Waiting for release
- The Exiled Fleet byCall Number: F DEWISBN: 9781250236364Publication Date: 2021-08-17J. S. Dewes continues her fast paced, science fiction action adventure with The Exiled Fleet, where The Expanse meets The Black Company--the survivors of The Last Watch refuse to die.The Sentinels narrowly escaped the collapsing edge of the Divide. They have mustered a few other surviving Sentinels, but with no engines they have no way to leave the edge of the universe before they starve. Adequin Rake has gathered a team to find the materials they'll need to get everyone out. To do that they're going to need new allies and evade a ruthless enemy. Some of them will not survive.
- The Exile's Gift byPublication Date: 27 October 2022Numair Chronicles 2
Currently Reading
- Cytonic byCall Number: F SANISBN: 9781473217942Publication Date: 30 November 2021Spensa's life as a Defiant Defense Force pilot has been far from ordinary. She proved herself one of the best starfighters in the human enclave of Detritus and she saved her people from extermination at the hands of the Krell - the enigmatic alien species that has been holding them captive for decades. What's more, she travelled light-years from home as a spy to infiltrate the Superiority, where she learned of the galaxy beyond her small, desolate planet home. Now, the Superiority - the governing galactic alliance bent on dominating all human life - has started a galaxy-wide war. And Spensa has seen the weapons they plan to use to end it: the Delvers. Ancient, mysterious alien forces that can wipe out entire planetary systems in an instant.
Previous Reads
- Locust Summer by On the cusp of summer, 1986, Rowan Brockman's mother asks if he will come home to Septimus in the Western Australian Wheatbelt to help with the final harvest. Rowan's brother, the natural heir to the farm, has died, and Rowan's dad's health is failing. Although he longs to, there is no way that Rowan can refuse his mother's request as she prepares the farm for sale. This is the story of the final harvest - the story of one young man in a place he doesn't want to be, being given one last chance to make peace before the past, and those he has loved, disappear.Call Number: F ALLISBN: 9781925816365Publication Date: 2021-10-01
My Review - Locust Summer
Coming soon
- Growing Up in Flames by I've heard of Noah the way you hear about car accidents. A series of whispers, theories and rumours... Kenna's mother Ava was killed in a bushfire not long ago. Now Kenna's living with her uncle and his young family in the small town where Ava grew up, and she feels like an intruder. Noah's mother has a mental illness that makes him both carer and jailer-constantly watchful, keeping things on an even keel. One night Kenna sees the general store on fire, and a boy standing watching as it burns. It takes her a while to notice he's holding a petrol can, but then things move fast. She's tackled him and run off with his bag before she even knows what's happened. The bag belongs to Noah, and he really wants it back. Kenna wants something too. To make someone else burn the way her mum did. And there's something she doesn't know- how Noah can help her find out the truth about her family.Call Number: F JONISBN: 9781922458360Publication Date: 2022
My Review - Growing Up In Flames
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- Aurora's End by What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course. Wait. . . . Not. So. Fast. When we last saw Squad 312, they working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally. But as it turns out, not all endings are endings. Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy's most hated villains? Um, okay. That, too. Actually saving the galaxy, though? Now that will take a miracle.Call Number: F KAUISBN: 9781760295752Publication Date: 2021
My Review - Aurora's End (Aurora Cycle 3)
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- Twelve Secrets by The day his older brother was murdered was the day Ben Harper's life changed forever. In one of the most shocking crimes in national history, Nick and his friend were stabbed to death by two girls their own age. Police called the killings random, a senseless tragedy. Twenty years on Ben is one of the best true crime journalists in the country. He has left the past behind, thanks to the support of his close-knit hometown community. But when he learns about a fresh murder case with links to his brother's death, Ben's life is turned upside down once more.Call Number: F GOLISBN: 9780751582758Publication Date: 2022
My Review - Twelve Secrets
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- Oathbringer by The Alethi armies commanded by Dalinar Kholin won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, and now its destruction sweeps the world and its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the true horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that their newly kindled anger may be wholly justified. Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths the dark secrets lurking in its depths. And Dalinar realises that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put Dalinar's blood-soaked past aside and stand together - and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past - even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not avert the end of civilisation.Call Number: F SANISBN: 9780575093348Publication Date: 2017-01-01
My Review - Oathbringer (Stormlight Archive 3)
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- The Apollo Murders by 1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny module, a quarter of a million miles from home. A quarter of a million miles from help. As Russian and American crews spring for a secret bounty hidden away on the lunar surface, old rivalries blossom and the political stakes are stretched to breaking point back on Earth. Houston flight controller Kaz Zemeckis must do all he can to keep the NASA crew together, while staying one step ahead of his Soviet rivals. But not everyone on board Apollo 18 is quite who they appear to be.Call Number: F HADISBN: 9781529406825Publication Date: 2021
My Review - The Apollo Murders
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- Leviathan Falls by The Laconian Empire has fallen, setting the thirteen hundred solar systems free from the rule of Winston Duarte. But the ancient enemy that killed the gate builders is awake, and the war against our universe has begun again. In the dead system of Adro, Elvi Okoye leads a desperate scientific mission to understand what the gate builders were and what destroyed them, even if it means compromising herself and the half-alien children who bear the weight of her investigation. Through the wide-flung systems of humanity, Colonel Aliana Tanaka hunts for Duarte’s missing daughter. . . and the shattered emperor himself. And on the Rocinante, James Holden and his crew struggle to build a future for humanity out of the shards and ruins of all that has come before.Call Number: F CORISBN: 9780356510385Publication Date: 16 November 2021
My Review - Leviathan Falls (The Expanse 9)
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- Never Saw Me Coming by It would be easy to underestimate Chloe Sevre. She's a freshman honour student, a legging-wearing hot girl next door, who also happens to be a psychopath. She spends her time on yogalates, frat parties and plotting to kill Will Bachman, a childhood friend who grievously wronged her. Chloe is one of seven students at her DC-based college who are part of an unusual clinical study of psychopaths - students like herself who lack empathy and can't comprehend emotions like fear or guilt. The study, led by a renowned psychologist, requires then to wear smart watches that track their moods and movements. When one of the students in the study is found murdered in the psychology building, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, and Chloe goes from hunter to prey. As she races to identify the killer and put her own plan for revenge into action, she'll be forced to decide if she can trust and of her fellow psychopaths -- and everybody knows you should never trust a psychopath.Call Number: F KURISBN: 9781787302877Publication Date: 2021
My Review - Never Saw Me Coming
I thought this was an interesting premise for a story, studying diagnosed psychopaths who live successfully in the community but who exhibit manipulative, cruel behaviour. The story is told predominantly from the POVs of three teens who are unreliable narrators in the college psychopath study (the anti-heroine Chloe, Charles and Andre) in addition to several individual chapters from other connected characters. The lack of empathy in Chloe is a bit confronting at times, especially when she describes people or her intent to manipulate/injure/kill them, or when her impulse control fails and she reacts violently. The description of Chloe and Charles’ facial expressions/predatory responses also sends a shiver down the spine. The typos are annoying and there were a few things that were mentioned that didn’t feel wrapped up or explained but I really enjoyed the story. Recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy modern crime due to violence, sexual content and coarse language.
- You'll Be the Death of Me by Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close - best friends back in middle school. So, when Cal pulls into campus late for class, and runs into Ivy and Mateo, they decide to ditch school. Just like old times. But they're not the only ones skipping school that day. When the trio spot classmate Brian 'Boney' Mahoney acting suspiciously downtown they follow him into an empty building, and walk straight into a murder scene. Brian's not the only one keeping secrets, and when their day of freedom turns deadly it's only a matter of time before the truth comes out.Call Number: F MCMISBN: 9780143777151Publication Date: 2021
My Review - You'll Be the Death of Me
An easy-to-read teen murder mystery that takes place over one day. The 10-hour timeline was unrealistic for teenagers to travel to the city, witness and then solve a crime, particularly with all the travelling around to different places. Certain aspects of past and present secrets were also predictable given character reactions to information that was revealed, however, it was still an entertaining read. Recommended for students Years 7-9 who enjoy crime stories based around a school setting.
- Treasure & Dirt by In the desolate outback town of Finnigans Gap, police struggle to maintain law and order. Thieves pillage opal mines, religious fanatics recruit vulnerable young people and billionaires do as they please. Then an opal miner is found crucified and left to rot down his mine. Nothing about the miner's death is straightforward, not even who found the body. Sydney homicide detective Ivan Lucic is sent to investigate, assisted by inexperienced young investigator Nell Buchanan. But Finnigans Gap has already ended one police career and damaged others, and soon both officers face damning allegations and internal investigations. Have Ivan and Nell been set up and, if so, by whom? As time runs out, their only chance at redemption is to find the killer. But the more secrets they uncover, the more harrowing the mystery becomes, as events from years ago take on a startling new significance. For in Finnigans Gap, opals, bodies and secrets don't stay buried for ever.Call Number: F HAMISBN: 9781760877606Publication Date: 2021
My Review - Treasure & Dirt
This book was an easy pick for me as it was an Australian crime story set in opal mining country and I love opals; I first became interested in opals after reading the Bony mystery series by Arthur W. Upfield. This book is a spinoff from the Martin Scarsden series, following Detective Ivan Lucic who is sent out from Sydney to investigate a bizarrely staged murder in an opal-mining town. Once again, we have a town with a cult-like group of fanatics, along with a large commercial mine and a newly discovered rare minerals deposit that’s generating investor interest. Wealth or potential wealth attracts power, danger and risk. Hammer is a master of atmospheric description, creating an isolated, sweltering town with simmering resentments and secrets. Recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy Australian crime stories.
- Project Hail Mary by Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission, and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realises that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it's up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery, and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he's got to do it all alone. Or does he?Call Number: F WEIISBN: 9781529100624Publication Date: 2021
My Review - Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir is excellent at writing engaging and accessible hard science-fiction. Whilst his story contains a lot of factually accurate science content, the complexity of that information does not detract from the flow of the story. His central character, Ryland Grace, is a school science teacher (and former research scientist) who is like an excited child when it comes to experimenting with the microscopic astrophage life form that has been discovered. The story switches between the present, when he awakens in deep space suffering short-term memory loss, and the past, as he gradually remembers the events that led him to the journey he’s on and the mission he needs to undertake. Recommended for teenagers who enjoy science fiction stories about interstellar travel, first contact with other lifeforms, and end-of-the-world scenarios.
- Words of Radiance by Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.Call Number: F SANISBN: 9780575097414Publication Date: 2015
My Review - Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive 2)
Coming soon
- The Way of Kings Part 2 by The entire world is at war with itself - and has been for centuries since the Radiants turned against mankind. Kings strive to win more Shardblades, each secretly wishing to be the one who will finally unite all of mankind under a single throne. On a world scoured down to the rock by terrifying hurricanes that blow through every few days is a young spearman, forced into the army of a Shardbearer, led to war against an enemy he doesn't understand and doesn't really want to fight. What happened deep in mankind's past? Why did the Radiants turn against mankind, and what happened to the magic they used to wield?Call Number: F SANISBN: 9780575102484Publication Date: 2011
My Review - The Way of Kings Part 2 (Stormlight Archive 1)
In Part Two of Book One, the political machinations build, leading to a major revelation about the person who’s manipulating world events. Part One focused more heavily on Kaladin’s story, so here we are finding out more about the other three central characters. This is good because I think you need more balance between their stories, otherwise the reader gets a bit bogged down, especially as Kaladin’s story in Part One was heavily focused on his time in the bridge crew and the repetitive nature of their lives there and the battles they are taken to. I found Shallan’s story was becoming particularly interesting as she’s not quite the innocent, defenceless young woman she appeared to be, and the reader starts to suspect what really happened back at her home. Recommended for epic fantasy fans.
- The Way of Kings Part 1 by According to mythology mankind used to live in The Tranquiline Halls. Heaven. But then the Voidbringers assaulted and captured heaven, casting out God and men. Men took root on Roshar, the world of storms. And the Voidbringers followed ... They came against man ten thousand times. To help them cope, the Almighty gave men powerful suits of armor and mystical weapons, known as Shardblades. Led by ten angelic Heralds and ten orders of knights known as Radiants, mankind finally won. Or so the legends say. Today, the only remnants of those supposed battles are the Shardblades, the possession of which makes a man nearly invincible on the battlefield. The entire world is at war with itself - and has been for centuries since the Radiants turned against mankind. Kings strive to win more Shardblades, each secretly wishing to be the one who will finally unite all of mankind under a single throne. On a world scoured down to the rock by terrifying hurricanes that blow through every few days is a young spearman, forced into the army of a Shardbearer, led to war against an enemy he doesn't understand and doesn't really want to fight.Call Number: F SANISBN: 9780575097360Publication Date: 2011
My Review - The Way of Kings Part 1 (Stormlight Archive 1)
I love Sanderson’s world-building. He creates widespread lands, incorporating many countries and races, and Roshar is a place where the land and the lives of its people are shaped by the extreme weather systems called highstorms. Sanderson also creates fascinating societal practices, like men only eating savory food and women eating sweet food, or that reading and writing is a womanly pursuit and the men are illiterate, which just seems completely restrictive as they have to rely on someone else all the time to read them important information or write down what they want to say. Book One of this series introduces the central characters Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar and Szeth, the assassin in white, and how they came to be where they are in the midst of a war five years after the assassination of King Gavilar of Alethkar. Recommended for epic fantasy fans.
- Klara and the Sun by This is the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change for ever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.Call Number: F ISHISBN: 9780571364886Publication Date: 2021
My Review - Klara and the Sun
Whilst Ishiguro writes well, creating an ominous sense of foreboding that builds throughout the story, I felt dissatisfied with the book. I’ve read a lot of science fiction where the androids/AI/robots are triggered and try to harm humans, however, when this doesn’t happen in Ishiguro’s book, despite several tense moments, I was disappointed. Klara, an Artificial Friend (AF), is likeable as she’s more sentient and thoughtful than the other AFs but the way she is treated makes you feel uncomfortable, even angry. However, Josie is not a sympathetic character, despite struggling to survive the genetic manipulation that wealthy children are submitted to, ensuring them a privileged position in society as well. This is another future where the social divide between the haves and the have-nots is prominent. Recommended for teenagers and adults who enjoy robot science fiction, or those who enjoy stories about dystopian futures.
- Sword of Destiny by Geralt is a witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. He roams the country seeking assignments, but gradually comes to realise that while some of his quarry are unremittingly vile, vicious grotesques, others are the victims of sin, evil or simple naivety. In this collection of short stories, following the adventures of the collection 'The last wish', join Geralt as he battles monsters, demons and prejudices alike.Call Number: F SAPISBN: 9781473211544Publication Date: 2016
My Review - Sword of Destiny
Once again, I read this book of short stories set in the Witcher universe to find fairy tale links; there were fewer fairy tale connections in this book, and they were more fleeting. This is the second prequel to the book series, once again told in a short story fashion with a non-linear timeline. Whilst I still enjoyed the stories of Geralt’s battles, I was ready to start the series proper and get into some in-depth storytelling. Recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy medieval magic fantasy and those who enjoyed the Witcher Netflix television series.
