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The Poppy War

January 17, 2020January 16, 2020 / Alexander Pyles / Leave a comment

Finally managed to get around to another Nebula nominated book, and THE POPPY WAR by R.F. Kuang is a marvelous debut, that is layered in all the right ways. I listened to it on audio book, narrated by the perfect Emily Woo Zeller and it is a riiiide. Content warnings: sexual assault, rape, extreme violence, … Continue reading The Poppy War

Review: The Armored Saint

January 15, 2020January 14, 2020 / Alexander Pyles / Leave a comment

THE ARMORED SAINT by Myke Cole was one of the last books I read last year. It's a romping mix of steampunk and fantasy that feels as brutal as the game DIABLO, yet remains tender in the quieter moments. It was a fun, brief read and I cannot wait to get back to this world. … Continue reading Review: The Armored Saint

Review: The Violent Bear It Away

December 14, 2019December 13, 2019 / Alexander Pyles / 1 Comment

I'll come clean and say that I haven't been reading any books for my local men's book club over the past few months, but I could not stop myself when they chose a Flannery O'Connor novel, THE VIOLENT BEAR IT AWAY. There's so much that has been said about this novel already, but I can't … Continue reading Review: The Violent Bear It Away

Review: Severance

November 2, 2019October 17, 2019 / Alexander Pyles / 1 Comment

I wasn't sure what to expect from Ling Ma's debut novel, SEVERANCE, but the only true label I can ascribe to it, is that it is first and foremost a millennial novel. Ma is the first author to so thoroughly nail the working ethos, apathy, and thirst for belonging that encapsulates millennials. Set in the … Continue reading Review: Severance

Reveiw: Dark Run

April 6, 2018April 5, 2018 / Alexander Pyles / Leave a comment

DARK RUN by Mike Brooks is an awesome book! Semi-hard science fiction cast into the future after the great human diaspora into the stars. We find Captain Ichabod Drift with his crew looking to leave their past behind, but become wrapped up in a smuggling run that will change their lives forever. Old regrets and … Continue reading Reveiw: Dark Run

Review: We Come Apart

December 5, 2017December 5, 2017 / Alexander Pyles / 1 Comment

I don't often read YA, and it's even less that I am moved by a YA novel, so when I finished We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan, I was taken aback. I will say that this book is fantastic. Written in free form verse, we follow Nicu, a Romanian immigrant, transplanted in London and Jess, … Continue reading Review: We Come Apart

Review: Steal The Stars

November 28, 2017November 27, 2017 / Alexander Pyles / Leave a comment

So, I'm going to do something different here and review an audio drama that was recommended to me. Steal the Stars is written by Mac Rogers, and the novelization is written by Nat Cassidy(who also plays a supporting role in the audio drama). And I just have to say that it is phenomenal. I'll admit, I haven't listened to … Continue reading Review: Steal The Stars

Review: Barsk

October 9, 2017December 5, 2017 / Alexander Pyles / Leave a comment

It isn't too often that one finds a novel that has such a genuinely unique world built around it, but Barsk: The Elephant's Graveyard by  Lawrence M. Schoen is one such work.

Review: Arkwright

July 26, 2017January 2, 2018 / Alexander Pyles / 1 Comment

There are few books in science fiction that could be considered a love letter to it, but Arkwright by Allen Steele hits the nail on the head. The book surrounds Nathan Arkwright, a seminal sci fi writer, and his legacy of wishing to send humanity into the stars to colonize them. Driven by the belief that humanity will eventually … Continue reading Review: Arkwright

Review: The Fifth Season

July 6, 2017December 5, 2017 / Alexander Pyles / 2 Comments

Subversion is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season. The subversion of themes, the subversion of genre, and the subversion of even narrative. Everything Jemisin chooses to do with what one would consider a traditional fantasy, she turns it on its’ head. It won the Hugo for … Continue reading Review: The Fifth Season

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