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Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson, The Cosmere Collection (The Stormlight Archive 2.5)

Introduction

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson is a collection that has nine stories that are part of the cosmere universe. Many of the author’s works are interrelated by an overarching plot which he calls the cosmere. The stories of the cosmere are set on a group of worlds that can be traveled to through magical means. Six stories are set on the worlds of his published novels and three stories are about worlds that have not had a novel-length story treatment. All the stories in this collection are excellent, but I will comment on each story starting with the one that I like the most.

The Emperor’s Soul Summary and Recommendation

The Emperor’s Soul is set on the planet Sel which is the setting of the novel Elantris, but the stories do not share any of the same characters. Shai is a master of the magic of soul stamps and she is called a Forger. She can use her soul stamps to rewrite the history of an object so that the object becomes the item that she wants it to become. Gaotona is an arbiter for the emperor and he has a problem where he needs a Forger to create a difficult Forgery. What he asks Shai to do will change them both. The story won the 2013 Hugo award for best novella.

Shai and Gaotona both have clear motivations and both must face an impossible decision. The story is perfectly constructed and it is no wonder that it earned an award. It is one of the three stories included in this collection that persuaded me to buy it. I had heard about this story before 2017 and was delighted that it was included in this collection.

Edgedancer Summary and Recommendation

Edgedancer is set on the planet Roshar which is the setting of the Stormlight Archive series. The story tells the story of a character named Lift. The events occur between Words of Radiance (Book #2) and Oathbringer (Book #3). Lift is a young girl who starts to display the powers of a Knight Radiant. A man who she calls Darkness is hunting her. She is protected by the Azish king but is bored. When Darkness starts hunting other potential Knights Radiant, Lift must decide to stay safe in Azir or to fight Darkness to help others like her.

Lift is a fun and whimsical character. She turns energy from food into her powers which she calls being awesome. She is always hungry and relates everything in her life to eating. I liked reading about another corner of Roshar that we haven’t seen before in this story. This long novella was only available in this collection at the time that it was released, just before Oathbringer was released. I wanted to read this story before Oathbringer came out so this was the main reason that I purchased this collection. I read this story as soon as a received the book and read the rest of the collection later. The decision to purchase it was easy because The Emperor’s Soul and Mistborn: Secret History were also in this collection They were both stories that I wanted to read.

Mistborn: Secret History Summary and Recommendation

Mistborn: Secret History is set on the planet Scadrial which is the setting for the Mistborn series. This story is set on the edges of the Mistborn trilogy. Telling any more about the plot is a major spoiler for the Mistborn series so I will not explain anything further here. This story includes references to all three books so it should be read after reading them first.

I remember almost buying the e-book for this story when it came out on January 26, 2016. When I heard about Arcanum Unbounded collection, I learned that this story was included. I decided to wait until the collection was released on November 22, 2016, and bought it on December 26, 2016.

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell Summary and Recommendation

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell is the only story set on the planet Threnody. The main character is a woman named Silence. She runs an inn and trading post in the middle of a haunted forest. The dangers of the forest are real, shades and an elusive bounty hunter called the White Fox. Silence must protect herself and her daughter from the dangers of the forest.

I liked the story of Silence. There were a number of twists at the end that made the story great. I remember first reading this story in the anthology called Dangerous Women. It was just as good on the second reading. I borrowed the book to read The Princess and the Queen by George R. R. Martin but was glad that I decided to read this story also.

Sixth of Dusk Summary and Recommendation

Sixth of Dusk is the only story set on the planet called First of the Sun. Dusk’s people are the caretakers of the islands in his world. He is a trapper who brings sentient bird-like creatures called Aviars for sale to a more technically advanced people. In the story, Dusk arrives at the dangerous island of Patji. Dusk’s skill is that he can visualize his many possible deaths on the island and can avoid that fate. The technologically advanced people come to the island and threaten his way of life. Dusk must discover the hidden truths about the island to drive away the invaders.

This was another very good story. Dusk was an interesting character. His inner dialogue makes him different. Some of his attitudes are based on Polynesian culture. The solution to what was going on the island was a good twist. The ending might have been too easy.

