josiah17's reviews
250 reviews

Vinland Saga, Volume 3 by Makoto Yukimura

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Night Watch by Terry Pratchett

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I don't agree with the common consensus of this being Pratchett's best Discworld novel. However, I certainly see why readers make that claim. It's excellent. Samuel Vimes is an international treasure.

The Troop by Nick Cutter

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challenging dark slow-paced

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

1.0

I thought a horror/thriller might be able to break my post Sun Eater reading slump, but nope. However, to me, this book simply wasn't good either. There was a very specific moment around halfway through (animal cruelty) where I realized this, and that I was pushing through because I thought it might help me get into a rhythm again. I regret not trusting my gut and finally choosing to DNF a book, but unfortunately I'm too stubborn to do so.

I did kinda enjoy the beginning. But otherwise I found Cutter's writing forcefully verbose at times in an attempt to seem flowery and complex. I also hated the way the kids were written, besides Newt who was genuinely endearing. The characterization rubbed me the wrong way at several points. The writing ultimately falls incredibly flat. I was actually more interested in the intermittent scientist logs, newspaper articles, and courtroom transcripts between the chapters than the present narrative.

This is the last Nick Cutter novel I'll be reading. Seemed promising in premise, but it was a chore to read.

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Pawn's Gambit by Rob J. Hayes

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Though I did enjoy the beginning of this book, I have unfortunately been struck by a massive reading slump thanks to being caught up with Sun Eater. All I could think about when reading this was Sun Eater, so I never felt truly immersed besides portions of the beginning when I was enjoying myself and the setup for the unique plot. Yuu was a decent protagonist, and I also liked some of the horror elements Hayes implements. The Mortal Techniques world is pretty neat, as is the magic system. I likely would've enjoyed this more if it weren't for my aforementioned reading slump, but as it stands it was just decent, and a step down from Never Die. But I'm still very excited to read the final connecting novel in this world sometime soon.

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Vinland Saga, Volume 2 by Makoto Yukimura

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adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.25

Disquiet Gods by Christopher Ruocchio

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adventurous challenging dark reflective medium-paced

4.5

"Humanity little knew it, but all its kings and emperors, all its joys and sufferings, every conqueror and hero, every warrior and poet, every sinner, scholar, and saint-indeed all its violent history-had taken place within the walls of a garden that every man from Menes had mistaken for the wild wood.

Outside, it was very dark."

What a wild, wild book. Completely mind-bending and propelled by constant massive plot twists. I'm just gonna run through my thoughts because I'm unsure how to structure this review without feeling repetitive and continuing to sing the same praises I have in previous reviews. The book is really good, obviously. But this is also the most criticism/dissatisfaction I've had with a Sun Eater novel since the first half of Howling Dark.

Let's start with the positives. My favorite part of the book is probably the first 70 pages? It's incredibly bittersweet and emotional after Ashes of Man, and I loved finally getting a glance at Jadd and its grandeur. I also loved getting introduced to Cassandra (from Hadrian's POV, having already read her short story). Chapter 4 is one of my favorite Sun Eater chapters, it hits incredibly deep.

"Valka was looking down on me from the portrait, smiling after her fashion. She was looking down at a child with twin braids who smiled back at her, a girl in a long Jaddian tunic. There were flowers in her hair, and Valka stooped to place one there as she never had in life. Little Cassandra was laughing, looking up into the face of the mother she had never known. I stood behind them both, a shadow in black charcoal, the only one of us three peering out of the image.

We held each other's gaze a moment. Art and artist.

Only the artist blinked, and when he did, it was to blink away fresh-forming tears.

How I envied that charcoal man."

😭😭😭

"Do you know, Anaryan, that we live on a truly beautiful world?"

Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed act 1 on Sabratha and all the HAPSIS stuff we finally get. It was a super captivating act, with utterly insane cosmic horror; can't understate how stupefying and terrifying it is. Ruocchio gets incredibly bold and crazy. Act 3 was great as well. The immense shifts in narrative make for a very exciting and truly unpredictable experience, supported by great pacing. You simply could not guess any of the major twists in this book.

Well I remember the Monarch's words—chilling and clear—and the way he turned his eyes on me. Black, dead diamonds glimmering. "There are no innocents," he said. "Have you heard it written? There is none righteous."

Now for my criticisms, using spoiler tags. Firstly, and the largest of them, is my lack of enthusiasm for the obvious religious allegory and themes of

the Quiet. I always felt this godly figure was going to both build to and remain something more supernatural and otherworldly.

