It's not the best written non-fiction book, but it covers a lot of ground on sleeping habits. Even if you only follow the headline, for sure it will iIt's not the best written non-fiction book, but it covers a lot of ground on sleeping habits. Even if you only follow the headline, for sure it will improve your sleep. And of course, this book is for general use only. It doesn't get into any of the medical causes of insomnia....more
The Player of Games is the second book in the Culture series, a space opera series that deals with utopian concepts and philosophies. And of course, this Player of Games is about, well, games.
A certain Jernau Morat Gurgeh, a master player, got tricked into participating in a tournament held by a less advanced space empire. The stake of the game doesn’t seem high at first, but everything will rush towards a destructive conclusion. The purpose of the Empire here is to be in contrast with the Culture. One is a civilization based on competition, aggression and personal property (sort of like our current lifestyle). The other is a socialist utopia with no scarcity and no rules or governments per se.
Plot and characters To be honest, the plot and the characters are acceptable but they impress little. On the other hand, reading about a utopian society where things cannot go wrong was more fun than I expected. The book compares the Culture and the Azad Empire, the latter being easier to understand for our limited human minds that live in a constant struggle with nature and other people. A post-scarcity world is hard to envision. A post-scarcity world where there are still interesting things to do is even harder to imagine.
The Player of Games is divided into roughly 3 parts, corresponding with the 3 worlds our Gurgeh meets. First, there is one Orbital belonging to the Culture, the familiar scene where Gurgeh spends his life and hones his skills. Then there is the cultural shock, the welcoming party, and the learning of the Azad game. And finally, there is an understanding of the Empire and how the game truly works, with its many implications.
There is a certain tone for each part. A boring peaceful atmosphere in the Culture, a certain intrigue and mystery and why not, danger in the Empire, and a revelation in the ultimate game. So if you feel like the first part is a little slow, that is intentional. There is no real danger in the Culture, and possibly that’s why it’s so hard to write about a Utopian society. No gripping tension, no mystery, no secrets, no manipulations, no rule-breaking. There is simply peace. And readers hate peace. I certainly do. I mean, I dream of a utopian society, but I admit the books I read tend to fall into the action-filled scenery.
World building And that’s why the better parts of The Player of Games are the philosophy and world-building. A world where cosmic peace exists and people live to their maximum potential, without notions such as glory, honor, and personal conquest, which sounds like virtues in our vocabulary, but are the total opposites of that, because of course, to experience those concepts, one needs to fight an enemy. And if there’s not an enemy, one needs to create it in order to show his or her virtues.
The genders and biological sexes presented in this novel represent another fantastic piece of world-building, though I feel there could be more potential to explore the implications of more than one sex in a conscious and intelligent species.
The Player of Games is a classic science fiction where ideas prevail over characters, plot and action. There is enough on the side to keep you interested. In the end, I’d say it’s a book well balanced between philosophy, plot, and characters. If you’ve read any modern science fiction fantasy books, don’t expect the same explosive action. Instead, The Player of Games is written in that slightly outdated style where points of view are constantly changing from scene to scene. It can be a bit offputting, but if you’re open to a novel that questions the science fiction tropes while inventing new ones (probably already used in more recent books), this book is for you....more
Reread: I've changed my mind. It's badly written and frustrating. Things come out of nowhere and are never explained. I don't care if they will be expReread: I've changed my mind. It's badly written and frustrating. Things come out of nowhere and are never explained. I don't care if they will be explained in future volumes, it's bad writing practice and unsatisfying for the readers. Still, the world seems bigger than any other fantasy book I've ever read.
In my reviews, I don’t mention characters’ names or any other names because I cannot remember them when I’m writing, or if I remember them, I would definitely spell them wrong. I tend to focus on emotions, surprises, themes, and character development (as in growth, so names are not so important). Needless to say, the Malazan Book of the Fallen has a huge cast of characters. And this huge cast is very noticeable even starting with the first book, Gardens of the Moon. All of them are in one way or another characters we follow in their converging journeys. Conclusion: I will not mention any names except one: Anomander Rake, a certain non-human lord that strangely doesn’t have a point of view scene in this book, and yet, his name as well his attitude put a lasting impression on me.
