Lucien21 Books 2017

[Lucien21]

Since I managed to beet my 2016 goal of 25 books (I read 38) i've upped the goal for 2017 to 35.

January



February

[Lucien21]

Morningstar - Pierce Brown

Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.

Finally, the time has come.

I went straight from book 2 and finished the series. After the cliffhanger at the end of Book 2 this is a non stop thrill ride as Darrow and what is left of his friends push to battle on multiple fronts. Mars is under control of the psychotic Jackel ,the Sovereign is still on Luna and a former friend has an undefeated Armada around Jupiter. The book is full of Space battles, complicated morality, surprises, betrayals and deaths (it's not healthy being a friend fo Darrow).

There are are many twists and turns as they try to outflank the Golds and "Break the Chains" of oppression for the lower colours.

It was a satisfying ending which still leaves it open for the new trilogy that is due to start in 2017, dealing with the aftermath.

4/5

[Lucien21]

The Fifth Season - N.K. Jemisin

THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS... FOR THE LAST TIME.
A season of endings has begun.
It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun.
It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter.
It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester.
This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.

The book revolves around the concept of Orogenes, these are the people who can control the power of the earth to quell Earthquakes, and how they are controlled and used in this alternate-earth like world.

The story follows three women: Essun, a rogue Orogene in hiding whose son is killed for having the power and whos only quest now is to get her daughter back; little Damaya, taken away by an Orogene handler called a Guardian to Yumenes where she will be trained to control her powers; and Syenite, a young woman paired with a more experienced mentor in order to learn from him and breed with him, ensuring that the next generation will have talented Orogenes to keep The Stillness safe.

I had high hopes for this book. It's a multi-award winning novel (including the Hugo) that most people rave about. However I just couldn't get into the characters of the novel. I appreciate and liked the world building, it's fairly unique and bleak world that seems to have been built on repeated apocalypse events caused by earthquakes and volcanos. I liked how the magic system is revolved around people who can control energy to manipulate and still quakes and how they are treated and controlled. However I couldn't get attached to any of the main characters, especially as one of them is written in the second person and it kept pulling me out the story when that arc came around.

There is a big twist in the end of the book which was reasonably neat, but how that carries over into the next two books is unknown.

It's well written and skillfully plotted and maybe on another day I would have loved it, but at the moment I am dissapointed.

3/5

[Lucien21]

Nowhere Man - Gregg Hurwitz

Spoken about only in whispers, it is said that when the Nowhere Man is reached by the truly desperate, he can and will do anything to save them.

Evan Smoak is the Nowhere Man.

Taken from a group home at twelve, Evan was raised and trained as part of the Orphan program, an off-the-books operation designed to create deniable intelligence assets—i.e. assassins. Evan was Orphan X. He broke with the program, using everything he learned to disappear and reinvent himself as the Nowhere Man. But the new head of the Orphan program hasn’t forgotten about him and is using all of his assets—including the remaining Orphans—to track down and eliminate Smoak.

But this time, the attack comes from a different angle and Evan is caught unaware. Captured, drugged, and spirited off to a remote location, heavily guarded from all approaches. They think they have him trapped and helpless in a virtual cage but they don’t know who they’re dealing with—that they’ve trapped themselves inside that cage with one of the deadliest and most resourceful Orphans.

This is the second Evan Smoak novel. I read Orphan X in May last year and loved it.

I was hooked on this book just as much and read through it in a couple of sessions finishing it about 2am this morning. It is a rollercoaster of tension as Evan is held captive and is using all of his skills to try and escape while a client is in trouble and his ex employers are trying to track him down. It's an interesting angle to have him be the one in need to help, but the new characters are appropriatly evil and the returning characters are still fun.

My only flaw in the book happens near the end which I thought was a bit convienant.

Other than that it is a decent thriller and a real page turner.

4.5/5

[LadyKestrel]

I will definitely be getting this one, Lucien, as I also really liked Orphan X.

[Lucien21]

Chew Vol 5-7

Vol 5 - Tony Chu - the cibopathic federal agent with the ability to get psychic impressions from what he eats - has been kidnapped! He was ambushed, knocked out, brought to a remote location, and bound securely. His captor intends to feed Tony from a menu of his choosing, to find out what Tony can see, in order to learn from him. His daughter, Olive, has been kidnapped for the exact same reason. Two kidnappers, two captives, and two very different outcomes.

Vol 6 - While Tony Chu - the cibopathic federal agent with the ability to get psychic impressions from what he eats - clings to life in a hospital ICU, his twin sister Toni steps up to take center stage. Toni is cibovoyant, able to see the future of anything she eats, and, lately, she's seeing some pretty terrible things.

Vol 7 - Tony Chu – the cibopathic federal agent with the ability to get psychic impressions from what he eats – is back in action, just in time to face a cult of egg-worshipping terrorists who’ve declared holy war on the chicken-eaters of the world.

Chew is a great series. I love the weirdness of all the food related powers, the art is detailed and full of little notes and jokes, the stories are funny and compelling.

I look forward to reading more.

[Lucien21]

Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman

In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, the son of giants, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. From Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

Neil Gaiman is one of my favourite authors, from his award winning Sandman comic series to American Gods (Soon to be a TV show), Gaiman has always had a interest in the myths and legends of history. In his new book he retells the stories of Odin and Thor in the legendary nine worlds.

So even though there is a running theme, every chapter tells a different story based on one of the old Norse Myths. Like the time Thor dresses as a woman to get his hammer back, or how Loki shapeshifted into a horse and .....Censored.

While I didn't like it as much as his novels it does paint a narrative onto the myths that brings them alive and keeps you coming back for more.

4/5

[LadyKestrel]

I just bought this one, Lucien, and am looking forward to getting into it.

Oh, and I just finished the complete Bone saga by Jeff Smith and loved it.

[Lucien21]

I just bought this one, Lucien, and am looking forward to getting into it.

Oh, and I just finished the complete Bone saga by Jeff Smith and loved it.

I'm sure you will like it.

Bone is a great comic, I think I read it back when the games came out and enjoyed it.

[Lucien21]

Oh Dear I think i'm a bit behind in my book reporting

[draclvr]

I do believe you missed a couple!

[LadyKestrel]

Heh. I'm in the same boat. I've been reading but not writing, but it's on my list.

[Lucien21]

https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/6863968 2017

https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/10218867 2018

https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/14697867 2019

[danyboy]

Lucien, damn you have to work on the years 2018-2020...

[Lucien21]

Did the links not work?