Changes

Oh my God, this one was a doozy!

I've said this many times, but I'm running out of superlatives regarding Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files. This series has definitely become one of my favorite SFF reads and Changes was the very best one yet!

As mentioned in past reviews, if Dead Beat turned out to be the point where the Dresden Files shifted into high gear, for its part Proven Guilty did build on the storylines introduced in basically every other volume and pushed the envelope even further. Far from losing steam like so many other speculative fiction series, the Dresden Files continued to grow in size, scope, and inventiveness. Having matured as an author with each new book, Jim Butcher has definitely hit his stride and he definitely became more confident, more ambitious. And with so many plot threads coming together to form an impressive tapestry, the potential for what came next was indeed enormous. But with the bar being raised with each new volume, the possibility that Butcher would somehow lose control of his tale, or allow himself to lose focus and simply milk his popularity for all it's worth, remained risks that could become all too real if he did not avoid certain pitfalls that had plagued some of his peers also writing bestselling urban fantasy sequences.

White Night had lofty expectations to live up to. But even if it was a fun and entertaining read in its own right, it was not as good as its last few predecessors. The novel was not as intricately plotted and satisfying as Dead Beat and Proven Guilty turned out to be, yet it nonetheless set the stage for another chapter in the Dresden Files. One that would undoubtedly raise the series to another, deeper and more complex, level. And Small Favor was definitely a return to form for Jim Butcher. The book elevated the series to an even higher level, with several hints of an even bigger and more ambitious story arc that is gradually becoming more and more discernible. Given its predecessor's quality, Turn Coat had big shoes to fill. But Butcher upped his game yet again and came up with his best effort thus far.

To all ends and purposes, Changes proved to be the culmination of all these interwoven plotlines. It raised the bar higher than ever before and nothing will ever be the same for poor Harry Dresden from here on out. Doubtless, this is a major turning point for the series and its characters.

Here's the blurb:

Long ago, Susan Rodriguez was Harry Dresden's lover-until she was attacked by his enemies, leaving her torn between her own humanity and the bloodlust of the vampiric Red Court. Susan then disappeared to South America, where she could fight both her savage gift and those who cursed her with it.

Now Arianna Ortega, Duchess of the Red Court, has discovered a secret Susan has long kept, and she plans to use it-against Harry. To prevail this time, he may have no choice but to embrace the raging fury of his own untapped dark power. Because Harry's not fighting to save the world...

He's fighting to save his child.

Once more, I was hooked by the premise of this book from the very beginning. An unexpected phone call from Susan Rodriguez, Harry's ex-girlfriend who was turned into a vampire by the Red Court earlier in the series. He is shocked to discover that he has a daughter, Maggie, kept secret from Harry for the child's protection. And Arianna Ortega, a Duchess of the Red Court, somehow learned of her existence, kidnapped her, and now plans to use Maggie against Harry as revenge for the death of her husband. Arianna also managed to manoeuvre the White Council into an uneasy truce that could end the war, which means that Harry finds himself without powerful allies. With his back against the wall, he has no choice but to make decisions he knows he will later regret. But he was dealt a bad hand and his options are few and far between. Needless to say, Harry will risk everything to save his daughter.

As a matter of course, the novel features the first person narrative of Harry Dresden. Harry's voice as the only POV is usually witty and irreverent, filled with dark humor that makes you chuckle every couple of pages or so. But this novel was by far the darkest installment yet and an oppressive pall hangs over everything. Striking at the heart of the Red Court in an attempt to stop a formidable ritual from taking place with nothing but a few allies, Harry is acutely aware that he might not survive to tell the tale. And even if he does, his life will no longer be his own. As has been the case with the majority of the last few Dresden Files volumes, it's the supporting cast that helps make this one another memorable read. Even though it's a matter of life and death, the usual suspects are there for Harry; Mouse, Murphy, Thomas, and Molly Carpenter. There are some truly touching moments involving them. Jim Butcher played the emotional impact card rather well on a number of occasions, which really made you feel for Harry and the rest of the gang. Add to that Suzan and Martin and Harry's faerie godmother, as well as a slew of familiar faces from past installments, and you have all the ingredients for an unforgettable read.

