Steadfast is the tenth book in Jack Campbell’s LOST FLEET series and the fourth in the BEYOND THE FRONTIER subseries. You really need to read all of the previous nine LOST FLEET books to best enjoy Steadfast. I’ll assume you have. There will be spoilers for previous books in this review.
Steadfast has an episodic and teachy feel. Geary and his crew have several different missions,
May 19th, 2015. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | Jack Campbell | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Why Call Them Back From Heaven? by Clifford D. Simak
Although the concept of cryogenically preserving the bodies of the living had been a trope of Golden Age science fiction from the 1930s and onward, it wasn’t until New Jersey-born Robert Ettinger released his hardheaded book on the subject, 1962’s The Prospect of Immortality, that the idea began to be taken seriously. Ettinger would go on to found the Cryonics Institute in Michigan around 15 years later; over 1,300 folks have subscribed to this facility as of 2015,
May 19th, 2015. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 3.5 | Clifford D. Simak | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Here are the short stories nominated for a 2014 Nebula Award:
In “The Breath of War” by Aliette de Bodard, the main character, Rechan, is pregnant. She must find her breath-sibling before she gives birth, or the baby will be stillborn. That, and the fact that they are carved by adolescent women from a special stone called lamsinh, are all we know about breath-siblings at first. Most women have their breath-siblings with them once they are created, but Rechan’s has remained in the mountains from which it was carved during a time of war on her planet.
May 18th, 2015. Terry Weyna | Aliette De_Bodard, Sarah Pinsker | Nebula Award, Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Of Noble Family by Mary Robinette Kowal
Warning: May contain spoilers for previous books in the GLAMOURIST HISTORIES
With Of Noble Family, Mary Robinette Kowal brings to an end her GLAMOURIST HISTORIES series, set in a fantastical English Regency period. While the book resolves several issues in the lives of Jane and David Vincent, there is no feeling of “winding down.” The book is suspenseful, filled with surprises and real stakes for Jane and her beloved, troubled husband.
May 18th, 2015. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4.5 | Mary Robinette Kowal | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Guardian is the ninth book in Jack Campbell’s LOST FLEET series and the third in the subseries called BEYOND THE FRONTIER. You really need to have read the previous eight books to fully understand the background, so I’ll assume you’re familiar with the series if you’re reading this review.
Admiral Blackjack Geary and his wife Tanya Desjani (captain of the warship Dauntless which is the admiral’s flagship) are once again far from home and trying to get back.
May 18th, 2015. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | Jack Campbell | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan
As soon as I heard about Hollow World I jumped on the bandwagon. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love it when authors take a left turn and tries something absolutely new and different. Michael J. Sullivan is known for his epic fantasy, so a time travel/futuristic sci-fi is absolutely different than his usual work. He had my attention.
The thing is, despite the fact that this is an absolutely different genre than Sullivan fans will expect,
May 16th, 2015. Sarah Chorn | Michael J. Sullivan | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
In our Edge of the Universe column, we review mainstream authors that incorporate elements of speculative fiction into their “literary” work. However you want to label them, we hope you’ll enjoy discussing these books with us.
The bars are closing and the night’s last trains are shuttling people out of the city to their suburban beds. The city would be empty if it weren’t for the few remaining people who have decided to stay up After Dark.
May 15th, 2015. Ryan Skardal´s rating: 4 | Haruki Murakami | Edge, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |
The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente
The Boy Who Lost Fairyland is the fourth in the FAIRYLAND series by Catherynne M. Valente, the second in a row that has been somewhat of a disappointment to me, and the first whose strengths I thought were not enough to fully overcome its flaws.
Valente takes a bit of a risk here in book four, shifting focus from her primary protagonist, September and her friends, to a whole new cast of characters.
May 15th, 2015. Bill Capossere´s rating: 2.5 | Catherynne M. Valente | Children | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Warring States by Aidan Harte
The Warring States is the second book in Aidan Harte’s THE WAVE trilogy, coming after last year’s Irenicon, to which I gave a three-star rating recently. Unfortunately, I’d describe The Warring States as a bit of a step backwards, mostly due to pacing issues.
You can take a look at my review of Irenicon for the detailed back-story.
May 14th, 2015. Bill Capossere´s rating: 2.5 | Aidan Harte | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Philippa Fisher and the Dream-Maker’s Daughter by Liz Kessler
Philippa Fisher and the Dream-Maker’s Daughter is the second book in Liz Kessler’s trilogy about Philippa Fisher, a lonely 11 year old girl with eccentric hippie parents. When we met her in the first book, Philippa Fisher and the Fairy Godsister, she had come to the attention of the fairy godmothers because her best friend had recently moved away and she was sad. A young inexperienced fairy named Daisy was assigned to grant Philippa three wishes.
May 14th, 2015. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | Liz Kessler | Audio, Children | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Do it! One of the best things I've read in recent years.
This reminds me. I want to read Addie LaRue.
We’re in total agreement David!
I felt just the same. The prose and character work was excellent. The larger story was unsatisfying, especially compared to…
Hmmm. I think I'll pass.