Gravesong by Pirateaba
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh lordy, this is really hitting the spot for me. Pirateaba has been reliably hitting it out of the park with everything. The balance between comfort-emotions, overcoming odds, dealing with issues, and beautiful worldbuilding that sets up some pretty awesome foils--AND heart-wrenching action on a huge scale, as if the former wasn't enough, is just doing it all for my poor old heart.

The balance, here, is just as good as the later Wandering Inn books, and indeed, we are in the same world and hear some interesting, familiar names. But this one is special all on its own.

A song, whether it comes from an actress or a struggling earther thrust into a fantasy world that behaves by leveling-up rules, can still have enormous power.

It's just a bit more interesting when the song in question has THIS much power.

Really great stuff.


My synesthesia smells not grave-dirt or zombie rats, but comfort-tea and honey, together with a mouth watering biscuit and warm company.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

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The Guns of Empire by Django Wexler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This war-centered Fantasy continues to deliver with the war-flavor. If you've gotten this far in the story, you're really here for the gritty ambiance, the female-led gun-heroes, and a little bit of romance to go with the rare appearances of demon-infused carriers of the Names.

Honestly? I loved the end. I loved a little of the romance. The battles, when they happened, were fascinating.

But the rest--it was kinda a glide. I was there for a bunch of normal stuff written in a normal way. Every day life between battles. I'm sure others will get more out of that than me. I admit to being a bit bored during these much-longer sequences.

But overall, it was still solid--so no harm or foul.


My synesthesia really smelled a lot of airborne ash throughout the read.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

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Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nayler has earned my respect as a serious SF author. You know, not one that just panders to trends, but one that seriously explores issues, often philosophically and, better, to a sharp point.

This new one is no different, except that it is faster-paced and quite a bit more angry. I mean, what else can we expect when showing a different kind of dystopia, one that goes beyond robot overlords or ham-fisted dictators, but a seriously smart and even reasonable tragic end.

Wait... a reasonable tragic end?

Well, yeah, if security is what you want and when authoritarian governments have learned from the past mistakes of other authoritarian governments, it's only reasonable that they do EVERYTHING in their power to retain absolute control. The point? Don't half-ass it. Use those AIs to go whole-hog on the ideological vice-grip. You know, like what has just been happening in our world, now. Don't let anyone have a single inch. It's not just China that has social scores and micro-managed restrictions anymore.

This novel shines a pretty bright light on an extreme future that seems almost exactly like our own. Updated. Sharp. Scary. But with a little hope. There always has to be a little hope.


My synesthesia tastes the sweet scent of tulips and acetylene torches.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

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The Legend of Randidly Ghosthound 8 by Noret Flood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Despite the pretty epic confrontation with the old village he founded, with plenty of surprises in store, or the overall re-focus on Earth and Earth's image of itself to grow and protect itself from the coming cataclysms, the whole novel has a serious introspective mood to it. Reflection and a sharpening of focus.

I think it's pretty awesome--like a self-therapy session that ultimately builds a brand new foundation for your soul.

Of course, this has happened multiple times in the series, but it really stands out as something that tackles much bigger "state of the universe, of existence," questions.

I'm a sucker for this stuff in OTHER literature. So the fact we're getting it taken seriously in a LitRPG where it OUGHT to be forbidden or laughed out of existence, I'm very pleasantly surprised to get a hefty dose of self-improvement alongside massive magics, cataclysms, and large-scale bloodshed.

I likey.


My synesthesia is getting the sensation of paper under my fingers, of a chocolate smell.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

Arctunn.com

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The Legend of Randidly Ghosthound 7 by Noret Flood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Any book that can keep me up all night wanting to know what happens next is obviously going to be a cherished one. And that's what happened to me with this.

I really enjoyed the progression and the whole "as above, so below" structure to this one. The soul skill, indeed, a whole world-building AS a narrative conceit and source of character power is pretty awesome to behold. And not only do we get to visit as a god, but all changes work both ways, changing yourself.

If that wasn't enough, the full, bright story of the world of Tellus comes to a head, complete with the Calamity and resolution. Nobody comes out of it unscathed.

Very neat novel. Humble beginnings for the series, but this one really made it stand out.

My synesthesia tasted a wholesome ham on rye with really spicy mustard, oddly enough--with a dose of blood in the air.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

Arctunn.com

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The Legend of Randidly Ghosthound 6 by Noret Flood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Solid work. If you've come this far in the series, you know you'll have to challenge your current limits with every volume, so it should come as no surprise that Randidly must face some demons and get pounded before arising to the top again.

In this volume, we return to the world of spears. Stronger, a little wiser, and now a bit more smug than is healthy, he turns to ash and cold and mass annihilation to get the respect of his peers. He's living the dream.

Honestly, I'm having as much fun as I generally do with these, which is to say, I'm quite amused and invested. It's all action and leveling and finding all new ways to level. In this case, imagery. And what monstrous power it is.

My synesthesia tastes yet more ash, but this time it's not a hot wind, but a cold one. Kinda perfect for the setting.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

Arctunn.com

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The Legend of Randidly Ghosthound 5 by Noret Flood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This LitRPG is still going pretty strong, with a few non-deal-breaking caveats.

What's going well: Action, leveling, adventure, skill-ups, expanding universe, and potential.

What's weird: novel structure. Some of the characterizations.


I'll explain. Randidly builds his own class at the end of the last novel, and now jumps into a high-level dungeon with a few friends to flesh it out. It's all cool. His old, pre-apocalyptic friends are kinda ass-hats. And upon leaving that dungeon, which takes up what I thought was a big deal of the novel, Randidly up and skips town and levels up in a time jump to an all new place and PoV which builds a nice little western/cyberpunk city that feels like a completely different novel.

Ok, no problem, except, for the most part, we're generally always focused on Randidly. It does go back to him, and he's kinda aimless again, but I enjoyed watching him grind through new skillsets, so the original purpose of the novels was served.

Weird? Perhaps. But still enjoyable in the end.

My synesthesia smells gunpowder and a forge.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

Arctunn.com

View all my reviews