Just when I was starting to think I might not get many 5-star books this year, along comes this one, which I found through that post about East Asian authors that I shared last week. A wonderful voice and a determined young protagonist.
Also on sale, also very good, Tim Pratt’s urban fantasy Heirs of Grace.
This book (The Philosopher’s Flight) topped my Best Books list for 2017, and is currently on sale at Amazon for $1.99.
Well, end of January, and I’ve already posted my first two-star review and my first five-star review for the year.
This is the five-star one. A well-constructed, well-written thriller with both moral complexity and a moral stance, showing that it can be done.
I happened to be reading this book both before and after Ursula Le Guin’s death, which converted the review into something of a tribute to an author I’ve long appreciated.
In what has now become a tradition, here’s my fourth annual roundup of the best books I read this year.
I’ve added a couple of new features this time. I include “honourable mentions” for books that almost made it to the list, and a summary at the end of authors by gender on each of the four lists I’ve done so far. Results… probably won’t surprise you all that much.
There may be a flaw in all magic, but there aren’t many flaws in this book. Characters, pacing, worldbuilding and copy editing are all excellent, and it’s pretty close to my own Gryphon Clerks books in its setup. If you enjoy those, you may well enjoy this.
This is not a science fiction novel – more of a technothriller set in the immediate future – but it’s a good one. The author has just got his rights back (the original publisher did a terrible marketing job, apparently), and it’s on 99c sale.
Tim Powers’ The Anubis Gates, which is my personal favourite of his books, is on sale at Amazon. Excellent use of time travel in the plot, a kind of proto-steampunk feel (very well executed), and all around a unique and memorable book.
https://smile.amazon.com/Anubis-Gates-Ace-Science-Fiction-ebook/dp/B006UMI0OK/
Another 5-star effort from Tim Pratt, this time freshening up the space opera genre and making it both entertaining and thoughtful.