Books most popular in the United States●Adventure

Release date: 2017-06-26 $0.99

Release date: 2021-05-04 $12.99

Comments

1. Best book since sliced bread - I have read a few different books and most books i have liked but none have I liked to read more than this book. I don’t know fancy criticizing or book praising words so I’ll just say that I like this book so much that I bought the physical copy of it. If that’s not enough, I have also read it times over the span of a year. This book is great. I like rockets, I like science, I like weird energy storage methods I like aliens, All those are in this book.
2023-03-19

2. Even better than The Martian - I really enjoyed The Martian but found this book even better. I had a hard time putting it down. It’s a great and inventive story, dramatic at times and funny at others. The scientific details weren’t overwhelming and gave it a level of authenticity. If you liked The Martian, you’ll love this book.
2023-02-07

3. . - More like a . I really liked the amount of science vs what my husband calls “drama”. In other words, it had a nice balance to where I wasn’t just lost in all the science. It was all mostly understandable. I really liked the relationship between Ryland and his unexpected ally. Very interesting and emotional story of planetary salvation.
2023-01-23

4. Didn’t take light years to read! - Engrossing science fiction novel that had me from the first page. I devoured this book like I did the too meager rations we received in Army Ranger Training. Surprises lurked around every corner. Loved the meet up with an alien life form unlike any other imagined. Make sure you have a few days free before you start this thriller.
2022-12-28

5. Interesting concept but somewhat annoying execution - Weir’s “The Martian” was a tour de force that his followup novels “Artemis” and now “Hail Mary” don’t match. Both have interesting concepts but the writing is often flat, with puerile asides, a shallow narrator, and distractingly pedantic explanations that both interrupt the story flow and suspension of disbelief. “The Martian” showed similar proclivities but somehow stayed on the right side of them. “Hail Mary” is better than “Artemis,” and had a stronger narrative and more creative premise. It deserves no awards, but can be a pleasant-enough beachside read.
2022-12-17

6. Murphy's Law Rules - This book reminded me of "The Martian" and then I got to the end and realized it's the same author. The entire story really is all about Murphy's Law and how it snarls everything up. The characters are really done well and the problems and solutions are about as hard core as anything in Hard SF.
2022-12-09

7. The best science fiction since Clifford Simak and the Strugatski brothers - In the world of science fiction, there is one thing that authors don’t do. Well, almost never do. Create an alien world. There is good reason for that. It’s darn difficult! Many writers end up with some sort of human like race, but, say, green - just to be different. Only the true ones go head first into that. Create an alien world, different from ours, that still makes scientific sense, and looks, well, real! Andy Weir is one them and one of the best too! Amazing!
2022-12-04

8. Engaging - I never thought a interaction in space with an intelligent being would ever hold my attention. I was wrong, this is a fantastic read that I highly recommend. The science included pushes the story along and I happily chased it through several twists I didn’t see coming. Very well written.
2022-11-24

9. Good Sci-fi - Good entry-level science fiction. Easy to read and follow. The twists are (for the most part) not telegraphed and remain surprises. Spoilers!!! The story lacks a certain “grounding”, unfortunately. Let’s start with the premise. The sun is dimming significantly. Humanity has unlimited energy and all of humanity’s cooperation. Why build an interstellar space ship? Why not just build a reflector array or some other “local” device? Because you won’t be able to meet aliens that way! Don’t get me wrong; I love a good alien story. But it all seemed a little too likely. The author attempts to address this with a hand wave (as he does for much of the plot) but it leaves a mealy, unsatisfactory, taste. I appreciated the character building and plot development… for the most part. Sadly, the most interesting plot device (Grace’s memory loss and his subsequent memory redemption) starts great but develops into a generic b-plot. Grace regains his memory linearly and the two stories run parallel in time. This is not how amnesia works and half way through the novel the guise of “remembering” is dropped entirely. The is the most disappointing aspect of the novel. The author missed a huge opportunity for creative storytelling. Rocky and Grace’s characters, however, are well fleshed and convincing. Rocky is a little too anthropomorphic with a full range of emotions and motivation but being the only other character with whom Grace can interact, I suppose it’s understandable. Still, another missed opportunity. Other characters, like Stratt, are obvious plot drivers who give off very tangible “told, not shown” or “plot armor” vibes. This is just lazy writing. Now the sci-fi aspect. Great as expected. The real science and “fake” science blend fairly seamlessly. Of course it’s obvious when the author expects you to just believe something but it’s not so ham-fisted as to cause one’s eyes to roll. For me, good science fiction makes it hard to distinguish between reality and fantasy. This novel does a decent job and I found myself googling here and there to see if the author was making something up or not. Regardless, the suspense is there. The urgency is there. The thrill and chill are all there. But the story is just average. Grace is swept up, unwilling, into a huge project to save humanity, the responsibility of which rests squarely on his shoulders alone. He learns he’s not a coward; he discovers just how brave and heroic he can be. He saves humanity and the Eridians too. And, presumably, dies doing what he loved most: teaching. You wanted warm and fuzzy, right? / elbows too pointy
2022-11-19

10. Hail Mary - I love Andy Weir’s stuff. This book, however, was a mishmash of chemistry lessons and Spaceballs. Parts were very good but it moved too slowly, gave too many detailed chemistry lessons (normally I love those parts but this was definitely overkill), and pushed some space alien envelopes a bit too far. Still it kept me mostly entertained.
2022-10-17

11. This book got me back into reading - I LOVE this book. I started with the audiobook and bought the ebook because I thought a chunk of the audiobook had been cut out (you’ll understand why if you listen to it). Now I’ve listened all the way through twice, bought the hardcover and read it through as well. I was not a reader in school or as a young adult. I tried a few different Stephen King books my wife had but could never finish them. I was scrolling through Reddit late one night and came across a thread with book recommendations. For some reason this one I noted down and downloaded the audiobook a few days later. I’m so glad I did. The idea behind the story is so interesting to me, and the author did an AMAZE job bringing it to life. I liked this so much I sought out, bought, and read the author’s other two books. Thank you Andy Weir for writing such an awesome book.
2022-08-05

12. Touchdown for Humanities’ Sake - Wake up, alone, except for a robot asking you to name yourself. That is when you realize your only knowledge is that you know how to speak. That is Dr. Ryland Grace’s life. Everything that comes after is new information, and for Dr. Grace, muscle memory skills he didn’t know he possessed trigger memories of how he developed the skill. But how he acquired that skill, he can’t recall. From this point, the story progresses as he learns about his situation and flashes of memory. This story is the kind of science-fiction I enjoy. Very well researched, many people may find some of this story too detail-heavy; however, these passages show what we know and what society would need to address. When the author writes the fictional elements, it is not grandiose to the point of requiring suspension of disbelief. It is also limited to minor details necessary for the story to be possible. My qualm with this story is that it is typical of the United States: too many ideal endings to story elements. I’d give examples, but the end is what I think of as standard Hollywood. You don’t see any other country so incredibly positive in outcomes. The story is relentless forward, and while the pacing is good, if a little slow according to some of my siblings, the end races along until a bunch of good things happen. I will finish by saying that I enjoyed this story for the most part and will read more from Andy Weir in the future.
2022-07-11

Release date: 2023-03-14 $14.99

Release date: 1989-05-26 Genre:Sci-Fi & Fantasy $3.99

Comments

1. Tedious - Stories told of a sojourn of semi interesting characters on a disjointed quest. Mindless details of what? Having read Dune, Foundation and Lensman series I expected something on that level and finished feeling that I had been bated into purchasing another book in order to have any sense of completing a story. There is no “hero’s journey “. No character the reader can identify with. Just a feeling that maybe I should not have spent the time reading this book.
2021-07-06

2. Overrated - What he tries to do in this book doesn’t work. If you’re going to make the narrative confusing and fractured, that’s fine, but it needs to come together at some point. Also the motivations of the characters were rarely clear and they didn’t always do stuff that was in character for them. Very disappointing for a book that I was told by everyone is one of the best sci-fi books of all time. I have no idea what the hype was about. It felt like a college student got high on LSD while reading Neuromancer, went to a Writing class that same day, vomited on the Canterbury Tales and tried to paint what dripped off into a novel.
2020-10-28

3. Enjoyed overall, didn’t enjoy ending - This was well written and interesting. Has all the hallmarks of a great book and a great Sci-fi book. However, I had no clue that it was pages of character building and background, ending in a cliffhanger. I wasn’t expecting that and was let down by that. Otherwise fascinating and fun.
2020-07-31

