A Storm of Swords (Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire – Book 3) by George R.R. Martin

Posted by tjhapney on July 24, 2014
Posted in: Fantasy. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

GOT3Description:

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King’s Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. . . .

But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others–a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. . .

Review: 4 of 5 Stars

I know I’m only up to reviewing Book 3, but I just finished Book 5 so I’ll do my best to keep things straight. There is a lot going on in Book 3 and an entire host of people die. I’ll leave out their names due to spoilers for those who have not yet read the series, but Martin once again managed to kill off a bunch of characters I liked (I’m not griping, just saying). I do like that some of the favorites die along the way. It seems more real to me that way.

There is lots of action and fighting to keep the action-adventure sorts entertained and plenty of intrigue to go around. Thus far, my four favorite characters remain: Arya Stark, Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister.

Martin is pretty long-winded, but if you are the type that was able to make it through Tolkien without ripping your eyeballs out from too much description then you ought to do fine here. If you read Silmarillion without trouble then this will be a cake walk. This book comes in under the 1,000 page usual for Martin, but don’t worry. He’ll make up for it in Book 4.

I’m completely into the story and have really enjoyed it. It is a complex project overall and I think Martin does a great job with it. Sometimes, though, he spends a lot of time on people he just kills later and I’m not sure why he devotes so much time to them. Some of the deaths seem more like a convenience to keep things moving along sometimes more so than that they really add to the overall plot. However, I can’t say for sure as we’re still waiting to see how the whole thing works out and ends.

On the whole the series is a good read and I would suggest it if you like intrigue, sword fighting and dragons. There’s so much more, but if those things interest you then this just might be up your alley. Happy reading.

 

 

 

 

A Clash of Kings: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Two by George R.R. Martin

Posted by tjhapney on July 12, 2014
Posted in: Book Review, Fantasy. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

GOTB2Description:

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel . . . and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Review:  5 of 5 Stars

As those who read this blog know, I’m sometimes a bit sporadic. However, I’m always reading even when I’m not posting. That being said I have several reviews to post as I am just finishing up Book Five of the Game of Thrones series and have a couple of indie books I’ve read and need to review.  For now, though, I’ll be reviewing Game of Thrones, Book Two.

I really enjoyed this book and by the end I was completely addicted to the series. I read more science fiction than fantasy nowadays, but I was very pleased with Game of Thrones from the outset. I mentioned in a previous review that I had started watching the series on HBO, which led me to the books. I love the show, but have really enjoyed the added detail of the books.  In this volume we get to follow Daenerys Targaryen as she raises her new dragons, Robb Stark assumes the mantle of King of the North and general fighting and scheming continue on all sides after the death of several main characters in the first book. Of course, the Lannisters are at the forefront of much of the scheming and plotting and Tyrion continues to be my favorite character of the series.  Joffrey continues to show us what a spoiled, self-important maggot he is and poor Sansa Stark is stuck with him for the time being or so it seems. Arya Stark, the youngest daughter of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark disguises herself as a boy and heads north while trying to avoid her family’s enemies. Jon Snow, another favorite character for me, is serving as a member of the Night’s Watch on the Wall.

The fact that each of these books comes in at right around 1,000 pages makes it difficult to give a succinct review since there are so many characters to follow and an almost equal number of plot lines to go with them. Everyone is up to something in a Game of Thrones book. I like that we get to look inside Sansa’s head in the books. In the show you don’t know what she’s thinking and she seems more meek than she comes off in the books, less flighty debutante and more substance.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and was fully immersed in the story by the end. The writing is fantastic, the plot lines are complex and Martin has no problem killing someone off when they need to be killed. I’m now halfway through Book Five and will join the many other Game of Thrones fans who are waiting on Book Six. It has been a fabulous journey and I can’t wait to see where it ends.  More to come soon. I promise.

NASA’s little secret

Posted by tjhapney on July 4, 2014
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

This post from Peter Cawdron was pretty interesting. Just thought I’d share.

pcawdron's avatarTHINKING SCI-FI

In 2018, NASA will launch the James Webb Space Telescope, but the James Webb is no ordinary telescope. The James Webb is set to revolutionize astronomy in a way that will eclipse even the magnificent achievements of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Picture credit: NASA Picture credit: NASA. The JWST development team in front of a full-size mock up of the telescope

To understand how extraordinary the James Webb is, you have to appreciate the extremes that have gone into this marvel of scientific innovation. The James Webb will orbit almost a million miles from Earth at LaGrange point 2 some 940,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth. That’s roughly four times the distance from Earth to the Moon. In essence, the Earth-Moon system will drag the James Webb along with it as we orbit the Sun.

