ThatBookIsOnFiyah

4.5/5 stars. Corey has authored a well-plotted story that follows the research group from book one into their various new roles working for the Carryx. We follow Daffyd, Tonner, Jellitt, Jessyn, Campar, and Rickar after Daffyd’s revelation to the Carryx about the conspiracy by the humans to revolt. We also learn more about the Carryx themselves and how the structure of their society determines their roles in it. We are also introduced to more moeities that the Carryx hold prisoner and control, and we learn a little more about the deathless enemy that the Carryx are fighting. With so many POV in this story, there are lots of actions and events taking place with the research group. Daffyd is struggling to be the liaison between the humans and the Carryx while also plotting some form of revenge. There are some interesting surprises in this novel but there are also moments of profound hope and connection between humans and the other moeities. This is a good continuation of the story, an...

5/5 stars. As Swan continues his fantasy-horror story set in Sova and surrounding lands, he writes a darker tale of the interplay between the real world of our characters and the afterlife. In this novel, the Empress has directed Ambassador Renata Rainer and the investigators of the Arcane task force to discover the truth behind The Great Silence in the ethereal world and find a way to end it. Little do all of the investigators know about what politics are transpiring behind the scenes or that Lamprecht von Oldenburg has not been defeated by Colonel Atanasov, as directed by the Empress, but that Atanasov has other plans in mind. I enjoy Swan’s writing and think that his skills have improved continually since I have been reading his works. His Empire of the Wolf trilogy is excellent, and I enjoyed time spent with Vonvalt (I also look forward to his upcoming second Vonvalt prequel novella, in conjunction with Grimdark Magazine); however, this trilogy is quickly supplanting that one as ...

5/5 stars. First of all, a big thank you to Joe Berne for the audiobook review copy. Wayne Farrell is doing some amazing work with this series, and I look forward to continuing with his narration! In Turn Two, we returned to Earth with Rohan and met his mother. In this novel, Rohan’s father visits Wistful. Berne does an excellent job of blending backstory with the ongoing action of Rohan’s life. Here, he encounters a stark-raving mad soul-eating vampire who is thousands of years old. How will Rohan deal with this new threat while trying to learn why his father has suddenly shown up in his life? I never imagined that I would enjoy a superhero science fiction story set on a far away space station, but this series is quickly becoming one of my go to reading pleasures! Berne delves deeply into humanity through non-human (or part human) characters that are quickly becoming like family.  Thank you JCM Berne for sharing your imagination with us. Highly, highly recommended!!

  4/5 stars. The Book of Fallen Leaves is the debut novel by Mr. Tamaki. It features multiple points of view from three families that make up the ruling class of this Japanese-inspired world, with the focus on a disgraced brother (Sen) and sister (Kai) whose father tried to overthrow the emperor, and a girl (Rui) from their father’s household servants who was saved with Sen on the night of their father’s death. We drop into this world on the brink of another civil war that will directly involve these two siblings and Rui. At first, I struggled with this story, primarily because of names – I struggle with Asian names and have a challenging time keeping characters straight in my head initially. Once I got the names organized in my brain, the story flowed along nicely, with outstanding prose, and the last hundred pages were an absolute whirlwind of battles, action, and significant events. In addition, we meet demons and gods along the way and discover some interesting reveals about ou...

  4/5 stars. This story is an interesting mix of historical facts and fiction.  In a time (2026) when the President of the USA flaunts the Rule of Law at every turn, this story makes some intriguing points - about the history of 9/11, its aftermath, the Iraq War, and how one decision to ignore valuable intelligence could have escalated the US invasion of Iraq. The author did a very thorough job of maintaining good historical research and sticking to those facts, while blending plausible fiction into the story about Rumsfeld and his political career. Mr. Cooper has created a believable scenario where Donald Rumsfeld, as Sec of Defense under George W. Bush, could have become President. He has also used true facts to develop the justification for his fictional trial of Mr. Rumsfeld by the International Court at The Hague. This was an enjoyable read and I recommend it to anyone who has a fascination with history, particularly modern US History, as I do.  I also want to thank ...

  4/5 stars. I listened to the Audible edition of this book because I had seen a lot about it after I read Dungeon Crawler Carl and then started the Bobiverse. Many people online recommended ExForce as similar to these. I was reluctant to get it until I saw it included with my Audible subscription. At first, I was put off by RC Bray’s unique voice, but it really grew on me, and I now know he is many people’s favorite narrator. I have since purchased the next three audiobooks. Overall, I am impressed with the military aspects of the storytelling and I enjoy the story, especially when our main character, Joe Bishop, finds a super-intelligent A.I., nicknamed Skippy. The story moves along quickly from beginning to end, but I especially like the military technical language that the author uses throughout - it made the story feel very immersive. The characters are beautifully written, and Joe is an excellent protagonist who is thrown into one demanding situation after another. Skippy is ...