Changes was hands down the most convoluted installment so far. As usual, it began as a relatively straightforward mission but quickly turned into another extremely complicated and intricately plotted ensemble of storylines that links this one with plotlines from basically every other volume that came before. It does take a while for everything to come together, yet no other installment in the series was this complex and unveiled that many secrets which keep readers begging for more. Not even Turn Coat. Revelations about the White Council, the Red Court, the Winter Court, other deities and immortals, the war, and Harry's past make for some compulsive reading.

Changes is another fast-paced affair, no doubt about it. And with each new chapter getting you closer to the showdown at Chichen Itzá, Butcher made this book impossible to put down! True, the groundwork had been laid over the course of over ten installment, yet the author made it all come together with panache in a grand finale that will leave no one indifferent. I wish reading could always be this amazing!

Changes delivered on all fronts and it will be a tough act to follow. The unanticipated ending signaled that the series will take an abrupt turn in the next book, aptly titled Ghost Story. I know that fans were not as enthused by that sequel, but I'm not sure that anything could live up to the potential showcased in Changes. One thing's for certain. Nothing will ever be the same for Harry and company, and I'm looking forward to see where Jim Butcher will take them next.

Believe you me: It doesn't get much better than this!

The final verdict: 9.5/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

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Here's the blurb:

The Moon wants to kill you. Whether it's being unable to pay your per diem for your allotted food, water, and air, or you just get caught up in a fight between the Moon's ruling corporations, the Five Dragons. You must fight for every inch you want to gain in the Moon's near feudal society. And that is just what Adriana Corta did.

As the leader of the Moon's newest "dragon," Adriana has wrested control of the Moon's Helium-3 industry from the Mackenzie Metal corporation and fought to earn her family's new status. Now, at the twilight of her life, Adriana finds her corporation, Corta Helio, surrounded by the many enemies she made during her meteoric rise. If the Corta family is to survive, Adriana's five children must defend their mother's empire from her many enemies... and each other.

You can also get your hands on the digital edition of Kim Stanley Robinson's New York 2140 for only 3.99$ here. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson returns with a bold and brilliant vision of New York City in the next century.

As the sea levels rose, every street became a canal. Every skyscraper an island. For the residents of one apartment building in Madison Square, however, New York in the year 2140 is far from a drowned city.

There is the market trader, who finds opportunities where others find trouble. There is the detective, whose work will never disappear - along with the lawyers, of course.

There is the internet star, beloved by millions for her airship adventures, and the building's manager, quietly respected for his attention to detail. Then there are two boys who don't live there, but have no other home - and who are more important to its future than anyone might imagine.

Lastly there are the coders, temporary residents on the roof, whose disappearance triggers a sequence of events that threatens the existence of all - and even the long-hidden foundations on which the city rests.

New York 2140 is an extraordinary and unforgettable novel, from a writer uniquely qualified to the story of its future.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

For a limited time, you can download volumes 2 to 9 of Glen Cook's The Chronicles of the Black Company for 2.99$ each here. There is a price match in Canada.

So if you ever thought about giving this series a shot, now's the time to do so!

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (May 28th)

In hardcover:

Dean Koontz' The Crooked Staircase is down five spots, finishing the week at number 10.

In paperback:

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale is up two spots, finishing the week at number 2 (trade paperback). For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is up one position, ending the week at number 8 (trade paperback).

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download the omnibus comprised of all three volumes of Katherine Kurtz's The Legends of Camber of Culdi for only 3.99$ here. It's the perfect starting point for anyone interested in discovering the Deryni saga!

Here's the blurb:

Three fantasy novels of intrigue, betrayal, and magic in medieval Gwynedd by the New York Times–bestselling author of the Deryni series—bonus story also included.

Camber of Culdi: Long before Camber was revered as a saint, he was a Deryni noble, one of the most respected of the magical race whose arcane skills set them apart from ordinary humans in the kingdom of Gwynedd. Now, the land suffers under the tyranny of King Imre, whose savage oppression of the human population weighs heavily on Camber’s heart—a heart that is about to be shattered by a tragic loss that will lead him to confront the usurpers whose dark magic haunts the realm.