White Sand Summary and Recommendation

White Sand is the only story set on the planet Taldain. Kenton is the son of Praxton, Lord Mastrell of the sand masters. He wants to be accepted into the Diem, the group that teaches the magical art of sand mastery. Kenton is weak in the art but is accepted. He learns what he can and is ready to face a test which will determine if he can join the group as a full member or will be banished.

First, there is an excerpt from the graphic novel. It visually depicts the test well. The prologue and first chapter of the unpublished novel follows. It is interesting to compare the graphic novel and the written novel. I can see why the story is best told with a graphic novel. The plot is very visual.

Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Elantia Summary and Reccomendation

Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Elantia is set on the planet Scadrial like the other stories of the Mistborn series. Jak gives his first-person account of his adventures. The story has been transcribed and annotated by his faithful steward Handerwym. Jak must defeat the koloss, find the lost treasure of the survivor, and save the fair Elizandra.

This story reads like an adventure pulp magazine account. That was the intent and it delivers. It was used in the role-playing game supplement to the Mistborn series based on the novel Alloy of Law (Mistborn Book #4). A fun but silly read.

The Eleventh Metal Summary and Recommendation

The Eleventh Metal is set on the planet Scadrial like the other stories of the Mistborn series. Kelsier learns allomancy from his teacher Gemmel in this story set before Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1).

It was interesting to see how Kelsier learned his craft but the story was short. It was first published for a role-playing game based on the Mistborn trilogy.

The Hope of Elantris Summary and Recommendation

The Hope of Elantris is set on the planet Sel which is the setting of the novel Elantris. Matisse must protect the children when the Dakhor attacked Elantris.

This story clears up a question about the novel Elantris. What happened to the children when Elantris was attacked? The question was answered but that was all.

Links

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson.

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28595941-arcanum-unbounded

Link to my review of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. The story Edgedancer in this collection tells the story of a character named Lift. The events of the story occur between Words of Radiance, Stormlight Archive Book #2 and Oathbringer, Stormlight Archive Book #3.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Blood and Tempest by Jon Skovron

Blood and Tempest by Jon Skovron, Book #3 of Empire of Storms

Introduction

Red has been a pirate, a gangster, and a tool of the Biomancers. Hope has been a Vinchen warrior, a pirate captain, and has now sworn to an oath of non-violence. When they come together will they topple the Empire of Storms or will they perish in the attempt?

Summary

Red begins the novel in the capital of the Empire of Storms, Stonepeak. The emperor is dying, his heir Prince Leston is not ready to assume power, and the Biomancers are attempting to gain control of the empire. Red is caught in the middle. He is friends with the emperor’s heir. He does not like how the Biomancers have manipulated him. Lady Merivale Hempist gives him a mission. She is Red’s boss and she is the spymaster of the empire working for Prince Leston’s mother. She wants him to recruit Hope and the rogue Biomancer Bigga Lin to aid in their cause against the Biomancers. Red is eager to comply.

Hope has gone back to the site of her destroyed hometown looking for answers. She has sworn an oath of non-violence and strives to understand what that means to her. Hope searches nearby islands and encounters a strange boy called Uter who has powers over life and death. She takes Uter with her to Galemoor, the island of the Vinchen warriors. Wentu is the only Vinchen left on the island because grand teacher Racklock has spurned the past and has taken all the warriors to serve the Biomancers.

Summary Continued

Stephen is a young Vinchen warrior following the orders of grand teacher Racklock. He is conflicted by the things he has seen and by what Racklock expects him to do. The Vinchen search for Brigga Lin who they think will lead them to Hope.

Brigga Lin has stayed with the pirates that were left of Hope’s pirate fleet as a member of the pirate crew and the lover of pirate captain Gavish Gray.

Jilly is Brigga Lin’s apprentice. She wants to become the world’s first Vinchen Biomancer trained by Brigga Lin and Hope.

Hope, Uter, Brigga Lin, and Jilly head to Stonepeak with the help of Gavish Gray, his pirates, the Black Rose of Paradise Circle, and her gangsters. They are aligned against the Biomancers and the Vinchen warriors. Blood and Tempest concludes as the final volume of the Empire of Storms trilogy.

