Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Tamsyn Muir’s debut novel reaches out and grabs you in its skeletal fist from the very first page and doesn’t let go. Gideon The Ninth is witty, irreverent, and fresh as hell. It’s fucking delightful. It’s not all glitz, glam, and bones though – this is a book with a big ol’ heart hiding underneath the aviator glasses, laugh-aloud banter, and, of course, the mountain of corpses. This is a tight, polished narrative with twists and turns that were hinted at heavily in retrospect, yet take the reader completely by surprise as they unfold. … More Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The Resurrectionist of Caligo by Wendy Trimboli & Alicia Zaloga

Although there are many elements which should have worked well for me, this novel didn’t quite pull together the way I might have hoped. At only about 10% in to the Kindle edition, I could already tell that Caligo was not Caligoing well for me. Although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend The Resurrectionist of Caligo, I will say that I would happily give this author duo another shot in the future. Wendy Trimboli and Alicia Zaloga show promise in this debut even if it could have used a bit more polishing and editing. … More The Resurrectionist of Caligo by Wendy Trimboli & Alicia Zaloga

The Warehouse by Rob Hart

I didn’t go in to this book expecting to find happiness. I came in knowing this was a dystopian novel. I knew this would be a soul-crushing and painful depiction of an all-too-possible future. However, somewhere between the first page and the last, I was lulled into a sense of complacency, and I was caught off guard by what a damn punch to the gut this book ultimately ended up being. … More The Warehouse by Rob Hart

Turning Darkness Into Light by Marie Brennan

Marie Brennan is back once more in the world of Lady Trent with her newest novel, Turning Darkness Into Light. While TDiL follows the granddaughter of the famous Lady Trent, this is not merely a rehash of the same themes we saw in the first series. Audrey is her own person with her own goals… and a heavy familial legacy to live up to. I was impressed not only by Audrey, but also the side characters: Kudshayn and Cora. Told in the form of letters and journal entries, this book has drawn me in from the first page – Brennan has not only met the standard her original series set, but surpassed it. … More Turning Darkness Into Light by Marie Brennan

Permutation City by Greg Egan

In Egan’s version of the future, society has developed technology which allows one to create a precise one-for-one digital Copy of themselves. This Copy is identical in every way to the original person, and is often used by the rich and wealthy as a way to obtain partial immortality following death. Those of the upper middle class may be able to afford a scan on their deathbed… but may not be able to afford to actually be simulated due to the price of computing power and server time, or may have to “live” with extremely slow processing speeds. … More Permutation City by Greg Egan

July Reading Wrap-Up

Hello all! July was an interesting month. We had a few books that knocked it out of the park, and ended with two that really, really didn’t. Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, the Cradle series by Will Wight, and Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang were the stand-outs this month, each of them a cut above when it came to being either interesting, fun, or just plain heartwarming.  … More July Reading Wrap-Up