icarusabides's reviews
577 reviews

Existentially Challenged by Yahtzee Croshaw

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Decent follow up to Differently Morphous featuring a solid central mystery and some expansion of the world. The most interesting aspect is still the overarching plot involving Diablerie of which there is some movement but it's clearly being piecemealed out across the series. 

House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky

adventurous challenging funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Cracking follow up to City of Last Chances that's bold enough to change things up and move away from the characters and City that was itself such a character in the previous book. So much so that it would work as a standalone. It's a little jarring at first as it Introduces a swathe of new characters and the setting of a medical corps in a travelling military camp but does it well and is intriguing from the off. 

It's interesting to see more of the world outside of Ilmar and a Paleseen army on the march but the exploration of various types of healing magic being deployed practically in a fantasy is what really stands out, something that's all too rarely looked at with any real depth in fantasy novels.

A Practical Guide to Conquering the World by K.J. Parker

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Starts off fairly interesting but quickly descends into a competency power fantasy of a unlikeable character getting whatever he wants, mostly by hoodwinking silly savages with his genius, and with little to no stakes at any stage. It's just here's the problem, here's the solution, ah it worked what luck. 

The Devil You Know by K.J. Parker

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

System Collapse by Martha Wells

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I think the shine has come off this series for me and this book being such a direct plot follow on to book five, with six taking place earlier, really didn't help. The series just worked better for me when it was smaller in scale and more personally focused. The attempt to expand everything by throwing more and more characters in and half arsed political negotiations without adding any depth has turned me off it.

It's a shame the series went off down this convoluted interconnected path with Preservation and the University rather than Murderbot off having standalone adventures across corporation space each installment and the overarching plot being Murderbots personal development. Ah well.

Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

Network Effect by Martha Wells

3.0

And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5