoiler-free review.</span></span></p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/02/book-review-desolation-called-peace-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1500421841261129447.post-68371849460268568292022-01-16T16:38:00.000-05:002022-01-16T16:38:41.682-05:00Book Review: The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628285939l/54754452._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="261" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628285939l/54754452._SY475_.jpg" width="176"></a></b></div><b>The Shadow Rising</b> is the 4th book of <b>The Wheel of Time</b> series by Robert Jordan. I've been slowly re-reading the books and have watched the new TV series as well. While there is a much I didn't remember, some aspects of Book 4 I did actually recall to some degree. Also, having recently re-read <b>Dune </b>by Frank Herbert, I can't help but see all the parallels between these two series.<p></p><p>Read on for my spoiler-free review. Note that as part of a series, the prior books are considered fair game for spoiler material.</p><span></span><a href="http://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/01/book-review-shadow-rising-by-robert.html#more">Read more »</a>Strakulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11408235787760065739noreply@blogger.com0