SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: The Serpent Sea (Books of the Rakshura #2) by Martha Wells

SF/F Review: The Serpent Sea (Books of the Raksura #2) by Martha Wells: https://t.co/O2OcYoSH8L Short Review: 8.5 out of 10 (1/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 29, 2017

Short Review (cont): The 2nd Raksura book improves on the first as Moon and crew find themselves infiltrating a moving floating island (2/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 29, 2017

Short Review (cont): controlled by a dangerous mage in order to find the key to saving their new home. Fun Characters, solid adventure (3/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 29, 2017

Long Review after the Jump (Very Minor Spoilers for The Cloud Moons):

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

SF/F Review: Shards of Honor (Vorkosigan Saga) https://t.co/zCZtqQ1nFs by Lois McMaster Bujold - Short Review: 8 out of 10 (1/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 28, 2017

Short Review (cont): The First Vorkosigan book is a fun Space Opera/Romance featuring love, honor, betrayal, & 2 strong main characters(2/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 28, 2017

Short Review (cont): The plot isnt original - 2 enemies are forced to cooperate & wind up falling in love - but its done really well (3/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 28, 2017

Long Review after the Jump:

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Radiate by C.A. Higgins

SF/F Review: Radiate (Lightless Trilogy #3) by C.A. Higgins https://t.co/1yPtj1jfL9 Short Review: 7.5 out of 10 (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 25, 2017

Short Review (cont): The Finale to the Trilogy is a strong SF love story, but doesn't resolve well the Series Plot arc satisfactorily (2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 25, 2017

I've previously reviewed Lightless and Supernova on my twitter account, and have been pretty excited for Radiate, which is the concluding novel in the trilogy.  A spoilery review will be after the jump, but for those who haven't read the first two novels, I gave them an 8 and an 8.5 respectively. The Novels are very ambitious, dealing with scientific concepts such as entropy, scientific forces, and AIs.

The Novels also deal with concepts of revolution against a dystopian government, how far one should go in pursuit of freedom, and how far should loved ones of revolutionaries be willing to go in support of those revolutionary ideals to support those loved ones.  It's a tricky balance for the story to strike, and the first two novels had issues at times balancing the SciFi themes with the other themes.  Radiate is no different in that respect

Long Review continues with Spoilers After the Jump:

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear

SF/F Review: Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear https://t.co/DNSg7XIdZa Short Review: 8 out of 10 (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 24, 2017

Short Review (cont): This Steampunk Western is a pretty damn fun romp, featuring a strong LGBTQ woman protagonist. (2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 24, 2017

Long Review after the Jump:

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: A Tyranny of Queens by Foz Meadows (Manifest Worlds #2)

SF/F Review: A Tyranny of Queens by Foz Meadows (Manifest Worlds #2) https://t.co/kZNdCCOzUR Short Review: 6 out of 10 (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 22, 2017

Short Review (cont): The Sequel to An Accident of Stars also has great characters but relies on unsatisfying plot developments (2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 22, 2017

Long Review (with SPOILERS for An Accident of Stars) after the Jump:  Do not read the rest of this review if you have not read an Accident of Stars.

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows

SF/F Review: An Accident of Stars (Manifest Worlds #1) by Foz Meadows: https://t.co/FN92mA5Ow6 Short Review: 9 out of 10 (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 20, 2017

Short Review(cont):An Excellent LGBTQ/Feminist Portal Fantasy featuring great main characters striving to take control of their destiny(2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 20, 2017

Long Review after the Jump:

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Fields of Fire (Frontlines #5) by Marko Kloos

SF/F Review: Fields of Fire (Frontlines Book # 5) by Marko Kloos https://t.co/Bo5qnNDR1L Short Review: 6 out of 10 (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 18, 2017

Short Review (cont): The Fifth in Kloos' MilSci Series is the first disappointing book in the series - predictable and unsatisfying (2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 18, 2017

Long Review After the Jump:

Reviewing the Hugo Award Nominees: Best Short Story Category

Reviewing the Hugo Award Nominees: Best Short Story

The Short Story Nominees are pretty incredible this year.  I thought only three of the Novelettes were pretty good (although I ranked the other two legitimate nominees above "no award") but only two were strong Hugo contenders, and really neither of them were "Must Reads".  Best Short Story has Three Must Reads, and the other two legitimate contenders are well worth their nominations.  Since these are by definition very short stories, reviews will be brief.