Steven Erikson managed to create character development in just a few lines of text spread over chapters devoted to other characters. A remarkable feat in itself. Alas, while the other characters are all distinct, we don’t have enough time to spend with them I couldn’t relate to many events in the world. And when I don’t relate to the characters, I don’t feel engaged in their struggles. Potential result: boredom.
The only thing that helped is that we are dropped not only in the middle of the action but apparently in the middle of the series too. Reading Gardens of the Moon feels like reading a middle book in a larger series. Events and characters are mentioned like we should already know about them. At times it feels like deus ex machina, but because of the way the story unfolds, you would have this nagging feeling that maybe you should have started with the first volume of the series. The problem: This is the first volume of the series.
As we don’t spend enough time with the characters to get to know them, my main interest while reading was in figuring connections and trying to understand what happened in “previous books” (so to speak – to understand the backstory which was missing in this volume). As I usually enjoy learning in context, and some of my favorite books are those that don’t over-explain things, I actually enjoyed that. On rereading probably my enjoyment will be diminished. I am one of those people who prefer to be thrown in the middle of events and figure out what each thing means. I also enjoy character-focused works. At least I got one extreme here in Gardens of the Moon.
Another aspect that held my interest during the lecture was the minimalist approach to word count. Does it mean it’s a short book? No, ten times no. At 700 pages, it’s a huge book, and every word counts. There are almost no descriptions here, except the occasional minimal one to set the scene or mood. The dialogues are also stilted and short, enough to convey the desired information or emotion. There is actual humor in this book, even if it’s seen through the lens of bleak grimdark fantasy.
Think about it this way. A lot more things happen in one chapter of Gardens of the Moons than in an entire book of the Wheel of Time series (at least The Eye of the World). It may be an exaggeration but it’s also a good approximation.
So, you cannot skim this book, every word means something if you want to understand the strange world of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.
It is said (not by me) that this series is probably the most difficult and inaccessible fantasy series. I don’t agree with this. If you enjoy discovering new things and pay attention to every word, then it should prove to be a treat. My main criticism is that some things are to be explained in future books, so almost nothing is resolved in a satisfying way (accent on satisfying because everything is actually resolved) at the end of the first book. This, together with the feeling that there should be some volumes before the events of the book make this volume a not very satisfying read. It’s almost pointless if you don’t continue reading the next volumes.
If you’re used to the first book in the series picking up your interest and making you want to buy the next book, Gardens of the Moon reverses that and makes a great theme of futility both in the way the book reads but also in what the book covers.
While using many fantasy tropes, different races, dragons, powerful gods, vast armies, strange magics, epic scale, and even dice rolls, it perverts all of them, not in what they are, but in what they express.
On a personal note, I only got the first volume to see if it’s a series to my liking or not, but I discovered that this first book cannot give me the answer. It feels more like a chapter of a larger book than a standalone volume. So if you’re not committed to reading the whole series, probably it’s best not to start. For almost all other fantasy series, after reading the first book the general feeling is “more things will happen; wanna know more?” In this case, though, the general feeling is “congratulations, you’ve just read a chapter in the middle of the book; how do you feel?”.
It’s a complex book, akin to a chapter in world history. “Do we know the exact causes? No. But do we know exactly who is responsible? Not really. Do we see a pattern here? Maybe, but we’re not sure.” These are some of the questions you will have after reading this first book.