- The Last Wish by Geralt de Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin. And a cold-blooded killer. His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good.Call Number: F SAPISBN: 9780575082441Publication Date: 2008
My Review - The Last Wish
I read this specifically as I was researching fairy tale links between this book and the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales for the IB Literature class. I really enjoyed seeing those links and there were some also to tales by Hans Christian Andersen, and some to Danish and Polish folktales. The book is the first prequel to the series and switches between chapters in the present, where Geralt is recovering from a wound, and flashbacks to creatures he’s fought and people he’s met, providing a non-linear timeline. The stories are action-packed as Geralt battles a number of creatures and people, however, he is haunted by his childhood and sympathetic to the motivations of some of the creatures/characters he is sent to dispatch or move. Recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy medieval magic fantasy and those who enjoyed the Witcher Netflix television series.
- The Cousins by The Storys are the envy of their neighbours: owners of the largest property on their East Coast island, they are rich, beautiful, and close. Until it all falls apart. The four children are suddenly dropped by their mother with a single sentence: You know what you did. They never hear from her again. Years later, when 18-year-old cousins Aubrey, Milly and Jonah Story receive a mysterious invitation to spend the summer at their grandmother's resort, they have no choice but to follow their curiosity and meet the woman who's been such an enigma their entire lives. This entire family is built on secrets, right? It's the Story legacy. This summer, the teenagers are determined to discover the truth at the heart of their family. But some secrets are better left alone.Call Number: F MCMISBN: 9780241376942Publication Date: 2020
My Review - The Cousins
The Cousins was a predictable but enjoyable read. Three cousins are sent to their wealthy grandmother’s resort island in an effort to discover why their parents were disinherited and get their families reinstated in her will. The book reminded me of the Point Teen novels that I used to read in high school, which were quick reads that revolved around some mystery in an American setting. Recommended for teenagers aged 12-14 who enjoy modern crime.
- Trust by She breathes deeply, trying to quell the rising sense of panic. A detective came to her home, drugged her and kidnapped her. She tries to make sense of it, to imagine alternatives, but only one conclusion is possible: it's her past come to claim her. Martin Scarsden's new life seems perfect, right up until the moment it's shattered by a voicemail: a single scream, abruptly cut off, from his partner Mandalay Blonde. Racing home, he finds an unconscious man sprawled on the floor and Mandy gone. Someone has abducted her. But who, and why? So starts a twisting tale of intrigue and danger, as Martin probes the past of the woman he loves, a woman who has buried her former life so deep she has never mentioned it. And for the first time, Mandy finds denial impossible, now the body of a mystery man has been discovered, a man whose name she doesn't know, a man she was engaged to marry when he died. It's time to face her demons once and for all; it's time she learned how to trust.Call Number: F HAMISBN: 9781760877415Publication Date: 2020
My Review - Trust (Martin Scarsden 3)
Coming soon
- The Survivors by Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home. Kieran's parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn. When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away...Call Number: F HARISBN: 9781760783945Publication Date: 2020
My Review - The Survivors
Coming soon
- Honeybee by Late in the night, fourteen-year-old Sam Watson steps onto a quiet overpass, climbs over the rail and looks down at the road far below. At the other end of the same bridge, an old man, Vic, smokes his last cigarette. The two see each other across the void. A fateful connection is made, and an unlikely friendship blooms. Slowly, we learn what led Sam and Vic to the bridge that night. Bonded by their suffering, each privately commits to the impossible task of saving the other.Call Number: F SILISBN: 9781760877224Publication Date: 2020
My Review - Honeybee
Alone, hurt and confused, Sam chooses to end it all when a chance encounter with an elderly man provides a spark of hope and gives her the opportunity to be who she really is. Honeybee is an emotionally devastating book, which had me almost constantly fearing for Sam’s safety, and heartbroken by her belief that she was ‘wrong’ and had nothing left to live for. The beautiful, supportive characters of Vic, Aggie, Peter, Diane, and Edie (through her diaries) provided a shining light in the darkness of Sam’s life, and I loved the use of Julia Child as a kind of surrogate grandmother who teaches Sam and allows her to express herself through cooking. Apart from a brief, early section where the story repetitively used short sentences beginning with ‘I’, possibly to indicate the naivety of the young character, I was completely engrossed in the story. Highly recommended for senior students and adults as it addresses a number of serious and complex issues including suicide, self-harm, neglect, abuse, sexual exploitation, body dysmorphia and sexual identity.
- Silver by For half a lifetime, journalist Martin Scarsden has run from his past. But now there is no escaping. He'd vowed never to return to his hometown, Port Silver, and its traumatic memories. But now his new partner, Mandy Blonde, has inherited an old house in the seaside town and Martin knows their chance of a new life together won't come again. Martin arrives to find his best friend from school days has been brutally murdered, and Mandy is the chief suspect. With the police curiously reluctant to pursue other suspects, Martin goes searching for the killer. And finds the past waiting for him. He's making little progress when a terrible new crime starts to reveal the truth. The media descend on Port Silver, attracted by a story that has it all: sex, drugs, celebrity and religion. Once again, Martin finds himself in the front line of reporting. Yet the demands of deadlines and his desire to clear Mandy are not enough: the past is ever present.Call Number: F HAMISBN: 9781760632991Publication Date: 2020
My Review - Silver (Martin Scarsden 2)
A fantastic Australian crime novel. Thankfully, Hammer’s second book did not have the slow, descriptive start that Scrublands did. This book explores journalist Scarsden’s personal history as he returns to his hometown and old memories surface. His trip down memory lane overlaps the murder of a friend in a town where powerful people are desperate for redevelopment to prevent the place from stagnating. Recommended for older teenagers and adults who enjoy Australian modern crime.
- Prisoners of Darkness by The Battle of Tarrago was just the beginning. Following Goth Sullus' ruthless onslaughts against the Republic, a desperate House of Reason searches for scapegoats - and finds one, deserving or not, in Commander Ellek Owens. His sentence is cruel, unjust-and final. Unless Victory Squad has anything to say about it. When Chhun undertakes a daring raid on the prison planet Herbeer to rescue his commander, Wraith's loyalties are put to the test, as he's forced to choose between his responsibilities to the Legion... and his responsibilities to his captured crew. Meanwhile, in the Umnar system, the soulless menace known as the Cybar seeks to break Prisma Maydoon and set the stage for the total annihilation of not only the Republic, but all life in the galaxy.ISBN: 9781949731361Publication Date: 2020-05-15
My Review - Prisoners of Darkness (Galaxy's Edge 6)
Coming soon
- Sword of the Legion by Choose your legacy. Captain Chhun's Dark Ops squad is reunited with Wraith, and they are entrusted with the task of denying Goth Sullus the shipyards he so eagerly desires. But when the mission doesn't go as planned, Chhun and Wraith must find a way to stop the Black Fleet's advance - even if it costs them their lives. Meanwhile, an old friend from Nether Ops executes a covert operation that will turn the focus of the Last War of the Republic in a terrible new direction. Daring heroics, sacrifice, and courage come together as the Legion attempts to contain the fire sparked at the Battle of Tarrago.ISBN: 9781949731347Publication Date: 2017-10-25
My Review - Sword of the Legion (Galaxy's Edge 5)
Coming soon
- Attack of Shadows by The End of the Republic begins now. The galaxy ignites as Goth Sullus and his fleet unleash a devastating surprise assault on the Republic. All that stands in his way are the 7th Fleet and the Legion. But with allies hidden in the very heart of the Republic, Sullus looks to reshape the galaxy in his own image. Fleets collide in a moment-by-moment account of tactics, heroism, sacrifice, and the start of the final war of the Republic. The stakes have never been higher-and it's winner take all.ISBN: 9781949731231Publication Date: 2020-01-24
My Review - Attack of Shadows (Galaxy's Edge 4)
Coming soon
- Kill Team by Always make 'em pay. In the aftermath of the Battle of Kublar and the destruction of the battleship Chiasm, Legion Dark Ops recruits Chhun, Wraith, and the survivors of Victory Company to form an elite Kill Team of legionnaires. Their secret mission is as clear as it is deadly: find and eliminate those responsible for the Kublar disaster. Standing between them and their objective are a maze of corrupt Republic officials, a spy on the verge of losing himself in deep cover, and the Zhee - a murderous species who will stop at nothing. But perhaps the biggest threat of all is the truth they seek to uncover. A truth that could ignite a revolution-and engulf the galaxy in flames unless the Kill Team is willing to finish the job. At any cost.ISBN: 9781949731064Publication Date: 2019-01-10
My Review - Kill Team (Galaxy's Edge 3)
Coming soon 3.5 stars
- Galactic Outlaws by A threat looms at the edge of the galaxy. Years have passed since the battle of Kublar, and Wraith is in deep cover for Legion Dark Ops, living a second life on the edge as an irreverent smuggler and bounty hunter under the alias of Captain Keel. As he fights off pirates and double-crossing rebels, Keel comes to realise that the old lines between right and wrong have blurred as the Legion sinks further under the corrupting influence of the House of Reason and its 'points'. When a lucrative night market contract is offered directly to Wraith to hunt down an enigmatic warlord, the former legionnaire winds up on a galactic-wide search that brings him face to face with the galaxy's most notorious bounty hunter, a living legend known as Tyrus Rechs. The pair soon discover that the man they both hunt is more powerful than either imagined and is poised to overthrow the Republic. With a cloud of darkness growing and a planet pitched in war, Wraith must choose whether his true allegiances lie with himself or with his brothers still in the Legion.ISBN: 9781949731118Publication Date: 2019-08-16
My Review - Galactic Outlaws (Galaxy's Edge 2)
Coming soon
- Legionnaire by A hostile force ambushes Victory Company during a diplomatic mission. Stranded behind enemy lines, a sergeant must lead a band of survivors against merciless insurgents on a deadly alien world. With no room for error, the Republic's elite fighting force must struggle to survive under siege while waiting on a rescue that might never come.ISBN: 9781949731057Publication Date: 2018-12-05
My Review - Legionnaire (Galaxy's Edge 1)
Coming soon
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to out-charm, outwit, and outmanoeuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.Call Number: F COLISBN: 9781743836811Publication Date: 2020
My Review - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Coming soon
- The Android's Dream by FromNew York Times bestseller and Hugo Award-winner John Scalzi, a wild-and-woolly caper novel of interstellar diplomacy A human diplomat creates an interstellar incident when he kills an alien diplomat in a most . . . unusual . . . way. To avoid war, Earth's government must find an equally unusual object: a type of sheep ("The Android's Dream"), used in the alien race's coronation ceremony. To find the sheep, the government turns to Harry Creek, ex-cop, war hero and hacker extraordinare, who, with the help of a childhood friend turned artificial intelligence, scours the earth looking for the rare creature. But there are others with plans for the sheep as well. Mercenaries employed by the military. Adherents of a secret religion based on the writings of a 21st century SF author. And alien races, eager to start a revolution on their home world and a war on Earth. To keep our planet from being enslaved, Harry will have to pull off a grand diplomatic coup, a gambit that will take him from the halls of power to the lava-strewn battlefields of alien worlds. There's only one chance to get it right, to save the life of the sheep--and to protect the future of humanity. Other Tor Books The Android's Dream Agent to the Stars Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded Fuzzy Nation Redshirts 1.Lock In 2.Head On The Interdepency Sequence 1.The Collapsing Empire 2.The Consuming Fire Old Man's War Series 1.Old Man's War 2.The Ghost Brigades 3.The Last Colony 4.Zoe's Tale 5.The Human Division 6.The End of All ThingsISBN: 9780765348289Publication Date: 2007-10-30
My Review - The Android's Dream
3.5 Coming soon
- Aurora Burning by Our heroes are back. Kind of. First, the bad news: an ancient evil - you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal - is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. They've just got to take care of a few small distractions first. Like the clan of gremps who'd like to rearrange their favourite faces. And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, who'll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri. Then there's Kal's long-lost sister, who's not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted. When they learn the Hadfield has been found, it's time to come out of hiding. Two centuries ago the colony ship vanished, leaving Auri as its sole survivor. Now, its black box might be what saves them - but time is short, and if Auri can't learn to master her powers as a Trigger, the squad and all their admirers are going to be deader than the Great Ultrasaur of Abraaxis IV. Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legion's most unforgettable heroes - and maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.Call Number: F KAUISBN: 9781760295745Publication Date: 2020
My Review - Aurora Burning
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- Warbreaker by By using "breath" and drawing upon the colour in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery; and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker.Call Number: F SANISBN: 9780575097469Publication Date: 2011
My Review - Warbreaker
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- The Wise Man's Fear by Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero as he attempts to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm where he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist.Call Number: F ROTISBN: 9780575081437Publication Date: 2012
My Review - The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle 2)
Roth's storytelling remains brilliant. It was a nice change of plot as Kvothe leaves the university and travels out into the wider world so we get to experience a new level of worldbuilding. The scenes where Kvothe and his ‘team’ are tracking the bandits in the forest and the one with Valurian were a bit drawn out and I still don’t like Denna as she continues to use him. Recommended for epic, magic fantasy fans.
- The Graveyard Book by A baby, who escapes a murder attempt to wipe out his family, finds safety and security in the local graveyard. Brought up by the resident ghosts, ghouls and spectres, Bod has an eccentric childhood learning about life from the dead. But for Bod there is also the danger of the murderer still looking for him.Call Number: F GAIISBN: 9780747569015Publication Date: 2008
My Review - The Graveyard Book
Light horror. Quick read.
- Starsight by All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing. The rumors of his cowardice are true -- he deserted his flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them. Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars--and it was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie. But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself -- and she'll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to.Call Number: F SANISBN: 9781473217904Publication Date: 2019
My Review - Starsight (Skyward 2)
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- Robin Hood: Hacking, Heists & Flaming Arrows by A town. A forest. A hero. You can't go far without a quick brain and some rule-bending in a place like Locksley. After its vast car plants shut down, the prosperous town has become a wasteland of empty homes, toxic land and families on the brink. And it doesn't help that the authorities are in the clutches of profit-obsessed Sheriff of Nottingham, in cahoots with underworld boss Guy Gisborne. When his dad is framed for a robbery, Robin and his brother Little John are hounded out of Locksley and must learn to survive in the Sherwood forest, stretching three hundred kilometres and sheltering the free spirits and outlaws. But Robin is determined to do more than survive. Small, fast and deadly with a bow, he hatches a plan to join forces with Marion Maid, harness his inimitable tech skills and strike a blow against Gisborne and the Sheriff.Call Number: F MUCISBN: 9781471408618Publication Date: 2020
My Review - Robin Hood: Hacking, Heists & Flaming Arrows (Robin Hood 1)
I had to battle to get through this book. The use of Robin Hood mythology in a modern context felt horribly forced and the characterization was awkward. There were several editing errors (one minute Little John’s not wearing a shirt and the next he’s wearing a shirt that’s getting torn). It felt like a primary school chapter book with short chapters. The bad guys were stereotypically bad and overreacted to everything and giving Guy Gisborne a whip was just weird and did not fit the period and scene at all. The best scenes where Robin practicing speed archery and the heist at the end. Muchamore should have stayed away from the Robin Hood mythology and just had a modern kid who was an archer.