4. Meh. Don’t waste your time. - Bought and read this book because it had won a Hugo and was on many lists for good science fiction. Tbh I don’t know why. It has maybe four or five very good moments and by moments I mean paragraphs. The concept is interesting but the execution is bad and the plot is so full of holes and bizarre forced situations. Even looking back on it now the premise feels a bit half assed. Won’t go into to detail but it’s like some sort of hybrid monster story combined with space opera elements and then a structure where each section is a different characters personal story. All in all it’s really half baked. Love science fiction but for every neuromancer there’s hyperions and I just don’t like this kind of Corny half realized boring work. Aside from one or two little moments this book was a chore to finish and tbh I stopped half way through the consuls story and looked up the ending (spoilers it’s also got a cheesy half baked buy the next book in the serious ending because idk even know why the story is strangely stagnant) because I couldn’t endure another cheesy forced and bizarrely detailed Sex scene. / just read something else or even a better book again. Best part was private investigator lamia story, but then again that’s already a book and movie ;) that he just copied. Seriously who gave this a Hugo? Also even more points taken off for questionable homophobia and usage of the word f@ggt AND ALL OF THOSE GOD AWFUL CRACKPOT SEX SCENES.
2019-07-02

5. Amazing Find - I’m a lifelong sci-fi fan. I don’t understand why it took me until my th year of life to discover this series. It’s remarkable. It’s complicated. The characters are very well written. The emotions feel real. This book is a very good set up for my favorite sci-fi series. Is it difficult for you to imagine how John Keats’ poetry and life can relate to the political struggles and survival of the human race on hundreds of worlds millennia from now? Grab a copy of Hyperion, and let the fantastic journey begin.
2018-11-13

6. Waste of time - While it's obvious a great deal of thought went into creating the universe this book is set in, that to me is table stakes. Great fiction requires a compelling plot and characters on top of a thoroughly vetted stage, and equally great storytelling to weave it all together. The storytelling here is lazy. Separate, unrelated subplots are exposed, and you plod through them just to get to the resolution. But guess what? There is no resolution, no explanation. Nothing. The story ends just before the climax. A huge waste of time.
2014-09-30

7. Quite smart - Simmons is obviously quite intellectual, I felt like I learned so much "reality" that beyond my knowledge base...that the writing often transitioned into fiction without my notice. Is it possible to not just adore that snuggly little Shrike....hugs. Just bought the next book of the cantos. Only negative us authors name misspelled in "about the author" and that's worse than they treated Silenus. Boo digital editor!!
2014-07-12

8. Great series - This book is the first in a series but the series should really be just one long book. So to judge just this one book is hard to do...I have read the series and don't think about the individual books like I do with the Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan, for example. So my star rating is for the whole series. It is really a great story. And the end (of the series) which is great, really caught me off guard.
2013-03-17

9. One of the great imaginings of the future - If you're on the fence, get through the first couple of chapters and it all opens up. Simmons view of the future is startlingly easy to imagine yet still inventive. This book focuses on the individual stories of its characters--like Canterbury Tales--within a greater overall plot to which each person plays a role (it just will take more than this first book to reveal). Someone referenced this to me as "Sci-fi for grown ups." I was cautious at the start but soon found myself plowing through the series. Great book.
2013-02-01

10. Words or Less - The detailed, unique universal construct makes this novel shine. Yet, all that luscious background cannot hide the weakness of the story. Or I suppose I should say “stories.” This is Sci-fi Canterbury Tales. The entire novel reveals the history of the characters chosen for this specific mission. The individual stories are good enough, but after the fourth, I found myself skimming. It’s too unrelated. Too eclectic. And then comes the end … rushed, abbreviated, truncated, and nonsensical. All this sound and fury leading to nothing. Huge disappointment. And in some ways, a waste of my time.
2012-08-20

11. Horrible - The download contained only readable pages. The rest (?) were lost to 'formatting errors'. I paid a reasonable price and got the Prolog and Epilogue for my money. Given no way to request a refund, iBooks is becoming a real rip-off. This is not the first book that I've had this problem with. I'm becoming an ex-iBooks customer.
2012-05-18

12. Hyperion - Easily the most imaginative and compelling sci-fi series I have read. If Steven King 'is in awe of Dan Simmons" there must be something to his writing. Be warned though, "Hyperion" is only the first quarter of the story. The 'ending' which in my opinion was great, serves to whet ones appetite for the next three in the series, "Fall of Hyperion", "Endymion", and "RIse of Endymion." I couldn't get through them fast enough, and was sad that there isn't more. Besides his vividly imagined worlds and characters, Simmons is particularly interesting to read because all of his stories have a classic literature aspect to them. In the case of "Hyperion" it is the poet Keats and his life that are a key part of the story. I find this aspect of Simmons writing elevates the storytelling to a higher level, and probably sends many of his hardcore sci-fi fans to the broader horizons of the classics.
2012-04-18

Release date: 2017-05-02 $4.99

Comments

1. What do soap-operas and high-stakes security have in common? - Do cyborgs scare you? Then be prepared to laugh out loud. This cyborg is a shy introvert who, by its definition, is lazy and bad at their job, providing security on an exploratory mission. In the first story in the series, the construct refers to itself as Murderbot. At one point in the tale, you get the story behind the name from an oblique angle during a conversation. If you focus on the lowest bid contracts, you could see this story as a morality tale. Much of this story's humor results from contract bids and awards based on price. You could also see this as an extension of the singularity progression. Are cybernetic organisms (Cyborgs) machines or beings? What is their legal status and ability to self-determine? What would a shy, introverted, lazy, and wholly misunderstood life do to protect its existence and ensure its freedom to do as it wishes? This tale has very limited hard science fiction and is more a fantasy story set on a planet that is not earth (there is no reference to earth). It is more an extension of the argument that we, the people, to form a perfect union, have opps, to maximize our benefit/laziness and reduce our costs, letting the capitalists and their corporations become our governments. What is the impact when human greed is left only marginally corralled? I recommend this quick, easy, and enjoyable read.
2022-07-11

2. Awesome series! - I enjoyed reading this. It reads like a stream of consciousness because it kind of is. The beginning was difficult to read because there was a lot of run-ons compounding new vocab. However, the book kept my attention from start to finish and was a quick read. I like the main character, even if I didn’t always understand him. My biggest complaint is the ending felt rushed. This is a novel crammed into novella size. The lead up to the climax had more tension than the actual climax so the payoff fell short for me. That part was rushed too. My favorite part is the character and his voice. Murderbot is sarcastic and I love it. Hilarious in many places.
2022-04-15

3. Too little content for the price - This is definitely not a book, it’s an over priced Clickbait short story. To put it in better terms if you were to make each book in the series a single chapter you would have a dollar book with less pages than Brandon Sanderson‘s last novel. The writing is fair and the characters are entertaining just way over priced for the amount of content
2022-01-28

4. Exceeds expectations, - both in quality and price per page. Look, I get it, we’re all looking to unburden ourselves of the tedium of this existence. What better way than to download some media! It is in fact our hero’s favorite activity. Ironic. Relatable! But while I’ve downloaded my share of hour listens/reads/watches, I recognize that trite drivel is just that. This is poignant clean writing. It’s short, but it’s oh so sweet. The kind of story that stays with you, and is worth getting your hands on. Whether that means going to the local library or paying bucks, it’s worth it. If you’ve read “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”; this book left me feeling much the same way
2022-01-17

5. Unexpected - Wells’ style lends itself to easy reading, and the flow of events and dialogue make for a compelling storyline. She creates a believable world, finesses detail and information with mastery, and refrains from the use of typical (boring) third-person explanatory mechanisms. Those are completely absent, which is refreshing. Only at the finish does the story disappoint, but not because of lame plot or lazy writing. Rather, it disappoints only because of the bold, unabashed, in-your-face cliffhanger. Few authors can pull that off credibly. Wells does.
2021-05-01

6. A being denied humanity by its society - This story explores how society wrongfully rejects the humanity of groups it deems unworthy. In the future, humans who add technology into their bodies are augmented humans… free to live and participate in society. Yet, adding human brains and organic parts to technology does not leave the resulting being free to participate in society … Unless that being defeats the governor module incorporated to subvert the organic parts to the will of the technology. SciFiChat
2020-09-21

7. Same, Murderbot, same... - I never thought I’d relate to a sentient murder machine, but here we are.... All Systems Red is the first novella in Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries, and I’m so so happy to have found this series. This book has a very fun and original plot, all told by Murderbot itself. And sprinkled throughout the plot is the moral dilemma of a servant robot that has human-like consciousness. Is it slavery or does Murderbot lack any inherent value as a free being? It’s a sentient robot (part organic, part nonorganic) whose experiences with depression, insecurity, boredom, and various other complicated emotions lead it to ease its mind by binge-watching its favorite human TV shows. Sounds pretty human to me. All Systems Red has a fun and engaging story, enjoyable characters, good world-building, and mixed into all of that is a moral struggle with Murderbot’s personhood. Reading the whole story from its perspective makes it all the more compelling and funny.
2019-11-05

8. Fun first person AI story, quick little page-turner - I’m always game for a sympathetic first-person AI story, and while Murderbot isn’t completely artificial it fits the mold as it navigates life as a secretly free individual who hides that freedom by continuing to perform as the slave it once was. Murderbot is refreshingly free of higher purpose, squandering it’s freedom just like most of us do, watching trash tv and reading trashy fiction. Murderbot’s interactions with the humans it was rented to protect and its inevitable call to action are endearing and amusing; indeed, the author’s commitment to maintaining Murderbot’s genderlessness, cynicism, and well conceived insecurities was what kept me reading through to the satisfying conclusion in one sitting. Great fun!
2019-03-24

