Promise of Blood (The Powder Mage Trilogy #1) by Brian McClellanFantasy545 pagesPublished April, 2013, by Orbit "The age of kings is dead," Field Marshal Tamas declares at the beginning of Promise of Blood, after he stages a bloody coup that brings and end to the corrupt and inept monarchy that enriched itself while allowing the … Continue reading Book Review: Promise of Blood
Book Reviews
Dune: The Book and Its Influences
Earlier in the fall, partly prompted by the then-upcoming Denis Villeneuve film, Jackie at Death by Tsundoku and I decided to embark on a buddy read of the epic science fiction classic, Dune, written by Frank Herbert. It was Jackie's first time reading the book and the I-don't-know-how-many-th time through. We had multiple discussions throughout … Continue reading Dune: The Book and Its Influences
Book Review: The Lost Queen
The Lost Queen (The Lost Queen trilogy #1)by Signe PikeHistorical Fantasy527 pagesPublished September, 2018, by Touchstone Though scholars and armchair historians have spent centuries debating the historicity of the stories of King Arthur and his knights, no one has ever nailed down historical figures who can be decisively called 'King Arthur' or 'Merlin' and serve … Continue reading Book Review: The Lost Queen
Book Review: The Light Ages
The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science by Seb Falk416 pagesHistory/SciencePublished November 17, 2020, by W.W. Norton & Company The common view of the medieval era in Europe is that it was a period of darkness. That it was an age when science was forgotten and books languished in the dusty back rooms … Continue reading Book Review: The Light Ages
Sunday Sum-Up: November 15, 2020
I did not, in fact, end up with a hangover after overindulging in wine last weekend. But I was incredibly loopy on Saturday night, and though I was still coherent, I am quite thankful that my friends put up with my crazy texting. Otherwise, it was a decent week. A mix of good and bad … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up: November 15, 2020
Book Review: The Women I Think About at Night
The Women I Think About at Night: Traveling the Paths of my HeroesBy Mia Kankimäki, translated from the Finnish by Douglas RobinsonMemoir/History416 pagesPublished November 10, 2020, by Simon & Schuster Forty-something Mia Kankimäki doesn't have children or a fulfilling job. But she does have a collection of what she calls her 'Night Women', women from … Continue reading Book Review: The Women I Think About at Night
Book Review: The Fabric of Civilization
The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the Worldby Virginia PostrelNonfiction/History320 pagesExpected publication date: November 10, 2020 by Basic Books If a sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, as Virginia Postrel reasons in her new book, The Fabric of Civilization, then a sufficiently ubiquitous technology is indistinguishable from nature. Though fabric suffuses our lives, … Continue reading Book Review: The Fabric of Civilization
Book Review: Machine
Machine (White Space #2)by Elizabeth BearScience Fiction496 pagesPublication date: October 20, 2020 by Saga Press Doctor Brookllyn Jens loves her job. She's a rescue worker who, like a daredevil, leaps through empty space from one ship to another to save people in need of rescue from the endless dangers of interstellar travel. Jens loves her … Continue reading Book Review: Machine
Goodreads Monday: How to Die in Space
Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where we randomly select a book from our Goodreads To Be Read list and share it with the world. It’s been hosted by Lauren’s Page Turners, but I’m not sure if that blog is active anymore. Please enjoy this preview of what I want to read in the future! … Continue reading Goodreads Monday: How to Die in Space
Book Review: Black Sun
Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1) by Rebecca RoanhorseFantasy464 pagesExpected publication: October 13, 2020 by Saga Press In the holy city of Tova, priests of the many gods gather to greet the oncoming winter solstice which converges with a rare solar eclipse, a dark omen that foretells the unbalancing of the world. As the … Continue reading Book Review: Black Sun