Recommendation

This was a great novel. It is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy. The best elements from the previous two novels have been expanded and enlarged to give a sweeping end to the saga. The Kraken arrives and is not a disappointment. It was perfectly executed until a disappointing ending. Does an unsatisfying ending spoil an otherwise superior novel? It doesn’t for me in this case. I enjoyed the journey.

My first minor quibble is that Uter’s unusual power was not featured in the conclusion. He does complete one minor task but it was not necessary for the protagonist’s plan. I suspect that Uter was put in this novel for possible use in further volumes of the series. So, I can understand the addition of him and I will delay by criticism until that proves out.

My major problem with the ending, without giving it away, is not so easily deferred. Hope and Red have been striving since the beginning of the series to topple the Empire of Storms. I expected them to topple it themselves. Unfortunately, something happens and the conclusion is taken out of their hands. They set up the action but it wasn’t by their efforts that brought the novel to its conclusion. That was my problem with the ending.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Blood and Tempest by Jon Skovron.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34523154-blood-and-tempest

This is the link to my review of Bane and Shadow by Jon Skovron, Book #2 of Empire of Storms

Bane and Shadow by Jon Skovron

This is the link to my review of Hope and Red by Jon Skovron, Book #1 of Empire of Storms

Hope and Red by Jon Skovron

Murder by Munchausen by M. T. Bass

Murder by Munchausen by M T Bass

Murder by Munchausen by M T Bass, Murder by Munchausen Mysteries Book 1

Introduction

In near future, Cleveland, Ohio, detective Jake and his partner E. C. are searching for an Android Subject (AnSub) that has committed a murder. When hackers reprogram synthetic humanoids to commit murder the crime is called Murder by Munchausen. Their squad responds to AnSub crimes and are not so affectionately called the Geek Squad. Jake captures the AnSub and when that crime intersects a serial killer’s crimes, Jake is forced to solve both crimes or risk the life of someone he loves.

Summary

Jake was a detective in the Robbery/Homicide department with his partner Maddie. Something happened which Jake calls “the Incident” and he takes the fall. Jake is reassigned to the Geek Squad, which is the least desirable department in the police force. Maddie stays in Robbery/Homicide.

The novel opens sometime after his transfer. Jake and E. C. take the AnSub to their department android authority who Jake has dubbed Q, named after the character in the James Bond novels. Jake is fond of what he calls old-school thinking and practices. Jake did not have a romantic relationship with Maddie when they were partners. They become romantically involved now. Maddie is assigned a case that could involve a serial killer reenacting past serial killer crimes. Jake thinks his case is related to Maddie’s investigation.

Jake is helped by Maddie, Q, reporter Jamal, the owner of a diner retired cop Cutty, and a Secret Service agent to solve his case. He follows the evidence to someone called the Baron. Jake must trap the Baron in the act to prove his theories and that involves letting Maddie come into harm’s way. Will Jake risk his new love to prove his case?

Recommendation

I liked that the author included locations in Cleveland such as the West Side Market, Edgewater Park, the Flats, and Cleveland Clinic. I have frequented those locations and I think that the author has described and used them effectively. Most of Jake’s retro thinking, words and actions worked in the context of the story. He has a wise guy attitude that is appealing. I thought that the author missed an opportunity to complicate Jake’s relationship with Maddie by further developing his thoughts about his former girlfriend Amy. If they had met that would have added complications.

This was a short novel and I understand the limitations of that space, but I would have liked the story better if there was a more definitive conclusion. It felt like half of a novel. I think that there will be a worthwhile conclusion in The Darknet, Murder by Munchausen Mysteries Book 2 and I plan to read it when it is released.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Murder by Munchausen by M. T. Bass.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32830615-murder-by-munchausen-future-crime-mysteries-book-1

This is the link to my review of Somethin’ for Nuthin’ by M. T. Bass.

Somethin’ for Nuthin’ by M. T. Bass

Structuring Your Novel by K. M. Weiland

Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys to Writing an Outstanding Story by K.M. Weiland

Introduction

K. M. Weiland believes that structure is the most important component of storytelling. Structure is required in all of art, does not limit creativity, is not formulaic, offers a checklist of the must-have elements of a story, and solidifies the mastery of the craft. She details how story structure, scene structure, and sentence structure defines the writer’s work.

