Holiday Reading
Nov. 8th, 2014 06:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ewxBrief notes about the books I read while in Germany.
Grimspace, Ann Aguirre, ISBN 978-1-1012-0876-2
This begins with the severely traumatized heroine, Sirantha Jax, imprisoned following the crash landing of the spacecraft she was navigating (the title refers to the hyperspace analog in the book, I don’t recall if the name is ever explained). Adventure proceeds, complicated by a complicated romance with one of her new companions. Reminded me a bit of Farscape but did not otherwise grab me very much.
Santa Olivia, Jacqueline Carey, ISBN 978-0-446-55141-0
The heroine, Loup Garron, grows up an orphan in a dystopic, isolated and eponymous town partly ruled by the military and partly by criminal gangs. Super-strong and incapable of fear she is nevertheless constrained by the possibility of danger to her friends and lover. Boxing provides one of the few sources of hope in the town and it’s the one she follows in an attempt to escape, or at least to upset the established order. Well-paced and entertaining.
Saints Astray, Jacqueline Carey, ISBN 978-1-4555-0468-8
Sequel to Santa Olivia. While it’s interesting to read about the characters continued struggles I found this a lot less engaging; somehow it lacked the tension of its predecessor.
God’s War, Kameron Hurley, ISBN 9781448148493
The heroine, Nyxnissa so Dasheem, is a bounty hunter in a Islamic-themed world with ubiquitous insectile technology, relentless warfare, a serious solar radiation problem (everybody stays covered in this culture). Nyx is, politically speaking, rather out of her depth and risky for both her friends and enemies to be around (not that she reliably wins fights), all of which makes her a great character to read about. The details of the plot have mostly fallen out of my head by now but a strong impression of the fantastic setting remains.
Infidel, Kameron Hurley, ISBN 9781448148509
Sequel to God’s War. Essentially, more of the same, which was entirely welcome.
Apocalypse Array, Lyda Morehouse, ISBN 978-1-908039-38-5
Fourth in the AngeLINK series (briefly discussed previously). Angels, demons, AIs, gangsters and variously upgraded humans continue their conflicts, manipulations or simply attempt to keep themselves and their loved ones alive and unmodified, or at least no less modified than they already are.
Ancillary Sword, Ann Leckie, ISBN 9781405525855
Sequel to Ancillary Justice, discussed previously. Breq is inserted into a new setting, and gets to work upending the social order and figuring out some deeper secrets, at least several of which are left unresolved: definitely the middle of a trilogy. Looking forward to the next one.
Grimspace, Ann Aguirre, ISBN 978-1-1012-0876-2
This begins with the severely traumatized heroine, Sirantha Jax, imprisoned following the crash landing of the spacecraft she was navigating (the title refers to the hyperspace analog in the book, I don’t recall if the name is ever explained). Adventure proceeds, complicated by a complicated romance with one of her new companions. Reminded me a bit of Farscape but did not otherwise grab me very much.
Santa Olivia, Jacqueline Carey, ISBN 978-0-446-55141-0
The heroine, Loup Garron, grows up an orphan in a dystopic, isolated and eponymous town partly ruled by the military and partly by criminal gangs. Super-strong and incapable of fear she is nevertheless constrained by the possibility of danger to her friends and lover. Boxing provides one of the few sources of hope in the town and it’s the one she follows in an attempt to escape, or at least to upset the established order. Well-paced and entertaining.
Saints Astray, Jacqueline Carey, ISBN 978-1-4555-0468-8
Sequel to Santa Olivia. While it’s interesting to read about the characters continued struggles I found this a lot less engaging; somehow it lacked the tension of its predecessor.
God’s War, Kameron Hurley, ISBN 9781448148493
The heroine, Nyxnissa so Dasheem, is a bounty hunter in a Islamic-themed world with ubiquitous insectile technology, relentless warfare, a serious solar radiation problem (everybody stays covered in this culture). Nyx is, politically speaking, rather out of her depth and risky for both her friends and enemies to be around (not that she reliably wins fights), all of which makes her a great character to read about. The details of the plot have mostly fallen out of my head by now but a strong impression of the fantastic setting remains.
Infidel, Kameron Hurley, ISBN 9781448148509
Sequel to God’s War. Essentially, more of the same, which was entirely welcome.
Apocalypse Array, Lyda Morehouse, ISBN 978-1-908039-38-5
Fourth in the AngeLINK series (briefly discussed previously). Angels, demons, AIs, gangsters and variously upgraded humans continue their conflicts, manipulations or simply attempt to keep themselves and their loved ones alive and unmodified, or at least no less modified than they already are.
Ancillary Sword, Ann Leckie, ISBN 9781405525855
Sequel to Ancillary Justice, discussed previously. Breq is inserted into a new setting, and gets to work upending the social order and figuring out some deeper secrets, at least several of which are left unresolved: definitely the middle of a trilogy. Looking forward to the next one.