End of All Things by John Scalzi, Book #6 of The Old Man’s War series.
Introduction
End of All Things by John Scalzi is the sixth book in the Old Man’s War series. The book is a series of four interconnected novellas. The Earth, The Colonial Union, and the Conclave face a threat bigger than all of them. Can the Colonial Union save humanity from extinction?
Summary
They published End of All Things by John Scalzi as a series of four interconnected novellas.
Novella #1 The Life of the Mind. Rafe Daquin is a captured pilot who must discover his circumstances and defeat an unknown threat to reclaim his life.
Novella #2 This Hollow Union. This novella describes the situation in the Conclave.
Novella #3 Can Long Endure. Lieutenant Heather Lee of the Colonial Union faces tough choices in her missions and changes.
Novella #4 To Stand or Fall. Lieutenant Harry Wilson of the Colonial Union narrates the events leading to the potential compromise between the Colonial Union, the Earth, and the Conclave.
The book also has an alternate version of the first novella. It features the same events and characters but has different perspectives and a different ending.
Recommendation
End of All Things by John Scalzi is an interesting continuation of the Old Man’s War series. I liked the alternate version of the first novel. It seemed like this was the last novel of the series, but they plan to publish a sixth novel in 2025. I plan to read it when they release it.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of The End of All Things by John Scalzi.
Last Colony by John Scalzi is the third book in the Old Man’s War series. John Perry and his family colonize a new planet. Can he protect the colony, or will it perish, leading to the extermination of humanity?
Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi is the second book in the Old Man’s War series. Jared Dirac is a clone with another man’s memories. He must save humanity from three allied alien races determined to destroy humanity.
Fire and Blood by George R R Martin is written like a history written by a contemporary arch maester of the Targaryen dynasty. The fictional history book tells the story of the Targaryen dynasty from the first King Aegon the Conqueror up to the seventh King Aegon III. The Targaryen slogan is Fire and Blood, and fire and blood is found on very page of this book.
Summary
Martin presents the book writing like he is Archmaester Glydayn writing a history using various resource material. Glydayn’s uses the dry dynasty approved story and the writings of Mushroom the Jester for the salacious parts. Martin’s idea for the book started with the 2014 book named The World of Ice and Fire. That book has short versions of the story of the whole dynasty including up to the events of the Song of Ice and Fire series.
Martin published three extended sections of that book in three different anthologies. They published “The Sons of the Dragon” in the 2017 anthology named The Book of Swords. It covered the reigns of the sons of Aegon the first. They published “The Rogue Prince” in the 2014 anthology named Rogues. It was about the reign of Viserys the first. They published “The Princess and the Queen” in the 2013 anthology named Dangerous Women. It was about the Dance of Dragons. HBO adapted this part as the HBO show named House of the Dragon.
Martin revised and expanded the three sections for the Fire and Blood book with some added sections to complete the story. Martin plans to write a second volume of Fire and Blood that will cover the Targaryen rulers after Aegon the third up to the events that begin in the novel named Game of Thrones.
Recommendation
Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin is an interesting history book of the fictional Targaryen Dynasty. It gives interesting background material to the series. HBO adapted the Dance of Dragons section of the book for the HBO series named House of the Dragon. It provides essential reading for understanding the author’s vision for the events that are depicted in the show.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin.
In Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin, Abner Marsh is a Mississippi steamboat captain in 1857. He accepts a dangerous commission in this fantasy featuring vampires.
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan, Book Eleven of the Wheel of Time series.
Introduction
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan is the eleventh book of The Wheel of Time series. The novel follows five main plot arcs. Rand, Mat, Perrin, Elayne, and Egwene. All five characters face hard choices and must grow so they can complete the challenges put before them. Will the forces of Light be cut down by the Knife of Dreams?
Summary – Prologue
The prologue has seven point-of-view characters, and each point of view sets up a plot arc.
Galad is a member of the White Cloaks who duels Eamon Valda for the command of the Children of the Light.
Rodel Ituralde is a general of Amon Domain who fights the Seanchan and sets up a trap for them.
Lady Suroth is Tuon’s subordinate who learns something from a Forsaken that will change the Seanchan situation.
Pevara is a White Tower Aes Sedai charged with discovering any Black Ajah hiding there.
Alvarin is a White Tower Aes Sedai that is working against the order.
Galina is an Aes Sedai enslaved by the Saido at Malden who is trying to escape with Faile’s help.
Egwene was captured by the White Tower Aes Sedai and has been reduced to an Accepted in the order. She has plans to help the rebel Aes Sedai who are sieging the city.
