The Wrath of the Great Guilds (Pillars of Reality #6)

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, & Goodreads by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: Wrath of the Great Guilds
Series: Pillars of Reality #6
Author: Jack Campbell

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 280
Format: Digital edition

Synopsis: Spoilers!!

Mari and Alain must face the combined might of both Great Guilds and the Empire in an attempt to stave off the Storm of Destruction prophecied.

Dividing her army in parts, Mari sends the majority of it to another city and only takes a small force, but many great arms, with her to Dorcastle. There, she and Alain inspire the troops, unite the factions and fight off dragons and gatebuster bombs.

Dorcastle has 7 walls. Mari's forces are pushed back to the final wall and are about to lose even that when the other army she had separated out arrives to rescue them, turn the tide and allow the Daughter of Jules a complete and utter victory.

Now Mari can allow her world to develop technologically and the first thing they do is use the world far speaker they found in an earlier book. And someone answers back.

My Thoughts:

Almost all of this book was the battle scene at Dorcastle. Close to 60% is my guess. It was great. Much like Minas Tirath's 7 walls, Dorcastle provides plenty of room for lots of action. Mages and their dragons, Mechanics and their bombs, the Empire and their numberless cohorts, all fodder for the advanced weaponry Mari brings with her. It also showcases how she utilizes Mechanics, Mages and Commons, with all their various strengths and weaknesses. Alain's vision of Mari is constantly at the forefront of his mind and Campbell never lets the reader forget it.

This is definitely young adult but I did appreciate the fact that Alain and Mari were married a book or two ago. The romance was there, but it wasn't angsty, unsure love. It was growing, committed love that wasn't based just on their feelings.

There were only 2 things I didn't care for and I knocked off a 1/2star for each.

First, Campbell loves big, powerful, DUMB villains. Much like in his Lost Fleet series, where the 2 “official” sides do the same thing over and over and the main character Jack “Black” Geary, takes advantage, here we have the Heads of both the Mage's Guild and the Mechanic's Guild doing the same thing in the big battle that has NOT worked before against Mari and Alain. It just made the Guild leaders seem incredibly inept and stupid and you wonder how someone so dense got to the place of authority that they are in. Of course, it might have something to do with Campbell being a retired navy officer and perhaps reflects his actual experience with higher echelon officers. Pure speculation on my part though.

Second, no character development. It has taken me over 25 books of Campbell/Hemry to realize this (Lost Fleet, Lost Fleet:Beyond the Frontier, Lost Stars, JAG in Space, Stark's War) so it kind of came as a shock to really realize that he can't write growing characters beyond a certain point. It is the kind of writer he is and he needs to write accordingly. And now that I know this, I will also adjust my expectations accordingly.

Now I know I've highlighted the negatives mostly. But obviously, I've stuck with this 6 book series until the end and given the final book 4 stars. That does say a lot without me having to write a lot. Nothing in this book is going to make you feel that you wasted your time or overturn all the good in the previous books. This is a good solid book to end a good solid YA series.

1. Review of Book 1
2. Review of Book 2
3. Review of Book 3
4. Review of Book 4
5. Review of Book 5

Time-Out 0 (Eyeshield 21 #22) (Manga Monday)

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, & Goodreads by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: Time-Out 0
Series: Eyeshield 21 #22
Author: Riichiro Inagaki

Artist: Yusuke Murata

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Sports Manga
Pages: 210
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The battle for the game continues between the Devil Bats and the Naga.

Monta wins the catching game against both Ikkyu AND Agon, thus allowing a crucial 4 seconds to remain on the clock. Sena's legs are done. He has one play left in him and that is it. Hiruma is pulling out every single trick he can think of to keep the dream of going to the Christmas Bowl alive.

The rest of the Naga watch as their top players are countered and it shakes them. Agon isn't shaken, but neither does he learn. He knows that his talent has been enough before and he's going to stick with that.

The volume ends with 4 seconds on the clock and 8 yards to go for the Devil Bats to tie the game up. Not Fair!

My Thoughts:

Holy smokes, another nail biting, adrenalin pumping volume of Eyeshield 21! It was awesome to see the various members of the Devil Bats match the Naga in ability and come back from an impossible point deficit.

Honestly, since this is still the same game started 2 books ago, (or was it three?), I don't have much to say. There is no resolution and I'm not one to talk about specific plays within a game since it doesn't mean that much to me. Monta catches the ball, Sena runs the ball, Hiruma throws the ball, The End.

