Enjoyed this a lot. Oddly felt like where Terry Pratchett would have wound up if the trajectory he'd started on with night watch hadn't been interruptEnjoyed this a lot. Oddly felt like where Terry Pratchett would have wound up if the trajectory he'd started on with night watch hadn't been interrupted by the embuggerance....more
Tempted to give this a five star rating to cock a snook at all the man babies whinging about 'woke' because the fantasy novel with walking skeletons hTempted to give this a five star rating to cock a snook at all the man babies whinging about 'woke' because the fantasy novel with walking skeletons had lady knights riding pegasi, sadly honesty compels me to give it a solid 3.75. Solid for the first half, but the big dramatic finale to the plot set up is at the halfway mark and the remainder of the book increasingly episodic encounters with various GW kits killing off bit characters. Fun in parts and some great set pieces but lacking momentum...more
Leaning into the epic cosmic side of 40k, but grounded in the city of queen man and the strong cast of characters built up over eight books and a dozeLeaning into the epic cosmic side of 40k, but grounded in the city of queen man and the strong cast of characters built up over eight books and a dozen short stories. Strong....more
I've given all these rivers of London books the same four star rating, but this felt like a massive step up in quality and scope.I've given all these rivers of London books the same four star rating, but this felt like a massive step up in quality and scope....more
Somewhere between three and four for me. Magicky goings on around brutalist highrises is very much what I'm here for but this lacked a clear through lSomewhere between three and four for me. Magicky goings on around brutalist highrises is very much what I'm here for but this lacked a clear through line of plot that made it feel a bit meandering at times....more
A great page turner this, evidenced by the fact that I'd finished it before I even got it entered on Goodreads. Surprising bit of moral ambivalence atA great page turner this, evidenced by the fact that I'd finished it before I even got it entered on Goodreads. Surprising bit of moral ambivalence at the end....more
I tried the first Rivers of London book a few years ago and didn't really get on with it. I've heard this is where the series hits its stride and founI tried the first Rivers of London book a few years ago and didn't really get on with it. I've heard this is where the series hits its stride and found this an easier entry point. Good police procedural in a well realised urban fantasy setting...more
A lot more YA than I was anticipating. Very Hunger Games, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. This was an assured debut, if a bit emotionally overA lot more YA than I was anticipating. Very Hunger Games, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. This was an assured debut, if a bit emotionally overwrought for me, but that comes with the territory. A bit annoying that it had a sequel set up instead of a proper ending...more
Another cracking big scale toy advert from Robert Rath, who is becoming one of those writers whose stuff I'll pick up even if the premise doesn't sounAnother cracking big scale toy advert from Robert Rath, who is becoming one of those writers whose stuff I'll pick up even if the premise doesn't sound that exciting....more
Really good. Reminiscent of urusla le guin and you can't say fairer than that really.Really good. Reminiscent of urusla le guin and you can't say fairer than that really....more
I tried the first Rivers of London book a few years ago and didn't get on with it, although I have been told the series takes a while to click into geI tried the first Rivers of London book a few years ago and didn't get on with it, although I have been told the series takes a while to click into gear. This novella comes at about the halfway mark of the series and was a well constructed police procedural with supernatural elements. Some of the backstories and magical mechanics were a bit lost on me obviously but easy enough to roll with. More likely to try another now....more
Seems silly to give this a lower grade than the light fantastic given its such a huge step up, but I suppose that's the price of progress.
Granny is a Seems silly to give this a lower grade than the light fantastic given its such a huge step up, but I suppose that's the price of progress.
Granny is a brilliant character from the offset, although she's (relatively) softer and less rock solidly self reliant than she would become. The move away from the travelogue structure that began in the light fantastic is more pronounced here, although the plot does feel a bit of a weak point here. The early sections of granny training esk are stronger than the unseen university denouement.
A big development but still a long way to go....more
I enjoyed the first one on audio last year but even as an unreconstructed appreciator of tripe this was too ripe for me. Some phrases repeated almost I enjoyed the first one on audio last year but even as an unreconstructed appreciator of tripe this was too ripe for me. Some phrases repeated almost verbatim from the first one, an obvious self-insert lead and embarrassingly horny....more
For such a short book this felt quite meandering. I suppose how much you like it will depend on how you respond to the prose and the imagining of AnneFor such a short book this felt quite meandering. I suppose how much you like it will depend on how you respond to the prose and the imagining of Anne Hathaway as a Kate Bushy witchy wise woman. I didn't find either all that convincing I'm afraid. I got to about the three quarter mark but didn't really feel like there was real emotion beneath the portrayal of grief....more
This was strong - very different to other abnett books as the narrator is so passive. It got a bit 'perils of pauline' at points as Alizabeth lurched This was strong - very different to other abnett books as the narrator is so passive. It got a bit 'perils of pauline' at points as Alizabeth lurched from one misadventure to the next, but the setting and the feeling that this is now setting up pay-offs for the whole series carried it through.
On the audiobook - I struggled a bit with the narration on this. I really liked the same reader on something else I'd heard from her but this felt a bit off at times. Narrating 40k stuff must be a fairly fine line to tread to avoid sounding overly portentous and I don't think it was perfectly done here. Tempted to pick up an actual physical book for the next one! ...more
I was sceptical if there was anything more to be said about eisenhorn after hereticus, but this is brilliantly put together. Building on the original I was sceptical if there was anything more to be said about eisenhorn after hereticus, but this is brilliantly put together. Building on the original trilogy's themes and the in-depth character study but also managing to do its own thing.
The 40k universe works best when it centres the human characters caught up in all the horror rather than flashy power fantasies or toy ads and the new character of Magos Drusher provides a nice contrast to eisenhorn here, braver than he thinks and managing to retain his humanity despite it all....more
jzthompson
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Books:
folklore-and-mythology
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