Tag Archives: Science fiction

Review of “Dune” by Frank Herbert

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Title: Dune
Author: Frank Herbert
Series: Dune #1
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 507
Published: 1965, Chilton
My Grade: 4 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION 

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for….

When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.

MY REVIEW

Dune has been on my TBR list for so many years now and it wasn’t until I saw the new movie that came out in 2021 that I moved the book up on the list. Back in the day, I would say that that was the wrong order. I would wait to watch a new movie or series until I had read the book or books. But as my life priorities have changed with work and working out, reading has been pushed down. It saddens me. But since this work is considered the forefather of all modern science fiction, and the move was only half the book, I would say that it didn’t really matter because the book was something else.

It is embarrassing that it took me almost a year to finish it, but the second half of it in just three days (thank you, New Year’s flu). When I had the time to read more than just a couple of pages in bed before I would fall asleep with the book in my hand, it was so easy to get sucked into the story.

I would say that the book is divided in two. When things happen, and political dialogues. When things happen, it’s easy to follow along, the dialogue makes sense, there is action and you just want to continue to read. Then there are those chapters which are focused on the politics of the story. And I don’t know if I’m just not used to this kind of language and prose, but I honestly couldn’t understand what they were talking about. It was hard to understand how they reasoned, and what underlying thoughts came to the conclusions they drew. It was like a lot of thinking and internal dialogue was missing and my mind wasn’t imaginative enough to tag along. I’m sure it was brilliant, because everyone says it is. But I just didn’t get it.

Another thing that bothered me before I got a hang of it, was that Dune did not follow just one character in each chapter. What I usually read, follows only one character per chapter, or at least very separated so it’s super clear which person’s point of view you’re following. But here, you could in one sentence be inside Paul Atreides mind, hearing what he’s thinking while talking to Gurney Halleck for example. And the next sentece, you’re inside Jessica’s head, analyzing Paul’s and Gurney’s dialogue. It took some time getting used to, and I probably got several thoughts connected with the wrong character. Oh well.

It was a book of many levels. You could tell the massive background investigation that went into this book. It’s a complicated piece discussing ecology, politics, religion with a hint of fantasy set in the far far future after an AI-war which destroyed the world as we know it. It was impressive and I did truly enjoy it, although it was a bit complicated. I will give it a 4 out of 5.It was an incredible and timeless science-fiction novel.

I have to admit though, that I am not sure if I want to continue with Herbert’s world. Dune ended on an incredible cliffhanger and I know myself enough that that alone will probably make me pick up Dune Messiah right after I finish this post. But I’ve also, unfortunately, read that the sequels are not as good and finishing with this cliffhanger leaves the planet of Arrakis’ future up for your own imagination.

Review of “Return to Zero” by Pittacus Lore

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Title: Return to Zero
Author: Pittacus Lore
Series: Lorien Legacies Reborn #3
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 464
Published: 2019, HarperCollins
My Grade: 4 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

After the battle in Switzerland, the Fugitive Six find their allegiances torn, dividing them into two factions. Taylor, Kopano, and Nigel return to the Academy with Nine, but nothing is the same. As fear and resentment of the Human Garde continues to grow, the United Nations decrees that all humans with Legacies must be implanted with inhibitors. So our heroes will have no choice but to rebel.

And with the Foundation still at large, Isabela, Caleb, and Ran have decided to join forces with their former foes Einar and Five to hunt them down. But when a new threat is revealed, the group may find itself painfully outmatched. Facing capture or annihilation from all sides, the only hope the Human Garde have for survival is to stand together once and for all to fight back against their true enemies.

 

MY REVIEW

Questions were answered. They knitted together the side series with this main one really well. And I feel satisfied after finishing this series and I don’t feel like they left anything out.

There were things happening all the time, the original Loric fought alongside Human Garde. The bad guys weren’t just bad guys, there was a complicated history behind their actions and they felt believable. The main characters were easy to follow, mostly because I remembered most of them from the old series. The events were really cool and it was so easy to read and the story flowed on naturally.

There has been a lot of books in this universe now. I feel like my need for alien superpowers from Lorien and Mogadore is satisfied. But I wouldn’t say no to reading new books, if there ever is any more coming.

I’ll give this ending a four. It was a book worth reading, a little bit of a crooked road to get here with too many characters, especially in the companion series, but the author wrapped it up nicely.

Review of “Killing Giants” by Pittacus Lore

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Title: Killing Giants
Author: Pittacus Lore
Series: The Legacy Chronicles #6
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 100
Published: 2019, HarperCollins
My Grade: 3.5 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

The Mogadorians have captured Six and Sam and brought them to Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of their mysterious master plan to get their revenge on the Garde. It’s the opening night of a spectacular new show, and dozens of special guests, the media, and tons of spectators have flocked to Sin City—which can only mean one thing: the Mogs are planning something truly devastating.