Summary–Groups of characters
Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan has five main plots.
Rand continues to pursue his truce with the Seanchan so they can both focus on defeating the forces of the Dark One rather than each other.
Mat’s group leaves the traveling circus headed to Murandy. He continues to court Tuon. He finds part of the Band of the Red Hand and attacks the Seanchan nearby.
Perrin”s forces attack the Shaido at Malden to free Faile and the other captives.
Elayne continues her siege of Caemlyn and worries about what the Borderland armies camped near the city will do.
Egwene’s rebel forces continue to siege Tar Valon. The White Tower has captured her, and she starts a rebellion from within the Tower.
Summary–Best Plot Points
Nine Chapters stand out in Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan. (There’s so many, It’s a great novel)
At the Garden is Chapter 3 where most of the Forsaken meet and vow to kill Perrin and Mat.
A Village in Shiota is Chapter 10 where the people in Mat’s caravan see ghosts. Thom gives Mat a letter from Moraine that changes everything.
A Hell in Maderin is Chapter 11 where Tuon wants Mat to take her to a rowdy bar. Interesting things happen there and after.
The Golden Crane is Chapter 20 which is split into three parts. The first part is about Rand but the rest is about Nynaeve and Lan. Nynaeve is great here.
Honey in the Tea is Chapter 24 where Egwene starts her war from within at the White Tower. This odd thing is that this is Egwene’s only viewpoint chapter in this novel, though she is features in a part of the prolouge. It’s a great chapter.
A Plain Wodden Box is Chapter 27 which is a split chapter though both section are great. First, Rand goes to a meeting with the Seanchan leader, but unexpected events occur. Then, Mat displays his awesomeness in commanding his army.
Outside the Gates is Chapter 30 where Perrin and Faile’s arc comes to a long simmering conclusion.
The House on Full Moon Street is Chapter 31 where Elayne finds out what Mellar has been up to and tries to do something about it, but faces unexpected consequences.
Prince of Ravens is Chapter 37 where Mat’s plans come to fruition.
Recommendation
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan resolves several plot arcs that were set up in Winter’s Heart and Crossroads of Twilight. There are big endings with the Perrin, Mat, and Elayne arcs. Rand is still pursuing his truce with the Seanchan and Egwene pursues her siege of the White Tower from within. It’s great to see some of these plots completed. Robert Jordan must have seen the end to the series here. This was the last novel he completed before his untimely death. Brandon Sanderson took Jordan’s notes and some completed scenes to write the three novels that complete the Wheel of Time series. I see Knife of Dreams as a turning point to the endgame coming at the Last Battle, Tarmon Gai’don
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan.
This is the link to my review of Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan. When Rand forces the hand of one of the Forsaken, will the Forsaken defeat him or will he earn a Crown of Swords?
This is the link to my review of Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan, Book Six of the Wheel of Time. Chaos reigns in the Westlands. They push Rand to the edge of insanity. Will he survive the box?
Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold, Book #11 of the Vorkosigan saga.
Introduction
Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold is the eleventh novel of the Vorkosigan saga. The Emperor of Barrayar sends Miles as his Imperial Auditor to find out how the Komarr terraforming mirror was destroyed. Miles discovers plots against him as the son of the Butcher of Komarr and other terrorist plots. He must disentangle the various plots with the help of Ekaterina Vorsoisson. Can Miles save Komarr from itself or will the planet fall into anarchy?
Summary
[Insert Summary Here]
Recommendation
[Insert Recommendation Here]
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold.
In Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, death will not stop Miles Vorkosigan, but his boss Simon Illyan has an illness that might end Miles’s career. Can Miles figure out what happened to Illyan and what he should do about it before it’s too late?
In Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold, Dr. Ethan Urquhart must discover what happened to unusable ovarian samples. Will Ethan go off the planet, risk being corrupted, and solve the mystery of the unusable samples, or will he doom Athos by doing nothing?
In Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold, they send Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan to Cetaganda on a diplomatic mission. Miles becomes involved in a complex mystery. Will Miles foil the plot to destroy Cetaganda and save his home planet of Barrayar?
In The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold, they accused Miles Vorkosigan of treason. Will Miles play The Vor Game well enough to escape the treason charges made against him and secure the assignment he desires?
In Warriors Apprentice (Book #2 of the Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Miles Vorkosigan gets involved in another planet’s war. Can he escape the mischief he started?
In Barrayar (Book#7 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Lady Cordelia Vorkosigan faces an assassination and the birth of her son. Will she survive the regency and give birth to her son?
