Darlene's bookshelf: all

Darlene's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 22 Mar 2025 20:12:42 -0700 60 Darlene's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Icarus Hunt (The Icarus Saga #0)]]> 192528 459 Timothy Zahn 0553573918 Darlene 0 4.09 1999

author: Timothy Zahn
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: currently-reading, science-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Short Stories in Dutch for Beginners: Read for pleasure at your level, expand your vocabulary and learn Dutch the fun way! (Readers)]]> 48727251 An unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young and adult learners of Dutch.

"Olly's top-notch language-learning insights are right in line with the best of what we know from neuroscience and cognitive psychology about how to learn effectively. I love his work - and you will too!" - Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers

Short Stories in Dutch for Beginners has been written especially for learners from high-beginner to low-intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to A2-B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages, these eight captivating stories will both entertain you, and give you a feeling of progress when reading.

What does this book give you?

· Eight stories in a variety of exciting genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller - making reading fun, while you learn a wide range of new vocabulary
· Controlled language at your level to help you progress confidently
· Realistic spoken dialogues, to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability
· Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way
· Beautiful illustrations accompanying each story, to set the scene and support your understanding
· Pleasure! Research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'

Carefully curated to make learning a new language easy, these stories include key features that will support and consolidate your progress, including:

· A glossary for bolded words in each chapter
· A bilingual word list
· Full plot summary
· Comprehension questions after each chapter.

As a result, you will be able to focus on enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language, without ever feeling overwhelmed. From science fiction to fantasy, to crime and thrillers, Short Stories in Dutch for Beginners will make learning Dutch easy and enjoyable.

]]> 232 Olly Richards Darlene 0 did-not-finish, to-read 3.63 Short Stories in Dutch for Beginners: Read for pleasure at your level, expand your vocabulary and learn Dutch the fun way! (Readers)

Short Stories in Dutch for Beginners: Read for pleasure at your level, expand your vocabulary and learn Dutch the fun way! (Readers)

author: Olly Richards
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.63
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: did-not-finish, to-read
review:

]]> The Infinite (The Outside #3) 60834936
Time is running out for the planet Jai. The artificially intelligent Gods who rule the galaxy have withdrawn their protection from the chaos-ravaged world, just as their most ancient enemy closes in. For Yasira Shien, who has devoted herself to the fragile planet's nascent rebellion, it's time to do or die �� and the odds are overwhelming.

Enter Dr. Evianna Talirr. Talirr, the visionary who decimated the planet and began its rebellion, is not a woman to be trusted. But she's returned with an unsettling prophecy: the only way to save Jai is for Yasira to die.

Yasira knows it can't be that simple. But as she frantically searches for other options, what she finds will upend everything she knew about the Gods, the galaxy she lives in, and herself.]]> 344 Ada Hoffmann 0857669079 Darlene 4 science-fiction
I hope this author writes more books set in this universe.]]> 4.20 2023 The Infinite (The Outside #3)

author: Ada Hoffmann
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: science-fiction
review:
Very good ending. This book answered some of the questions I had. However, I feel it did not adequately explain what "outside" really was. It gave a hint of an answer, but not a satisfying one.

I hope this author writes more books set in this universe.
]]> <![CDATA[Short Stories in Spanish for Intermediate Learners]]> 45032245 An unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young adult and adult intermediate learners of Italian.

Olly's top-notch language-learning insights are right in line with the best of what we know from neuroscience and cognitive psychology about how to learn effectively. I love his work - and you will too! - Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers

Short Stories in Italian for Intermediate Learners has been written specifically for students from a low-intermediate to intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to B1-B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, these eight captivating stories will both entertain you, and give you a feeling of progress when reading.

What does this book give you?

· Eight stories in a variety of exciting genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller - making reading fun, while you learn a wide range of new vocabulary
· Controlled language at your level to help you progress confidently
· Realistic spoken dialogues to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability
· Beautiful illustrations accompanying each story, to set the scene and support your understanding
· Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way
· Pleasure! Research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'

With intriguing plots that will spark your imagination and keep you reading, Short Stories in Italian will take your grasp of Italian to the next level with key features to support and consolidate your progress, including:

· A glossary for bolded words in each text
· A bilingual word list
· Full plot summary
· Comprehension questions after each chapter.

As a result, you will be able to focus on enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language all without ever feeling overwhelmed. From science fiction to fantasy, to crime and thrillers, Short Stories in Italian for Intermediate Learners uses reading as the perfect tool to not only delight in learning Italian, but to accelerate your journey towards fluency.

]]> 240 Olly Richards 1529361818 Darlene 3 3.85 2019 Short Stories in Spanish for Intermediate Learners

author: Olly Richards
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves:
review:
I really didn't enjoy the stories as much as the first book.
]]> The Fallen (The Outside, #2) 48840692 Now Tiv spends her days helping the last remaining survivors of Jai. Everyone is fighting for their freedom against unthinkable odds, and they call out for drastic action from their saviour, Yasira. But she has become deeply ill, debilitated by her Outside exposure, and she struggles to keep breathing let alone lead a revolution.
Hunted by the Gods, and Akavi, the disgraced angel, Yasira and Tiv them must delve further than ever before into the maddening mysteries of their fractured planet in order to save �� or perhaps destroy �� their fading world.]]> 344 Ada Hoffmann 0857668684 Darlene 3 science-fiction 3.79 2021 The Fallen (The Outside, #2)

author: Ada Hoffmann
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: science-fiction
review:
While I enjoyed the first book, I felt this one wasn't as strong. Not much seemed to happen in this book. Also, there was very little world-building or explanation of some of the more mystical and confusing elements of the book. For example, I still haven't heard anything that explains exactly what "outside" really is. I am in the process of reading the third book and I know they explain how the "gods" consume souls, so maybe the outside question will be explained in that book.
]]> The Outside (The Outside, #1) 40947778 401 Ada Hoffmann 0857668145 Darlene 4 science-fiction
The story was fairly unique and interesting. I liked the premise. The main issue I had with this book, and why I gave it four stars, is the lack of world-building and detail. While I like a story without a lot of distractions, I think a little more information about the setting would have been nice. For example, I would have liked to know how far in future the story was set. I know there was a little bit about how the AI and the "angels" came about, but I would have liked a little more detail. However, it was still a decent read overall. ]]> 3.74 2019 The Outside (The Outside, #1)

author: Ada Hoffmann
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I picked up this book because the main character is autistic as is the author. I liked how Yesira, the protagonist, was written. Yes, she had some typical autistic traits, but they were not overemphasized or made to look weird. Yasira mainly came across as a "normal" person with a few issues just like anyone else could have.

The story was fairly unique and interesting. I liked the premise. The main issue I had with this book, and why I gave it four stars, is the lack of world-building and detail. While I like a story without a lot of distractions, I think a little more information about the setting would have been nice. For example, I would have liked to know how far in future the story was set. I know there was a little bit about how the AI and the "angels" came about, but I would have liked a little more detail. However, it was still a decent read overall.
]]> <![CDATA[All These Worlds (Bobiverse, #3)]]> 35506021
They've created enough colonies so humanity shouldn't go extinct. But political squabbles have a bad habit of dying hard, and the Brazilian probes are still trying to take out the competition. And the Bobs have picked a fight with an older, more powerful species with a large appetite and a short temper.

Still stinging from getting their collective butts kicked in their first encounter with the Others, the Bobs now face the prospect of a decisive final battle to defend Earth and its colonies. But the Bobs are less disciplined than a herd of cats, and some of the younger copies are more concerned with their own local problems than defeating the Others.

Yet salvation may come from an unlikely source. A couple of eighth-generation Bobs have found something out in deep space. All it will take to save the Earth and perhaps all of humanity is for them to get it to Sol - unless the Others arrive first.]]> 336 Dennis E. Taylor Darlene 4 science-fiction 4.41 2017 All These Worlds (Bobiverse, #3)

author: Dennis E. Taylor
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I enjoyed this one and am glad for the happy ending where [spoilers removed] I've heard that the next two books kinda trail off and aren't very good, so I might not continue on.
]]> <![CDATA[The Fangs of Oannos (Sun Eater, #5.7)]]> 210268186 65 Christopher Ruocchio Darlene 4 science-fiction 4.35

author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/19
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: science-fiction
review:
At first, I thought it was a mundane story, until the part with the birds. The ending was also pretty strong.
]]> <![CDATA[For We Are Many (Bobiverse, #2)]]> 33395557
Bob and his copies have been spreading out from Earth for 40 years now, looking for habitable planets. But that's the only part of the plan that's still in one piece. A system-wide war has killed off 99.9 percent of the human race; nuclear winter is slowly making the Earth uninhabitable; a radical group wants to finish the job on the remnants of humanity; the Brazilian space probes are still out there, still trying to blow up the competition; and the Bobs have discovered a spacefaring species that sees all other life as food.

Bob left Earth anticipating a life of exploration and blissful solitude. Instead he's become a sky god to a primitive native species, the only hope for getting humanity to a new home, and possibly the only thing that can prevent every living thing in the local sphere from ending up as dinner.]]> 311 Dennis E. Taylor Darlene 4 4.37 2017 For We Are Many (Bobiverse, #2)

author: Dennis E. Taylor
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves:
review:

]]> The Dregs of Empire 217407867 RETURN TO THE WORLD OF THE SUN EATER IN THIS SPIN-OFF ADVENTURE SET AFTER THE EVENTS OF BOOK FIVE!For thousands of years, the icy planet of Belusha has served the galactic Sollan Empire as its most notorious prison planet. It is here the very worst men in the Empire are locked murderers, traitors, deserters—each condemned to toil on the oil rigs and scrapyards of the planet in bitter cold, preyed upon both by the men of the Martian Guard set to watch over them, and by the Outborn reavers whose fathers escaped the work camps to scratch a living from the icy wilderness.It is a hard world. A desperate world.And it is here that Lorian Aristedes finds alone; friendless; betrayed even by his own failing, mutant flesh. Is it here that Lorian Aristedes has been sentenced to work himself to death for the crime of abetting his master’s escape from Imperial justice.For any other man, it would be the end of his story…but for Lorian Aristedes—once the left hand of the Halfmortal, Hadrian Marlowe himself—it is only the beginning.]]> 1 Christopher Ruocchio Darlene 4 4.75 The Dregs of Empire

author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.75
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/01
date added: 2024/12/01
shelves:
review:
Set between Book 5 (Ashes of Man) and Book 6 (Disquiet Gods). It tells the story of what happened to Lorian Aristedes after he took Hadrian's place on Belusha. I thought it was good, but it really didn't thrill me like the two books it's sandwiched between. Still, if you like Lorian, you will definitely like this story.
]]> The Great Hippopotamus Hotel 218343084
In the end, as each of these predicaments comes untangled, Mma Ramotswe draws on her goodwill and generosity to bring important truths to light �� of friendship, honesty and love.]]> Alexander McCall Smith Darlene 5
This story involved a lot of deceit and discovery about the Great Hippopotamus Hotel. I really didn't expect the ending.

I didn't see much of Charlie and I don't remember Fanwell being in this book as well.
I also didn't see much of the kids. Mma Ramotswe is still caring for her two orphans whom I would think would be grown up by now. I didn't see much of Mma Makutsi's child, either.]]> 3.80 2024 The Great Hippopotamus Hotel

author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/29
date added: 2024/11/17
shelves: africa, no-1-ladies-detective-agency
review:
How can I not give any book in this series less than 5 stars anymore? This book is another fun mystery of Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi. They're like family.

This story involved a lot of deceit and discovery about the Great Hippopotamus Hotel. I really didn't expect the ending.

I didn't see much of Charlie and I don't remember Fanwell being in this book as well.
I also didn't see much of the kids. Mma Ramotswe is still caring for her two orphans whom I would think would be grown up by now. I didn't see much of Mma Makutsi's child, either.
]]> <![CDATA[The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time, #2)]]> 16137695
And it is stolen.]]> 23 Robert Jordan 0307941167 Darlene 5 fantasy 3.91 1990

author: Robert Jordan
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/10/25
shelves: fantasy
review:
Despite how detailed and slow the story is, I really enjoyed it. It's really easy to immerse yourself into this world. Unfortunately, I was listening to it while I was distracted by other things, so I missed some parts and had to catch up in other ways.
]]> <![CDATA[The Mask of Fear (Star Wars: Reign of the Empire, #1)]]> 210213729 Before the Rebellion, the Empire reigns, in book one of a trilogy told through the eyes of Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Saw Gerrera.

“In order to ensure the security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!��

With one speech and thunderous applause, Chancellor Palpatine brought the era of the Republic crashing down. In its place rose the Galactic Empire. Across the galaxy, people rejoiced and celebrated the end of war—and the promises of tomorrow. But that tomorrow was a lie. Instead, the galaxy became twisted by the cruelty and fear of the Emperor’s rule.

During that terrifying first year of tyranny, Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa face the encroaching darkness. One day, they will be three architects of the Rebel Alliance. But first, each must find purpose and direction in a changing galaxy, while harboring their own secrets, fears, and hopes for a future that may never come unless they act.]]> 496 Alexander Freed 0593723465 Darlene 0 to-read 4.17 2025 The Mask of Fear (Star Wars: Reign of the Empire, #1)

The Mask of Fear (Star Wars: Reign of the Empire, #1)

author: Alexander Freed
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Livesuit (The Captive’s War #1.5)]]> 215760525
The first novella set in the universe of James S. A. Corey's epic Captive's War series.]]> 90 James S.A. Corey 0316575348 Darlene 5 science-fiction
The characters were very well fleshed out and easy to follow. It helped that there were only a handful of main characters to follow.]]> 4.33 2024 Livesuit (The Captive’s War #1.5)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/04
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: science-fiction
review:
Well, that was an unsettling story. However, it did answer one question for me: [spoilers removed]

The characters were very well fleshed out and easy to follow. It helped that there were only a handful of main characters to follow.
]]> <![CDATA[The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts That Make Us Overeat]]> 29243729
No one wants to overeat. And certainly no one wants to overeat for years, become overweight, and end up with a high risk of diabetes or heart disease--yet two thirds of Americans do precisely that. Even though we know better, we often eat too much. Why does our behavior betray our own intentions to be lean and healthy? The problem, argues obesity and neuroscience researcher Stephan J. Guyenet, is not necessarily a lack of willpower or an incorrect understanding of what to eat. Rather, our appetites and food choices are led astray by ancient, instinctive brain circuits that play by the rules of a survival game that no longer exists. And these circuits don’t care about how you look in a bathing suit next summer.

To make the case, The Hungry Brain takes readers on an eye-opening journey through cutting-edge neuroscience that has never before been available to a general audience. The Hungry Brain delivers profound insights into why the brain undermines our weight goals and transforms these insights into practical guidelines for eating well and staying slim. Along the way, it explores how the human brain works, revealing how this mysterious organ makes us who we are.]]> 304 Stephan Guyenet 125008119X Darlene 4
I think this book did a great job explaining the obesity epidemic. It also did a good job explaining common causes of overeating. Successful weight loss comes down to tricking your unconscious animal brain into thinking you are not starving while you are eating less. There are many ways to do this, but I didn't want to explain them in this review.

So, if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of why you struggle with overeating, binge eating, or weight loss failure, this book may help.]]> 4.02 2017 The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts That Make Us Overeat

The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts That Make Us Overeat

author: Stephan Guyenet
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/10/03
shelves:
review:
I actually found this book useful. Unlike the last book, this one dives deep into the workings of the mind and how it manipulates you into eating. Some parts were a bit technical and slow, which is why I gave it a four instead of a five. Plus, there is new research on the subject.

I think this book did a great job explaining the obesity epidemic. It also did a good job explaining common causes of overeating. Successful weight loss comes down to tricking your unconscious animal brain into thinking you are not starving while you are eating less. There are many ways to do this, but I didn't want to explain them in this review.

