Review: Carve the Mark

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not nearly as good as the Divergent series and a little long, but I didn't hate it.

The sci-fi aspect of this was a surprise to me, and mostly confusing. There's talk of different planets and travelling through space to get to different worlds but otherwise this was firmly fantasy. So it was just a bit of a weird mix and for me it just made the world too big. Hard to include excellent world building when you're biting off too many worlds. Anyhoo.

The space setting led to me being kind of confused about the different races and the scope of their homes. The setting is shared between two races at war but it sounded like there was just a meadow between them? Like I said, I was very confused. I can't even explain it properly because I just didn't quite grasp the scope.

The characters were okay, but nothing particularly new. I've seen this pairing multiple times in YA fiction and these two didn't do anything too unpredictable. I enjoyed their relationship to one another, but at the same time I'm definitely getting bored of YA romance tropes.

As far as the story goes, it seemed simple enough to me that this could have been a self-contained book. But where's the money in that, right? So towards the end it just felt like it was being drawn out and added to purely so that there was the potential for more books in the series. I'm curious, but I don't think I'm invested enough to follow through with a sequel.

I did enjoy the concept of the Fated; how those fates can be ambiguous and whether going against them was an option. Plus the writing was easy enough and the story had enough action that I never got bored with it. So it was still decent enough.

I enjoyed it, but it just wasn't anything new enough to be outstanding. It's only fresh angle was the space setting and as mentioned it was just too much for me to properly get a grasp on it.

Not likely to look for a sequel, but this was still an entertaining read with low expectations. Not quite the redeeming story we were looking for, but still not a bad offering.

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Review: Life Before

Life Before by Carmel Reilly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this, though it's not my usual fare. I do prefer things a little faster and more involved, but this still managed to keep me interested.

The story is relatively simple: told in dual timelines, we learn of Lori in 2016, who is informed the brother she hasn't spoken to for 20 years has just been in a bad accident. Back in 1993, we visit their mother Pam, and witness the fallout of the event that tore the siblings apart.

A slower burn, this story takes great pains to immerse us in the lives of our two protagonists, Lori and Pam. I was particularly drawn to mother, Pam, and felt for her as the mother trying to save face and keep peace amongst all while dealing with something so horrible. She is a strong woman dealing with tragedy and I had a lot of compassion for her and was glad she had support.

Lori frustrated me; she is stubborn and self-absorbed and her lies seemed so pointless to me. Still, I could understand her a little from the way things played out and it was interesting to me how my opinion of her developed throughout the novel.

This is very much a character-driven story, but there's an element of mystery that does give it a bit of an addictive feel. I can appreciate the story for what it is and how it was written, but for the most part it's just not the kind of book that gets me raving.

It's also such an Aussie story, and I do cringe a little when the yobbo is so strong. Here's an example of what I consider 'over-Australianising':

"Des parked the car one street back from the cul-de-sac and got out. He leaned on the bonnet and lit up a cigarette. Standing in the tepid sunshine with the eucalypt-scented breeze wafting down on him, he thought, not for the first time, that he really needed to give up the fags."

Other people will love this level of atmosphere immersion but I myself hate how often Australian stereotypes are reinforced. It suits the country-town setting, but doesn't suit my personal tastes.

That being said, I do very much enjoy stories set in places I personally recognise, so all the mentions of Melbourne and surrounding towns were a lot of fun for me.

Overall, it was a well-written story and a good read. It lost stars for me mostly because it's not my favourite kind of genre, but those who enjoy general Australian fiction with a shadow of mystery should be impressed by this one.

With thanks to A&U for an ARC

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Review: Unsolved Australia: Lost Boys, Gone Girls

Unsolved Australia: Lost Boys, Gone Girls by Justine Ford
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A little too journalistic for my tastes.

This book looks at many missing persons cases - in most instances, unsolved assumed homicides. Men and women who mysteriously disappeared in varying circumstances. I love a good true crime mystery but this just didn't grab me at all.

The book is already short at just under 300 pages, and yet it still feels mostly like filler. The author goes to great lengths to speculate and give her own opinions, and there is a strong media-friendly vibe whereas the cops are mostly written as incompetent. There is more about the media involvement and the 'feelings' of the lead detective than the actual case in almost all instances. I honestly got bored.

I like true crime stories to present all the facts with no bias, and this was nothing BUT bias. Some of the cases seem fairly obvious and yet they still remain unsolved, usually due to how much time passed before someone thought to check something that should have been checked at the time. Obviously forensics have come a long way but these cases just seemed to highlight bad police work more than the plight of the loved ones of the missing. It rubbed me the wrong way.

Not a lot of detail is given in these cases. They only cover about ten pages or so each, and it still feels like the author had to flesh them out with speculation because there just wasn't enough of a case. Because of that, the focus drifts from the victims. As much as the author pads these stories out with trite words like 'we see you', it never feels like genuine concern. I actually hated that. It seemed more disrespectful to me than complete emotionless facts.

You can tell immediately that this book was written by a journalist as there seems more interest in selling the value of the media than actually treating these cases with compassion. It's also written in such a way that the stories are muddled by speculation and guess-work. The side profiles didn't really help, because again there seems more interest in talking about the professionals involved than the victims.

I thought I would really get sucked in but unfortunately this one left a bad taste in my mouth. All are still unsolved cases and this book brings us no closer to answers. Hopefully one day the families and loved ones of those Missing will get some closure.

With thanks to Macmillan for a copy


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Review: One Dark Window

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this story but I'm a bit disappointed that the romance took the YA road with the whole, (view spoiler)['let's pretend to be in love and then accidentally fall in love for real'. (hide spoiler)]

Honestly, that seems more obvious than a spoiler to me but I tagged just in case you're a sensitive soul like me when it comes to spoilers.

