I Smile at the Sun
Book
Each poem is a celebration of life. Between Judith Barrett Lawson's clever wordplay, and the...
Partners in Crime
9.0
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Book
Ride into a world where Sherlock Holmes meets the Wild West. Saddle up for adventure with the...
The App Trap
8.0
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Book
When Danny’s mother is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, he finds himself in a race...
Creature: A Novel of Mary Shelley and Frankenstein
8.0
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Book
In 1816, a nineteen-year-old single mother wrote a book that transformed our vision of birth,...
Historical fiction
Ross (3284 KP) rated Redemption's Blade: After the War in Books
Jun 15, 2018
Over the last few months I have been lucky to read three new Tchaikovsky books. As this was the first fantasy book of those three (the other two being war sci-fi) I had fingers crossed for a return to the heights of the Shadows of the Apt series. I was sadly disappointed.
The scope of this book is truly epic in every sense. The world we are thrown into has a diverse range of beings, species, cities, religions and beliefs and a rich history. The events follow on from the end of a tyrannical reign of the Kinslayer, a power-mad demi-god who tried to break the spirit of those races he didn't just wipe out. We see the Kinslayer-slayer Celestaine's attempts to do good in the aftermath of this war, and try to make one species whole again. This aim leads her on a journey across the world where we are introduced to a range of new peoples and places. The journey goes on from place to place, the company increasing all the while.
I have real respect for Tchaikovsky trying to do something new - tell the story that follows on from a somewhat typical fantasy tale. Sadly for me, the story that went before sounds so much more interesting and engaging - the besting of a truly despicable being. This story is instead something of an empty, largely pointless journey. The ending leads us to believe someone had been luring people with the promise of magical items, to come to him and ultimately their doom - however, the trail leading to him was not exactly clear and the chances of anyone following it would be minimal (let alone someone following it at exactly the right pace to witness certain key events!). The world-building is epic and yet completely forgettable. I found myself forgetting who people were, why they were doing things and I completely missed one major reveal in the final chapters, only to re-read and find that there pretty much was no reveal.
I am a fan of Tchaikovsky's writing style but for me this book was a struggle to get through. I had no feelings towards any of the characters and couldn't remember or care where they had been or why, or what had happened. Not a worthwhile investment of my time.
Cosmolander - Missions in the Solar System
Education, Games and Stickers
App
"The app is great for those who want to refresh their knowledge about the Solar System, but also for...
We Need to Talk About ... Kevin Bridges
Book
This is the comic autobiography of 2014. A comedian's autobiography? I wonder if he's ever used...
Dinosaur Discoveries: A Prehistoric Adventure
Book
Embark on an extraordinary adventure with "Dinosaur Discoveries," an enchanting children's book by...
Southern Today (21 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Nov 7, 2017
If you are not into geeky things, just turn back now. I enjoyed this book for all the references, but the storyline itself was meh.
The writing was excellent as well, but, set in a dystopian not-so-distant future where everyone turns to OASIS, a simulation, to escape the reality of the world… Not a fan. Why don’t they try to fix it?
The main character, Wade, is on a quest (along with everyone else) to find the Easter egg that the creator of OASIS left in game after he died. The winner? Gets his fortune and the company that made the game.
Yeah, there is a prize for you! If you enjoyed Monty Python, read this book. If you are into all the geeky things, read this book. It is an interesting journey and one that I did enjoy.
