Again, going with finished, stopped and on the bubble in one post.
Finished:
In case the woman with the candle wasn’t bleak enough, there’s this.
Cadia Stands, Justin D. Hill. This is pure Warhammer 40K: operatic space warfare at its (possibly dubious) finest. A decent first introduction to the universe, because it nails the essence of the relentless existential bleakness of the Imperium and its endless struggle against the forces of Chao. Plot-driven, doesn't waste a lot of time on character development. (Since basically all of them are going to die, why bother?) Decent, workman-like writing. Definitely not in danger of crossing the line into "literature" (see "Requiem Infernal", below.) Read again quotient: Someday when I'm accused of being too cheerful.
Requiem Infernal, Peter Fehervari. This is well-written and evolves at a satisfying clip — and is the first blood-drenched SFF I remember reading that has a candle motif. Which winds up fitting the story, oddly enough. The plot starts out with notes of mystery, before subtly building to a satisfyingly explosive Warhammer finish. At the same time, it is very much a character-driven story, and has a heavier philosophical element than a lot of 40K writing. Although bleak, Fehervari's skill rescues this from being simply an existential downer (see "Cadia Stands", above.) Superb little offering from Black Library. Read again quotient: I'm sure I missed things the first time around, so probably yes because it'll bother me.
Unconquerable Sun, Kate Elliot. This was an advance purchase from a sampler earlier in the summer. There is action, Byzantine subterfuge, murder, betrayal, forbidden science, political intrigue, interstellar war, family infighting and dysfunction on an epic scale — and even a little love. I think one of my favorite touches was the live-streaming of the protagonists' desperate fight, which feeds into a sort of Big Brother on steroids reality show that circumvents the twisted and obscenely nuanced formal politics which both hold the protagonists hostage and enable them. I look forward to the next books in the series. Read again quotient: High potential.
Empire of the Blood, Gav Thorpe. This was 'on probation' in mid-June, but despite my initial misgivings it developed nicely. This is an interesting book--or rather, series of them: Goodreads notes this as an “Omnibus.” That explains why it felt like it was 1000 pages long. It was. At first, I thought it was a straight-up rewrite of the fall of the Roman Republic burdened with an implausibly and annoyingly apolitical and wooden main character. Thorpe warmed up and hit his stride, happily. Characters started to deepen and become (a tad) more nuanced, and the war and politics gradually become infused with an element of magic. The denouement was well-written and had gripping moments. When the fighting ends there is a political wrinkle which was both interesting and sort of "oh, of course" at the same time. I wonder if Thorpe had briefly considered doing another 300 pages and thought better of it. Read again quotient: Only if there's another pandemic.
Casualties:
Monster Features, N. Gray. I am 0-2 with N. Gray. I found this, a collection of stories with a 'monster' theme to be too ponderous. The writing is competent but uninspiring. Shot a flaming arrow into the longboat at 23%.
On the bubble:
Beyond Frankenstein, Mary Shelley - This remains a tough book -- it's not so long that I should have trouble finishing it, yet, yet yet... Stalled out on the road to the castle at 46%.
The Great Influenza, John M. Barry - Well-reviewed, a (the?) magisterial work on the Spanish Flu of 1918. I got bogged down in the seemingly excessive level of discussion of "The Hopkins" and medical education. I trust that there is more there, and having listened to Barry on a couple of podcasts am holding out hope. Sitting in the waiting room at 17%.