This is going to be one of my favorite series, despite only having read two book so far. Highly addictive. I liked this book better than the first.
ItThis is going to be one of my favorite series, despite only having read two book so far. Highly addictive. I liked this book better than the first.
It's funny. Jake reminds me of Bighead in HBO's Silicon Valley show. He's hapless and struggling with handling godlike power. But his observations about the magical world are insightful and hilarious. The supporting characters are compelling, too. As are the villainous gods. ...more
Progression fantasy to the max. I really enjoyed this one, despite some parts where the pace seemed stuck on fast-forward with a lot of time skip expoProgression fantasy to the max. I really enjoyed this one, despite some parts where the pace seemed stuck on fast-forward with a lot of time skip exposition. It still works because it's an epic story. Jake becomes very OP by the end. It was a pleasure to read about corrupt gods and a corrupt system and things not always being what they seem.
Reading the next book now and rooting for Jake and his friends. ...more
Okay, this series is wacky, and it's hard to tell if the author is taking his characters' political propagPerfect ending. Chef's kiss. Très français.
Okay, this series is wacky, and it's hard to tell if the author is taking his characters' political propaganda seriously or not, since there are a whole lot of contradictions. Ryan is super materialistic, just sayin. But that aside, this was a really fun and satisfying ending to a memorable superhero trilogy. Well done on all levels. This is an author I will watch. ...more
Even the flashback chapters are fascinating. Ryan goes into supervillain mode in this one, and it's stunning. Even the flashback chapters are fascinating. Ryan goes into supervillain mode in this one, and it's stunning. ...more
Brilliant wrap-up. I'm a fan of interesting villains, telepathy, and brain plus brawn--when those are done well. My series (which starts with "MajoritBrilliant wrap-up. I'm a fan of interesting villains, telepathy, and brain plus brawn--when those are done well. My series (which starts with "Majority") has those elements! I was stoked to find an author whose tastes overlap with mine, if only superficially. This whole series was a lot of fun. ...more
Arc 3 of the story is a lot of fun. Zorian and Zack are a great brain + brawn duo, which I'm a sucker for, seeing as how I wrote Thomas + Ariock. The Arc 3 of the story is a lot of fun. Zorian and Zack are a great brain + brawn duo, which I'm a sucker for, seeing as how I wrote Thomas + Ariock. The stakes are higher, the derring do is more intense. On to the finale. ...more
Ha ha, it's still a very slow burn, very slow character development, too slow overall for my tastes. But it is progressing. Great cliffhanger ending. Ha ha, it's still a very slow burn, very slow character development, too slow overall for my tastes. But it is progressing. Great cliffhanger ending. So I'm reading the next one. ...more
Eh... slow pacing. Supercilious narrator for the audiobook. I nearly quit a few times. I'm not sure the magA Harry Potter fanfic meets Groundhog Day.
Eh... slow pacing. Supercilious narrator for the audiobook. I nearly quit a few times. I'm not sure the magic system is all that hard. The world feels a bit half-baked, although it does get better. The main character, Zorian, is hard to like. He's average in every way, including morally/ethically. I get that it's deliberate, but I like heroes more than average Joe types.
There's just enough of a mystery/hook to keep me going. I will check out the next book, but I may quit this series....more
Interesting character interplay. That's a vital ingredient for a great series.
Two problems for me. 1)Great, imaginative world-building. I love that.
Interesting character interplay. That's a vital ingredient for a great series.
Two problems for me. 1) Dated dialogue. 2) Not enough time spent with the more interesting characters. I'm fine with multi-POV, but this is multi-multi-multi-POV. It leaped around too much, especially with the climactic battles at the end.
The overall impression is that this book had awesome big ideas and really fun elements, but they were hastily thrown together, without enough breathing room.
I see why this is a memorable author. I wish I could have met her. My own series has a few of these character elements and world-building overtones....more
The quest vibe is strong, and the heroes meet dangerous new animals and weird new situations. Overall a fun book!
Inconsistencies in terms of world-buThe quest vibe is strong, and the heroes meet dangerous new animals and weird new situations. Overall a fun book!
Inconsistencies in terms of world-building made it hard to stay invested, though. They are as follows... 1) Justice (view spoiler)[The hero yearns to return to his daughter in the 21st century, yet he holds absolutely no grudge against the people who kidnapped him and held him hostage for six years (along with his buddy Dan, who just wants to see his father one last time). No hard feelings whatsoever. In fact, the tribal chief is now the hero's adoptive brother. Alex just loves the people who are preventing him from returning to his daughter ... which completely undermines his supposed driving motive. (hide spoiler)] 2) Romance (view spoiler)[The hero, Alex, stoically refuses to get romantically entangled with his 7 foot tall warrior traveling companion and supposed love interest. Why? Well, because what would 21st century people in Oregon think if he brought her home? Yet he shows zero concern about bringing his pony-sized ultra-intelligent dog home. "C'mon, boy!" The contradiction is not addressed at all. (hide spoiler)] 3) Technology (view spoiler)[It was established in Book 1 that the tribal people of Kragdon-ah *hate* technology. They will make war upon anyone who uses forbidden stauma, aka technology. This includes crossbows. But in Book 2, apparently the tribal people are A-OK with sailing ships, brick houses, and writing. So ... crossbows bad, sailing ships good. Why? Magic is considered evil, but the technological leap of writing barely merits a few sentences, and no one bats an eye. No explanation or clarification is ever offered. That contradiction undermines the solidity of the world/setting. (Also, sailing ships, bricks, and writing are all quite huge technological leaps for tribal stone age peoples.) (hide spoiler)]...more
One of the rare cases where the TV adaptation is better than the source material. The show took time to flesh out the dysfunctional family dynamics, pOne of the rare cases where the TV adaptation is better than the source material. The show took time to flesh out the dysfunctional family dynamics, particularly between Vanya and everyone else. The show writers turned silliness into something with heart and depth.
However, I love the art style here, and I love the sheer off-the-wall wackiness of the premise and characters. This duo leans into the strengths of comic art, rather than forcing comic art to fit a conventional story. I think that's why it stands out. It has a blend of sci-fi and superhero tropes, but it dials everything up to 11, which always makes things fun. ...more
I wasn't sure I'd like this book due to the multi-generational aspect, where characters don't last long enough for the reader to get very emotioEpic.
I wasn't sure I'd like this book due to the multi-generational aspect, where characters don't last long enough for the reader to get very emotionally invested. However, each portion of this tale included impactful moments and likable characters. There was an interesting sort of continuity from one generation to the next, particularly with the shipboard A.I. who is a continuous personality over many generations.
There's also a great sense of wonder, with exploring the potential alien star system (I won't reveal what they found there), and with returning to an alien far future on Earth (that was particularly well done).
I love this thoughtful exploration of how societies and civilizations would be impacted by FTL travel and mental networking. I rarely see the impact explored so deeply and so well.
I considered giving this four stars because I was side-eying the eugenics overtones and happy collectivist attitudes. It's hard to believe that a million people would cooperatively agree to go along with certain draconian imperatives, especially over multiple generations, even if they are genetically chosen and bred to do so. But in the end, the story was compelling enough for me to ignore the issues that made me raise my eyebrow. I went with the flow and really enjoyed it. There is an epic journey here, and a lot of awesome sci-fi ideas. It kept me hooked. ...more
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