It is kind of a double edged sword, being a social football fan. Since I'm not that into it, I don't care about the details as much, but if I were into the details, I'd probably give up in disgust as it wouldn't match real life; this is a manga after all. It would be like me reading a Land Surveying Manga, hahahhaa. Goodness, the very idea makes me cringe, as I could see something like cutting down whole forests with one “power” swing of a machete or bouncing the laser off of multiple objects and getting the info from each bounce, just silly things like that. That wouldn't be real, but to someone who doesn't know surveying, it would just be cool.

I actually groaned at the end of this volume, as the manga-ka lets the reader believe the game is lost for the Devil Bats for at least 3 pages. Then I groaned again, and louder, when the volume ended and there were 4 SECONDS left on the clock. All I can say is that they had better finish this game next volume and give me some “slice of life” segments to break up all the “football”. It's getting pretty danged serious and needs some lightening up again.

1. Review of Volume 6
2. Review of Volume 7
3. Review of Volume 8
4. Review of Volume 9
5. Review of Volume 10

Autumn Princess, Dragon Child (The Tale of Shikanoko #2)

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, & Goodreads by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: Autumn Princess, Dragon Child
Series: The Tale of Shikanoko #2
Author: Lian Hearn
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 289
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis: Spoilers

Shikanoko raises his 5 “sons” and slowly regains his powers so that he can confront the Abbot again. The boy emperor hooks up with some entertainers and becomes a monkey trainer. The boy emperor's protector and Shikanok's love interest, is out on her own, pregnant with Shikanoko's child.

Shikanoko finally confronts, and defeats, the Abbot but in the process loses control of his 5 spider children, who are only getting stronger and stronger in magic. Shikanoko's lover dies at the Abbot's hand and the boy emperor's child companion, who was taking care of Shikanoko's child, drowns along with his kid.

And in defeating the Abbot, Shikanoko gives himself fully to the forest magic which controlled his mask. He is no longer in control of his destiny. Happy Endings all round!

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this more than the first book, Emperor of the Eight Islands. Partially because it wasn't as depressing. Which, given my synopsis, is kind of hard to believe, but it's true.

Given that this is a japanese fairy tale, I am not expecting a happy ending to the series as a whole. Even in this book, Shikanoko loses his love, his child, his chance at determining his own destiny and quite possibly ANY happiness for the rest of his life.

Makes me thankful my life is as boring as it is.

If you like slightly depressing stories filled with magic, heroes, swords and warriors and like eastern existentialism, this series should make you miserably ecstatic.

1. Review of Book 1

Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles #1)

   

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, & Goodreads by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: Dealing with Dragons
Series: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles #1
Author: Patricia Wrede
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 244
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis: Spoilers

Cimorene is an unusual Princess in the Kingdom that sets the Standard for Normal. It doesn't help that she has several older sisters who all Normal Princesses. After trying to learn magic, cooking, horseback riding, fencing and other various unsuitable activities for a Princess, Cimorene finds out that her parents are going to marry her off to get her of their hands. Not being particularly enamoured of the idea, Cimorene takes the advice of a magic frog she meets in the garden and sets off to find herself a dragon. A dragon that will keep everyone away from her.


Cimorene is taken under wing [ha!] by Kazul, who happens to like cherry jubilee, one of the few desserts that Cimorene knows how to make. As knights and princes come and go, Cimorene stumbles upon a plot by wizards to cause problems at the next choosing of the Dragon King. With the the help of another Princess, a Stone Prince and a local witch from the Enchanted Forest, Cimorene exposes the plot, foils the wizards and allows Kazul to become the next King of the Dragons.

My Thoughts: Spoilers

This was humorous, delightful and cute. There wasn't a single thing I didn't like with this story. It was fun. Sometimes in the midst of epic fantasy tomes or the weighty thoughts of science fiction classics, you need a break. I didn't know I needed a break, but when I started reading this, I realized I needed to be charmed and this book charmed me from beginning to end.

This was written in such a way that an adult like me could enjoy it fully and yet it seemed accessible all the way down to middle grade readers, perhaps even precocious elementary ones. To be able to reach that full spectrum is the mark of an author who knows her craft.

Don't have much else to say beyond the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I was tempted to just read all 4 of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles right in a row. But much like cherry jubilee, you cannot gorge yourself without some consequences. So I'm pacing myself and now I am REALLY looking forward to the next books.