Saint Camber: The yoke of tyranny has finally been lifted in Gwynedd, but Camber’s job remains unfinished. The dangerous remnants of a conquered enemy still mass at the borders, and the new ruler is desperately unhappy wearing the crown. With the stability of a fragile kingdom at stake, its greatest champion must make the ultimate sacrifice: Camber of Culdi must cease to exist.

Camber the Heretic: The king’s heir is a mere boy of twelve, and the malevolent regents who will rule until young Alroy comes of age are determined to eliminate all Deryni. Suddenly, the future of Gwynedd hangs in the balance, and Camber—once adored as a saint, but now reviled as a heretic—must find a way to protect his people before everything and everyone he loves is destroyed in the all-consuming flames of intolerance and hate.

Filled with mysticism and magic, these sagas reminds us that “Kurtz’s love of history lets her do things with her characters and their world that no non-historian could hope to do” (Chicago Sun-Times).

You can also get your hands on the digital edition of Peter F. Hamilton's Great North Road for only 4.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

When attending a Newcastle murder scene, Detective Sidney Hurst finds a dead North family clone. Yet none have been reported missing. And in 2122, twenty years ago, a North clone billionaire was horrifically murdered in the same manner on the tropical planet of St Libra. So, if the murderer is still at large, was Angela Tramelo wrongly convicted? She never wavered under interrogation, claiming she alone survived an alien attack.

Investigating this potential alien threat now becomes the Human Defence Agency’s top priority. St Libran bio-fuel is the lifeblood of Earth’s economy and must be secured. A vast expedition is mounted via the Newcastle gateway, and experts are dispatched to the planet – with Angela Tramelo, grudgingly released from prison. But the expedition is cut off deep within St Libra’s rainforests, and the murders begin. Angela insists it’s the alien, but her new colleagues aren’t sure. Did she see an alien, or does she have other reasons for being on St Libra?

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on China Miéville's Embassytown for only 1.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak. Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language. When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties: to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak—but which speaks through her, whether she likes it or not.

May he rest in peace. . .

RIP Gardner Dozois

What a terrible loss for science fiction and fantasy. He will be missed. . . =(

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You can download James Clavell's international bestselling masterpiece Shogun for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

A bold English adventurer. An invincible Japanese warlord. A beautiful woman torn between two ways of life, two ways of love. All brought together in an extraordinary saga of a time and a place aflame with conflict, passion, ambition, lust, and the struggle for power...

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (May 21st)

In hardcover:

Dean Koontz' The Crooked Staircase debuts at number 5.

In paperback:

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale is down two spots, finishing the week at number 4 (trade paperback). For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is down three positions, ending the week at number 9 (trade paperback).

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Saladin Ahmed's Throne of the Crescent Moon for only 1.99$ here. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

A finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Crawford, Gemmell, and British Fantasy Awards, and the winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel, Throne of the Crescent Moon is a fantasy adventure with all the magic of The Arabian Nights.

The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, home to djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, are at the boiling point of a power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince. In the midst of this brewing rebellion a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. But these killings are only the earliest signs of a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn the great city of Dhamsawwaat, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin.

Quote of the Day

"Medecine's come a long way in the last hundred years. Imagine where it'll be in a hundred more."

The young Russian woman was unimpressed. "It will be where it is now. Lagging behind war and every other way men hurt one another."

- DAVID MACK, The Midnight Front (Canada, USA, Europe)

Starless

As you know, I feel like a complete idiot for having waited for so long to finally give Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel novels a shot. Now that I've read and fell in love with the first two trilogies, I was getting ready to start the third series. But when I learned that she had a stand-alone book titled Starless getting published this spring, I elected to read that one instead.

Understandably, I had high hopes for this one. And although Starless begins in a way that makes it impossible to put down, sadly the plot sags in the middle and peters out toward an ending that did not quite live up to my lofty expectations. I'm not sure what happened along the way. From the get-go until Khai leaves the Fortress of the Winds and the desert behind, this novel is as good and engrossing as anything I've read from Carey. So much so that I believed that Starless would be the fantasy title of the year. Then things gradually took a turn for the worse and the book never truly recovered afterward. Which is a shame, for it's been a long time since I was hooked to such a degree by the first few chapters of a novel.