So, if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of why you struggle with overeating, binge eating, or weight loss failure, this book may help.
]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen: The Dark Nest, Book Two]]> 13134199

Despite being given new worlds to populate, the insectoid Killiks have not found peace. An unknown enemy has been attacking the new nests–and the Killiks hold the Jedi responsible. Traveling back to the Unknown Regions to unravel the mystery, the Skywalkers and Solos discover an evil far more familiar than they ever expected . . . and even more terrifying. Why does the Dark Nest want to kill Mara? Will Jacen’s apocalyptic vision trigger another galactic war or prevent one? And perhaps most ominous of all, what deadly secret are the Killiks hiding?

To find out, Luke, Mara, Han, and Leia must embark on a perilous journey into the uncharted void between right and wrong. The ferocious Unknown Terrors are only the beginning of the awesome challenges that lie ahead in their quest to fathom the unfathomable. For an obscure dispute is about to explode into chaos, pitting Jedi against Jedi–and threatening the very galaxy itself.

From the Paperback edition.]]> Troy Denning 073935700X Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction
So, for the last one, I may actually read the whole book.

As for the series, it's OK. It's a bit predictable and repetitive. ]]> 2.60 2005 Star Wars: Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen: The Dark Nest, Book Two

Star Wars: Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen: The Dark Nest, Book Two

author: Troy Denning
name: Darlene
average rating: 2.60
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2024/10/03
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I did the abridged audio, but I was able to read some of the missing parts. The audio did a decent job of progressing the storyline. However, it left some interesting parts out. For one, it left out two more reveals from R2's memory. That's what I don't like about abridged audiobooks. They rarely focus on what I would like to read.

So, for the last one, I may actually read the whole book.

As for the series, it's OK. It's a bit predictable and repetitive.
]]> <![CDATA[The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite]]> 6127630
Dr. David Kessler, the dynamic former FDA commissioner who reinvented the food label and tackled the tobacco industry, cracks the code of overeating by explaining how our bodies and minds are changed when we consume foods that contain sugar, fat, and salt. Food manufacturers create products by manipulating these ingredients to stimulate our appetites, setting in motion a cycle of desire and consumption that ends with a nation of overeaters. The End of Overeating explains for the first time why it is exceptionally difficult to resist certain foods and why it's so easy to overindulge.

Dr. Kessler presents groundbreaking research, along with what is sure to be a controversial view inside the industry that continues to feed a our nation -- from popular brand manufacturers to advertisers, chain restaurants, and fast food franchises. Dr. Kessler's cutting-edge investigation offers new insights and useful tools to help us find a solution. There has never been a more thorough, compelling, or in-depth analysis of why we eat the way we do.]]> 6 David A. Kessler 074359679X Darlene 3
However, I did find it helpful, but inadequate. I plan to read the "Hungry Brain" next, which is more up-to-date and focuses more on the addiction of food.]]> 3.35 2009 The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite

author: David A. Kessler
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/15
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves:
review:
This book could have been better, though I think being old material may be part of the problem. The main issue I had with this book is that it's trying to cover way too much material. The first part is about how the food industry manipulates us into over eating. This is followed up by societal and emotional cues to overeat. Then, it gives you solutions that are based on fighting other addictions. I think it should have focused mostly on one side of the issue.

However, I did find it helpful, but inadequate. I plan to read the "Hungry Brain" next, which is more up-to-date and focuses more on the addiction of food.
]]> <![CDATA[Ylesia (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #14.5)]]> 2689125 121 Walter Jon Williams Darlene 4 science-fiction, star-wars If you wondered what happened to Thracken Sal-Solo and (most of) the Peace Brigade leadership in the series, this book may have some answers. However, it's not really necessary to read it if you don't want it.]]> 3.58 2002 Ylesia (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #14.5)

Ylesia (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #14.5)

author: Walter Jon Williams
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/14
date added: 2024/09/14
shelves: science-fiction, star-wars
review:
This part was left out of book 14 (I think) of the New Jedi Order series. I would actually read this after the 14th and before the 15th book of that series just because it makes more sense.
If you wondered what happened to Thracken Sal-Solo and (most of) the Peace Brigade leadership in the series, this book may have some answers. However, it's not really necessary to read it if you don't want it.
]]> <![CDATA[We Are Legion: We Are Bob (Bobiverse, #1)]]> 32603222
Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he'll be switched off, and they'll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.

The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad - very mad.]]> 10 Dennis E. Taylor Darlene 5 science-fiction 4.17 2016 We Are Legion: We Are Bob (Bobiverse, #1)

We Are Legion: We Are Bob (Bobiverse, #1)

author: Dennis E. Taylor
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/12
date added: 2024/09/12
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I thought it was "cute." It's funny and serious at the same time, but not too series. The story was interesting and engaging. I don't know if or when I will read the next one in the series.
]]> <![CDATA[The Joiner King (Star Wars: Dark Nest, #1)]]> 160985 528 Troy Denning 0345463048 Darlene 4 science-fiction, star-wars
I found this book to be very predictable and had a little trouble getting through it. [spoilers removed]]]> 3.47 2005 The Joiner King (Star Wars: Dark Nest, #1)

The Joiner King (Star Wars: Dark Nest, #1)

author: Troy Denning
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/09
date added: 2024/09/09
shelves: science-fiction, star-wars
review:
Part of this book also contained the story Ylesia, which I will read separately if at all.

I found this book to be very predictable and had a little trouble getting through it. [spoilers removed]
]]> Queen Amid Ashes 201168614
Hadrian Marlowe is newly a knight of the galaxy-spanning Sollan a hero who they say slew the alien Prince Aranata Otiolo in single combat; a man they say no man or xenobite can kill.

Acting on the Emperor’s orders, Hadrian has come to the desert planet Thagura and driven off the Cielcin invaders, rescuing in the process the Lady Gadar Malyan, Baroness of that entire world.

But not all the fighting is ended. Pockets of inhuman resistance remain on the desert world, and Hadrian the Halfmortal must soon do battle with not only the man-eating alien barbarians, but with something just as man’s own inhumanity to man.]]> Christopher Ruocchio Darlene 4 science-fiction
It was a bit violent and a little two-dimensional, but fits well with what was going on between the second and third book.]]> 3.94 Queen Amid Ashes

author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/04
date added: 2024/09/04
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I read this after I finished all of the main series. [spoilers removed]

It was a bit violent and a little two-dimensional, but fits well with what was going on between the second and third book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Mercy of Gods (The Captive's War #1)]]> 60484024
The Carryx—part empire, part hive—have waged wars of conquest for centuries, destroying or enslaving species across the galaxy. Now, they are facing a great and deathless enemy. The key to their survival may rest with the humans of Anjiin.

Caught up in academic intrigue and affairs of the heart, Dafyd Alkhor is pleased just to be an assistant to a brilliant scientist and his celebrated research team. Then the Carryx ships descend, decimating the human population and taking the best and brightest of Anjiin society away to serve on the Carryx homeworld, and Dafyd is swept along with them.

They are dropped in the middle of a struggle they barely understand, set in a competition against the other captive species with extinction as the price of failure. Only Dafyd and a handful of his companions see past the Darwinian contest to the deeper game that they must play to survive: learning to understand—and manipulate—the Carryx themselves.

With a noble but suicidal human rebellion on one hand and strange and murderous enemies on the other, the team pays a terrible price to become the trusted servants of their new rulers.

Dafyd Alkhor is a simple man swept up in events that are beyond his control and more vast than his imagination. He will become the champion of humanity and its betrayer, the most hated man in history and the guardian of his people.

This is where his story begins.]]> 15 James S.A. Corey 1501995847 Darlene 5 science-fiction
The whole story is a mystery that slowly unravels. I expect it to get better and more intriguing with the series' next books. I know there's a "half" story coming out in October that delves more into the universe. I found the story to be fairly unique.

So many reviews compared this book with the Expanse series. This is nothing like the Expanse. Even the storytelling is different. It might take a few chapters to get used to this new style. If you are expecting something like the Expanse, you may be disappointed a little.

I gave it 4.7 instead of a full 5 because the book's characters are a bit weak and 2-dimensional, especially at first. They seem superficial and I had a hard time developing feelings for any of them. I hope that improves with the next book.]]> 4.05 2024 The Mercy of Gods (The Captive's War #1)

The Mercy of Gods (The Captive's War #1)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/01
date added: 2024/09/02
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I actually give it a 4.7 for reasons I will mention down below. I didn't think it was fair to give it a 4 because I really LOVED this book.

The whole story is a mystery that slowly unravels. I expect it to get better and more intriguing with the series' next books. I know there's a "half" story coming out in October that delves more into the universe. I found the story to be fairly unique.

So many reviews compared this book with the Expanse series. This is nothing like the Expanse. Even the storytelling is different. It might take a few chapters to get used to this new style. If you are expecting something like the Expanse, you may be disappointed a little.

I gave it 4.7 instead of a full 5 because the book's characters are a bit weak and 2-dimensional, especially at first. They seem superficial and I had a hard time developing feelings for any of them. I hope that improves with the next book.
]]> <![CDATA[Death's End (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #3)]]> 25451264
Now this epic trilogy concludes with Death's End. Half a century after the Doomsday Battle, the uneasy balance of Dark Forest Deterrence keeps the Trisolaran invaders at bay. Earth enjoys unprecedented prosperity due to the infusion of Trisolaran knowledge. With human science advancing daily and the Trisolarans adopting Earth culture, it seems that the two civilizations will soon be able to co-exist peacefully as equals without the terrible threat of mutually assured annihilation. But the peace has also made humanity complacent.

Cheng Xin, an aerospace engineer from the early 21st century, awakens from hibernation in this new age. She brings with her knowledge of a long-forgotten program dating from the beginning of the Trisolar Crisis, and her very presence may upset the delicate balance between two worlds. Will humanity reach for the stars or die in its cradle?]]> 604 Liu Cixin 0765377101 Darlene 4 science-fiction 4.40 2010 Death's End (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #3)

Death's End (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #3)

author: Liu Cixin
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/22
date added: 2024/08/22
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I give it 4.5. I can't give it fives because I had a few issues with certain parts of the book. However, I feel that this is the best book of the series. It was a crazy ride and held my interest most of the way through. I actually felt something for the main characters in this one. I also liked the ending.
]]> <![CDATA[The Unifying Force (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #19)]]> 211973 At long last, the New York Times bestselling series that launched the Star Wars saga into the next generation and into thrilling new territory reaches its spectacular finale. Side by side, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, their children, and their comrades in the Galactic Alliance rally for their last stand against the enemy that threatens not only the galaxy, but the Force itself.

The Galactic Alliance’s hard-won success in countering the Yuuzhan Vong onslaught has proven all too brief—and the tide has turned once more to the invaders�� advantage. Having overcome the sabotage strategies of the Jedi and their allies, the marauding aliens have pushed deeper into the galaxy and subjugated more worlds in their ruthless quest for domination. Coruscant has been remade into a Yuuzhan Vong stronghold. The remnants of the resistance are struggling to form a united front. Luke, Mara, and Jacen are missing in action. Clearly the stage is set for endgame.

Now, as Han and Leia receive the chilling news that hundreds of high-ranking Galactic Alliance prisoners face slaughter in a sacrifice to the enemy’s bloodthirsty gods, Luke and his team try desperately to convince the living world of Zonama Sekot to join the Jedi’s final campaign against the Yuuzhan Vong. Yet even as they speak, a lone space station is all that stands between Alliance headquarters on Mon Calamari . . . and wave after wave of ferocious enemy forces waging their most decisive assault.

At the same time, the Jedi’s alliances throughout the galaxy are being tested—and the chances of victory jeopardized—by rogue factions determined to deploy the lethal weapon that will exterminate the Yuuzhan Vong . . . and perhaps countless other species. And among the Yuuzhan Vong themselves, the threat of revolt has reached a boiling point—as the oppressed underclass and powerful officials alike fear their Supreme Overlord’s mad actions will provoke the wrath of the gods.

Ultimately, for both the forces of invasion and resistance, too much has been sacrificed —and too much is at stake—to ever turn back. And now, nothing can stand in the way of seizing victory . . . or facing annihilation.]]> 576 James Luceno 0345428536 Darlene 4 4.01 2003 The Unifying Force (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #19)

The Unifying Force (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #19)

author: James Luceno
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/14
date added: 2024/08/14
shelves:
review:
Finally done after all these years. I wish they had split this book in two. It was slow in parts but wrapped up the series pretty well.
]]> <![CDATA[The Dark Forest (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #2)]]> 30283483
In Dark Forest, Earth is reeling from the revelation of a coming alien invasion—four centuries in the future. The aliens' human collaborators have been defeated, but the presence of the sophons, the subatomic particles that allow Trisolaris instant access to all human information, means that Earth's defense plans are exposed to the enemy. Only the human mind remains a secret.

This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a daring plan that grants four men enormous resources to design secret strategies, hidden through deceit and misdirection from Earth and Trisolaris alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists, but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer and sociologist, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead.]]> 22 Liu Cixin Darlene 3 science-fiction
I find the premise of this book interesting, and that's why I kept reading. ]]> 4.11 2008 The Dark Forest (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #2)

The Dark Forest (Remembrance of Earth’s Past #2)

author: Liu Cixin
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/06
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I liked that this one actually had a plot. It also had characters that I could get to know. I listened to the audio version. And, while I did get used to the narrator's voice, I found it robotic like it was an AI. For example, when he came to something like 3Gs (as in 3x the gravity), he said 3 G-S rather than 3 geez.

I find the premise of this book interesting, and that's why I kept reading.
]]> <![CDATA[Temptation of the Force (Star Wars: The High Republic)]]> 201102251 The reunited Jedi prepare to strike back against the ruthless Nihil in this thrilling sequel to Star Wars: The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness.

For over a year, Jedi Masters Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann were kept apart by the Nihil’s Stormwall. After Avar makes a daring escape from inside the Occlusion Zone, the star-crossed Jedi are reunited. But while the physical distance between them has evaporated, their shared grief over their failure to protect the galaxy from the Nihil threat still remains. To rally the Jedi Order, and the Republic, Avar and Elzar cling to their belief in serving Light and Life. Working together they lead a daring mission into Nihil space to liberate the planet of Naboo, and show those trapped behind the Stormwall that the Jedi will never abandon them. Now back within close orbit of one another, the two Jedi Masters can no longer deny the bond that has always drawn them back together and made them stronger. After finally embracing their true desires and imbued with renewed purpose, Avar and Elzar devise a plan to turn the tide of the conflict with the Nihil once and for all. Accompanied by Jedi Knights Bell Zettifar, Burryaga, and Vernestra Rwoh, the Jedi begin their hunt for Marchion Ro. But to seek out the Nihil’s dangerous leader the Jedi will have to survive the Nameless terrors that they have thus far been powerless to stop.]]> 448 Tessa Gratton 0593723090 Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction 4.11 2024 Temptation of the Force (Star Wars: The High Republic)

Temptation of the Force (Star Wars: The High Republic)

author: Tessa Gratton
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/16
date added: 2024/07/16
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I'll give this one four stars, but I really didn't care for it. I found the storyline slow. I also felt disengaged. I didn't really like all the details about the love affair of Elzar and Avar. I feel I might like it better the second time around when the whole series is done.
]]> <![CDATA[The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1)]]> 20518872 472 Liu Cixin Darlene 4 science-fiction
I really liked the parts about the 3-body game and the trisolarians, so I may read the next one.]]> 4.08 2006 The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1)

The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1)

author: Liu Cixin
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/23
date added: 2024/06/23
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I loved the science aspects, and I thought it was an interesting story. However, I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I think it was the way it was originally written as a serial. Some chapters didn't have any of the characters do anything but rather explained parts of the storyline. I felt like I really didn't get to know anyone in depth except Ye. I think the author could have done more with Wang and Da Shi. We barely got to know Evans at all and he was a major factor in what was going on.