Summary

There are two camps in the theory of writing. One is called the plotters, who create outlines and view storytelling as a construction. The other group is the pantsers, who write from the seat of their pants and see where the story leads them. Perhaps the best description of this theory is by George R. R. Martin who says, “I think there are two types of writers, the architects and the gardeners. The architects plan everything ahead of time, like an architect building a house. They know how many rooms are going to be in the house, what kind of roof they’re going to have, where the wires are going to run, what kind of plumbing there’s going to be. They have the whole thing designed and blueprinted out before they even nail the first board up.

The gardeners dig a hole, drop in a seed and water it. They kind of know what seed it is, they know if planted a fantasy seed or mystery seed or whatever. But as the plant comes up and they water it, they don’t know how many branches it’s going to have, they find out as it grows. And I’m much more a gardener than an architect.”

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/749309-i-think-there-are-two-types-of-writers-the-architects

K. M. Weiland shows in this book how to become a plotter/architect. Her thought is that if the writer has a solid structure built before writing then the writing will go smoother and there will be less false starts and extensive rewriting in the second draft.

Recommendation

I believe in much of the advice in Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland and have used it in the novel that I am writing. What was most helpful was examining the complete outline transcript from her novel Storming which is available on her website.

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/

The transcript uses the ideas from this book and from her other books on writing. Another resource that is available on her website is a template for the writing program Scrivener. The program is available for 30 days free on their website.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

Using the ideas of K. M. Weiland should help any author to improve their writing.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson, Book #3 of the Stormlight Archive

Introduction

The former city of the Knights Radiant, Urithiru, has been discovered and the order of the Knights Radiant has been revived. The Everstorm has returned along with the Voidbringers, called the Fused. Dalinar Kholin, the Uncle of the Alethi King Elhokar must try to unite all humans to fight the Voidbringers. His memories are coming back which complicates his problems. War has come to the world of Roshar and Dalinar is the only one who can win the war for the humans.

Summary – Three Viewpoints

There are three main viewpoint characters in this long novel. Dalinar is the novel’s main character. He has the flashback chapters which detail why he does not remember his wife and what happened up to the time that he lost his memories. Kaladin is the leader of his bodyguard and is the first member of the Knights Radiant order of windrunners. Kaladin’s flashbacks were in Book 1. His focus in this novel is to discover what the Voidbringers are planning.

Shallan’s flashbacks were in Book 2. Her struggle is with dealing with her other personalities which are taking over more and more of her life. She created these personalities to cope with the terrible things that have happened to her in her life. The personality Radiant trains with the Shardblade and is the ideal Knight Radiant. The personality Veil pretends to be worldlier than Shallan and associates with the underground gang called the Ghostbloods. Shallan also has trouble figuring out her relationship with her fiancé Adolin, who is Dalinar’s elder son. Shallan’s talents are creating illusions and creating items by surgebinding of stormlight. She is a member of the Knights Radiant Order of Lightweavers.

Summary – Voidbringers and Parshmen

The Voidbringers attack Kholinar, the Alethi capital, and the people gathered at Urithiru lose contact with them. Dalinar sends Kaladin to find out what is going on there. Kaladin first stops by at his hometown to make sure that his parents are well. He discovers that the Parshmen have been awakened.

The Parshmen are a non-human race that have been the slaves of the humans and have been in a state that is called dull form which decreases their intelligence. The Alethi have been fighting the Parshendi on the Shattered Plain since the Parshendi had Dalinar’s brother, Alethi King Gavilar, assassinated by the assassin in white. The secret they discover is that the Parshmen are actually Parshendi in the dull form. Some Parshendi, called the singers, have brought the Everstorm back and have awaked the Parshmen out of dull form. The Everstorm brings the Voidbringers who are called the Fused. The Fused are singers melded with ancient powerful spirits of Parshendi trapped by the Heralds in another plane. The Fused seek to overthrow the humans and retake Roshar as their own. The original Knights Radiant had discovered a secret about the Parshendi and had forsaken their vows.