Here's the blurb:

Jacqueline Carey is back with an amazing adventure not seen since her New York Times bestselling Kushiel’s Legacy series. Lush and sensual, Starless introduces us to an epic world where exiled gods live among us, and a hero whose journey will resonate long after the last page is turned.

Let your mind be like the eye of the hawk…Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him.

In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity…but in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction.

If Khai is to keep his soul’s twin Zariya alive, their only hope lies with an unlikely crew of prophecy-seekers on a journey that will take them farther beneath the starless skies than anyone can imagine.

I've said it a hundred times: Jacqueline Carey's worldbuilding has always been amazing. Unfortunately, I feel that the author never received the respect she deserves in that regard. With each new book, she took us on fabulous journeys that enabled readers to discover more about her Kushiel universe and she never disappointed in doing so. Richly detailed and imagined in terms of cultures, religions, and politics, these works were textured and sophisticated novels that hit all the right buttons. Given that Starless was a stand-alone book, I figured that it wouldn't be as dense and sprawling as most of the Kushiel installments. And yet, early on Carey's worldbuilding shines again. Her depiction of life in the desert and the Fortress of the Winds was particularly well-done. The author perfectly captured the unforgiving nature of that environment, and Khai's early years and training made for a fascinating read. The Middle Eastern/Islamic setting was a welcome change from the the traditional European medieval analog. Her depiction of the city of Merabaht and the House of the Ageless and the court of the Sun-Blessed was also interesting. However, the web of murder and political intrigue that Carey wove through this novel was not as shocking as the politicking she accustomed us to in previous works. It's hard to tell if initially this was meant to be a two-installment sequence, for the subsequent journey across the currents felt incredibly rushed compared to the rest of the book. Hence, her depiction of Papa-ka-hondras and the other countries/islands visited during their quest felt cursory at best. A world away from the wonderful worldbuilding skills Carey demonstrated during the great expeditions of the Kushiel books. The same goes for the fallen gods and goddesses, whose histories and personalities were not as well-drawn as I would have liked.

The tale is told from the first person narrative of Khai. Given up as a baby to be raised and trained by the Brotherhood of Pahrkun to become Princess Zariya's shadow, this young warrior's perspective is that of a deeply flawed individual that has been betrayed by those he trusted the most. And though characterization has always been a facet in which the author usually excels, the introduction of Zariya essentially killed the story for me. Khai, who up until that point was a captivating protagonist, becomes a lovesick puppy as soon as they are introduced and remains so for the duration of the novel. It's been a while since I came across a character I found this annoying. The more so because Khai is never the same afterward. My dear, dearest, my heart, my love, yada yada yada. Zariya cannot speak to anyone without using such terms of endearment and this gets old real fast. Hence, from the moment Khai and Zariya met in the Palace of the Sun, Starless lost most of what had made it a compelling read. And since the princess' storyline lies at the heart of the plot, it made it impossible for me to get over that. Thankfully, Jacqueline Carey has a knack for creating engaging and memorable secondary characters, and once again she came up with a good cast. Chief among them Brother Yarit, Vironesh, Jahno the Seeker, and Brother Saan. In their own way, they have all left their mark on this novel. Kudos to Carey for tackling the transgender issue and doing it well.

Pace was never really an issue throughout Starless, but there is no denying that the last portion of the novel, the one focusing on the heroes' journey to save the world, felt quite rushed at times. The rhythm pertaining to the first part, the one focusing on Khai's training, was slower and covered several years. As a result, you got to know Khai and his fellow members of the Brotherhood of Pahrkun a lot more than the rest of the characters we meet later in the book. The desert truly came alive and that portion of the plot was head and shoulders above the rest of the novel in terms of quality and originality.

I often complain that works are sometimes too long, that they would have been better if a number of chapters had been excised. On the contrary, I felt that Starless probably would have benefited from a longer pagecount. Weighing in at 592 pages, it's already a big book, true. And yet, the final journey felt too rushed, the locales visited and their people not richly depicted enough, for the endgame and finale to be as memorable as they could have been.

For a while, it felt as though Starless would be the fantasy book to read in 2018. Unfortunately, as the story progressed it failed to live up to that potential. Hence, what could have been a great work turned out to be merely a good one. For many readers, that will be enough. But I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. . .

