ThatBookIsOnFiyah

5/5 stars. I have been fortunate to have read some really good, newer science fiction this year, and this cyberpunk, dystopian novel by M.J. Kuhn might very well be the best of them. I believe this is Kuhn’s third novel – two fantasy books and now this scifi story. As a young writer, Kuhn has polished prose beyond her years, and I am impressed with her ability to tell a fascinating story that has kept me interested and entertained. New Avarita is an isolated society that follows the rules of the founder, Lucre, who developed an implantable chip and created an algorithm designed to maximize production and usefulness within the society, while eliminating those who were no longer needed and we’re taking up important resources, using Ascent. Individuals who do not contribute can be removed from society at the metaphorical flip of the switch. Most people have been brainwashed into believing Ascent is good and just; they do not give it a second thought and celebrate the life of the Ascende...

5/5 stars. What if the first alien contact species that humanity meets is a sentient floating mountain? That is the basic premise for this story, but it also so much more. This novel is a science fiction space opera in the vein of The Expanse, with found family and a small cast of close-knit friends and fellow shipmates. It is a military sci-fi adventure like some of David Weber’s best writing. This story at times reminded me of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Alien Clay or Shroud, where the alien life on the planet might be what kills our heroes. This novel also has elements of cosmic horror that profoundly affects the reader’s view of what first contact might eventually lead to. With all that being said, this novel releases on September 8, 2026, in the USA and should be read by all fans of science fiction, especially if you enjoy any of the elements that I previously mentioned. Nix has authored a wonderful story of friendship, camaraderie, and what it means to look out for each other in warti...

4.5/5 stars. Another great installment in the life of Rohan and his compatriots. (There are a few spoilers here if you are not caught up to this point in the series.) This story was one of the more difficult to read for me, as Rohan attempts to learn to use the fighting technique gifted to him by Spiral. Spiral used it to defeat a god in battle. If Rohan can learn to use it, maybe he can defeat the new Hyperion. Berne writes characters in a way that is both consistent and frustrating. I deducted half a point from my rating for my frustrations, but those might not reflect everyone’s experience of this novel. For all of Rohan’s intelligence and powerful abilities, he makes some bad decisions, and Berne relishes the level of conflict that he throws Rohan into. In this story, he has suppressed his powers, has to deal with a young Kaiju on Toth 3, a group of Tolene’ans who want to kill him - in revenge for the deaths of their families in one of Rohan’s most difficult past decisions, gets ...