The Thousand Names by Django Wexler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

By this point, I can I say I've read a ton of epic fantasy, and a good deal of those are full of gunpowder and mages, generally landing on the full war-campaign side of the fantasy genre.

This novel, I must admit, is kinda old-hat. Of course, back when it came out, I'm sure it was a huge success.

That being said, I did enjoy it on its own merits. It has everything a war-campaign fantasy fan would want, including some intrigue, big bads that genuinely surprise the heroes, and a sprawling world.

I like it in small doses, myself, unless it really goes above and beyond the norm. I'm willing to keep on with this, knowing that he's been a respected name in the field.

It even has the feel of military rations. So, at least to my synesthesia, it hits all the targets on my tongue. :)


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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The Wandering Inn: Volume 6 by Pirateaba
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Near perfect for enjoyment, I loved this book on many, many levels. Mostly, its quality of STORYTELLING and how it builds on everything that came before makes this an automatic win for me. It's not perfect. There are a few circle backs that are annoying, but the good FAR outweighs the bad.

That being said-- Wow.

If you're this far in, with all the epic fantasy bits kicking some serious ass, filled with both depth and breadth, then you know.

This cake is rising nicely. And yes, we can have it and eat it too. So rich.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This had that near-perfect pitch of "I'm a total book-nerd introvert finally finding a place to BE, and BELONG, with others who just accept me as I am."

If you're not looking for that, then fine, but if you ARE that type, this one is a feel-good novel with romance, magic, a bit of conspiratorial fluff, and comfort.

I really enjoyed it. It's a genre in itself.

It's also comfort food of a different aspect: I swore I could smell the raspberry jam as I read it, with all the fresh bread I could bake.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More like a 3.5 rating.

Decent novel, entertaining enough to get back into the series after feeling somewhat meh about the series as a whole. A few bits of pretty wow action/magic sequences with a whole bunch of meandering doesn't really equate with an even, all-rounder. But, like I said, it does have its moments and I did eventually come back.

This one was fine. No real complaints, but I still just thought it was fine. Politics, goblins, slight carryovers from previous novels. It was fine.

But after having read so many UFs over the years, and not following the bandwagon of this series as it comes out fresh, I can't really yell with the other fans.

My synesthesia tells me this smells of french fries. Fast food french fries. Probably McD. Of course, some people like that crap--but me? Not so much. I feel like I'm going to regret it.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First off, I'll just mention my impression of this book without the name Brandon Sanderson attached to it.

Read as a standard adventure SF, it frankly rocks. It has the reluctant hero crashing into a benighted town (or rather, an INVESTED Cosmere hero escaping from undead mercenary spacefarers, barely escaping from his life and out of funds (investment) only to find a really great, deadly world where the sun burns all it touches. Add your tyrants, your desprate populace, and a whole lot of big action, and we've got ourselves a rare example of what made early SF great: a western dressed up super smart and it's flashy enough for any big-time fan of concept-driven space opera.

Honestly, I would probably be pointing at this one as an example of what I'd most want to see on the market right now. We're far outgrown the westerns, according to the publishing industry, but the westerns haven't outgrown US. Indeed, a little rough justice, a little desperate KINDNESS, sounds just about right.


As for the whole Brandon Sanderson thing? This one is a direct carry-through from Dawnshard. Same character. Not that you have to know that. This is a perfect example of the wanderer motif. Pick it up anywhere, and enjoy.


Tasty tasty sunlight on the tongue. That's my impression. Sparkling clear light going down my throat. Nom nom.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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The Wandering Inn: Volume 5 by Pirateaba
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, I'm well beyond hooked on this. It just has the right pacing and the fearlessness to go far out afield to develop brand new characters over grand stretches of story, get me to love them, and fill me up with an entirely different view of this world. Funnily enough, each time this happens in the previous books, there's no switching back and forth between our other established characters until much later, but IMHO, this is a great feature. I feel grounded at all times. I care. And in this one, I seriously cared. I even teared up more times than I can count.

I'll tell you a secret. It may not be a huge secret, but it's one that is probably a huge, huge secret when it comes to those in charge of the normal publishing industry: I, and quite a few like me, absolutely ADORE huge books. I'm not talking about huge series, of which this is also one, but huge single books, as well. There's something very special about wandering in an absolutely enormous world, getting to know every aspect of it, falling in love with each character that shows us, and settling in for that potentially epic betrayal that might come with the obvious conflict to come.

In that respect, it's just like Wheel of Time. Staying away from your core characters isn't a bug. It's a feature. And going back over important scenes from their points of views, with all their secrets, is actually all kinds of wonderful. What seemed rather innocuous in one moment gets blasted with intense meaning and danger the next.

And best of all? We get to take our time. We're allowed to FEEL the slow, inexorable danger, know the vast motivations of the the great evils and all those who would oppose or at least be obliquely belligerent. And I'm talking about whole armies, here. Many armies. And single runners, innkeepers, grizzled old war heroes, ant queens, drakes, and gnolls. The small and the big events are given equal care here.

I'm frankly rather impressed. All along, I've been enjoying the hell out of this, all the silly bits, the slow comfort bits, as much as the grand danger and action bits. I think this series is simply filling my heart.

Or my stomach. With cake. Great fluffy cake with icing so sweet. But it's not an everyday cake. Oh, no. I feel like I've waited years, years of missed birthdays, and now Erin has come to me with something really special. Wondrous, even.

:)


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-read: 1/29/25

Strangely enough, even after multiple readings, I find myself loving this novel more and more and more. Or is that more divided by two but the squared by 72, for the number of average heartbeats per minute?

Ah, never mind, I'm just gonna stand here and spin little flowers of time until somebody puts a broom back in my hand.

Truly, this one just one gets better with age. Or if not, age, because I'm stuck in an endless now, at least a function of one moment of age.

And with that, I eat a piece of chocolate. And not only a piece, but an endless panorama of Ankh Morporkian chocolates, of which I can absolutely taste through the page. And yes, a hint of the future Foul Old Ron, I believe, but so faint as to not drive away all my future readings.

Fully recommend, even for any new readers, especially if you want mysterious monks, personifications of high concepts, a little apocalypse, and a broom.



Re-read: 7/29/19

Cheese and Chaos, time and death, the grand auditors of the universe, and every kung-fu movie ever made.

Does this sum up this novel?

Yep, pretty much. :)


Some parts in the middle dragged a bit, but getting all the horsemen together and Ronnie sped it up a great deal. And is it just me, or do Ronnie and Gaspode need their own novels? An epic team-up, perhaps? Maybe it's just me. And, oh, the end this novel actually brought a tear to my eye. :)



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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The Truth by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Re-Read 1/28/25

All the Olds fit to print! Cause you know that people don't want News. They only want what they already know, so print those Olds! :)

This is, what, my third or fourth time readING this?

What can I say... it's just that good. I especially had a much greater-than-expected time with the assassins this time around. So fun. It's like a cocoa-shea butter balm for the soul. Equal parts witty, entertainING, and wise.




Original Review:

Re-Read

Ahhh, the start of the industrial revolution, as seen through the eyes of The News, Discworld style, and it's Ing fun. Ing right, I say! Ing stuff keeps bleeding through from our universe to Discworld and some might say the folk there JUST AREN'T READY for change and crap like this, but ING THAT.

Dibbler has his finger on the pulse of the time all right... even if it's bleeding cause he cut it. And Word? He's all right. The truth is, he's just getting caught up in the spirit of the Ing times.

Maybe not my favorite Industrial novel in Ing Discworld, but it serves its journalistic bleeding satirical Ing edge. :)



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I went through a number of assumptions and revisions on my opinions as I read this book. From expecting to see an utterly witchy (it is) narrative, to being surprised that most of the blood and guts of this horror isn't where I expected it to be (childbirth), to the ultimate FOCUS of this novel. I mean, I actually expected a great deal of revenge for the things that religious-funded compounds creating an adoption-racket would put actual GIRLS (14-15 yrs old) through.

In actuality, I came away from this with a little peace, on a lower, individual level, despite the amount of outrage this book made me feel on the whole.

On the other hand, this book is so much more chilling than I originally believed, in retrospect.

Why set it in 1970 America? Because in January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade came into being. Before then, there were coat hangers, bleach douches, kicking of bellies, and starvation.

The horror in this book is reality. Sure, there's a bit of witchy action going on, but the true horror is THAT reality, and the chilling realization that we're going BACK to that time.

So, 1970's America, I once thought that you were a dark age with a few shining lights. I thought we had learned something from this. After all, Boomers WERE the little girls in this tale. You'd think you'd want to prevent this from ever happening to anyone else again.

But no. Welcome to the next mini-dark age. That is the true horror.

As for my peace? Again, it's an individual thing. As in, what we can't change, we just try to accept, to move on. But this is paltry comfort. Ineffectual at best.

As I read this, my synesthesia screamed stale bread and uncooked pieces of meat in my tasteless soup. But that was mostly due to the setting and the horror. Of being trapped and refused any choice.




Personal note:
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The Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-Read

I remember reading this years before the atrocious movie was made in the 90's. I so hoped it'd be on the same level of Starship Troopers, but alas. At least we had Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which was a direct rip-off of this Heinlein novel and its success in the early 50's.

Here's the cool bit: Heinlein was just writing a schlock commentary on the Red Communist Scare and the evil winds that blew in McCarthy's era. The fact that it goes on to be a rip-roaring action/spy tale that's very much in tune with the feel of all the war/spy movies and books of the time is just an added bonus. Don't expect it to match today's sensibilities. Indeed, men are real men and women playfully scold or entice them, for good or (seeming) ill. Jury's out for me. I just know it's a product of its time.

I suppose what I like best about this novel is the anti-clothing taboo. Such a funny thing to read, considering the day and age.

As an SF, I think it's well on the level of War of the Worlds, with then-updated sensibilities. It was just a fun ride. For my synesthesia, it comes across like oranges. Uneaten pulp, just the discarded rind, with the texture and pleasant smell of something right from childhood.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Usurpation by Sue Burke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So, the good and the bad.

First, the good: I really wish there was a lot more idea-centric SF, ones that push all those boundaries that need to be pushed. The idea of sentience may be old hat, but when it comes to those species right here on our planet, and how often we ignore them because they're different, it feels like THAT is a field that needs to be explored ever more deeply. So, enter Sue Burke, who gleefully does just that in the first two novels.

And then, at the end of the second book, shows us that the differently intelligent is coming home to Earth. That left me ecstatic.

This book was the promise, and a lot of that promise panned out in the third.

Now, for the bad: While the writing wasn't horrible, the novel didn't start out with a whole bamboo-takeover of the planet. Indeed, there was mostly just humans being idiots and hateful (no surprise there) and a war that seemed just so unnecessary. I'm not saying it was unrealistic, but I kinda felt like we should have gotten something more than a dystopia with a bunch of sentient species kinda wringing their hands wishing that people (all kinds) oughta just get along.

Yeah. Well. That's kinda the whole thing. People like me have been crying about that since we were young and are unpleasantly shocked, as if we're total morons, every time that others get ugly. Like when they just want to burn it all down.

Of course, that completely ignores the follow-up question: what comes after? Burke gives us a long time-span to ask and answer that question, but it still feels unsatisfying. Mostly, everyone is locked in a life-and-death battle of ennui.

Unfortunately, I came out of this feeling like I ate bland soup. No salt, no spices, and few chunks of anything hearty. It's just broth for my synesthesia.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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The Wandering Inn: Volume 4 by Pirateaba
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I know I shouldn't feel sucker-punched like this at the end of the novel, but here I am, gobsmacked and shook.

A little description of the book as a whole: Mostly we've got a good amount of comfort food here. Erin especially. I'm really enjoying the errant skeleton and our baby goblin lord, too, but here's the strange bit: When we get to the full, or some might say, exhaustive, recounting of the second great war, I imagined that a lot of readers might start getting sleepy or something. To me, I was engrossed in it and loved every second. We got a fairly dry recounting of great past events, but it's fascinating to see how so many of the characters who were IN that war are listening or re-reading the account on the eve of ANOTHER great war. Their reactions, recollections, and us getting so many pieces of the big story all at once was pretty damn fantastic to me.


And then, because we all knew this was just the calm before the storm, the actual battle was rather mind-blowingly good. The scale was great. And Silvertail? Hats off to this guy. Seriously. My new favorite character in this already impressive series.

Now, it's rather interesting to see a series focus so much on healing and socializing and becoming better people smack you on the back of the head with an extremely competent and moving battle (several, actually) that is rife with hate and desperation. It is SURPRISING.

I think this is where I start to see the series as getting a bit closer to a WoT successor. Not quite yet, perhaps, but I'm becoming seriously impressed. Now, thanks to this novel, I have nothing but the smell of popcorn with yeast on it. And yes, it IS quite tasty. It's a wonderful bit of synesthesia.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finally, a return to the Laundry Files! Or rather, to a novella about a minor character and his nefarious and evil backstory of loving D&D (1st edition!) back in the day.

Or rather, how the mix of math and magic will suck you right in and make you lose your freedom in way more than a few reasons. It's the chittering in the brain, I think. Or the fact that you become a sweet, sweet morsel for all those extradimensional elder gods and their tentacles.

Well, whatever. Derek the DM, who made a reputation for himself from, let's call it--a jail--as a one-of-a-kind game master has escaped.

No more spoilers. But omg I loved everything that happened. Classes, dice, magic, cultists, a great dungeon--it's everything a modern LitRPG fan might want, only flipped. It's the game mechanics thrown into the world of the Laundry Files, turning a rather meta look on Stross's own work and flipping it again to bring it full circle back to what Laundry is known for. Spy fiction with a great take on mathematical magical mayhem.


The other two stories are a bit more familiar. Bob, and wonderfully so. Very welcome, indeed.


One thing I should mention: Charlie knows his own D&D. Even better, he's the source of the original monsters and classes of Death Knights, Illithids, and Githyanki. And the Slaadi. Props are props. If you recall, Baldur's Gate 3 allows us to play as a Githyanki. This is real NERD CRED, ya'll.


If I would write a synesthesia review, it would have to be wood shavings. Specifically those after sharpening pencils. A lot of prep time has to go into a good TTRPG, after all. Such a familiar and pleasant smell.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com


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The Wandering Inn: Volume 3 by Pirateaba
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You know those kinds of stories which just scream--> Journey? While reading this, I just don't give a flying shit where it's headed, as long as I can hop along for the ride. I suspect it's a total pantser storytelling, and I don't care. Just give me more. Forever.

Okay. So. What the hell am I talking about?

The Wandering Inn. All its characters, be it new or old, all their interactions, the voyage of growth and discovery, the vast world in which it takes place, reminds me a lot of what I loved most about Wheel of Time. So. Many. Characters. But they all intersect and with all the running or caretaking or adventuring or just systemic change of a powerful ant colony magical race or THE CREATION OF A BIG BAD whose origin story is how he hates to clean an inn or how one can just ANNOUNCE that they can become an emperor AND IT WORKS, I have to say I'm thoroughly and utterly hooked.

The journey makes me smile. The journey has a lot of room to grow. The journey feels a lot like living an interesting life. And I'm living it along with all these guys/gals/insects/skeletons/gnolls/drakes/and quirky alchemists who remind me EXACTLY of Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas.

Here's the quick of it: while the writing is easygoing and just easy, the scope is anything but. It builds and builds and builds until it occupies a big portion of my mind, and I love living there.

Some people would call this being entertained. And let me tell you: I am entertained. This book, or indeed the whole series, is a bowl of comfort soup, rich fermented flavors with a bit of smoke to it. It's perfect to wrap myself, like a big blanket on a cold day. An over a thousand page blanket.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Ascendant by Michael R. Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So, I was craving dragon fantasy and I came across this one being highly recommended, so I told my buddy reader and we got onto it.

So, here's the real deal: it's written well. No complaints. It hits all the tropes you'd expect in a new-modern Eragon YA fantasy, which was, itself, an old genre. No problem there.

However--there is a glut of current books doing almost exactly the same thing at this time. I've read 3 different properties just last year, within the last 4 years of publications, that have an almost carbon-copy feel. Scourges, dragons, young kids with links, and--to put no fine line on it--an almost LitRPG feel to it. Or rather, an actual LitRPG feel to it.

I don't mind that. Truly. Hard magic systems and LitRPGs go hand-in-hand. So when we get into foods giving precise special effects, discussing complicated bonds between dragons and riders and the different effects, I'm in very comfortable territory. And the story itself is also very comfortable territory.

So, if I'm going to be generous here, I'd say this is a proper and fine book for any youngster who wants to fall in love with dragons afresh. Or for any one of us who just want to recapture that feel.


Just don't assume it'll break any new ground, and you'll be just fine. It ain't aged wine. It's grape juice. Sweet, wholesome, and gentle. Yes, gentle even with scourges and grief.




Personal note:
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Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 220, January 2025 by Neil Clarke


"When There Are Two of A Documentary" by Zun Yu Tan - (5*) - Very timely. This, at least to me, makes me question our own sentience. Or if that fails, shows there's no difference either way. Hello, ChatGPT. Written evocatively.


"Child of the Mountain" by Gunnar De Winter - (4*) - Uploads, monks, immortality, and vultures. The subtle point about the sky burial is not lost on me. The story is pretty for what it is, but it kinda left a not-so-tasty impression in my mouth.


"Never Eaten Vegetables" by H.H. Pak - (4*) - So sad, aggravating. Half an unborn-philosophical question, half a sentience question, and all of a capitalist-bad story. Definitely and firmly an object lesson on what not to do in the future, oh, humanity. Not bad, but it seems like I keep reading way too many like this.


"The Temporary Murder of Thomas Monroe" by Tia Tashiro - (3*) - A decent story about strings, chemical-commentary mental health, and the inherent dystopia so many live, unseen in our midst.


"Beyond Everything" by Wang Yanzhong - (5*) - Surprisingly great, this scratched a long-desire to read something vast in scope, rich in adventure. Imagination. I really vibed to this.


"Autonomy" by Meg Elison - (2*) - It's fine if you want a thrilling near-rape and escape story. If you are easily triggered or just want to hit pause on the assumption that all men are assholes, then also be forewarned. I admit, after reading three of this author's novels, to getting massively burned-out. This story feels like it's just perpetuating hate--my opinion only. Let me be clear: I have always believed there are assholes everywhere. I do not espouse that they are always men. Unfortunately, this is the feeling I get from this author.


OKAY! Final impression of this January's fiction in Clarkesworld Mag!

Very strong stories for the most part. The writing was really great for the first two. Never Eaten Vegetables was solid, if not very unusual in SF. Beyond Everything gave me a great little taste of awe, which was VERY, VERY welcome.

I had a very distinct impression of incense and candlelight as I read one of these. The welcome one smelled of the ocean. Very pleasing to my Synesthesia.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Girl Out Of Time by John Matsui
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been a pretty big fan of Matsui for ages now, and while I have many good reasons, there is one that I always focus on most: his homages to classic SF, be it humorous, horrific, or big-concept. He knows his stuff. Indeed, his novels are like love letters. Just see the nods to such great fare as Hitchhiker's Guide and Back to the Future--but it goes much deeper than this.


This new book has that all-out comic energy, bypassing reason (at least at the beginning) for that feel, only barrel us headlong into the future, with its lies, great dystopian scope, crime and punishment, rebellion, and some hopeful glee. In other words, it brings out the great idea-guns that were the classic bread-and-butter of the old SF.

Indeed, I was reminded quite fondly of Asimov's End of Eternity by way of Hitchhikers by way of Terminator by way of Who. Idea-fiction is becoming a lost art. Maybe that's why I get so enthusiastic whenever I read things like this.

So much happens, so quickly, and the adventure is as palpable and pulpy as you please. Bravo!

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The Wandering Inn: Volume 2 by Pirateaba
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm pretty damn happy.

You know those times where you find a groove, a MOOD in a book that puts a little wind in your sails and energizes you? And then, when you don't think it could last, it turns out to be an absolutely enormous honker of a book that promises a dozen more just as huge as it is?

That's where I am right now. I'm in love. The first book, no matter how big it was, was merely a setup for many wonderfully self-aware plot-altered directions, feeling confident enough to not only set up a functioning inn in an isekai, but truly branch out in exploring the world and laying some truly massive foundations for a full epic fantasy.

With 3 times the land-mass of Earth, huge powers and many races, a leveling system, it's super-solid. But best of all, it has a truly magical feel. And let's not forget a godlike necromancer, a dragon, and a certain put-upon skeleton doing the inn's chores, or a chess-playing goblin-runt about to become the queen of all goblins. It's the little things, after all.

Honestly tho, it's the main characters I love the most. The conflicts are natural and actually rather sweet/endearing. Good heartedness is the REAL core of these books, and that's where I feel it.

And just like the massive amount of cooking we vicariously taste the book, the story is savory comfort fare. Reading this is like enjoying a huge, juicy burger without any spoilage or weight gain. And at least to me, the scent remains firmly, wonderfully, in my nose. Synesthesia for the win.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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rekt by Alex Gonzalez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh wow. I haven't read a horror for years that genuinely creeped me out like this.

I mean, sure real life can creep me out nearly as well, and that's kinda the point. There are a lot of really bad people out there, and this really taps into that rich, ugly vein.

Dark corners of the internet aside, this novel does something rather unique. It made me actually care for the narrator. Sorrow, obsession, and being broken is the major flavor here--and then it gets really dark. When the darker side of the internet comes out, it really rears its worst side. Generated snuff films?

Wow, DARK. The book really snuck up on me. Yikes.


For those of you who want a true low-budget psychological thriller horror feel, don't sleep on this. It'll be worth the shivers.

Now, I need read or watch something super light. I don't think I'll write a synesthesia review of this novel. Nobody needs that level of creepy-pasta.




Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

More subtle than thrilling, this horror novella seemed to have a fairly strong start. Frankly, I was invested in these characters and not the rest. For all the fungi goodness, I may be getting a bit burned out on this particular trend. Maybe I'm just no longer a fun guy.

There were some fairly good aspects to this short work, however, and while I didn't really like the end, it's not like I'll avoid the author in the future.

I'm just scrunching up my nose to this particular work. My taste buds are rebelling.




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All Better Now by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, it's a book JUST FOR ME. :)

Strangely, I expected a YA novel with a novel premise, but it really truly didn't feel YA at all. It just felt like great SF, a-la what would happen if a pandemic that makes people AT PEACE, devoid of HATE, became an actual PROBLEM for the rest of humanity.

As I was reading it, I was thrilled with the idea of a humanity becoming EMPATHETIC and CONSIDERATE, and there was NOTHING anyone could do about it.

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

*happy dance*

It's like all my worries, concerns, absolute terror about the world around me just washed away.

Except, of course, novels don't work that way. There's conflict. And Shusterman is great about avoiding irony or humor when a truly sobering look at the world could be had. And it is had.

Great novel.

A synesthesia review probably should have come with a slightly sterile smell, or the scent of a mask, since it IS, quite, a very pandemic-feel novel, but to me, I just smelled flowers. I smelled the scent of hope. Let's change human nature.



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Cold Iron Task by James J. Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third book in the UF is truly circling back to pick up the cliffhangers of the first. This is pretty great. But more importantly, we're getting a lot more details and character building. Action, magic, and mystery is great, but any story is ultimately going to hang on how much we like the characters.

At least for me, I'm solid there. It's like I'm getting a good dose of vitamin C with the pulp of this orange juice of a book. At least for the synesthesia part of the review, I kinda feel like I'm fighting off a cold, which is strange for how much our MC keeps bursting into flame, or walking around like a soot-mobile. So thank goodness for the juice, even if it doesn't mix too well with the carbon sheen.

I'm still having a lot of fun. I really like the snark.




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Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

By now a very nice yearly January tradition, these Wayward Children are a treat in every way--be it for the frogs or turtles or just drowned girls.

It sounds weird when I say that. But it's true. And these books are simply--comforting. Always and forever comforting. A prosthetic story for a missing ideal.

I smelled salty water the entire time I read it, so I guess that means I'm drowned, too.




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Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first book was a strong start, imho.

Even so, Grimsby is a nice little unicorn--a young, genuinely nice, and LUCKY protagonist-witch, doing his best and relying on some cool peeps, be it a funny familiar or his grizzled non-magical, gun-toting mentor/partner.

This UF is pretty standard stuff. Mystery, theft, undead-ish baddie, ritual sacrifice, unimaginably powerful sorcery, and pranks.

While there's nothing out of the ordinary, here, it's also a pretty standard UF fare. That's not to say it isn't fun, because I had fun throughout. Indeed, instead of calling it popcorn, I'd call it the literary synesthesia equivalent to a nice foot soak with epsom salts. It's good while the water is warm.




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The Tympanist of the Berlin Philharmonic, 1942 by Kim Stanley Robinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes life surprises you. Just when you think you know what to expect from your favorite authors--Kim Stanley Robinson, for me--sometimes they can throw something that sends you spinning. Or in this case, drumming.

This short story of his isn't SF. It's just the sheer glorious humanity of some musicians in the heart of the Third Reich trying to make their hearts soar with a little Beethoven's Ode, a defiance against the small-mindedness of men.

A great little musical piece, with emotions on proud display.

Of course, this is timely. Quite timely. As it should be. For every 50 people trying to rip the world to shreds, there's always one trying to set off an explosion of beauty. It's a good reminder that we are not all of one thing.




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Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I began this, I thought it was just going to be a magic-school type fantasy that could have gone the way of Poppy Wars or even Will of the Many, and indeed, it has many similar features, but the moment of the big reveal, the secret that had been hidden for so long, I rather fell in love.

The novel, at least to me, was like an orange. You expect the sweetness, but you need to get through the pleasant smelling, but tough rind. But indeed, once we got in there, it was juicy and disturbing and hit all the right buttons for outrage. After a certain point, at least when it comes to writing a synesthesia review, I have to say it went down as smoothly as orange juice. Maybe not too pulpy, but definitely fresh.

And yes, this could very well be a novel to be read with subtext, but it is also a pretty wonderful--and terrifying--fantasy. In a lot of ways, I'm reminded of Sabaa Tahir's fantasy.



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Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third book in the Tyrant Philosophers is a whirlwind of great worldbuilding, carefully set up philosophical quandaries displayed in full force in memorable characters, and yet more epic-fantasy war.

It may not be my favorite novel of the three (that honor goes to the second book) but Tchaikovsky continues to be a marvel of a storyteller. His less impressive works, such as this, is still on par with anything Joe Abercrombie writes. A bit of grim, sure, and a lot of great war action, but this statement is just as true for its oftentimes hilarious characters, complicated personalities/choices, and payoff.

I may not say it's brilliant, and it did somewhat meander until the last third of the book, but when we got to the fascinating end, I thought it was entirely worth it.


A synesthesia review of this would probably be a nutmeg-laden tart that is actually really tarty, but dangerous because it has a bunch of sparklers sticking out of it. Lit, of course. I felt like I had to be very, very careful eating it. It was tasty, and pretty, but I almost got burned!



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The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm reading this mainly because I wanted something COMFORTABLE. It SOUNDS comfortable. It SMELLS comfortable. It's also LitRPG with an absolutely humongous page count, between this volume and all the rest. So, if I play my cards right, I'll have an ENDLESS COMFORTABLE adventure.

That was my expectations.

So how did it pan out?


I got exactly what I wanted. Tons of absolute low level isekai, getting a class of Inkeeper, and generally making friends among everyone, even low level mobs that should have been despised. And let's face it, making everyone welcome IS very nice. Add chess, adventurer's stories, and even a necromancer or two either mooching off the Inn or killing countless people, and we get a nice, broad swath of a new fantasy.

And this being just the first book, and knowing from other readers that it gets a LOT better, I think I'm going to have a nice, FINE time. Now, if only I could get the scent of acid out of my nostrils. It's not unpleasant, but damn, as I read this, it sure got EVERYWHERE. (If only in my mind)

Damn synesthesia. At least it's rather citrusy. Like cleaner.



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Dead Man's Hand by James J. Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometime last year I stumbled upon the strangest thing: Jim Butcher's son, writing classy, fun UF like his dad. I thought to myself that I probably should give it a gander, forgot about it, came back, forgot about it, then eventually kicked myself in my magical ass and finally READ IT.

Funny thing.

I loved it.

Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is one of those rather down-on-his-luck young mages with very little going for him. He's working a minimum wage mage gig at a knock off McD and I probably couldn't feel more sorry for him if I tried. Sure, he's got a few skills, but the bindings are pretty much on par with parlor tricks, and getting set up with a murder rap and convincing a gruff bounty hunter to help keep him alive while he attempts to clear his name is all both immensely familiar and, in this case, delightful.

Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is SUCH a hapless youthful idiot.

I swear, reading this was like eating green jello. Kid memories just kept flying in as I enjoyed the jiggly text, the sweet and slippery on my tongue, and the absolute need to grin at the simple pleasure. Hope you enjoy the synesthesia.

While normal UF is more popcorny, this is really a classic, cool, after-school treat. James is cool all on his own. No need to bring up his dad. I can't wait to pick up the next.



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Cello: A Journey Through Silence to Sound by Kate Kennedy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Trish’s Review

My friend can write a better banger of a review on this one than me.

That being said, I can still give a few impressions. As the title implies, it’s not just about cellos, but about some of the most interesting tales of cellists from the last couple of centuries.

Most importantly, the whole thing evokes the tradition, the obsession, the hyper-focused dedication to the music and craft.

In short, it will wrap you in the deep sounds of life, craft, and history. Definitely a must read for anyone in love with the cello.

Key synesthesia takeaway: deep vibrations in my chest, with paint thinner--of all things.



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IDENTIFIED: A hacker thriller ripped from the headlines of today's newspapers by John Wilander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Premise: hacker-focused heist in an uber-surveillance world.

Honestly, this book should 100% appeal to me. I love a great rag-tag rebellious skills-based comeuppance against corporate and nationalist Big Brother.

What is really surprising, and at least initially wonderful, was the sheer page-count of actual hacking, with actual hacking problems/knowledge. I can APPRECIATE the neat woo-woo of so many technical challenges and visualizations of the problems while also thinking, quite often, that it DESTROYS the natural flow of the novel.

So, it's a caveat. This is a fun techno-thriller that forces you to study and follow complicated grids of numbers with no easy way to just hand-wave the challenges away--unless you just skip them.

For those who do want a challenging book, by all means, pick this up and challenge yourselves. The story, characters, plot, are just fine. I'm not saying the whole book is impenetrable. It's also not a Greg Egan.

Brass tacks: is it fun? Yep. Does it challenge your T in your MBTI? Yep.

If I were to synesthesia this review, I'd say I'd be smelling ozone the entire time I read it. Specifically, dust getting burnt in ozone, the smell of a case getting cracked while the fan is still running, the heat of a machine in a cold room. My nose still feels cold in memory.


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Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a 5 star with caveats. Let me explain. I think it's a wonderful novel within the Martin Hench universe, the place where forensic economics, spreadsheets, programming ability, meets modern techno-mystery.

But this isn't the modern Martin. Indeed, it might be what we've all been wanting all this time, assuming you've been following Doctorow's unique character. This is YOUNG Martin Hench. Before he made untold riches bringing down mastermind accountant villains. Indeed, this IS that story.

I won't say this is better than the ones that came before it, but it DOES fill in some major gaps, and it's very fulfilling on its own.

Indeed, this is a savory crock-pot of characterization, full of youthful, less-than-choice-cut meats, plenty of potatoes, and enough programming-veggies to make you feel like you've eaten both healthy AND smart. Do you smell that rich, hearty umai? This is what I sense with my synesthesia. This is what sticks to the bones.

I could read this stuff forever.



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Victoria Unveiled by Shane Joseph
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Timely and rather on the nose novel about crossing the lines of sentience.

Very, very near future SF that probably has a lot more in common with a modern retelling of Pygmalion, Cherry 2000, and Spielberg's AI -- written very hornily.

It explores creativity, coercion, and rightful anger. At this point, it doesn't matter whether the anger is human or AI. When others coerce, it's dehumanizing.

Decent novel, though not all that new. But it IS, as I said, very timely.

And before I forget, let's weave a little synesthesia into the review. I swear as I was reading this, I was smelling hothouse flowers. Totally constrained and controlled and often deadly. The smell was nearly overpowering. Definitely not food. It was definitely an attack. Interesting, either way.



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Casual Farming by Wolfe Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm gonna go whole hog writing synesthesia reviews this year, so look out and keep those senses open.

But in this case, and primarily because there were SO MANY OF THEM in this book, I got an utter eggy vibe going on for this novel. Sure, sure, it could be pure repetition, but I SMELL the butter wafting off this story.

Sure, lots of hard work, easy-going Stardew Valley vibes, monsters and two-legged monsters, a little romance, but above all, MAKING MONEY is the name of this game. It's a special kind of of LitRPG. Maybe later there will be some leveling, but for now, it's all about living a nice, comfortable life.

As for me, I thought it was very, very relaxing. A true comfort read. And even though I said it was eggy, I swear I felt like I was slathering a good deal of butter on my bread.



Personal note:
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