accomplished*****
Books Read in February, 2017
Goldenhand by Garth Nix
The Annihilation Score by Charles Stross
Edge of Infinity edited by Jonathan Strahan
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
The Terranauts by T.C. Boyle
The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks
January/February, 2017 Reader's Digest
The Perfume of Lust by Gaston Danville
The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler
Science Fiction for Scientists edited by Michael Brotherton
*****
And so February's reads for the month drew to an end. I was quite pleased about the number of books and other stuff that I read in February, as it seemed to be a slow reading month for me, but I obviously read more than I thought I had. The books I enjoyed the most were:
Goldenhand by Garth Nix - The fifth book in the Old Kingdoms series, and a book that I was looking forward to. The previous book, Clariel, which came out last year was something of a disappointment to me for various reasons. On finishing Goldenhand, I was again a bit disappointed but had thoroughly enjoyed the book. For those who don't want spoilers, I'll just summarize here and say this is a book for the fans. If you love the Old Kingdom you should definitely read this book. But don't go into it with too many expectations, because while the book was an enjoyable read, it's not without its flaws, notably delivery of the plot, pacing, and the romantic elements. A good book, but one that could have been better.
The Annihilation Score by Charles Stross - This novel in the Laundry series of books changes the focus character from Bob (whose stories I love) to his now estranged wife, Dr. Maureen O'Brien (Mo) and her infernal violin. The story was fast-paced, the action intense, and Mo's characterisation and that of her violin were excellent, but this one was full of bureaucracy and lacked the humour of the Bob novels. Still, a highly recommended read.
Edge of Infinity edited by Jonathan Strahan - The second volume in the Infinity Project anthologies, this volume looks at the next giant leap for humankind: the leap from our home world out into the Solar System. Thirteen excellent stories ranging from the eerie transformations in Pat Cadigan’s Hugo-award-winning “The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi” to the frontier spirit of Sandra McDonald and Stephen D. Covey’s “The Road to NPS,” and from the grandiose vision of Alastair Reynolds’ “Vainglory” to the workaday familiarity of Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s “Safety Tests,” these stories span the whole of the human condition in our race to colonise our nearest neighbours. Highly recommended.
The Queen's Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler - The first book in the young adult Kingfountain series of young adult books, this is the story of a young boy thrown into the deep end of the pool. The book follows Owen as a young boy at the King's palace as ransom to keep his father, a Duke, in check. At first, he is quite timid and struggling to adjust to life at the castle, knowing his life is in danger. His brother, who was the last ransom, was killed when his father disobeyed the King. He grows into himself and learns a lot from the Queen's Poisoner, who has taken it upon herself to help him survive. This one was a page turner and kept me reading whenever I had a chance to get back to it. The characters around Owen are all interesting and well-thought out, and the nature of magic in Wheeler's world is interesting and fascinating. I can't wait to read the second book in the series.
All the other books that I read in February, 2017 were very good, but the ones above are the stand-outs for the month for me.
Overall, I managed to read 9 novels, 0 RPGs and RPG products, 1 magazine, 0 comics, and 0 graphic novels in February. This brings the year total for 2017 to a set of numbers that look like this: 21 books, 4 RPGs and RPG products, 3 magazines, 0 comics, and 0 graphic novels.
Anyway, thoughts and comments are always welcome. :)