WWW Wednesday

Today I have a super simple post to let the world know what I’m reading. Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, you answer 3 questions and hey presto, you are all done.

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading –

We Are Wolves: A Horror Anthology – Including authors like Gemma Amor, Jessica Guess, Sadie Hartmann and many more, this book isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s powerful, emotional, empowering and dark.

Doors of Sleep: Journals of Zaxony Delatree by Tim Pratt

Doors of Sleep popped up at the perfect time on Netgalley. I wanted a Sci-fi, but none of the books in my collection were calling my name. This one called to me instantly, I loved the cover and the premise was super intriguing.

Synopsis – Every time Zax Delatree falls asleep, he travels to a new reality. He has no control over his destination and never knows what he will see when he opens his eyes. Sometimes he wakes up in technological utopias, and other times in the bombed-out ruins of collapsed civilizations. All he has to live by are his wits and the small aides he has picked up along the way – technological advantages from techno-utopias, sedatives to escape dangerous worlds, and stimulants to extend his stay in pleasant ones.

Thankfully, Zax isn’t always alone. He can take people with him, if they’re unconscious in his arms when he falls asleep. But someone unwelcome is on his tail, and they are after something that Zax cannot spare – the blood running through his veins, the power to travel through worlds…

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You can see why I had to have it right, how cool does it sound? And that is where my love affair with the book ended. It’s not terrible, it’s not great, it’s pretty meh. I know I sound like an asshole, but the book was totally lacking excitement, suspense, thrills. For a book that should have you a little on the edge of your seat, I just didn’t care. The book was written in such a way that all of the problems Zax faced were easily solved.

Minna was a cool character, so cool in fact, she could fix basically everything. Zax gets his arm chopped off, she grows him a new one. He needs to stay awake longer, she alters his brain. Need to set a trap or two, she can do it. Get trapped on a space station, she can alter her own blood to give herself Zax’s powers. There is never any real danger.

And the villain in this whole piece? He feels like a caricature of a bad guy from Captain Underpants.

Another reason I think I had such a hard time getting into this is because time just flits by. 6 months can be jumped in a page. Also because so much happens off page, we are told about it in massive monologues. After the second time this happened I could feel my brain starting to check out and to be honest I’m surprised I finished it.

I was really bummed about this one. The idea was pretty cool, very Sliders, but the execution didn’t work for me at all. I needed the stakes to be higher, I needed some tension and I needed to want the characters to survive.

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Goodreads  –  Publisher: Angry Robot  –  Released: 12/1/2021

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The Rush’s Edge by Ginger Smith

Sci-fi full of adventure, found family and a nice little romance in the background. Hell yes. Can I just say LOVE, LOVE, LOVE and be done because otherwise my review will be flailing and fangirling over my most very favourite male friendship ever. I’m not sure if the author was aiming for a crying reader, but there were some pure, sweet, wonderful moments of friendship that brought me to tears and that these moments could happen while characters were covered in other peoples blood was even better.

Recent NetGalley Additions

Should I be requesting more books from NetGalley… No. Do I anyway… Yes. Last I checked my % was at 52, so I never expect to get accepted, but I love it when it happens.

The Rush’s Edge by Ginger Smith – I saw the author talking about this one on Twitter and decided it was right up my alley, plus it’s published by Angry Robot, one of my favourite publishers. Also it’s release will coincide with Sci-Fi Month.

Synopsis – With the help of his commanding officer, a genetically engineered ex-soldier fights back against the government that created him and others like him to be expendable slaves.

Release date – 10th November 2020

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February Fun Times

Here we are, the kids go back to school this week, work has quietened down after the Christmas craziness and I have to do adult things like get my car serviced and all the after school activities are back on. I love having my kids home but little Sir spent more time playing Fortnite than he should have and as much as the family did lots of awesome things, I didn’t get to participate in all of it. I did get to see Dolittle today which I thought was brilliant. I laughed louder and more than anyone else in the cinema.

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My reading plans

Stacking The Shelves

A weekly post where I can brag about my new books? Yes please. Granted I definitely won’t have something to post every week, I’ll just do it as required. I will be including everything from my purchases, to NetGalley, gifts and books from authors.
For more information head over to Tynga’s reviews

WWW Wednesday

Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, you answer 3 questions and hey presto, you are all done.

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley

AMBITIOUS, CREATIVE, FANTASTICAL, DIVERSE, EPIC.

Once again Hurley has shown us that she is an absolute force. I can only imagine how daunting this project was purely because of how epic in scope it is. I think the word dense could be used to describe this book (I don’t mean that in a bad way), there is so much worldbuilding, there are so many characters, there are so many cultures and histories and we get to dive into it all. She doesn’t hold us back. She gives us as readers everything she has and she smashed it out of the park. This is the longest book by Hurley I have read and as with her other stories she doesn’t waste words. Every word on the page has a purpose. I fucking love that.

God of Broken Things by Cameron Johnston

God of Broken Things picks up three months after The Traitor God (my review) finished. There is no gentle lead in, this book starts the way it plans to continue, with action, violence and the characters reaching out with both hands to reach their full potential. I loved it from the first chapter.

“The slicks up in the Old Town might be calling you a nightmare given flesh, but-” a ghost of a smile appeared, the first sign of pleasure I’d seen from her, “-you’re our nightmare I guess.”

The Traitor God by Cameron Johnston

“I had many failings, but knowing when to run wasn’t one of them.”

Edrin Walker has been on the move for 10 years, hounded by daemons, needing to keep a clamp on the magic bubbling inside. Drinking himself silly and finding comfort when he was able to pay for it, he was willing to continue his exile to keep his friends safe. But when he feels his dearest friends’ death through their bond, he knows it’s time to go home to Setharis, it’s time to remove the meek merchant mask and make those responsible pay. He will find out why Lynas was killed or burn everyone who gets in his way.