9. Wish There Were More Good Novellas - This popped on my radar when I heard it won the Hugo, Nebula, and Lotus. I decided to give it a read and was not disappointed. The protagonist is wonderful to meet and a great character with fantastic internal dialogue. The internal dialogue and the way his perspective is told puts you into this strange individual’s shoes and I enjoyed the ride.
2019-02-02

10. Pinocchio meets the future - This short book has the potential to live up to all the hype that preceded it’s original release. A Security Unit humanoid-robot has developed the ability to override its governor protocol and instead of killing everyone, begins to tap ethical protocols and to “think” for itself, discovering that the company who made it wasn’t as neutral as it claimed to be. Having destroyed its previous “renters”, it calls itself “Murderbot” and in the beginning it really is a snarky self concerned little ...snit. However, as it begins to interact with the humans working with it, it begins to care...and then things get really interesting. This was fascinating and I’m off to reserve the next in the series. Highly recommended. /
2019-01-10

11. Good story - It’s a good story, however the price is a little presumptuous. $ for less than pages? Maybe, but the way the book ended seemed incomplete. I was so disappointed by the way murderbot blanked out the rest of the story and the time jumped to a point long after the beacon launched. I am having trouble justifying spending another $ to find out what happens to murderbot.
2018-11-30

12. Way Overated - Reading the reviews I went for it and read All Systems Red, the first book in the Murderbot series. My first impression, and I don't mean to be rude was "Really?". Let me expand on that. This is the story of a security bot that protects a group of explorers. The unit is a rental from "The Company" as is most of the explorers equipment. After a previous incident, briefly described in the novelette, Murderbot -that's what he calls himself- hacked its own "governor", a device that overrides all other commands and makes him obedient. So he's basically just following orders to hide that fact. I wont go into plot details, since I don't want to spoil it for those who decide to read it. What bothers me -a lot- about this story is the fact that "Murderbot" could also be a trained security guard, a soldier, an ex-marine even Indiana Jones. In other words: everything about him is completely human, except for the fact that he wears armor (to cover his human like body and face) and has weapons concealed inside his body. There's no difference between his psyche and that of a human. So the entire time it felt like I was reading a Sci Fi novel about a regular guy fighting the good fight. The story in itself is nothing new, I might even go as far as to call it derivative. You've read it a dozen times: bad guys want to take over an exploration site (a planet in this scenario), good guys relay on trained-for-combat guy, trained-for-combat guy defeats bad guys with wit and weapons. That's it. Yes, Murderbot can download entire series and watch them, control small drones at a distance and review footage and information of said drones in seconds, but so can his human companions, one of them an augmented human. The only novelty this novelette has to offer is the fact that the human hero is a robot hero. Alas a robot hero that is way too human, he suffers from social anxiety, he lies, he rather be somewhere else watching TV series, he wonders about his place in the universe, he wants to be free, etc., etc., ad nauseam, ad infinitum. I'm mainly disappointed by the fact that the novelette won both a Hugo an a Nebula Award. So back to my initial comment "Really?". My most sincere apologies to the autor and the readers who enjoyed All Systems Red. This is, after all, my opinion, and an opinion is not a fact.
2018-11-03

Release date: 2018-01-16 $12.99

Comments

1. Game of Thrones Star Wars - I’m not a reader. I don’t read. That all changed with the Red Rising Saga. I read the entire first trilogy in weeks and just couldn’t stop. The breakneck pace, non-stop action, mature themes, characters and story, world building, political intrigue, brutal battles. I mean the list goes on and on. This book series has become my favorite of all time. I’m about % of the way through Iron Gold and loving it. Pierce Brown has cultivated such an incredible world with these books. So what are you waiting for ya bloodydamn pixie?! HAIL REPEAR!
2023-01-05

2. Iron Gold - Brown has become my favorite writer. I am and marvel at the philosophical wisdom that often pops out of no where. His pronouncements on war and especially love seem to come from a world weary sage. I have to keep reminding myself he is a young man. I so enjoy his vocabulary and the sculpting of the worlds he builds. He simply is a brilliant writer and I will read everything he writes.
2019-07-24

3. Iron Gold - The first book of a follow up trilogy bears many burdens - carry the beloved story arc of the first set, and set up the plot and characters for the rest of the story. On my first read I didn’t appreciate the cadence of this book, but on the second read it all clicked together and fulfilled what I wanted to see: more depth, more layering, and more nuance on a familiar set of characters and relationships. Brown’s characters are mature, flawed, and human on every level. Loved this book!
2018-06-01

4. Worth it - I read the first trilogy and the expectation was that this would be a mediocre book with its moments powered more by nostalgia than any merit of its own. Wrong. The book is mesmerizing in its handle of drama, the maturity of character, insights, and the sweeping panorama of it’s worlds and battlefields. I only dread the potential disaster of a movie adaption.
2018-04-04

Release date: 2020-05-05 $11.99

Comments

1. Destined to be a classic - The Murderbot Diaries is destined to join the pantheon of classic science fiction series, in the same orbit as Foundation and Dune. This book in the series kept the same level of intelligence and drama as those preceding it and advanced the developing consciousness of Murderbot.
2022-02-06

2. The First Full Murderbot Novel Doesn’t Disappoint - Network Effect is the first full novel in Martha Wells Murderbot Diaries series. The previous four installments have been novellas. This longer work has allowed Ms. Wells to tell a more complex story with a larger setting. I personally liked the greater scope of this expanded work. Our favorite SecUnit has been living with its humans on the world of Preservation. Here, it is more than property. People keep acting as if it is an actual person, which causes it all kinds of emotions. Emotions aren’t its strong suit, but it is learning to deal with them. What hasn’t changed is its dry sense of humor, and its sarcastic internal monologue. In this novel, Murderbot and some of his humans have an unexpected encounter with a character we haven’t seen since the second novella, “Artificial Condition.” They end up in another star system, where there is a lost colony. Things then go spectacularly wrong, and Murderbot has to find some way to keep his people safe. This full novel was just as absorbing and exciting as the previous novellas. The larger setting was interesting, because the reader was able to see many facets of the mystery that the lost colony posed. There was even a significant horror scene near the end. We learned a lot more about the effects of alien remnants, and how colonization works in the Corporate Rim. Another great installment in the Murderbot Diaries, which left me wanting more. Fortunately, the next novella, “Fugitive Telemetry” will be released in April.
2021-01-29

3. Amazing! - I fall more and more in love with this series. I hope she continues to write it. I love this character. This whole society is so interesting and unique. I find it amazing to visit there. I have a feeling there adventures or just getting started. OK, maybe that’s just my wishful thinking! :-)
2020-05-06

Release date: 2023-03-21 $8.99

Release date: 1990-02-01 $5.99

Comments

1. Cantos book - I thoroughly enjoyed Hyperion, excellent book, stars. The follow up is very good but focuses too much on government discussions and war strategy and less about our pilgrims and the issues that they bring to the Shrike. Still a good read that almost ties up the loose ends from Cantos .
2021-02-02

2. The Enigma of Hyperion Galactic War Keats Man Crush - This book is entertaining yet very slow to start. If you enjoyed the first book, it's worth a read to see how everything ends up. There's a lot more action in this book, but the storylines jump very rapidly between characters. I found myself missing the original book, which spent so much more time telling the stories of each individual character.
2017-02-07

3. Good book, bad transfer - After finishing Hyperion, it was not an option to leave the rest of this compelling story unread. The sequel helps sate the thirst for all the questions raised by the first book and carries on delivering a living, breathing universe made up of alien worlds and interesting characters. The problem here is the transition from paper to e-book. There are many distractingly obvious typos made throughout the book that a simple proof read or spell check would have caught. Otherwise, the Hyperion Cantos is a fine investment.
2014-05-25

4. Compelling. - Although the first in the series, Hyperion, had better structure and was told better, I liked The Fall of Hyperion more. Its like the reverse of A New Hope and The Empire Stikes Back, in that in the Hyperion Cantos, the horror comes before the hope. I loved the continuing literary alliterations and the exploration of the human spirit through voice. I particularly liked the koans of Ummon, which reminded me of the highly influential Modernist wave of poetry- such as Ezra Pound, with maybe even a snippet of E.E. Cummings. The voice of Ummon also reminded me of the voices of the dolphins from the first Hyperion Cantos. Here I go rambling. Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend it.
2012-09-26

Release date: 2014-01-28 $5.99

Comments

1. Outstanding - This futuristic space odyssey is one for the ages. Power, control, deception, revenge, death, redemption, love...a tale as old as time anchored to the ancient gods and man’s new home amongst the planets in our solar system. I just finished the trilogy and am now moving to Iron Gold. I highly recommend!
2021-01-29

2. Starts off great and then... hunger games! - The beginning and the setup to the tests was entertaining. The storyline fell off when it felt like I was reliving hunger games. Can’t believe more than half this book was about the test. Literally could have been maybe chapters shorter by trimming the useless game.
2020-10-05