If you’re interested in this kind of thing, then go ahead and read it. If you’re just curious, I’d say sure, go ahead and read it. If you want a relaxing read and a straightforward story, I’d say this is not the right book for you. The frustration I felt after reading it, the ambivalence between love and hate, those were real. And I’m sure they were intended. In the prologue written in my edition, Steven Erikson mentioned the vast ambition he had about this series and asked if he plan to make it easy for the readers, his response was (in my words) “Hell, no! The real world is a frustrating experience, why should fantasy be different?”...more
Here we are, finally reading a classic fantasy tale. Truth be told, I've heard about it for years, but I was always reluctant to start. The words "derHere we are, finally reading a classic fantasy tale. Truth be told, I've heard about it for years, but I was always reluctant to start. The words "derivative of Tolkien's works" sounds like heresy to me, and while it's true almost all fantasy works take their inspiration from Tolkien, they are tonally different enough, that can co-exist in readers' minds.
On the other hand, Wheel of Time, and especially The Eye of the World, is, well, Lord of the Rings in a more modern prose. Or so I thought.
The truth is, the similarities are indeed striking. But there are differences that hit at bigger things and a different theme than the one presented in Lord of the Rings. Nevertheless, this is a classic story, of clear good guys fighting the ever-present darkness, the dark lord and his lackeys. So if you're sick of this theme, you should probably stop right here.
I never thought I'd say this but, sometimes, different media, like TV series and movies can prompt one to check what otherwise he would have never read. Case in point: me and Wheel of Time, and the show Amazon is producing at the moment.
After watching the first season of the show, I got intrigued by the strong role women play in a classic fantasy story. That was enough to make me curious about Wheel of Time. If they could take away the classic strong man chosen one, savior of world trope from fantasy, that was enough for me.
So, is the Eye of the World up to my expectations? Well, the book didn't surpass any tropes, matter of fact, the show did better in this aspect than the book. The book is indeed, very Tolkienesque, and kind of a mess of events and characters appearing and then disappearing without any consequence in the long run. It is a long journey with things happening on the way, things that may come back in the future (if this was just a long exposition), or not.
But, there are hints of ideas that I like, a world that is different than any fantasy I've read, even if strangely, the author focuses on the familiar derivative aspects and simple characters, while leaving the strong ideas and conflicted characters in the background. It's almost like he didn't have the courage to take the extra step towards uniqueness, but it's there, hidden in the background.
Another aspect the book has going for it. It's a very easy read. I know at almost 800 pages long, the first book in a series of 14 books, sure looks intimidating, but the language flows so well, and the plot points are repeated exactly at the moment you almost forget, that the book doesn't require any mental effort to read. All you have to do is follow along in a magical journey.
Now that is up to you if you prefer books to challenge you, this series is not for you. If you want an immersive and fully created world that will get into your mind organically, with almost no effort, then this is an experience worth having....more
Curiously, the third book in the Ravenor trilogy mirrors the last book in the Eisenhorn trilogy, where we witness the consequences of Ravenor's choiceCuriously, the third book in the Ravenor trilogy mirrors the last book in the Eisenhorn trilogy, where we witness the consequences of Ravenor's choices over the years. Unfortunately, his choices are of a personal matter and not a life and death situation, which makes you question how can such small choices lead to devastating consequences, especially as Ravenor's choices were always moral and based on trust and loyalty. Nothing wrong here. Yet, things turn really bad.
As in the previous novel, the development of the antagonist is one of the strong points of the novel. The other strong point is the character development of the side characters to the detriment of the main character. While the series is called Ravenor, these books are very loosely about him. He doesn't really go through any character arc and doesn't know any changes in his personality. He's also mostly missing in most scenes. I think that's why a lot of readers seem disappointed with the series and the choice of perspective in the narrative. If you can get over it, you will discover the other characters which all have their soul and personality, even though they are based on classic archetypes.
