The Chinese term 報復性熬夜 (Bàofù xìng áoyè) translates to “revenge to stay up late,” where people who can’t control their daytime life delay their sleep to relish their night time freedom before bed.
Bedtime Procrastination!
Much of this post was written, and most the reading happened, probably too late at night. Coincidence?
(Source: Daphne K. Lee on Twitter via David Perrell.)
Finished
Eagle Down: The Last Special Forces Fighting The Forever War, Jessica Donati. Donati is the Wall Street Journal’s DC-based foreign affairs reporter. The book follows a series of Special Forces team members in Afghanistan, who are caught between the Taliban on one side and the politics of the American war effort on the other. A cogent, compelling, but not an uplifting read.
Read again factor: A bit on the depressing side.
Regia Occulta, Dan Abnett. I haven’t read a lot of Inquistor Eisenhorn. Short and satisfying, with a satisfying plot and a snapshot of the Inquistor which makes me want to learn more about him.
Read again factor: On it.
Certainly wins some sort of prize for most suggestive cover…
Wetware, Various authors. Black Hare Press boasts it serves up “dark tales for dark hearts” and this anthology is full of them. Grouped around the theme of bodies, often with various...modifications, this has some great moments but the writing is often uneven. That said, could be worth exploring other volumes from the publisher.
Read again factor: I’d require a major cerebral upgrade upgrade upgr...[REBOOTING]
Pestilence, Dan Abnett. Another short-but-excellent entry from the veteran Black Library author. An Imperial medicae tracks down the source of a deadly plague crippling the war effort across an entire sector. His journey takes him to a sanitarium where unsavory and dark events dramatically unfold.
Read again factor: As inevitable as sunrise.
Galaxy’s Edge: Tin Man (Galaxy’s Edge O.5) Jason Anspach and Nick Cole. This is a short (60pg) story of a war-weary war bot, fighting alongside humans in a hellish warzone. Great story undermined just slightly by the ending. Still, worth the read for a new perspective on an established military sci-fi universe.
Read again factor: Need my firmware flashed first.
Breach of Peace (Breach of Faith, Book 1), Daniel Gibbs and Gary T. Stevens. Less pure space opera/military sci-fi and more mystery-adventure, this is what Echoes of War could have been. Better pacing, better characters, more complex plot made this an enjoyable read.
Read again factor: Hmmm...still not sure I’m up for the whole series, though.
I can think of nothing snappy to say here.
Flesh and Steel, Guy Haley. Warhammer Crime! This is the story of a rich boy-turned-cop whose quest for justice turns unexpectedly complicated--and who whose partnership with a representative of Mechanicus justice is unexpectedly all-too-human. Unusual for Warhammer in that there is a somewhat happy ending. Maybe. Somewhat.
Read again factor: Moar pleez!
Bloodlines, Chris Wraight. First book in the new Warhammer Crime imprint. An excellent story that brings us deep into the decay, corruption and deceit that runs deep through the hive city of Varangantua. Nicely-paced and taught.
Read again factor: If I may, sir...
Fight The Good Fight, Daniel Gibbs. David Cohen is a space-faring aspiring rabbi who finds that his conscience and his profession collide in the middle of war against the violent, evil Leage of Sol. A tough read--I enjoyed and was annoyed in equal measure. Gibbs writes with great passion but hasn’t yet acquired complete fluency as an author. I finished this, but not the box set. (See below.)
Read again factor: Next year at the Lagrange point?
There Is Only War, Various authors--although “The Usual Suspects” would probably be just as good a description for most of them. A very good collective offering from Black Library. This was originally from 2014, but has aged well. Deux Ex Mechanicus and Midnight on the Street of Knives from Andy Chambers were standouts for me--Chambers has written several Eldar-themed works but more typically is credited as a designer. Bitter End from S P Cawkwell had a deliciously evil twist, and the rest of the collection is generally strong as well.
Read again factor: Most definitely very likely!
Rebel (The United Federation Marine Corps #3.5), Johnathan P. Brazee. I haven’t read any of the other books in the series. The UFMC are largely a foil for the development of Michiko MacCailin from a largely aimless life through to leading an armed rebellion against an evil corporation, fighting the Marines, and then...well, read the book. Not bad, interesting development of the main character, and a view inside what motivates the troublemakers who are always being forcibly suppressed in various books and series.
Read again factor: Hmmm...not sure.
Black Library Celebration 2021, Various authors. Five shortish stories from early 2021. The strongest was the first, To Speak As One, followed by the twisty The Strong Among Us. I’m not a big Warhammer Fantasy fan, so Death on The Road to Svardheim was lost on me. Skull Throne was...weird. Champions, All was solid Space Marine fare. Good reading.
Read again factor: Sigh. So much WH40K material, so little time...