Anyhoo, the PLOT is about a cursed town and Elspeth, a cursed woman. She has a Nightmare living in her head and he's the true hero of this story. But that's me getting ahead of myself.

The town of Blunder is surrounded by a dangerous mist, as penance for their ancestors' magical greed. Magic exists in the form of Providence cards, which grant specific gifts to the user, depending on the card. Then there's the infection - the infected are hunted down but if they somehow survive they end up with their own unique power. Actually, there's quite a lot going on, isn't there?

I really enjoyed how the elements of this tangled together yet it never felt overwhelming or messy. It did seem a little PG for me - I wanted more Nightmare action, more horror, more darkness, but it took a very YA approach. I hated that there was so much focus on the budding romance, and really just wanted more action. Why does there always have to be this monumental romance? Sigh.

The story itself though was quite fun and the Providence cards were a unique approach. I really enjoyed reading the card rhymes at the start of each chapter, and I'm definitely curious to know more about the Shepard King and the history of Blunder.

A fantastic story that was a little tainted by the Young Adult approach, but made up for it with the unique factors. I'll look for the second book and hope for more darkness.

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Review: All Systems Red

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed it, and I get the hype buuuuuut I think maybe the hype built it up a little too much.

The story follows a rogue Security Bot that's on site helping a bunch of surveyors on a new planet. Things go awry, and Murderbot has to save the day. Preferably without murdering.

I did enjoy the story, and I can see why MB is so beloved. It's a funny, sassy lil thing and it's easy to agree with. Its shyness is endearing and we have no trouble reading between the lines when it comes to its personality.

The story jumps into the action pretty quickly and it doesn't really let up so this is certainly an easy read.

However, because it's a short story there's not a lot of world building, and because there's not a lot of world building it can be a little hard to follow at times with all the names for things and organisations we know nothing about, and the lack of names for the things we do encounter. I admit I got a little lost in the jargon and politics.

I really loved the crew and how they all related to MB. They added a much needed humanity to the story so it will be interesting to see where the next book in the story takes the series.

I enjoyed it for the most part but it didn't really match the hype for me. Still, a fun, quick read with a host of great characters. I'll look into the next one just to see where it goes.

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Review: Shards of Earth

Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this book's defence, I recently read Leviathan Wakes which was everything I wanted in a sci-fi novel, so I probably went into this with higher expectations than normal.

Unfortunately, it meant it was slower and more confusing than I hoped, though I still really enjoyed the story overall.

The concept is big, and considers the return of an alien species so large it once remade Earth into a work of art. Unfortunately, the art of this creature renders all life dead. Bye-bye, Earth. But these Architects disappeared, leaving the galaxy in peace ... until now.

So yeah. BIG themes. Also, lots of aliens. It was rather hard to visualise them all, to be honest, which does make it harder to connect to the characters. The story is rather ambitious, and I'm honestly not sure why I expected anything less from someone as well known as Tchaikovsky. I blame James S.A. Corey. It made everything a little more jumbled than I'd have preferred, though I was still able to follow along okay.

It's quite a rambling story, and at the start there doesn't seem to be a lot of purpose. We kind of just follow this crew through space as they bounce from one issue to another. There wasn't any notable mystery driving the story, and I think that's part of why it felt slower to me. I was happy enough riding along with the crew, but it would have been nice to have some guesses at the final destination.

The writing is good, though, and gives a decent blend of science, themes and characters. I did get to know and love the characters, and ultimately I became invested in their mission(s). I did pause a little about halfway through but I never resisted going back to it.

This was my first book by this author, and I already have the second waiting. I'll probably pause for a little before continuing on with this story, but I would like to see it through, I think. Might not venture into Tchaikovsky again for a while though. It's definitely heavy.

A decent read for the science lovers, with enough character commitment to appeal to those who prefer a more action-driven story. It didn't blow me away as I'd hoped, but I still really enjoyed it.

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Review: Rabbits

Rabbits by Terry Miles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a wild ride!

I was so addicted reading this that I smashed through most of it in two days, and yet the ending has me feeling unsatisfied. I have no idea what just happened. And I was following along so well!

The premise revolves around a secret, worldwide game known as Rabbits. Not much is known about it, except that it involves recognising patterns and connections in seemingly random things, and that it's so secret that people talking about it usually end up dead.

I was expecting this to move into sci-fi territory but it was relatively easy to follow. There's a lot, definitely, but it's mercifully 'dumbed down' a tad so that you can understand the message under all the science. I also really enjoyed following all the clues, even though a lot of the time there was, 'so this clue led me to find another random clue which led me to this random clue ...' without much explanation of the how. Who cares. I was happy to suspend all disbelief and just follow along on the journey.

I'm sure there are plenty of sciency plot holes here but I'm smart enough to know I'm not smart enough to find them. So once I was happy to settle in for whatever was thrown my way I really enjoyed it. It rockets ahead at an intense pace and there are plenty of dramatic scenes to keep things real. The science starts off light and mysterious and gradually seeps in so you never feel overwhelmed.

The characters are all quite interesting, and typical hacker types. K was a fascinating lead, though I always wanted to know more. There are also a lot of pop culture references which I immensely enjoyed.

I was hoping that, following things as I was, the ending would blow me away. There were some twists I enjoyed but the ending was a little too confusing for me to fully appreciate what had happened. I still have a lot of questions, and I'll be hoping for a sequel that might clear some of these things up, though I think that's blind wishful thinking on my part.

Overall, this was a fast-paced thriller with a lot of love for games in all forms. Highly recommend for those looking for an addictive mystery with a little sci-fi in the mix.

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