1. Enchanted Forest Chronicles from 2006

Children of Time

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, & Goodreads by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: Children of Time
Series: -----
Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 609
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis: Spoilers

In the future humanity has spread far and wide. As have their divisions. One group of scientists is beginning the process of uplifting monkeys on a terraformed world when war breaks out and a saboteur does irreparable damage to the spaceship said scientists are in. The head scientist initiates the uplift program and seals herself in a coffin sized tank to sleep until rescue comes. Unfortunately, the barrel of monkeys gets destroyed and the nanovirus has to find other hosts.

We watch as an insect [Tchaikovsky really has a thing for bugs and he doesn't hold back here] civilization arises due to the effects of the nanovirus.

Fast forward 2000 years. Humanity wiped itself from the stars and sent itself back to barbarianism on Earth. While the last dregs have recreated some of the technology and kluged together several spaceships, Earth is done. Poison from the first war is killing everything. Humanity's last hope is to get to the terraformed planet and start anew.

Two civilizations are on a collision course. Humanity, worn out, still fighting itself and desperate to survive and the Spiders, young, cooperative and desperate to survive.

My Thoughts: Spoilers!!

First, if there was ever a book championing Intelligent Design, by accident, this is it. I'm an Ex Nihilo Creationist myself, so I had a bit of a chuckle when Tchaikovsky starts talking “Evolution” about a man made nano-virus. You can't have it both ways, unless you're a Theistic Evolutionist and the less said about them the better, lol. Ok, onto the serious stuff.

This was a weighty book. We get alternating chapters from humanity and the spiders. It was beautifully orchestrated, with the downward spiral of humans and the upward mobility of the insects. Spiders were the main characters and Tchaikovsky uses several names over generations again and again so we aren't introduced to a bewildering number of Spider characters. So we are always reading about “A” Fabian, or “A” Bianca or “A” Portia, just generations removed. I thought it provided a great thread of continuity for 2000 years of Spider time. Humanity on the other hand, we stick with the same crew from the last Arc ship and time passes for them in cold sleep. We see things through the eyes of one particular man who has been trained to interpret Old Empire records, etc and that is his only skill. So he only gets unthawed when things are going bad and the ship needs his expertise.

The humans are fighting each other right from the get go and don't stop. Tchaikovsky really hammers down on individualism and our propensity for conflict even in the face of extinction. It felt a little heavy handed at times but it was just so true to form that I shook my head and was like “Yep, that's us”. The spiders on the other hand, while having conflict within their society and from other “less uplifted” insect civilizations, are all about working together and overcoming differences. It didn't come across as preachy though but as a natural outflow of how spiders work.

And that leads into the ending.

SPOILERS!
There are no other planets for the colonist ship to go to. The Spiders don't have interstellar travel so they are stuck on their planet. It is an apparent lose-lose situation for everyone as the humans are just going to wipe out the spiders and the spiders will wipe out the humans, all in the name of survival. Then Tchaikovsky pulls a magical nanovirus stick out of his bum and suddenly the humans just love and adore the spiders and everyone gets along famously. Fast forward to the very end of the book and Spiders and Humans are living in peace and ready to explore the stars with their new love and appreciation for each other.
END SPOILERS



My only real complaint of the book is this: Nothing the old Empire does goes right or survives. Colonies die, terraformed planets go haywire, ships crash and burn and YET the nanovirus miraculously does exactly what it is supposed to and doesn't go astray. It was just a smidge more than I could accept.

Other than that, this was an exciting read with a lot of tension right up until the end and solidifies in my mind that Tchaikosky is a Real Author.

Dune (Dune Chronicles #1)

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, & Goodreads by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: Dune
Series: Dune Chronicles #1
Author: Frank Herbert
Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 611
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis: Spoilers

Mortal enemies, House Atreides and House Harkonnen, through political machinations, end up trading control of Arrakis, Dune. The one planet that produces the Spice; an addictive substance that prolongs life, allows the gifted to see glimpses of the future and cannot be artificially reproduced.

Baron Harkonnen has secretly allied himself with the Emperor though and through trickery, deceit and the use of the Emperor's Elite Forces, destroys the Atreides line on Dune. Unknown to him, however, the scion, Paul and his Bene Gesserit trained mother Jessica, have escaped to the desert where they fulfill prophecy for a group of desert dwellers known as the Fremen. Unrivaled warriors, the Fremen believe Paul is the long prophesied savior who will turn Dune into a paradise world. Paul, a product of millenia of Bene Gesserit breeding plans and living in conditions where he is infused with Spice at every turn, takes the next step in human development. He can see the Future, like it was the Past.