I really liked the parts about the 3-body game and the trisolarians, so I may read the next one.
]]> Disquiet Gods (Sun Eater, #6) 176443792
The end is nigh.

It has been nearly two hundred years since Hadrian Marlowe assaulted the person of the Emperor and walked away from war. From his Empire. His duty. From the will and service of the eldritch being known only as the Quiet. The galaxy lies in the grip of a terrible plague, and worse, the Cielcin have overrun the realms of men.

A messenger has come to Jadd, bearing a summons from the Sollan Emperor for the one-time hero. A summons, a pardon, and a plea. HAPSIS, the Emperor’s secret first-contact intelligence organization, has located one of the dreadful Watchers, the immense, powerful beings worshipped by the Pale Cielcin.

Called out of retirement and exile, the old hero—accompanied by his daughter, Cassandra—must race across the galaxy and against time to accomplish one last, impossible

To kill a god.]]> 704 Christopher Ruocchio 1982193328 Darlene 5 science-fiction 4.58 2024 Disquiet Gods (Sun Eater, #6)

author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/09
date added: 2024/06/09
shelves: science-fiction
review:
All I can say is "wow!" This book blew me away. The first third is a little slow as we get to know Cassandra. However, the rest of the book was incredible. There were so many unexpected surprises. I hope the final book in the series is just as good. I'm now a fan and plan to go back and read all the smaller in-between novels.
]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Vol. 1: Aphra]]> 32941139 COLLECTING: STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA 1-6]]> 152 Kieron Gillen 1302906771 Darlene 4
I don't like the homicidal protocol droid, though.]]> 3.95 2017 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Vol. 1: Aphra

author: Kieron Gillen
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/08
date added: 2024/06/08
shelves:
review:
I was reading this because a coworker likes this character. I think this volume is a nice introduction to her. She seems like she's a fun character. Plus, being an archeologist, she may uncover some galactic history during her activities.

I don't like the homicidal protocol droid, though.
]]> <![CDATA[The Final Prophecy (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #18)]]> 878552
The troubles for the embattled living planet Zonama Sekot have just begun. As Luke Skywalker and Jacen Solo negotiate its place in the galactic struggle against the Yuuzhan Vong, one of its organic ships is taken by the alien invaders. Scientist Nen Yim is ordered to use the captive to find weak spots in Zonama Sekot’s technology. But what Nen Yim discovers about the planet and its mysteries shocks her to the core. Clearly her people have gone terribly astray. For the peace-loving planet harbors not only the key to its own destruction, but the long-forgotten secrets of the Yuuzhan Vong themselves.

Meanwhile, General Wedge Antilles, commanding one fleet in a three-pronged campaign to retake the Bilbringi system, is suddenly stranded deep in Yuuzhan Vong space, cut off from all contact. Wedge and his ships must rely on trickery and brilliant battle tactics if they are to survive long enough to ensure the success of one of the deadliest and most crucial missions the Galactic Alliance forces
have ever seen. . . .]]> 305 Greg Keyes 0345428757 Darlene 5 star-wars, science-fiction 3.74 2003 The Final Prophecy (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #18)

The Final Prophecy (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #18)

author: Greg Keyes
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/30
date added: 2024/05/30
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I really liked this one. The story was straightforward and easy to follow. The chapter format broke it up better than the part-system in the last few books.
]]> Force Heretic III: Reunion 842591
The harrowing search for Zonama Sekot is finally over for Luke Skywalker, Jacen Solo, and the others aboard the Jade Shadow. But joy turns to alarm when the living planet sends a defiant message: it refuses to follow them back to a galaxy full of war, exploitation, and misery.

While Luke works feverishly to persuade the elusive planet to reconsider, the Yuuzhan Vong launch a full-scale attack aimed at the heart of the new alliance. Sent to defend a major communications base, Han and Leia find themselves hopelessly outnumbered. Reinforcements are just too far away to help before everything is destroyed. So the courageous pair must now fight an unrelenting battle against staggering odds. Whether they actually survive is another matter…]]> 432 Sean Williams 0345428722 Darlene 3 science-fiction, star-wars 3.66 2003 Force Heretic III: Reunion

author: Sean Williams
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/13
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves: science-fiction, star-wars
review:
As much as I liked these characters, I felt that this book was a bit flat. The stories didn't seem to have any kind of "wow" factor with me like the last two before this one.
]]> <![CDATA[Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9)]]> 28335699
In the dead system of Adro, Elvi Okoye leads a desperate scientific mission to understand what the gate builders were and what destroyed them, even if it means compromising herself and the half-alien children who bear the weight of her investigation. Through the wide-flung systems of humanity, Colonel Aliana Tanaka hunts for Duarte’s missing daughter. . . and the shattered emperor himself. And on the Rocinante, James Holden and his crew struggle to build a future for humanity out of the shards and ruins of all that has come before.

As nearly unimaginable forces prepare to annihilate all human life, Holden and a group of unlikely allies discover a last, desperate chance to unite all of humanity, with the promise of a vast galactic civilization free from wars, factions, lies, and secrets if they win.

But the price of victory may be worse than the cost of defeat.]]> 528 James S.A. Corey 0356510395 Darlene 5 science-fiction 4.48 2021 Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/10
date added: 2024/05/10
shelves: science-fiction
review:
A fitting end to the series. James Holden saves the day. I wish more of the books were like this instead of all the politics and fighting.
]]> <![CDATA[Tiamat's Wrath (The Expanse, #8)]]> 44177253
In the dead systems where gates lead to stranger things than alien planets, Elvi Okoye begins a desperate search to discover the nature of a genocide that happened before the first human beings existed, and to find weapons to fight a war against forces at the edge of the imaginable. But the price of that knowledge may be higher than she can pay.

At the heart of the empire, Teresa Duarte prepares to take on the burden of her father's godlike ambition. The sociopathic scientist Paolo Cortázar and the Mephistophelian prisoner James Holden are only two of the dangers in a palace thick with intrigue, but Teresa has a mind of her own and secrets even her father the emperor doesn't guess.

And throughout the wide human empire, the scattered crew of the Rocinante fights a brave rear-guard action against Duarte's authoritarian regime. Memory of the old order falls away, and a future under Laconia's eternal rule -- and with it, a battle that humanity can only lose - seems more and more certain. Because against the terrors that lie between worlds, courage and ambition will not be enough...]]> 19 James S.A. Corey Darlene 4 science-fiction 4.44 2019 Tiamat's Wrath (The Expanse, #8)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/14
date added: 2024/04/17
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I feel like most of this book was filler and a setup for the last and final book.
]]> Force Heretic II: Refugee 261087 Swift and deadly, the Yuuzhan Vong have blasted their way across the galaxy—and now stand on the threshold of total victory. Yet a courageous few still dare to oppose them. . . .

Rife with hostile cultures and outright enemies, the Unknown Regions holds many perils for Luke Skywalker and the Jedi, searching for Zonama Sekot, the living planet that may hold the key to dealing once and for all with the Yuuzhan Vong.

Meanwhile, on the edge of the galaxy and in the heart of a trusted ally, old enemies are stirring. The Yuuzhan Vong have inflamed long-forgotten vendettas that are even now building up to crisis point. And as Han and Leia journey on their quest to knit the unraveling galaxy back together, betrayal and deception await them. . . .]]> 416 Sean Williams 0345428714 Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction
I'm looking forward to reading the next book.]]> 3.63 2003 Force Heretic II: Refugee

author: Sean Williams
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/13
date added: 2024/04/13
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I actually liked this one. About four different scenarios were going on. The bulk of the book centered around a revisit to Bakura and the Ssi-Ruu. Parts of the Bakura story took place both in space and on the ground. There was also a trip to Chiss space and their library, but it didn't take up a large portion of the book. Nom Amor is also present, but nothing changes with that story, there.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
]]> <![CDATA[Edge of Victory (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order #7-8)]]> 13574812 The dazzling Star Wars space adventure continues in The New Jedi Order as Luke Skywalker, Anakin Solo, Mara Jade Skywalker, and others battle their deadliest enemy in a tale of nonstop action, shadowy evil, and spectacular triumph . . .

No longer content with the destruction the Yuuzhan Vong have already sown, Warmaster Tsavong Lah has demanded the heads of all the Jedi. Now the Jedi Knights are in terrible danger–and none more so than the young students at the Jedi academy on Yavin 4. Already the sympathizers known as the Peace Brigade are in the Yavin system–and a Yuuzhan Vong fleet is not far behind.

At Luke Skywalker’s request, Talon Karrde mounts an expedition to rescue the young students. Anakin Solo has his own ideas. Impatient, and figuring that forgiveness is easier to come by than permission, he takes off for Yavin 4 in his X-wing.

When it comes to confidence, courage, and raw Force talent, Anakin has few peers. But when his friend Tahiri is separated from the other academy kids and captured by the Yuuzhan Vong, even Anakin may be in over his head. For the aliens have a different future in mind for Tahiri, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their horrific ends . . .]]> 490 Greg Keyes Darlene 3 star-wars, science-fiction
I will give the next one a try. I hear the Chiss are going to show up somewhere in this series.]]> 3.98 2001 Edge of Victory (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order #7-8)

Edge of Victory (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order #7-8)

author: Greg Keyes
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/07
date added: 2024/04/06
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
Gosh, it's so hard to rate these. I found this one really slow and not a whole lot different than the other ones before it. I thought it started out pretty well and the story with Anakin was interesting. I also liked to learn more about Nen Yim and the shapers.

I will give the next one a try. I hear the Chiss are going to show up somewhere in this series.
]]> <![CDATA[Persepolis Rising (The Expanse, #7)]]> 36647179
In the vast space between Earth and Jupiter, the inner planets and belt have formed a tentative and uncertain alliance still haunted by a history of wars and prejudices. On the lost colony world of Laconia, a hidden enemy has a new vision for all of humanity and the power to enforce it.

New technologies clash with old as the history of human conflict returns to its ancient patterns of war and subjugation. But human nature is not the only enemy, and the forces being unleashed have their own price. A price that will change the shape of humanity -- and of the Rocinante -- unexpectedly and forever...]]> 21 James S.A. Corey Darlene 4 science-fiction 4.21 2017 Persepolis Rising (The Expanse, #7)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/21
date added: 2024/03/21
shelves: science-fiction
review:
4.5, actually. I felt like a lot of what happened was filler. However, I found the characters to be very interesting. The story also had the right amount of tragedy [spoilers removed].
]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances (2024) #3 (of 4)]]> 204491291 23 Timothy Zahn Darlene 5 science-fiction, star-wars
This is also the first time I've seen the Grysk rendered in art. We finally get to see what they look like.]]> 4.02 Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances (2024) #3 (of 4)

Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances (2024) #3 (of 4)

author: Timothy Zahn
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.02
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/20
date added: 2024/03/21
shelves: science-fiction, star-wars
review:
I'm beginning to love this series. #3 is really well done. They ended it sorta on a cliffhanger. If you've read the full book, then you know what's coming next.

This is also the first time I've seen the Grysk rendered in art. We finally get to see what they look like.
]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances (2024) #2 (of 4)]]> 202478143 23 Timothy Zahn Darlene 5 star-wars 4.24

Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances (2024) #2 (of 4)

author: Timothy Zahn
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/01
date added: 2024/03/04
shelves: star-wars
review:
Loved it. I thought it was much better than the first. These are so much fun.
]]> Force Heretic I: Remnant 55546 As the bloodied and weary galaxy faces battle once more, the Jedi take on the formidable task of bringing the last of the Empire into the light. . . .

From the ashes of the New Republic, torn to shreds by the savage Yuuzhan Vong forces, the newly formed Galactic Alliance has risen, determined to bring peace to the entire galaxy. But first the Yuuzhan Vong must be contained once and for all. And so Luke Skywalker seeks a world long lost to legend: Zonama Sekot, a sentient planet believed to have repelled an invasion by the Yuuzhan Vong decades ago. Deciphering the enigmatic secrets of Zonama Sekot just might turn the tides of a relentless war.

Aboard the Jade Shadow, Luke, his wife Mara, Jacen Solo, and other Jedi head off into the Unknown Regions, where rumors and clues suggest Zonama Sekot might be found. Yet the mission has barely begun when the searchers stumble into a horrific battle. The Imperial Remnant, in retreat from the mighty Yuuzhan Vong, is about to be destroyed. It would seem those aboard the Jade Shadow have little choice but to leave the Empire to its fate. But these are no ordinary space travelers, they are Jedi. . . .]]> 413 Sean Williams 0345428706 Darlene 4 star-wars
I didn't think this book was filler. I thought it had some good storylines going on in it. There was less politics than the previous few books in the series.]]> 3.69 2003 Force Heretic I: Remnant

author: Sean Williams
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/24
date added: 2024/02/24
shelves: star-wars
review:
I'm glad I read this unabridged rather than through the abridged audio. Unlike most people, I actually like Star Wars because of the relationships between the characters and the whole saga rather than the battles. The next book looks interesting, so I bought that one to read unabridged, too.

I didn't think this book was filler. I thought it had some good storylines going on in it. There was less politics than the previous few books in the series.
]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances (2024) #1 (of 4)]]> 200524484 33 Timothy Zahn Darlene 5 star-wars, science-fiction 4.33

Star Wars: Thrawn Alliances (2024) #1 (of 4)

author: Timothy Zahn
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/07
date added: 2024/02/08
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
Thrawn is drawn is a little differently compared to how he looks in other artistic versions of him. However, the artwork was done very well. They left certain parts of the story out, but you still get all the important parts.
]]> <![CDATA[Babylon's Ashes (The Expanse, #6)]]> 33233024
A revolution brewing for generations has begun in fire. It will end in blood.

The Free Navy - a violent group of Belters in black-market military ships - has crippled the Earth and begun a campaign of piracy and violence among the outer planets.

The colony ships heading for the 1,000 new worlds on the far side of the alien ring gates are easy prey, and no single navy remains strong enough to protect them. James Holden and his crew know the strengths and weaknesses of this new force better than anyone.

Outnumbered and outgunned, the embattled remnants of the old political powers call on the Rocinante for a desperate mission to reach Medina Station at the heart of the gate network. But the new alliances are as flawed as the old, and the struggle for power has only just begun.

As the chaos grows, an alien mystery deepens. Pirate fleets, mutiny and betrayal may be the least of the Rocinante's problems. And in the uncanny spaces past the ring gates, the choices of a few damaged and desperate people may determine the fate of more than just humanity.]]> 20 James S.A. Corey Darlene 4 science-fiction 4.03 2016 Babylon's Ashes (The Expanse, #6)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/06
date added: 2024/02/06
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I can't help to think that this is filler material. However, I enjoyed learning more about our main characters. I was a bit shocked by what happened to Marco at the end. I don't remember the author revealing the mystery of what "ate" those ships, though. I think that's going to be revealed later.
]]> <![CDATA[Edge of Victory II: Rebirth (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #8)]]> 35429 The Star Wars epic continues its dazzling space odyssey in The New Jedi Order–as Luke and Mara, Leia and Han, and others battle the mighty enemy from beyond the galactic rim.

The brutal Yuuzhan Vong are scouring the universe for Jedi to slaughter. With no help from the divided New Republic, the Jedi stand alone against their seemingly invincible foe. Han and Leia Organa Solo risk deadly consequences with their controversial tactics to bolster the Jedi resistance. After uncovering a new Yuuzhan Vong menace, Anakin and Tahiri find themselves wanted for murder by the Peace Brigade. To avoid capture, they jump into hyperspace . . . and into trouble far graver.

Hunted by the Yuuzhan Vong, wanted as criminals by the New Republic, and with unrest stirring within their own ranks, the Jedi find peril everywhere they turn. But even in the midst of despair, while the most fiercest battle of all looms on the horizon, hope arises with the birth of one very special child. . . .]]> 292 Greg Keyes 0345446100 Darlene 0 3.80 2001 Edge of Victory II: Rebirth (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #8)

Edge of Victory II: Rebirth (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #8)

author: Greg Keyes
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Edge of Victory I: Conquest (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #7)]]> 320347 The dazzling Star Wars space adventure continues in The New Jedi Order as Luke Skywalker, Anakin Solo, Mara Jade Skywalker, and others battle their deadliest enemy in a tale of nonstop action, shadowy evil, and spectacular triumph . . .