In Shards of Honor (Book#1 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Barrayaran Captain Aral Vorkosigan takes Betan Commander Cordelia Naismith as a prisoner. They take a hike in the jungle. What happens when they fall in love?
In Falling Free (Book #4 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, space engineer Leo Graf must decide between retiring or risking his life protecting his students. The novel is a fun, self-contained space opera romp.
Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan, Book Ten of the Wheel of Time series.
Introduction
Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan is the tenth book of The Wheel of Time series. The novel follows four main plot arcs. Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Elayne. All four characters face hard choices and must grow so they can complete the challenges put before them in future novels. Will the forces of Light be stopped at the Crossroads of Twilight?
Summary – Prologue
The prologue has seven point-of-view characters, and each point of view sets up a plot arc.
Ritel Ituralde is a general of Amon Domain who knows the Seanchan will attack him soon and makes plans to defeat them.
Eamon Valda is a leader of the White Cloaks who face battles with the Seanchan and the Aes Sedai.
Gabrelle is warder-bonded to Logain at the Black Tower. She tries to figure out what move the Ahsa’man will take next.
Yukiki searches for the Black Ajah at the White Tower.
Gawyn oversees the Younglings and wonders what to do next.
Davram Bashere commands a unit in Elayne’s army that is sieging Caemalyn, trying to win her the crown of Andor.
Samitsu is overseeing Cairhien by Cadsuane’s request. She must find out who and why someone attempted to assassinate Dobraine.
Summary–Groups of characters
Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan has four main plots.
Rand wants to make a truce with the Seanchan so they can both focus on defeating the forces of the Dark One rather than each other.
Mat leaves Ebou Dar with the cover of the traveling circus to escape to Murandy. He courts Tuon but is clueless about the ways of the Seanchan.
Perrin discovers the Shaido confines Faile in their winter quarters in Malden. The Shaido are too strong to attack. Perrin looks for supplies and faces a difficult decision.
Egwene brought her rebels forces to siege Tar Valon. She faces a set back at the end of the novel which might jeopardize her ability to take Tar Valon.
Summary–Best Plot Points
Three Chapters stand out in Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan.
Traps is Chapter 9 where Faile is punished by the Shaido but is comforted by Rolan.
A Mark is Chapter 21 where Alvarin is worried that she will be found out at the White Tower as part of the Black Ajah.
What must be done is Chapter 31 where Perrin must make a hard choice. Perrin’s conflict in the series has been between the hammer and the axe. For him the hammer means the blacksmith profession and resolving issues by words. The axe means war and battle. Perrin faces a situation where he must choose between the axe and the hammer.
Recommendation
Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan has some brilliant scenes, but the plot arcs begun in Winter’s Heart are still not competed in this novel. This novel functions to set up the events resolved in the next novel in the series, Knife of Dreams. This novel didn’t have a big ending like the ones that occurred in most of the other novels of the series. I see Winter’s Heart, Crossroads of Twilight, and Knife of Dreams as a sort of a trilogy set inside the series.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan.
This is the link to my review of Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan. When Rand forces the hand of one of the Forsaken, will the Forsaken defeat him or will he earn a Crown of Swords?
This is the link to my review of Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan, Book Six of the Wheel of Time. Chaos reigns in the Westlands. They push Rand to the edge of insanity. Will he survive the box?
Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi is,as he names it in the Author’s Note, a reimagining of the story and events of the novel Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper. Scalzi updates the story to contemporary sensibilities. Jack Holloway is an independent prospector on the planet Zara XXIII. His companion is his bomb-detonating dog named Carl. They find a new mine worth a lot of money for him and Zarathustra Corporation. The problem is when he discovers a new species or better yet when they discover him. If the species he calls Fuzzys proves to be sentient, he and Zara Corp lose the right to exploit the planet. Will Jack choose to get filthy rich or protect the new species?
Summary
Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi starts with Jack Holloway prospecting on the planet Zara XXIII with his dog named Carl. They cause an ecological disaster which is noticed by Jack’s ZaraCorp contractor rep named Chad Bourne. Chad threatens to end Jack’s contract. Jack finds a valuable mine because of the disaster and will profit greatly but he runs into a problem.
Back at Jack’s tree house in the middle of the jungle, he encounters a being. He can’t decide if it is more like a monkey, dog, or cat. It might be smarter than that. If the being is sentient, then he stands to lose his rich find because the law will give it to the beings which he calls Fuzzys.
Jack enlists the aid of biologist Isobel Wangai and xeno-linguist Dr. Arnold Chen to figure out if the Fuzzys are sentient.
He faces off with the representatives at ZaraCorp and brings the issue of sentience to the planetary court. Jack believes they are sentient while ZaraCorp thinks they are wild animals. The conclusion proceeds from there.