For the instruments on the James Webb to function properly they have to operate at 40…

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Book Review – A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire (Book 1)

Posted by tjhapney on May 18, 2014
Posted in: Book Review, Fantasy. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

GameBook Description:

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

Review 5 of 5 Stars

I mostly review independent books in this spot, but a lot of times I am reading other things as well that I don’t review. I recently revisited a bunch of Robert Heinlein books I had not read in years, I’m currently on a Game of Thrones kick and this leads to somewhat erratic posting. So I thought I would just start reviewing whatever it is that I read and readers can decide whether they want to view it or not. Anyway, on with the book.

I did a marathon of the HBO series before starting on the books. I was not a follower from the beginning, but during a particularly long and cold week this winter I watched the whole series up to where the current season would start. I really enjoyed the TV series, but was curious what tidbits might have been left out from the written version. There are always differences between a TV series and the books, nuances that you miss, foreshadowing and outright changes to the story though I do have to say that the first season of the series was pretty much right to the book.

I’m enjoying reading the books though sometimes the descriptions drag on a bit long for me. Of course, I’m inpatient by nature so that may not be a problem for others. The story as a whole is complex and well done. I immediately became a fan of the Stark clan and their direwolves and I’ve enjoyed every moment of the time I have spent in this fantasy realm. I suspect that I will read all of the books since I’m finishing the second one and have the third one waiting for me on my desk. The first book introduces all the characters, sets the scene for the story to come and is long enough to give you time to really get familiar with the characters and start to love or hate them as they deserve.

Martin did an excellent job with this book.  The characters have obvious depth and the world building was done well enough to suck me in at once. I read a lot of science fiction, but I enjoy a well crafted fantasy from time to time. There are more hints at the usual fantasy elements of magic and dark things in the first book than actual experiences for the characters with such things, more ancient tales that people wonder if they are true. I’m going to leave it there for anyone who hasn’t read the books or watched the series and would like to. Nevertheless, I’m enjoying my adventures with the characters on both sides of the Narrow Sea and hope my fascination with this world continues as I’ve had such a good time up until now.

 

 

Book Review – Pearseus: Rise of the Prince by Nicholas C. Rossis

Posted by tjhapney on May 12, 2014
Posted in: Science Fiction. Tagged: , , , . 2 Comments

PearseusBook Description/Blurb:

The handful of humans that crash-landed on Pearseus three hundred years ago, have now colonized a large part of the planet, rebuilding their civilization from scratch. In the process, they have created a dystopia for themselves, splitting into three competing factions: the Capital, the Loyalists and the Democracies, all embroiled in endless intrigue and constant warfare.

Peace of the Eclipse, an uneasy truce between the three parties, still holds – barely. While man turns against man, the First, Pearseus’ indigenous people, wage their own ancient war against a shadowy enemy; a war that threatens to destroy all of humanity.

The story unfolds through the eyes of its protagonists. Egged on by unseen forces, Styx, the increasingly paranoid ruler of the Capital, terrorizes her subjects. In a burst of cruelty, she murders General Parad’s son and feeds him to his father during a banquet. David, a young servant of Styx, accidentally finds out about the planet’s ethereal inhabitants and is forced to flee the Capital. Lehmor and Moirah, a recently married First couple, are caught up in humanity’s scheming. And in the Democracies, Sol becomes ruler of the city of Anthea, determined to lead it into glory.
As war looms ever closer, the protagonists find their lives in danger at every turn. Can love be found in the ruins of humanity’s civilization?

Pearseus is a page-turning science fiction adventure with strong space opera and metaphysical elements.  It mixes blood-curling drama with psychology, religion, history and philosophy, to offer the reader an intense, thought-provoking tale with surprising twists. In the end, justice without compassion is but tyranny

Review 4 of 5 Stars

This book benefited from the bump that I give anything I would give a half star since I also post these on Amazon and Goodreads. For me, it was a solid 3.5 stars. The story was unique enough to keep my attention. There was a decent amount of action and it was an interesting story of the good versus bad variety with some alien help for both sides. In a lot of ways this story seemed like a study in what motivates humans and how they can be influenced especially on an emotional level.

The book description does a pretty good job of explaining what the story is about. With regard to readability, I didn’t have any problem getting through it. The story flowed pretty smoothly with no gaping holes. It could be a standalone work as it gives enough background that you can figure out what is going on without too much effort even if you accidentally read the second book before the first one like I did. The writing was good and descriptive. The story was well thought out. Several different characters are followed and the author did a good job with that. At no time was I confused about what was going on or how it all fit together. On the whole I enjoyed it.