Both Eisenhorn and Ravenor series have a way of starting out slow (but with memorable scenes) and taking you on a journey not necessarily unique but one during which you will get to know intimately the cast of characters and their inner conflicts. For a Warhammer book, that is a huge accomplishment....more
Following up on Ravenor, the second book in the series is more fleshed out, especially regarding the antagonists. Usually, I'm not a fan of antagonistFollowing up on Ravenor, the second book in the series is more fleshed out, especially regarding the antagonists. Usually, I'm not a fan of antagonist points of view, especially when they act as true villains with no redeeming features - kinda like here. They're bad. Really bad, and you get that from the first pages, but it's truly a delight to follow the bad guys planning more meticulously than the good guys with unexpected consequences.
It makes for more interesting confrontations, as you start to root a little bit for the villains, too. Not too much but enough to doubt the results of important battles. And that's an exciting feature of this book.
I'm not going to compare it with the previous novels written by Abnett as probably it feels more limited in scope and not so epic, sometimes following a comic book formula, but nevertheless, I appreciate the Ravenor series because secondary characters have more time to shine to grow....more
Another amazing trilogy from the author of Eisenhorn. While the stylistic choices are all over the place (third-person limited pov, first-person pov, Another amazing trilogy from the author of Eisenhorn. While the stylistic choices are all over the place (third-person limited pov, first-person pov, switching third person pov during the same action scene), it keeps the same energy and emotional impact of the previous trilogy.
A worthy successor of Eisenhorn, Ravenor manages to surpass expectations. Whether we speak of the character or the trilogy, both are true affirmationsA worthy successor of Eisenhorn, Ravenor manages to surpass expectations. Whether we speak of the character or the trilogy, both are true affirmations.
Ravenor marks the departure from the first-person narrator, switching to a multiple POVs narrative that allows for more detailed storytelling, while keeping some character motivations hidden, even in the case of the main character. Speaking of the main characters, you would make a mistake to think of Ravenor as one. Sure, he's the leader, but compared to the Eisenhorn trilogy, his team has the spotlight and the opportunity to shine. Depending on your preferences, some will steal the show, yet all of them are interesting in their own way and harbor their own secrets.
Whatever you do, you must read this trilogy. Of course, if you've already read the first 2 books, this one doesn't need any presentation. It ties all Whatever you do, you must read this trilogy. Of course, if you've already read the first 2 books, this one doesn't need any presentation. It ties all the loose ends and all your questions while leaving room for spin-off sequels. And the best part, it's a good trilogy in its own right, despite being Warhammer 40K. Everyone should read this. If all Warhammer 40K books would be of this quality, then well, I guess it will become a literary universe instead of a miniature game.
Moving on, the final installment in the Eisenhorn trilogy deals with the consequences of one's actions and as always, the focus is the inner-life of inquisitor Eisenhorn. Yes, there are battles and mayhem but that is secondary. And I'd wish the villain would be more fleshed out thought from what I've seen these books follow a particular formula that focuses mainly on build-up. Once the villains are revealed, the suspense drops, and the author chooses to tie it all together before the novel overstays its welcome. The result is that as a reader you're looking for more and you'll read the next book, but at the same time you admit that the best part of the novel was the search for answers....more
The Eisenhorn trilogy is getting better and better. Usually, a trilogy has problems in respecting the reader's expectations, but this Malleus is everyThe Eisenhorn trilogy is getting better and better. Usually, a trilogy has problems in respecting the reader's expectations, but this Malleus is everything that you wish would be improved in Xenos. More coherent storytelling, more character development, less meaningless battles but more impactful scenes and I could go on.
The villain is indeed a bit weak, but I can easily excuse this because the main battle is going on inside Eisenhorn. The galaxy will never lack powerful foes, but how you fight them, this is a more interesting inner battle....more
I started reading this because it was hyped as a funny Warhammer 40K book/series.
Let me tell you that it's not as funny as I expected. Yes, it's more I started reading this because it was hyped as a funny Warhammer 40K book/series.
Let me tell you that it's not as funny as I expected. Yes, it's more humorous and witty than the standard W40K but then again, almost everything has more personality than run-of-the-mill military SF in a grimdark universe.
For one, Ciaphas Cain, the famous coward is actually a self-deprecating hero who always makes the right choices. So he's not the character to make fun of. What about the other characters? Well, truth be told, they are the standard Warhammer 40K stereotypes, all either very abled or making stupid decisions due to the bureaucratic process.
If not funny, then what? By trying to make a humorous story in a grimdark universe but still relying on hero tropes, Sandy Mitchel managed to create characters that sound and act human but still heroic. It definitely feels different than a Warhammer 40K novel, but in some ways, not so much. It's hard to pinpoint the exact feeling these novels evoke. I'm sure some will hate it, some will love it, some will be confused about it. Nevertheless, I recommend it....more
It's interesting that the concepts presented in this book mirror the real life of the author and scientists involved in part of the research the book It's interesting that the concepts presented in this book mirror the real life of the author and scientists involved in part of the research the book is based on.
It has brilliant concepts, and it's maybe riddled with too many self-references and biographical notes that are not really the topic of this book but the worst thing and the reason this book receives one-star from me is the portrayal of Jeffrey Epstein as the goodhearted billionaire interested in the advancement of science, as well as the on-going collaboration between him and the author even after he pleaded guilty of being a sex offender. The reason I make this review about him and not, as many say that I should separate science from the individual, is because a lot of science has been done with unwilling human sacrifices and that needs to stop if we don't want to lose complete trust in science. So many breakthroughs relied on war prisoners, victims of war, muddled ethics, and now the laundered money coming from sex trafficking. This needs to stop because the scientific method is a wonderful tool to understand nature and even ourselves, but if we let it sink into the depths of corruption, we may never get it back untainted.
But how and why this relates to the research. The book is all about collaboration and how everything we have, the modern technology, our mastery over nature, etc is due to collaboration evolutionary mechanisms, based on mathematical proofs. It turns out collaboration is more powerful than punishment. And professor Nowak practices what he speaks, hence the mention of so many wonderful people in his book, including Jeffrey Epstein. He was willing to turn a blind eye to his doing in exchange for his money and power of influence in order to advance the knowledge corpus of science. (It's hard to argue that he didn't notice anything suspicious about Epstein, especially after first being investigated by the police.) Cooperation should prove more fruitful than not accepting corrupt money.
Yet there is a problem, if such people are allowed to go on unpunished, they will not change because they encounter generosity and eventually will feel the need to give. True Epstein laundered money through scientific enterprises but why is nobody caring about his victims?
The chapter on Climate Change should prove more relevant to the problem I have with this incomplete view of cooperation. It turns out that groups of cooperative people (who limited the punishment) went ahead compared to those who employed more punitive measures. Yet if some big agents who have great power are just stealing the fund reserved for combating climate, they will not be convinced without any punitive measure to change their mind, especially if they have the ability to steal the whole fund. That makes a generous collaboration worse than a collaboration based on punitive sanctions for abnormal members of the network.
The model works if we assume all nodes in a network are more or less the same in terms of capabilities. Yet with a more structured and hierarchical, maybe more complex network and sets of networks, big players have an advantage, especially if they turn to defectors. Indeed, it may be possible that their supremacy was built on cooperation, but what happens when there's no incentive to further collaborate?
As you see, if you skip the biographical notes, the research is intriguing and it doesn't offer all the answers, of course, but further possible research. Unfortunately, we should aim to do ethical research, even when it seems that an ethical code is there just to put more obstacles in the way of solving problems. In this case, the gamble didn't pay off for professor Nowak, but who knows how many people manage to get away with serious unethical research that only stains the reputation of the scientific method?...more
There are 2 types of fantasy/SF readers. One who cannot stand the lack of explanation and wants everything quickly explained in context and the other There are 2 types of fantasy/SF readers. One who cannot stand the lack of explanation and wants everything quickly explained in context and the other who is not afraid to just roll with new concepts without a proper explanation and can derive meaning from context, eventually.