Summary – Dalinar’s Visions

Dalinar has visions of the past which are brought to him by the Storm Father. The Storm Father is a Spren. Spren are creatures that are bonded to Knights Radiant and serve to focus their use of Stormlight. Kaladin’s spren is Sly, Shallan’s is Pattern, and Dalinar’s is the Storm Father. Dalinar is a Bondsmith and discovering the nature of his powers is important to his struggle. Dalinar hears the words unite them in his visions and he interprets that to mean that he must unite all the countries that have Oathgates.

Oathgates are used by Knights Radiant to teleport people and things from one Oathgate to another. The first two Oathgates that they control are at the Shattered Plains and at Urithiru. There is a total of ten Oathgates that circle the main Oathgate at Urithiru. Dalinar knows of other gates at Kholinar in Alethkar, Azir in Azir, Vedenar in Ja Kaved, and Thaylen City in Thaylenah. He brings the rulers of the countries to Urithiru to convince them to help him defeat the Voidbringers.

Dalinar sends a group to Kholinar to find out what happened there. The group includes Kaladin, Shallan, Adolin, and Elhokar. They face many trials and discover the secret behind the fate of Kholinar suffering tragedy along the way.

A climatic battle looms at Thaylen city where Dalinar has gathered his allies and awaits the coming of the Voidbringers. Dalinar must face his past and suffer unexpected disappointments in his mission to save the human race on Roshar.

Recommendation

This is a great book. It expands on the first two books and intensifies the conflict. The reader learns more about the lore of the Heralds, the desolations, the Voidbringers, and the Everstorm. Dalinar’s loss of memory is explained in full and Dalinar shines as a conflicted hero. Kaladin is the true hero of this series and learns more about himself and his abilities. Shallan fights her other personalities and finds a way to be happy about herself.

Oathbringer was Dalinar’s shardblade until he gave it up to Sadeas to save Kaladin’s bridge four crew. Sadeas is dead now and Dalinar has the shardblade back. Oathbringer the shardblade played an important part in the flashbacks that occurred before Dalinar’s loss of memory.

Opinion

In my opinion, about the only misstep of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson is the handling of Adolin. He was the fourth main character in the first two books. He doesn’t appear as a viewpoint character until halfway through this book and is reduced to having only commentary about his clothes and looks. I expected a little more than that from Adolin.

A pleasant surprise is the development of Szeth-son-son-Vallano, the assassin in white. I think that he has an important part to play in the next two novels of the series and I am looking forward to understanding his role in this series. I wonder how Shallan will continue to deal with her multiple personalities and her relationship with Adolin. The flashback character for book 4 is Eshonai and book 5 is for Szeth. This series continues to amaze and I look forward to reading the next two volumes and the next group of five volumes in the coming years.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34002132-oathbringer

Link to my review of Promise of Blood (Book #1 of the Powder Mage Trilogy) by Brian McClellan. The Powder Mage Trilogy has an interesting magic system like The Stormlight Archive series. The system uses gunpowder as the magic element.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Link to my review of Black Prism (Book #1 of the Lightbringer Series) by Brent Weeks. The Lightbringer series has an interesting magic system like The Stormlight Archive series. The system uses turning light into luxin as the magic element.

The Black Prism by Brent Weeks

Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey

Nemesis Games by James S.A Corey, Book #5 of the Expanse Series

Introduction

The Rocinante must be refitted at Tycho Station after the crew’s last adventure in Ilus (New Terra) which was detailed in book #4 Cibola Burn. The crew splits up, each going on separate missions located around the solar system. Ships are disappearing mysteriously. Disaster strikes on Earth. The crew must come together to defeat a new menace or the balance of power in the solar system will be irrevocably changed.

Summary

For the first time in the series, all four members of the Rocinante crew are viewpoint characters. We can finally see what is inside the minds of Naomi, Amos, and Alex.

Four Viewpoints

Alex Kamal decides to reconnect with his old life on Mars including meeting with his ex-wife. He encounters Bobbi Draper and they go on a mission involving missing Martian MCRN ships.

Amos Burton goes back to Earth to face his past. There is a huge reveal of his true identity. He faces the disaster occurring on Earth. He visits Clarissa Mao (aka Peaches) in the prison where she is incarcerated. They must find a passage to Luna despite facing hostile enemies.