There were a few places in the story where there were typos/editing errors (or something going on – words out of order) that kind of stopped me, but they were weird like something you would get from a translation program (or so it seemed to me). Not sure what was going on with those, but they just weren’t normal errors you generally find and as always I take off a little for editing problems that make me have to stop reading mid-sentence. Anyway, aside from that it was a solid read. I looked forward to getting back to the story when I had to put it aside. Even with the weird errors I’d recommend it for the price. I noticed that the author has packaged Book 1 and Book 2 (this one) together if you want to pick it up as a single purchase. If you give it a try, I hope you enjoy it as well.

Book Review: Salt of the Earth by Christopher Flowers

Posted by tjhapney on April 7, 2014
Posted in: Book Review, Science Fiction. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

saltDescription:  After the Sun is prematurely converted into a red giant as the result of an energy experiment gone awry, mankind is forced to flee the inner planets in hopes of finding refuge through the research of strange organisms living beneath the surface of Jupiter’s sixth moon, Europa.

No one could have predicted what would be discovered over the course of a journey that sees three outcasts plumbing the very nature of the universe itself.

 

 

Review 4 of 5 Stars

Blame it on Robert Heinlein that I’ve once again been remiss in my blogging duties. I got sucked into some Future History stories I hadn’t read since high school (longer ago than I care to admit here LOL) and it took me a while to break free, but I’ll post about those books together later. Anyway, on with the review.

Salt of the Earth was a really good story. I enjoyed it from start to finish and still have that happy glow that comes from good storytelling despite the few instances of bad editing, missing words and such I found along the way (not many, but some truly noticeable, stop you in the middle of the paragraph ones in a couple of places that I can think of right off-hand). Nevertheless, I really enjoy a story where I don’t know what the ending is halfway through the book and Salt of the Earth fit the bill on that quite nicely.

In my opinion, one of the signs of a good book is that you find yourself wondering what happens next when you are busy with your real life tasks. I very much wondered about it when I was busy with errands and work so it definitely kept my attention. However, there is so much going on in this story that I would have to write pages to get a synopsis down and even then none of what I wrote would probably make sense. The author does a really good job of creating the world and characters that inhabit it. I was completely drawn in. The story was fresh, the twists unexpected, the characters realistic and sometimes absolutely heart-breaking.

Overall Salt of the Earth was a very satisfying reading experience. Those who read my blog know I take off a bit for editing mistakes and as there were some that were more than noticeable I did take off for it. Despite taking off a point for those editing mistakes that completely stopped the flow of the story, Salt of the Earth still comes in at 4 stars and that should speak for how much I enjoyed the book. It was a pleasant, well-crafted surprise in the sometimes not so surprising landscape of books I receive to review and I look forward to reading more from Christopher Flowers in the years to come.

 

Book Review – Alpha by Taylor Hohulin

Posted by tjhapney on March 17, 2014
Posted in: Book Review, Romance, Science Fiction. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

51HzQph1qpL._SS300_Book Description/Blurb:

Alpha is the world’s first robotic soldier, but he would rather woo his mechanic than wage war. This probably has something to do with his human heart.

Once the greatest soldier the Planet Earth Military Forces had seen, Meat can’t help but think this new age of robotic soldiers will leave people like him in the dust.

Lucas Sharpe wishes he’d managed to work his way to CEO of the Planet Earth Military Forces before its leaders traded their plasma rifles for stacks of paperwork. Now he’s just bored.

Alpha is having enough trouble winning his mechanic’s heart – as it turns out, robots aren’t her type – but when Meat begins to stalk Alpha’s inventor, Lucas sees a chance to return to action, even if it means breaking a few rules. Unfortunately, Lucas’s involvement only makes Meat angrier, and before long, the ex-soldier’s obsession escalates into all-out suburban warfare. Everything Alpha loves is threatened, and it becomes clear he will have to fight. And he would fight – he really would – if not for an unfortunate, deadly malfunction that should come as no surprise to anyone who knows his inventor is the worst Military scientist of all time.

Review 3 of 5 Stars

This was a pretty quick read. There were some missing words, editing mistakes, etc., but not enough so that I didn’t enjoy it. In my opinion, this is a story for romantic souls. Alpha is somewhere in the middle between a military story, Bicentennial Man and The Wizard of Oz with regard to the flavor of the story, but just a little bit gritty around the edges. Overall it was an enjoyable and entertaining tale, but nothing too deep given the manner in which it was written. The story flowed well. I was not bored at any time and I felt for the characters, even Alpha’s slightly snobby and whiny siblings (?), Beta and Gamma.