No longer content with the destruction the Yuuzhan Vong have already sown, Warmaster Tsavong Lah has demanded the heads of all the Jedi. Now the Jedi Knights are in terrible danger–and none more so than the young students at the Jedi academy on Yavin 4. Already the sympathizers known as the Peace Brigade are in the Yavin system–and a Yuuzhan Vong fleet is not far behind.

At Luke Skywalker’s request, Talon Karrde mounts an expedition to rescue the young students. Anakin Solo has his own ideas. Impatient, and figuring that forgiveness is easier to come by than permission, he takes off for Yavin 4 in his X-wing.

When it comes to confidence, courage, and raw Force talent, Anakin has few peers. But when his friend Tahiri is separated from the other academy kids and captured by the Yuuzhan Vong, even Anakin may be in over his head. For the aliens have a different future in mind for Tahiri, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their horrific ends . . .]]> 291 Greg Keyes 0345428641 Darlene 0 3.82 2001 Edge of Victory I: Conquest (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #7)

Edge of Victory I: Conquest (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #7)

author: Greg Keyes
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #5)]]> 157984
Manipulating their alliance with the amoral Hutts, the Yuuzhan Vong leave a cunning trail of vital information where New Republic agents are sure to find it--information the desperate defenders cannot afford to ignore: the location of the aliens' next target.

Then Han Solo stumbles into the dark heart of raging battle, thus beginning a furious race against time that will require every skill and trick in his arsenal to win...

Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!]]> 348 James Luceno 0345428595 Darlene 0 3.64 2000 Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #5)

Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #5)

author: James Luceno
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #4)]]> 836080
Refusing help from Leia or Luke, Han becomes the loner he once was, seeking to escape the pain of his partner's death in adventure . . . and revenge. When he learns that an old friend from his smuggling days is operating as a mercenary for the enemy, he sets out to expose the traitor. But Han's investigation uncovers an even greater evil: a sinister conspiracy aimed at the very heart of the New Republic's will and ability to fight--the Jedi.

Now Han must face down his inner demons and, with the help of a new and unexpected ally, honor Chewbacca's sacrifice in the only way that matters--by being worthy of it.

Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!]]> 352 James Luceno 0345428609 Darlene 0 3.70 2000 Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #4)

Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #4)

author: James Luceno
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Destiny's Way (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #14)]]> 1381283
In the war against the ruthless Yuuzhan Vong, the fall of Coruscant leaves the New Republic divided by internal strife, and on the verge of bowing to conquest. But those who steadfastly refuse to consider surrender—Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, and their children and comrades-in-arms—are determined to seize victory against overwhelming odds. And now, finally, there are signs that the tide may be turning in the New Republic’s favor.

After capturing crucial Yuuzhan Vong intelligence, Jedi fighter-pilot Jaina Solo prepares to lead a daring surprise strike against an enemy flagship. Meanwhile, Jaina’s brother Jacen—liberated from the hands of the enemy and newly schooled in an even greater mastery of the Force by the Jedi Knight Vergere—is eagerly poised to bring his unique skills to bear against the invaders. And on Mon Calamari, the New Republic’s provisional capital, the retired, ailing hero Admiral Ackbar has conceived a major tactical plan that could spell the beginning of a swift end for the Yuuzhan Vong.

Yet even as opposing squadrons face off in the depths of space, intrigue runs in the heated political race for Chief of State . . . in the shadows where Yuuzhan Vong spies plot assassinations . . . and in the inscrutable creature Vergere, a Jedi Knight whose allegiance is impossible to predict. And as Luke Skywalker sets about reestablishing the Jedi Council, the growing faction opposed to the ways of the Force unveil a terrifying weapon designed to annihilate the Yuuzhan Vong species. But in doing so, they may be dooming the New Republic to becoming the very thing it has sworn to fight against—and unleashing the power of the dark side.]]> 464 Walter Jon Williams 0345428501 Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction 3.75 2002 Destiny's Way (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #14)

Destiny's Way (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #14)

author: Walter Jon Williams
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/14
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
Very good with lots of action, especially in the last third of the book. The only thing that kinda dragged was the political stuff. However, I enjoyed this book and I feel it moved the plot slightly forward.
]]> <![CDATA[The Eye of Darkness (Star Wars: The High Republic)]]> 128841048 One year after the tragic events of The Fallen Star, the Jedi fight to break the Nihil’s control over the galaxy.

The galaxy is divided. Following the shocking destruction of Starlight Beacon, the Nihil have established an impenetrable barrier called the Stormwall around part of the Outer Rim, where Marchion Ro rules and his followers wreak havoc at his every whim. Jedi trapped behind enemy lines, including Avar Kriss, must fight to help the worlds being pillaged by the Nihil while staying one step ahead of the marauders and their Nameless terrors.

Outside of the Nihil’s so-called Occlusion Zone, Elzar Mann, Bell Zettifar, and the other Jedi work alongside the Republic to reach the worlds that have been cut off from the rest of the galaxy. But every attempt to breach the Stormwall has failed, and even communication across the barrier is impossible. The failures and losses weigh heavily upon both Elzar and Bell as they search desperately for a solution.

But even if the Republic and Jedi forces manage to breach the Stormwall, how can the Jedi fight back against the Nameless creatures that prey on the Jedi’s connection to the Force? And what other horrors does Marchion Ro have in store? As desperation for both the Jedi and the Republic grows, any hope of reuniting the galaxy could be all but extinguished. . . .]]> 15 George Mann 0593823125 Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction 4.13 2023 The Eye of Darkness (Star Wars: The High Republic)

The Eye of Darkness (Star Wars: The High Republic)

author: George Mann
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/11
date added: 2024/01/11
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I'm not quite ready to give it 5 stars, but I really did enjoy it. It had lots of action and a good plot. Of course, Ro is always an interesting character. I'm not sure if there was enough of him in this book.
]]> Nemesis Games (Expanse, #5) 25649238
A thousand worlds have opened, and the greatest land rush in human history has begun. As wave after wave of colonists leave, the power structures of the old solar system begin to buckle.

Ships are disappearing without a trace. Private armies are being secretly formed. The sole remaining protomolecule sample is stolen. Terrorist attacks previously considered impossible bring the inner planets to their knees. The sins of the past are returning to exact a terrible price.

And as a new human order is struggling to be born in blood and fire, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante must struggle to survive and get back to the only home they have left.]]> 17 James S.A. Corey Darlene 4 science-fiction 4.39 2015 Nemesis Games (Expanse, #5)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/08
date added: 2023/12/08
shelves: science-fiction
review:
A decent installment of the Expanse series. I love how we all go to see the major characters' backstories. Everyone except Holden had a nefarious past it seems.
]]> <![CDATA[The New Jedi Order, Book 13: Traitor (Star Wars)]]> 320349 new 292 Matthew Woodring Stover 0739428489 Darlene 5 star-wars, science-fiction 4.00 2002

The New Jedi Order, Book 13: Traitor (Star Wars)

author: Matthew Woodring Stover
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/05
date added: 2023/12/05
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I thought this was going to be a long drawn-out book about Jacen's torture at the hands of Vergere and the Vong. However, it had a pretty good story going. Plus, I really loved the ending, and it set up the basis for the next book.
]]> <![CDATA[From a Far and Lovely Country (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #24)]]> 81069462
“An escape from life’s woes as well as a suggestion for how to make the whole deal more palatable—fragility, fruit cake, and all.�� —The Boston Globe

This latest installment of the beloved No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series finds Botswana's premier detective agency as busy as ever, with no shortage of sensitve situations requiring Mma Ramotswe's keen eye and discerning input. Through it all, Mma Ramotswe will demonstrate that there are solutions to all manner of difficulties, there to be discovered as long as one is led by kindness, grace, and logic, and can rely on the wise counsel of close friends and loved ones. Sometimes, she reminds us, the best solutions to life's problems can be found with a bit of good humor, generosity of spirit, and a steaming cup of red bush tea.]]> 240 Alexander McCall Smith 0593317009 Darlene 4
I just love the positive vibes. Yes, the stories go off in tangents, but I like that. Everything is interesting in these books to me.]]> 4.20 2023 From a Far and Lovely Country (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #24)

From a Far and Lovely Country (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #24)

author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/18
date added: 2023/11/18
shelves: africa, no-1-ladies-detective-agency
review:
These books are like a warm, fuzzy blanket after reading some of the more violent books I've been reading. I feel like I'm with friends when I read these books. I don't really care about the mystery, but the mysteries are always solved in a satisfying way. And, of course, Violet Sephoto always has a hand in anything nefarious in these stories.

I just love the positive vibes. Yes, the stories go off in tangents, but I like that. Everything is interesting in these books to me.
]]> Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand 5405 Not since Emperor Palpatine have the Jedi battled such monstrous evil. Unless they succeed against staggering odds, the galaxy is doomed.

Luke Skywalker’s daring mission to halt the Yuuzhan Vong’s nefarious plot to overthrow the New Republic is struggling on all fronts. And time is slipping away for Han and Leia Organa Solo, trapped on a small planet whose rulers are about to yield to Yuuzhan Vong pressure to give up the Jedi rebels.

On Coruscant, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker have made a shocking discovery that is preventing the Yuuzhan Vong from exerting complete control. But when the enemy tracks them down, Luke and Mara are thrust into a fierce battle for their lives. Suddenly, the chances of escaping appear nearly impossible. And in space, another battle rages, one that holds ominous consequences for the New Republic—and for the Jedi themselves. . . .

Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!]]> 367 Aaron Allston 0345428684 Darlene 4 science-fiction, star-wars 3.86 2002 Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand

author: Aaron Allston
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/31
date added: 2023/10/31
shelves: science-fiction, star-wars
review:
Very good! I listened to the abridged version and I think they did a very good job with the important plot points. I know the book version had much more about Han and Leia trying to establish resistance bases and cells as well as having problems with one particular world. However, I get the feeling that it was more filler with that storyline. Han and Leia were in neither of these two audiobooks. While I'm glad that they omitted that storyline, I would have appreciated it if the audiobook made a mention or two about where they were so I'm not left wondering.
]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Rebel Dreams: Enemy Lines I]]> 13133956 As the Yuuzhan Vong’s spectacular conquests continue unchecked, Luke Skywalker, Han and Leia Solo , and Wedge Antilles are forced to destroy what they have risked their lives to create. . . .

Scattering like rats before the Yuuzhan Vong’s invasion of Coruscant, the panic-stricken members of the New Republic Advisory’s Council pause just long enough to set up a mock defense on nearby Borleias—a transparent attempt to buy time that fools no one, least of all the Jedi.

Leia and Han Solo trek from world to world to foment rebellion against the New Republic’s disastrous appeasement policies. But Luke Skywalker has chosen the most dangerous assignment of all: to sneak into the Yuuzhan Vong’s stronghold on Coruscant. His outrageous scheme to gain entry is either brilliant or suicidal, depending on the outcome. And bearing down swiftly on Borleias is a Vong invasion fleet, determined to destroy the galaxy’s remaining defenders. . . .

From the Paperback edition.]]> Aaron Allston 0553755269 Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction 3.87 2002 Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Rebel Dreams: Enemy Lines I

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Rebel Dreams: Enemy Lines I

author: Aaron Allston
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/29
date added: 2023/10/29
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I was only able to get the abridged version of the audio for this one. At first, I thought it was the same old stuff with the leaders and Luke and Leia disagreeing with each other. However, I loved when Jaina appeared on the scene. So, it went from a "meh" book to a good book in my terms.
]]> Ashes of Man (Sun Eater, #5) 60427253
The galaxy is burning.

With the Cielcin united under one banner, the Sollan Empire stands alone after the betrayal of the Commonwealth. The Prophet-King of the Cielcin has sent its armies to burn the worlds of men, and worse, there are rumors...whispers that Hadrian Marlowe is dead, killed in the fighting.

But it is not so. Hadrian survived with the help of the witch, Valka, and together they escaped the net of the enemy having learned a terrible truth: the gods that the Cielcin worship are real and will not rest until the universe is dark and cold.

What is more, the Emperor himself is in danger. The Prophet-King has learned to track his movements as he travels along the borders of Imperial space. Now the Cielcin legions are closing in, their swords poised to strike off the head of all mankind.]]> 544 Christopher Ruocchio 0756416604 Darlene 4 science-fiction
[spoilers removed]

I know we're getting closer to the time when Hadrian "burns a sun." I look forward to reading the next two books. ]]> 4.49 2022 Ashes of Man (Sun Eater, #5)

author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/23
date added: 2023/10/23
shelves: science-fiction
review:
As much as I LOVED this book, I have to give it 4 or 4.5 stars. The reason for this is I feel the author is manipulating my emotions and "playing with me." and I don't like when authors do that.

[spoilers removed]

I know we're getting closer to the time when Hadrian "burns a sun." I look forward to reading the next two books.
]]> <![CDATA[Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think]]> 129731 ��
�� Can the size of your plate really influence your appetite?
�� Why do you eat more when you dine with friends?
�� What “hidden persuaders�� are used by restaurants and supermarkets to get us to overeat?
�� How does music or the color of the room influence how much—and how fast—we eat?
�� How can we “mindlessly�� lose—instead of gain—up to twenty pounds in the coming year?
��
Starting today, you can make more mindful, enjoyable, and healthy choices at the dinner table, in the supermarket, at the office—wherever you satisfy your appetite.]]> 276 Brian Wansink 0553804340 Darlene 5
The book's premise is that we all eat more than we think, and by being more mindful about what you eat, you can stop weight gain and maybe lose weight. The book lists several experiments to demonstrate how people mindlessly eat in certain situations. I found it very interesting that many people in these experiences really didn't know how many calories they consumed.]]> 3.93 2006 Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think

Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think

author: Brian Wansink
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2023/10/07
date added: 2023/10/07
shelves:
review:
I may actually purchase my own copy of this book. I found the tips to be very reasonable and easy to follow. I would like to have a copy to refer to from time to time.

The book's premise is that we all eat more than we think, and by being more mindful about what you eat, you can stop weight gain and maybe lose weight. The book lists several experiments to demonstrate how people mindlessly eat in certain situations. I found it very interesting that many people in these experiences really didn't know how many calories they consumed.
]]> <![CDATA[Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners: Read for pleasure at your level, expand your vocabulary and learn Spanish the fun way! (Readers nº 1) (Spanish Edition)]]> 42175803 An unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young and adult learners."I love Olly's work - and you will too!" - Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for NumbersShort Stories in Spanish for Beginners has been written especially for students from beginner to intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to A2-B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference, these eight captivating stories will both entertain you, and give you a feeling of progress when reading.What does this book give you?· Eight stories in a variety of exciting genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller - making reading fun, while you learn a wide range of new vocabulary· Controlled language at your level, including the 1000 most frequent words, to help you progress confidently· Authentic spoken dialogues, to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability· Pleasure! It's much easier to learn a new language when you're having fun, and research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'· Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free wayCarefully curated to make learning a new language easy, these stories include key features that will support and consolidate your progress, including· A glossary for bolded words in each text· A bilingual word list· Full plot summary· Comprehension questions after each chapter. As a result, you will be able to focus on enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language, without ever feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. From science fiction to fantasy, to crime and thrillers, Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners will make learning Spanish easy and enjoyable.]]> 238 Olly Richards 1473683262 Darlene 4 3.90

Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners: Read for pleasure at your level, expand your vocabulary and learn Spanish the fun way! (Readers nº 1) (Spanish Edition)

author: Olly Richards
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/07
date added: 2023/10/07
shelves:
review:
I finally finished all the stories. I found them to be very good and written well enough to make me what to read what happened next. My copy had the knight story, but not all copies will have that. The knight story had uncommon words and was a little more difficult to read than the others. If you are a native speaker, you may find these stories and the language to be childish. But, the book is mainly written at a 3rd or 4th grade level and aimed at people who are not fluent, yet. If you have a base knowledge of Spanish, you should enjoy many of them.
]]> <![CDATA[The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine]]> 31934108 "An exemplary account of Europe's least-known large country" (Wall Street Journal) by an award-winning historian.

Ukraine is currently embroiled in a tense fight with Russia to preserve its territorial integrity and political independence. But today's conflict is only the latest in a long history of battles over Ukraine's territory and its existence as a sovereign nation. As the award-winning historian Serhii Plokhy argues in The Gates of Europe, we must examine Ukraine's past in order to understand its present and future.

Situated between Central Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, Ukraine was shaped by the empires that used it as a strategic gateway between East and West—from the Roman and Ottoman empires to the Third Reich and the Soviet Union. For centuries, Ukraine has been a meeting place of various cultures. The mixing of sedentary and nomadic peoples and Christianity and Islam on the steppe borderland produced the class of ferocious warriors known as the Cossacks, for example, while the encounter between the Catholic and Orthodox churches created a religious tradition that bridges Western and Eastern Christianity. Ukraine has also been a home to millions of Jews, serving as the birthplace of Hassidism—and as one of the killing fields of the Holocaust.

Plokhy examines the history of Ukraine's search for its identity through the lives of the major figures in Ukrainian history: Prince Yaroslav the Wise of Kyiv, whose daughter Anna became queen of France; the Cossack ruler Ivan Mazepa, who was immortalized in the poems of Byron and Pushkin; Nikita Khrushchev and his protege-turned-nemesis Leonid Brezhnev, who called Ukraine their home; and the heroes of the Maidan protests of 2013 and 2014, who embody the current struggle over Ukraine's future.

As Plokhy explains, today's crisis is a tragic case of history repeating itself, as Ukraine once again finds itself in the center of the battle of global proportions. An authoritative history of this vital country, The Gates of Europe provides a unique insight into the origins of the most dangerous international crisis since the end of the Cold War.]]> 432 Serhii Plokhy 0465094864 Darlene 4
I never learned much about Eastern Europe in school. When I was in college, I took a class on Soviet Union politics, but it never addressed the member countries individually very much. The Soviet Union was treated as one country during most of my school life. So, I never knew much about the history of Ukraine.

I didn't realize how intertwined all the cultures in that area are in history. It seems that Russia has always claimed most of Ukraine as its own despite the people of the region saying otherwise. Ukraine has struggled for its identity and independence all the way back to the times of Ancient Greece. It has gained independence time and again only to have it taken away by neighboring factions.

I gave it four stars for being more difficult to read than it should be, though I think the author tried to be helpful with maps and addendums.]]> 4.25 2015 The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine

The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine

author: Serhii Plokhy
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/01
date added: 2023/10/01
shelves:
review:
This book is an updated version of a previous book written before the most recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia. It's an extremely detailed book and a bit difficult to read. I must admit that I speed-read and skimmed over quite a bit.

I never learned much about Eastern Europe in school. When I was in college, I took a class on Soviet Union politics, but it never addressed the member countries individually very much. The Soviet Union was treated as one country during most of my school life. So, I never knew much about the history of Ukraine.

I didn't realize how intertwined all the cultures in that area are in history. It seems that Russia has always claimed most of Ukraine as its own despite the people of the region saying otherwise. Ukraine has struggled for its identity and independence all the way back to the times of Ancient Greece. It has gained independence time and again only to have it taken away by neighboring factions.

I gave it four stars for being more difficult to read than it should be, though I think the author tried to be helpful with maps and addendums.
]]> Cibola Burn (Expanse, #4) 22517421 The ASIN was reused on this edition.

The gates have opened the way to thousands of habitable planets, and the land rush has begun. Settlers stream out from humanity's home planets in a vast, poorly controlled flood, landing on a new world. Among them, the Rocinante, haunted by the vast, posthuman network of the protomolecule as they investigate what destroyed the great intergalactic society that built the gates and the protomolecule.

But Holden and his crew must also contend with the growing tensions between the settlers and the company which owns the official claim to the planet. Both sides will stop at nothing to defend what's theirs, but soon a terrible disease strikes and only Holden - with help from the ghostly Detective Miller - can find the cure.]]> 22 James S.A. Corey Darlene 5 science-fiction 4.06 2014 Cibola Burn (Expanse, #4)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2023/09/29
date added: 2023/09/29
shelves: science-fiction
review:
Good story with lots of action and a steady plot. We see several past characters as well as new one.
]]> <![CDATA[Kingdoms of Death (The Sun Eater Series)]]> 142359903 1 Christopher Ruocchio Darlene 5 science-fiction
One thing you have to remember is that the story is written purely from Hadrian's view. He's in control of it and is manipulating your feelings. In the first book, he explains how he was considered a villain, supposedly for blowing up a sun and exterminating an entire species. The first few books portrayed him as someone who cared about people, his reluctance to fight, and his heroics.

In this book, he is trying to get you to on his side regarding his extermination of the Cielcin. He wants you to hate them and think they are vile and deserve extinction. I'm not saying that the Cielcin (if they had been real) aren't the way he said they are. But, he's trying to anger you ("dear reader").

Now I understand why the author chose this point of view.]]> 4.40 2022 Kingdoms of Death (The Sun Eater Series)

Kingdoms of Death (The Sun Eater Series)

author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/08/22
date added: 2023/08/22
shelves: science-fiction
review:
It was definitely dark, as others have said. Some people may not be able to get through this book. The torture parts didn't bother me so much. I've read other series that were just as bad. It was what happened with all the people in the end. I don't want to spoil anything, so I will stop there. However, this is a necessary part of the storyline.

One thing you have to remember is that the story is written purely from Hadrian's view. He's in control of it and is manipulating your feelings. In the first book, he explains how he was considered a villain, supposedly for blowing up a sun and exterminating an entire species. The first few books portrayed him as someone who cared about people, his reluctance to fight, and his heroics.

In this book, he is trying to get you to on his side regarding his extermination of the Cielcin. He wants you to hate them and think they are vile and deserve extinction. I'm not saying that the Cielcin (if they had been real) aren't the way he said they are. But, he's trying to anger you ("dear reader").

Now I understand why the author chose this point of view.
]]> <![CDATA[Abaddon’s Gate (The Expanse, #3)]]> 16131032
For generations, the solar system - Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt - was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artefact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has emerged to build a massive structure outside the orbit of Uranus: a gate that leads into a starless dark.

Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are part of a vast flotilla of scientific and military ships going out to examine the artefact. But behind the scenes, a complex plot is unfolding, with the destruction of Holden at its core. As the emissaries of the human race try to find whether the gate is an opportunity or a threat, the greatest danger is the one they brought with them.]]> 539 James S.A. Corey Darlene 4 science-fiction 4.26 2013 Abaddon’s Gate (The Expanse, #3)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/27
date added: 2023/07/27
shelves: science-fiction
review:
More like 3.5 stars. I think this book could have had a lot of potential. However, it seems more like filler. Sure, there were a few interesting parts, but the book mostly involved fighting and arguments. It felt very negative. Anna was a good-intentioned character that eventually became annoying. I liked the parts with Miller and the end of the book, though. I think the book could have elaborated more on what happened inside the station and what Holden saw.
]]> <![CDATA[Dark Journey (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #10)]]> 266782 The New Jedi Order continues as Jaina Solo struggles with anger and despair after the Jedi Knights' harrowing adventure behind enemy lines.

Though the Jedi strike force completed its deadly mission into Yuuzhan Vong territory, the price of success was tragedy: not everyone made it out alive. In a daring getaway, hotshop pilot Jaina Solo stole an enemy ship, taking along her fellow survivors--and leaving behind a huge piece of her heart.

With the enemy in hot pursuit, Jaina is forced to seek haven in the unprotected, unfriendly Hapes Cluster, where the Jedi are held responsible for a past tragedy--and where the royal family has grim plans for their famous Jedi guest. Even more sinister are the intentions of the Yuuvhan Vong, desperate to capture Jaina for a hideous sacrifice.

Grief-stricken and obsessed with revenge, Jaina is blind to these threats--and to the overpowering evil dangerously close to consuming her. In the coming conflagration, Jaina will be fighting not for victory or vengeance, but fore her very being . . .]]> 301 Elaine Cunningham 009941032X Darlene 5 star-wars, science-fiction 3.71 2002 Dark Journey (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #10)

Dark Journey (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #10)

author: Elaine Cunningham
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at: 2023/07/17
date added: 2023/07/17
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
Very easy and fast read. The plot line was interesting and easy to follow and understand. The author didn't know much about Chiss names, but that's OK. You also saw some decent character growth.
]]> <![CDATA[Demon in White (Sun Eater, #3)]]> 56583741
To make matters worse, a cult of personality has formed around Hadrian, spurred on by legends of his having defied death itself. Men call him Halfmortal. Hadrian's rise to prominence proves dangerous to himself and his team, as pressures within the Imperial government distrust or resent his new influence.

Caught in the middle, Hadrian must contend with enemies before him--and behind.

And above it all, there is the mystery of the Quiet. Hadrian did defy death. He did return. But the keys to the only place in the universe where Hadrian might find the answers he seeks lie in the hands of the Emperor himself....]]> 0 Christopher Ruocchio Darlene 5 science-fiction
I'm not big on action and battle scenes, and there are a lot of them in this book. However, I know other people love them. In the middle of those actions, we get a love story, intrigue, and more of Hadrian's ingenuity. We also see a lot more world-building.

I love that we learn more about the Quiet and Earth's history. Even though there are plenty of references to other sci-fi books, there's still a lot of originality.]]> 4.46 2020 Demon in White (Sun Eater, #3)

author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2023/06/28
date added: 2023/06/28
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I was going to give a lower score because of the clear references to Dune, the Matrix, and Star Trek. However, the last half of the book was superb! This is the best book in the series so far.

I'm not big on action and battle scenes, and there are a lot of them in this book. However, I know other people love them. In the middle of those actions, we get a love story, intrigue, and more of Hadrian's ingenuity. We also see a lot more world-building.

I love that we learn more about the Quiet and Earth's history. Even though there are plenty of references to other sci-fi books, there's still a lot of originality.
]]> <![CDATA[Star by Star (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #9)]]> 35448 The New York Times bestselling Star Wars series The New Jedi Order enthralls readers with its epic drama and thrilling adventure. Now readers will pierce the very heart of darkness... It is a solemn time for the New Republic, as the merciless Yuuzhan Vong continue their campaign of destruction. The brutal enemy has unleashed a savage creature capable of finding—and killing—Jedi Knights. And now Leia Organa Solo faces a terrible ultimatum. If the location of the secret Jedi base is not revealed within one week, the Yuuzhan Vong will blast millions of refugee ships into oblivion.As the battered but still unbroken Jedi scramble to deal with the newest onslaught, Leia’s son Anakin lays out a daring plan. He will lead a Jedi strike force into the heart of enemy territory in order to sabotage the Yuuzhan Vong’s deadliest weapons. There, with his brother and sister at his side, he will come face-to-face with his destiny—as the New Republic, still fighting the good fight, will come face-to-face with theirs...]]> 605 Troy Denning 0099410389 Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction 3.97 2001 Star by Star (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #9)

Star by Star (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #9)

author: Troy Denning
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/04
date added: 2023/06/04
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I almost gave it a 3, but the last third of the book was very, very good. I think the book was too long and repetitive otherwise. However, there was a ton of action, if that's your thing. I actually like non-battle parts better. There was more character development between the Solo siblings and more progression in the deteriorating state of the New Republic.
]]> Caliban's War (Expanse, #2) 24933555 Leviathan Wakes earned Hugo and Locus Award nominations. In Caliban’s War, the second chapter of Corey’s Expanse series, a desperate Earth politician works tirelessly to prevent war from reigniting. Meanwhile, upheaval takes root on Venus and Ganymede. And amidst this tumult, James Holden and his crew on the Rocinante are charged with the impossible task of saving humanity from a terrifying fate.]]> 20 James S.A. Corey Darlene 5 science-fiction 4.32 2012 Caliban's War (Expanse, #2)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/23
date added: 2023/05/23
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I thought it was great. It had a good plot and a steady pace. The only thing I don't like about this series so far is all the sex talk and cussing. However, I think it's improved over the last book. There was less "dankness" in the scenery as well.
]]> <![CDATA[Cataclysm (Star Wars: The High Republic)]]> 125422393
After five years of conflict, the planets Eiram and E’ronoh are on the cusp of real peace. But when news breaks of a disaster at the treaty signing on Jedha, violence reignites on the beleaguered worlds. Together, the royal heirs of both planets—Phan-tu Zenn and Xiri A’lbaran—working alongside the Jedi, have uncovered evidence that the conflict is being orchestrated by outside forces, and all signs point to the mysterious Path of the Open Hand, whom the Jedi also suspect of causing the disaster on Jedha.

With time—and answers—in short supply, the Jedi must divide their focus between helping quell the renewed violence on Eiram and E’ronoh and investigating the Path. Among them is Gella Nattai, who turns to the one person she believes can unravel the mystery but the last person she wants to trust: Axel Greylark. The chancellor’s son, imprisoned for his crimes, has always sought to unburden himself of the weight of his family name. Will he reconcile with the Jedi and aid in their quest for justice and peace, or embrace the Path’s promise of true freedom?

As all roads lead to Dalna, Gella and her allies prepare to take on a foe unlike any they’ve ever faced. And it will take all of their trust in the Force, and in one another, to survive.]]> 17 Lydia Kang Darlene 5 star-wars, science-fiction 4.03 2023 Cataclysm (Star Wars: The High Republic)

Cataclysm (Star Wars: The High Republic)

author: Lydia Kang
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/01
date added: 2023/05/01
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
It was good, but a little less than 5 stars. I'm not big on battle scenes. The ending was also good. I feel you can read this series and go straight on to the original 3 High Republic books that came out previously. I don't know why they didn't do this series first before the others. I'm looking forward to the next set of High Republic books.
]]> Howling Dark 57700263 Hadrian Marlowe is lost.
For half a century, he has searched the farther suns for the lost planet of Vorgossos, hoping to find a way to contact the elusive alien Cielcin. He has not succeeded, and for years has wandered among the barbarian Normans as captain of a band of mercenaries.
Determined to make peace and bring an end to nearly four hundred years of war, Hadrian must venture beyond the security of the Sollan Empire and among the Extrasolarians who dwell between the stars. There, he will face not only the aliens he has come to offer peace, but contend with creatures that once were human, with traitors in his midst, and with a meeting that will bring him face to face with no less than the oldest enemy of mankind.
If he succeeds, he will usher in a peace unlike any in recorded history. If he fails... the galaxy will burn. Duration: 28:03:37]]> 29 Christopher Ruocchio 1501991272 Darlene 4 science-fiction
However, I love the world-building in this book. We actually get to meet a living legend as well as one of the Mericanii. I thought most of the book to be very interesting and entertaining. However, I did find some slow parts that were hard to get through.

One thing someone pointed out in another ŷ�� review is that Marlowe is the one reciting the story. Therefore, you have to take his word for things with skepticism. Because he's the narrator, he keeps himself in the best light. Also, some of the things he talks about are fantastical. I criticized the first-person narrative in my previous review. However, I'm starting to see why the author chose to write it this way and he writes it well.

I am going to take a break from this series and start with the next one in a few months, maybe.]]> 4.00 2019 Howling Dark

author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/03
date added: 2023/04/04
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I wish ŷ�� would let me do incremental ratings. While I don't think this completely deserves a 5, I feel that it deserves more than a 4. More like a 4.3. I had the same problems with this book as I had with the first one. Namely the length of the book and the detail of the story.

However, I love the world-building in this book. We actually get to meet a living legend as well as one of the Mericanii. I thought most of the book to be very interesting and entertaining. However, I did find some slow parts that were hard to get through.

One thing someone pointed out in another ŷ�� review is that Marlowe is the one reciting the story. Therefore, you have to take his word for things with skepticism. Because he's the narrator, he keeps himself in the best light. Also, some of the things he talks about are fantastical. I criticized the first-person narrative in my previous review. However, I'm starting to see why the author chose to write it this way and he writes it well.

I am going to take a break from this series and start with the next one in a few months, maybe.
]]> <![CDATA[The Lesser Devil (The Sun Eater, #1.5)]]> 53536557 185 Christopher Ruocchio Darlene 4 science-fiction
The length was just about right. I wouldn't have even minded a hundred more pages. The short format made the story go faster without much lag.]]> 3.90 2020 The Lesser Devil (The Sun Eater, #1.5)

author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/21
date added: 2023/02/21
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I give it 4.5-ish stars, actually. The story was not what I expected. I was pleasantly surprised about the French Catholic village. It's nice to see that some of the old Christian values still exist in this book series' universe. I do agree with the comments about too much of the short book being about fighting. I would have liked to see more about how the "museum Catholics" changed Crispin's worldview. However, it was nice to see how surprised he was about their lifestyle.

The length was just about right. I wouldn't have even minded a hundred more pages. The short format made the story go faster without much lag.
]]> <![CDATA[The Battle of Jedha (Star Wars: The High Republic)]]> 75615707 After the events of The High Republic: Convergence, the Jedi travel to Jedha in this all-new Star Wars audiobook original.

Jedha. The worn streets of this ancient world serve as a confluence for the galaxy. Visited by all, yet owned by none. Here, the Jedi are but one creed among many worshipping and studying the Force. From the Guardians of the Whills to the Path of the Open Hand, countless beings come to learn, and to share, in peace.

As all of Jedha prepares for its Festival of Balance, the galaxy still reels from the violence on Eiram and E’ronoh. But after foiling a plot to escalate the war between the two planets, the Jedi believe that a lasting peace may be within reach. Master Creighton Sun and Jedi Knight Aida Forte arrive on Jedha with delegations from both planets to formally end the “Forever War.�� The Jedi hope that the harmony of Jedha’s many factions, along with the signing of a peace treaty, will create a symbol to the rest of the galaxy of what can be accomplished through unity.

But not all are happy with the Jedi’s involvement or ready to concern themselves with peace. Rumors begin to swirl that the Jedi bring war in their wake. The distrust and anger that for so long fueled the Forever War now threaten to corrupt the communities of Jedha. When violence breaks out on the sacred moon, the war that was meant to end on Jedha may soon engulf the entire world.]]> 6 George Mann Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction
I gave it 4 stars because, to me, it felt like some of the voice acting was "over the top" and overdone. However, I liked the production and the sound effects made this more like listening to a movie and not a book.

The story was OK. In this audio play, you begin to see the connection between this series and the part one books. You see members of the Ro family and the Leveler makes an appearance. You are getting a look at the "seeds" of what happened in the other series.
]]> 3.53 2023 The Battle of Jedha (Star Wars: The High Republic)

The Battle of Jedha (Star Wars: The High Republic)

author: George Mann
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/19
date added: 2023/02/19
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
This is the second installment of part 2 of the High Republic series of books. In this case, this book is only available as an audio play. You can buy the script of the play, but as far as I know, there is no traditional-style book.

I gave it 4 stars because, to me, it felt like some of the voice acting was "over the top" and overdone. However, I liked the production and the sound effects made this more like listening to a movie and not a book.

The story was OK. In this audio play, you begin to see the connection between this series and the part one books. You see members of the Ro family and the Leveler makes an appearance. You are getting a look at the "seeds" of what happened in the other series.

]]> <![CDATA[Tempest Runner (Star Wars: The High Republic)]]> 57600821 Cavan Scott 059345586X Darlene 0 to-read 3.84 2021

Tempest Runner (Star Wars: The High Republic)

author: Cavan Scott
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Life of Pi 4214 460 Yann Martel 0770430074 Darlene 0 3.94 2001

author: Yann Martel
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time]]> 1618 226 Mark Haddon 1400032717 Darlene 0 3.89 2003

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

author: Mark Haddon
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Empire of Silence (Sun Eater, #1)]]> 59973058
This novel is not that story - not the only laid out in the history books, charting the 300 years of his life. Rather this is Hadrian's story, told in his own worlds. Of being passed over by his father for rule in favour of his younger brother and sent to a military academy against his wishes. Of being kidnapped in transit to that planet and sold into slavery on a planet at the edge of our war against the Cielcen... and of how he used their eventual attack to claw his way back into the dangers and opportunities of politics.]]> Christopher Ruocchio Darlene 4 fantasy, science-fiction
1. It was unnecessarily long and slow. I know some of the length is due to the complexity of the world-building, but I think it could have been shorter. I felt the plot didn't move fast enough. It slogged down a bit in a couple of parts.

2. It's a bit repetitive, somewhat. How many times did I need to hear that Marlowe lived on the streets or that he destroyed a sun?

3. I'm not 100% sure if the first-person point of view was the right way to go. It does help me connect more with the main character, but spoils things a bit. Some of the mystery is gone because I know Hadrian is going to survive whatever ordeal he goes through.

4. I saw too much derivation (borrowing) from other modern sci-fi and fantasy writers. However, I feel the author combines and changes them enough to make them unique. He also creates his own ideas that I haven't seen in other works.

However, I really did like the overall story and the world-building was very interesting and extensive. I am actually going to continue on in the series as I want to learn more about this "universe" and how Hadrian ends up in the future telling his story from prison.

]]> 3.29 2018 Empire of Silence (Sun Eater, #1)

author: Christopher Ruocchio
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/12
date added: 2023/02/12
shelves: fantasy, science-fiction
review:
I give it between a four and a five-star rating. I didn't give it five stars for a few reasons.

1. It was unnecessarily long and slow. I know some of the length is due to the complexity of the world-building, but I think it could have been shorter. I felt the plot didn't move fast enough. It slogged down a bit in a couple of parts.

2. It's a bit repetitive, somewhat. How many times did I need to hear that Marlowe lived on the streets or that he destroyed a sun?

3. I'm not 100% sure if the first-person point of view was the right way to go. It does help me connect more with the main character, but spoils things a bit. Some of the mystery is gone because I know Hadrian is going to survive whatever ordeal he goes through.

4. I saw too much derivation (borrowing) from other modern sci-fi and fantasy writers. However, I feel the author combines and changes them enough to make them unique. He also creates his own ideas that I haven't seen in other works.

However, I really did like the overall story and the world-building was very interesting and extensive. I am actually going to continue on in the series as I want to learn more about this "universe" and how Hadrian ends up in the future telling his story from prison.

]]> <![CDATA[Balance Point (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 6)]]> 1604247
Poisoned by centuries of technological excess, the planet Duro is an unlivable hell, long abandoned by its own inhabitants, who dwell above their polluted world in orbital habitats. But there is no place else to channel the flood of refugees fleeing the murderous Yuuzhan Vong. So a deal is In exchange for a new home, the refugees will work to restore the planet to health, under the watchful eye of Leia Organa Solo.

As tempers begin to flare between the Duros and the New Republic, and between groups of refugees, Han Solo, his son, Jacen, and the Ryn called Droma arrive to keep the peace. They are unaware that Leia is on Duro . . . and that Luke, Mara, and Anakin are on their way, searching for a missing Jedi apprentice. And none realize that the Yuuzhan Vong have chosen this embattled planet as the next target in their brutal coreward thrust.

The unrest only strengthens Jacen Solo's growing belief that a true Jedi should not fight, but should lead others to peace through a deeper understanding of the Force. Now, as the fragile stability on Duro threatens to collapse into violence, Jacen Solo must face his greatest At what point does the use of power become aggression? Whatever he decides, his next step could tip the galaxy's destiny toward the light or toward darknessówith the life of someone he loves hanging in the balance . . .]]> 333 Kathy Tyers 0345428579 Darlene 3 star-wars, science-fiction 3.64 2000 Balance Point (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 6)

Balance Point (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 6)

author: Kathy Tyers
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/10
date added: 2023/02/10
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I'm not sure about this one. I found it a bit of a chore to get through. Not much truly happens in this book. It takes place almost entirely on one planet. Nothing new is revealed, except the Yuuzon Vong want to kill all the Jedi. Hopefully, the next one moves the story along.
]]> <![CDATA[Convergence (Star Wars: The High Republic)]]> 60353769 The next adventure in the High Republic begins expanding the new era of Star Wars, with a story set generations before Light of the Jedi.

It is an age of exploration. Jedi travel the galaxy, expanding their understanding of the Force and all the worlds and beings connected by it. Meanwhile, the Republic, led by its two chancellors, works to unite worlds in an ever-growing community among near and distant stars.

On the close-orbiting planets of Eiram and E'ronoh, the growing pains of a galaxy with limited resources but unlimited ambition are felt keenly. The two worlds' hatred for each other has fueled half a decade of escalating conflict and now threatens to consume surrounding systems. The last hope for peace emerges when heirs from the planets' royal families plan to marry.

Before lasting peace can be established, an assassination attempt targeting the couple tilts Eiram and E'ronoh back into all-out war. To save both worlds, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai volunteers to uncover the culprit, while Chancellor Kyong appoints her own son, Axel Greylark, to represent the Republic's interests in the investigation.

But Axel's deep distrust of the Jedi sparks against Gella's faith in the Force. She's never met such a puffed-up, privileged party boy, and he's never met a more self-serious, relentless do-gooder. The harder they work to untangle the shadowy web of the investigation, the more complicated the conspiracy appears to be. With accusations flying and potential enemies in every shadow, the pair will have to work together to have any hope of bringing the truth to light and saving both worlds.]]> 340 Zoraida Córdova 0593358635 Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction 3.80 2022 Convergence (Star Wars: The High Republic)

Convergence (Star Wars: The High Republic)

author: Zoraida Córdova
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/15
date added: 2023/01/15
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
Very good. There's only a small cast of important characters, so you don't get the confusion you had with the Light of the Jedi. The story seemed typical Star Wars with a few fresh ideas. I look forward to reading the next one.
]]> Redshirts 14896596 Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory.

Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.

Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expendedon avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues�� understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.]]> 8 John Scalzi Darlene 5 science-fiction
I won't say much about the story, but it reflects on whether reality is real and the consequences of your actions. The story's premise is based on the officers wearing red shirts on Star Trek. If you've watched the show, you know whenever someone gets killed it's almost always someone in a red shirt. Except in this story, the red shirt officers begin to notice what is going on.

It's a fun read, and if you like Star Trek, you might find this one fun. The audio is read by Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), and he does a good job. I really liked the codas and the third coda almost had me in tears.]]> 3.89 2012 Redshirts

author: John Scalzi
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/10
date added: 2023/01/10
shelves: science-fiction
review:
4.5 stars, actually. It was a little confusing and you had to suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride.

I won't say much about the story, but it reflects on whether reality is real and the consequences of your actions. The story's premise is based on the officers wearing red shirts on Star Trek. If you've watched the show, you know whenever someone gets killed it's almost always someone in a red shirt. Except in this story, the red shirt officers begin to notice what is going on.

It's a fun read, and if you like Star Trek, you might find this one fun. The audio is read by Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), and he does a good job. I really liked the codas and the third coda almost had me in tears.
]]> Star Wars: Agents of Chaos 6550263
Jedi Eclipse finds Luke Skywalker doing his best to keep the quarreling Jedi Knights from splitting apart, taking the New Republic's only hope with them. Meanwhile, Han Solo continues his own battles, trying desperately to thwart the enemy's schemes, a challenge that may prove to be his greatest...or his last.]]> 480 James Luceno 0739412981 Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction
This book combines books 4 and 5 (or 4 and 6 depending on which reading list you read) of the New Jedi Order series. Both books featured Han Solo heavily. I actually liked the Han and Droma storyline. I also found the story about Skidder and the Yammosk interesting. Still, I have a long way to go before I get to the end of the series.]]> 3.89 2000 Star Wars: Agents of Chaos

author: James Luceno
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/03
date added: 2023/01/03
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I am steering this up to almost a 4.5, but not quite. It's a bit too long and had a few other minor issues (like a bunch of political talk) that make it less than perfect.

This book combines books 4 and 5 (or 4 and 6 depending on which reading list you read) of the New Jedi Order series. Both books featured Han Solo heavily. I actually liked the Han and Droma storyline. I also found the story about Skidder and the Yammosk interesting. Still, I have a long way to go before I get to the end of the series.
]]> <![CDATA[The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, #1)]]> 13412379 30 Robert Jordan Darlene 5 fantasy
I can see that Lord of the Rings was an influence (a Shire-like landscape, three young men making a journey, and tall and imposing mountains), but I feel this story has mostly unique elements. What did strike me was how similar Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" series was to this book (which came first).

Goodkind said he never read Jordan, though. But, both have an element of a young man living simply in a rural (western) area. Both involved a sword given to them with special symbols and meanings. Both also involve a young man who discovers he has a special inheritance. And, both stories involved meeting a woman with special powers that are off-limits to men.

Still, I see some major differences and ideas between the two authors, especially as both storylines went further along. I may try reading more of this series in the future when I have the time to do so.

]]> 4.03 1990 The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, #1)

The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, #1)

author: Robert Jordan
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/02
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: fantasy
review:
Actually, I give a 4.5 because it is excruciatingly long! Several people recommended this series to me over the years. However, after reading this first book, I wasn't enthralled enough with the story to feel a need to read the whole series (which would be thousands of pages). However, I do think it has an audience that would be very happy with it.

I can see that Lord of the Rings was an influence (a Shire-like landscape, three young men making a journey, and tall and imposing mountains), but I feel this story has mostly unique elements. What did strike me was how similar Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" series was to this book (which came first).

Goodkind said he never read Jordan, though. But, both have an element of a young man living simply in a rural (western) area. Both involved a sword given to them with special symbols and meanings. Both also involve a young man who discovers he has a special inheritance. And, both stories involved meeting a woman with special powers that are off-limits to men.

Still, I see some major differences and ideas between the two authors, especially as both storylines went further along. I may try reading more of this series in the future when I have the time to do so.

]]> <![CDATA[The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2)]]> 8695 alternate edition for ISBN 0345418921/9780345418920

Facing annihilation at the hands of the warlike Vogons is a curious time to have a cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his curious comrades in arms as they hurtle through space powered by pure improbability - and desperately in search of a place to eat. Among Arthur's motley shipmates are Ford Prefect, a long-time friend and contributor to the The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the three-armed, two-headed ex-president of the galaxy; Tricia McMilan, a fellow Earth refuge who's gone native (her name is Trillian now); and Marvin, who suffers nothing and no one gladly.

Source: douglasadams.com]]> 250 Douglas Adams Darlene 5 science-fiction 4.22 1980 The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2)

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2)

author: Douglas Adams
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1980
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/12/28
shelves: science-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Thrawn: Treason (Star Wars: Thrawn, #3)]]> 43160651 Grand Admiral Thrawn faces the ultimate test of his loyalty to the Empire in this epic Star Wars novel from bestselling author Timothy Zahn.

“If I were to serve the Empire, you would command my allegiance.��

Such was the promise Grand Admiral Thrawn made to Emperor Palpatine at their first meeting. Since then, Thrawn has been one of the Empire’s most effective instruments, pursuing its enemies to the very edges of the known galaxy. But as keen a weapon as Thrawn has become, the Emperor dreams of something far more destructive.

Now, as Thrawn’s TIE-defender program is halted in favor of Director Krennic’s secret Death Star project, he realizes that the balance of power in the Empire is measured by more than just military acumen or tactical efficiency. Even the greatest intellect can hardly compete with the power to annihilate entire planets.

As Thrawn works to secure his place in the Imperial hierarchy, his former protégé, Eli Vanto, returns with a dire warning about Thrawn's homeworld. Thrawn's mastery of strategy must guide him through an impossible choice: duty to the Chiss Ascendancy or fealty to the Empire he has sworn to serve. Even if the right choice means committing treason.]]> 333 Timothy Zahn 1984820982 Darlene 4 science-fiction, star-wars
Admiral Ar'alani plays a big role in this book and her seemingly over-emotional response to a lot of what Thrawn says and does makes me think that they once may have had some kind of personal history together. However, I felt like her character could have used more development.]]> 4.26 2019 Thrawn: Treason (Star Wars: Thrawn, #3)

author: Timothy Zahn
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/09/20
date added: 2022/12/28
shelves: science-fiction, star-wars
review:
I liked this one much better than the second book. This book brings back most of what I liked about the first one with Eli giving an outsider's perspective of the Chiss. This book actually had a plot, too. The only thing that really annoyed me was the constant "Sherlock-Watson" type question and answering between Thrawn and Commander Faro, though there was less "explaning" than in the last book. I also found the character Ronan to be a bit tiresome, but he does have his good moments.

Admiral Ar'alani plays a big role in this book and her seemingly over-emotional response to a lot of what Thrawn says and does makes me think that they once may have had some kind of personal history together. However, I felt like her character could have used more development.
]]> <![CDATA[Vector Prime (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #1)]]> 192214
Into this volatile atmosphere comes Nom Anor, a charismatic firebrand who heats passions to the boiling point, sowing seeds of dissent for his own dark motives. And as the Jedi and the Republic focus on internal struggles, a new threat surfaces from beyond the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim--an enemy bearing weapons and technology unlike anything New Republic scientists have ever seen.

Suddenly, Luke Skywalker; his wife, Mara; Han Solo; Leia Organa Solo; and Chewbacca--along with the Solo children--are thrust again into battle, to defend the freedom so many have fought and died for. But this time, the power of the Force itself may not be enough . . .]]> 416 R.A. Salvatore 0345479335 Darlene 4 science-fiction, star-wars 3.84 1999 Vector Prime (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #1)

Vector Prime (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, #1)

author: R.A. Salvatore
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/12/28
shelves: science-fiction, star-wars
review:
I wanted to continue on with this series, but I can't find the other books in our libraries. I'm not sure if I want to track down and purchase the entire series.
]]> <![CDATA[Light of the Jedi (Star Wars: The High Republic)]]> 51716447 Long before the First Order, before the Empire, before even The Phantom Menace ...Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in The High Republic

It is a golden age. Intrepid hyperspace scouts expand the reach of the Republic to the furthest stars, worlds flourish under the benevolent leadership of the Senate, and peace reigns, enforced by the wisdom and strength of the renowned order of Force users known as the Jedi. With the Jedi at the height of their power, the free citizens of the galaxy are confident in their ability to weather any storm But the even brightest light can cast a shadow, and some storms defy any preparation.

When a shocking catastrophe in hyperspace tears a ship to pieces, the flurry of shrapnel emerging from the disaster threatens an entire system. No sooner does the call for help go out than the Jedi race to the scene. The scope of the emergence, however, is enough to push even Jedi to their limit. As the sky breaks open and destruction rains down upon the peaceful alliance they helped to build, the Jedi must trust in the Force to see them through a day in which a single mistake could cost billions of lives.

Even as the Jedi battle valiantly against calamity, something truly deadly grows beyond the boundary of the Republic. The hyperspace disaster is far more sinister than the Jedi could ever suspect. A threat hides in the darkness, far from the light of the age, and harbors a secret that could strike fear into even a Jedi’s heart.

©2020 Charles Soule (P)2020 Random House Audio]]> Charles Soule Darlene 3 science-fiction, star-wars 3.66 2021 Light of the Jedi (Star Wars: The High Republic)

Light of the Jedi (Star Wars: The High Republic)

author: Charles Soule
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/06/30
date added: 2022/12/28
shelves: science-fiction, star-wars
review:
I was going to give it four stars, but the author did the same thing at the end of the book that annoyed me in the beginning. I thought the setup to the story involving the Legacy Run was pretty good. However, when the Jedi and all their abilities were introduced, it sounded so corny. There are only a few Jedi you really need to pay attention to, actually. Plus, all the catchphrases annoyed and irritated me. However, the actual story aside from all that wasn't bad. I may continue reading the series, but I'm not sure.
]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Dark Tide 2: Ruin]]> 1146649 0 Michael A. Stackpole 0375409696 Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction 3.68 2000

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Dark Tide 2: Ruin

author: Michael A. Stackpole
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/11
date added: 2022/12/28
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
Pretty decent book. You get to see or hear about fan favorites such as Pellaeon and the Chiss. My copy was abridged, but I also think Parck is mentioned or in the book. Thrawn is mentioned at least twice. You also get to know more about the Vong.
]]> The Ferryman 61282437 New York Times bestselling author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia--where the truth isn't what it seems.

Founded by a mysterious genius, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world. In this island paradise, Prospera's lucky citizens enjoy long, fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below 10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed, their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life afresh.

Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, has a satisfying career as a ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement process--and, when necessary, enforcing it. But all is not well with Proctor. For one thing, he's been dreaming--which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry.

Meanwhile, something is stirring. The Support Staff, ordinary men and women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there are rumors spreading of a resistance group--known as "Arrivalists"--who may be fomenting revolution.

Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed, entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized--and on a desperate mission to uncover the truth.]]> 538 Justin Cronin 052561947X Darlene 0 to-read 3.86 2023 The Ferryman

author: Justin Cronin
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Greater Good (Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy, #2)]]> 55213748
Thrawn's latest triumph still rests newly on his shoulders. Despite leading the Chiss to victory and bringing glory to the House of Mitth, the true threat to the Ascendancy has not yet been extinguished. Their foes do not send threats or ultimatums, or mass ships on the edge of the Chaos. Their weapons come cloaked in smiles and generosity: gifts offered freely. Services granted unconditionally.

Across the Ascendancy, seemingly inconsequential events could herald the doom of the Chiss. As Thrawn and the Expansionary Defense Fleet rally to uncover the enemy plot, they discover a chilling truth: rather than invade Chiss capitals or pillage their resources, they strike at the very foundation of the Ascendancy, seeking to widen the rifts between the Nine Ruling Families and the Forty Great Houses below. As rivalry and suspicion sow discord among allies, each warrior must decide what matters most to them: the security of their family, or the survival of the Ascendancy itself.]]> 432 Timothy Zahn Darlene 4 science-fiction, star-wars
Yes, Thrawn is not in every scene in this book. There are parts where he's not in for several pages. However, he was in there enough for me. I liked how we were allowed to figure out things ourselves and be ahead of him as he puts the pieces together. I felt the Chiss characters were relatable and human-like, so it was easy to read through the slow parts. I could understand their points of view, they didn't feel uncomfortably weird as some sci-fi aliens can seem to be.

Edit 12/14/2022:

2nd time reading this book and my review still stands. I did notice more of the interconnectivity of the events this time around. Zahn did a good job with consistency.
]]> 4.13 2021 Greater Good (Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy, #2)

Greater Good (Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy, #2)

author: Timothy Zahn
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/14
date added: 2022/12/14
shelves: science-fiction, star-wars
review:
I really want to give this an almost-five, but there's no 4.5 rating. I had a few minor irritations with the book, but otherwise, the story was great. When I first read the reviews, I thought this book was going to be like the first part of Phantom Menace with political talk, etc. However, there wasn't a whole lot of politics, just enough for you to get a gist of how the Chiss government works and a few other important things.

Yes, Thrawn is not in every scene in this book. There are parts where he's not in for several pages. However, he was in there enough for me. I liked how we were allowed to figure out things ourselves and be ahead of him as he puts the pieces together. I felt the Chiss characters were relatable and human-like, so it was easy to read through the slow parts. I could understand their points of view, they didn't feel uncomfortably weird as some sci-fi aliens can seem to be.

Edit 12/14/2022:

2nd time reading this book and my review still stands. I did notice more of the interconnectivity of the events this time around. Zahn did a good job with consistency.

]]> Heir to the Jedi 23357469 ��
A thrilling new adventure set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and—for the first time ever—written entirely from Luke Skywalker’s first-person point of view.

Luke Skywalker’s game-changing destruction of the Death Star has made him not only a hero of the Rebel Alliance but a valuable asset in the ongoing battle against the Empire. Though he’s a long way from mastering the power of the Force, there’s no denying his phenomenal skills as a pilot—and in the eyes of Rebel leaders Princess Leia Organa and Admiral Ackbar, there’s no one better qualified to carry out a daring rescue mission crucial to the Alliance cause.
��
A brilliant alien cryptographer renowned for her ability to breach even the most advanced communications systems is being detained by Imperial agents determined to exploit her exceptional talents for the Empire’s purposes. But the prospective spy’s sympathies lie with the Rebels, and she’s willing to join their effort in exchange for being reunited with her family. It’s an opportunity to gain a critical edge against the Empire that’s too precious to pass up. It’s also a job that demands the element of surprise. So Luke and the ever-resourceful droid R2-D2 swap their trusty X-wing fighter for a sleek space yacht piloted by brash recruit Nakari Kelen, daughter of a biotech mogul, who’s got a score of her own to settle with the Empire.
��
Challenged by ruthless Imperial bodyguards, death-dealing enemy battleships, merciless bounty hunters, and monstrous brain-eating parasites, Luke plunges head-on into a high-stakes espionage operation that will push his abilities as a Rebel fighter and would-be Jedi to the limit. If ever he needed the wisdom of Obi-Wan Kenobi to shepherd him through danger, it’s now. But Luke will have to rely on himself, his friends, and his own burgeoning relationship with the Force to survive.]]> Kevin Hearne 080419176X Darlene 5 star-wars, science-fiction
I liked how this book stayed faithful to the original Star Wars movie. It is set just after the Battle of Yavin. Luke did not know much about using the Force or about who his father and sister really were. It also showed him with a potential love interest. Lots of action as well.]]> 3.11 2015 Heir to the Jedi

author: Kevin Hearne
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.11
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2022/11/25
date added: 2022/11/25
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
I would say 4.5 stars because there were some slow parts and gory violence.

I liked how this book stayed faithful to the original Star Wars movie. It is set just after the Battle of Yavin. Luke did not know much about using the Force or about who his father and sister really were. It also showed him with a potential love interest. Lots of action as well.
]]> <![CDATA[The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia, #4)]]> 65641 Jill and Eustace must rescue the Prince from the evil Witch.

NARNIA...where owls are wise, where some of the giants like to snack on humans, where a prince is put under an evil spell...and where the adventure begins.

Eustace and Jill escape from the bullies at school through a strange door in the wall, which, for once, is unlocked. It leads to the open moor...or does it? Once again Aslan has a task for the children, and Narnia needs them. Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, they pursue the quest that brings them face to face with the evil Witch. She must be defeated if Prince Rillian is to be saved.]]> 243 C.S. Lewis Darlene 0 fantasy 3.96 1953 The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia, #4)

The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia, #4)

author: C.S. Lewis
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1953
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/25
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Swarm War (Star Wars: Dark Nest, #3)]]> 35412

The Chiss-Killik border war is threatening to engulf the entire galaxy and raising the awful specter of Killiks sweeping across space to absorb all living creatures into a single hive mind. The only hope for peace lies with the Jedi-and only if they can not only end the bloodshed between two fierce enemies but also combat the insidious evil spread by the elusive Dark Nest and its unseen queen.

Leia's newly acquired Jedi skills will be put to the ultimate test in the coming life-and-death battle. As for Luke, he will have to prove, in a lightning display of Force strength and swordplay, that he is- beyond a shadow of a doubt-the greatest Jedi Master in the galaxy.]]> 384 Troy Denning 0345463056 Darlene 0 to-read 3.50 2005 The Swarm War (Star Wars: Dark Nest, #3)

The Swarm War (Star Wars: Dark Nest, #3)

author: Troy Denning
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1)]]> 8855321
Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for—and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations—and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.]]> 592 James S.A. Corey 1841499889 Darlene 5 science-fiction
I liked the realistic science fiction, though. The book was set about 200 years into the future. This time is often portrayed in other sci-fi novels and films. However, this story doesn't contain a lot of very advanced space technology. Technology has improved over this time period, but humans are still confined to the solar system. Much of the potentially habitable areas are populated, and the people have been living outside of Earth long enough to show physical and language adaptations.

This realism makes the story more relatable and believable. The people in the story aren't much different in mannerisms and lifestyles from modern-day Earthlings. However, it does come across as odd at some times, such as when different ships shoot at each other. The ships and weapons are slower, and it's weird when several minutes pass before anything happens or that the other ship couldn't get away in time.

I loved the last part of the book and actually felt a bit sad about Miller and Juliette Mao. I plan to read the next book in the line and watch the television show.

]]> 4.30 2011 Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2022/11/11
date added: 2022/11/11
shelves: science-fiction
review:
I want to give it 4.5 stars because of the length and because I was confused quite a few times (which isn't unusual for a long audiobook where it's hard to scroll back to find the exact part where you got confused). I had to look up some external information to explain or refresh what I had learned earlier.

I liked the realistic science fiction, though. The book was set about 200 years into the future. This time is often portrayed in other sci-fi novels and films. However, this story doesn't contain a lot of very advanced space technology. Technology has improved over this time period, but humans are still confined to the solar system. Much of the potentially habitable areas are populated, and the people have been living outside of Earth long enough to show physical and language adaptations.

This realism makes the story more relatable and believable. The people in the story aren't much different in mannerisms and lifestyles from modern-day Earthlings. However, it does come across as odd at some times, such as when different ships shoot at each other. The ships and weapons are slower, and it's weird when several minutes pass before anything happens or that the other ship couldn't get away in time.

I loved the last part of the book and actually felt a bit sad about Miller and Juliette Mao. I plan to read the next book in the line and watch the television show.

]]> Sense and Sensibility 37553 Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen presents us with the subtle portraits of two contrasting but equally compelling heroines.

For sensible Elinor Dashwood and her impetuous younger sister Marianne the prospect of marrying the men they love appears remote. In a world ruled by money and self-interest, the Dashwood sisters have neither fortune nor connections. Concerned for others and for social proprieties, Elinor is ill-equipped to compete with self-centered fortune-hunters like Lucy Steele, while Marianne's unswerving belief in the truth of her own feelings makes her more dangerously susceptible to the designs of unscrupulous men.

Through her heroines' parallel experiences of love, loss, and hope, Jane Austen offers a powerful analysis of the ways in which women's lives were shaped by the claustrophobic society in which they had to survive.

This revised edition contains new notes, appendices, chronology, and bibliography.]]> 327 Jane Austen 0192804782 Darlene 0 4.11 1811 Sense and Sensibility

author: Jane Austen
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1811
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel]]> 60433793 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �� You are cordially invited to the wedding of Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo.

The Death Star is destroyed. Darth Vader is dead. The Empire is desolate. But on the forest moon of Endor, among the chaos of a changing galaxy, time stands still for a princess and her scoundrel.

After being frozen in carbonite, then risking everything for the Rebellion, Han is eager to stop living his life for other people. He and Leia have earned their future together, a thousand times over. And when he proposes to Leia, it’s the first time in a long time he’s had a good feeling about this. For Leia, a lifetime of fighting doesn’t seem truly over. There is work still to do, penance to pay for the dark secret that she now knows runs through her veins. Her brother, Luke, is offering her that chance—one that comes with family and the promise of the Force. But when Han asks her to marry him, Leia finds her answer immediately on her lips . . . Yes.

Yet happily ever after doesn’t come easily. As soon as Han and Leia depart their idyllic ceremony for their honeymoon, they find themselves on the grandest and most glamorous stage of the Halcyon, a luxury vessel on a very public journey to the most wondrous worlds in the galaxy. Their marriage, and the peace and prosperity it represents,��are a lightning rod for all—including Imperial remnants still clinging to power.

