• Re: Highlights and Lowlights - March 2025

    From Ahasuerus@21:1/5 to Tony Nance on Tue Apr 1 22:57:20 2025
    On 4/1/2025 3:23 PM, Tony Nance wrote:
    [snip-snip]
    ( ++ 1/2) Replay - Grimwood
    A very interesting take on the idea that some people die and then relive their lives. Very well thought out. I found the first half to be
    excellent, and the second half slightly less so, where “half” is marked by when Jeff and Pamela meet the crazy guy.
    [snip-snip]

    I believe I had a similar reaction. These days time loop stories --
    including good time loop stories like _Mother of Learning_ (https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21220/mother-of-learning) -- are
    everywhere, but back when _Replay_ came out, it was special.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Ted Nolan @21:1/5 to tnusenet17@gmail.com on Thu Apr 3 03:44:18 2025
    In article <vshefb$3pfuv$1@dont-email.me>,
    Tony Nance <tnusenet17@gmail.com> wrote:

    Highlights and Lowlights - March 2025


    ( +++ ) The Emperor’s Wolves - Sagara [Wolves of Elantra #1]
    This is a very interesting prequel showing how Severn became one of the >Emperor’s Wolves, including that it illuminates how Severn
    gained a lot of his knowledge and skills.

    I keep saying I need to get back this series and not doing it...


    ( +++ ) Sweep With Me - Andrews [Innkeeper Chronicles Novella - maybe
    entry “4.5”?]
    Fun like the others in this series, this one is set on Earth at the
    Gertrude Hunt Inn, featuring Dina and Sean and some of the other regular >characters. Sean is now a co-Innkeeper with Dina. As with most of these >stories, powerful/dangerous guests arrive with various agendas and bring >various difficulties with them, and Dina and Sean have to use a
    combination of power, perceptiveness, knowledge, and cleverness to keep >everyone safe. This is not to imply these stories all feel the same -
    the Andrews team is excellent at introducing new characters, races,
    twists, problems, etc.

    Looking back I see I thought the resolution of this one was a bit
    weak though it was very entertaining up to that point (philosophical
    space chickens!). I guess we will not get any new ones in the forseeable future, though there is apparently a manga adaption.


    ( ++ 1/2) The Planet Explorer (aka Colonial Survey) - Leinster (part of
    his Planets of Adventure collection)
    Originally 4 separate stories, they were rewritten to feature the same >protagonist and then (originally) packaged as the fix-up novel “Colonial >Survey”. Here in the Planets of Adventure collection, it is titled “The >Planet Explorer”. Two of the four stories are also known under alternate >names — “Solar Constant” was originally “Critical Difference”, and >“Combat Team” was originally “Exploration Team”. Classic stories, very >well done.

    Yes, and Leinster's only regular Hugo I believe.


    ( +++ ) Legends & Lattes - Baldree
    This was delightful…slight, direct, and fun. Our protagonist orc Viv >retires from hired “blood work” to open a coffee shop in a multi-species >city that has never heard of coffee. Great characterizations, fun
    supporting cast. I will read the next one (which I gather is a prequel,
    which is not something I usually pursue, but I’ll try this one).


    I have got the first one somewhere, but it has not percolated up.
    (Or pour-over-ed up)

    ( +++ 1/2) Salvage Right - Lee & Miller [Liaden #25]
    This one is totally focused on Jen Sin and the Tensori Light station
    that had crept into our universe to enslave and destroy. Tocohl and
    other AIs also have huge roles, as do Tolly & Haz, Anthora & Ren Zel,
    and Theo & co. The main mission is to refurbish the station, make sure
    there are no remnants of the original Tensori Light in any of the >programming, and open up the station as a Liaden trading post in a
    region that sorely needs it. Very interesting twists and turns throughout.

    Looking forward to this one as I really enjoyed _Accepting The Lance_.
    I hope things work out for Tocohl who kind of got birthed and then
    stuck in a bad (non-piloting) situation for a pilot as I recall.

    --
    columbiaclosings.com
    What's not in Columbia anymore..

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)