Solid, unpretentious fun that reminded me that modern SFF can also be...just fun. A good pick-up beach read, if you just want giant monsters and some Solid, unpretentious fun that reminded me that modern SFF can also be...just fun. A good pick-up beach read, if you just want giant monsters and some good old-fashioned, unsubtle dunking on billionaire tech bro venture capitalists. I also appreciated the end-matter, where Scalzi talks about his creative struggles during the height of the pandemic, which I could definitely relate to....more
A sweet, lovely, and chill book. As the back cover proclaims, it's "High Fantasy and Low Stakes." Sometimes all you want is a Coffee Shop AU-style booA sweet, lovely, and chill book. As the back cover proclaims, it's "High Fantasy and Low Stakes." Sometimes all you want is a Coffee Shop AU-style book, and this delivers exactly that....more
A decent story on the edge between middle-grade & YA. A story about a young boy living in a literal bubble city to protect against the harsh environmeA decent story on the edge between middle-grade & YA. A story about a young boy living in a literal bubble city to protect against the harsh environment of a dying Earth, it's not subtle in its environmental messaging and corporate dystopia. It's a solid story, but not particularly stand-out. But then again, I'm not the target audience, so take this with a grain of salt.
My only major critique/surprise/confusion is that the privileged, corporate-driven world that the main character hails from is populated/employed seemingly entirely by other kids. The higher-up power players are adults, but the rank-and-file worker population are all somewhere between 12 and maybe 18, tops. Which gives the world an odd flavor. Is this supposed to be a statement on child labor? Were most of the adults killed off in the plague? It's never explained, and it's a strange choice because most stories with young protagonists have them pushing back against a world of adults. I had no idea what the author was trying to imply/suggest with this, or how it added to the story....more
With Nona the Ninth, the Locked Tomb series continues to be the most annoying book series I can't put down. It compels me despite its many frustrationWith Nona the Ninth, the Locked Tomb series continues to be the most annoying book series I can't put down. It compels me despite its many frustrations, and I continue to look forward to each new installment just to see what happens after the train crashes into the canyon and the smoke finally clears.
I was a little wary going into this one, because the impression I got (which may have been inaccurate) was that reader responses were mixed and hinged largely on whether you found Nona, the main character, annoying. I didn't find her annoying in the least. I found it kind of soft and refreshing to see this little domestic world she lived in, even as I was terrified of how it was all going to end. I loved all the characters we got to meet, I loved the time we got to spend with Cam and Palamedes and Pyrrah, I loved Nona's innocent viewpoint on a very dark and complex world, I loved her determination to love people even when she worried she didn't know what that word actually meant. Which, weirdly enough, is pretty good proof that she did.
The story was not without its frustrations. Nona's perspective meant that we only got fragments of the larger picture. So as with previous books, there's a lot put on the reader to fit things together. (view spoiler)[And how/why exactly Nona and Harrow and even Gideon ended up where they were is never fully explained, and I fear that might remain a mystery. How did the emperor get Gideon's body from BoE? Were the John segments dreams or a River bubble or something else? Why did John keep talking to Harrow as if she was both Harrow and Alecto? And Gideon's apparent face-heel turn was surprising, and I kinda wish we had a little more insight into how she got to this point. Even if we can surmise a lot, it still would have been interesting to explore. (hide spoiler)] But as with a lot of elements in this series, we're left to fill in a lot of blanks.
Still, there was a lot here that I enjoyed--like, ninety percent of it. John's backstory and the insights into his character were fascinating in the way a slow-moving 50-car pileup is fascinating, full of anticipatory horror and mass death. And the relationship between Camilla and Palamedes wrung my heart. And of course, the silly memes and jokes continue to delight me.
Looking forward to Book Four, and the end of this journey....more
Arguably my favorite book out of the series. It has Fenchurch, dolphins, rare moments of beauty, and my favorite moment in the entire series.
