Reading List Update
Mar. 2nd, 2007 01:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jedibuttercupBeen awhile since I updated the reading list. Only six books in the last month, but I've been busy, and they aren't exactly short books! Categories this time were one alternate history, four sci-fi, and one fantasy.
Books #10-15 Read:
10. 1635: Cannon Law by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis. Hardcover, 432pp. Latest in the "Ring of Fire" series that began with "1632". The whole series is fascinating for its depiction of the effect a small town of modern Americans would have, if sent back in time nearly 400 years and dropped in the chaos that was Germany then. The first two books especially were great. However, the later ones are so diluted (starring only a handful of the original central characters, while leaving the others' plotlines barely mentioned and obviously left open for future authors' additions to the series) that I am beginning to lose interest. The politics in this one were very well done, but I had trouble actually caring about the characters or their fates.
11. Mutineer's Moon by David Weber. Paperback, 320pp. First of the Dahak/Fifth Imperium series. The moon is really a sentient spaceship, and mankind's origins aren't what we think; an "average" astronaut a few decades in the future is suddenly made the captain of that ship, Dahak, and thrown into the middle of a very, very old war that's been behind the rise and fall of most of the civilizations on Earth. A tad on the Marty Stu side, but excellent fun.
12. The Armageddon Inheritance by David Weber. Paperback, 352pp. Second of the Dahak/Fifth Imperium series. Having eliminated Earth's internal bad guys, and incidentally toppling most of world's corrupt governments in the process, Colin, his intelligent moon-sized ship Dahak, his proud wife Jiltanith, and assorted other allies must now save the planet from unstoppable alien enemies. Much chaos, improbable luck, and good guy grit results in a half-trashed Earth but also a pulverised enemy, and upgrades for both Dahak and his captain. The Emperor of Man has been dead for 45,000 years; long live the Emperor!
13. Heirs of Empire by David Weber. Paperback, 544pp. Third of the Dahak/Fifth Imperium series. Bad guys conspire to knock Colin and Jiltanith off the throne, and succeed in marooning his twin, twentysomething children and a few of their friends in a tight spot. Much drama ensues. This whole series is non-serious sci-fi of the white hat vs. black hat, normal guy turned hero, huge lovingly detailed battles, everything works out in the end, type; this third book is no exception to that rule. Very much the guilty pleasure. Will be keeping them, for sure.
14. Polaris by Jack McDevitt. Paperback, 400pp. The second of the three Alex Benedict books, the only one I hadn't read yet. Smart, character driven mystery sci-fi; I could read this stuff forever. Especially from an author clever enough to drop red herrings that had even me guessing completely wrong about the cause of the mystery until very near the end. Another keeper.
15. Children of Chaos by Dave Duncan. Paperback, 432pp. First of a duology. A fantasy, set in a unique world, starring four children ripped from thier family as hostages early on in a war. Fifteen years later, the war still rages, and the children have been raised separately in the homeland of their enemies, each gifted and flawed in very different ways. Not your standard hero story; very captivating. The book ends with them meeting; the second book, detailing their getting to know one another and going "home", should be just as enjoyable. (It's due in hardcover May 15th).
~
Books #10-15 Read:
10. 1635: Cannon Law by Eric Flint and Andrew Dennis. Hardcover, 432pp. Latest in the "Ring of Fire" series that began with "1632". The whole series is fascinating for its depiction of the effect a small town of modern Americans would have, if sent back in time nearly 400 years and dropped in the chaos that was Germany then. The first two books especially were great. However, the later ones are so diluted (starring only a handful of the original central characters, while leaving the others' plotlines barely mentioned and obviously left open for future authors' additions to the series) that I am beginning to lose interest. The politics in this one were very well done, but I had trouble actually caring about the characters or their fates.
11. Mutineer's Moon by David Weber. Paperback, 320pp. First of the Dahak/Fifth Imperium series. The moon is really a sentient spaceship, and mankind's origins aren't what we think; an "average" astronaut a few decades in the future is suddenly made the captain of that ship, Dahak, and thrown into the middle of a very, very old war that's been behind the rise and fall of most of the civilizations on Earth. A tad on the Marty Stu side, but excellent fun.
12. The Armageddon Inheritance by David Weber. Paperback, 352pp. Second of the Dahak/Fifth Imperium series. Having eliminated Earth's internal bad guys, and incidentally toppling most of world's corrupt governments in the process, Colin, his intelligent moon-sized ship Dahak, his proud wife Jiltanith, and assorted other allies must now save the planet from unstoppable alien enemies. Much chaos, improbable luck, and good guy grit results in a half-trashed Earth but also a pulverised enemy, and upgrades for both Dahak and his captain. The Emperor of Man has been dead for 45,000 years; long live the Emperor!
13. Heirs of Empire by David Weber. Paperback, 544pp. Third of the Dahak/Fifth Imperium series. Bad guys conspire to knock Colin and Jiltanith off the throne, and succeed in marooning his twin, twentysomething children and a few of their friends in a tight spot. Much drama ensues. This whole series is non-serious sci-fi of the white hat vs. black hat, normal guy turned hero, huge lovingly detailed battles, everything works out in the end, type; this third book is no exception to that rule. Very much the guilty pleasure. Will be keeping them, for sure.
14. Polaris by Jack McDevitt. Paperback, 400pp. The second of the three Alex Benedict books, the only one I hadn't read yet. Smart, character driven mystery sci-fi; I could read this stuff forever. Especially from an author clever enough to drop red herrings that had even me guessing completely wrong about the cause of the mystery until very near the end. Another keeper.
15. Children of Chaos by Dave Duncan. Paperback, 432pp. First of a duology. A fantasy, set in a unique world, starring four children ripped from thier family as hostages early on in a war. Fifteen years later, the war still rages, and the children have been raised separately in the homeland of their enemies, each gifted and flawed in very different ways. Not your standard hero story; very captivating. The book ends with them meeting; the second book, detailing their getting to know one another and going "home", should be just as enjoyable. (It's due in hardcover May 15th).
~