The final verdict: 7/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

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You can get your hands on the digital edition of Robert Jackson Bennett's City of Stairs for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

An atmospheric and intrigue-filled novel of dead gods, buried histories, and a mysterious, protean city--from one of America's most acclaimed young fantasy writers.

The city of Bulikov once wielded the powers of the gods to conquer the world, enslaving and brutalizing millions—until its divine protectors were killed. Now Bulikov has become just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power, but the surreal landscape of the city itself—first shaped, now shattered, by the thousands of miracles its guardians once worked upon it—stands as a constant, haunting reminder of its former supremacy.

Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country's most accomplished spies, dispatched to catch a murderer. But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem—and that Bulikov's cruel reign may not yet be over.

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Here's the blurb:

In The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley, the emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods.

Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has spent eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, learning the enigmatic discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power he must master before it's too late.

An ocean away, Valyn endures the brutal training of the Kettral, elite soldiers who fly into battle on gigantic black hawks. But before he can set out to save Kaden, Valyn must survive one horrific final test.

At the heart of the empire, Minister Adare, elevated to her station by one of the emperor's final acts, is determined to prove herself to her people. But Adare also believes she knows who murdered her father, and she will stop at nothing—and risk everything—to see that justice is meted out.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (May 14th)

In paperback:

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid’s Tale is up four spots, finishing the week at number 2 (trade paperback). For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is down five positions, ending the week at number 6 (trade paperback).

Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology is down three spots, finishing the week at number 14 (trade paperback)

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can download Justin Cronin's international bestseller, The Passage, for only 1.99$ here.

Here's a blurb:

'It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.'

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear - of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he's done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey - spanning miles and decades - towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

With The Passage, award-winning author Justin Cronin has written both a relentlessly suspenseful adventure and an epic chronicle of human endurance in the face of unprecedented catastrophe and unimaginable danger. Its inventive storytelling, masterful prose, and depth of human insight mark it as a crucial and transcendent work of modern fiction.

Only Human

With Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods, Sylvain Neuvel came up with two interesting, thought-provoking, and entertaining novels. Waking Gods ended up on my Top 10 of 2017 and I firmly believed that Only Human would be one of my favorite reads of 2018.

Imagine my shock when I realized that this final installment was a world away from its predecessors in terms of quality and originality. I'm extremely sad to report that Only Human is, thus far at least, my biggest disappointment of the year. And due to the fact that it's such a lackluster effort, to a certain extent it killed the entire series and will make it hard for me to recommend The Themis Files in the future.

Here's the blurb:

Brilliant scientist Rose Franklin has devoted her adult life to solving the mystery she accidentally stumbled upon as a child: a huge metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. The discovery set in motion a cataclysmic chain of events with geopolitical ramifications. Rose and the Earth Defense Corps raced to master the enigmatic technology, as giant robots suddenly descended on Earth’s most populous cities, killing one hundred million people in the process. Though Rose and her team were able to fend off the attack, their victory was short-lived. The mysterious invaders retreated, disappearing from the shattered planet . . . but they took the scientist and her crew with them.

Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find a devastating new war—this time between humans. America and Russia are locked in combat, fighting to fill the power vacuum left behind after the invasion. Families are torn apart, friends become bitter enemies, and countries collapse in the wake of the battling superpowers. It appears the aliens left behind their titanic death machines so humankind will obliterate itself. Rose is determined to find a solution, whatever it takes. But will she become a pawn in a doomsday game no one can win?

As I mentioned in my previous reviews, Neuvel's The Themis Files is reminiscent of Andy Weir's The Martian and Max Brooks' World War Z, but only as far as the format is concerned. Once again in Only Human, the tale is told through a variety of recorded interviews, mission logs, and journal entries. I had doubts regarding such a dossier-like format at the beginning of Sleeping Giants, yet one soon got used to the unconventional narrative structure. True, it remains an unorthodox way to convey the story, but it sort of gives this series its unique flavor. For some reason, though it did work well in the first two volumes, it was often off-putting in this final installment. Then again, so many facets of this books were irritating, and even exasperating, that it had to take its toll on the narrative structure as well.