3. “Pick a favorite book.” “One does not simply choose-“ “Red Rising” - I love to read. Ever since I’ve learned how, I’ve been burying my nose in every even halfway decent fantasy or sci-fi book I can find. And for the longest time, there were so many good books I had read that I could never really pick a favorite. There was also the problem of running out of good books to read. Then, by complete accident, I stumbled across the greatest bloodydamn masterpiece ever. I found Red Rising. This book has literally everything- insane character development, a massive, complex, believable world/empire, strategy, philosophy, several metric tons of action, horror, romance, economics/politics, psychology, and a gorydamn truck load of emotion. The first part of the book is slow, sure. And the writing style/lingo takes a little getting used to, but that’s part of what makes this series unique, and if you manage to adjust, incredible. I won’t spoil anything, but the general idea is the society is a color coded system that almost reminds me of communism- each color has a general job, browns are janitors, grays are soldiers, coppers are money grubbers (banks on steroids). Reds are the lowest of the low colors, the miners, and are little better than slaves. Golds are the elite ruling class- not only superior in the caste system, but also genetically the best, almost god-like. They’re supposed to be the best of humanity. Darrow is a red, a miner beneath the surface of Mars. He and his fellow reds live fast, and die young. They spend their days in complete poverty, mining helium- all day every day, believing their blood sweat and tears will build a better world for their children- the helium- they mine is to be used to terraform the surface of Mars. Darrow is content on his knees, oblivious to the reality of his world. It’s not in his nature to rebel. His father was executed for performing a forbidden dance. And when his wife learns the truth and sings a forbidden song, she’s executed as well (this is the slow part, but it’s important. Suffer through it). This is what finally leads Darrow to an act of rebellion, one that has him executed as well- but for Darrow, death doesn’t take. He’s recruited into a rebel group called the Sons of Ares, a small faction of rebel reds, branded as terrorists by the society. And it is there that Darrow is assigned the task of infiltrating the most elite of the elite- the peerless scarred, the political and military rulers among rulers, golds among golds. Red Rising is a story of rebellion, revolution, and war. No one is essentially the good guy, and no ones the bad guy. And sometimes, the main character is in the wrong and his enemies are in the right. Every single character in red rising is deeply flawed, but each one learns from their mistakes and evolves as the story progresses. They all have high and low points- some more pronounced than others- and this, combined with the highly detailed society they live in, makes the world of Red Rising feel real. The book is like a window into an alternate universe, a possible future. All the negative reviews have something to do with the writing, or the very adolescent view Darrow has. Well guess what, that’s the point. Darrow is sixteen. So stop complaining, slags. In books two and three, he’s older, and has matured. Remember what I said about flaws and character development? The other issue is the comparisons to Hunger Games and Game of Thrones. Elements of both are definitely there, but to say Red Rising is like either of them is like saying bananas and apples are similar because they both grow on trees. Not to mention, Red Rising is just as good, if not better. I could go on and on about Red Rising. I already kind of have. But all in all, anytime I hear someone likes to read, I tell them to read Red Rising. It’s my first recommendation/command to go read EVERY time because it’s just that good. I can not recommend this enough. Seriously, there’s no amount of words in this language, or really any language, that can convey the adequate level of GO READ THIS BOOK. Why are you still reading this review? You should be reading the book. GO READ THE BLOODYDAMN BOOK
2020-06-06

4. “I would have lived in peace, but my enemies brought me war.” - Red Rising - A friend recommended me this book to read and I wasn’t very impressed with the concept or anything he had told me, but I started to read it and I fell in love. I was hooked from the first line, (featured above) although I will admit the first few chapters are a little slow. Once it picks up it does not slow down until the series is over. This book had my adrenaline pumping, sweating, and shouting expletives in public places. The first book is a good peek inside this world, but the rest of the series is so much better. I’ve re read this entire series times in the last year and a half, I literally can’t put it down!
2020-02-14

5. Red Rising Trilogy - The books are not only an awesome concept about a dystopian future, but the main character goes through epic changes of ego and Id, he actually confronts his mistakes, learns from them, and this alters his choices in the future. This book was suggested to me by an editor I was serving drinks to. Once I started it I couldn’t set it down until in the morning when I finished it. It’s concepts aren’t holier than though convoluted ideas that people need a PHD to understand, it’s simplistic in that it deals with base emotions and choices that are universal when it comes to people. I blasted through the trilogy in about days and even though there are a couple moments that break the immersion, overall it’s a fantastic serious for someone who enjoys science fiction. I recommend.
2019-12-12

6. Excellent, despite typos. - My rating system: stars are reserved for books that totally blow me away. I don’t give too many of these out, since it is almost like giving the book a %. It is nearly impossible to write a truly perfect book. stars for books that I would recommend to just about anyone, or, at least, to someone who doesn’t dislike the genre. stars for books that I would only recommend to someone with a strong interest in the particular genre. stars for books that I would be hesitant to recommend to anyone at all, but the book was not a total disaster. star for books that were so terrible or ridiculous for me that I wish I had not wasted time on reading it to begin with.
2019-09-23

7. Amazing series - I’ve read all the books so far and all i can say is that I’ve never been more interested in a book series in my life. The first book is a little confusing at first but so take this one a little slowly and don’t skim through or the whole series will make no sense. After you get a feel for the plot of the book you’ll see how everything goes down. I’m a high schooler who never really reads books that much and my teacher recommended this to me and I read the first books in a week. The more recent ones, Dark Age and Iron Gold are slightly different as they are shown from multiple different perspectives. Anyone that enjoys a good fight scene will love this book. Darrow is my favorite character in a book
2019-09-13

8. A Absolute Rollercoaster - From start to finish I could not put this book down. I did not know what to expect before reading but I can say with certainty that this is the best book I’ve read in years. The back of the book mentioned that inspiration was drawn from the Hunger Games series and Game of Thrones. In my opinion the best of both series came together forming the best possible combination. I will recommend this book to anyone who loves a good book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
2019-06-17

9. Addictice - Every bad review that I’ve seen for this book complains about the ‘language and writing choice’ of Pierce Brown. It is different and takes some adjusting to. But (without going into details), isn’t that what this book is about? The lingo is necessary in order to appreciate that this world does not take place in the same century as us. The book was incredible, a Hunger-Game-like feel with a lot more purposeful action. An easy -stars.
2019-04-20

10. Interesting Twist on an Old Story - First, I'd like to say that the story is definitely a version of the dystopian/sci-fi genre, and parts of it can be clichéd (but at this point, what isn't?). More importantly, this book is self aware of the genre, in that while it does follow a lot of the same tropes and cycles, it also uses that expected journey to twist around on you. The series is brilliant, and while it does drag in places, the action always picks up when you need it. That said, it is a slow start. You do have to get past a good bit of story to get to the interesting parts, but the beforehand sets the scene and defines the base morals of the main character a lot. I would highly recommend, as I adore this story quite a bit. The books are amazing, and I've hardly seen them do the same thing twice. One of the few series that I nearly cried when I finished.
2019-01-16

11. All Time Favorites - This is one of the best book series I have read. Ever. And I have only been alive for a short time considering but Jesus Christ just read this. At first it’s confusing but by the time you’ve read through Iron Gold your standards for what a good quality book is will have shot up to such astronomical heights that you might even make it to Mars yourself. I recommend this to anybody who likes a fast paced story and who’s looking for solid quality character development. I’d rate this / stars if I could.
2019-01-10

Release date: 2016-02-09 $12.99

Comments

1. Boring - Written really well but just boring. Tired of Darrow going on and on and on about EVERY. LITTLE. THING. I understand he’s the main character but it gets annoying how his decisions and logic are the end all be all in the series. Brown spent way too much time droning on about Darrow’s inner thoughts, emotions, and other crap no one cares about. I was skipping entire pages by the middle of the book and eventually ended up just reading the last chapter and calling it quits. Definitely not as exciting as the previous books. Felt like the story could have been told in half the pages.
2021-01-21

2. Great in parts, ok in others. - Great book with parts that make you laugh and others that make you cry. For the most part the book is like this however there are parts of the book that are just ok. Not bad but also not exciting and unpredictable just down the middle. However for the most part / of the book it is exciting, unpredictable, emotional, and amazing. I recommend.
2020-08-03

3. A bit anticlimactic for the trilogy, but gives closure. - My rating system: stars are reserved for books that totally blow me away. I don’t give too many of these out, since it is almost like giving the book a %. It is nearly impossible to write a truly perfect book. stars for books that I would recommend to just about anyone, or, at least, to someone who doesn’t dislike the genre. stars for books that I would only recommend to someone with a strong interest in the particular genre. stars for books that I would be hesitant to recommend to anyone at all, but the book was not a total disaster. star for books that were so terrible or ridiculous for me that I wish I had not wasted time on reading it to begin with.
2019-09-23

4. Can’t stop crying... - This trilogy is incredible. I can not put these books down. I’m obsessed with the twist and turns that this story has, following Darrow, Mustang, Seviro, and Cassius has brought me so much joy. I have stayed up late multiple nights just to read this book. EVERYONE.. I mean EVERYONE needs to read these books! This was probably my favorite out of the three and I cannot wait to read the next one! PLEASE MAKE THIS A TV SHOW! I don’t want it to end.
2018-10-01