Naomi Nagata has a secret past that she kept from everyone including James Holden. Her secret is directly related to the reason for the missing ships. She must complete a difficult mission alone to redeem herself from the choices that she made in the past.

James Holden supervises the repairs on the Rocinante at Tycho Station. He works with the leader of the OPA, Fred Johnson, in discovering the whereabouts of missing colony ships.

Convergence

The four characters converge together and work on the same goal of dealing with each of their pasts and finding the shocking truth of the new order of the solar system.

Review

I think Nemesis Games is a great book. It is my second favorite book after the first of the series. Using the three new viewpoints was ingenious. Some viewpoints were more successful than others. Naomi’s was the best. Her secret was well thought out. She faced an extreme dilemma and was conflicted realistically. She attacked her problem with an analytical mind and found a solution which didn’t solve everything. James Holden was his usual action-oriented self. He worked well with Fred and thought things through. Amos had a lot to deal with in his past and faced it well. It seemed that the purpose of his journey was to bring Clarissa into the novel.

The timing of the events seemed too close to be realistic and that was the only weakness of this part. The weakest section was from Alex. It didn’t seem that he had enough of a motivation to return to Mars. His interaction with Bobbi was interesting but was also too much of a coincidence that it occurred.

Recommendation

The biggest problem with the novel Nemesis Games is that while there is some resolution to it, it serves only as a set up to the next novel, Babylon Ashes #6. By contrast, the previous four books all came to a strong conclusion. Fortunately, I don’t have to wait for a year to read it. I won a copy of the e-book in a Goodreads giveaway so I will read it very soon.

Links

Link to Goodreads page for Nemesis Games.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22886612-nemesis-games

This is the link to my review of Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey, Book #3 of The Expanse series.

https://www.garydavidgillen.com/cibola-burn-by-james-s-a-corey/

The Dead Key by D M Pulley

Introduction

The Dead Key by D M Pulley is a story about two women separated by time but connected by a secret involving an abandoned safe deposit box. In 1978, Beatrice Baker interviews for a job at the First Bank of Cleveland. In 1998, Iris Latch is an architect who is examining the First Bank of Cleveland building for a redevelopment project. The Bank was closed twenty years before and has been abandoned for all those years. The safe deposit boxes are still locked from the day the bank closed. Iris must figure out what happened at the bank in 1978.

Summary

The chapters alternate between the two viewpoint characters. Beatrice gets an interview with Mr. Thompson at the bank with the help of her Aunt Doris. Beatrice is young and naïve but gets a job in the secretarial pool. Max, who is another secretary, takes Beatrice under her wing. Mr. Thompson, Aunt Doris, and Max all have secrets and Beatrice must discover the truth, or someone will end up killing her. Iris has been doing menial work for her architectural firm. She is assigned to assist Brad in drawing floor plans for the old First Bank of Cleveland building so that the building could be redeveloped.

Iris sees the locked safe deposit boxes in the building’s basement and is curious about their contents. She is involved with her coworker Nick both romantically and work-related. This complicates Iris’s life. Beatrice and Iris’s stories are connected through one man, Ramone. He was a janitor in 1978 and has served as the lone security person for the entire building from 1978 to 1998. His knowledge is important to both women.

Recommendation

There is a lot to like about this novel. The background is interesting. The writing is clear. The mystery is complicated. I find that the protagonists keep this novel from being great. Beatrice is sympathetic because she is young and thrown out of her element. She should have grown more as a character because of all the stressful events that occurred during the story. Iris is simply unlikeable. She smokes, has a superficial relationship with Nick, and is frankly dumb. Iris does risky and foolish things in this novel. She stumbles onto the truth despite her shortcomings. I wasn’t rooting for her to succeed and thought that she ended up where she should have.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Dead Key by D M Pulley.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22914448-the-dead-key

This is the link to my review of The Unclaimed Victim by D.M. Pulley. Ethel from March 1938 and Kris from April 1999 are connected through the Torso Killer of Cleveland. They are targets. Can they survive?