- The Toll by Citra and Rowan have disappeared. Endura is gone. It seems like nothing stands between Scythe Goddard and absolute dominion over the world scythedom. With the silence of the Thunderhead and the reverberations of the Great Resonance still shaking the earth to its core, the question remains: Is there anyone left who can stop him? The answer lies in the Tone, the Toll, and the Thunder.Call Number: F SHUISBN: 9781406385670Publication Date: 2019
My Review - The Toll (Arc of a Scythe 3)
Coming soon
- Dive Smack by Theo Mackey only remembers one thing for certain about the fire that destroyed his home: he lit the match. Sure, it was an accident. But the blaze killed his mom and set his dad on a path to self-destruction. Everything else about that fateful night is full of gaping holes in Theo's mind, for good reason. Maybe it's better that way. As captain of the Ellis Hollow Diving Team, with straight A's and solid friends, he's only one semester away from securing a scholarship, and leaving his past behind. But when a family history project gets assigned at school, new memories come rushing to the surface, memories that make Theo question what he really knows about his family, the night of the fire, and if he can trust anyone--including himself.Call Number: F BROISBN: 9780765396952Publication Date: 2018-06-19
My Review - Dive Smack
It was the mystery aspect of the blurb that drew me to this book. Theo is in a successful senior year of school pursuing a scholarship to Stanford University when he starts experiencing flashbacks to his childhood and the night his mother died in a house fire. The flashbacks make him start behaving erratically and he begins to question what really happened that night. There are two plot lines that overlap in the story - there's the 'school' plot where Theo captains the diving team and has to deal with the competitiveness of teammates and rivals, and then there's the 'mystery' plot related to his mother which he pursues with the help of the girl he likes, Iris. The theme of 'family', particularly the nature of family, is strong. Although the story was engaging, particularly once Theo started to discover discrepancies in what he'd been told, one thing that really annoyed me was the poor quality of editing; the frequent typos kept disrupting my engagement with the story. Recommended for people who enjoy contemporary school stories, diving/water sports and mysteries. 3.5 stars.
- The Name of the Wind by The tale of Kvothe, from his childhood in a troupe of travelling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daring and successful bid to enter a dangerous school of magic. Kvothe becomes a notorious magician, an accomplished thief, a masterful musician, and an infamous assassin.Call Number: F ROTISBN: 9780756404741Publication Date: 2008-04-01
My Review - The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle 1)
This was a fantastic book and I don't know why it took me so long to get to it. A brilliant example of storytelling, the notorious wizard, Kvothe, recounts his life's journey to Chronicler, from his childhood with his family of travelling entertainers, through his education in magic at the university, to how he became a fugitive. The story shifts between third person POV in the present day, when Kvothe is an innkeeper, to first person POV in the flashbacks to his childhood, a transition which occurs smoothly. Unlike many epic fantasy books, the story does not focus the theme of good and evil, or battles between their forces, rather it is character driven. Kvothe is an appealing, memorable character. As a child he experienced tragedy and despair, yet his burning desire to learn drove him on. He becomes a talented musician, a skilled fighter and a powerful arcanist and yet he is burdened by conscience and lonely. Music is also an integral part of the story; the depictions of music, sound, the playing of instruments and reactions to the songs are entrancing. Highly recommended for people who enjoy epic fantasy and magic fantasy.
- The Testaments by When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead. With this book, the wait is over. This sequel picks up the story 15 years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.Call Number: F ATWISBN: 9781784742324Publication Date: 2019
My Review - The Testaments (Handmaid's Tale 2)
This book was a hard one for me to rate. I loved The Handmaid's Tale and have been enjoying the television series so I really wanted to love it. The strength of The Handmaid's Tale was that it focused on the fight of one main character, Offred. I wanted to know what happened to her in the years after the first book but instead this story focused on three other characters and was told retrospectively through witness statements and documents from the Gilead period. I found Aunt Lydia's story the most intriguing as it went back to the establishment of Gilead, showed how she rose to her current position and managed to obtain and wield power of her own in a patriarchal society. However, the stories of the two teenaged girls were not as engaging, Daisy's in particular. It was obvious who they were from the start and Daisy's refusal to act in a way that would allow her to blend in whilst in Gilead was childish and endangered herself as well as the Mayday operation. Recommended for people who have read the first book, those who are Margaret Atwood fans, or people who enjoy dystopian fiction. 3.5 stars.
- Cilka's Journey by In 1942 Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival. After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to a desolate, brutal prison camp in Siberia known as Vorkuta, inside the Arctic Circle. Innocent and imprisoned once again, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar. When she makes an impression on a female doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing and begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under unimaginable conditions. Cilka finds endless resources within herself as she confronts death and faces terror, each day a battle for survival. And when she nurses a man called Aleksandr, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love. Based on what is known of Cilka’s time in Auschwitz, and on the experience of women in Siberian prison camps, Cilka’s Journey is the breathtaking sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz. A powerful testament to the triumph of the human will in adversity, Cilka’s Journey will make you weep, but it will also leave you with the remarkable story of one woman’s fierce determination to survive, against all odds.Call Number: F MORISBN: 9781760686048Publication Date: 2019
My Review - Cilka's Journey (Tattooist of Auschwitz 2)
I'm so pleased that Morris pursued her interest in Cilka Klein after hearing about her during interviews with Lale for the writing of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, as I was fascinated by her and wanted to know more as well. Aside from the first few pages, which felt patchy as Morris tried to provide a simplified account of an NKVD interrogation in which Cilka is judged a Nazi sympathiser and sent to the gulag, the story was engrossing and I read the whole book in a day. Once again, the human will to survive is dominant as Cilka battles feelings of guilt and shame as she is forced to endure many of the abuses that she suffered in Auschwitz-Birkenau in the Vorkuta gulag as well. It was quite traumatic reading about how she is once again stripped, shaved, crammed into a train cattle car, starved and sexually abused, only by the Russians instead of the Germans this time. Following publication, the Auschwitz Memorial declared it was highly questionable for Cilka to have been kept as a sexual slave for so long purely because "the possibility of maintaining such a long relationship...between a Jewish female prisoner and a high-ranking member of the SS hierarchy was nonexistent', which is a naive statement. The sexual abuse of women during war/conflict is a common occurrence and just because the ideology of oppressors rejects intermingling does not mean it did not take place when men in positions of power could get away with it. Additionally, Cilka's position was confirmed in other survivor's accounts. Recommended for older teens and adults who are interested in war and survival stories as it covers the brutal treatment of concentration camp and gulag inmates.
- Artemis by 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.Call Number: F WEIISBN: 9780091956950Publication Date: 2017
My Review - Artemis
Artemis was a bit hit and miss because the main character, Jazz, didn't really work. I think the characterisation showed the author's inexperience with writing from a female perspective, which made it hard to connect with or like her. Jazz was 26 yet had a crass sense of humour that felt more like that of a teenaged boy; her snarky interactions also felt immature. The sabotage escapades and their fallout were interesting though, despite the excessive descriptions of welding and the annoying references to their tablet devices as 'Gizmos'. Recommended for teens and adults who enjoy science fiction and space colonisation stories.
- The Core by The war has begun... For time out of mind, bloodthirsty demons have stalked the night, culling the human race to scattered remnants dependent on half-forgotten magics to protect them. Two heroes arose-men as close as brothers, yet divided by bitter betrayal. Arlen Bales became known as the Painted Man, tattooed head-to-toe with powerful magic symbols that enable him to fight demons in hand-to-hand combat-and emerge victorious. Ahmann Jardir, armed with magically warded weapons, called himself the Deliverer, a figure prophesied to unite humanity and lead them to triumph in Sharak Ka-the final war against demonkind. But in their efforts to bring the war to the demons, Arlen and Jardir have set something in motion that may prove the end of everything they hold dear-a Swarm. Now the war is at hand, and humanity cannot hope to win it unless Arlen and Jardir, with the help of Arlen's wife, Renna, can bend a captured demon prince to their will and force the devious creature to lead them to the Core, where the Mother of Demons breeds an inexhaustible army. Trusting their closest confidantes, Leesha, Inevera, Ragen, and Elissa, to rally the fractious people of the Free Cities and lead them against the Swarm, Arlen, Renna, and Jardir set out on a desperate quest into the darkest depths of evil-from which none of them expects to return alive.Call Number: F BREISBN: 9780007425716Publication Date: 2017
My Review - The Core (Demon Cycle 5)
Hallelujah! After trekking through this unnecessarily long series, I finally got to read about the epic battle of Sharak Ka, which takes place between human and demon kind on multiple fronts above and below the surface. The mind demons simultaneously attack the human strongholds and their leaders and the action is engrossing, although Hasik is repugnanat as he brutality mutilates and tortures people. Several characters finally get the comeuppance they deserve, which almost made me cheer aloud, but I thought what happened to Sikva was glossed over, especially as she had been a fairly central character. Recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy epic fantasy as there is a lot of graphic content.
- Girt by Girt. No word could better capture the essence of Australia . . . In this hilarious history, David Hunt reveals the truth of Australia's past, from megafauna to Macquarie - the cock-ups and curiosities, the forgotten eccentrics and Eureka moments that have made us who we are. Girt introduces forgotten heroes like Mary McLoghlin, transported for the crime of 'felony of sock', and Trim the cat, who beat a French monkey to become the first animal to circumnavigate Australia. It recounts the misfortunes of the escaped Irish convicts who set out to walk from Sydney to China, guided only by a hand-drawn paper compass, and explains the role of the coconut in Australia's only military coup. Our nation's beginnings are steeped in the strange, the ridiculous and the frankly bizarre. Girt proudly reclaims these stories for all of us. Not to read it would be un-Australian.Call Number: 994 HUNISBN: 9781863956116Publication Date: 2013-07-01
My Review - Girt
Girt is a hilarious, satirical take on Australia's colonial history that highlights the incompetence, corruption and insensitivity of a variety of explorers, naval officers and politically powerful people. It's an easy read as it's a collection of short, mostly chronological tales and the footnotes also provide additional hilarity and should be read as you go. My one concern is that readers who do not understand the Australian sense of humour, and the satire and sarcasm that have been used, may misinterpret information, particularly in relation to the treatment of Aboriginal Australians. A must-read for anyone who enjoys Australian and British history or tales of adventure.
- Madame Guillotine by Tyrus Rechs, the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy, returns to deliver vengeance to an opportunistic demagogue willing to exchange lives for the benefit of their own career in this thrilling and action packed story.Call Number: F ANSISBN: 9781949731101Publication Date: 2019-08-31
My Review - Madame Guillotine (Tyrus Rechs: Contracts & Terminations 3)
Coming Soon 4
- Chasing the Dragon by They all want the Dragon dead. The Dragon was trained from his youth to operate as a lethal killing machine. He has tangled with crime lords, dangerous insurgents, even Nether Ops and none of these forces has been able to bring the elusive warrior to heel. Enter the notorious bounty hunter Tyrus Rechs. Rechs takes on the job as a favour to an old Savage Wars buddy. Only Rechs isn't out to kill the Dragon - his mission is to save the kid's life. Unless the Dragon kills Rechs first.Call Number: F ANSISBN: 9781949731019Publication Date: 2018-08-21
My Review - Chasing the Dragon (Tyrus Rechs: Contracts & Terminations 2)
Coming Soon 3.5
- Requiem for Medusa by It's not just payback... it's personal. The scum hiding deep inside the Reach out along galaxy's edge thought they could kill her and not pay the price. For years these hardened killers have run roughshod over the lawless worlds where Republic justice is never as fast as the blaster in your hand and where double-crosses and death are a part of every deal. They thought this time would be no different. They were wrong. This time, the Guild sent the legendary bounty hunter Tyrus Rechs. As the infamous Rechs pursues the men who murdered his colleague, he's hell-bent on justice, heedless of the trail of destruction he leaves across ruined worlds and fantastic gambling meccas alike. Because for Rechs, this isn't just another Guild contract... it's personal.Call Number: F ANSISBN: 9780996555982Publication Date: 2018-06-16
My Review - Requiem for Medusa (Tyrus Rechs: Contracts & Terminations 1)
I haven't read military sci-fi for quite a few years and I really enjoyed getting back into it with Requiem for Medusa, probably because it was focused on the main character's personal quest for revenge rather than a full-on battle between two opposing forces. Tyrus Rechs is an awesome character. He's a former military general who was involuntarily subjected to medical experiments, which left him virtually immortal - he's now a 2000-year-old bounty hunter whose name alone instills fear in people throughout the galaxy. If you want a more adult version of The Hunger Games then you should check out this book for the 'Game of Death' that Rechs pursues his quarry into. I will definitely be reading book 2 and the series Rechs first appears in as a soldier, Galaxy's Edge. Recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy military sci-fi due to the frequent violence.
- Thunderhead by Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the chilling sequel to the Printz Honor Book Scythe from New York Times bestseller Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology. The Thunderhead cannot interfere in the affairs of the Scythedom. All it can do is observe--it does not like what it sees. A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent. As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the "new order." But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change. Will the Thunderhead intervene? Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?Call Number: F SHUISBN: 9781442472457Publication Date: 2018-01-09
My Review - Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe 2)
Whilst continuing to follow Citra and Rowan's divergent paths of compassion and vigilantism respectively, book 2 focuses more on a new character, Greyson, and the Thunderhead as it searches for a way to thwart the destruction it sees coming at the hands of the 'new order' Scythes without breaking its self-imposed restrictions. I did think it was really interesting to have diary-style excerpts from the Thunderhead this time, and I like that the artificial intelligence is more humane in its thoughts and actions than most of the humans and can still display or simulate emotion without becoming a killing machine. I felt Tyger's fate was predictable (although that may be because I've read and watched quite a lot of science fiction) and the chapters following Greyson's descent into the 'unsavory' world dragged a bit, particularly because of his blind devotion to Purity, but the final chapters were action-packed and lead to an epic cliffhanger. Recommended for teenagers who enjoy dystopian, futuristic science-fiction as it does contain scenes of killing. 3.5 stars.
- Scythe by Two teens must learn the "art of killing" in the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology. A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own. Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award–winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price.Call Number: F SHUISBN: 9781442472426Publication Date: 2016-11-22
My Review - Scythe (Arc of a Scythe 1)
Scythe presents a futuristic society that has evolved into something so apparently perfect that life and living have become bland and monotonous. This society is controlled by the 'Thunderhead', a sentient version of the 'cloud', in order to remove human corruption with the exception of population control, which is handled by human scythes. Predictably, once humans are given any sort of power, some become corrupt. The narration switches between the two main characters, Citra and Rowan, who are pitted against each other in their scythe training, interspersed with diary excerpts from experienced scythes. The brutality of some of the modern scythes is quite shocking after being introduced to Scythe Faraday, who upholds the original practices and values of the Scythedom. The weak points in the plot were allowing scythes to choose their own targets and kill them in any manner they desire, which gives them power and leads to corruption; it also attracts those who enjoy killing. This seems like a glaring error that could have been largely overcome by having a single, painless method of death and a set of selection criteria. I enjoyed it well enough though and will be reading the rest of the series. Recommended for people who enjoy dystopian fiction. 3.5 stars.