Thankfully, Waking Gods did not suffer from the middle book syndrome. Sleeping Giants was released without much fanfare, with no lofty expectations. But with the critical and commercial success of his scifi debut, the second volume had to deliver in order to satisfy fans. Which it did, with the sequel living up to the potential generated by Sleeping Giants and then some! Understandably, expectations were high for the third installment and I wonder if the pressure got to Sylvain Neuvel and had a negative influence on his writing process. For, in the end, other than in a few scenes, Only Human features nothing that made the first two volumes such compelling reads.

The characterization, which was the heart and soul of both Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods, was by far the weakest aspect of this novel. Surprisingly, it was so poor and occasionally insipid that it made this book a failure to launch from the get-go. In the past, the interviews and journal entries allowed readers to delve into the psyche of every character and to get to know them on a deeper level. The debriefings and interviews used to be conducted by a shadowy figure of power whose identity was finally revealed in Waking Gods. For the most part, in Only Human he was replaced by Major Katherine Lebedev. A member of the Russian Main Intelligence Agency, it looks as though she was taken straight out of a Glee episode. Vapid in every sense of the word, she has absolutely no credibility. And as the main pillar of the entire narrative structure, she almost single-handedly killed this novel. Neuvel's gag-a-minute attempts made for some dumb and weak humor. A far cry from the brilliance and the wit which he demonstrated in the first two installments. The mission logs from Captain Bodie Hough and Lieutenant Barbara Ball are even more stupid, if you can believe that. How an author who has shown how intelligent and thought-provoking he could be fall so low as to come up with something this half-assed, I'll never know. Indeed, it often felt as though this was written by a totally different person. Dr. Rose Franklin and Vincent Couture are back, of course, but the supporting cast is vastly inferior to those featured in the prequels. The absence of the powerful, high-placed, and cold-blooded man in charge of the interviews is a game-changer as far as the narrative is concerned. Kara Resnik's death was also deeply felt in sequences that have to do with Vincent and Eva. The mysterious Mr. Burns makes a few appearances and is always as fascinating as he used to be. But overall, the characterization was a disaster.

Both Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods were strange sorts of hybrids. The books were science fiction works that explored larger-than-life concepts and their impacts on the protagonists themselves and the world at large. In addition, they were political novels that explored the geopolitical conflicts caused by the shocking appearance of numerous robots similar to Themis all across the globe. Although science played a major role in both, I don't consider them to be hard scifi books. There were just enough scientific details to satisfy purists, yet the narrative was imbued with a sense of wonder that elevated these novels to another dimension. The realization that we are not alone in the universe and that an ancient civilization is light-years ahead of us technologically had dramatic repercussions all over the world, and now Earth seems threatened by that vastly superior foe. I feel that Sylvain Neuvel did a good job portraying just how arrogant and stupid mankind can be during times of crisis. And the way Waking Gods ended set the stage for what could only be a gripping finale. Why the author decided to dumb it all down, so to speak, in Only Human, I'll never know. The Themis Files were undoubtedly one of the most captivating and engaging science fiction series of recent years and it had all the ingredients required for a grand endgame that would close the show with style and aplomb. Alas, it was not to be. . .

Unfortunately, by turning his back on everything that made the first two volumes such enthralling and entertaining reads, even though things get better closer to the end, this novel can be nothing but a major disappointment. There are a few scenes that recapture the brilliance and intelligence of the prequels, but these are few and far between. All in all, Only Human was an uninspired effort in which poor characterization and a weak plot were replaced by lame attempts at humor. All filler and no killer for most of the novel, I'm afraid. It often felt as though Sylvain Neuvel knew exactly how he wanted to end this trilogy, but he had no idea how to get readers from the moment the robot showed up on another planet to the endgame between Russia and the USA back on Earth.

The final verdict: 5/10

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale for only 1.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

You can also download Jim Butcher's Proven Guilty for only 1.99$ here. There is a price match in Canada.

Here's the blurb:

There's no love lost between Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book, and the White Council of Wizards, who find him brash and undisciplined. But war with the vampires has thinned their ranks, so the Council has drafted Harry as a Warden and assigned him to look into rumors of black magic in the Windy City.