Picks are after the Jump:

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn

SF/F Review: Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn https://t.co/AEdsgOkulo ("Read" as an Audiobook) Short Review: 6 out of 10 (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 16, 2017

Short Review (cont): Zahn brings Thrawn into the new SW Canon by telling his origin story but saddles it w/less interesting characters (2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 16, 2017

Long Review after the Jump

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: The City Stained Red by Sam Sykes

SF/F Review: The City Stained Red by Sam Sykes https://t.co/dfaY3uLmig Short Review: 8 out of 10 - Lots of Excellent Characters in (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 16, 2017

Short Review (cont): this incomplete fantasy story about adventurers trying to get paid while surviving a murderous city (2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 16, 2017

Long Review After the Jump:

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Skullsworn by Brian Staveley

SF/F Review: Skullsworn by Brian Staveley https://t.co/alKISwPfK5 Short Review: 8.5 out of 10 (1/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 14, 2017

Short Review (cont): A very good tale of a acolyte to a god of death trying to fulfill her final trial-killing someone she loves. (2/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 14, 2017

Short Review (cont): But in order to fulfill the trial, she needs to find love in the first place...which she never has before (3/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 14, 2017

Long Review after the Jump:

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Boss Fight (20-Sided Sorceress Books 5 Through 7) by Annie Bellet

SF/F Review: Boss Fight: 20Sided Sorceress Books 5 Thru 7 by Annie Bellet https://t.co/NkY0ht952v Short Review: 8 Out of 10(all 3 books) 1/3

— garik16 (@garik16) June 11, 2017

Short Review (cont):The Conclusion to the 1st arc of this Urban Fantasy Series (which blends magic with nerd references) remains a blast 2/3

— garik16 (@garik16) June 11, 2017

Long Review After the Jump

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: The October Daye Series (All Ten Books!) by Seanan McGuire

SF/F Review: The October Daye Series (10 Books) by Seanan McGuire https://t.co/lSaXRkKkX3 Short Reviews: Book 1: 7.5/10, Book 2: 7/10, (1/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 9, 2017

Short Review (cont): Books 3-7: 8.5/10, Book 8: 9/10, Book 9: 8.5/10, Book 10: 7.5/10 (2/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 9, 2017

Short Review (cont):A very fun Urban Fantasy Series involving a half-human/half fae detective/hero/knight w/a specialty in blood magic (3/4)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 9, 2017

Long Review After the Jump

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: Revenger by Alastair Reynolds

SF/F Review: Revenger by Alastair Reynolds https://t.co/lda6bcHmbe Short Review: 8 Out of 10 (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 7, 2017

Short Review (cont): A solid tale of a Young Woman learning to survive space & save/avenge her sister with a two abrupt ending (2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 7, 2017

Long Review after the Jump:

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

SF/F Review: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik https://t.co/yxBNqRrgXD Short Review: 9 Out of 10 (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 6, 2017

Short Review (cont): A very fun Book 1 to a series of an alternate Napoleonic war where both sides have dragons (2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 6, 2017

Long Review after the Jump:

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells

SF/F Review: The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells https://t.co/Lqn5bHUAmt Short Review: 8 Out of 10- A pretty good fantasy tale about Moon, (1/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 4, 2017

Short Review (cont):a flyer/human shapeshifter who is found by his own people & has to learn who he is amongst them..& maybe save them (2/3)

— garik16 (@garik16) June 4, 2017

Long Review after the Jump: