I have finished Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby, which is a near-future thriller/scifiish book about a plane crash of a startup's leadership and the weirdness they encounter on an abandoned island. I liked it, though I wasn't sure when I started, given how many reviews said that they didn't connect well with the main character. I didn't have that issue, though she definitely does hold her cards close to her chest. Still, I felt like we learned more about her at a satisfying pace and that the mystery of what's going on unfolded nicely.
I also just finished The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey. I had to nope out of his Expanse books because the narrative just wasn't focusing on the things I enjoyed, but I figured with a new series I'd give it a shot. It was worthwhile, because I ended up liking this book about a research group scooped up by conquering aliens and their (admittedly kind of Hunger Gamesish) search to prove their worth to the aliens. The book does have some of the same issues that the Expanse books do (I just do not like how this author writes romance - just consistently no explanation or chemistry evident for me, and given how many plot points turn on "but he loves her", it's like building a house on a pillar of sand), but the conquering alien society was neat, some of the characters were likeable (or at least like-to-hate sorts), and as usual Corey sets up a situation where several groups have a good point but have to make hard decisions about how to proceed. Overall I will keep reading this series.
Unsure what I'll read next. I have Bethany Jacobs new book On Vicious Worlds ready for me, which is a sequel to These Burning Stars, which I really liked. But also there is The Fae Lords of Oklahoma, which is a sequel to The Dragon Kings of Oklahoma, which I ALSO really liked for completely different reasons. So. Dilemma.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2024-10-16 04:20 pm (UTC)I also just finished The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey. I had to nope out of his Expanse books because the narrative just wasn't focusing on the things I enjoyed, but I figured with a new series I'd give it a shot. It was worthwhile, because I ended up liking this book about a research group scooped up by conquering aliens and their (admittedly kind of Hunger Gamesish) search to prove their worth to the aliens. The book does have some of the same issues that the Expanse books do (I just do not like how this author writes romance - just consistently no explanation or chemistry evident for me, and given how many plot points turn on "but he loves her", it's like building a house on a pillar of sand), but the conquering alien society was neat, some of the characters were likeable (or at least like-to-hate sorts), and as usual Corey sets up a situation where several groups have a good point but have to make hard decisions about how to proceed. Overall I will keep reading this series.
Unsure what I'll read next. I have Bethany Jacobs new book On Vicious Worlds ready for me, which is a sequel to These Burning Stars, which I really liked. But also there is The Fae Lords of Oklahoma, which is a sequel to The Dragon Kings of Oklahoma, which I ALSO really liked for completely different reasons. So. Dilemma.