Xenos falls into the latter category if you are coming in without any notion of Warhammer universe. I could see it being the perfect book, equal parts action, character development, and world building, with enough unexplained concepts that will make you imagine things and make you want to keep reading on.
On the other hand, if you already read plenty of Warhammer books, you would get everything at once and the effect it's just a bit, a tiny bit less than if you're coming in with a newbie mindset. Don't get me wrong it's a good book, but one of the best things about reading a well-written fantasy SF book is discovering the world and making my own opinions. And because I've already know almost everything concept-wise, the book drags a bit in the middle.
Nevertheless, it has a very strong beginning that will pull you in and make sure you read all the way in. It also suffers from the syndrome of a planned trilogy. While things are wrapped nicely in the end, there are plenty of purposely unanswered questions which hint at an even better plot and character development.
P.S. Also, I think my expectations were way too high because this series is hyped as the best W40K series ever. The first book is not bad, it's pretty good actually, but you don't want to know how unreasonably high my expectations were :)...more
If you have to read one book from the Warhammer 40K Universe, read this trilogy. It doesn't even have to be about Warhammer. If you want to read some If you have to read one book from the Warhammer 40K Universe, read this trilogy. It doesn't even have to be about Warhammer. If you want to read some good SF with a really unique melange of ideas and wacky background but serious story and touching character developing, read this book.
You can read my individual reviews about the novels contained inside this omnibus here: Xenos Malleus Hereticus...more
Am I the only one that didn't know this novel was homoerotic with (big) hints of pedophilia?
I kinda expected vampires, you know. But well, now you knoAm I the only one that didn't know this novel was homoerotic with (big) hints of pedophilia?
I kinda expected vampires, you know. But well, now you know, and if you're looking for more than just vampires, this may be well for you. Don't get me wrong. All characters are vampire. And vampires cannot have sex in this universe. The act of sucking blood and killing their victims replaces the pleasure of sex and what follows is a novel dedicated to eroticism, but without any of the traditional tropes. I'd say it's pretty smart, though it was not what I expected.
There is one point where the novel was spectacular. Just because of the way the story is constructed, it evokes a strong sense of creepiness. You have to stop and wonder that something feels off, even when the characters speak of love and passion, it's very creepy, almost disgusting. And yet beautiful. Really vampire-like.
But that's the thing. Before this book, while charisma was associated with vampires, love in this way was not. Depression and loneliness was not. A vampire questioning religions was not. Because up until this point vampires were creatures of evil, no matter how charismatic they appeared.
If I have one negative thing to say (beside the genre of the novel, see above), it's the main character. Louis, man, you must be the most whiny and indecisive character I've ever read about. He mostly reacts and almost never acts, which makes the novel very dull for a very long time. Fortunately, the concept and the pure shock of reading about these things made up for a lack of a more reactive character.
tldr; Someone around here said that "IWTV was basically a story about two guys drinking blood and pretending to be parents to a little girl." and I think that sums it up nicely....more
For a Warhammer 40K novel, this is something else. It's a war story, of course, because in the 41st Millennium there is only war. But it's also a storFor a Warhammer 40K novel, this is something else. It's a war story, of course, because in the 41st Millennium there is only war. But it's also a story about dehumanization and stubbornness, and going too far, all these things without the usual Warhammer silliness. It's almost a serious novel that has the right to stand apart from the games and tell its own story.
You will witness character development to the extreme. And a very bleak story all around, without a ray of hope. Grimdark all the way.
The only criticism will probably come from fans of the game lore because there are many inconsistencies here regarding how Imperial Army operates, as well as the enemy, the Necrons should act. As I am not interested in that, I treat each book as a separate entity with separate rules that I have yet to discover. Unless of course, it's a series written by the same author.
In this novel, there is only one thing you should know about the Necrons. They are alien unstoppable creatures that we know nothing about, that we cannot reason with, and that will destroy everything in their path. The focus is not on them, but on the human troops fighting a losing war....more
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