Lalji's Nairobi
Book
British Gujarat, 1905. Despairing of the social injustices and crippling taxes under the British...
Historical Fiction Africa
Days of Light
9.0
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Easter Sunday, 1938. Ivy is nineteen and ready for her life to finally begin. In the idyllic Sussex...
Historical fiction
Legend of the Tragik
Book
Not all fires are welcoming. After decades of war, this had never been more true for the...
Fiction Fantasy
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Slow Bullets in Books
Nov 25, 2019
The set up is interesting and simple, at least in summary. A ship carrying soldiers, mostly war criminals of one sort or another, following a ceasefire malfunctions and they are awoken from hibernation much later than they expected. Almost immediately the the rivalries from the war become apparent again and it is up to Scur to put herself in the position of ensuring that they can at least survive without killing each other for a war long since finished.
The story is told from Scur's point of view as she effectively writes her memoir - and confessional - as she comes to the end of her life. Reynolds entwines several threads effortlessly producing some good dramatic moments and plot twists. The changes of direction are not so much surprising as they occur but the direction they go in.
Apart from the expected divisions between the different sides of the army and the civilians on the ship Scur needs to worry about where the advanced civilization that existed before the war has gone, the slow deterioration of the ship, the potential for a religious war and a war criminal which she would very much like to exact revenge upon, all played out in the pressure cooker environment of the ship.
The result is a tight story with plenty of action interspersed with serious considerations about society, justice and religion and how they interplay. Like any of Reynold's work the particular universe this story inhabits - as far as can be discerned this is not related to any other novel or short story - arrives fully formed and with perceptible depth and history, hinting at other stories that might be told elsewhere.
For one of Reynolds' stories there isn't much science and it doesn't stick to physical limits - faster than light travel and communications are both possible but not really explored in detail. But the focus is entirely on the individuals involved with the setting just a backdrop for them to play out the story in front of.
Overall a thoroughly good read and one I would recommend to anyone who likes their science fiction up close and personal.
Rating: Some violent scenes and bad language
Janine O (2 KP) rated Fortune's Pawn in Books
Oct 18, 2017
I did not want that. I wanted a complex story with romantic themes set in space...and that's exactly what this book gave me.
Fortune's Pawn rocked. Devi Morris is a badass, power armor clad mercenary with a dream to join an elite merc unit...but she has to get some expedition references first. So what does she do? Chooses the one ship with the worst track record in the hopes it with fast track her ambitions to the top. While I wont put spoilers I will say she gets her wish...kinda. She finds romance...that gets VERY complicated, mystery, and tossed into what is bound to end in an interstellar war.
9/10, highly recommend.
Erika (17789 KP) rated The Huntress in Books
May 4, 2019
Alright, so, I don't consider books post WWI to be historical fiction, and I normally steer clear of WWII/aftermath fiction because bookstores and goodreads are inundated with hundreds of novels. But, I decided to pick up this book anyway.
Essentially, it's a Nazi hunt. There are three viewpoints from three different characters. As I mentioned, Nina was insufferable. Most of the reviews I read talked about their love of this character and the origin of the Night Witches (AKA female, Russian pilots). Ian was one of the other main characters, a former war correspondent who's a Nazi hunter, trying to find 'The Huntress', who murdered his brother. Then, there's Jordan, an American teenager whose father marries a mysterious German woman with a daughter.
I won't spoil the plot, but basically, you can work out the entire plot within the first few chapters. What kept me reading was the writing style, and every other character but Nina.
Planetfall
8.0
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Renata Ghali believed in Lee Suh-Mi’s vision of a world far beyond Earth, calling to humanity. A...
Science Fiction LGBT Mental Health Fiction
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
10.0
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The Penguin English Library Edition of Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne 'I am got, I know not how,...
A Rising Man
9.0
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The winner of the Harvill Secker/Daily Telegraph crime writing competition. Captain Sam Wyndham,...
Crime historical fiction fiction
Now We Shall Be Entirely Free
8.0
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By the Costa Award-winning author of PURE, a stunning historical novel with the grip of a thriller,...
Literary Fiction Historical Fiction