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84. So Forward by Mina V. Esguerra. 2.5. The Manila setting and the ice hockey trappings are intriguing, and some of the conversations between the romantic leads are great. But the author is frustratingly prone to diffusing all tension and sets up three or four great potential set pieces which she then promptly avoids, the potential lessons for each person aren't learned, and the final conflict is just a random potential argument that has nothing to do with previous themes and is immediately diffused. I don't mind low-conflict, but this one threatens conflict and then side-steps it. It mostly feels avoidant.
85. Putting the Science in Science Fiction ed. by Dan Koboldt. 4. An anthology of essays for writers about topics that are frequently gotten wrong. Mixed authors, so a mixed bag, but most are pretty interesting.
86. Orsinian Tales by Ursula K. Le Guin. 2.5. A collection of Le Guin's non-speculative fiction. (Well, fictional country, but there's no otherworldliness here.) They didn't win me? Very literary, with mostly unlikeable characters brooding a lot.
87. Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher. 5. Delightful if somewhat dark fantasy romance featuring a perfumer and a berserker paladin whose god died and left him broken.
88. Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood. 5. Short story collection full of wicked black humor.
89. The Fall of Carthage by Adrian Goldsworthy. 3. History of the Punic Wars that isn't sure who its audience is. Surely too much of an overview for serious historians of the era, but much seems to be stating his beliefs in long-standing arguments I have never heard of. Ends up comprehensive and clear, but a little like a very long Wikipedia article.
90. Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. 5. Foul-mouthed Gormenghast with actual stakes. I can see how this would be divisive. It's a total mind trip, but after the first book in the series, I was willing to extend Muir the trust. I'm...still not sure how I feel about the ending, but I'm looking forward to the last book!
91. Changes by Mercedes Lackey. 3.5. Third in the Collegium chronicles, does exactly the job it sets out to do.
92. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. 4. Red Riding Hood's story gets twisted in with cybernetic Cinderella from the first book.
85. Putting the Science in Science Fiction ed. by Dan Koboldt. 4. An anthology of essays for writers about topics that are frequently gotten wrong. Mixed authors, so a mixed bag, but most are pretty interesting.
86. Orsinian Tales by Ursula K. Le Guin. 2.5. A collection of Le Guin's non-speculative fiction. (Well, fictional country, but there's no otherworldliness here.) They didn't win me? Very literary, with mostly unlikeable characters brooding a lot.
87. Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher. 5. Delightful if somewhat dark fantasy romance featuring a perfumer and a berserker paladin whose god died and left him broken.
88. Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood. 5. Short story collection full of wicked black humor.
89. The Fall of Carthage by Adrian Goldsworthy. 3. History of the Punic Wars that isn't sure who its audience is. Surely too much of an overview for serious historians of the era, but much seems to be stating his beliefs in long-standing arguments I have never heard of. Ends up comprehensive and clear, but a little like a very long Wikipedia article.
90. Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. 5. Foul-mouthed Gormenghast with actual stakes. I can see how this would be divisive. It's a total mind trip, but after the first book in the series, I was willing to extend Muir the trust. I'm...still not sure how I feel about the ending, but I'm looking forward to the last book!
91. Changes by Mercedes Lackey. 3.5. Third in the Collegium chronicles, does exactly the job it sets out to do.
92. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. 4. Red Riding Hood's story gets twisted in with cybernetic Cinderella from the first book.
