Book Review: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

I have read The Eye of the World, the first book of The Wheel of Time, probably 3 times since I first discovered it more than a dozen years ago. It's stayed with me all this time and with the announcement of an actual TV series based on it (not the vague rumors from years ago), I knew I had to at least re-read the first book to re-acquaint myself with the characters and the legend of the Dragon. One of the largest Epic fantasy stories of modern times, it deserves to be read by fans of the genre.

Read on for my spoiler-free review.

Book Review: Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov

This is the third book of the original Foundation trilogy. There are actually a few more (Foundation's Edge,  Foundation and Earth) which I've also read before, but my copy was a hardcover containing the first 3 books. This then is the culmination of the main arc of the Foundation story, revolving all around the mysterious Second Foundation.

Read on for my spoiler-free review.

Book Review: Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov

Foundation and Empire is the second book in the Foundation series and follows a few decades after its predecessor. It continues the epic journey of the Foundation across generations as it struggles to establish itself amidst a decaying Galactic Empire with threats from outside and inside.

Read on for my spoiler-free review.

Book Review: Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Foundation is an old classic science fiction novel I read many, many years ago. Recently, I picked up an omnibus version containing the first 3 novels in the series. This is a review for the first book, a story about ideas, a story about a Galactic Empire that falls and the mathematical principles that allow humanity to pave the way for a new one.

Read on for my spoiler-free review.

Book Review: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

All Systems Red is the first of The Murderbot Diaries, a series long recommended by a good friend of mine. I finally got the chance to check it out and after the last book it was a palette cleanser in terms of being a very short, self-contained story. 

As for other novellas, I'll forgo my usual setup and just write out some of the highlights. More after the jump.

Book Review: Ten Arrows of Iron by Sam Sykes

Ten Arrows of Iron follows Seven Blades in Black in the series The Grave of Empires by Sam Sykes and continues the story of Sal the Cacophony. Being a fan of the first one I had to check out the second. Here's the Goodreads blurb:

The second novel in an epic fantasy trilogy that follows an unforgettable outcast mage caught between two warring empires.

Sal the Cacophony-outlaw, outcast, outnumbered-destroys all that she loves. Her lover lost and cities burned in her wake, all she has left is her magical gun and her all-consuming quest for revenge against those who stole her power and took the sky from her.

When the roguish agent of a mysterious patron offers her the chance to participate in a heist to steal an incredible power from the famed airship fleet, the Ten Arrows, she finds a new purpose. But a plot to save the world by bringing down empires swiftly escalates into a conspiracy of magic and vengeance that threatens to burn everything to ash, including herself.

Read on for my full review.

Data Science: An Update on my Goodreads Reviews as of 2020

A few years ago, in 2016, I wrote a brief post on statistics when looking at my Goodreads reviews. A friend's comment recently reminded me of this work and I decided to update it with information all the way up to the present day. Unfortunately, a big limitation has been that, as of earlier this month, Goodreads discontinued their API. I had a lot of code written to access it and generate the plots and had to spend some time rewriting it to use a CSV export of my library. It's not the same, but I was able to reconstruct most of the information. So without further ado, let's look at what we can discover.

Book Review: Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson's Rhythm of War is the 4th book of The Stormlight Archive series. I've been a huge fan of this series since it started and eagerly await each book. The books, however, are quite massive and intricate and benefit from multiple readings. I wish I had re-read the prior book, Oathbringer, before starting this one as there were many details I had forgotten! Still, it was good to revisit this world and see how the story is building up.

Read on for my spoiler-free review.