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Tag: space opera

A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace–Arkady Martine

I listened to both of these books over approximately the last month. They were riveting. The series seems complete but I would absolutely love to read another book in this universe. So interesting, so many ideas and thoughts. The basics of the story is that there is a galactic empire, the Teixcalaan, and there is an independent station (Lsel… so weird to see that in print after only hearing the word) who is concerned about…

Machine–Elizabeth Bear

While I liked Ancestral Night, this book didn’t do as much for me. It is set in the same universe as (and slightly after) the previous book, and one character from that book makes a brief, mostly off-stage appearance. I do like this hodgepodge galaxy of alien syster races in a galaxy spanning Synarche that have all uplifted themselves from pre-advanced technology almost-annihilation events (such as humans who almost killed themselves off with global warming…

Ancestral Night — Elizabeth Bear

I have been very busy for the last 10 days and haven’t had a chance to blog this book that I finished about a week ago. This was an interesting read. I didn’t know the gender of the main POV character until about half-way through the book. It didn’t matter, and I think that was a choice by the author. I also liked how the tech is described in just enough detail that you know…

Ancillary Justice–Ann Leckie

After struggling so much with my last read, I rewarded myself with a book that I knew I was going to like, and wow, did this one deliver for me. Interestingly, one of my complaints about The Two Body Problem was the diverse cast of characters and the complex plot structure. Yet, in Ancillary Justice, there is a sentient starship who divides herself into multiple “ancillaries” to run the ship, a complex plot involving a…

The Recollection–Gareth Powell

This book has been on my TBR pile for a long time and I finally picked it up for my birthday (which I share, one year different, with GLP!) this year. This story begins with two brothers arguing because both are in love with the same woman, and she had feelings for both as well. Before they can reconcile, the older brother gets transported through a mysterious arch that appears randomly in the tube station…

Lords of Uncreation–Adrian Tchaikovsky

I have struggled to find time to read with my busy real life but I made time over the last few days to finish the last half of this book and it is a fantastic end to this large galaxy spanning (literally) space opera. Tchaikovsky has created a world and universe that is so real and so complete and so fantastic that even though I knew I was getting to the climax, and I was…

The Last Emperox—John Scalzi

In the afterword to this book, Scalzi says that this is the first intentional trilogy he has written. That was an interesting fact to learn. This book follows the thread, picking up right where book two ended. There were a few surprises, not the least of which (SPOILER ALERT) was the death of the (seriously spoiler alert. I will pause and put it in the next paragraph… it will be safe to read after the…

The Consuming Fire—John Scalzi

As promised, I read this next. The book continues to follow the adventures of the Emperox, a scientist, and the head of the business side of a Royal House as they work separately, together, to try to deal with the end of the world. The throughways that allow for travel between the stars are closing, and since humanity mostly lives in habitats that aren’t self sufficient, this could be the end of the line. I…