That's how the writing felt for all this time. Instead, this book turns that on its head for a very clear and on-the-nose allegory for Christianity/Catholicism. I am not a fan of that. Consistently throughout the series, Ruocchio maintained a certain distance from religion which I found very appropriate and apt for Hadrian's characterization and the Sun Eater world at large. He struck a perfect balance, refraining from being preachy. But he abandons that here and comes across as sermonic to me, which really pulled me out of the narrative during that reveal (chapter

). Does it diminish my enjoyment of the series entirely? No, it doesn't. There is some good in there, but it's not my favorite writing decision to say the least. I would have probably felt better about it had the allegory been vaguer and the cosmological remained more obscure.

I preferred when things were mysterious and open-ended, which is not to say we have all the answers because we certainly don't, but just a little too many for my taste.

This allegory and sequence also brings about a big change in Hadrian, which at first I really didn't love. I am more accepting of it, and even to an extent the aforementioned allegory, having finished the book.

But it's like Hadrian has a crisis of faith and suddenly becomes hyper religious with his new understanding of this being. This isn't totally incomprehensible considering the quiet has brought him back from the dead twice now, but yet it came off as extreme and inconsistent to me to a degree. Mostly because of the way some of his inner monologue seemed to suddenly change on certain topics.

Though this could also pertain to another dissatisfaction of mine with this book, albeit kinda minor, which is not enough mopey and depressed Hadrian, reminiscing about certain characters (

mainly the loss of Valka

). He certainly is that way at times, but considering who he's lost, I would've appreciated some more moments of Hadrian recalling his friends, thinking about them, referring to them. I know this can get really repetitive quite quickly, but it's something that worked very well emotionally for me as a reader in Ashes of Man, and I just wanted a little more of that spread throughout this book.

My second biggest criticism is Cassandra's characterization. She feels so incredibly underwritten. Though I have read, from Ruocchio's wife, that her portrayal is deliberate and she has a greater purpose to this story--which I can see--it does not diminish the feeling of severely wasted potential. She is so one-dimensional, even having read her short story before this book. She's almost only ever asking a question in three different ways during whatever dialogue she has. She's supposed to be 40 years old, yet feels as if she's still her 15-year-old self, honestly even younger. She lacks any agency besides her abilities as a Maeskolos. It was very frustrating to see her written this way considering who her parents are, but I do not doubt Ruocchio's abilities as a writer. So I remain hopeful the words of his wife are true, and she serves a greater role in Shadows Upon Time.

"History only repeats itself because human nature never changes," Edouard said. "We think we've come so far, but all the miles we've walked since we left the Garden are as inches measured against the light-years we have to go."

I smiled at this. Had I not thought much the same a thousand times before?

"We're the same animals we always were," I said. "Not even the Extras can really change that. They just destroy themselves trying to become something else."

My last little quibble is regarding Hadrian

accepting the pledge of Ramanthanu and a handful of his Cielcin underlings.

That simply didn't seem right, or plausible, at this point in the series to me with all the things the Cielcin have done. It felt entirely like a plot device simply so Hadrian could escape the current predicament.

I don't know how they managed to survive the entire book, but they did.

That decision threw me for a loop.

Alright, that's all my incoherent rambling for what I wasn't satisfied with in this book. Everything else was spectacular. I spent less time listing the positives, but they do FAR outshine my negatives. Ruocchio's prose, creativity. and framed narrative is like crack to me. I can't get enough of it. Before reading Disquiet Gods, there were many days where I thought Sun Eater has become my favorite series of all time. Elements of this book not meeting my preference does not change that. Demon in White, Kingdoms of Death, and Ashes of Man were just that good. I'm so sad I'm all caught up now. I cannot wait for Shadows Upon Time in November. I know Ruocchio won't let me down. This must be.

Pain.

Our fear of pain is the foundation of all morality. It is that fear that shapes our world, orders civilization. We pass laws, build walls and for-tresses, fight wars and forge empires all to minimize our people's pain. That is why it is the lowest form of obedience, not because it is basest-as I once answered when asked by Tor Gibson-but because it is foundational. Our experiences of pain teach us the nature of suffering, and so we are moved to minimize that suffering in others. Pain grounds our reality, is the cornerstone of our interactions with the objective world.

Pain makes us human, teaches us to be human.

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Tales of the Sun Eater, Vol. 3 by Christopher Ruocchio

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adventurous informative mysterious

4.0

"History was just that. A story. The truth was too much."

