computer scientist, mathematician, photographer, human. Debian Developer, Notmuch Maintainer, scuba diver
Much of my "reading" these days is actually audiobooks while walking.
FediMain: bremner@mathstodon.xyz
bremner@bookwyrm.social is also me. Trying a smaller instance to see if the delays are less maddening.
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There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying
The great …
I misread a spoiler from a review of book 3 that kindof filled me with dread a bit, but in the end I enjoyed it.
I heard an interview with the author on the Wabanaki Windows podcast, and it sounds interesting, if not exactly uplifting.
When Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for her unconventional tactics, Kel Command …
Welp, this is very odd so far. Lots of mystical sounding talk about equations.
Ruth Johnson and her sister Jules have been small-time hustlers on the interstellar cruise lines …
On sale for USD0.99 at rebellionpublishing.com
An edgy, queer cyberpunk detective mystery by an exciting new trans voice from New Zealand. …
On sale for USD0.99 at rebellionpublishing.com
When Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for her unconventional tactics, Kel Command …
On sale for USD0.99 at rebellionpublishing.com
The pros and cons are very similar to the first volume in the series. The characters are interesting (and a bit more familiar, so there is less wondering how things fit together). The overall plot arcs are interesting. For better or worse the book includes some fairly extended and graphic descriptions of violence. I don't know if I am extra sensitive, but I struggled to get through it because of these passages, or perhaps because of my anticipation of these passages.
Four-time Hugo Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N.K. Jemisin crafts a glorious tale …
Getting back into this after a long pause. I can't really explain the pause, except for a long time it felt like heavy going, compared to the other thing I was listening to at the same time (history of rock music). Now that I'm back into it does not feel especially heavy. While some of the political commentary is pretty pointed, no more than the first volume.
Thief, assassin, sellsword—Kaia Steelflower is famous. Well, mostly famous, and mostly for the wrong reasons. …
Content warning general plot discussion
I finished this a while ago, so the details are fading.
At first I was a bit worried that it was going to be a Fellowship of the Ring knockoff, but about half way it switches into a kind of military fantasy. Neither is exactly my bag, but at least the switch keeps me on my toes.
The characters are interesting. In particular the main character has fairly severe mental health issues. This plays off the whole romance subplot. Will the literally star-crossed lovers end up together when she is such a pain in the ass? Only book 2 will tell.
Indeed that is my most substantial grumble is that this is very much not a standalone novel. Weighty epic fantasy subplots are started, but then the book stops. Maybe I'm just mad that I didn't buy book 2 when it was on sale.
1798: A magical, dark adventure. Fourteen-year-old Pâtca, initiated in the occult arts, comes to Bucharest, …
Content warning vague plot discussion
The violence in some scenes is tough going for me. I stalled for a few weeks at the first battle with the Northmen.
Based on a thread from glammr.us/@platypus
Gallant (2022, Greenwillow Books)
Just the right amount of scary. I found this more compelling than the last book from the "Colour of Magic" series I read. Now I'm wondering if I should revisit the latter.
Autonomous features a rakish female pharmaceutical pirate named Jack who traverses the world in her …
As if Neal Stephenson had an editor, and a bit more nuanced politics.
It would be unfair to call it derivative but it seems clear the author is an Ian M Banks / Culture novels fan. What makes the book interesting for me is the exploration of the question of "what if effective and precise self-regulation of brain chemistry was possible". This has interesting ripple effects on politics and the definition of personal autonomy.