Luckily for Six and Sam, they’ve yet to find a prison that can hold them. When they do manage to escape, and finally regain control of their Legacies, they will have to race against the clock to try to stop their old adversaries once and for all. And if they can’t succeed, they—and countless others—will suffer the consequences.

 

MY REVIEW

The last installation in this side story to Lorien Legacies Reborn did not feel like the last. Well, it did. The story ended, the bad guys lost, the good guys won. But there was a cliffhanger at the end. Will there be more? I think chronologically, Return to Zero (the third and last of Lorien Legacies Reborn) is taking place after Killing Giants, and I just started reading it, so maybe there will be answers on how that cliffhanger plays out?

I finished this in one night and that helped me find my love for reading again. Just reading a couple or ten pages each time does not give me as much feeling for a book as longer sittings do. Maybe that’s why I liked this so much that I did?

The setting was Las Vegas and it felt like it was just the one scene taking place the whole novella. Which was great. The story flowed very easily and naturally.

Is it really only one book left from Pittacus Lore?

I give Killing Giants 3.5 out of a possible of 5.

Review of “Raising Monsters” by Pittacus Lore

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Title: Raising Monsters
Author: Pittacus Lore
Series: The Legacy Chronicles #5
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 115
Published: 2019, HarperCollins
My Grade: 4 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

Contrary to what the government would have the world believe, not all of the Mogadorians are safely imprisoned. A small contingent of the alien invaders has been in hiding, working on a vicious plan for revenge and foiling Six and Sam’s every move. Even the couple’s failed attempt to rescue Ghost was nothing but a trap, and now they’ve been abducted by their old foes.

Held captive in an impenetrable underground bunker, they’ll have to find each other and then somehow find a way out if they’re going to have any hope of survival. But with their Legacies still on the fritz and Mogs out for blood it may be nearly impossible. Luckily, Six and Sam have more than a few allies with powers of their own who can help… if they’re not too late.

MY REVIEW

The fifth out of six in this latest installation of The Legacy Chronicles. It honestly rose a lot from number four. More exciting things happened. In cooler environments. Not too many characters to keep track on. And what I liked most about it was the character development in the mogs. Previously, they felt reasonable and almost like they were good. But the transition they made in Raising Monsters was really good.

Another thing that made it more relatable to the original series was that the Garde was in it more as well. I like them. Nine grew up though.

Action followed the characters in every single one of the ten chapters and it ended like it started, in suspense. This raises the grade to a 4.

Review of “Chasing Ghosts” by Pittacus Lore

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Title: Chasing Ghosts
Author: Pittacus Lore
Series: The Legacy Chronicles #4
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 126
Published: 2018, HarperCollins
My Grade: 3 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

Six and Sam feel responsible for Ghost, one of the young Human Garde they’d met back in New Orleans. They’re not sure why the girl turned against them in Mexico, but they are determined to track her down and get some answers. But are they chasing after a friend or a foe? And will they need to rescue her or defeat her?

When the group finally makes contact, it seems like they might be able to convince Ghost to come back to the Academy. That is until then their plans go up in flames, forcing Six and Sam to jump into action. Without any backup from McKenna or the HGA. Without their Legacies fully returned. And without a clue as to who their real enemy is.

 

MY REVIEW

There are two reasons why it can take almost two months to finish a hundred page novella. It’s either because I’m doing something else than reading (=writing, although I haven’t written much lately either), or because it just isn’t good enough to capture my interest. It does though. I love this universe that James Frey among others under the pseudonym Pittacus Lore have made up. It’s amazing! But I think I found it more interesting when there were aliens inhibiting these powers, not human teenagers. They are all so stupid. I guess that is the point though, to show what problems our society would face if a part of our population got super powers.

Since I’m note super invested in this sequel storyline with humans and there are so many main characters, it’s hard to stay focused. Like who is who? Who came to the Mog house with who and who betrayed who and why?

It’s still an enjoyable read and it therefore gets a 3 out of 5.

Review of “Fugitive Six” by Pittacus Lore

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Title: Fugitive Six
Author: Pittacus Lore
Series: Lorien Legacies Reborn #2
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 464
Published: 2018, HarperCollins
My Grade: 3 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

The Human Garde Academy was created in the aftermath of an alien invasion of Earth. It was meant to provide a safe haven for teens across the globe who were suddenly developing incredible powers known as Legacies.

Taylor Cook was one of the newest students and had no idea if she’d ever fit in. But when she was mysteriously abducted, her friends broke every rule in the book to save her. In the process, they uncovered a secret organization that was not only behind Taylor’s kidnapping but also the disappearance of numerous teens with abilities. An organization that has dark roots in the Loric’s past, untold resources, and potentially even a mole at their own school.