I wouldn’t say this is a masterpiece, but it was a good fun read. I find that I need a little lighter fare from time to time as I read a lot of dystopian sci-fi and this fit the bill very nicely. There are action scenes and fights within this story, but at the end I was left with a light-hearted feeling for the most part given how Alpha’s love for his robot mechanic, Jo, influenced and colored his decisions and the descriptions thereof. That may just be my assessment, but at no point did this story take itself too seriously so neither did I.

I’d be interested to see what this author comes up with in the future. Overall it was a fun story. Alpha was a good adventure. There’s a little romance in the mix and I would recommend it for a rainy afternoon read.

Book Review: Sand Omnibus by Hugh Howey

Posted by tjhapney on March 10, 2014
Posted in: Book Review, Science Fiction. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

sandBook Description/Blurb:

The old world is buried. A new one has been forged atop the shifting dunes. Here in this land of howling wind and infernal sand, four siblings find themselves scattered and lost. Their father was a sand diver, one of the elite few who could travel deep beneath the desert floor and bring up the relics and scraps that keep their people alive. But their father is gone. And the world he left behind might be next.

Welcome to the world of Sand, the first new novel from New York Times bestselling author Hugh Howey since his publication of the Silo Saga. Unrelated to those works, which looked at a dystopian world under totalitarian rule, Sand is an exploration of lawlessness. Here is a land ignored. Here is a people left to fend for themselves. Adjust your ker and take a last, deep breath before you enter.

Review 5 of 5 Stars

So I waffled on this one between 4 and 5 stars, but had to end up giving it 5 stars since I’m pretty sure I’ll be reading it again at some point in the future. I was intrigued by the world that Hugh Howey created in this story. No pun intended, but Howey has created a gritty, stark story in a desolate landscape where humankind must struggle at every moment for survival. I hate it when people say it’s not as good as or not the same as what an author previously wrote. Unless it’s the same story, it’s difficult to compare apples to oranges. Hugh Howey is obviously interested in the human condition and how we relate to one another and I believe that Sand does a good job of exploring this. I like stories that are about the characters themselves and how they overcome their adversity more so than focusing primarily on the world they are surrounded by.

As this story starts right in the action (something I prefer), I was immediately drawn into the world created for this story full of adventure, exploration and survival against both the natural elements and the others inhabiting it. I loved Howey’s description of sand diving and his use of it as a story element. I could almost feel the sand pushing against my chest. However, I can easily tell you it would not be a profession for me. I felt a little claustrophobic just reading about it and feel it would take a special kind of person to be a sand diver. Sand divers search out usable items, trinkets and other relics of humankind’s lost past below the sands of their world, the truth of the lost world buried beneath the sand and years of legends. Each day is a struggle to hold the sands back so that life can continue in the shanty type towns that hold the remaining human population.

It was easy to follow along with the main character as he was a pretty likable adventurer. I very much enjoyed the story’s adventure. Howey does a great job selling his world and I swore at times I could taste the dust on my tongue. I’m not sure quite how I feel about the ending still. I took a few weeks to digest it, but I decided perhaps that would be an ongoing condition and I ought to go ahead and write the review anyway. There’s simply too much going on to give a lot of detail without getting into a spoiler situation. As readers of this blog know, I like to let you form your own opinions without giving too much away in the review.

I will say that I can easily recommend this book if you like a good yarn. If you are already a fan of Hugh Howey just go ahead and buy it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

 

Cosmos Revisited

Posted by tjhapney on March 7, 2014
Posted in: Uncategorized. 2 Comments

Can’t wait to see how the reboot is. I sometimes find myself watching old Cosmos episodes because I miss it. Loved the quotes from Sagan in Peter Cawdron’s post so I thought I would share it.

pcawdron's avatarTHINKING SCI-FI

This weekend, Neil deGrasse Tyson is appearing in a reboot of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, which will undoubtedly awaken a new generation to the wonders of our universe. In light of this, here are some of my favorite quotes from Carl Sagan.

Picture credit: Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Picture credit: Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The specks of light you can see are not stars, not even galaxies, they’re quasars, phenomenally energetic black holes at the center of large galaxies. They thin out toward the edges not because there’s less of them further away from us but because we are looking back billions of years to when they were less developed.

“The size and age of the Cosmos are beyond ordinary human understanding. Lost somewhere between immensity and eternity is our tiny planetary home. In a cosmic perspective, most human concerns seem insignificant, even petty. And yet our species is young and curious and brave and…

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