With his ability to now destroy the Spice, and hence destroy the Imperium, Paul ascends the Imperial Throne. The Future is firmly set and Paul Muad-dib is at the reins.

However, The Saga of Dune is Far from Over.

My Thoughts:

 
Phracking Fantastic, what a good book. I read it in '11 and then again in '16 and I found that 5 years seems to be a good amount of time between re-reads. While I enjoyed it this time around, the frission I experienced in '16 was not there. Some things do need a bit of time between tastings.

Since I do plan on re-reading the whole Dune Chronicles, I was keeping an eye out for little glimpses of the future. Not a lot to see, really. Which just cements my thoughts that while Herbert wrote this as a series, Dune itself was really meant as a standalone novel.

The ONLY thing that stuck out to me as a negative was the little dialogue about ecology that the dying character Kynes has with his dead father. While he knows it is a hallucination, it just comes across as Herbert allowing himself to talk about a subject that he's interested in but not strictly related to the immediate plot. It is much more detail oriented than is needed for an understanding of the “Turn Dune into a Fremen Paradise”, ie, a world with Earth normal weather.

I also read this with an eye towards how the Prequels books by his son had influenced me or my perception of events within the book. Honestly, it was very hard to tell. It did feel like I was more influenced by the rest of the Chronicles and the future they hold then anything that came before. But just the fact that I have read the prequels fills in little gaps in my mind that I might not even notice. 

 

1. Dune Review from 2011
2. Dune Review from 2016

They Were 11! (Eyeshield 21 #21) (Manga Monday)

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, & Goodreads by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: They were 11!
Series: Eyeshield 21 #21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki 
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 Stars
Genre: Sports Manga
Pages: 180
Format: Paperback

Synopsis: Spoilers

The Second Half. The Devil Bats begin to grind their way through Agon and his team the Naga's. Each member begins to give more than they have, as this IS a do or die game. Things are starting to seem favorable after 2 touchdowns, but with it still being 32-14, can the Devil Bats come back?

With a 3point kick by the Naga, bringing the score to 35-14, the volume ends. Ouch.

My Thoughts:

Oh man. This was another good volume full of tricks and surprises by Hiruma. I did begin to wonder just when he would run out of tricks though. At some point all avenues are closed and your hand is empty of cards. But so far, he keeps on pulling out more cards and hanging in there by the skin of his teeth.

This time around we see how physical the game is, as Sena's legs are starting to give out on him. He is relying on time outs to allow them to be iced and to go for just “a bit more”. We'll see if he can go the entire game. I am also wondering if the manga-ka will deal with recovery between games, as that is a very real thing.

Since the game doesn't end with this volume, I suspect that the next couple of games are going to be very long and span 4+ volumes. I have to admit, I am not looking forward to that. I have much preferred the volumes that encompass 1 game or maybe 2 volumes that encompass pre-game off field things [slice of life stuff], game and then post game off field action. I am not enough of a football fan to want a game drawn out so long like I suspect the rest will be.

1. Review of Volume 1
2. Review of Volume 2
3. Review of Volume 3
4. Review of Volume 4
5. Review of Volume 5

The Tower at Stony Wood

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, & Goodreads by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: The Tower at Stony Wood
Series: -----
Author: Patricia McKillip
Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 306
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis: Spoilers

A knight on a quest to free his rightful Queen. A noble on a quest to free his Kingdom. A bard on a quest to free her Sister. A mother on a quest to go back to the sea from which she came.

A story where all the storylines intersect at the oddest places and not even the characters know their true motivations.

My Thoughts:

In previous reviews of McKillip's works, I tend to liken her writing as silk; it is beguiling, sensual, sensuous and soft.


A half seen shape at night in the forest, with distant laughter and the faint tinkling of bells. You can't see it in whole, or even distinctly. When you look to your right, you catch a glimpse out of the corner of your eye to your left. When you spin around to catch it behind you, you feel it's eyes on you from the front. You don't know if it is your imagination playing tricks, an elven princess enchanting you or an evil sorcerer leading you astray. The only way to find out is to continue on. Is it a dot of honey on your lover's nose, a glob on a bear's paw or a comb in a bee's nest? What if the honeycomb is a magic sword and the bear is an an enchanted knight and your lover is a witch?


When you wrap fog, silk, honey and darkness into a tapestry of words, then you have this story, this book. And if your very soul is not moved, transported to another realm, then I pity you your grey, joyless existence that you think is life.

