Bottom line: If you like Joe Abercrombie, this will be a worthy read. There're few (no?) surprises, but for all of that, it's an enjoyable read with well fleshed-out characters, if a little thin on plot. It has the trappings of an enjoyable serial.
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Binsk reviewed The Devils by Joe Abercrombie (The Devils)
Europe stares into the abyss.
Plague and famine stalk the land, monsters lurk in …
The Devil[s] You Know
3 stars
Bottom line: If you like Joe Abercrombie, this will be a worthy read. There're few (no?) surprises, but for all of that, it's an enjoyable read with well fleshed-out characters, if a little thin on plot. It has the trappings of an enjoyable serial.
Binsk reviewed Conan - Blood of the Serpent by S. M. Stirling
For what it is, it was very good
4 stars
If you like Conan and are bought into the style and character, this was enjoyable. The writing was descriptive, the pacing brisk, and Stirling brought depth to what could have been a very one-dimensional character.
Binsk reviewed A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross (The Laundry Files, #7)
Meet Derek Reilly. Derek is portly, short-sighted, middle-aged, and has spent his entire adult life …
Had Promise, but Faded Away
3 stars
I enjoyed the premise of the book, and it started out very entertaining. Having played D&D during the Satanic Panic, there were a lot of callbacks to that time that rang true. As the novel progressed, however, the action became vaguer and hand-wavey. By the time of the climax of the action, no tension was left in the plot. You knew everything was going to be fine, it was, and ... what a letdown.
Binsk finished reading Metrophage by Richard Kadrey
Richard Kadrey: Metrophage (2014, Harper Voyager, An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)
Metrophage by Richard Kadrey
"In a future not far from our own, Los Angeles has stratified even further. Pockets of wealth and influence seclude …
Binsk reviewed Metrophage by Richard Kadrey
"In a future not far from our own, Los Angeles has stratified even further. Pockets …
Derivative Cyberpunk Done Better Elsewhere
2 stars
In a reprint, Kadrey is interviewed and admits freely that he borrowed and stole much of the book's elements and feel from Gibson and others. It's obvious to the reader, and sadly it's also obvious that the book suffers by comparison. It's too long, meandering, and seems like the first novel that it is. It's not completely terrible, but I forced myself to finish it without enthusiasm toward the end.
In a reprint, Kadrey is interviewed and admits freely that he borrowed and stole much of the book's elements and feel from Gibson and others. It's obvious to the reader, and sadly it's also obvious that the book suffers by comparison. It's too long, meandering, and seems like the first novel that it is. It's not completely terrible, but I forced myself to finish it without enthusiasm toward the end.
Secret Histories
3 stars
Secret Histories follows the Simon R. Green formula. If you like the formula, you'll like this first entry in the series and perhaps all that follow. The setting is alternate-London, and the conceit is a group of "Droods" keeping the world safe with a bunch of magic and tech. Strong protagonist, stronger but less wise female sidekick, insurmountable odds that you're never worried that the protagonist isn't up to. It's fun, but paint-by-numbers.
Secret Histories follows the Simon R. Green formula. If you like the formula, you'll like this first entry in the series and perhaps all that follow. The setting is alternate-London, and the conceit is a group of "Droods" keeping the world safe with a bunch of magic and tech. Strong protagonist, stronger but less wise female sidekick, insurmountable odds that you're never worried that the protagonist isn't up to. It's fun, but paint-by-numbers.
Binsk finished reading For heaven's eyes only by Simon R. Green (Secret histories -- bk. 5)
For heaven's eyes only by Simon R. Green (Secret histories -- bk. 5)
After the murder of the Drood Matriarch, the family finds itself vulnerable to evil. This time, it's a Satanic Conspiracy …
Binsk reviewed Lyorn: A Vlad Taltos Novel by Steven Brust
Satisfying Edition in a Well-Worn Series
4 stars
I've enjoyed reading all of the Vlad Taltos books, sometimes more and sometimes less, but always with enjoyment. This book is simultaneously one of the better ones--it's clever--and also perhaps a bit tired. The story is fun, but the idea of the main character being under some kind of doom for nearly the entire series is both a signature of the series and grounds for a complaint. There's no anxiety that he's not going to get out of it, it's more a question of how and when.
I've enjoyed reading all of the Vlad Taltos books, sometimes more and sometimes less, but always with enjoyment. This book is simultaneously one of the better ones--it's clever--and also perhaps a bit tired. The story is fun, but the idea of the main character being under some kind of doom for nearly the entire series is both a signature of the series and grounds for a complaint. There's no anxiety that he's not going to get out of it, it's more a question of how and when.
Binsk rated Lyorn: A Vlad Taltos Novel: 4 stars
Binsk rated Forge of the High Mage: 4 stars
Forge of the High Mage by Ian C. Esslemont (Paths to Ascendancy, #4)
Binsk finished reading Forge of the High Mage by Ian C. Esslemont (Paths to Ascendancy, #4)
Forge of the High Mage by Ian C. Esslemont (Paths to Ascendancy, #4)
Binsk finished reading Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss
Binsk reviewed Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss
A Narrow Road Indeed
4 stars
I usually don't like novellas, not because they're can't be good but rather the length is puzzlingly unsatisfying. This novella is a jewel, and it gripped me with tension and unease that never really dissipated until the end. Nothing went as I expected, but I was delighted how the storyline resolved itself. It's well worth a read.
I usually don't like novellas, not because they're can't be good but rather the length is puzzlingly unsatisfying. This novella is a jewel, and it gripped me with tension and unease that never really dissipated until the end. Nothing went as I expected, but I was delighted how the storyline resolved itself. It's well worth a read.