Recommendation
Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi is a contemporary retelling of the story found in H. Beam Piper’s novel Little Fuzzy. I have read both novels and I enjoyed the added elements that Scalzi had added. The corporate plot is like the movie Avatar, though Avatar was probably inspired by Little Fuzzy in the first place. This novel reads like a remake of a movie. I’m glad I read it.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi.
Zoes Tale by John Scalzi is the fourth book in the Old Man’s War series. This novel tells the events from the previous novel, The Last Colony, from the point of view of Zoe Boutin Perry.
Last Colony by John Scalzi is the third book in the Old Man’s War series. John Perry and his family colonized a new planet. Can he protect the colony, or will the colony perish leading to the extermination of humanity?
Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi is the second book in the Old Man’s War series. Jared Dirac is a clone with another man’s memories. He must save humanity from three allied alien races determined to destroy humanity.
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem is a science fiction story that explores the themes of communication, sense of self, and reality. It is a stand-alone novel. Kris Kelvin is a psychologist who must discover what is happening with the researchers on the Solaris space station. The Solaris Station is orbiting a planet with a world-sized entity they name Ocean who the scientists are unsuccessfully trying to communicate with. Will Kris understand what is happening with the Solaris entity before it is too late, and all the researchers are dead?
Summary
[Insert Summary Here]
Recommendation
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem…
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Solaris by Stanislaw Lem.
My review of Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang is an eight-story SF short story collection. It was made into the movie Arrival. The title story explores the similar theme of first alien contact.
Thinner by Stephen King is a supernatural thriller fantasy novel that was originally published under the author’s pseudonym, Richard Bachman. Attorney Billy Halleck has been heavy for most of his adult life. A series of events leads to him killing an old gypsy woman with his car. Billy has powerful friends and receives a light sentence. The woman’s father puts a gypsy curse on him by saying one word, thinner. Billy loses weight no matter what he does, and it will not stop. Can Billy reverse the curse, or will he wither and die?
Summary
Billy Halleck is a defense attorney with a wife, Heidi, and a daughter, Linda. He’s overweight and enjoys life. He’s driving and Heidi distracts him which leads to him hitting and killing an old gypsy woman.
Billy avoids punishment by the law because police officer Duncan Hopley and judge Cary Rossington favors him. That infuriates the woman’s father, Taduz Lemke, so he curses each one of them with a special curse. The word he says to Billy is thinner.
Billy begins to lose weight no matter how much he eats. He tracks the gypsy band across New England to get Lemke to reverse the curse. Billy enlists his client, mobster Richie Ginelli, to help him.
Billy and Lemke meet. Some curses can’t be broken, so they find another solution.
Recommendation
Thinner by Stephen King was an enjoyable read, but what made the novel great for me was the last sentence. The last sentence changed the meaning of the novel for me and was perfect for the story. I find the history of this novel interesting. They published the novel under the name Richard Bachman like four previously published novels were. On page 117 in my copy, Billy’s doctor says the way Billy tells it sounds like he is in a Stephen King book. The funny thing is that he was. King used the alias to publish more than one book in the years he had more. Someone discovered the deception, so King stopped using the alias. He also fictionalized his feelings about writing as another person and getting caught in the novel, The Dark Half.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Thinner by Stephen King.
Under the Dome by Stephen King begins with a dome covering Chester’s Mill. Who made the Dome, and will the people trapped inside it escape before they all die?
Drawing of the Three by Stephen King, book #2 of The Dark Tower series, features Roland, Eddie Dean, and Odetta Holmes. Roland gets one step closer to reaching the Dark Tower.
The Gunslinger by Stephen King, book #1 of The Dark Tower series, seemed to set up for a climax that never happened. What is there is a trippy and metaphysical non-ending.
The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub is a fantasy novel. Twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer has an important and dangerous mission. His mother is dying. The only way for him to save her is to find the mythical Talisman which is in a parallel world called the Territories. He must pass many challenges to obtain his goal. Will Jack find the Talisman in time to save his mother from death?
Summary
The story is told in the third person with Jack Sawyer as the focus character except for a series of interludes featuring the antagonist, Morgan Sloat. There are four parts to the novel reflecting Jack’s journey to enlightenment.
Part I: Jack Lights Out
Jack learns about his mother’s illness. Speedy Parker teaches him about the Territories and that the Talisman, which is located in the Territories, can cure her cancer. Everyone has a twinner in the Territories. Jack’s mother’s twinner is the Queen of the Territories. Speedy gives him an aid to cross over. Jack flips into the Territories.