- Aurora Rising by Tyler Jones has been training since he was thirteen years old for this day -- the Andromeda Academy Draft. Today he gets to pick out the squad that will serve with him through his final year of training. Today is the start of his squad's legend. But the unimaginable happens: he discovers the Hadfield, a legendary colony ship lost for more than two centuries. The rescue is death defying, and Ty is able to save the ship's one survivor: eighteen year old Alexandra O'Malley. But by the time he returns to Andromeda Academy, he's in hot water with the Academy brass, and worse, he's missed the Draft. Ty is left with the dregs of the Academy's cadets -- the losers nobody wanted. When they are marooned on a remote colony world, can the group put aside their differences long enough to get back to Andromeda Station, or will they kill each other before the bioweapon does?Call Number: F KAUISBN: 9781760295738Publication Date: 2019
My Review - Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle 1)
Aurora Rising is a quick, light science fiction read. It follows a crew of misfits as they graduate from their military training and take on their first mission, which then goes awry. Clashing personalities always make for an entertaining read but the story lacked the depth and plot/character development that you get in great space operas like The Expanse, however, it was enjoyable enough to continue reading the rest of series as it's released. Recommended for people who enjoy the space opera sub-genre or people who are just getting into science fiction. 3.5 stars
- Limited Wish by One choice. Two possible timelines. And a world hanging in the balance. It's the summer of 1986 and reluctant prodigy Nick Hayes is a student at Cambridge University, working with world-renowned mathematician Professor Halligan. He just wants to be a regular student, but regular isn't really an option for a boy-genius cancer survivor who's already dabbled in time travel. When he crosses paths with a mysterious yet curiously familiar girl, Nick discovers that creases have appeared in the fabric of time, and that he is at the centre of the disruption. Only Nick can resolve this time paradox before the damage becomes catastrophic for both him and the future of the world. Time is running out--literally. Wrapped up with him in this potentially apocalyptic scenario are his ex-girlfriend, Mia, and fellow student Helen. Facing the world-ending chaos of a split in time, Nick must act fast and make the choice of a lifetime--or lifetimes. Game on.Call Number: F LAWISBN: 9781503946781Publication Date: 2019-05-28
My Review - Limited Wish (Impossible Times 2)
Limited Wish started to lose me a little with all of the time travel/multiverse/paradox explanations, which took up quite a bit of what was a fairly short novel. The underlying story was still enjoyable, however, the main character's physical undertakings whilst he's receiving chemotherapy for an aggressive recurrence of his cancer seemed unrealistic. Recommended for people who enjoy time travel science fiction, Dungeons and Dragons RPG and Stranger Things.
- One Word Kill by Ready Player One meets Stranger Things in this new novel by the bestselling author who George RR Martin describes as "an excellent writer." In January 1986, fifteen-year-old boy-genius Nick Hayes discovers he's dying. And it isn't even the strangest thing to happen to him that week. Nick and his Dungeons & Dragons-playing friends are used to living in their imaginations. But when a new girl, Mia, joins the group and reality becomes weirder than the fantasy world they visit in their weekly games, none of them are prepared for what comes next. A strange--yet curiously familiar--man is following Nick, with abilities that just shouldn't exist. And this man bears a cryptic message: Mia's in grave danger, though she doesn't know it yet. She needs Nick's help--now. He finds himself in a race against time to unravel an impossible mystery and save the girl. And all that stands in his way is a probably terminal disease, a knife-wielding maniac and the laws of physics. Challenge accepted.Call Number: F LAWISBN: 9781503903265Publication Date: 2019-05-01
My Review - One Word Kill (Impossible Times 1)
I was a little bit surprised that I liked this book because I'm not usually a fan of stories involving time travel, however, as a child of the 80s I had to give it a go for nostalgia's sake and I'm glad I did. The story is really character driven, focusing primarily on Nick and Mia and their developing relationship, and contains some brilliant examples of a role-play game in addition to a tech heist and a clash with the district's resident psychopath. Recommended for teenaged fans of Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons as there is some swearing and minor drug use, along with chemotherapy scenes and explanations of quantum mechanics.
- Redshirts by Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital ShipIntrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It's a prestige posting, with the chance to serve on "Away Missions" alongside the starship's famous senior officers. Life couldn't be better...until Andrew begins to realize that 1) every Away Mission involves a lethal confrontation with alien forces, 2) the ship's senior officers always survive these confrontations, and 3) sadly, at least one low-ranking crew member is invariably killed. Unsurprisingly, the savvier crew members below decks avoid Away Missions at all costs. Then Andrew stumbles on information that transforms his and his colleagues' understanding of what the starshipIntrepid really is...and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives. Redshirts by John Scalzi is the winner of the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novel.ISBN: 9780765334794Publication Date: 2013-01-15
My Review - Redshirts
Redshirts is a take-off of the original Star Trek series, complete with overacting and implausible scenarios, in which several members of the crew of the Intrepid (recognisable as 'Redshirts', extras who are usually killed off, in the Star Trek fandom) begin to suspect that something odd is going on with their spaceship and crew. I found the overacted character moments a bit irritating at the start of the book when they were more frequent, however, they do have a place in the plot, and the dialogue between the main 'Redshirt' characters was amusing. I listened to the audiobook of this and Will Wheaton's narration was superb as always - his characterisation of the multitude of characters using his voice is just brilliant. Recommended for people who enjoy humorous science fiction and Star Trek.
- Lock In by Fifteen years from now, a new virus sweeps the globe. 95% of those afflicted experience nothing worse than fever and headaches. 4% suffer acute meningitis, creating the largest medical crisis in history. And 1% find themselves 'locked in' - fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. 1% doesn't seem like a lot. But in the US that's 1.7 million people 'locked in' ...including the President's wife and daughter. Spurred by grief and the sheer magnitude of the suffering, America undertakes a massive scientific initiative. Nothing can fully restore the locked in. But then two new technologies emerge. One is a virtual-reality environment, 'The Agora', where the locked-in can interact with other humans, whether locked-in or not. The other is the discovery that a few rare individuals have brains that are receptive to being controlled by others, allowing those who are locked in to occasionally 'ride' these people and use their bodies as if they were their own. This skill is quickly regulated, licensed, bonded, and controlled. Nothing can go wrong. Certainly nobody would be tempted to misuse it, for murder, for political power, or worse ...Call Number: F SCAISBN: 9780575134355Publication Date: 2015
My Review - Lock In (Lock In 1)
I read this book after I'd already read the second book in the duology, so I found the background information on Haden's Syndome right at the start of the book a little slow-going because I already knew about it, however, the rest of the book was really enjoyable. You get to see the beginning of the working relationship between the two main characters (one a Haden and one not), complete with the sarcastic banter that I love, as Chris Shane starts work at the FBI and is thrown into the deep end of an action-packed murder investigation. The medical science has been really well thought-out but it doesn't overwhelm the story, and at the end of the book the author has even documented the origins of Haden's Syndrome and the US response to it through a series of reports from a doctor, a scientist, a reporter and a security advisor. Highly recommended for teens and adults who enjoy the science-fiction and crime genres as the main characters are adults, there is some swearing and violence, and there are moderately complex medical/technological concepts and ethics.
- The Bogan Mondrian by 'There are worse things than school.' Luke sleepwalks through his days wagging school, swimming at the reservoir and eating takeaway pizza. That is until Charlotte shows up. Rumour is she got expelled from her city school and her family moved to the Blue Mountains for a fresh start. But when Luke's invited to her house, he discovers there's a lot more going on than meets the eye.Call Number: F HERISBN: 9780702259982Publication Date: 2018
My Review - The Bogan Mondrian
I almost didn't read this book as the blurb only consisted of the general quote 'There are worse things than school', which told me nothing about the plot. It wasn't until I looked at some reviews and saw that it was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year Award that I decided to give it a go and I'm glad I did. This was a fast, relatively easy read that addressed the themes of social class and domestic abuse; it highlighted the fact that domestic abuse is something that exists in all social classes. The main teenaged characters grapple with how to end the abuse in a way that doesn't result in physical reprisals and the solution they land on is a valid one in this particular situation where image is everything. I would recommend this book to students in Years 8-10 who enjoy reading contemporary, realistic fiction and books similar to those by John Green.
- Tiamat's Wrath by Thirteen hundred gates have opened to solar systems around the galaxy. But as humanity builds its interstellar empire in the alien ruins, the mysteries and threats grow deeper. In the dead systems where gates lead to stranger things than alien planets, Elvi Okoye begins a desperate search to discover the nature of a genocide that happened before the first human beings existed, and to find weapons to fight a war against forces at the edge of the imaginable. But the price of that knowledge may be higher than she can pay. At the heart of the empire, Teresa Duarte prepares to take on the burden of her father's godlike ambition. The sociopathic scientist Paolo Cortazar and the Mephistophelian prisoner James Holden are only two of the dangers in a palace thick with intrigue, but Teresa has a mind of her own and secrets even her father the emperor doesn't guess. And throughout the wide human empire, the scattered crew of the Rocinante fights a brave rear-guard action against Duarte's authoritarian regime. Memory of the old order falls away, and a future under Laconia's eternal rule - and with it, a battle that humanity can only lose - seems more and more certain. Because against the terrors that lie between worlds, courage and ambition will not be enough . . .Call Number: F CORISBN: 9780356510354Publication Date: 28 March 2019
My Review - Tiamat's Wrath (The Expanse 8)
This book largely belongs to the impressive female cast as the story is told from the perspectives of Naomi, Bobbie, Elvi and Teresa when they take charge of various events in the absence of key male characters. In a universe where humanity has learned to live under authoritarian rule, Book 8 in the series brings the conflict between the Laconians and the Resistance to a head after Duarte's attempt to use negative reinforcement with the alien entities behind the destruction of the gate network-builders results in a catastrophic outcome. Ethical scientific research is a central theme and the science/biology in the story has been particularly well developed and explained. I was devastated by the fates of my two favourite characters, however, they were apt. A must-read for teenaged and adult space opera fans.
- Head On by To some left with nothing, winning becomes everything. In a post-virus world, a daring sport is taking the US by storm: hilketa. It’s frenetic, violent and involves teams attacking one another with swords and hammers. The aim: to obtain your opponent’s head and carry it through the goalposts. Impossible? Not if the players have Hayden’s Syndrome. Unable to move, Hayden’s sufferers use robot bodies, which they operate mentally. So in this sport anything goes, no one gets hurt – and crowds and competitors love it. Until a star athlete drops dead on the playing field. But is it an accident? FBI agents Chris Shane and Leslie Vann are determined to find out. In this game, fortunes can be made – or lost. And both players and owners will do whatever it takes to win, on and off the field. John Scalzi returns with Head On, a chilling near-future SF with the thrills of a gritty cop procedural. Head On brings Scalzi's trademark snappy dialogue and technological speculation to the future world of sports.Call Number: F SCAISBN: 9781509835102Publication Date: 2018
My Review - Head On (Lock In 2)
I absolutely loved this book! The banter and sarcasm between the main character and his FBI partner was gold, and Will Wheaton's narration raised it to a whole new level. I didn't realise the book was actually a sequel until I was about three-quarters of the way through, however, there was enough detail about Haden's Syndrome and society's response to the condition, as well as the Haden sport Hilketa, that it wasn't noticeable. The combination of police procedural, violent android/robot sport, and what had become a common medical condition made for a unique, engrossing story. Now I'm going to listen to the first audiobook, Lock In, as well as look for more books narrated by Will Wheaton. I recommend this to teenagers and adults who enjoy the science fiction genre, stories featuring androids/robots, and the graphic novels Battle Angel Alita as the sport of Motorball shares some similarities with Hilketa.
- The Skull Throne by The Skull Throne of Krasia stands empty. Built from the skulls of fallen generals and demon princes, it is a seat of honour and ancient, powerful magic, keeping the demon corelings at bay. From atop the throne, Ahmann Jardir was meant to conquer the known world, forging its isolated peoples into a unified army to rise up and end the demon war once and for all. But Arlen Bales, the Painted Man, stood against this course, challenging Jardir to a duel he could not in honour refuse. Rather than risk defeat, Arlen cast them both from a precipice, leaving the world without a saviour, and opening a struggle for succession that threatens to tear the Free Cities of Thesa apart. In the south, Inevera, Jardir's first wife, must find a way to keep their sons from killing one another and plunging their people into civil war as they strive for enough glory to make a claim on the throne. In the north, Leesha Paper and Rojer Inn struggle to forge an alliance between the duchies of Angiers and Miln against the Krasians before it is too late. Caught in the crossfire is the duchy of Lakton - rich and unprotected, ripe for conquest. All the while, the corelings have been growing stronger, and without Arlen and Jardir there may be none strong enough to stop them. Only Renna Bales may know more about the fate of the missing men, but she, too, has disappeared.Call Number: F BREISBN: 9780007425679Publication Date: 2015
My Review - The Skull Throne (Demon Cycle 4)
Thankfully the plot started to move forward again in book 4 of the Demon Cycle, although there was only a limited focus on Ahmann and Arlen's quest. This book featured a number of complex power struggles and court intrigues amongst both the Krasians and the Greenlanders now that Ahmann and Arlen have left the people on the surface to fight their own battles while they head to the core, including some similarities with the 'red wedding' scene from the Song of Ice and Fire series. I really enjoyed reading about creation of the Sharum'ting, the first female Krasian warriors, led by the fierce Ashia, although I hated how she was treated by her husband. The introduction of the character Briar was also very intriguing as it indicates that there was a Krasian presence in the Greenlands in the recent past, unbeknownst to them. I recommend this book for older teens and adults (violence and some sex scenes) who enjoy reading epic fantasy.
- Boys Don't Knit by Ben Fletcher must get to grips with his more 'feminine' side following an unfortunate incident with a lollipop lady and a stolen bottle of Martini Rosso from Waitrose. All a big misunderstanding of course. To avoid the Young Offenders unit, Ben is ordered to give something back to the community and develop his sense of social alignment. Take up a hobby and keep on the straight and narrow. The hot teacher he likes runs a knitting group so Ben, reluctantly at first, gets 'stuck in'. Not easy when your dad is a sports fan and thinks Jeremy Clarkson is God. To his surprise, Ben finds that he likes knitting and that he has a mean competitive streak. If he can just keep it all a secret from his mates...and notice that the girl of his dreams, girl-next-door Megan Hooper has a bit of a thing for him.Call Number: F EASISBN: 9781471401473Publication Date: 2014
My Review - Boys Don't Knit
I loved this book for the author's turns of phrase. His descriptions, especially of the stunts the boys get up to like the lollipop lady incident and when they're trying to steal alcohol from the local shop to take to a party or when Ben is trying to hide his knitting habit, are just hilarious. I also liked that Ben realised his natural talent for knitting and developed it, challenging himself to make increasingly complex designs. This is a young adult read (some swearing and insults, sexual innuendo) that I would recommend to students who enjoy realistic, humorous stories.
- The Daylight War by On the night of the new moon, the demons rise in force, seeking the deaths of two men, both of whom have the potential to become the fabled Deliverer, the man prophesied to reunite the scattered remnants of humanity in a final push to destroy the demon corelings once and for all. Arlen Bales denies he is the Deliverer at every turn, but the more he tries to be one with the common folk, the more fervently they believe.Call Number: F BREISBN: 9780007276219Publication Date: 2013
My Review - The Daylight War (Demon Cycle 3)
The Daylight War was a bit of a slog as it failed to really progress the central plot until the final chapters. Whilst the writing was the equivalent of the previous books, most of the time it was focused on Arlen and Jardir's preparations for the big battle between humans and demons in their respective locations, bickering between their two groups, and Inevera's backstory. Whilst some of the backstory was interesting, there was a lot of overlap with what had been revealed in the previous books, and I don't particularly like her character as she's extremely manipulative. Brett should have kept this series as a more tightly written trilogy instead of dragging it out into a pentalogy.