Facing their most desperate hour, the soldiers of the Empire have dispersed across the galaxy, retrenching on isolated planets vulnerable to their influence. As the Halcyon travels from world to world, one thing becomes abundantly The war is not over. But as danger draws closer, Han and Leia find that they fight their best battles not alone, but as husband and wife.]]> 353 Beth Revis 059349850X Darlene 4 star-wars
The beginning of the book gives a very detailed account of what happened on Endor between when the second Death Star exploded and the marriage ceremony. I know in the old Legends books, Han and Leia were married several years after the Battle of Endor, but I think this book aligns more with the end of the Return of the Jedi.

Also, parts in the book reminded me of Tattooine's Ghost where Leia comes to terms with her feelings about her father.]]> 3.90 2022 Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel

Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel

author: Beth Revis
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/18
date added: 2022/10/18
shelves: star-wars
review:
I gave it four stars because I felt like it drifted around a bit. I really didn't see any plot or storyline until halfway through the book. I did enjoy the "slice of life" narrative before, but a story needed a plotline or a goal. The second half of the book when the story actually started was pretty good and kept me reading.

The beginning of the book gives a very detailed account of what happened on Endor between when the second Death Star exploded and the marriage ceremony. I know in the old Legends books, Han and Leia were married several years after the Battle of Endor, but I think this book aligns more with the end of the Return of the Jedi.

Also, parts in the book reminded me of Tattooine's Ghost where Leia comes to terms with her feelings about her father.
]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: The Truce at Bakura]]> 13134724

From the Paperback edition.]]> Kathy Tyers 0553754831 Darlene 3 star-wars, science-fiction It was OK.

This was one of the first Star Wars books to come out after the Thrawn Trilogy. I think they were hoping to ride on those books' successes. I tried to read this years ago but never got through it. The abridged audio version was easy to listen to and follow. The story was fairly interesting and well-constructed, and the narration was excellent. It just was a bit bland compared to some of the other Star Wars books I've read or listened to.]]> 3.40 1994 Star Wars: The Truce at Bakura

author: Kathy Tyers
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.40
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/15
date added: 2022/10/15
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
It was OK.

This was one of the first Star Wars books to come out after the Thrawn Trilogy. I think they were hoping to ride on those books' successes. I tried to read this years ago but never got through it. The abridged audio version was easy to listen to and follow. The story was fairly interesting and well-constructed, and the narration was excellent. It just was a bit bland compared to some of the other Star Wars books I've read or listened to.
]]> Bloodline (Star Wars) 25733885 Witness the birth of the Resistance

When the Rebellion defeated the Empire in the skies above Endor, Leia Organa believed it was the beginning to a lasting peace. But after decades of vicious infighting and partisan gridlock in the New Republic Senate, that hope seems like a distant memory.

Now a respected senator, Leia must grapple with the dangers that threaten to cripple the fledgling democracy—from both within and without. Underworld kingpins, treacherous politicians, and Imperial loyalists are sowing chaos in the galaxy. Desperate to take action, senators are calling for the election of a First Senator. It is their hope that this influential post will bring strong leadership to a divided galaxy.

As the daughter of Darth Vader, Leia faces with distrust the prospect of any one person holding such a powerful position—even when supporters suggest Leia herself for the job. But a new enemy may make this path Leia’s only option. For at the edges of the galaxy, a mysterious threat is growing...]]> 332 Claudia Gray 0345511360 Darlene 0 star-wars, science-fiction 3.99 2016 Bloodline (Star Wars)

author: Claudia Gray
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/11
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:

]]> Star Wars: Death Troopers 13135257
And death is only the beginning.

The Purge’s half-dozen survivors–two teenage brothers, a sadistic captain of the guards, a couple of rogue smugglers, and the chief medical officer, the lone woman on board–will do whatever it takes to stay alive. But nothing can prepare them for what lies waiting aboard the Star Destroyer amid its vast creaking emptiness that isn’t really empty at all. For the dead are rising: soulless, unstoppable, and unspeakably hungry.

From the Hardcover edition.]]> 7 Joe Schreiber 0307578275 Darlene 3 star-wars, science-fiction
However, the story was easy to follow and each scene logically follows the one before. So, it's not a horrible read. It's great for the Halloween season.]]> 3.37 2009 Star Wars: Death Troopers

author: Joe Schreiber
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/07
date added: 2022/10/07
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
It's the Zombie Apocalypse--Star Wars style! The reason I gave this book a 3-star rating is all the cliches about flesh-eating zombies. A prison barge becomes stranded out in space near a derelict star destroyer. A couple of teams go aboard the Imperial ship and come back to the barge with a strange disease. Not only does the disease quickly spread and kill nearly everyone, but it also re-animates the dead into flesh-eating zombies. At least they didn't scream out "braaaaainsss!"

However, the story was easy to follow and each scene logically follows the one before. So, it's not a horrible read. It's great for the Halloween season.
]]> <![CDATA[Revan (Star Wars: The Old Republic, #1)]]> 10687840 There’s something out there:
a juggernaut of evil bearing down to crush the Republicâ,
unless one lone Jedi, shunned and reviled, can stop it.

Revan: hero, traitor, conqueror, villain, savior. A Jedi who left Coruscant to defeat Mandalorians and returned a disciple of the dark side, bent on destroying the Republic. The Jedi Council gave Revan his life back, but the price of redemption was high. His memories have been erased. All that’s left are nightmares and deep, abiding fear.

What exactly happened beyond the Outer Rim? Revan can’t quite remember, yet can’t entirely forget. Somehow he stumbled across a terrible secret that threatens the very existence of the Republic. With no idea what it is, or how to stop it, Revan may very well fail, for he’s never faced a more powerful and diabolic enemy. But only death can stop him from trying.]]> 289 Drew Karpyshyn 0345511344 Darlene 4 star-wars, science-fiction 3.99 2011 Revan (Star Wars: The Old Republic, #1)

author: Drew Karpyshyn
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/06
date added: 2022/10/06
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
Though I have played a little of the game, this book had all new characters and situations for me. It started out slow for the first half, so I gave it four stars. However, it got really interesting about halfway through and had a very good ending.
]]> <![CDATA[A Song of Comfortable Chairs (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #23)]]> 61383948
Grace Makutsi’s husband, Phuti, is in a bind. An international firm is attempting to undercut his prices in the office furniture market. Phuti has always been concerned with quality and comfort, but this new firm seems interested only in profits. To make matters worse, they have a slick new advertising campaign that seems hard to beat. Nonetheless with Mma Ramotswe’s help, Phtui comes up with a campaign that may just do the trick.
Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi is approached by an old friend who has a troubled son. Grace and Phuti agree to lend a hand, but the boy proves difficult to reach, and the situation is more than they can handle on their own. It will require not only all of their patience and dedication, but also the help of Mma Ramotswe and the formidable Mma Potokwani in order to help the child.
Faced with more than her fair share of domestic problems, Mma Makutsi deals with it all with her usual grace. That, along with the kindness, generosity, and good sense that the No. 1 Ladies�� Detective Agency is known for, assure us that in the end, all these matters will be set right.]]> 9 Alexander McCall Smith Darlene 5 3.92 2022 A Song of Comfortable Chairs (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #23)

A Song of Comfortable Chairs (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #23)

author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/30
date added: 2022/09/30
shelves: no-1-ladies-detective-agency, africa
review:
Another fun romp with Mma Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi. Violet Sapoto rears her head again to cause problems for Grace and Phuti.
]]> Outbound Flight (Star Wars) 569481
The Clone Wars have yet to erupt when Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth petitions the Senate for support of a singularly ambitious undertaking. Six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights, and fifty thousand men, women, and children will embark–aboard a gargantuan vessel, equipped for years of travel–on a mission to contact intelligent life and colonize undiscovered worlds beyond the known galaxy. The government bureaucracy threatens to scuttle the expedition before it can even start–until Master C’baoth foils a murderous conspiracy plot, winning him the political capital he needs to set in motion the dream of Outbound Flight.

Or so it would seem. For unknown to the famed Jedi Master, the successful launch of the mission is secretly being orchestrated by an unlikely ally: the evil Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who has his own reasons for wanting Outbound Flight to move forward . . . and, ultimately, to fail.

Yet Darth Sidious is not the mission’s most dangerous challenge. Once underway, the starship crosses paths at the edge of Unknown Space with the forces of the alien Chiss Ascendancy and the brilliant mastermind best known as “Thrawn.�� Even Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, aboard Outbound Flight with his young Padawan student, Anakin Skywalker, cannot help avert disaster. Thus what begins as a peaceful Jedi mission is violently transformed into an all-out war for survival against staggering odds–and the most diabolical of adversaries.

Timothy Zahn’s unique mix of espionage, political gamesmanship, and deadly interstellar combat breathes electrifying life into a Star Wars legend.]]> 464 Timothy Zahn 0345456831 Darlene 4 science-fiction, star-wars
Update: I just re-read this in abridged audio. It's almost impossible to get an unabridged audio version of this book. However, I did pick up a few things that made me like the book more, so I upped my rating to 4 stars.

But, I would NOT recommend picking up the abridged audio version. Stick to the full book instead. I didn't like the way the book was parsed for the shortened version. They took out nearly all of the ending with Thrass and Lorana. It pretty much didn't make any sense anymore. Such a disappointment because that was my favorite part. I did like the voice acting with this version, though.]]> 4.01 2006 Outbound Flight (Star Wars)

author: Timothy Zahn
name: Darlene
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2018/05/21
date added: 2022/09/25
shelves: science-fiction, star-wars
review:
I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping that this book would show more of what life was like with the Chiss before Thrawn came to the Republic as well as more about the Outbound Flight project. However, this book seemed pretty weak and I really didn't feel much for the characters. Thrawn and Car'das were the best thing about this book, but there wasn't enough about them. I really wished that more depth was given to Thrawn's brother, Thrass. It was almost like he was an afterthought. It seemed like I barely got to know him.

Update: I just re-read this in abridged audio. It's almost impossible to get an unabridged audio version of this book. However, I did pick up a few things that made me like the book more, so I upped my rating to 4 stars.

But, I would NOT recommend picking up the abridged audio version. Stick to the full book instead. I didn't like the way the book was parsed for the shortened version. They took out nearly all of the ending with Thrass and Lorana. It pretty much didn't make any sense anymore. Such a disappointment because that was my favorite part. I did like the voice acting with this version, though.
]]> The Vanishing Half 53445940
The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect?

Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.]]> 12 Brit Bennett Darlene 4
I found the characters interesting and the story engaging. It was slow at first but got very interesting as the book went on. It's not simply about twins who end up leading vastly different lives. It's about identity and connections be it changing identities or returning to old identities. I would recommend this book to anyone.]]> 3.99 2020 The Vanishing Half

author: Brit Bennett
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/18
date added: 2022/09/18
shelves:
review:
Great book. I gave it four stars not because of the writing, but because I had problems with the flow. The time and place seemed to jump around a bit and I often got confused, especially when listening to it on audio.

I found the characters interesting and the story engaging. It was slow at first but got very interesting as the book went on. It's not simply about twins who end up leading vastly different lives. It's about identity and connections be it changing identities or returning to old identities. I would recommend this book to anyone.
]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide 1: Onslaught]]> 13134096
It is a perilous time for the New Republic. Just when unity is needed most, mistrust is on the rise. Even the Jedi feel the strain, as rogue elements rebel against Luke's leadership. When alien invaders known as the Yunnan Vong strike without warning, the New Republic is thrown on the defensive. Merciless warriors, the Yunnan Vong glory in torture. Their technology is as strange as it is deadly. Most ominous of all, they are impervious to the Force.

Now Luke must wield all the awesome powers of a Jedi Master to defeat the gravest threat since Darth Vader. As Leia and Gavin Darklighter lead desperate refugees in a fighting retreat from Yunnan Vong forces, Mara Jade, Anakin, Jacen, and Corran Horn find themselves tested as never before by a faceless, implacable foe determined to smother the light of the New Republic forever beneath a shroud of darkest evil . . .

From the Paperback edition.]]> Michael A. Stackpole 0375418024 Darlene 3 star-wars 3.47 2000 Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide 1: Onslaught

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide 1: Onslaught

author: Michael A. Stackpole
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at: 2022/09/07
date added: 2022/09/08
shelves: star-wars
review:
Unfortunately, I was only able to get my hands on an abridged version. So, I missed out on a lot of the character-building that I would get with the full novel. I enjoyed the story, but I found the writing a bit repetitive. I would almost say to skip over this one in the Yuuzhan Vong saga, except it does offer some progression in the main character's storylines that may be useful when you read the later books.
]]> <![CDATA[Annihilation (Mass Effect: Andromeda, #3)]]> 43841394 21 Catherynne M. Valente Darlene 3 science-fiction It was OK. It starts out as a murder mystery on an all-alien sleeper ship to Andromeda (no humans in this story at all). They are on their way to meet the Nexus, the ship in the first novel. However, about 30 years short of their goal, their ship (the Keelah Si'yah)'s A.I. wakes up a team to investigate signs of a mass die-off of Drells.

Though I thought this was a good start, the majority of the book is very, very slow. Hence the mediocre rating. However, I did find it interesting enough to keep reading. The ending was a little bit of a surprise, too.]]> 3.81 2018 Annihilation (Mass Effect: Andromeda, #3)

Annihilation (Mass Effect: Andromeda, #3)

author: Catherynne M. Valente
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/28
date added: 2022/08/28
shelves: science-fiction
review:
It was OK. It starts out as a murder mystery on an all-alien sleeper ship to Andromeda (no humans in this story at all). They are on their way to meet the Nexus, the ship in the first novel. However, about 30 years short of their goal, their ship (the Keelah Si'yah)'s A.I. wakes up a team to investigate signs of a mass die-off of Drells.

Though I thought this was a good start, the majority of the book is very, very slow. Hence the mediocre rating. However, I did find it interesting enough to keep reading. The ending was a little bit of a surprise, too.
]]> <![CDATA[Star Wars: The Dark Rival (Jedi Apprentice, #2)]]> 359816
But now Xanatos is back.

And he wants revenge.]]> 122 Jude Watson 0590519255 Darlene 5 star-wars, science-fiction 3.79 1999

Star Wars: The Dark Rival (Jedi Apprentice, #2)

author: Jude Watson
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/05
date added: 2022/08/05
shelves: star-wars, science-fiction
review:
The continuing story of young Obi-Wan's earliest days with Qui-Gon.
]]> <![CDATA[Initiation (Mass Effect: Andromeda, #2)]]> 36694013
Returning to Earth, Cora finds herself a stranger among other humans, and joins the Andromeda Initiative as Alec Ryder's second-in-command. The mission will send 100,000 colonists on a one-way, 600-year-long journey into the unknown. When essential - and dangerous - tech is stolen, Cora is assigned to recover it before it can be used against the Initiative, and end the mission before it can begin.]]> 9 N.K. Jemisin Darlene 4 science-fiction Pretty Good Overall

I think most people, whether they've played the game or not, would enjoy this story. This is a separate story from Nexus Uprising, but it also involves the Andromeda initiative. I liked the more focused, streamlined storyline compared to Nexus Uprising. This book also blends more of the game elements from all the Mass Effect games. So, if you're a fan of the game, you may find this story fun.]]> 3.58 2017 Initiation (Mass Effect: Andromeda, #2)

author: N.K. Jemisin
name: Darlene
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2022/07/26
date added: 2022/07/26
shelves: science-fiction
review:
Pretty Good Overall

I think most people, whether they've played the game or not, would enjoy this story. This is a separate story from Nexus Uprising, but it also involves the Andromeda initiative. I liked the more focused, streamlined storyline compared to Nexus Uprising. This book also blends more of the game elements from all the Mass Effect games. So, if you're a fan of the game, you may find this story fun.
]]>