5. Diversity - The book was great and throughly enjoyable, although I did notice a few rehashed scenes from previous installments. Only thing I was a bit peeved about was the forced diversity the book seemed to have. I understand the desire to encourage a larger audience, but the sudden shift in the character roles seemed unnatural at best. I'm looking at Ragnar mainly, however it's still identifiable in many scenarios. It's not really my place to tell an author what to do with his own novel, I just wanted to point out that a little more subtlety would have been appreciated.
2017-03-15

6. Tim Hamill - I love novels that create an entirely new world/society/universe and Pierce Brown has done that in his Red Rising Trilogy. The books are fast paced, convoluted, heroic, staggeringly chilling and yet have an emotional depth that pulls at your heart. The characters make you cringe, smile, cry and laugh out loud. I simply couldn’t put this series down and the final book ‘Morning Star’ took me right to the edge!! BRAVO!!
2017-01-18

7. Love n hate - Rollercoaster of feelings, feelings I thought I didn't have inside me! Just finished it, that's why I'm still in shock writing this. Don't recommend the book to people that might have heart diseases, it is as good as the previous ones and the ending won't let u down. Expect to feel a lot of pain! Loved the book! Besides all the cursing while reading
2016-05-30

8. Great conclusion - A very exciting conclusion to the Red Rising Trilogy - with lots of surprises. I wasn't sure how Pierce Brown was going to find a way out of the ending to Golden Son, but find a way he did. Darrow is back and so are the Sons, but neither of them is the same. Things are quickly escalating out of control and plans need to be made to finish this fight. But what a fight it is. Stretching from the far reaches of occupied space, Earth, the moons, and on board the ships - the fighting is everywhere. Some of these battles are quite complex with multiple layers of attack - so make sure you pay attention. Every move is important. Every word has meaning. Every person has their fate (and I didn't like all of them). Darrow ingenuity and way of thinking will be very important and could either win or lose the war for them. The ending was a bit of a surprise. While I had some suspicions it may head in a similar direction, it took quite an about-face at the last minute and left me quite surprised at the maturity of a small boy. I was sad to see the saga end - I have grown to love all the characters and will miss hearing of their adventures and schemes. But the ending was very satisfying as well.
2016-04-18

9. Disappointing - The series as a whole is okay, but the third installment, Morning Star, was disappointing. The characters, rather than crystallizing, and becoming themselves with full awareness, seemed so full of angst and self-doubt, that it was more like they were starting out instead of ending their journey. Darrow's constant shedding of tears was perhaps the most ridiculous aspect of the story. I'm sure it was a ploy to humanize him, or let the reader understand how much weight was on his shoulders. Instead of trying to convey the enormity of his responsibilities, he just wept, a lot. I've heard the author compare himself to Tolkien. You've written a decent story, but you couldn't polish Tolkien's shoes Mr. Brown.
2016-03-08

10. Absolutely Astonishing - The best way I can think to describe this series is as a true work of art. The exquisite, powerful storyline is accompanied by such an elaborately created and realistic world that you feel as though you have been catapulted straight into the future. This book captures society and humanity in all of its glory and simultaneous frailty, offering profound statements on the world as we know it all while staying ridiculously entertaining and fast paced. The depth of characters and plot is stunning, and the language and sheer writing genius of the book shows that Pierce Brown is a true master of literature. I would recommend this book to anyone who can read.
2016-02-29

11. A good ending - I enjoyed the ending the author wrote. However, I did not always like the path he took to get us there. Perhaps in an attempt to draw connections to the past books, the author repeated certain patterns. Due to that I found myself predicting what would happen several pages, and at times several chapters, ahead of the grand revelations Mr. Brown planned. Despite this, it was an enjoyable read. A part of me will miss Darrow as he was when he stormed Olympus, supreme and untouchable. That moment when he first Rose is one of my favorite moments in the series. For that nostalgia, the author has my thanks.
2016-02-20

12. Awesome Ending - What a way to end this series! Just awesome. And in this age of authors dragging their series out, or taking an absurd amount of time to finish a series (GRRM and P. Rothfuss, I am looking at you, though that is your right and privilege as an author), it was so refreshing to have an author with the courage to have a plan and the skill to write some amazing stories in such a short time period! Bravo my goodman! Gorydamn well done.
2016-02-14

Release date: 2014-02-11 $8.99

Comments

1. Fantastic - Sure... it may be idealistic or heavy in its optimism but just as Mark Watney cannot be kept down, neither can the book itself. I have read it several times and each time reveals something new. Those hoping for a gripping battle between man and aliens should obviously look elsewhere, but those who enjoy humor and man’s will to persevere against all odds will be in for a fantastic read. Andy Weir has been praised across the scientific community for his astounding accuracy but I’d have to call more attention to his ability to develop such an interesting protagonist. Some portions are highly technical but, in my opinion at least, this only adds to the immersion into Mark Watney’s genius. I have begun my journey once again with Mark and I know it won’t be the last.
2022-01-04

2. Loved reading this - So I watched the movie before ever hearing about the book, seems to be how things are for me, and I really enjoyed the movie. When I found this I was expecting the movie to have taken liberties and changed things, something’s made sense. Between the two mediums… I found the book funnier. A lot funnier. The sarcasm (and sass?) of Mark is hilarious. I enjoyed the overall pacing of the book, the problem solving for survival, and the humor that was written. Note to self: don’t leave Earth
2021-11-02

3. Flawed but Excellent - “The Martian” is the inspiration for one of the finest science fiction movies—indeed, one of my favorite films—of all time. If you enjoy the movie, the novel will not disappoint. But the screenplay is a superb adaptation, the rare example of a film that improves upon its source material. The movie is more tightly written, with more robust and plausible human characters and (in my opinion) more coherently sequenced storytelling. However, know that it manages to be this by being smart about how it adapts and lightly augments the source material—many passages of dialogue are directly lifted nearly verbatim, with just enough buttressing context or polishes for clarity to make them soar. Not for nothing is it one of the few space movies famously nitpicky astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson wholeheartedly recommends. As for the book itself—well, the writing here is no masterpiece of prose, but you shouldn’t buy it for the writing. Buy it for the incomprehensible effort Weir put into setting up science puzzles for himself, and working them out through his characters with painstaking accuracy within an accessible story driven narrative. It’s a feat, one that more than deserves all the praise it has merited. That said, this novel began life as a self published passion project eBook, and it shows: the science is near impeccable, the ingenuity palpable. But the characters are one-note and the dialogue can be so faux-naturalistic it comes all the way back around the other way to stilted. We have the director of NASA, who is fastidious. Better show him straightening papers or adjusting his tie eight or nine times to be sure the reader picks up on how he’s a real person with a whole plot-superfluous character trait: fastidiousness. Meanwhile NASA’s PR chief is vulgar-mouthed. It’s incongruous, get it?! How realistic, that a decorous and dour public spokesperson would speak more freely behind closed doors. So, nearly every other word out of the character’s mouth is punctuated with colorful expletives. Our protagonist, meanwhile, could likewise stand to be a bit more broadly drawn. His imperiling situations are many and varied, but one could easily swap in any of Mark Watney’s wryly good-natured spieling in response to any of them and not notice the slightest tonal shift. His character would certainly have grown and changed through the trauma and hardship and jubilation of his months stranded. And while I respect the author’s stated desire not to focus too prominently on the psychological element of the survival story at the expense of the science, there is no perceptible difference in the voice of Watney the freshly castaway and the man we see at the end of his journey. It’s telling that the best, most engrossing writing in the book is within the sample chapter of Weir’s follow up novel, Artemis. He seems to have benefited from both experience and the stewardship of editors (now that he is no longer self published), which should not be interpreted as a slight—the very best fiction writing from our most seasoned authors has been edited within an inch of its life by outside eyes, and they’ll all happily acknowledge this. I immediately bought “Artemis.” Preliminary take: less captivating speculative-science content, but much stronger writing overall. By all means, buy and read The Martian. You’ll devour this absolutely unique survival story, and for all I’ve critiqued it, the iffy writing is minimally distracting from what makes this novel shine. For my part, I happily consider it an elaborate rough treatment for what became one of the best space films ever made. And as an obsessed fan of the movie, the originating material is delightful to peruse—complete with “deleted scenes!”
2019-10-02

4. Sensacional, de principio a fin!!! - Estupendo relato de Ciencia Ficción, que me mantuvo pegada al libro, alegrándome cuando Mark encontraba la solución a algo y sufriendo cuando algo salía mal. Es increíble la forma en que se aferra a la vida y acabe adorando su sarcástico buen humor. Este marxiano me atrapó desde que comencé a leerlo. Muy recomendable!
2017-11-20

5. Read it three times - This is such a good book, I've read it three times already. The first time I read it was about a month before the movie came out. Movie was good, but of course....."the book is so much better". Andy Weir gets a lot of things right about being on Mars. The book flows along perfectly and the back and forth of NASA and Watney logs keep both ends of the ordeal in sync. Looking forward to another great sci-fi from Andy Weir.
2017-10-27