- Night by Born into a Jewish ghetto in Hungary, as a child, Elie Wiesel was sent to the Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. This is his account of that atrocity: the ever-increasing horrors he endured, the loss of his family and his struggle to survive in a world that stripped him of humanity, dignity and faith. Describing in simple terms the tragic murder of a people from a survivor's perspective, Night is among the most personal, intimate and poignant of all accounts of the Holocaust. A compelling consideration of the darkest side of human nature and the enduring power of hope, it remains one of the most important works of the twentieth century.Call Number: B 920 WIEISBN: 9780140189896Publication Date: 2006
My Review - Night
An amazing memoir of a holocaust survivor, Night is a short, quick read that loses none of the impact of the horrors that the Jewish people suffered during WWII despite its length. Two things that resonated with me the most were the impact of the atrocities on Wiesel's religious beliefs about God and how survival in such an extreme situation became more important than anything to many of the prisoners, even their families, leading to feelings of guilt. A great read for those who are interested in war stories or want a basic understanding of the holocaust and it would complement readings of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Once.
- Wanderlust by Broke and unemployed, "Jumper" Sirantha Jax accepts a diplomatic mission for the government only to find herself up against Syndicate criminals, man-eating aliens, and her own grim, space-weakened body.ISBN: 9780441016273Publication Date: 2008-08-26
My Review - Wanderlust (Sirantha Jax 2)
As the humans on Earth attempt to recover from the destabilisation caused by the Corp, they attempt to align with the Ithtorians (shape-shifters) to protect themselves from predatory alien species who sense weakness. Jax is designated the Earth's ambassador and sent to negotiate, however, the voyage is quickly derailed and Jax's health takes a sudden, inexplicable turn for the worse. Several new characters (Vel, Jael and Hit) become an enjoyable part of the crew dynamic, as does the AI unit, AI-245, as it learns and evolves from interactions with Jax, and they really carried the story for me this time. After the enjoyable bantering from book 1, the Jax/March angst was too overpowering in this book and the Lachion people are not likeable or relatable so their tribal battles weren't particularly interesting. However, the crew's escape attempt from the planet was tense, as was the scene aboard Emry Station. The instigation of new xenophobic immigration and citizenship laws on Earth resulting in a class system where genetically engineered humans and aliens are considered inferior is likely to lead to conflict as the series progresses.
- Grimspace by As the carrier of a rare gene, Sirantha Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace-a talent which makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. Then a crash landing kills everyone on board, leaving Jax in a jail cell with no memory of the crash. But her fun's not over. A group of rogue fighters frees her...for a price: her help in overthrowing the established order.ISBN: 9780441015993Publication Date: 2008-02-26
My Review - Grimspace (Sirantha Jax 1)
I was in the mood for more sci-fi when I found Ann Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series. In the future, humans have abandoned the pursuit of faster-than-light travel after they discovered that certain people are born the the J-gene, which allows them to jack-in as a ship's navigator and rapidly travel through grimspace, the space between space, and this is how we come to meet the female main character, Jax. The problem with being a navigator is that you mentally burn out whilst fairly young due to the the physical impact of jumping, which makes Jax a novelty at the age of 33; she's snarky, stubborn, honest, morbid, a bit crazy and not afraid to throw down and crack some skulls when necessary. Whilst the story was told from Jax's point of view, the rest of the ship's crew were also reasonably well developed by the author. Following Jax's rescue from the Corp, the plot is a little loose as it bounces between conflict on the outerworlds, a mission to recruit and train unregistered jumpers and corporate corruption, but Grimspace was a light-hearted, quick and easy read that's action-packed with some laugh-out-loud moments thanks to the witty and sarcastic banter between the ship's crew, which was highly entertaining. Recommended for older teenagers and adults who enjoy sci-fi space operas due to sci-fi violence, a sex-scene and some coarse language.
- Skyward by Spensa's world has been under attack for hundreds of years. An alien race called the Krell leads onslaught after onslaught from the sky in a never-ending campaign to destroy humankind. Humanity's only defense is to take to their ships and fight the enemy in the skies. Pilots have become the heroes of what's left of the human race. Spensa has always dreamed of being one of them; of soaring above Earth and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's - a pilot who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, placing Spensa's chances of attending flight school somewhere between slim and none. No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, but she is still determined to fly. And the Krell just made that a possibility. They've doubled their fleet, making Spensa's world twice as dangerous . . . but their desperation to survive might just take her skyward . . .Call Number: F SANISBN: 9781473217867Publication Date: 2018
My Review - Skyward (Skyward 1)
This is the first book in Sanderson's second sci-fi series. The remnants of humanity are struggling to survive on a distant planet, Detritus, primarily in subterranean caverns amidst frequent attack from an alien force, the Krell. The main character, Spensa, yearns to be a pilot like her father and fight against the Krell, however, she's faces the seemingly insurmountable challenge of overcoming the stigma of her father's reputation as a coward. I found Spensa a little annoying to start with as she was quite arrogant and self-involved as a result of the way she'd been treated growing up, however, the character matured nicely as the plot progressed, recognising her weaknesses, working hard to overcome them and making difficult decisions. The selection of pilot callsigns was hilarious and the kooky artificial intelligence and Doomslug provided some entertaining interactions, while the negative impacts of class systems were prominent throughout the story and there were are a number interesting conversations and moments that lead to reflection on what constitutes heroism and cowardice. The last 200-odd pages were really engrossing, revealing what had happened with her father and what was actually going on with the Krell. Now I have to wait for book 2! An easy read for young adults interested in science-fiction stories set on other planets.
- In the Woods by As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children. He is gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours. Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a 12-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox (his partner and closest friend) find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.Call Number: F FREISBN: 9781444758344Publication Date: 2018
My Review - In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad 1)
This book had such a great premise for a crime novel: Detective Ryan returns to his hometown to investigate the murder of a child at the site where his two childhood friends had disappeared decades before, and were presumably killed, and he was found in a catatonic state covered in blood. However, the amount of time the author wastes on indirect exposition about his adult personal life instead of focusing on the cases was irritating and once Ryan slept with his partner and then treated her like dirt he became totally repugnant and I began to lose interest in the story. The book could have been half the size and subsequently much more interesting. Additionally, the main character states towards the end "But before you decide to despise me too thoroughly, consider this: [he/she] fooled you too." This line annoyed me because, given the behaviours of the characters, I'd worked out quite early in the investigation who had committed the crime and he was just being deliberately obtuse.
- Persepolis Rising by In the thousand-sun network of humanity's expansion, new colony worlds are struggling to find their way. Every new planet lives on a knife-edge between collapse and wonder, and the crew of the aging gunship Rocinante have their hands more than full keeping the fragile peace. In the vast space between Earth and Jupiter, the inner planets and the Belt have formed a tentative and uncertain alliance still haunted by a history of wars and prejudices. On the lost colony world of Laconia, a hidden enemy has a new vision for all of humanity and the power to enforce it. New technologies clash with old as the history of human conflict returns to its ancient pattern of war and subjugation. But human nature is not the only enemy, and the forces being unleashed have their own price. A price that will change the shape of humanity - and of the Rocinante -unexpectedly and forever . . .Call Number: F CORISBN: 9780356510316Publication Date: 2016
My Review - Persepolis Rising (The Expanse 7)
Unwinnable battles, sabotage, sacrifices and betrayal fill this action-packed instalment of The Expanse series. As the plot jumps ahead by about 20 years, the Earthers, Martians and Belters are mostly united in their resistance against the Laconians and Duarte's vision of empire, whilst all of them are largely oblivious to the threat of human extinction hovering in the background (or overconfident of their ability to beat it). The reality of the phrase 'history is written by the victors' becomes evident in a discussion between Holden and Governor Singh, whom conveniently overlooks the fact that while the Laconians condemn the rebels' acts of sabotage and preach peace and unity, violence was also the method they used and supported to establish Laconia. We are also conflicted by the establishment of a dictatorship which, contrary to our own history, is done almost politely, with a minimal loss of life and the aim of uniting all of humanity in peace and not just particular groups. My love of the character Amos took a bit of a hit in this book when we see the true extent of his sociopathy reveal itself through his thoughts and actions towards his own crew when he's been trapped on Medina Station for too long with no suitable physical outlet for his aggression. So disappointed that the publication of Book 8 has been pushed back until the end of March 2019 - I'm desperate to read more!
- Scrublands by In an isolated country town brought to its knees by endless drought, a charismatic and dedicated young priest calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners before being shot dead himself. A year later, troubled journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend to write a feature on the anniversary of the tragedy. But the stories he hears from the locals about the priest and incidents leading up to the shooting don't fit with the accepted version of events his own newspaper reported in an award-winning investigation. Martin can't ignore his doubts, nor the urgings of some locals to unearth the real reason behind the priest's deadly rampage. Just as Martin believes he is making headway, a shocking new development rocks the town, which becomes the biggest story in Australia. The media descends on Riversend and Martin is now the one in the spotlight. His reasons for investigating the shooting have suddenly become very personal. Wrestling with his own demons, Martin finds himself risking everything to discover a truth that becomes darker and more complex with every twist. But there are powerful forces determined to stop him, and he has no idea how far they will go to make sure the town's secrets stay buried. A compulsive thriller that will haunt you long after you have turned the final page.Call Number: F HAMISBN: 9781760632984Publication Date: 2018
My Review - Scrublands (Martin Scarsden 1)
I selected this book because it sounded similar to Jane Harper's books and it certainly was with regard to the creation of the sense of oppressive heat and town tensions in drought-stricken Australia. The story was slow to start; the author spent a lot of time unnecessarily describing the town in the first quarter of book despite the fact that he'd provided a map and referred to the layout of the town whenever the main character moved around throughout the story. However, things really picked up about a third of the way through when the secrets, revelations and crimes started to flow thick and fast. This made the plot much more intriguing and sustained my interest throughout the remainder of the sizeable novel, but there was almost too much going on in such a small town.
- The Lost Man by Two brothers meet at the remote fence line separating their cattle ranches in the lonely outback. In an isolated belt of Queensland, they are each other's nearest neighbour, their homes four hours' drive apart. The third brother lies dead at their feet. Something caused Cam, the middle child who had been in charge of the family homestead, to die alone in the middle of nowhere. So the eldest brother returns with his younger sibling to the family property and those left behind. But the fragile balance of the ranch is threatened. Amidst the grief, suspicion starts to take hold, and the eldest brother begins to wonder if more than one among them is at risk of crumbling as the weight of isolation bears down on them all.Call Number: F HARISBN: 9781743549100Publication Date: 2018
My Review - The Lost Man
Jane Harper has become my favourite crime writer. Her ability to recreate the remote Australian rural environment, the sense of isolation, the oppressive heat and the dangers it presents is outstanding. The opening scenes of The Lost Man brought back memories of the two young jackaroos who died in the Great Sandy Desert in 1986, James Annetts and Simon Amos, a case that fascinated me while I was growing up. We see the impact that physical and social isolation along with domestic violence has on the characters and their mental health. Additionally, family memories and secrets surface, eroding the 'good bloke' image that the deceased had carefully cultivated with the townspeople. Recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy Australian crime stories.
- A Deadly Cambodian Crime Spree by Inspector Singh is in Cambodia - wishing he wasn't. He's been sent as an observer to the international war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, the latest effort by his superiors to ensure that he is anywhere except in Singapore. But for the first time the fat Sikh inspector is on the verge of losing his appetite when a key member of the tribunal is murdered in cold blood. The authorities are determined to write off the incident as a random act of violence, but Singh thinks otherwise. It isn't long before he finds himself caught up in one of the most terrible murder investigations he's witnessed - the roots of which lie in the dark depths of the Cambodian killing fields. . .Call Number: F FLIISBN: 9780749953478Publication Date: 2013-06-25
My Review - A Deadly Cambodian Crime Spree (Inspector Singh Investigates 4)
Whilst I enjoyed the plot and the setting of the Cambodian war crimes tribunal, which I was really interested in as I enjoy learning about historical events and conflicts in particular, the character of Inspector Singh really annoyed me. He constantly pouts in a childish manner and exhibits frequent dramatic mood swings, particularly in his speech. Also unnecessary were the constant references to him being fat; once his physical appearance had been described at the start of the story we didn't need to told about it constantly. It was also evident who the serial killer of the former Khmer Rouge cadres was quite early thanks to a piece of descriptive information that was provided, but the murder of the witness Huon took longer to unravel. Recommended for teenagers and adults who want an easy-to-read crime novel and those who are interested in Cambodia or wars and war crimes.
- Babylon's Ashes by A revolution brewing for generations has begun in fire. It will end in blood. The Free Navy - a violent group of Belters in black-market military ships - has crippled the Earth and begun a campaign of piracy and violence among the outer planets. The colony ships heading for the thousand new worlds on the far side of the alien ring gates are easy prey, and no single navy remains strong enough to protect them. James Holden and his crew know the strengths and weaknesses of this new force better than anyone.Call Number: F CORISBN: 9780356504278Publication Date: 2016
My Review - Babylon's Ashes (The Expanse 6)
This book was epic in scale as the plot followed what was going on in multiple areas of the solar system, which meant the story was told from a large number of points of view, both from familiar and unknown characters. I thought this was going to be really annoying to keep track of but once I realised where each perspective fit into the narrative it was fine. The UN attempts to evacuate as many humans to Luna as possible after the devastating fallout from the attack on Earth. The Free Navy mount railgun defenses on the alien station in the slow zone to prevent people leaving the solar system via the gate network and taking resources that are needed in Sol. Additionally, they start attacking colony ships and taking over stations, stripping them of supplies and then abandoning the Belters they claim to be fighting for, which leads to dissent in the Free Navy high command. As a result, the crew of the Rocinante find themselves working with a coalition of Earth, Mars and OPA forces to try and take down the Free Navy while saving the people on the abandoned stations. Naomi discovers why ships have been randomly disappearing when passing through the ring network and, recognising that the Sol system's economy needs to be stabilised in the face of the rapid colonisation of numerous new worlds, Holden presents a proposal to the coalition forces. At the conclusion of the story an ominous message is broadcast threatening to destroy anyone who attempts to pass through the Laconia gate, the gate that the Mars defectors left through. Recommended for teenagers and adults who enjoy reading space operas.
- We'll Fly Away by Luke and Toby have always had each other's backs. But then one choice--or maybe it is a series of choices--sets them down an irrevocable path. We'll Fly Away weaves together Luke and Toby's senior year of high school with letters Luke writes to Toby later--from death row. Best friends since childhood, Luke and Toby have dreamed of one thing: getting out of their dead-end town. Soon they finally will, riding the tails of Luke's wrestling scholarship, never looking back. If they don't drift apart first. If Toby's abusive dad, or Luke's unreliable mom, or anything else their complicated lives throw at them doesn't get in the way. Tense and emotional, this hard-hitting novel explores family abuse, sex, love, and friendship, and how far people will go to protect those they love.Call Number: F BLIISBN: 9780062494276Publication Date: 2018-05-08
My Review - We'll Fly Away
Following the opening letter from Luke while he's awaiting execution on death row, the story of his friendship with his best friend Toby unfolds to reveal a shared experience of poverty, neglect and abuse. The title of the book in conjunction with the wrecked plane that Luke and Toby played in as children symbolise their desire to escape their lives but also indicate that it is a fanciful dream. Inseparable throughout their lives, an unplanned revelation upsets Toby and he cuts Luke out of his life. At this vulnerable time, he becomes enamoured of a mysterious older woman, an acquaintance of his father's, who takes advantage of him before casting him aside for her own self-interests. Halfway through the book you start to realise there is an ominous pattern to the writing of the letters, which leads up to the devastating scene that is the catalyst for Luke's actions, a moment that brought tears to my eyes. Recommended for older teens who enjoy reading realistic fiction.