Now these friends, who have become known to other students as the “Fugitive Six,” must work together to bring this mysterious group to an end before they can hurt anyone else.

 

MY REVIEW

It took me a while to pick this one up, and the third and final installment in this series about the Human Garde has even been released. I think the reason for that is because I miss the original Garde. They do not take a big part in this new series. I want to know what John Smith is up to! Nine is here, but not as the person he was in the original series.

It is however a very cool continuation with humans getting Legacies but I do not feel as strongly towards this type of magic as for example with Harry Potter. Maybe I’m more fastidious when it comes to magic now than what I was twenty years ago, haha!

It was a year ago that I finished Generation One, the first in this trilogy, and I had honestly forgotten about the characters and it took me so long to get back into it. I don’t know if that has more to do with me than with the book, but also, following so many different characters is difficult. Is it nine?

It is still very good though and I love that we got to continue in this world after the main series ended. But does not quite reach up to that potential so I give Fugitive Six a three.

Review of “Obsidio” by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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Title: Obsidio
Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Series: The Illuminae Files #2
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 615
Published: 2018, Alfred A. Knopf
My Grade: 3.5 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

Kady, Ezra, Hanna and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza–but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion?

Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys–an old flame from Asha’s past–reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.

MY REVIEW

The third installation in the Illuminae Files series took me way too long to finish, 9 months. Wow. Not okay! Which is probably the main reason why I didn’t enjoy it as much either. It was a long time ago that I read Gemina and I didn’t really enjoy reading such a big hardcover book (since I’ve gotten used to reading on my ereader) and therefore finished several ones on my ereader while trying to finish this brick. It’s not a heavy book to read, it’s an as easy read as the first two in the series, still written in the same cool way with compiled files. Many video transcriptions, which makes sense in the scenes of this book. But the physical book is big and I didn’t have it as an e-book.

Since it took me so long to finish it, I found it very hard to remember the characters, but then the winter holidays came and I finished more than half in just a few days and I got into it again and remembered everything that happened before so it’s not my laziness that drags down the grade a bit. When I started reading a lot again, I still had a very hard time understanding the characters and telling who was who. Maybe that is the downside of writing in chat logs and radio transmissions? But still, the authors manage to get that high level of details and complexity in the story perfect. And this type of writing really works well with action. The end and conclusion to this trilogy really ends well. Without spoiling, the ending was not unexpected but very satisyfing still.

The other books in this trilogy got fours, but because of how difficult it was to keep track on the characters (especially the ones up on the ship, the characters down on Kerenza IV was very easy to know), the grades lowers a bit to a 3.5.

But all in all: a really interesting and fascinating space battle story well worth your time!

Review of “Metro 2035” by Dmitry Glukhovsky

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Title: Metro 2035
Author: Dmitry Glukhovsky
Translator (Swedish): Ola Wallin
Series: Metro #3
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic
Pages: 622
Published: 2017, Coltso
My Grade: 3 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

World War Three wiped out the humankind. The planet is empty now. Huge cities became dust and ashes. Railroads are being eaten by rust. Abandoned satellites hang lonely on the orbit. Radio is mute on all the frequencies.

The only survivors of the last war were those who made it into the gates of the Metro, the subway system of Moscow city. It’s there, hundreds of feet below the ground, in the vaults of what was constructed as the world’s largest air-raids shelter that people try to outlive the end of the days. It’s there that they created a new world for themselves.

The stations of Metro became city-states, and its citizens, torn apart by religions and ideologies are fighting for the now scarce commodities: air, water, and space. This tiny underground world can only remind humans of an immense world they once were the masters of.

It’s been twenty years past Doomsday, and yet the survivors refuse to give up. The most stubborn of them keep cherishing a dream: when the radiation level from nuclear bombings subsides, they will be able to return to the surface and have the life their parents once had.

But the most stubborn of the stubborn continues to search for other survivors in this huge emptiness that once was called Earth. His name is Artyom. He would give anything to lead his own people from the underground onto the surface.

And he will.

MY REVIEW

The Metro trilogy has come to an end. It started out real strong with 2033, came out flat with 2034 and ended a little confusing and complicated with 2035.

I honestly love this setting, and that alone will make me recommend this series to people. And I would probably say something like: yes, read the first one, it was amazing! The second, not so much, but if you’re anything like me, then you won’t be able to stay away because you want to know what the author has to say. The third is very similar to the first. What happened with the second, I don’t know. Probably just read them all.

But other than the really cool setting and the reality of it (except for the black ones in Metro 2033)… it was Russian, that’s for sure. One thing I found really hard to follow were all the names and nicknames every character had. I had no idea who was who. I guess that’s a cultural thing?