Undoubtedly the best collection of short stories thus far in the Sun Eater series. Nearly every story had some element that was compelling, and there was more of a central theme to each story along with the usual supplemental worldbuilding. The prose really felt fully up to par with the main series as well.

I loved getting a story from Otavia's perspective; she's dearly missed. The secrets of Echidna and the contact with a Monumental was fascinating, as was the story involving the Mericanii. And the last story was amazing, the final paragraph incredibly moving.

The Dregs of Empire by Christopher Ruocchio

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

"Lorian was no murderer. He was not even a traitor-not really. In defying the Emperor, he had served Hadrian one final time, and Hadrian had been his true liege, the sun about which he, Lorian, had turned. The Emperor was only some distant star."

Another enjoyable Sun Eater novella, probably my second favorite of the three behind Queen Amid Ashes. Lorian Aristedes is a fantastic character, so it was great to get inside his head. Both to see firsthand his perspective and experience as an intus, and to see more of his distinct personality and intelligence.

I've also been intrigued by Belusha ever since it was first mentioned, so it was nice to see the Imperial prison planet and it's operations. It's certainly a desolate and vile place, full of despicable people; much of that was not pleasant to read.

Though portions of the plot were not always the most engaging, the side characters actually were, and the conflicts they stirred about with Lorian with different types of depravity. Lorian was always in danger because of the people around him, and that created a sufficient sense of tension. (Also gotta mention one side character, Jeff, named by Ruocchio in honor of my friend for a Kickstarter thing, so that was cool to finally read.)

Again, an enjoyable novella, enhancing the depth of the Sun Eater universe. I'm at the point now where anything Christopher Ruocchio writes is simply a joy to read.

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A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

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challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.75

"Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less."

"So power is a mummer's trick?"

"A shadow on the wall," Varys murmured, " yet shadows can kill and ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow."

I believe A Clash of Kings is a slight step up from A Game of Thrones (lowered to 3.75), the first half of the book being great. But I would be lying if I didn't say my time with ASOIAF has remained somewhat underwhelming thus far.

Though this is certainly a good book, same as the first one, I still had the same struggles, but to a bit of a lesser extent. To me, the way POV's are structured still presents this sense of disconnect throughout most of the narrative. I felt this was improved in the first half of the book, but became prevalent again in the second half. I also continued to feel a lack of tension and suspense due to knowing the fates of many of these characters and their general archs. However, I did manage to get over this with a few characters, likely due to their chapters simply being the most engaging to me. Those would be Tyrion, Jon, and Arya. At times Catelyn as well. These were by far the most captivating character perspectives to read from. I think Martin's strongest character is Tyrion as of right now. His inner monologue is fantastic, and most of the intriguing politicking happens through his perspective as he takes charge in King's Landing. His perspective is one of the few where I did actually feel the intended tension because it's so well written. As for Jon and Arya, I loved Jon in book one so no surprise I love him here and everything about the looming threat in the North. And it was nice to watch Arya come into her own and navigate her perilous situation while keeping her identity hidden. I quite enjoyed her relationship with Jaqen H'ghar as well. Qhorin Halfhand was another side character I loved too, and his relationship with Jon.

Unfortunate that this review probably feels mostly negative again, but I did enjoy most of the book. Especially the first half like I mentioned previously. My own mental health and mood also played a part in my enjoyment of this book. There were many days where I really struggled to pick this up, mostly because I simply didn't have the energy to read. And sadly that bleeds into the overall reading experience.

Rating this at 4 stars (might be a 3.75—now is after a couple days)...I guess I really just set my expectations that high for these books based on the way everyone gushes about them. I should've known better by now. Not as excited for A Storm of Swords now, but still looking forward to it.

Content Warnings

Vinland Saga, Volume 1 by Makoto Yukimura

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dark medium-paced

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

3.75

This is a manga I've had my eyes on for a while to get into the medium. Viking-inspired, a story about navigating war, revenge, and what it means to live. It's right up my alley, and having finished the anime a couple weeks ago I couldn't wait any longer to dive in. I love the art style, and so far it appears the anime was faithful almost panel by panel to the manga which is great. I've got a decent amount of volumes to read up to what the anime has adapted, so I know I'll enjoy my time with this manga up to that point and I'm incredibly excited to see what happens beyond what I already know.

"A true warrior...needs no sword."

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josiah17's reviews 250 reviews

josiah17's reviews
250 reviews