Antvance into the Unknown by RinoZ
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Third stratum? Exploration? It's just the demon realm, right? Should be relaxing. A little happy jaunt.

And since it's just Antony the ant with his pets and a rambunctious and curious little hatchling going along, (we're ignoring the silent and invisible honor guard,) there's no real risk to the COLONY if anything goes wrong.

Truly. If anything goes pear-shaped, it's all on the vacationeers. The consequences will all be on them.

No blowback to the COLONY.

Ahem.

By the way, if you're curious, I should point out that the direction of the blame implied here is purely ironical. The story happens to go an entirely different direction. Which makes it funny.

Strange, too, because Antony has NO concern about a queen's thwap.

This time.
Muahahahahaha.

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Enemy A[n]t the Gates by RinoZ
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Want a siege novel? You get a siege novel. A massive siege novel. The colony must defend against those damn armored beefcake humans and rockies.

Impressive prep, industry, of course. Lots of conflict and setbacks and balance in the story.

All told, a fun novel.

Was there much in the way of character development? Maybe a little. But no, not really.

Still, a fun middle-book LitRPG.

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Between a Rock and a Carapace by RinoZ
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What? A LONE ANT in a tournament against his poor wishes?

Yeah, fine, that's fine. Everything's fine. But just wait till the colony finds out. Muahahahahahahahaha

Truly, it's all just a bunch of leveling and training and dealing with crazy cultists and a spot of overwhelming force to even things out, but it's hugely ANTertaining.

For the Colony!

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Antelligent Design by RinoZ
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Evolution! Who doesn't appreciate a total colony transformation now and then? More intelligence? More industry? Endless care to support your colony, at any cost?

What could go wrong?

Nothing! It's perfection! Especially when endless monster hordes are on their way. And hey, even the humans are appreciating the family! Ant-supremacy!

Fun stuff, seriously.

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Upping the Ante by RinoZ
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can't believe how much fun I'm having following the family. Or rather, the colony. Sure, it's more Ants and Friends, or pets, or idiot human worshipers, but it's all great fun. Dungeon delving. Eating. Mutating. PROTECTING THE COLONY.

It actually makes neat sense the way it's set up. Human reborn as an ant actually prefers it this way. And with what we learn, I GET IT.

After all this, I'm wondering if it might not be a bit better to want to be an ant. It's fairly antastic.

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The Antventure Begins by RinoZ
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All the points for all out running with the ant theme. Born again as a lowly ant? Time to skill and level up as an ant? Mutate? PROTECT YOUR COLONY? Why not?

If you're going to stop being a human and be a monster, may as well roll with it. It works well in politics, why not LitRPGs?

Upgrade those bad optics. Get those feelers out. Hob nob with the nobblins. Own a gorilla pet.

Ok, maybe the last one isn't something politicians do. But you know who has gorillas as pets? Mobsters. So monsters, mobsters, it's all SO damn close, isn't it?

But we all agree that those damn centipedes are going DOWN.



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Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of those novels that are near perfect in every way, hitting its high points and whole purpose effortlessly, and yet gets perfectly creepy that probably says more about my own hang ups than the real purpose of this novel.

It's kinda like SK's IT in that regard.

And yet, aside from that ONE LITTLE DETAIL, or rather, ending plot device, I love the whole book. Perhaps despite it.

What do you give a man who has been alive for thousands of years, is THE bona fide oldest man in the universe? When you have THAT much time, what is worth continuing for?

Love. Of course.

As a SF, it's a wonderful riff on a Thousand and One Nights. A tribute to respect and family and devotion and sex. It's a real harem novel. And a philosophical treatise on par with Thus Spake Zarathustra. And a delicious homesteading novel. And a truly interesting time-travel novel. And it's even a great little riff on J. D. Salinger's crazy brilliant family dynamics.

It's also a great war novel.

And it's also a truly fantastic and detailed primer on genetics and the determination of traits and the specific dangers of inbreeding and longevity research.

But mostly it's about love. Happiness. Sadness. But really it's about learning what makes live worth living.

Heinlein wrote a true magnum opus here. Full stop.

And it's horrible to say that and have to preface it with... but damn it's so creepy there.... lol

Nuts.

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