Monday, November 19, 2018

Borders of Infinity Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Publisher: Baen Books
Genre: Space Opera, Science Fiction
Series: Vorkosigan Saga Book Six (Publishing Order)
Pages: 311

(Spoilers for Vorkosigan Saga novels 1-5 in publication order)

Borders of Infinity is a collection of three novellas written about Miles Vorkosigan that are wrapped around a shortly framed story of Miles awakening in a hospital after surgery who tells them to Simon Illyan. Each novella is a given its own score and the final aggregate score at the top is an average of all three.

Overall Score: 8.8

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Brothers in Arms Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Publisher: Baen Books
Genre: Space Opera, Science Fiction
Series: Vorkosigan Saga Book Five (Publishing Order)
Pages: 338

(Contains Spoilers for Vorkosigan novels 1-4 in publication order).


Admiral Miles Naismith has arrived on Earth fleeing retribution from the Cetagandans and looking to rest and repair his fleet. In London at the Barrayaran embassy Miles returns to his birth identity of Miles Vorkosigan and once again must begin balancing both roles he plays. But when assassination attempts begin, keeping his identities secret becomes even more difficult than Miles could have imagined.

Monday, October 8, 2018

Falling Free Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Publisher: Baen Books
Genre: Space Opera, Science Fiction
Series: Vorkosigan Saga Book Four (Publishing Order)
Pages: 307

(May contain spoilers for Vorkosigan Saga Books 1-3).

Leo Graf has been a stellar engineer for GalacTech the past few decades. He has now been newly assigned to Cay Habitat, a part of the free fall station orbiting the mining colony Rodeo. Here Graf is tasked with educating GalacTech's newest genetic creation: the Quaddies. These four armed humans have been genetically modified to have a significant working advantage in zero gravity. But that may be just the problem, as GalacTech and Cay Habitat manager Bruce Van Atta only see the Quaddies as "post-fetal experimental tissue cultures."

Monday, October 1, 2018

Ethan of Althos Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Publisher: Baen Books
Genre: Space Opera, Science Fiction
Series: Vorkosigan Saga Book Three (Publishing Order)
Pages: 224

(Contains spoilers for Shards of Honor and The Warrior's Apprentice).

Dr. Ethan Urquhart is the chief biologist on the all male planet of Althos. When the next shipment of human fetuses doesn't arrive, he is charged with the task of recovering them by his home planet. 

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

The Warrior's Apprentice Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Publisher: Baen Books
Genre: Space Opera, Science Fiction
Series: Vorkosigan Saga Book Two (Publishing Order)
Pages: 315

After his physical limitations prevent him from graduating the Barrayaran military academy, Miles Vorkosigan must find a new way to prove his worth to both himself and his family. Traveling with his bodyguard Bothari and his daughter Elena, Miles heads to Beta Colony to visit his grandmother in order to help Elena discover the true identity of her mother.

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Shards of Honor Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Publisher: Baen Books
Genre: Space Opera, Science Fiction
Series: Vorkosigan Saga Book One (Publishing Order)
Pages: 320

Cordelia Naismith is Captain of a Beta Colony Astronomical exploration on the newly discovered planet of Escobar. During there exploration her crew is attacked by Lord Aral Vorkosigan the Butcher of Komarr, who has recently been betrayed by his own crew and left for dead. Cordelia and Aral marooned together with another injured Betan, must travel to a hidden Barrayaran cache and only then can they begin to reestablish order in their lives.

Monday, July 30, 2018

The Crooked Kingdom Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: Six of Crows Duology Book Two
Pages: 561

(Spoilers for Six of Crows are below).

Kaz Brekker and his crew have pulled off an impossible heist. But their financial backer Jan van Eck has refused to pay them. As an insurance policy he's captured Inej, and if Kaz doesn't surrender soon, she dies. The escape of Bo Yul-Bayur from the Ice Court has captured the attention of the world's most powerful leaders. As they descend on Ketterdam looking to find the man that is believed to know how to make jurda parem.