6. Instant classic - The exceptional nature of this book can't be understated. With this single novel, Andy Weir became one of the great science fiction writers. Even if he never writes again, he has that achievement on the board. Suffice it to say, I love this book. The science and the excitement play off each other brilliantly. Fantastic.
2017-03-13

7. So good - My niece read this and recommended it and I LOVED it! Lots of NASA, space and science stuff I was not familiar with but you know enough And have explanations of everything that you know what is going on. Super intense but such a quick read because you can't put it down! So much better than the movie but both book and movie are great and entertaining!
2017-02-17

Release date: 2022-02-15 $11.99

Release date: 2018-05-08 $10.99

Comments

1. When a singularity and a human collide - Artificial Condition is an entertaining story. You meet the primary guest character and are left wondering how this will play out. Think of it as two of Stephen Hawking’s Singularities meet in an airlock, and highly intelligent mayhem ensues. Murderbot takes on a small and quick job to get access to what they are after. Mild physical violence depicted as disdainfully easy provides humor in several interactions. It is like listening to a demi-god’s thoughts during a battle with a human. Like the first novel, Murderbot needs a therapist to help address their self-doubts, negative self-talk, and general anxiety. It makes for a fun and quick read that is good for passing the time. I hope you enjoy it.
2022-11-27

2. Fun Read, Ridiculous Pricing - Have read the first two in the series and enjoyed them very much, but the pricing model is ludicrous. ibooks shows the page count at when you go to buy, which is actually around in the app when you read. Whatever the disconnect with the actual page numbers the novellas are overpriced for what they are and effectively mean you will end up spending somewhere around $ and some change for a “series” the total content of which actually comprises one, maybe two books total. I’m all in favor of authors getting fair compensation but this is just exorbitant and feels a bit slimy.
2021-03-17

3. Artificial Condition- Made Very Real! - Another great fun read- a very unique and creative science fiction story. I really enjoyed how the author uses an android as not only the main character but the st person “STORY TELLER”- Martha thanks again and I’m off to Book no. ! Cincy Kid (JB) Another
2020-12-02

4. Overpriced , too short, but fun - Extremely overpriced each one of these Martha Wells' Murderbot stories. I love the stories, but this is a rip off since they are incredibly quick reads. The whole series could be one book and each one a chapter!! So disappointing that you take advantage of readers this way. It is unethical to charge so much for so little!
2020-06-01

5. Very intriguing read, but... - I loved this “book”. It was very gripping through its entirety, yet was quite short, and which is why I am giving it stars. This is mainly because the next books are all overpriced for how much content they have. Rather, I feel like possibly they could have been made into one book. Or, since the new book is out (which is much longer than the rest), the first should be put into a collection, so it isn’t so expensive to buy all of them. I am certainly going to wait and see.
2020-05-05

6. I love Murderbot - Murderbot has no idea what working with the transport (ART) will bring to light as that return to “the scene of the crime”. Since I read this out of order I know how the series resolves so much of this was redundant. The whole series is wonderful even if this is the weakest one of the four. I can’t wait for the Murderbot novel reported for . /
2019-03-07

7. Great novella but priced like a novel - The writing is fantastic as are the characters and the premise but this book basically costs cents per page. So far the pages of the first two novellas are just sections of the same book meaning that if I chose to read the “whole” book (all novellas) it would cost me $ for a page book. Just ridiculous.
2019-02-18

8. Great Novella But... - I enjoyed the first novella and I seriously enjoyed this one as well. The addition of ART to the protagonist’s internal dialogue made this more of a page turner. This one is a completely different and new story. However it was published the same year as the rest of them and should have been made a collection. I don’t regret buying and reading it, but others might.
2019-02-05

9. Short, but awesome. - I’m really enjoying this series, my only gripe is that they are short books. While that was okay for a $ book (the first in the series), I had hoped that this one would be a little longer. The first two books could have been a single volume. It’s a great series nonetheless, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest.
2018-12-23

10. Murderbot Seeks Answers - This second novella in the Murderbot Diaries finds our favorite construct fleeing the circumstances of his release from servitude. He meets a powerful AI friend who helps him reach the scene of the past massacre that he is unsure of his role in, as his memories were wiped. He meets a family of technicians that he agrees to help so he can reach the surface of the planet in question. And of course, this is where the mayhem begins. Along the way, our construct becomes a little more human, and a lot more uncomfortable about that. Murderbot is such a great character, and this second volume in his story is the beginning of his quest to find out about his past. He still loves to watch his serials, but he is beginning to become more than the rogue SecUnit he believes he is. His internal monologue is still dry and wryly humorous, and the pace of the story is still gripping. Definitely a great second volume in the series.
2018-12-08

11. Story is OK cost is outrageous - The story is OK, but the price is high. This series is really one longer story, divided up into short stories that each cost as much as, or more than if they were all in one book. The end result is just one novel-length story that you have to pay two or three times as much for. The story isn’t good enough to be worth it. You should pass until the price comes down. Very disappointed in the author and publisher for doing this to readers.
2018-10-12

Release date: 2015-01-06 $9.99

Comments

1. At least as good as the first book for anyone who can enjoy the genre. - My rating system: stars are reserved for books that totally blow me away. I don’t give too many of these out, since it is almost like giving the book a %. It is nearly impossible to write a truly perfect book. stars for books that I would recommend to just about anyone, or, at least, to someone who doesn’t dislike the genre. stars for books that I would only recommend to someone with a strong interest in the particular genre. stars for books that I would be hesitant to recommend to anyone at all, but the book was not a total disaster. star for books that were so terrible or ridiculous for me that I wish I had not wasted time on reading it to begin with.
2019-09-23

2. Deus Ex Machina - Pretty bad when a sequel is so far off where the author left us that he has to pull a Deus Ex Machina in the first chapter. A boy who literally learned "didn't see that coming" (invisible enemies) in book one, didn't see "that" coming. Twice. Then there's the plot device that a ruling elite that thrives on power and punishes weakness allows one family to bear a grudge because a weak child is killed by a nobody. Other great houses not only do not laugh, ridicule or kill them for their weakness, but actively support them instead. This universe works or it doesn't, Mr Author, and apparently it doesn't.
2016-11-30

3. Epic - Most trilogy's I read the second book always slows down and sets the stage for the third book, but not with this time. Golden Son picks up pace and never slows down from start to finish. By far the best Books I've read in years and I can't wait for the third to come out and finish the adventure that Red Rising started
2015-10-25

4. Tragic and Suspenseful - I appreciate that people compare this book to Hunger games, etc., but I kept thinking Shakespeare. Tragedy combined with comedy. It is a reflection of the human condition of violence, rage, vengeance, love, friendship and family. I truly loved it and can't wait to see how Darrow finishes this incredible journey.
2015-04-17

5. The Sky is the Limit - Solid follow up and second book, by Pierce Brown, Golden Son is a very good read. In fact, it's a solid enough read, that it's easy to forget it is the author's second book- ever. However, from a highlight perspective- it carries forth the stories of Darrow, Mustang, Sevro and many others w/ the full force of a rocket backed turbulent winds. It also strongly branched from its Hunger Games clone roots with this book- opting to tackle (or at least try to) far more weighty subjects such as the roles of people and society. Without giving away much, I found most poignant a 'reunion' moment between Darrow and a figure from his past. A figure that raised serious questions about the very ideas (and motives) of Eo. The same Eo who'd been the driver of many of Darrow's actions. With that said, it's not a perfect book. The plot pattern du jour that Pierce Brown follows is one of Rise, Betrayal, Fall. Repeatedly. Restated: while, assuredly, Darrow may possess both preternatural skills, drive, and luck, he (nor his peers/friends) may and does never see nor foresee betrayal. Because it occurs ... repeatedly. Alas- in this case, Betrayal as Plot device became a form of Deus Es Machina. But, to be clear, the sky is the limit for Pierce Brown and I eagerly await book . As assuredly as Golden Son improved upon Red Rising, I'm hopeful for Morning Star to do likewise to Golden Son.
2015-01-19

6. Bloodydamn Brilliant!!! - Most second books in trilogies sag while Golden Son soars. A dystopian space opera, Brown unleashes his sequel to Red Rising with unrelenting fury. Darrow, the Red miner dressed in Gold clothing, is easily one of the most captivating heroes in the genre. And Brown fills his book with fully realized characters distilled with complexity by his nuanced prose. Thrilling and emotional, you will wonder why more people are not reading this fantastic series.
2015-01-19

7. The story continues brilliantly... - The second book by Pierce Brown continues a well-written & fascinating tale about Darrow. He is a man of little privilege in Red Rising, but now quite a force! The characters are described with great ability; I want to keep reading more. Plenty of twists and a face-paced plot. It's more than a "young adult" novel & more than a "sci fi" book. It pulls in moral depth & the political dystopia of . I cannot wait for the next book. My only fear is that is end with only one more book in the series!
2015-01-19