- Nemesis Games by A thousand worlds have opened, and the greatest land rush in human history has begun. As wave after wave of colonists leave, the power structures of the old solar system begin to buckle. Ships are disappearing without a trace. Private armies are being secretly formed. The sole remaining protomolecule sample is stolen. Terrorist attacks previously considered impossible bring the inner planets to their knees. The sins of the past are returning to exact a terrible price. And as a new human order is struggling to be born in blood and fire, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante must struggle to survive and get back to the only home they have left.Call Number: F CORISBN: 9780356504230Publication Date: 2015
My Review - Nemesis Games (The Expanse 5)
I was highly stressed reading Nemesis Games because for the first time in the series the crew temporarily splits up to see to some personal issues whilst the Rocinante is docked at Tycho station for months of extensive repairs following the voyage to Ilus. Holden remains with the ship while Naomi heads to Ceres to help a family member, Alex decides to visit Mars and try to make amends with his ex-wife and Amos travels to Earth following the death of a friend. During their separation the OPA, who until now have been involved in relatively small-scale conflicts, unleashes chaos throughout the solar system and this novel ends with a great sense of foreboding as we are given a brief hint of something happening beyond the ring gates. While all of the novels in the series have had plot links, this book is the first part of a major story arc which is likely to span at least a couple of books. Thankfully, the sixth book is already out and I can continue reading straight away.
- Force of Nature by Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along the muddy track. Only four come out the other side. The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and teach resilience and team building. At least that is what the corporate retreat website advertises. Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a particularly keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing bushwalker. Alice Russell is the whistleblower in his latest case - and Alice knew secrets. About the company she worked for and the people she worked with. Far from the hike encouraging teamwork, the women tell Falk a tale of suspicion, violence and disintegrating trust. And as he delves into the disappearance, it seems some dangers may run far deeper than anyone knew.Call Number: F HARISBN: 9781743549094Publication Date: 2017
My Review - Force of Nature
This is the second crime novel featuring Federal Agent Aaron Falk. Falk and his partner are investigating the suspect finances of a family-owned accounting firm when their contact goes missing whilst on a three-day teambuilding hike with colleagues from her workplace. The stories of the hike and of the search and investigation are told in tandem, which adds to the momentum of the story, particularly over the last 100-150 pages as the hikers start to panic and despair. Once again, Harper has written a highly atmospheric novel - the claustrophobic feel of the dense Australian bush is undeniable, as is the sense of unease that is generated by references to a fictional serial killer who had operated in the area 20 years earlier, one reminiscent of Ivan Milat. Recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy crime stories and Australian stories.
- The Shepherd's Hut by Jaxie dreads going home. His mum’s dead. The old man bashes him without mercy, and he wishes he was an orphan. But no one’s ever told Jaxie Clackton to be careful what he wishes for. In one terrible moment his life is stripped to little more than what he can carry and how he can keep himself alive. There’s just one person left in the world who understands him and what he still dares to hope for. But to reach her he’ll have to cross the vast saltlands on a trek that only a dreamer or a fugitive would attempt.Call Number: F WINISBN: 9780143786115Publication Date: 2018
My Review - The Shepherd's Hut
I have to admit that aside from Lockie Leonard, I don't enjoy Tim Winton's books. The excessive use of Australian slang in The Shepherd's Hut was unrealistic and would limit the novel's appeal in other countries where at least 80% of the book wouldn't be understood. I grew up in the country and we use a lot of slang but I've never heard anything to the extent of that used by Jaxie - it's just playing on an Australian stereotype. The internal monologue for the first third of the book as Jaxie runs from Monkton felt tedious and it's not until he crosses paths with Irishman Fintan MacGinnis out in the remote wilderness that the story started to get interesting for me. The harshness and vastness of the Australian outback was very well rendered but the conclusion of the story felt rushed. Recommended for senior students and adults as it was quite a dark, brutal book that contained domestic violence, an unconventional relationship, the hunting and slaughtering of animals (although it was for survival), violence, and frequent coarse language.
- Tempests and Slaughter by Arram. Varice. Ozorne. In the first book in the Numair Chronicles, three student mages are bound by fate . . . fated for danger. Act fast! Arram Draper is on the path to becoming one of the realm's most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness--and for attracting trouble. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the "leftover prince" with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram's heart, Arram realizes that one day--soon--he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.Call Number: F PIEISBN: 9780734418678Publication Date: 2018-02-13
My Review - Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles 1)
I have been waiting for years for the release of The Numair Chronicles, which are about the early years of the mage Arram Draper before he takes on the name of Numair Salmalin. Numair first appeared in Tamora Pierce's The Immortals series in the early to mid-nineties. I was a bit disappointed in this book, I think because he was such a great adult character and this is pretty much just the story of him as a young boy going to mage school-university and learning his craft whilst fending off the usual school bullies who are jealous of his talents. There are interesting little pockets in the story when his teachers take him outside the university and put his magical skills to the test in real-world scenarios instead of just practising them in the classroom, and we see signs of his friend Prince Ozorne's instability and cruelty, but the climax of the story seemed a bit odd. I felt the story should have continued following the Faziy/lightning snakes mystery (which we get the impression will happen in the next book) rather than switching to the brief gladiator escape attempt, which felt anticlimactic. It definitely felt like the book was heavily focused on establishing the background for the trilogy. Recommended for students aged 10-12 who enjoy the fantasy genre.
- Cibola Burn by Enter a new frontier. "An empty apartment, a missing family, that's creepy. But this is like finding a military base with no one on it. Fighters and tanks idling on the runway with no drivers. This is bad juju. Something wrong happened here. What you should do is tell everyone to leave." The gates have opened the way to a thousand new worlds and the rush to colonize has begun. Settlers looking for a new life stream out from humanity's home planets. Ilus, the first human colony on this vast new frontier, is being born in blood and fire. Independent settlers stand against the overwhelming power of a corporate colony ship with only their determination, courage, and the skills learned in the long wars of home. Innocent scientists are slaughtered as they try to survey a new and alien world. The struggle on Ilus threatens to spread all the way back to Earth. James Holden and the crew of his one small ship are sent to make peace in the midst of war and sense in the midst of chaos. But the more he looks at it, the more Holden thinks the mission was meant to fail. And the whispers of a dead man remind him that the great galactic civilization that once stood on this land is gone. And that something killed it.Call Number: F CORISBN: 9780316334686Publication Date: 2015-05-05
My Review - Cibola Burn (The Expanse 4)
Book four of The Expanse dealt with the political issues around interplanetary colonisation. The discovery that the Ring is a gateway to thousands of planets that may be habitable excites humanity, leading to a clash between Belter refugees from Ganymede and a UN-sanctioned scientific exploration company, Royal Charter Energy (RCE). The main characters have been so well created that I was feeling their frustrations myself. The bickering between the refugees and the RCE security forces was excruciating and I was dying for Holden to take a lesson from Amos and shoot a few specific people so that they could start making progress. We saw the return of Miller's former partner from Ceres Station, Havelock, as part of the RCE security team and the introduction of Basia as one of the refugees who resorts to terrorist tactics. Once again we discover that there are bigger things going on in the universe but that humanity is too consumed by its petty selfishness to learn. I felt that there were too many interludes with The Investigator and they were very repetitive - I would have been happy with just two or maybe three. I was also very disappointed that we only got the briefest of appearances from former Martian marine Bobbie Draper, however, it does appear that she'll have a major role in book five.
- The Tattooist of Auschwitz by This novel is based on the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov, two Slovakian Jews, who survived Auschwitz and eventually made their home in Australia. In that terrible place, Lale was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - literally scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. Lale used the infinitesimal freedom of movement that this position awarded him to exchange jewels and money taken from murdered Jews for food to keep others alive. If he had been caught he would have been killed; many owed him their survival.Call Number: F MORISBN: 9781785763656Publication Date: 2018
My Review - The Tattooist of Auschwitz
This was an intriguing book to read, especially as it was based on the true stories of the two central characters, Lale and Gita. I hadn't really thought about who tattooed the numbers on the prisoners at Auschwitz before and had assumed it was the Germans who worked there. To discover that it was the job of several Jewish prisoners was shocking, despite already knowing that some prisoners took on jobs in the camps that would have been abhorrent under normal circumstances, but were a means of survival for many (such as the Sonderkommando). Mengele's appearances were chilling, especially as I had the background knowledge of the experiments he'd conducted, and the scene of the prisoners being forced to play a 'friendly' game of soccer with the SS guards whilst the ash from the crematoria rained down on them was haunting. The inclusion of factual information about several of the people who were featured in the story was interesting but I felt Cilka's fate was unjustified, unless there was additional information that was left out of the story. The book was easy to read and I finished it in about six hours, but I felt the ending was rather rushed following the abandonment of Auschwitz and Birkenau as the Russian troops advanced. Recommended for older teens and adults who are interested in war and survival stories. Morris is also writing Cilka's Story, which is due out in July 2019 and I will certainly be reading that too.
- Abaddon's Gate by For generations, the solar system - Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt - was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artefact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has emerged to build a massive structure outside the orbit of Uranus: a gate that leads into a starless dark. Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are part of a vast flotilla of scientific and military ships going out to examine the artefact. But behind the scenes, a complex plot is unfolding, with the destruction of Holden at its core. As the emissaries of the human race try to find whether the gate is an opportunity or a threat, the greatest danger is the one they brought with them.Call Number: F CORISBN: 9781841499932Publication Date: 2013
My Review - Abaddon's Gate (The Expanse 3)
Book 3 of The Expanse was a little bit of a slog in places. The Rocinante's four-month-long trip out to the ring with a news crew almost felt like it was taking place in real time, and the presence of the news crew meant the group dynamic felt strained, whilst the major battle on the OPA ship Behemoth felt like it went on forever as we rotated through the four points-of-view of Holden, 'Bull', Anna and Clarissa. Clarissa Mao/Melba Koh was an irritating new character who had become obsessed with discrediting and killing James Holden in retaliation for his part in imprisoning her father. She conveniently ignores the fact that her father committed heinous crimes and killed thousands, behaviour which she herself engages in as well; she simply wants to be 'daddy's favourite' now that her sister Julie is gone, and therefore comes across as quite immature. The introduction of Pastor Anna, on the other hand, provided an interesting perspective on the durability and place of religion in a world that has expanded beyond earth and humans have learned that they are not alone in the universe. By heading through the ring to avoid being destroyed by the UN, Mars and OPA forces, Holden and the crew of Rocinante unintentionally initiate a new wave of interstellar exploration. Still my favourite space opera - bring on book 4!
- Caliban's War by For someone who didn't intend to wreck the solar system's fragile balance of power, Jim Holden did a pretty good job of it. While Earth and Mars have stopped shooting each other, the core alliance is shattered. The outer planets and the Belt are uncertain in their new - possibly temporary - autonomy. Then, on one of Jupiter's moons, a single super-soldier attacks, slaughtering soldiers of Earth and Mars indiscriminately and reigniting the war. The race is on to discover whether this is the vanguard of an alien army, or if the danger lies closer to home.Call Number: F CORISBN: 9781841499918Publication Date: 2013
My Review - Caliban's War (The Expanse 2)
Full of political intrigue and manoeuvring, book two of The Expanse continues to follow the crew of the Rocinante ('Roci') as well as Deputy Undersecretary of Executive Administration of the United Nations Chrisjen Avasarala and Martian marine Bobbie Draper. Holden and the crew of the Roci head to Ganymede where they join forces with chief botanist, Praxideke Meng, in the search for his daughter who was kidnapped by the doctors behind an alien hybrid experiment. Chrisjen Avasarala engages in a political power play in an attempt to expose corrupt UN government officials who were involved in the protomolecule experiment, while Bobbie Draper ends up becoming her assistant after she earns the wrath of the Martian Congressional Republic (MCR) for her outburst at the UN/MCR hearing into the 'incident' on Ganymede. Bobbie Draper is one of the main reasons I love this book - she's fierce, gutsy and honest and I hope she appears again in the series. Recommended for teenagers and adults who enjoy science fiction and space operas - a lot of swearing, vague descriptions of sex scenes, and violence.
- Leviathan Wakes by Humanity has colonised the planets - interstellar travel is still beyond our reach, but the solar system has become a dense network of colonies. But there are tensions - the mineral-rich outer planets resent their dependence on Earth and Mars and the political and military clout they wield over the Belt and beyond. Now, when Captain Jim Holden's ice miner stumbles across a derelict, abandoned ship, he uncovers a secret that threatens to throw the entire system into war. Attacked by a stealth ship belonging to the Mars fleet, Holden must find a way to uncover the motives behind the attack, stop a war and find the truth behind a vast conspiracy that threatens the entire human race.Call Number: F CORISBN: 9781841499895Publication Date: 2012
My Review - Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse 1)
I watched the first two series of The Expanse on TV first and loved it - it's one of my favourite science fiction shows. This is the first science fiction eBook I've listened to and at first I wasn't sure how it was going to go, especially with all of the tech-talk. However, it was fantastic! The TV series was really close to the book so it was like watching the TV series all over again - I was able to picture it all happening while I was listening, which was a great recap as Season 3 starts screening soon. The story is divided between the perspectives of Holden, the Executive Officer of the ice hauler Canterbury who becomes Captain of the Rocinante after a series of mysterious ship attacks by an unknown 'cloaked' fleet, and Miller, a detective on Ceres station who is tasked with tracking down missing person Julie Mao. The fates of the characters become interlinked after they meet on Eros Station and unearth a terrible, deadly secret. A rollicking space adventure that I highly recommend for science fiction/space opera fans.
- The Piper's Son by Thomas Mackee wants oblivion. Wants to forget parents who leave and friends he used to care about and a string of one-night stands, and favourite uncles being blown to smithereens on their way to work on the other side of the world. But when his flatmates turn him out of the house, Tom moves in with his single, pregnant aunt, Georgie. And starts working at the Union pub with his former friends. And winds up living with his grieving father again. And remembers how he abandoned Tara Finke two years ago, after his uncle's death. And in a year when everything's broken, Tom realises that his family and friends need him to help put the pieces back together as much as he needs them.Call Number: F MARISBN: 9780670074235Publication Date: 2010
My Review - The Piper's Son
Saving Francesca is one of my favourite books, however, I never got around to reading the sequel, The Piper's Son, which follows the character Thomas several years later. Thomas's life has been spiralling out of control since his uncle died and he retreated from his group of friends out of a misguided sense of self-preservation. Close to hitting rock-bottom, he reconnects with "The Girls" (Francesca, Justine, Siobhan and Tara) whose friendship gives him the support he needs to confront his inner demons. Marchetta really knows how to evoke emotion with her characters and I spent a lot of time wiping away the tears in response to Tom's anguish and despair at being abandoned by his parents, and losing both his uncle and the girl he loved. Recommended for teenagers who enjoy contemporary/realistic Australian fiction.
- Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Chief Inspector Bish Ortley of the London Met, divorced and still grieving the death of his son, has been drowning his anger in Scotch. Something has to give, and he's no sooner suspended from the force than a busload of British students is subject to a deadly bomb attack across the Channel. Bish's daughter is one of those on board. Also on the bus is Violette LeBrac. Raised in Australia, Violette has a troubled background. Thirteen years ago her grandfather bombed a London supermarket, killing dozens of people. Her mother, Noor, is serving a life sentence in connection with the incident. But before Violette's part in the French tragedy can be established she disappears. Bish, who was involved in Noor LeBrac's arrest, is now compelled to question everything that happened back then. And the more he delves into the lives of the family he helped put away, the more he realises that truth wears many colours.Call Number: F MARISBN: 9780670079100Publication Date: 2016
My Review - Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil
This is Marchetta's first foray into adult crime fiction and it was fantastic. A cross-channel investigation of a school bus bombing involving British and French authorities reveals that one of the teenagers on the bus was Violette LeBrac, the granddaughter of a notorious British suicide bomber. The blame game begins - was she the target or was she the bomber? The situation is further complicated when Violette goes on the run with another boy from the bus, Eddie, for reasons that Chief Inspector Ortley must uncover as he tries to track them down and keep them safe from volatile members of the British public. The gradual revelation of clues and truths relating to the current bombing, and the former bombing by Violette's grandfather, are totally intriguing and I couldn't put this book down. Recommended for older teens and adults who enjoy the crime genre.
- The Dry by Who really killed the Hadler family? Luke Hadler turns a gun on his wife and child, then himself. The farming community of Kiewarra is facing life and death choices daily. If one of their own broke under the strain, well ... When Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk returns to Kiewarra for the funerals, he is loath to confront the people who rejected him twenty years earlier. But when his investigative skills are called on, the facts of the Hadler case start to make him doubt this murder-suicide charge. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, old wounds are reopened. For Falk and his childhood friend Luke shared a secret ... A secret Falk thought long-buried ... A secret which Luke's death starts to bring to the surface ...Call Number: F HARISBN: 9781743548059Publication Date: 2017
My Review - The Dry
Set in a small, drought stricken outback town that is battling to survive, Federal Agent Aaron Falk returns to his childhood home for the funeral of his former best friend and his family who were the victims of a shooting incident. Whilst there, questions are raised about whether the investigation actually uncovered the truth, and the death of one of Aaron's childhood friends comes back to haunt him. Highly atmospheric - you can almost feel the heat sucking the life out of you and the animosity from the townsfolk towards Aaron. A fantastic Australian crime novel! I believe there are meant to be more Aaron Falk books planned so I will definitely be looking out for them. I would recommend it for older teens and adults who enjoy crime stories and Australian stories.
- One of Us is Lying by On Thursday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app. Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Thursday, he died. But on Friday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they just the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.Call Number: F MCMISBN: 9780141375632Publication Date: 2017
My Review - One of Us is Lying
My first thought when I saw the cover of this book was of the movie The Breakfast Club, which one of the characters acknowledges when they all arrive for detention (and which the author has admitted was inspiration for the book as she is interested by what happens when different types of people are brought together). It was an entertaining YA crime read with some decent character development throughout the individual chapters. Against the backdrop of the murder investigation, the novel explored each of the characters identities, and the secrets they each kept to preserve their public personas which, of course, become public knowledge via the gossip app the victim runs. I did think the police investigation was lacking in authenticity though, as they ignored some pretty obvious aspects that warranted looking into. Recommended for Year 8 and up as it touches on mental health and sexuality.
- The Desert Spear by The sun is setting on humanity. The night now belongs to voracious demons that prey upon a dwindling population forced to cower behind half-forgotten symbols of power. Legends tell of a Deliverer: a general who once bound all mankind into a single force that defeated the demons. But is the return of the Deliverer just another myth? Perhaps not. Out of the desert rides Ahmann Jardir, who has forged the desert tribes into a demon-killing army. He has proclaimed himself Shar'Dama Ka, the Deliverer, and he carries ancient weapons--a spear and a crown--that give credence to his claim. But the Northerners claim their own Deliverer: the Warded Man, a dark, forbidding figure. Once, the Shar'Dama Ka and the Warded Man were friends. Now they are fierce adversaries. Yet as old allegiances are tested and fresh alliances forged, all are unaware of the appearance of a new breed of demon, more intelligent--and deadly--than any that have come before.Call Number: F BREISBN: 9780345524140Publication Date: 2011-03-01
My Review - The Desert Spear (Demon Cycle 2)
Book two in the Demon Cycle series begins with the story of Ahmann Jardir, whose betrayal of Arlen in The Painted Man had alienated me. Whilst his story adds depth his character and makes him more relatable, particularly learning of the harsh experiences he suffered during warrior training as a child, the treatment of women in his society was really unsettling. I did like the return to the stories of Leesha, Arlen and Rojer, who had returned to Cutters' Hollow and taught the villagers how to fight the demons with battle wards, an activity they wholeheartedly embraced with great success. Content is definitely suitable for mature readers.
- The Hero of Ages by Tricked into releasing the evil spirit Ruin while attempting to close the Well of Ascension, new emperor Elend Venture and his wife, the assassin Vin, are now hard-pressed to save the world.Call Number: F SANISBN: 9780575089945Publication Date: 2010
My Review - The Hero of Ages (Mistborn 3)
This final part of the Mistborn trilogy was just filled with revelation after amazing revelation, which Sanderson had clearly well-planned and worked towards from the start. The characters embraced their roles and responsibilities in the fight for survival, battled for power, questioned their decisions, learned of deception and betrayal, and made sacrifices for the greater good. I liked that Sanderson developed some of the supporting characters further, especially TenSoon, which added different perspectives and depth to the story. It was absolutely brilliant and I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading epic fantasy series.
- The Painted Man by When Arlen’s life is shattered by a demon plague, he is forced to see that it is fear, rather than the demons, which truly cripples humanity. Believing that there is more to his world than to live in constant fear, he must risk leaving the safety of his wards to discover a different path. In the small town of Cutter’s Hollow, Leesha’s perfect future is destroyed by betrayal and a simple lie. Publicly shamed, she is reduced to gathering herbs and tending an old woman more fearsome than the corelings. Yet in her disgrace, she becomes the guardian of dangerous ancient knowledge. Orphaned and crippled in a demon attack, young Rojer takes solace in mastering the musical arts of a Jongleur, only to learn that his unique talent gives him unexpected power over the night. Together, these three young people will offer humanity a last, fleeting chance of survival.Call Number: F BREISBN: 9780007492541Publication Date: 2013
My Review - The Painted Man (Demon Cycle 1)
This audiobook was a bit of a shock after listening to two Mistborn books, as the narrator spoke a lot faster, however, it was a brilliant start to the Demon Cycle series. The story follows the journeys of three central characters (Arlen, Leesha and Rojer) from childhood through to adulthood as they discover their purposes/vocations in the fight against the demons that rise from the ground and attack every night. In sections where the characters are engaged in a certain activity for some time (ie. apprenticeships) the author jumps forward several years in the storytelling to avoid getting bogged down in what is already a long tale, and this helps keep the story interesting. I found all three characters intriguing and can't wait to read the next book. Recommended for older teenagers and adults who enjoy epic fantasy series, as the content is quite graphic in places.
- The Well of Ascension by The impossible has happened. The Lord Ruler is dead has been vanquished. But so too is Kelsier the man who masterminded the triumph. The awesome task of rebuilding the world has been left to his protege Vin; a one-time street urchin, now the most powerful Mistborn in the land. Worryingly for her Vin has become the focus of a new religion, a development that leaves her intensely uneasy. More worryingly still the mists have become unpredictable since the Lord Ruler died and a strage vaprous entity is stalking Vin. As the siege of Luthadel intensifies the ancient legend of the Well of Ascension offers the only glimmer of hope. But no-one knows where it is or what it can do...Call Number: F SANISBN: 9780575089938Publication Date: 2010
My Review - The Well of Ascension (Mistborn 2)
Following the death of the Lord Ruler, the process of establishing new leadership is destabilised as Luthedel is besieged by the armies of Straff Venture and Cett. Whilst Elend deals with the politics of the situation, Vin begins to search for the Well of Ascension in an effort to release its power and heal the world. A new mistborn, Zane, also turns up in Luthedel and engages in a game of cat-and-mouse with Vin, toying with her emotions. The interactions between Zane and Vin really frustrated me because Vin kept listening to him despite his manipulations being obvious, however, the fact that their interactions generated that response in me goes to show how well Sanderson writes. Sanderson really knows how to build the intensity in his plots and I always find myself binge-listening to the last three or so hours of each book.
- The Final Empire by For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear while the Lord Ruler reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, a divinely invincible leader. Hope is long lost, until a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa in the depths of the most hellish prison and discovered he has the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, Kelsier will turn his talents to the ultimate caper: one with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark. Only he's not just planning the greatest heist in history, he's plotting the overthrow of a divine despot.Call Number: F SANISBN: 9780575089914Publication Date: 2009
My Review - The Final Empire (Mistborn 1)
Following a harsh life spent living on the streets and working for mercenary thieving crews, teenaged Vin is recruited by Kelsier to be a part of the crew of allomancers he has put together to overthrow the tyrannical Lord Ruler. With Kelsier's help, Vin discovers that she is also an allomancer, quite a powerful one, and that she may have finally found a group of people that she can trust. This was the first audiobook I have listened to and I initially found the experience frustrating because I can read faster than the narrator was talking and his tone made everyone, including the slaves, sound 'posh'. It seemed to take him a while to adapt to the story and once he did I became completely engrossed. Recommended for people who enjoy epic fantasy series.
- Divided by The hunter becomes the hunted. . . . West Grayer is done killing. She defeated her Alternate, a twin raised by another family, and proved she's worthy of a future. She's ready to move on with her life. The Board has other plans. They want her to kill one last time, and offer her a deal worth killing for. But when West recognizes her target as a ghost from her past, she realizes she's in over her head. The Board is lying, and West will have to uncover the truth of the past to secure her future. How far will the Board go to keep their secrets safe? And how far will West go to save those she loves?Call Number: F CHAISBN: 9780449812969Publication Date: 2014
My Review - Divided
In the sequel to Dualed, West Grayer's actions come back to haunt her when the Board makes her an offer she can't refuse in return for a series of assassinations. Whilst Divided provides a lot more context for the world the story is set in, and the story has a faster pace, I didn't enjoy it as much because I felt West's character didn't grow enough. Whilst she works on coming to terms with the conflict of the assassinations she had previously carried out, she continues to exhibit secretive behaviours with Chord that she knew were detrimental to her survival from Dualed. The story is open-ended enough to hint at a third novel in the series and I would recommend it to people who are interested in dystopian science fiction.
- Into the Water by A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged. Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from a place to which she vowed she’d never return. Beware a calm surface you never know what lies beneath.Call Number: F HAWISBN: 9780857524430Publication Date: 2017
My Review - Into the Water
After enjoying The Girl on the Train so much, I definitely wanted to read Paula Hawkins' new book and once again she had me intrigued with her tale of a series of deaths of women and teenaged girls in the local river in a small English town. Like her first book, the author chose to tell her story from multiple perspectives, but I felt there were too many to keep track of this time, although they did all provide insight into the events that had taken place in the town and raised the theme of perspective. This also prevented you from strongly connecting with any particular character. Additionally, some of the chapters were really short, especially at the start, which was a little frustrating when you are trying to immerse yourself in the story. Recommended for people who enjoy the mystery/crime genre, especially domestic thrillers.
- The Butterfly Garden by Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden. In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees...and a collection of precious "butterflies"--young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens. When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself. As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who'd go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she's still hiding....Call Number: F HUTISBN: 9781503934719Publication Date: 2016-06-01
My Review - The Butterfly Garden
A disturbing, yet fascinating, story about a group of young women between the ages of 16 and 21 who are kidnapped for their beauty, held hostage, and eventually murdered. The story begins following the rescue of a group of girls from captivity and is told in a series of interviews between detectives and one of the survivors whom they suspect may have been more than just a victim, a technique which constantly leaves you wanting to know more. Recommended for older teens and adults (graphic content) who are interested in the crime/thriller genre.
- Schizo by The fascinating, shocking, and ultimately quite hopeful story of one teen's downward spiral into mental illness by the bestselling author of Tweak. Miles's little brother Teddy is missing. The police believe he drowned at the beach the very same day Miles had his first schizophrenic episode. But Miles knows better; Teddy is alive. Kidnapped. There was even a witness! Fueled by guilt, Miles sets off to rescue Teddy. There is so much to overcome, though. The endless pills he must take. The girl who steals his heart and plays with it. The black crows that follow him. As seen through Miles's distorted perception, his world closes around him as he pushes to keep it open. What you think you know about his world is actually a blur of gray, though, and the sharp focus of reality proves startling.Call Number: F SHEISBN: 9780399164378Publication Date: 2014-09-30
My Review - Schizo
Schizo was an easy read that dealt realistically with the complex topic of Schizophrenia. I liked that the main character was fairly well accepted by his peers despite his mental illness. There are moments when they think he's behaving weirdly or is thought of as the 'boy who snapped' but he is not treated maliciously by them. It shows the difficulty sufferers experience when trying to manage their illness, examples of triggers, and how important medication and counselling are to the process. The relationships that Miles has with his family and friends, the people who stand by him, are also noteworthy. Recommended for people who enjoy reading realistic fiction with teenage characters and people who have enjoyed other books with a mental health theme such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Mature content warning for one scene.
- Truth by At the close of a long day, Inspector Stephen Villani stands in the bathroom of a luxury apartment high above the city. In the glass bath, a young woman lies dead, a panic button within reach. So begins Truth, the sequel to Peter Temple's bestselling masterpiece, The Broken Shore, winner of the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for Best Crime Novel. Villani's life is his work. It is his identity, his calling, his touchstone. But now, over a few sweltering summer days, as fires burn across the state and his superiors and colleagues scheme and jostle, he finds all the certainties of his life are crumbling. Truth is a novel about a man, a family, a city. It is about violence, murder, love, corruption, honour and deceit. And it is about truth.Call Number: F TEMISBN: 9781921656620Publication Date: 2010
My Review - Truth
I loved Peter Temple's The Broken Shore (a brilliant, Australian crime story with so many interwoven secrets) so when I heard there was a sequel that focused on one of the minor characters I had to read it. However, I found this book frustrating to read: there were a multitude of characters to try and keep track of, there was a large amount of cop slang/banter that was difficult to follow in places, and a lot of time was spent on the personal life and troubles of the main character, whom I didn't really care about, instead of solving the crimes. The last 100 pages did focus on solving the crimes and they were fast-paced and riveting - it was a pity the rest of the book wasn't the same. Truth does contain explicit violence and language which could be disturbing to some readers.
