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sambora's reviews
314 reviews
Cosmonaut Keep by Ken MacLeod
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The Scar by China Miéville
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rtc
The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne
adventurous
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Rtc
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
So Late In The Day by Claire Keegan
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This an intricate short story about the inherent misogyny that can be found in an ignorant man. The psychology on display here in this little snapshot of a very sad life shows a very astute and deep understanding of the male psyche.
Keegan also masterfully uses the minimal page count and non-linear story telling to create a sort of twist of character that had my feelings change multiple times in a the very short amount of time spent reading.
This was a brilliantly written story that can easily be read in one sitting.
4.25 stars.
Despite my positive feelings towards the text however, charging £8.99 for this is ludicrous. The audacity of some publishers is wild. This sentiment is not reflected in my rating of the book, but I thought it deserved mentioning.
Keegan also masterfully uses the minimal page count and non-linear story telling to create a sort of twist of character that had my feelings change multiple times in a the very short amount of time spent reading.
This was a brilliantly written story that can easily be read in one sitting.
4.25 stars.
Despite my positive feelings towards the text however, charging £8.99 for this is ludicrous. The audacity of some publishers is wild. This sentiment is not reflected in my rating of the book, but I thought it deserved mentioning.
The Mysteries by Bill Watterson
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
A short graphic novel about a Kingdom besieged by "The Mysteries", and about the power of the unknown.
The fantastic and haunting art style absolutely sold me on this one; it's so unusual, and whilst being clearly influenced by classical caricatures, as well as being in solely black and white, it still managed to capture and show off so much nuanced expression and human feeling.
Brilliant.
The fantastic and haunting art style absolutely sold me on this one; it's so unusual, and whilst being clearly influenced by classical caricatures, as well as being in solely black and white, it still managed to capture and show off so much nuanced expression and human feeling.
Brilliant.
The Redemption of Time by Baoshu
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Liu Cixin's The Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy made me reconsider the standard by which I judge science fiction, and they had a profound impact on me on a personal level, which very few books ever do.
Thus this semi-canon, loose continuation, written as fanfiction by someone else was always going to struggle in comparison.
And it really does.
I won't go into detail or spoil anything, but I think that despite adding lots of details, filling gaps and extending the story, I unfortunately feel that The Redemption of Time actually detracts from the story of the original trilogy. Don't get me wrong, it does some interesting things, there were some cool ideas and it is definitely well written/translated, but it lacks the nuanced concepts and themes that made Cixin's books so special. The sophistication behind this book's explanations of complex scientific ideas is nowhere near the level of the books that precede and inspire it.
Doors that were specifically left open by Death's End, this book firmly closes and does it it a way that isn't entirely satisfying, at least in my opinion.
I wish I could give this a higher rating. I can feel Baoshu's passion come through in the writing, but it just didn't quite hit the mark for me.
2.5 stars
Thank you for reading my review!
If you happen to be reading this and you haven't yet read the trilogy, I would wholeheartedly recommend correcting that as soon as possible. It's a series that already I wish I could forget just so I can experience it again for the first time.
Thus this semi-canon, loose continuation, written as fanfiction by someone else was always going to struggle in comparison.
And it really does.
I won't go into detail or spoil anything, but I think that despite adding lots of details, filling gaps and extending the story, I unfortunately feel that The Redemption of Time actually detracts from the story of the original trilogy. Don't get me wrong, it does some interesting things, there were some cool ideas and it is definitely well written/translated, but it lacks the nuanced concepts and themes that made Cixin's books so special. The sophistication behind this book's explanations of complex scientific ideas is nowhere near the level of the books that precede and inspire it.
Doors that were specifically left open by Death's End, this book firmly closes and does it it a way that isn't entirely satisfying, at least in my opinion.
I wish I could give this a higher rating. I can feel Baoshu's passion come through in the writing, but it just didn't quite hit the mark for me.
2.5 stars
Thank you for reading my review!
If you happen to be reading this and you haven't yet read the trilogy, I would wholeheartedly recommend correcting that as soon as possible. It's a series that already I wish I could forget just so I can experience it again for the first time.
Light Perpetual by Andrzej Sapkowski
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Light Perpetual, the final book in the Hussite Trilogy, was (for me) a tedious slog.
The writing itself was good, even witty at times, but I found the story, the plot and it's structure to be mind-numbingly borish.
Without spoiling anything; the more interesting characters were either ignored or were killed off without decent conclusions to their stories. Bar none.
The political discourse and the boots on the ground warring both became so monotonous that I became a little desensitised to it all, and even the most brutal and fast paced action struggled to keep me engaged.
And the interesting and unique set pieces of the previous books were severely lacking here, making the whole thing feel ungrounded and without place.
Don't even get me started on the "romance" or the lack-thereof, that was supposed to be driving the story. It was extraordinarily weak and unsatisfying.
I can assuredly say now that fans of Sapkowski's Witcher series can safely stick with that universe, and honestly should not feel the need or desire to read this trilogy because oh boy, it wasn't worth it in my opinion. I held out a stubborn hope that the ending would land for me and make it all worthwhile, but the books just got less interesting with each entry.
2 stars.
I am finally done. Onto more interesting reads! Hazzah!
The writing itself was good, even witty at times, but I found the story, the plot and it's structure to be mind-numbingly borish.
Without spoiling anything; the more interesting characters were either ignored or were killed off without decent conclusions to their stories. Bar none.
The political discourse and the boots on the ground warring both became so monotonous that I became a little desensitised to it all, and even the most brutal and fast paced action struggled to keep me engaged.
And the interesting and unique set pieces of the previous books were severely lacking here, making the whole thing feel ungrounded and without place.
Don't even get me started on the "romance" or the lack-thereof, that was supposed to be driving the story. It was extraordinarily weak and unsatisfying.
I can assuredly say now that fans of Sapkowski's Witcher series can safely stick with that universe, and honestly should not feel the need or desire to read this trilogy because oh boy, it wasn't worth it in my opinion. I held out a stubborn hope that the ending would land for me and make it all worthwhile, but the books just got less interesting with each entry.
2 stars.
I am finally done. Onto more interesting reads! Hazzah!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Murder, and War