Monday, July 23, 2018

Six of Crows Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: Six of Crows Duology
Pages: 465

In the streets of Ketterdam, rising street urchin Kaz Brekker discovers the opportunity to make a heist that will change his fortune forever. Pulling it off will require him to break into the most secure place in the Grisha world, the Ice Court. But to pull this off the team will not only have to survive the dangers of being in a foreign land, but they will have to learn to trust each other.

Monday, April 2, 2018

NausicaƤ of the Valley of the Wind Manga Review

by The Wanderer  

Author: Hayao Miyazaki
Illustrator: Hayao Miyazaki
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC Deluxe edition
Genre: Manga, Science Fiction
Series: NausicaƤ of the Valley of the Wind
Length: 1,104

After the Seven Days of Fire industrial society has been destroyed, but humanity survives. Most of the Earth is uninhabitable being covered by the Sea of Corruption, a forest that emits toxic miasmas and contains giant insects that can spread the forest over what little land that is left for humans to use. 

Centuries later, NausicaƤ, a Princess of the Valley of the Wind, is set to inherit her father's kingdom. As a vassal state of the Torumekian Empire she is summoned to go to war against the Dorok's. The Torumekian's fear the Dorok's have found a God Warrior, one of the advanced technological creations believed responsible for the Seven Days of Fire, and that they intend to use it destroy the world again.

Monday, February 26, 2018

The Traitor Baru Cormorant Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Seth Dickinson

Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Hard Fantasy
Series: Masquerade Book One
Pages: 400

As a savant with calculations and numbers, Baru Cormorant's only wish is to rise through the ranks of the powerful Empire of Masks to save her childhood home, Taranoke, from being completed assimilated. Her first test is as Imperial Accountant to Aurdwynn, one of the Masquerade's most profitable provinces and also one of it's most dangerous. She must navigate treachery and violence and still be willing to pay the price if she is to save her home.

Monday, February 19, 2018

The Infernal Battalion Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Django Wexler
Publisher: Roc
Genre: Flintlock Fantasy
Series: Shadow Campaigns Book Five
Pages: 512

(Spoilers for Shadow Campaigns Books 1-4 are below).

The Beast is unleashed. 

Absorbing mind after mind, it's building an army. And leading that army is Janus bet Vhalnich the undefeated and greatest general in Vordan's history. Only Winter Ihernglass is aware of the Beast's escape and it's abilities to control people's minds. Deep in Murnskai she must make her way back to Vordan to warn the others and confront the Beast itself as she hosts the only demon that might be able to defeat it.

In Vordan, Raesinia Orboan works with Marcus D'Ivoire to heal their country after years of warfare, but when Janus declares himself emperor all hope of peace is shattered. Raesinia is forced to begin political negotiations Vordan's oldest enemy to save her country, and Marcus once again heads into battle to face the commander that's taught him everything.

Sunday, January 21, 2018

The Familiar Volume Five Book Review

by The Wanderer

Author: Mark Z. Danielewski
Publisher: Pantheon
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Familiar Volume Five: Redwood
Pages: 880

(Spoilers for The Familiar Volume's 1-4)

Here is what the characters from The Familiar are currently up to ...

Monday, January 1, 2018

Oathbringer Book Review

by The Wanderer
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Series: Stormlight Archive Book Three
Pages: 1,220

(Spoilers for Stormlight Archives 1-2 and Warbreaker are below).

With the Everstorm released, a new Desolation has begun. Dalinar Kholin and the Alethi armies now occupy the once lost great city of Urithiru. There he realizes he must not only unite the Alethi but all of Roshar if he is to defeat Odium and the Voidbringers. But the cause of the Voidbringers may not be unjust, as Kaladin tries to infiltrate their numbers and learn more about their mission. The murder of Brightlord Sadaes also stands to tear apart the Alethi, and Adolin and Shallan are tasked with investigating it, along with a string of other bizarrely occurring murders.