Review:: Shadow of the Hegemon, by Orson Scott Card

Title: Shadow of the Hegemon

Author: Orson Scott Card

Series: Ender's Shadow, #2

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Previously:

Ender's Shadow

Ender's Shadow was fine, if not great. This book is bad and should feel wrong. Orson Scott Card decides to get weirdly preachy and weird moments, he keeps emphasizing how nothing but children matter, he's incredibly offensive to people with genetic disorders (cough ME), and he seriously says at the end that Guns, Germs, and Steel laid the ground rules for him. And everyone should read it. Makes sense. Oh, and he can't write women. Spoilers everywhere.

Review:: Railsea, by China Miéville

Title: Railsea

Author: China Miéville

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★★

Railsea is gorgeous, accessible, enchanting, and enthralling. It takes Moby Dick, throws in some Treasure Island and trains, all the while providing an incredibly novel world with extensive worldbuilding. It's been some time since I've read a book I enjoyed this much.

Review:: The Ghost Brigades, by John Scalzi

Title: The Ghost Brigades

Author: John Scalzi

Series: Old Man's War, #2

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★☆☆

The Ghost Brigades wasn't what I was expecting, but that was absolutely fine. I certainly wasn't thinking John Scalzi would ditch most of the humor that made Old Man's War what it was. However, it wasn't a problem. The Ghost Brigades still stands up well, even if I didn't feel it was as good as the first book.

Review:: Old Man's War, by John Scalzi

Title: Old Man's War

Author: John Scalzi

Series: Old Man's War, #1

Format: Trade Paperback

Rating: ★★★★☆

I love John Scalzi. I read Fuzzy Nation in the past year as well, and there's just something about his writing that works for me. I'd read Old Man's War in the past, but this wasn't really a nostalgia reread, as much as a general reread, as I was planning on doing a refresher for reading The Ghost Brigades. (Which I will be starting as soon as I finish writing this review.)

Review:: The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett

Title: The Light Fantastic

Author: Terry Pratchett

Series: Discworld, #2

Format: Trade Paperback

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Previously:

The Colour of Magic

I definitely felt like I got more of the same from The Light Fantastic, although it certainly reminded me more of Douglas Adams this time around. There wasn't really a lot of substantial plot, but it didn't matter. The point was the journey (which has to come to an end) and the humor itself.

Review:: Black Unicorn, by Tanith Lee

Title: Black Unicorn

Author: Tanith Lee

Series: Unicorn, #1

Format: Trade Paperback

Rating: ★★★☆☆

When I reviewed The Black Unicorn, by Terry Brooks, I said there was a good Black Unicorn already. This is it. This is also a book that I like to point to when someone's looking for a strong female character who doesn't have to be overly masculine in order to show she's strong (cough Alanna). Also, peeve. Yes.

I may sometimes follow around my puppy and peeve-narrate him.

Review:: Prudence, by Gail Carriger

Title: Prudence

Author: Gail Carriger

Series: The Custard Protocol, #1

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

I am so angry at this book I can't even. Spoilers. Spoilers everywhere.

Review:: Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer

Title: Annihilation

Author: Jeff VanderMeer

Series: Southern Reach, #1

Format: Trade Paperback

Rating: ★★★★☆

It's really cool when I'm not too sick to read. (Which is pretty sick.) It's also really cool when I get to read something that's bizarre and wonderful. So reading Annihilation in the middle of a bout of illness and then finding it vastly enjoyable was exactly what I needed. Or, another way to put it, vastly what the fuck even just I don't know but wow, okay, where's the next one?