Release date: 2017-11-14 $8.99

Comments

1. Please write more, Mr. Weir! - “Artemis” by Andy Weir. This is Andy Weir’s nd novel which I happily found out I’d missed when I read his rd recently. I loved this story as much as the other of his that I have read. A third hit! I love his storytelling! “Artemis” describes a city on the moon and from there is more crime drama or mystery/thriller over science fiction. Andy Weir’s characters are very lovable, even though the main character in this story was not so much at first. She comes around though and I found myself cheering for her success to save everyone. The descriptions of the settings in the story reminded me a lot of Robert Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.” Both writers seemed to have similar visions of lunar cities based on the particulars of what humans would need to survive such conditions. I guess there are only a few ways to go to supply breathable air, water, food, and industry in the city to make having it make sense in the first place. Mr. Weir branched out from his science fiction base to ideas on politics and economics. Very interesting and the story was page-turningly exciting. I can’t wait for Andy Weir to write more.
2021-11-08

2. Best Author, exciting story - Andy Weir has quickly become my favorite author. His ability to capture a characters struggles, thoughts and realism keeps you reading because it feels genuinely real. His stories are always exciting and never disappoint. I am so impressed by the level of planning and details that he manages to include in all his stories. Can’t wait to read more by him.
2021-05-31

3. Good book! Highly recommend! - This book is very fascinating and I don’t want to give away spoilers so I won’t give any details but I’ll just say that Jazz is a very eye-catching character along with the other characters in this story. No problems at all. I read it in days-that’s how good it was. I very much recommend that you get Artemis.
2021-02-11

4. Great book! Don’t listen to the haters. - This is an excellent book that shows the same depths as the Martian with a fun story about a fictional city on the moon. Reading other reviews it’s funny to see all the wanna be literary critics who can barely write a review trying to discredit this novel. It’s a fun enjoyable novel that incorporates a good amount of science that makes the reader think.
2020-12-02

5. Good Book with Some General Flaws - This book has the same feel of The Martian, but seems to go past Andy Weir’s original novel by incorporating more detail in Artemis. This book is great, and for the $ I got it at I can definitely say it’s worth it. Aside from price, there are a few general flaws with Weir’s writing. In instances it sounds overwhelmingly emotional, with heavy action scenes a good chunk of it too. If these two principles were balanced throughout the book I would think there was nothing else to say. This is a great book, and is by far worth the price.
2020-01-08

6. Flawed but enjoyable - Stronger writing than Weir’s first outing in The Martian, with impeccable speculative science fiction. But he’s still an enthusiast more than a novelist, and this book should be regarded primarily as a (worthwhile, excellent) piece of well structured science communication for anyone interested in the practical nuts & bolts realities of lunar colonies. Did you ever wish : A Space Odyssey had spent even more time on worldbuilding its depiction of routinized space station hotels and livable gravity centrifuges? This is the book for you. The story is a lovely swashbuckling heist, with the expected Weirian knack for making airlocks-and-EVA-suits life or death drama compelling. But as with Martian, some—albeit fewer—character moments will make you wince. Don’t expect to have your breath taken away by soaring dialogue, nor your heart moved by genuine human moments evocatively rendered. The story is a vehicle for the aspects of the spec-fictional lunar colony Andy wanted to explore, and it does that ably. But he’s no Bradbury or Huxley—the human element such as it is very much serves the mechanics of the (inventive, elaborate, worthy) worldbuilding exercise, rather than the other way ‘round.
2019-10-03

7. Such a thrilling read! - Huge fan of Andy since the Martian days, and I was worried Artemis wouldn’t live up to its predecessor. Boy, I was so happy to find out my fears were unfounded. While the theme of space is identical to the Martian, the story is fresh and just as thrilling. I highly recommend anyone who became lost in the pages of the Martian to pick up a copy of Artemis!
2019-03-22

8. Amazing - Long story short, I was trying to fix my sleeping schedule n decided to read this throughout the night. Ended up reading like / or / of it in one go. And it was so goddam good. Jazz is one of my favorite characters period. And the word of Artemis is so thorough and thought out that it comes to life. I enjoyed all the characters in it, even the “bad” characters. Loved all the references too (even though some I didn’t get). Really good humor and very interesting story. Highly recommended.
2019-03-22

9. Martian is why you’ve heard of Artemis - I really enjoyed the book “The Martian.” I read Artemis with low expectations because Martian is a tough act to follow. Also my hope is that if my expectations are low and the book exceeds them I will enjoy the book more. Unfortunately this book didn’t even meet my lowered expectations. The only reason anyone has heard of this book is because of the success of the Martian. If this had been Mr. Weir’s first book I don’t think anyone would have ever heard of it. The ending especially felt like one of those crappy movies that had to wrap up all the loose ends in a couple minutes cause the studio ran out of money.
2019-02-13

10. Just okay - Unrelatable characters, predictable plot, forced science, and an even more forced romance tossed in as an afterthought! She’s smart because she just is! She gets the guy because she just does! The worst part for me, though, was the completely unrelated chain of emails, spread throughout the book, that could not possibly qualify as a sub-plot yet ended up having almost nothing to do with the main story either. The best thing I can say about this book is I finished it.
2019-01-03

11. Amazing! - I promised myself to read more and this being the first book I’ve read really motivated me to read more. The entire story, the way the characters talked, and the DETAIL! Perfection! Everything about this story had me on edge and excited for the next part. Five stars isnt even enough to rate this book!
2018-11-01

12. Not bad - The first one was better, the Apollo of mars. This one had its moments, but since the trials to overcome were mixed with technical and personal ones, it didn’t flow as smoothly. It wanted to be the Maltese falcon on the moon but kept getting distracted by technical problems the lead character faced.
2018-02-27

Release date: 2011-08-16 $9.99

Comments

1. The Book was interesting…but too plain. - First of the beginning of the book starts with a bang…and then…then it just dies from there. The characters are very boring. The plot can be interesting at times, but then it rambles too much. The ending is too plain and expected and it just isn’t written very well. And then the movies fails…too ):
2022-05-18

2. A catalyst for myself - This book literally made me want to start reading other sci-fi books, something I had never entertained prior. After watching the movie, I gave this book a shot, and it was the best decision I ever made. I never thought I would be the type of person to say this, but the book is way better than the movie, and I loved the movie.
2022-01-10

3. Amazing - Great story from start to finished. Wade is such an interesting character that isn’t perfect that gives the feel of authenticity to the book. The descriptiveness as well as the depth Cline ventures to is mesmerizing and makes you want to read over and over again. Great look at the future that keeps you thinking days after reading % recommend this book
2021-11-28

4. Simply beautiful - I have always loved this book. Probably have read it - times and it always brings back nostalgia and happiness. I would rate it / if I could. This book explores all different types of relationships and pushes the “look beyond the mask” ideal. Great time piece and amazing social commentary mixed into a fun and exciting adventure. If you’ve only seen the movie you will find so much more in this book!
2021-11-27

5. Wow... - WOW. Just wow. This book is really something. Looking forward to reading the next book. Wonder if they’ll make that one into a movie too! Congrats to the writer for writing and to the reader for reading! And you, dear reader, stop bothering with the reviews and go buy the movie!! I would recommend it to any die hard fan or just anybody who’d rather see Daito kick those IOI jokers’ butts rather than being flung out of a window like a widdle owd wag doww. (I’m kidding but really he doesn’t die in the movie) IM OUUUUUT! -MunaTheFerCat
2021-11-13

6. Thrilling Amusement Park Ride - I really loved this book. Even though I never was a “gamer”, I thought the plot points were excellent. There was enough character development to get me interested and emotionally invested with Wade. The quests actually made sense to me. And, to the author, I’ll just say that although you liked the Spielberg adaptation (and I normally love his movies), the movie version of your book was completely different…with even the quests changed…and disappointing.
2021-09-18

7. Ready Player One (Book vs Movie) - Hello. I really enjoyed the movie and have watched it several times. When I saw that there was a book called "READY PLAYER ", I decided to buy it. Then I decided to order "READY PLAYER ONE" also since the movies are often different from the original plot in a book. Was I right! I read the "READY PLAYER ONE" book and I enjoyed it a lot. The story was really different. I learned a lot more about each character and it had great plot twists. Now on to "READY PLAYER "! I thought about pointing out some of the differences, but you will find them yourself when you read these two books!
2021-06-10

8. Super duper good!! - I read this at age and thought it was AMAZING!! It has some profanity and kind of dark scenes, but if that doesn’t bother you, I suggest this to readers ages . I loved it and read it nonstop! It has an interesting style, and I was shocked by the author’s twists with the Easter Egg. I was very surprised by the representation of Aech as well. Very exciting! Read it and enjoy it, or read it and not enjoy it. Read it, though!
2020-12-30

9. Too addicting! - I could NOT put this book down! I, like many others, saw the movie before I read the book and I honestly think it’s the way to do it. I got a sense of the characters and the plot that way I could kind of picture what the characters looked like and such, but as soon as I started reading the book, I realized it was completely different and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was like a completely different story. I would totally recommend this book to anyone who enjoys ’s nostalgia. I can’t wait for “Ready Player Two”.
2020-10-07