Here is the picture that comprises the cover:

 

1. Previous Review from 2005

Gorgon (Alex Hunter #5)

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, Goodreads & GoRead by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: Gorgon
Series: Alex Hunter #5
Author: Greig Beck
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Genre: Action/Adventure
Pages: 414
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis: Spoilers

Alex Hunter is wandering the United States, with huge gaps in his memory and dispensing vigilante justice against lowlifes who cross his path. At the same time, he is stalking his former love interest Aimee and it turns out she has a son and is in a relationship with some other man. Hammerson brings Alex back into the HAWC fold and with some new doctors, helps Alex get most of his memory back. However, his rages are even worse and it is questionable whether he can perform in the field without losing control.

Meanwhile in Turkey, an antiques thief lets loose an ancient myth, a gorgon, which is only too real. With whole villages being turned to stone, the HAWC's are sent in to deal with this problem. The Russians want a piece of the action as well and send in a specialist team led by the man who Alex has fought on and off for quite some time.

Everything comes to a climactic conclusion deep underground in some caves in Greece. And by climactic conclusion I mean, aliens, mech armor, explosives, high technology and a serious fight that only a few walk away from

My Thoughts: Spoilers

One: Alex has a kid by Aimee and said child has inherited Alex's superpowers?
Two: Aliens?
Come on everybody, roll those eyes with me! And a one, and a two and roll them both now.

This was a fun read with a lot of action. If you've liked the previous Alex Hunter books, then you'll definitely like this one. I have to say that on the character side of things, I am liking Jack Hammerson more and more. He reminds me, in spirit, of George Hammond from Stargate. Hammerson is a former HAWC and Hammond was a balding, portly fellow but in their care of their soldiers, they are twins. I also tend to picture Hammerson talking and acting like Hammond did.

Alex is still the messed up soldier and now he's gotten even more reasons to be worried. We'll see how the author, Beck, handles the whole superkid thing. I'm really hoping he doesn't go down the Soap Opera path. Last thing we need is a “Super Family in Hiding”. Not to be to coarse, but since Alex knows he can pass along his abilities, he should start fathering the Super Race. Sperm banks for sure and possibly a harem. Kind of like Solomon. Come on Alex, it's for the good of the entire world!

The whole gorgon thing was a bit farfetched, but considering we've had vampires from space, prehistoric monsters and the like, I guess upon reflection it really isn't that far off base. But seriously, an alien ship harvesting humans that crashed? 

1. Review of Book One
2. Review of Book Two
3. Review of Book Three
4. Review of Book Four

The Judge of Ages (Count to the Eschaton Sequence #3)

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, Goodreads & GoRead by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: The Judge of Ages
Series: Count to the Eschaton Sequence #3
Author: John Wright
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 381
Format: Kindle Digital edition

Synopsis: Spoiler

Picking up right where Book 2 left off, The Judge of Ages shows the final confrontation between Montrose and Del Exarchel and his flesh and blood counterpart. Of course, nothing is still as it seems,not even with Del Exarchel's bombshell's. Humanity 2.0 has arisen and they don't like the post humans (Montrose and Del Exarchel) mucking around with them.

Ends with the 2 archenemies becoming frenemies and being exiled from Earth in a spaceship. And Jupiter is in the process of being turned into a giant brain. Seriously.

My Thoughts

First off, Irresponsible Reader asked for a "meh" book and I have to say, he's getting it in spades with this one.

The only thing saving this from a 2star is the fact that there was a 50page battle in a locked room [it might have been slightly less than 50 pages, but it felt like it and that is a good thing] with about 10 different groups. It was awesome. It was up there with the battles in Neal Asher's book and since I had just read Gridlinked, the comparison was fresh.

Both this and Gridlinked are dealing with Posthumanity and the future. Unfortunately, this book falls into a didactic tone and the characters, mainly Montrose, spend the majority of the time spelling out they outsmarted all the other characters and the results of their smarty-pants'ness. It is all explained with very big math'y words that lapse over into the social engineering side of things as well. If you happen to be an expert in that kind of thing, or enjoy that level of detail, this will probably work for you.

I don't need that level of excruciating detail. I am not posthuman. In fact, most days, without an energy drink, I am barely old fashioned human. It was just boring!

At this point, I will keep reading the series just to see how it ends. But my goodness, shoot me in the head with a nanoencephalitic cocktail if you want me to praise future books.

^{Review of Book 1
Review of Book 2}