Some parts were very confusing, but I guess that was because Artiom was rambling in his radiation sickness? It was also confusing with what was real or theories. But that’s not a bad thing. That’s the author being very true to his character. You only get to follow Artiom and only his thoughts and ideas and perspective. So when he is certain of something, the reader gets certain of it too. But in the end?

Kind of a big reveal at the end and the reactions from everyone are not surprising, yet maybe a little. A good ending. I want to read Metro 2036 (if Dmitry ever decide to write that book) because it would be very, very different from the first three.

I recommend it, but only to get a proper ending to Metro 2033 which was incredible!

Review of “Only Human” by Sylvain Neuvel

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Title: Only Human
Author: Sylvain Neuvel
Series: Themis Files #3
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 336
Published: 2018, Del Ray
My Grade: 3 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

In her childhood, Rose Franklin accidentally discovered a giant metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. As an adult, Dr. Rose Franklin led the team that uncovered the rest of the body parts which together form Themis: a powerful robot of mysterious alien origin. She, along with linguist Vincent, pilot Kara, and the unnamed Interviewer, protected the Earth from geopolitical conflict and alien invasion alike. Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find her old alliances forfeit and the planet in shambles. And she must pick up the pieces of the Earth Defense Corps as her own friends turn against each other.

MY REVIEW

5, 4, 3. That’s my judgement of how these books unfortunately went. Don’t get me wrong, I loved all three books, but the first was by far the best, the second was slightly less sharp and the third was promising until the end that made the whole book kind of feel a bit unneccessary and very flat. Let me explain why.

If you haven’t read the first two, then here comes spoilers, but I can’t really write this review without it since all the books are connected. The second book ended with the main characters ending up on the planet whose inhabitants created Themis, the Ekts. Super cool. I love other people’s fantasies on how different planets might look. It is somehow different than fantasy where it kind of feels like it is Earth, just another version of it. I loved Esat Ekt and how Neuvel managed to describe the world and the people in depth through files, mostly conversation logs between the characters.

The book starts with the characters coming back to Earth and every chapters now and then was to look back at what had happened there. Sure, it was smart and kept it interesting, but I also think that it would have been better to have put the focus on Esat Ekt and only written a small part of what happened back on Earth after, in normal and logical chronologial order. And the ending should also be completely different. No, wait, I changed my mind. It should be as it is, it is clever. But the ending should have been different! More interesting and not so flat. It was almost anti-climactic. Siri Pettersen had a gigantic cliffhanger at the end of her Raven Rings trilogy, that exact ending would have worked perfectly here too. Just saying.

Even though I mostly wrote about the flaws now, it is a good book and I really enjoyed reading it as well. But when compared to the two prequels, it just doesn’t feel right to give it a higher grade than 3.

Review of “Waking Gods” by Sylvain Neuvel

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Title: Waking Gods
Author: Sylvain Neuvel
Series: Themis Files #2
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 325
Published: 2017, Del Ray
My Grade: 4 out of 5

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

As a child, Rose Franklin made an astonishing discovery: a giant metallic hand, buried deep within the earth. As an adult, she’s dedicated her brilliant scientific career to solving the mystery that began that fateful day: Why was a titanic robot of unknown origin buried in pieces around the world? Years of investigation have produced intriguing answers—and even more perplexing questions. But the truth is closer than ever before when a second robot, more massive than the first, materializes and lashes out with deadly force.

Now humankind faces a nightmare invasion scenario made real, as more colossal machines touch down across the globe. But Rose and her team at the Earth Defense Corps refuse to surrender. They can turn the tide if they can unlock the last secrets of an advanced alien technology. The greatest weapon humanity wields is knowledge in a do-or-die battle to inherit the Earth . . . and maybe even the stars.

MY REVIEW

After the cliffhanger in Sleeping Giants I couldn’t wait and picked up the second book in the Themis Files trilogy right away. Waking Gods is written in the same way as Sleeping Giants, in interview form. But I have to admit, that it was harder to follow the story in this one, there were more logs than interviews and it was hard to understand exactly what was going on when the characters talked into a mic during the action-packed event. And also when several people were involved in one recording. Like who said what exactly? Not that it actually matters, because you get the idea anyway. I think I am just used to everything being super clear in “normal” books with detailed descriptions and who says what. But to understand what is going on, that is actually not needed and Neuvel proves that very well.

In the first book, you were always sitting on the edge of your reading place, you had no idea what was going to happen, and it took so many surprising turns. The second was more action-packed. Instead of getting previous events explained through interviews, you were there and were told through recorded mission logs. I think I preferred the interviews. But I also see why the author chose to do it. Not gonna spoil it, I promise.

The ending, and I mean the very very last sentence. Extreme cliffhanger! But I had figured that out a long time ago and wasn’t as surprised or dropped my jaw like in the first one. Still, hell of a cliffhanger!

So, lots of action, long time jumps, many deaths, not as many interviews equals to a grade of 4.