The Icarus Corps – Book 1: The Darkside War – By Zachary Brown

Robert @ ReadingOverTheShoulder, , , 6 Comments

Hiya Jared,

When I was browsing the shelves and stumbled across this, I was surprised to see how short it was. It’s not quite novella length but it’s certainly close. It’s small size and my wanting to read it for a few months sealed the deal.

thedarksidewar.jpgTitle: The Darkside War
Series: The Icarus Corps; Book 1
Author: Zachary Brown
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adult
ROTS Setting: CU, Near-Future, Aliens, FTL, Advanced Tech
Synopsis: People used to wonder if we were alone in the universe. Well, we’re not. Not by a long shot. Aliens come in all shapes and sizes, and even the good guys are likely to haunt your nightmares. And oh, you’ll have nightmares, even after you leave the service. If you leave the service. Devin is a reluctant conscript to an alien-run army: when the Accordance conquered Earth, they said it was to prepare against the incoming alien Conglomeration forces. But as Devin travels to the dark side of the moon for boot camp and better acquaints himself with his so-called allies, his loyalties are increasingly tested. Because the enemy of the enemy is not always a friend. Sometimes they’re a far, far worse threat.
Recommendation: This book is recommended. Note, there are scientific inaccuracies….like more than just made up tech.

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The Icarus Corps – Book 1: The Darkside War – By Zachary Brown

Adventurers Wanted – Book 2: The Horn of Moran – By M. L. Forman

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Hey Jared,

Wow, I can’t believe we talked for 6 hours a couple of days ago. I think we need to talk more often.

hornofmoranTitle: The Horn of Moran
Series: Adventurers Wanted; Book 2
Author: M. L. Forman
Genre: Fantasy
Audience: Youth
ROTS Setting: EU/AU, Medieval, Higher Magic, Dragons
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old wizard-in-training Alex Taylor and his band of fellow adventurers battle a goblin army, navigate an enchanted forest, and try to solve the sphinx’s riddle in their quest to find the lost Horn of Moran and return it to Norsland before the nation erupts in war.
Recommendation: Highly recommend this series. Great for younger and older readers alike.

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Adventurers Wanted – Book 2: The Horn of Moran – By M. L. Forman

DNF – After Atlas by Emma Newman

Robert @ ReadingOverTheShoulder, , , 5 Comments

afteratlas

I loved Planetfall and it had been a while since I’d read it and I saw this on the shelf and I figured I’d complete the story. Oh how naive I was.

The MC was instantly grating, and the plot (or the part I read) had nothing to do with the first book. I didn’t like the world building and in general I didn’t feel it worth my time, even to read on a few more pages and see if things turned around.

I think this was mostly just a convergence of irritants than anything wrong with the book exactly. Either way, I’m moving on.

Robert

DNF – After Atlas by Emma Newman

November Book Haul

Robert @ ReadingOverTheShoulder3 Comments

IMG_20171201_082135.jpg

So this is a bit late. Normally this goes up the last Saturday of the month but because I was enjoying Thanksgiving weekend (read: I was being lazy) I didn’t get to this. In fact I was still enjoying said holiday that I couldn’t even manage to get it out by the end of the month.

And honestly it’s a pretty small haul considering how much I spent during all the Black Friday sales.

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November Book Haul

Artemis by Andy Weir

Robert @ ReadingOverTheShoulder, , Leave a comment

Hey Jared,

I’m finally getting out of my holiday slump to write some reviews and check in on how everything has been. I partially blame it on all the Black Friday Sales I was combing through but honestly I was just vegging out. Although I’ve now got all the pieces to build myself a decent PC so there’s that.

artemisTitle: Artemis
Author: Andy Weir
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adult
ROTS Setting: CU, Modern, Hard Scifi
Synopsis: Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you’re not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you’ve got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she’s stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.
Recommendation: Definitely recommended. Teen or older, with mild language and references to sex and drugs.

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Artemis by Andy Weir

The Expanse – Gods of Risk (Novella) – By James S. A. Corey

Robert @ ReadingOverTheShoulder, , , 1 Comment

Hey Jared,

I’m really enjoying these novellas! I need more of them in my life.

Gods_of_RiskTitle: Gods of Risk
Series: The Expanse; Novella
Author: James S. A. Corey (Pen Name)
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adult
ROTS Setting: CU, Futuristic, No FTL Tech
Synopsis: As tension between Mars and Earth mounts, and terrorism plagues the Martian city of Londres Nova, sixteen-year-old David Draper is fighting his own lonely war. A gifted chemist vying for a place at the university, David leads a secret life as a manufacturer for a ruthless drug dealer. When his friend Leelee goes missing, leaving signs of the dealer’s involvement, David takes it upon himself to save her. But first he must shake his aunt Bobbie Draper, an ex-marine who has been set adrift in her own life after a mysterious series of events nobody is talking about.
Recommendation: Recommended for anyone who likes The Expanse and I suggest being familiar with the series before reading.

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The Expanse – Gods of Risk (Novella) – By James S. A. Corey

Animorphs – Book 7: The Stranger – By K. A. Applegate

Robert @ ReadingOverTheShoulder, , , 1 Comment

This will either be the last book in the series for a while or the last one strictly in order……I haven’t decided which. You see, I don’t own #8 and the library doesn’t have any of the other books beyond #6 (and that was a three month wait). So I can either wait until I happen to find the next book while book hunting or I can skip it.

thestrangerTitle: The Stranger
Series: Animorphs; Book 7
Author: K. A. Applegate
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Youth
ROTS Setting: CU, Modern, Aliens
Synopsis: Okay. Rachel and the other Animorphs have finally found the new entrance to the Yeerk pool. They’ve even figured out a way to sneak in. The infamous roach morph. But they didn’t count on roaches being a Taxxon delicacy. This time escape doesn’t look so good. And then everything stops. Everything. The feasting Taxxon, the human-Controllers, the Hork-Bajir. Time. Now Rachel, Cassie, Marco, Jake, Tobias, and Ax are in for their wildest trip ever. They’re going to get the chance to decide whether they want to stay on Earth and fight the Yeerks. Or go to another planet. And the guy giving them the choice says he can save them. Now all they have to do is make the choice…
Recommendation: Highly recommend this series.

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Animorphs – Book 7: The Stranger – By K. A. Applegate

The Stormlight Archive – Edgedancer (Novella) – By Brandon Sanderson

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Hello again Jared,

Since I finally read Words of Radiance I figured I needed to go and read this novella after skipping it in Arcanum Unbounded. I’m glad I did.

2_NrDgAAQBAJTitle: Edgedancer
Series: The Stormlight Archive; Novella
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Fantasy
Audience:  Adult
ROTS Setting: Cosmere, Magic, Big Swords
Synopsis: Three years ago, Lift asked a goddess to stop her from growing older–a wish she believed was granted. Now, in Edgedancer, the barely teenage nascent Knight Radiant finds that time stands still for no one. Although the young Azish emperor granted her safe haven from an executioner she knows only as Darkness, court life is suffocating the free-spirited Lift, who can’t help heading to Yeddaw when she hears the relentless Darkness is there hunting people like her with budding powers. The downtrodden in Yeddaw have no champion, and Lift knows she must seize this awesome responsibility.
Recommendation: This book (& everything Sanderson) is highly recommended!

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The Stormlight Archive – Edgedancer (Novella) – By Brandon Sanderson