Part II: The Road of Trials
Jack starts his journey in New Hampshire but must travel to California to find the Talisman. He stops in Oatley, New York. He finds work in the town at a bar and almost gets trapped there.
Part III: A Collision of Worlds
Jack is travelling again and runs into a werewolf creature named Wolf. They become friends and continue their journey. They flip to the real world, and they arrive in Indiana where they are arrested and sent to the Sunlight Home, a boy’s reform school. The school’s owner runs the place like a prison. Jack and Wolf are singled out as bad students.
Part IV: The Talisman
Jack escapes the school and finds Morgan Sloat’s son Richard in a boarding school in Illinois. They travel by train to California using the Territories. Jack finds the Talisman. He must win the Talisman and bring it to his mother to heal her.
Recommendation
The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub borders on the line between fantasy and science fiction. I feel like the authors don’t make all the points fit together. I like the character of Wolf, but I don’t understand how werewolves fit into this story. The novel feels like a portal fantasy, but I think werewolves belong in a different story than this one. Jack’s actions and thoughts seem older than a boy of twelve. The scenes in the boarding house with Richard felt like they were from another novel. The story does come to a satisfying conclusion though.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub.
It by Stephen King has seven kids who face horror. As adults, they face It again. Will the Losers Club defeat the hidden evil in the Derry sewers, or will they perish?
Drawing of the Three by Stephen King, book #2 of The Dark Tower series, features Roland, Eddie Dean, and Odetta Holmes. Roland gets one step closer to reaching the Dark Tower.
The Gunslinger by Stephen King, book #1 of The Dark Tower series, seemed to set up for a climax that never happened. What is there is a trippy and metaphysical non-ending.
Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, Book #10 of the Vorkosigan saga.
Introduction
Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold is the tenth novel of the Vorkosigan saga. Miles has a medical issue that occurred on his last adventure which jeopardizes his career as an Imp Sec operative. He has a medical event at the wrong time, and he must report to his boss, Simon Illyan. The problem is his boss suffers from an illness related to the computer implanted in his brain. The nature of Illyan’s memory glitches jeopardizes the Barrayaran Empire. Can Miles figure out what happened to Illyan and what he should do about it before it’s too late?
Summary
In Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, Miles must reevaluate his life because of a medical condition that interferes with performing his job as the leader of the Denarii Mercenaries and as an operative of Imperial Security reporting to Simon Illyan. Miles gets the medical condition in his last adventure detailed in the novel Mirror Dance. In this novel, things go wrong on his next mission and Miles tries to cover it up, so he won’t face a medical discharge. They summon him to Barrayar to face his superior, the Imperial Security Chief, Simon Illyan.
Miles finds out Illyan has a medical emergency and that changes everything. They had installed a computer in Illyan’s brain many years ago. The computer has always failed in others, but Illyan has used it beyond its normal working life. His computer is glitching and he experiences memories as if they are happening now. The memories are cascading, and his life is in jeopardy. Miles must determine if the failures are natural or if someone caused them. The answers may prove catastrophic for the Empire but may show Miles a path to follow for the next phase of his life.
Recommendation
The events of Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold change the Vorkosigan saga from now on. Miles grew up and needed a change but change came to him unexpectedly and he had to prepare for the next phase of his life. He ends up well like he always does. I thought Memory came at the perfect time in the saga and set up Miles for the rest of his life.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold.
In Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold, Dr. Ethan Urquhart must discover what happened to unusable ovarian samples. Will Ethan go off the planet, risk being corrupted, and solve the mystery of the unusable samples, or will he doom Athos by doing nothing?
In Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold, they send Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan to Cetaganda on a diplomatic mission. Miles becomes involved in a complex mystery. Will Miles foil the plot to destroy Cetaganda and save his home planet of Barrayar?
In The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold, they accused Miles Vorkosigan of treason. Will Miles play The Vor Game well enough to escape the treason charges made against him and secure the assignment he desires?
In Warriors Apprentice (Book #2 of the Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Miles Vorkosigan gets involved in another planet’s war. Can he escape the mischief he started?
In Barrayar (Book#7 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Lady Cordelia Vorkosigan faces an assassination and the birth of her son. Will she survive the regency and give birth to her son?
In Shards of Honor (Book#1 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Barrayaran Captain Aral Vorkosigan takes Betan Commander Cordelia Naismith as a prisoner. They take a hike in the jungle. What happens when they fall in love?
In Falling Free (Book #4 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, space engineer Leo Graf must decide between retiring or risking his life protecting his students. The novel is a fun, self-contained space opera romp.