Iron Truth (Primaterre Book 1), S.A. Tholin. Awesome start to another series. Tholin stitches a taut story around two tortured souls who find love in a very, very wrondg place. Joy is a junior botanist whose sheltered life crashes into reality on the sands of a haunted planet called Cato. Cassimer is a hardened warrior on a secret mission with an elite team. Great story, well-written. Tholin meditates on truth, meaning, love, evil and belonging--now and then there are some truly baroque passages which can be hard to follow, but it’s a minor criticism. I had no idea it was 591 pages long.
Read again factor: queuing up the whole series...
Servants of the Imperium, Various authors. A triple threat collection of novellas by Nick Kyme, Danie Ware, and Ian St. Martin. More grimdark adventures, covering the Space Marines, Adeptas Sororitas and the long-suffering mere mortals of the Imperial Guard, battling mankind’s foes. Another very solid collection.
Read again factor: First-in, first-out so this is like 237th in the revisit queue.
When The Tiger Came Down The Mountain, Nghi Vo. This is how it’s done! Great storytelling wrapped into a second great story. Loved The Empress of Salt and Fortune from the same author. Chih and their companions have their backs to the wall--literally--in the face of three hungry tigers. Story-telling is the key to survival. This short (128 page) novella is beautifully written, providing just enough detail and with a plot that moves along smartly.
Excellent. Read again factor: most likely!
This should be required reading for everyone…
The Delusions of Crowds: Why People Go Mad In Groups, William J. Bernstein. People love a good narrative, and will dump inconvenient facts to stick to one long after they have let go. “We are apes who tell stories,” says Bernstein, summing up the spirit of the centuries of end-times and financial delusions between which the book rockets back and forth. If you’re on the fence about human nature this may not be the book for you. Still, well-researched and good reading.
Read again factor: We’ve seen the movie and know how it ends, but we’ll be seeing it again anyway..
Order of the Centurion (Series) Jason Anspach, (all) Nick Cole (all), Jonathan Yanez (#1, #2), Josh Hayes (#3), Richard Fox (#4), and J.R. Handley (#5) Series set in the Galaxy’s Edge universe. Yes, the cosmic dumpster fire. Each book follows a Legion unit set against impossible odds, in circumstances which usually end very badly--but someone always picks up the Order of the Centurion, the Legion’s highest award. Tightly written, consistent enough to guarantee quality, but the guest authors each bring an interesting twist to the books. My personal favorite was The Reservist, but all were solid.
Order of the Centurion (#1)
Iron Wolves (#2)
Stryker’s War (#3)
Through The Nether (#4)
The Reservist (#5)
Read again factor: KTF! (That’d be ‘yes, please!’)
The Mafia Philosopher, Shaun Attwood. Attwood was doing time in Arizona when he met the former Bonanno crime family associate known as “Two Tonys.” The American mobster took him under his wing, and the book is a transcription of his story and philosophy. Two Tonys is a brutal human being, with a brutally honest view of the world. Reading heavily during his time in prison afforded him a certain refinement: comparing Dostoevsky with Tolstoy, he finds the former’s “pencil was not sharpened as finely” as the latter. This sometimes sits uneasily with his matter-of-fact acknowledgement of a life of brutality. All in all, a fascinating glimpse.
Read again factor: maybe.
Galaxy’s Edge: Dark Operator, Doc Spears with Jason Anspach & Nick Cole. That’s what I’m talking about -- a nice, compact (I got through it in around 5 hours) piece of escapism that’s just plausible enough that I can enjoy escaping. One ding: the plot is early 21st century US military SF very thinly disguised and transplanted into the Galaxy’s Edge universe. I would have liked to have seen a little more in the way of plot twists and turns. The main character kills proficiently and and so forth, but actually has and explores conflicted feelings. Far from being omniscient, the narrator actually gets played and learns as the book goes along. Unexpected, but welcome rewards. Short and enjoyable.
Read again factor: Highly recommended to others, good advertising for the rest of the series.
The Best Horror of the Year: Volume 1, Ellen Datlow, editor. This was a re-read of a 2009 collection I’d picked up awhile ago. Cargo, the opening story, sets the tone (and high bar) with a chilling story of an air shipment gone horribly wrong. Penguins of the Apocalypse has the best name, and an object lesson in not making deals with strangers. The least-convincing was Loup-Garou, but even there the writing was solid. All in all an excellent read.
Read again factor: Well, there are like 11 other volumes in the series to go through first...
That’s a tusk. Really.
The Unspoken Name, A. K. Larkwood. Csorwe (rhymes with “doorway” I think we’re told at some point) has been raised to be a human sacrifice by a death cult. This comfortable but doomed existence ends when she crosses paths with an adventurer and wizard who’s much, much more than he seems. Csorwe meets a love interest, who has been raised to be a human sacrifice of a slightly different kind. Together, they hunt for an ancient relic which isn’t what it seems, either. Happy ending follows an only slightly-implausible last quarter.
Read again factor: High, particularly if it becomes a series.
Portal: A Short Story Collection, Daniel Young. Free download from half of the team responsible for Oblivion--link is under “Outcast Starship” in the unfinished section, below. None of the stories are terrible, none stand out too much. Viper is solid space opera, but could have been left as a short story. There is a genuine twist to Tipping Point, as well. The rest were entertaining. The interesting thing is that Young’s writing here is better than what he and Joshua James are putting out as a team.