10. Best Ever!!!!! - This is a must read. And then a re-read. And then a re-read again. Anyone who loves ’s Pop Culture along with Sci-Fi then this is the book for you. There are references in every chapter and almost every page that make me smile about a memory from my childhood and then the Sci-Fi part takes my mind wondering toward the future. My two favorite things.
2020-08-12

11. Fun and fast-paced journey though a beautiful dystopian world. - Ready Player One is one of the more exciting and page-turning novels I’ve read in a while. Cline grips you from the get-go with a fantastic description of this not-so-distant future. The clash of ’s culture against the dreary and desperate backdrop in this new world leads to a unique and one of a kind voice that lends itself to our main character who guides us through the technophile universe. The ticking clock provided by race to the challenges in conjunction with the vibrant characters and the explosive twists and turns make this novel one that I couldn’t put down.
2020-03-08

12. A definitive Book for those who grew up in the s/s - I love this book so much I have read it over times. I have even started a local club to talk about it and we even have a fun drinking game while we watch the movie adaptation when every time the movie gets something wrong we drink. Needless to say we get trashed quickly... don’t watch the movie!
2020-01-29

Release date: 2003-06-03 $7.99

Release date: 2020-11-24 $11.99

Comments

1. Really good sequel. - I saw a few reviews complaining. I don’t see why. Almost everything plays fine into the story and future humanity. The nods to pop culture were so detailed I learned stuff I thought I would have known. I want this as a movie! My year old Daughter permanently leaves Ready Player One in the Blu-ray.
2023-01-14

2. Aweful - When I read this book, I instantly knew it had to have been written in , with all the woke references. I feel people were excited for a sequel, but it wont age well, and it just reads like cheap virtue signaling to make a quick buck, and sell movie rights before people forget the first one, and the actors getting too old. Sad to see a writer ruin his own story by rushing out this hack job of a continuation.
2022-11-16

3. Beautiful ending - Well… the ending was beautiful. There was a lot of filler and honestly it just gets really redundant. I feel like the same sentences when it comes to description are on repeat. Some parts I just jumped over the details so I could get to the story line. I love the characters keeping up with them was important to me. However with the bad again the ending is very beautiful and a exciting look into the possible future…
2022-08-26

4. Pretty alright, but a obvious money grab - First of all this book is a money grab, the plot makes no sense of actually existing. It’s so obvious it’s a money grab that there’s no reason to say it’s a good book, but it’s pretty fun…sometimes. The missions for the keys are pretty straight forward from the last book and less interesting. I mean the beginning of the book is so different from the first one. The characters are um…boring. The situations put on them are so dumb and it just makes the book more boring as it goes on. Like Holiday is has a robot and he is evil and on and on and on and it’s just so stupid as it comes to an end. Ernest Cline really tries to make the book last but as you think about it for a bit you just know it’s all for the money
2022-05-18

5. Ugh - The sequel that wasn’t needed. It reads like bad fan fiction. Instead of a plucky underdog hero, we have an entitled jerk. The villain is completely unbelievable. The plotting of RP was superb, this is a shoddy mess. Who on earth made Cline think this was a good idea? Hollywood money? The film of RP was wretched, and nothing to do with the book. RP is a wonderful achievement. It is extraordinary to think that this garbage came from the same writer.
2022-03-20

6. A Disappointing Sequel - Ready Player One was a tautly written thrilling amusement park ride. But large portions of Ready Player Two lacked the plot development and imagination of the first book. In fact, it often seemed like the action sequences of Ready Player Two were simply like “…and then another thing happened, and this thing happened, and then Artemis did this…” that left the reader bewildered and bored. Like the author of another review below, I skipeed large sections, particularly in the Prince section.
2021-09-18

7. Couldn’t put it down - The story picks up right where the last one ended. It includes another challenge that results in the growth of everyone. They’re pushed to the limits and the stakes are higher than before. It’s an amazing rollercoaster that indulges the nerdy vibe. It also shares a lesson about empathy, which is lacking in the world.
2021-08-05

8. Forced writing and just bad - I went into this hoping for a good continuation of the world we had come to know. It was like cline took all of that, the very basis of what made his characters and threw it out the window. I’ll be honest I got a few chapters in and just removed the book in disgust. “I woke up like Marty McFly,” might be the most ham-fisted attempt to inject pop culture into a book as I’ve ever seen. Just a poor execution on a follow up.
2021-06-05

9. Tries too hard to be woke - Went way too woke and did it in places that withdrew from the story. Made it an agonizingly slow read. It’s cool having diverse characters but try to make it organic, not just perfect world. RP and Armada did it too but it was organic so it was just part of the story, and it was great in those books. Too much virtue signaling ruins everything!
2021-05-30

10. Disappointing, very very slow beginning - Not a satisfying sequel. Took all my efforts to plug through the first pages before a plot formed. Characters which I fell in love with from the first books somehow lost my interest in the sequel. The end was quick and fast paced and reminded me of how I loved the first book but it was a long slow slough toward the ending.
2021-03-22

11. Sloppy writing couldn’t save this sequel. - I fully understand the pitfalls of the sequel and as such I lowered my expectations of this book. That said, I was still incredibly disappointed by RP. I would love to tell you that it was that Cline set the bar so high with the first book that the second was doomed to fail. Instead, this booked failed because of sloppy writing and an unimaginative plot. The opening to the novel started so promising, picking up where we left off in our story with Wade and the High Five. For the first few chapters I was hooked... and then things went downhill fast and often. The storyline was cliche and predictable. The characters unsympathetic. By the time the reader made it to the final battle the writing devolved into “and then this happened, and then that happened, the good news was this, but the bad news was this.” It was painful to read and I was grateful when it came to an end.
2021-02-22

12. Good continuation - I absolutely loved Ready Player One. So when I saw there was a Ready Player Two, I about lost it! It did carry on a lot of the pieces and themes from the first book that I really attached with. And this ride was still a good one. However, I had to drop just one star because it just didn’t seem to be as fast paced and eventful. But to anyone who read the first and liked it, I would recommend this book as it does really bring around things to a very interesting ending.
2021-02-21

Release date: 2021-12-24 $3.99

Release date: 2008-11-11 $7.99

Comments

1. I can't get enough - I truly can't get enough of the writings by OCS and all those who collaborate to make the Ender series what it is. I've ready through many of the books multiple times and this will be one more to read multiple times. Thank you for writing such wonderful books that challenge my thinking.
2016-07-17

2. sequel? great on its own - after starting with Ender's Game I wanted to pick a sequel and decided to go with Ender in Exile instead of the previously written works that followed EG... Ender in Exile does not disappoint and makes a prefect launching point into the next volume in the saga. The writer's afterword made clear several conflicting story points and mentioned a rewritten Chapter to Ender's Game...
2013-11-09

3. Deeply touched - I have read many books by Orson Scott Card, and this is one of his best. His understanding of human psychology and his love of humanity comes though in a way that few writers can equal. I am in love with his characters all over again, and I am inspired to love more deeply and treasure my own life more. Thank you for continuing to write!
2012-08-30

4. Brilliant. - Truly fantastic book. Having read all of the Ender series, I'm comfortable saying that this equals and in some ways exceeds Card's previous forays into the human soul. While Ender is young and relatively innocent in Ender's Game and an adult with an already fully developed moral conscience and flawless insight into the hearts of those around him, Ender in Exile captures him in the turbulent period of adolescence, and Card doesn't disappoint with a convincing characterization of a brilliant, young, and fundamentally, good kid in the circumstance of having just saved (and left) earth.
2011-07-22

5. Midquel is still fresh - While writing a "midquel" is always a difficult task, it is especially so in universe of Ender. However, my favorite part was the new perspectives of an older (and wiser?) Ender. I enjoyed the fresh storylines and can appreciate how they mesh with the other novels. I was disappointed in the rather one dimensional role of Valentine, but this was "Ender in Exile" not Valentine. Overall very satisfactory story....
2011-05-30

6. Ender in Exile - I have read and wrote many papers on Orson Scott Cards works with Ender Wiggen, however this book takes the prize for most rewarding. Throughout the novel we see Ender develope as a loving and masculine charcter as he shapes the lives of everyone he meets. Making this the most touching of the books and also the most inspiaring. I strongly suggest this book, but i warn you that it would be much easier to read the other books first, as Scott Card makes many refrences. Enoy reading.
2011-01-01

Release date: 2022-08-02 $9.99

Comments

1. A recurring search that becomes a self exploration - A recurring search that becomes a self exploration. It is almost too repetitive at first. There is just enough development to hold interest until the action begins to happen. The protagonist is a military doctor helping on the search for a strange artifact. It has become an all consuming search that repeats. over centuries of scientific progress.
2022-12-20

2. Tedious - I’ve never met a Reynolds piece that I wasn’t intrigued by and finished without any questions. This, however, was tedious. I love the author and really wanted to finish this book, as I can’t stand the idea if not finishing a book that I’ve started. However, I just couldn’t get through this one.
2022-11-16