I decidedArguably my favorite book out of the series. It has Fenchurch, dolphins, rare moments of beauty, and my favorite moment in the entire series.
I decided to do a re-read of this series to celebrate my 42nd year. Didn't quite finish this before I turned 43, but oh well! I'm glad I went for it. Also, I decided not to reread the final book....more
So, I completely understand. This book asks a lot of its readers: a lot of patience, a lot of attention, a willingness to spend much of the book not kSo, I completely understand. This book asks a lot of its readers: a lot of patience, a lot of attention, a willingness to spend much of the book not knowing what the heck is going on, and a high tolerance for Harrow--whose personality is best described as a sad, spiteful goblin and whose life is so unrelentingly tragic and grief-stricken that it strains credulity. She's got one foot in grimdark edgelord territory and the other foot in wangst, and a third skeletal foot stuck in the mental trauma/unreliable narrator bucket, and this unsteady clattering tripod is the one you're holding onto as she flails gracelessly through the story and keeps running into walls.
So really, you have to ask yourself: are you invested enough in the characters and this world and this plot that you're willing to wade into these dark, churning waters? Are you willing to trust the author who killed off the best character at the end of book 1? Do you enjoy goofy meme references in your gothic mystery sci-fi?
I know the only reason I was willing to pick this book up after the first book's ending left a sour taste in my mouth, was because I was spoiled and knew (view spoiler)[Gideon was coming back (hide spoiler)]. I spent the whole book waiting for that. But the fact that I sucked down this book in short order tells me I must be pretty dang invested. Despite Harrow's unpleasantness, she was surrounded by some really interesting characters, including several who were introduced in the first book and really had some time to shine here. And the dynamics between the God-Emperor and his Lyctors was fascinating. This is a found family who's had 10,000 years to stew in their own petty dramas and power plays, and Muir really captured that. And some of the payoffs in the last 100 pages were pretty epic.
Was this book frustrating and slow at parts? Yes. Did its river full of rotting bodies go way past my usual tolerance for gore? Definitely. Will I be picking up the next book? Heck yeah. I am in this for the ride....more
Sweet, funny, charming, with lovely art/design. As a veteran gamer who's dealt with more than her fair share of tabletop drama, this story definitely Sweet, funny, charming, with lovely art/design. As a veteran gamer who's dealt with more than her fair share of tabletop drama, this story definitely hit hard at some points. Definitely recommended, if you like tabletop gaming and enjoy stories about friendship, drama, and fantasy adventure!...more
A solid book, but maybe not what I was looking for at the time I read it. I read the first half of the book in stolen moments, a few pages here and thA solid book, but maybe not what I was looking for at the time I read it. I read the first half of the book in stolen moments, a few pages here and there, and so it felt kind of slow at times. But that could have been just me. It really didn't gel for me till the second half, when I started reading in longer chunks.
Still, it's an interesting and fun concept: a mash-up of Victorian comedy of manners, mystery, World War II history, and science fiction time travel romp with a dash of romance. Great if you're fond of any or all of those things....more
The final book of this trilogy didn't disappoint. It was a pretty strong look at how idealism and moral clarity run up against ignorance, entrenched sThe final book of this trilogy didn't disappoint. It was a pretty strong look at how idealism and moral clarity run up against ignorance, entrenched systems of power, and just...people being people. And the ending was satisfying, even if not everyone got exactly what they deserved or hoped for.
Still...I will say this. I've been struggling to get back into reading, after the pandemic really slowed down my reading rate (which was never very fast to begin with). I just found it hard to immerse myself in long-form fiction. I finally felt ready to make more time for reading in my life, and this trilogy was one of the first stories I started reading this year. And it was just so compelling and enjoyable and un-put-downable that I just...feel like a part of myself has finally come back. That alone gives this trilogy a special place on my shelf. Is it for everyone? Probably not. It's got quite a bit more gore than I usually enjoy, and the book's voice is very monologue-y. But it worked for me, and I guess it was exactly what I needed!...more
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