Whoopsie doodle. For today’s review, I just learned that I read the second book in a series without reading the first and somehow never noticed*. Well, take that as a solid indicator that Ymir, by Rich Larson, the second book in The Violent Wars series, is a pretty good standalone read. While I have no…
Month: January 2023
The Terraformers – Down To Earth
Who doesn’t like a little space talk with their science fiction novels? No, the deep dark void is not your bag? Can I interest you in planets then? Particularly barren planets that are repurposed with the intent to house human and animal life. If so, then maybe a book such as The Terraformers by Annalee…
What If? 2 – Absurdity, Meet Reality
Randall Munroe’s original What If? Serious Scientific Answers To Absurd Hypothetical Questions first graced The Quill To Live in our “5 Lighthearted Reads For Dreary Times” post. In late 2022, Randall Munroe released the wonderfully named What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers To Absurd Hypothetical Questions, so I thought it only right to give…
Hell Bent – Terrifically Twisted
Hell Bent is finally here, and the continuation of Galaxy “Alex” Stern’s story was everything I could have hoped for and more. It’s been over three years since Ninth House was published, and I was both desperate and wary of jumping into the long-anticipated sequel. But have no fear, Leigh Bardugo brought the heat in…
Children Of Memory – Spooky And Uplifting
We flipped a coin to determine who would get to review this and I said the quarter would get caught in a time paradox so here we are. Children of Memory is the third book in a series that Adrian Tchaikowsky keeps promising won’t have sequels (and I am very glad he wrote them despite…
Continue reading ➞ Children Of Memory – Spooky And Uplifting
The Keeper’s Six – A Real Treasure Trove
A few years ago, I read Kate Elliott's Unconquerable Sun. After enjoying the delight that was that novel, I promised I would read more of Elliott's work, and well, I have fallen short. At least until a couple weeks ago, when I read her latest novella. The Keeper's Six is a fun and exciting multi-dimensional…
Tress Of The Emerald Sea – Oceans Of Charm
When I eagerly await something—an upcoming trip, a new season of my favorite show, a long-anticipated social event—the hope runs rampant in my head. I feast on the image of the thing in my mind, considering all the ways it could be amazing, groundbreaking, spectacular. And then, when the thing arrives, that glistening sheen wears…
Continue reading ➞ Tress Of The Emerald Sea – Oceans Of Charm
The Stolen Heir – A Royal Revel
I am trying my darndest not to let my overflowing love for The Cruel Prince series get in the way of this book review. If you haven’t read that series yet, I recommend you pick it up first because the new story does contain huge spoilers. Holly Black leaves Jude and Cardan behind but continues…
Unique Narrative Styles
I love a book with a unique narrative style. Books that incorporate how the story is told into the message and ideas of the book often become my favorite and most recommended stories. It’s a clever and deep technique that can elevate a story and drive the messages and themes to a much stronger degree…
Neuromancer – Plugging In
While I have read Snow Crash, a section of science fiction I've largely bypassed has been cyberpunk, and this year I've decided to remedy that. A major reason I stayed away from cyberpunk as a genre is I did not really care for the flashy aesthetics and the idea of hackers as heroes in cyberspace.…