ThatBookIsOnFiyah

  5/5 stars. Thanks to #NetGalley and #DelRey for the eARC. The third book in the Ana and Din Mysteries explores a unique aspect of the world that we do not always see discussed in fantasy novels:  how the populace sources its food, and what that means for the average worker and the industry, in general. Furthermore, we get more backstory from both Dinios Kol and Ana Dolabra, along with more politics of the world of Khanum, and we get to meet one of Din’s relatives. The story centers around the mysterious death of a young woman apparently murdered by her lover. The two families have a longstanding animosity because they are both involved in the cattle industry and have been competitors for generations. Ana and Din are sent to keep the families from going to war, as they also solve the mystery. As always, RJB weaves a rich tapestry of the world, the families, and all the potential interactions that could have led to the unusual death. This is the first time that we see into the...

5/5 stars. The second book in the Ironbound series is as interesting, and as much fun, as the first one. I am enjoying the journey that Andrew Givler has created and look forward to continuing with the release of book three in November. I read this story immersively on my Kindle app, listening along to the audiobook narration. I recommend both the book and the audiobook highly! I do not usually enjoy gladiator-type stories, but this book is so much more that that, even though that is the central focus of the main storyline. Castor is not only dealing with being sold into servitude and fighting for his freedom, but also dealing with another Cor heart activating, and having to help his new ‘owner’ maintain his position in the Senate. The politics continue to get more intriguing, and the cast of characters around Castor have become more fascinating with each of his experiences. I have particularly enjoyed getting to know Varus, Pliny, Contessa, Alessandra, and Rin. Each of these have pl...

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4.5/5 stars. A standalone science fiction debut novel, from a promising young writer, that many people consider a literary speculative fiction. I have heard so much about this novel and his second, The Spear that Cuts Through Water, that I was excited to receive and read this Broken Binding edition. As one might expect, the writing is beautiful and lyrical, the story is quite interesting, and the characters develop throughout the story in surprising, but understandable, ways. The story begins in a small community on a farming planet that has recently been added to the Umbai company’s expanding empire. The company delivers supplies to the planet, and one captain becomes enamored of a local farmer. He must wait 15 years for her transport to return but, because of time dilation through the space fold, the captain only ages a few months while she is gone. We see his story for the first third or so of the book until a strange alien boy suddenly appears in the farming community and then it...

4.5/5 stars. Thanks to #NetGalley for the eARC of this debut novel set on a distant planet featuring scifi, fantasy, and horror elements that all come together in a very satisfying reading experience. The story centers around mythology, self-discovery, the conflict between ‘gods,’ and what that means for the culture of the planet. There are several characters that bear mentioning, Ysira Naktis – a woman sent to be ‘harvested’ by the gods, but who returns stronger than she imagined she could be, Jacen Kheris - a priest of the Church of the Black Sun who betrayed his first novitiate and now drinks to forget, Neri Semira – the boy who is chosen by his father to take on a demon, and Seth Semira – Neri’s uncle who tries to save Neri from a fate worse than death. The mythology of this planet, the characters, and the gods are reminiscent of many older stories from the 70s and 80s but take on a life and a story all their own with Aragon’s deft writing. The main conflict takes a turn very qui...

4.5/5 stars. The best science fiction often addresses mental, emotional, social, societal, and political issues in subtle ways. This novel examines the mental and social concerns related to personal gender dysphoria in very direct, and often disturbing, ways. This novel is a thorough exploration of the potentiality of brain scanning technology, and asks the question, “can we use that technology to address mental or emotional health for people suffering with a variety of personal issues?” This story gave me a great deal of personal insight into the mind of a sexually questioning person, addressing the physical and mental toll that being born in the wrong body can have on that individual. I have personally never experienced these emotions, as I am a cisgender male, but the author appears to share much of her own experiences with the telling of this story. I appreciate the strength of character that her experiences, and the writing of this story, required. Our Simulated Selves is a we...

4.5/5 stars. This novel, set in the near future, about a small startup company that is working to develop a sentient machine learning ‘brain,’ is the debut novel from Terracina, a Silicone Valley tech employee. I am certain that some of this story is about his own experiences, but there is so much more. This novel is about relationships, mental and cognitive illnesses, how age affects the human body, and what the consequences of developing a true A.I. brain might mean for humanity.  I read this story as part of the Fifth Annual Self-Published Science Fiction Contest (SPSFC-5) that was originally started by Hugh Howey as the sci-fi equivalent to Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) competition. It is one of the best hard sci-fi novels that I have read in some time and is similar in some ways to the writing of Greg Bear, but with a decidedly modern flourish. Terracina’s writing skill is well-developed, especially for someone writing their debut novel. This story ...