- The leaving by Six were taken. Eleven years later, five come back - with no idea of where they've been. A riveting mystery for fans of We Were Liars and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Eleven years ago, six five-year-olds went missing without a trace. After all that time, the people left behind moved on, or tried to. Until today. Today five of those kids return. They're sixteen, and they are . . . fine. Scarlett comes home and finds a mother she barely recognizes, and doesn't really recognize the person she's supposed to be, either. But she thinks she remembers Lucas. Lucas remembers Scarlett, too, except they're entirely unable to recall where they've been or what happened to them. Neither of them remember the sixth victim, Max. He doesn't come back. Everyone wants answers. Most of all Max's sister Avery, who needs to find her brother - dead or alive - and isn't buying this whole memory-loss story.Call Number: F ALTISBN: 9781408877807Publication Date: 2016
My Review - The Leaving
The Leaving started in an intriguing manner with the memory-wiped teens being dropped off in the middle of nowhere with maps to their houses. However, the switching point-of-view between three of the characters made the story slow and it was hard to connect with any of them. The ending also felt quite unsatisfying because, after expecting some big reveal, the author suddenly wraps everything up within a matter of a few pages.
- The Red Queen by I saw the moon crack and open like an egg, and a seethe of transparent beasts emerged . . . I heard a sound like thunder inside the earth and the ground shook and broke open like a vast stony maw. It spat out fire and I saw wolves falling into a molten gold stream . . . I made my way along the ancient tunnel, following Maruman, who ran lightly ahead of me. I did not ask how he had come to be here. He was the Moonwatcher as I was the Seeker. This was where we had been destined to come together.Before Elspeth Gordie can continue her journey to find Sentinel and prevent it unleashing the horrors of the Great White, she must fight free of a strange prison, where people are laid to sleep forever or cling to a suffocating existence, believing the world beyond their walls is already utterly annihilated. But at the end of her journey, nothing is as she imagined. She is drawn into the struggle for a kingdom, only to find the Destroyer is at the heart of the turmoil, waiting for her. Somehow she must do what she has sworn to do, for the sake of the world and all of its creatures. She must complete her quest, no matter what it costs.Call Number: F CARISBN: 9780670076406Publication Date: 2016-02-15
My Review - The Red Queen (The Obernewtyn Chronicles 7)
After waiting 29 years for a conclusion to the Obernewtyn Chronicles, this was the most disappointing end to a series that I've ever read. A ridiculous amount of time was wasted in the habitat (essentially an entirely separate story in itself), the book spends a ridiculous amount of time developing minor characters at the expense of central characters (particularly the two main villains), the amount of exposition was mind-numbing, and the book was clearly unedited. After a journey spanning seven books, Elspeth sleeps through the major event that the entire series has been leading towards, and her apparent 'reward' for undertaking the journey was ridiculous.
- The Sending (Obernewtyn Chronicles Book 6) by It came to me then, like a chilly draught from an unseen gap, that I had always known in my deepest heart that it would be like this, a slipping away from a life full of people I had come to love, in a place I had helped to shape, in a land I had helped to free. The time has come at last for Elspeth Gordie to leave the Land on her quest to find and stop the computermachine Sentinel from unleashing the deadly Balance of Terror arsenal. But before she can embark on her journey, she must find a lost key. And although she has long prepared for this day, nothing is as she anticipated. Elspeth's search will take her where she never thought to go, and bestow upon her stranger companions than any she ever imagined. It will lead her far from her destination to those she believed lost forever. And it will test her, as she has never been tested before.Call Number: F CARISBN: 9780143567479Publication Date: 2013
My Review - The Sending (The Obernewtyn Chronicles 6)
The second last book in the series, this novel focused heavily on Elspeth's journey to fulfil the prophecy. The journeying also included a lot of conversations between Elspeth and her companions as she revealed all the details of the prophecy and her journey so far - this was a little frustrating as it's already known to the reader. I'm glad I didn't read this volume until the final book in the series had been released because it ends on a cliffhanger.
- Carousel by Nox is an arts graduate wondering what to do with his life. Taylor and Lizzy are famous indie musicians, and Rocky works the checkouts at Target. When they find themselves trapped in a giant shopping centre, they eat fast food, watch bad TV and wait for the mess to be sorted. But when days turn to weeks, a sense of menace grows.Call Number: F RITISBN: 9781925162141Publication Date: 2015-09-01
My Review - Carousel
I remember that when I was growing up I thought it would be pretty cool to be locked in a shopping centre overnight because of all the things you would have access to, so when I discovered that this novel was about fourpeople being trapped in Carousel Shopping Centre here in Perth I was intrigued. Nox, Taylor, Lizzie and Rocky are delivered to the open yet abandoned shopping centre, seemingly by the same taxi. When the employees fail to appear, they go to leave the centre only to discover they're locked in. So begins the fight for survival and escape, an experience which affects each character in a unique way and reveals their strengths and weaknesses. I found it frustrating that the genre wasn't identifiable and the story was left open-ended - throughout the story I was guessing that it was either a social experiment similar to The Truman Show or dystopian fiction and the world outside had been destroyed by some kind of apocalyptic event.
- Go Set a Watchman by Set during the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman features many of the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird some twenty years later. Scout has returned to Maycomb from New York to visit her father Atticus. She is forced to grapple with issues both personal and political as she tries to understand both her father’s attitude toward society, and her own feelings about the place where she was born and spent her childhood.Call Number: F LEEISBN: 9781785150289Publication Date: 2015
My Review - Go Set a Watchman
Purported to have been written by Harper Lee prior to To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman was poorly marketed. Rather than being advertised as a great summer read, the book should have been presented as a literary curiousity through which one could study the development of an author's writing ability. It is also possibly a revelation of the impact an editor can have on a final product. I believe there is enough similarity in the writing style to confirm it was written by Harper Lee but the writing feels quite juvenile. Additionally, very little happens in the first 100 pages or so, rather it is a collection of childhood anecdotes. It is no wonder that the editor asked Ms Lee to focus on telling the story of young Scout instead.
- The Girl on the Train by 'Gripping, enthralling - a top-notch thriller and a compulsive read' S J WATSON, bestselling author of Before I Go To Sleep Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She's even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. 'Jess and Jason', she calls them. Their life - as she sees it - is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy. And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she's only watched from afar. Now they'll see; she's much more than just the girl on the train...Call Number: F HAWISBN: 9780857522320Publication Date: 2015-01-13
My Review - The Girl on the Train
The story was a little slow to start with as the main character, Rachel, was difficult to connect with due to her pathetic, alcoholic behaviour. However, following the suspected murder of a person Rachel regularly observes on her daily commute into London, I became intrigued by the multiple perspectives that were introduced to build a complete picture of both current and past events, and the characters who were shaped by them. Recommended for people who enjoy crime and mystery stories.
- Red Rising by Red Rising Trilogy Book 1 The Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it. The Reds are humanity's last hope. Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all al lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down on Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought. Until the day that Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside. But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda. Break the chains. Live for more.Call Number: F BROISBN: 9781444758993Publication Date: 2014
My Review - Red Rising (Red Rising 1)
Set in a future Mars colony, class continues to determine people's place in society. Everyone's place is determined by their colour, from the Golds who rule to the Reds who mine deep beneath the surface, ignorant of the fact that Mars was colonised hundreds of years before and that they are being used as a slave labour force. After witnessing a family tragedy at the hands of a Gold, Darrow is smuggled out of the mines and endures great pain as he is physically transformed into a Gold in order to infiltrate the ranks of the ruling class and lead an uprising from within. Recommended for fans of science fiction, particularly those interested in space exploration and colonising new planets, and also for people who enjoyed movies such as Total Recall.
- Time and Time Again by If you had one chance to change history...Where would you go? What would you do? Who would you kill? It's the 1st of June 1914 and Hugh Stanton, ex-soldier and celebrated adventurer is quite literally the loneliest man on earth. No one he has ever known or loved has been born yet. Perhaps now they never will be. Stanton knows that a great and terrible war is coming. A collective suicidal madness that will destroy European civilization and bring misery to millions in the century to come. He knows this because, for him, that century is already history. Somehow he must change that history. He must prevent the war. A war that will begin with a single bullet. But can a single bullet truly corrupt an entire century? And, if so, could another single bullet save it?Call Number: F ELTISBN: 9780593073575Publication Date: 2014
My Review - Time and Time Again
This was one of the best books I have read for some time and I would consider one of my top three reads. I chose this book because it sounded similar to Stephen King's 11-22-63, however the plot is much quicker as Hugh Stanton arrives two weeks before the event he must prevent. Elton also provides fantastic descriptions of early 20th century life and travel in Europe. While reading the book you will make one major assumption that will be completely blown out of the water and once you reach the last 50-odd pages you won't be able to put the book down until you've finished it. Recommended for people who enjoy science fiction (time travel), historical fiction, and war stories.
- Firefight by Reckoners Book 2 They told David it was impossible - that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart - invincible, immortal, unconquerable - is dead. And he died by David's hand. Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realise he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs. Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic - Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.Call Number: F SANISBN: 9780575104358Publication Date: 2015
My Review - Firefight (The Reckoners 2)
An enjoyable continuation of the battle with 'epic' evil. A little angst-ridden as the Reckoners of Babylon Restored cope with the death of one of their own but it has action-packed battle scenes when the forces of good and evil collide. A great choice for people who enjoy Marvel/DC graphic novels and who are looking for something similar in a novel format whilst remaining in the science fiction genre.
- Holy Cow by Elsie Bovary is a cow and a pretty happy one at that. Until one night, Elsie sneaks out of the pasture and finds herself drawn to the farmhouse. Through the window, she sees the farmer's family gathered around a bright Box God - and what the Box God reveals about something called an 'industrial meat farm' shakes Elsie's understanding of her world to its core. The only solution? To escape to a better, safer world. And so a motley crew is formed: Elsie; Shalom, a grumpy pig who's recently converted to Judaism; and Tom, a suave turkey who can't fly, but can work an iPhone with his beak. Toting stolen passports and slapdash human disguises, they head for the airport ... Elsie is a wise-cracking, slyly witty narrator; Tom dispenses psychiatric advice in a fake German accent; and Shalom ends up unexpectedly uniting Israelis and Palestinians. David Duchovny's charismatic creatures point the way toward a mutual understanding and acceptance the world desperately needs.ISBN: 9781472225887Publication Date: 2015
My Review - Holy Cow
Another book club book, this was the most bizarre book I've ever read. In serious need of editing, clearly the publishers are relying on Duchovny's celebrity status to sell this book. Inconsistencies abound (one minute the cow is watching movies and the next it doesn't understand what a television is) in this mixture of excessive pop culture references, asides to the reader, and constant 'gangsta'/'hip' language. Duchovny has no idea who the target audience is; the illustrations, length and slang indicate it's for children yet the profanities and descriptions of abattoir practices, high density farming and circumcision suggest an adult audience. I would not recommend this to anyone.
- I Am Juliet by The world's most famous love story told by one of Australia's most respected authors Ages: 10+ This is the well-known story of Juliet Capulet and her love for Romeo. It also the story about the increasing helplessness Juliet feels as she realises that unlike young men her age, her life will effectively be determined and controlled by others, who see her having an arranged marriage of alliance and becoming a breeder of sons. I am Juliet closely follows the well-known and loved plot of the play, but we also see the point of view of Rob, the thirteen-year-old boy who is the first to play the role of Juliet on the Elizabethan stage. Like many young people today, he too is overwhelmed by 'all those words' that Shakespeare wrote. But Rob realises that the story of love and tragedy is a somewhat simple one and the words are there for their extraordinary beauty and meaning. He will be Juliet and let the power of the words sing - as they still do today.Call Number: F FREISBN: 9780732297985Publication Date: 2014
My Review - I Am Juliet
I was disappointed when I read this book. I was hoping that in retelling the story from Juliet's perspective the author would present a more rebellious, feisty character. However, Juliet is very timid and simply accepts her position in the patriarchal society, longing merely to follow in her mother's footsteps, become a mother and manage her own household. The characters of both Romeo and Juliet are quite bland and their relationship does not feel like "the greatest love story ever told".
- Tabula Rasa by The Bourne Identity meets Divergent in this action-packed debut thriller with a Katniss-esque heroine fighting to regain her memories and stay alive, set against a dystopian hospital background.Sarah starts a crazy battle for her life within the walls of her hospital-turned-prison when a procedure to eliminate her memory goes awry and she starts to remember snatches of her past. Was she an urban terrorist or vigilante? Has the procedure been her salvation or her destruction?The answers lie trapped within her mind. To access them, she'll need the help of the teen computer hacker who's trying to bring the hospital down for his own reasons, and a pill that's blocked by an army of mercenary soldiers poised to eliminate her for good. If only she knew why.Call Number: F LIPISBN: 9781606845189Publication Date: 2014-09-23
My Review - Tabula Rasa
An enjoyable, slightly futuristic thriller that has a similar beginning to Slated by Teri Terry in which the main character is hospitalised and treated to make her forget who she is. The plot is action packed, beginning with a military invasion during a snow storm and continuing with a deadly hunt through a hospital which hosts small number of uniquely dangerous patients. Whilst there is a reasonably satisfying conclusion, the story is left open-ended enough for a potential sequel.
- Day 21 (The 100 Book 2) by In this pulse-pounding sequel to Kass Morgan's The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. And the hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can - together. It's been 21 days since The 100 landed on Earth. They're the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries... or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group together. Clarke strikes out for Mount Weather, in search of other Colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.Call Number: F MORISBN: 9781444766905Publication Date: 2014
My Review - Day 21 (The 100 2)
This series is quite a unique experience for me as it's the first time I've liked the development of the television series instead of the books. The entire first book is covered in the first episode of the television series and then the plot of the series was developed independent of the books. The premise for this series was great, however, the author spends too much time on unnecessary teen angst and hormone-driven behaviour. The weakest, most hopeless character, Glass, has thankfully been left out of the television show. The scenario I liked most in this book was the discovery Clarke and Bellamy made about a particular event that happened before their arrival, and more focus should have been given to this.
- Big Little Lies by Sometimes it’s the little lies that turn out to be the most lethal. . . . A murder… . . . a tragic accident… . . . or just parents behaving badly? What’s indisputable is that someone is dead. But who did what? Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads: Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay. New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all. Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.Call Number: F MORISBN: 9781743530429Publication Date: 2014
My Review - Big Little Lies
This book was chosen by a friend for book club and it was a highly entertaining expose on parental relationships, and parent-child relationships, in an Australian private school setting. The plot revolves around the death of a parent at a school function and is told as a series of flashbacks, interviews and gossip, providing insights into the situation from multiple perspectives. Conflict, secrets and betrayals abound as the novel satirises working mothers who think they can easily juggle family and careers, and affluent mothers who lord their 'status' over others.
- Reboot by Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation). Wren's favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she's ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he's always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there's something about him she can't ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line - or she'll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she'll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum. The perfect soldier is done taking orders.Call Number: F TINISBN: 9781743315507Publication Date: 2013
My Review - Reboot (Reboot 1)
A unique take on zombies whereby a virus kills and reanimates children and teenagers; the only way you can tell they are dead is that they have iridescent eyes. The longer a person is dead, the less human emotion they experience upon reanimation. As a result of their emotional state they become the perfect soldiers for a totalitarian government that is only concerned with retaining its power and control. The one thing that would have made the plot stronger is if Wren 178 had remained devoid of emotion, similar to the T-800 in Terminator 2 who could learn but could never feel. As a result of trying to humanise Wren 178, the description of the character's thoughts and actions becomes inconsistent. Recommended to people who enjoy dystopian, science fiction novels.