Read again factor: Negative, Ghost Rider. The pattern is full..
Put Down Unfinished
Echoes of War (Books 1-3), Daniel Gibbs. I made it through Book 1, Fight The Good Fight (review above) and Book 2, Strong and Courageous -- and 800 pages in, my strength and courage gave out. I wanted very much to like this, but it succumed to the problem with a lot of author (as opposed to publisher) driven sci-fi: volume. The total series spans 7 books, released between March, 2019 and June, 2020. I wasn’t expecting George R.R. Martin, but the frenetic pace of writing, as ever, takes its toll on the quality of the work. Too many little glitches in character development, plot and description drained the joy out of reading this. Sent to patrol the frontier 66% through (or at 2 books down, 5 to go if you consider the whole series.)
Star Scavenger, G.J. Ogden (5 volume series). I made it through Guardian Outcast, book 1 in the series. Hudson Powell is a member of Relic Guardian Force with a problem -- the RGF is corrupt, he hates his partner, and if he quits they’ll ruin him. The general idea here, I surmise, is that Powell finds a piece of xenotech which emits an odd form of radiation which accidentally triggers an ancient alien killing machine which proceeds to try to destroy Earth/humanity. This wasn’t bad, in fact I’d say it was above average for the semi-pro SF genre. It just wasn’t good enough to make me want to read -- consults Kindle -- 11 hours and 19 minutes more. Again, the problem is the balance of volume vs. quality. Completed 20%.
Outcast Starship: The Complete Series, Joshua James. In early January, I reviewed James and writing partner Daniel Young’s 1504 page epic, Oblivion -- a space melodrama in nine very long acts. I praised James’ Planet Hell, so Outcast Starship seemed like a natural next stop. Unfortunately, it disappointed. In a nutshell: bizarrely unlikely physics, a plot about as deep as a kiddie pool, and characters that take being one-dimensional to a new level of flat. It’s better than Oblivion, but only by a small margin. Like Star Scavengers, above, the issue is volume. I gave up 8% in, with Kindle estimating I had 15 hours of reading left.
Project Destiny: A SciFi Thriller, Justin Sloan. Project Destiny, elite soldiers in a privatized future military. The Looking Glass, resistance fighters (or terrorist hackers, depending on your point of view) who duel with the PDers across the stars. The premise is okay, but the writing is a bit flat and the plot kept losing my attention. Put it down at 7% done--before the major plot reveal, according to the blurb on Goodreads. Unfortunate.
One Day As A Lion, Johnathan E. Hernandez. I got this, I think, as an ARC from publisher Aethon. This is a tough one -- I go back and forth a little about going back to finish it, but for the moment it’s on the discard pile. The plot is interesting, juxtaposing a human solider and alien(ish) warrior’s collison on the battlefield of Fate. Ultimately, though, it feels like it’s paced to unfold across a series--of which it is indeed the first book--and so feels like it’s moving at a glacial pace. Suspended at 38% done.
Beginner Quest: Towers and Rifts Book One, Nephilim Night. Another Aethon ARC. It’s a bad sign when the most pressing question you have about a book is if the author is using their real name or a pseudonym--and if so, why? This was my first encounter with the lit-RPG genre, and might be the last. From Goodreads: Towers & Rifts is filled with cultivation, measurable power progression, crunchy stats, loot, immortal gods, intriguing characters, and everything lovers of all progression fantasy, GameLit/LitRPG, xianxia, and xuanhuan expect. Yes, sure, great? What it wasn’t filled with was effective narration, leaving huge gaps in the backstory and context. I’m up in the air on whether you can criticize a book set in a literal video game for shallow character development, since the inner life of a video game character is presumably somewhat, um, scripted. But there was also that. Hit the ESC key 39% through.
Blaire Thorne (Monster Assassin Series, Books 1-4), N. Gray. Interesting premise, but didn’t capture my attention consistently. In Ulysses Exposed, our protagonist wakes, bleeding and battered, in an alley, fearing attack by vamires or were-animals. Taken in by the vampire king of the local underworld (pun intended?) and his were-servants, she slowly discovers who she really is. Or something. For a change, I like the writing but the genre isn’t my thing. Bailed 13% in.
Oh wait…there was a Season TWO?!?!
The Beam: Seasons 1 -3, Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant. Dystopian near-future sci-fi set in a vivid, complex, and nuanced world with believable characters and an all-too-possible arc of world history. So why not finish? The authors open Season 1 with a paen to their love of Golden Age TV 2.0, and like American TV, this goes on and on. It simply wore me out. It’s telling that after Season 1, I got well into Season 3 without noticing I’d managed to skip buying and downloading Season 2. The story still made sense, broadly, and I assumed it’d just skipped forward. This doesn’t bode well for wanting to read the section in the middle. So changed the channel 14% of the way in.