Unclaimed Victim by D.M. Pulley

The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan

Book #2 of the Powder Mage Series

Introduction

Will Tamas escape from the Kez army and save Adro? Can Adamat rescue his wife and children from Lord Vetas? Will Taniel shake off his demons and defeat the demi-god Kresimir, again?

Summary

Tamas is at war with Kez. He becomes trapped behind enemy lines with two of his elite brigades. They face a long and dangerous journey to find their way back to Adro. Adamat must rescue his wife and children from Lord Vetas. He enlists Taniel’s friend Bo to help him defeat his foe. Bo is the last Privileged in the city of Adopest and Adamat goes to great lengths to secure his help. Adamat’s story is one of family and sacrifice and Adamat must extend himself to save his family. Taniel starts this novel in a haze den, unable to come to grips with what occurred at the end of the previous novel, Promise of Blood. He breaks his melancholy as the forces of Kez attack deep into Adro. Taniel is the last Powder Mage on this front. Taniel and his faithful companion, Ka-Poel, fight back the invaders. The looming battle between Kresimir on the Kez side and Mihali on the Adro side concludes with Taniel caught in the middle.

Recommendation

This novel is a great follow up to the first novel in the series, Promise of Blood. The action is non-stop and the three main narrators have compelling stories. Bo becomes an important character as well. The potential relevance of Nila and Vlora is hinted at but they remain underdeveloped characters. This middle novel sets up a gripping conclusion in the third novel of the series which is called The Autumn Republic.

Cibola Burn by James S. A. Corey

Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey, Book #4 of the Expanse Series

Introduction

After a thousand worlds were opened up by James Holden in Abaddon’s Gate everyone wants to be the first to claim the richest world possible. Belters, Martians, and people of the UN take any ship that they can find to leave the solar system. This novel, Cibola Burn, is about one particular world where refugees from Ganymede and a corporation with UN land rites called the Royal Charter Energy (RCE) come into conflict. James Holden is brought in to negotiate their claims but none of them are prepared for the consequences of waking up a planet after a billion years asleep that was created by the entities that sent the protomolecule to the solar system.

Summary

This novel has four Point of View characters plus a fifth called the investigator.

Basia Merton is one of the Ganymede refugees that came to Ilus to escape the destruction of Ganymede. He is part of a sabotage plan upon the RCE who came to take over the planet which they call New Terra. The RCE has a charter from the UN to explore and develop the planet. The refugees are not recognized by the RCE. The refugees want to destroy the RCE colony ship, Edward Israel, but Basia has reservations at the last minute. An RCE shuttle is destroyed which kills the provisional governor and leaves a scientific team stranded. Adolphus Mutry, the leader of the colony ship’s security detail, comes down to the planet and takes charge. Basia gets involved in a plot against him.

Elvi Okoye is a scientist, an exozoologist, on the RCI team that wants to explore the planet. She is stranded with the rest of the scientific team.

Dimitri Havelock is a security officer on the colony ship. He was the partner of Miller on Ceres employed by the Star Helix security firm. Now he is employed by RCI and is the head of active security on the ship while Murtry is on the planet.

James Holden is the only character who has previously been a Point of View character in the series. After the shuttle is destroyed Chrisjen Avasarala, the UN Secretary-General, convinces Holden to go to the planet and serve as a negotiator. Since this is the first case where conflict among the new worlds has developed, she wants an impartial person to negotiate a solution.

The Investigator viewpoint’s purpose is unclear until the end of the novel where it is explained.

Review

This novel is very good and I would recommend it for readers of the series but there were some curious plot choices made in the novel. I liked that this novel focused on a more constrictive story compared to the solar system wide stories of the previous novels. It was interesting seeing Holden, the man of action, attempting to play the negotiator. The character of Basia was suitably conflicted. He mixed the story of Ganymede with his complicity in the plot to hurt the RCE members. Another aspect was finding the courage to let his daughter Felcia choose her own path. He also decided to help the Rocinante crew when he was presented with the chance to do so.