As Harry adjusts to his new role, another problem arrives in the form of the tattooed and pierced daughter of an old friend, all grown-up and already in trouble. Her boyfriend is the only suspect in what looks like a supernatural assault straight out of a horror film. Malevolent entities that feed on fear are loose in Chicago, but it's all in a day's work for a wizard, his faithful dog, and a talking skull named Bob...

Finally, you can now get your hands on the digital edition of Guy Gavriel Kay's The Summer Tree for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

The Summer Tree is the first novel of Guy Gavriel Kay’s critically acclaimed fantasy trilogy, The Fionavar Tapestry. Five university students embark on a journey of self-discovery when they enter a realm of wizards and warriors, gods and mythical creatures--and good and evil…

It all began with a lecture that introduced five university students to a man who would change their lives, a wizard who would take them from Earth to the heart of the first of all worlds--Fionavar. And take them Loren Silvercloak did, for his need--the need of Fionavar and all the worlds--was great indeed.

And in a marvelous land of men and dwarves, of wizards and gods, five young people discovered who they were truly meant to be. For they are a long-awaited part of the pattern known as the Fionavar Tapestry, and only if they accepted their destiny would the armies of the Light stand any chance of surviving the wrath the Unraveller and his minions of darkness intend to unleash upon the world…

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now download Guy Gavriel Kay's Children of Earth and Sky for only 5.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

The bestselling author of the groundbreaking novels Under Heaven and River of Stars, Guy Gavriel Kay is back with a new novel, Children of Earth and Sky, set in a world inspired by the conflicts and dramas of Renaissance Europe. Against this tumultuous backdrop the lives of men and women unfold on the borderlands—where empires and faiths collide.

From the small coastal town of Senjan, notorious for its pirates, a young woman sets out to find vengeance for her lost family. That same spring, from the wealthy city-state of Seressa, famous for its canals and lagoon, come two very different people: a young artist traveling to the dangerous east to paint the grand khalif at his request—and possibly to do more—and a fiercely intelligent, angry woman, posing as a doctor’s wife, but sent by Seressa as a spy.

The trading ship that carries them is commanded by the accomplished younger son of a merchant family, ambivalent about the life he’s been born to live. And farther east a boy trains to become a soldier in the elite infantry of the khalif—to win glory in the war everyone knows is coming.

As these lives entwine, their fates—and those of many others—will hang in the balance, when the khalif sends out his massive army to take the great fortress that is the gateway to the western world…

More inexpensive ebook goodies!

You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Bradley Beaulieu's The Lays of Anuskaya: The Complete Trilogy for only 2.99$ here. That's 1931 pages of awesome for not even 3$! =)

Here's the blurb:

Among inhospitable and unforgiving seas stands Khalakovo, a mountainous archipelago of seven islands, its prominent eyrie stretching a thousand feet into the sky. Serviced by windships bearing goods and dignitaries, Khalakovo’s eyrie stands at the crossroads of world trade. But all is not well in Khalakovo. Conflict has erupted between the ruling Landed, the indigenous Aramahn, and the fanatical Maharraht, and a wasting disease has grown rampant over the past decade. Now, Khalakovo is to play host to the Nine Dukes, a meeting which will weigh heavily upon Khalakovo’s future.

When an elemental spirit attacks an incoming windship, murdering the Grand Duke and his retinue, Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, is tasked with finding the child prodigy believed to be behind the summoning. However, Nikandr discovers that the boy is an autistic savant who may hold the key to lifting the blight that has been sweeping the islands. Can the Dukes, thirsty for revenge, be held at bay? Can Khalakovo be saved? The elusive answer drifts upon the Winds of Khalakovo…

This omnibus edition of The Lays of Anuskaya is comprised of the following novels:
The Winds of Khalakovo
The Straits of Galahesh
The Flames of Shadam Khoreh

Also included are the following two Lays of Anuskaya novellas:
“To the Towers of Tulandan”
“Prima”

You can now download M. R. Carey's The Girl With All the Gifts for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her "our little genius."

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

The Girl With All the Gifts is a groundbreaking thriller, emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end.

Quote of the Day

Religion can inspire some pretty strange things.

C. S. FRIEDMAN, The Madness Season (Canada, USA, Europe)

Though it's almost three decades old, this book is pretty damned good! =)