Recommendation

I’m not sure where the arc for Elvi was supposed to go. She starts out with a schoolgirl crush on Holden. I thought maybe she would have put Holden in a compromising position. That could have been interesting but the whole idea was dropped suddenly. I don’t understand why Havelock was brought back as a character. His arc didn’t have anything to do with him being a partner to Miller. He was dropped into this story randomly. Security officer Carlos “Bull” c de Baca was a character from Abaddon’s Gate. If Bull’s name was substituted for Havelock’s name then I don’t think that any of the plot elements would have been changed. That tells me that Havelock was not an essential character. I did like his interaction with Naomi at the end of the novel. The novel, Cibola Burn, was another enjoyable read and I intend to read the next novel in the series, Nemesis Games, soon.

Links

Link to Goodreads page for Cibola Burn

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18656030-cibola-burn

Link to my review of Abaddon’s Gate Book #3 of The Expanse

Abaddon’s Gate by James S. A. Corey

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ready Player One

Introduction

Wade Watts is finishing his last year of high school. He’s poor and has no prospects. His parents are dead and he lives with his junkie aunt in a trailer park. The year is 2044. The seas have risen and the displaced people including Wade are crammed into high-rise trailer parks. The only way out is to win a contest for a billionaire’s fortune. The contest started five years ago but no one has won it yet, so Wade is determined to win it to secure his future.

Summary – Halliday

The contest was created by the eccentric co-creator of the OASIS, James Halliday. The OASIS is a virtual reality system using a Wi-Fi unit, glasses, and gloves. Halliday’s company called Gregarious Simulation Systems (GSS) builds the units and distributes them for free to everyone in the world. The company makes money through paid add-ons. The OASIS provides education, entertainment, and jobs to the masses. All school classes are held in virtual classrooms.

When Halliday dies the contest is opened. The first person who solves his three riddles and completes the three gates will collect his entire fortune. The clues started in a video that Halliday had posted after his death. Halliday loved the 80s since it was the time of his youth. He fixated on classic video games, sci-fi and fantasy novels, and movies.

Summary – Gunters

The people who studied the era to win the contest were called gunters. After five years of many people trying and not solving the first riddle, only the gunters still attempted to solve the contest. Wade is one of those gunters under his username of Parzival. His best friend in OASIS, who he has never seen in real life, is called Aech and they share knowledge of everything about the 80s. Wade’s crush is on a girl who he knows as Art3mis. The gunters try to win the contest singly or in a clan.

Things change when a corporation called IOI is formed to specifically win the contest. They want to use the fortune to take over OASIS and make it a paid platform. The gunters hate this and call the corporation sixers. Wade and his friends vow to win the contest before the sixers can win to preserve the OASIS as they know it. It will be difficult because the sixers have the money and will do anything to win.

Recommendation

Ready Player One is a great book. I cannot give this novel an unbiased review. I was hooked when The Tomb of Horrors became important to solving the first puzzle. The Tomb of Horrors, which was published in 1978, is a module for the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons is a paper, pen, and dice roleplaying game that came out in the late 70s and early 80s. I remember playing that module as a dungeon master in 1983. Other media that is featured in the puzzles include Zork, a text-based computer game, The Dungeons of Daggorath, a role-playing video game, Black Tiger, a hack and slash arcade game, and Joust, a multiplayer video game. Movies used in the contest were Wargames, Bladerunner, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The album by the band Rush called 2112 from 1976 was also important.

The author weaves the 80s nostalgia throughout the book. I liked the kids and their mission. There were very few missteps in my opinion. There were too many info dumps early in the book. It provided important information but stopped the plot. Having a corporate evil antagonist was cliché like the government in the movie E. T. I felt that there should have been a further reveal for Art3mis at the end of the novel. It was a missed opportunity.

Other Media Connections

Other computer games that I think would fit in with Ready Player One are the Space Quest series by Sierra Games and Wizardry, which seems like a computer game version of the Dungeons of Daggorath. Video games that I liked from that time were Double Dragon, Galaga, Gauntlet, Dragon’s Lair, and Space Ace. I think that the music of Blue Oyster Cult would have fit more with the theme of the book, especially the songs about the Imaginos concept.

This picture has some of my memorabilia that is featured in Ready Player One. They are The Tomb of Horrors module for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, the record album by the band Rush called 2112, and my VHS copy of the Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Links

Link to Goodreads page for Ready Player One

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one

Link to review of Armada by Ernest Cline

Armada by Ernest Cline