Review – Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Gemina
By: Amie Kaufman; Jay Kristoff
Website: http://amiekaufman.com/ ; https://jaykristoff.com/
Release Date: October 18, 2016
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Series: The Illuminae Files #1
Award: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2016)
Rating:


There’s something to be said for having a library a block and a half away from my apartment, especially when the nearest bookstore is a half an hour away. It’s saved me on more than one occasion when I need the sequel to book I just finished.

This time was certainly no exception. Gemina by Amie Kaufmann and Jay Kristoff was just put on the shelf, the book so new that it didn’t yet have a library card sleeve in the back. (Yeah, my library still uses those, only sans the actual library card. Why? Great question.) So I picked it up, brought it home, and read all 672 pages in one sitting to the awe and disbelief of my husband.

Review – All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Masai

All Our Wrong Todays
By: Elan Masai
Website: http://www.elanmastai.com/
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: Dutton
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


If old movies and TV shows were to be believed the year 2000 would have us living in a veritable technological utopia. There would have been flying cars, tech made for everything from making breakfast to getting dressed, and the world would look more or less like that of the Jetsons. Only, what if they were right? What if we were supposed to have that future? Only Tom Barren, the not-quite-so-genius son of the definitely-genius Victor Barren, leading expert on time travel, made one rash decision (well, one really important rash decision along with all the other, smaller ones) and doomed that world to forever grace the pages of science fiction, never to be born.

Review: Paladin of the Fates

Paladin of the Fates
By: Jai J. Mongiovi
Website: https://www.facebook.com/paladinjaimongiovi/
Release Date: November 28, 2016
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Series: The Paladin Series
Received From: Jai J. Mongiovi
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


When first picking up a new book I’m always hesitant. Will I like it? Will I hate it? Will I become obsessed with it? These questions double when I am aware that the book is the start of a series. So, imagine how many questions I had when picking up this book. My reasons for hesitation, despite having come upon it as a former coworker did the cover art and knows of my fantasy obsession, really stemmed from the fact that this book is part of a proposed series. Which means, should I become obsessed, I will need to wait for the next installments. So, while I was hesitating due to my usual “getting involved in a series” questions I decided something: just go for it. I am glad I did. Read on if you want to know more about why you should read this book.

Review – Mostly Void, Partially Stars by Joseph Fink & Jeffery Cranor

Mostly Void, Partially Stars
By: Joseph Fink; Jeffery Cranor
Website: http://www.welcometonightvale.com/
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Series: Welcome to Night Vale Episodes #1
Rating:


Mostly Void, Partially Stars, written by Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor, is the first volume in a series of a books featuring episodes of the podcast Welcome to Night Vale. Two volumes have been released thus far, the second being titled The Great Glowing Coils of the Universe. A must-have for fans of the podcast, this book contains the complete transcripts of the first 25 episodes of the Welcome to Night Vale along with one of the live shows, Apartments, a particularly excellent episode and one which I wish I’d known about earlier. Before each chapter is a small section by one of the creators or a member of the cast talking about that specific episode or the show in general, and some wonderful illustrations by Jessica Hayworth.

Review – Pirate Utopia by Bruce Sterling

Pirate Utopia
By: Bruce Sterling
Release Date: November 15, 2016
Publisher: Tachyon Publications
Rating:


Pirate Utopia is an alternate history novel by Bruce Sterling, an author and editor who helped define the cyberpunk genre. I was very excited to see this title. Despite my love of cyberpunk, it was the term pirate that had me hooked. Add in the alternate history and cool cover I was sold.[/drocap]

Review – Overlord, Vol 2: The Dark Warrior by Kugane Maruyama

Overlord, Vol 2: The Dark Warrior
By: Kugane Maruyama
Release Date: (Original) November 8, 2012; (English) September 27, 2016
Publisher: Yen Press
Series: Overlord, Book #2
Rating:


Every time I go into a bookstore it’s the same. I chant “I just bought books; I will not buy more.” I’m not sure why I bother. It never works. This last trip to the bookstore was my best attempt yet. The last set of books I’d ordered had just arrived at my door that morning and I swore I wasn’t buying more. Then I saw Overlord, Vol. 2: The Dark Warrior sitting on a shelf with some recent manga releases, squee’d, and immediately bought it. Because I’m weak.

Review – Doctor Who: The American Adventures

Doctor Who: The American Adventures
By: Justin Richards
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Publisher: Penguin Books, Limited (UK)
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


It’s been quite some time since Doctor Who has aired. The Christmas Special is still several weeks off. I’ve been completely Doctor Who starved these last months. But never fear! There’s something to tide us over until Christmas. Doctor Who: The American Adventures released on October 25, 2016.

Review – Remnants of Trust by Elizabeth Bonesteel

Remnants of Trust
By: Elizabeth Bonesteel
Website: https://elizabethbonesteel.wordpress.com/
Release Date: November 8, 2016
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Series: Central Corps #2
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


This week marked the release of Remnants of Trust, the second novel in the Central Corps series by Elizabeth Bonesteel. This is a fast paced military science fiction novel that has a lot going for it. The story begins with Captain Greg Foster and Commander Elena Shaw, freshly returned from a court martial and assigned to the relatively empty Third Sector. But things aren’t quite as quiet as they assumed as the Exeter, another ship from Central Gov, is attacked by raiders. Even after the Orunmila, a PSI ship, comes to the rescue the ship is destroyed, half the crew is dead, and the captain maimed. To top it off, a traitorous saboteur is on the loose.

Review – Disney Manga Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

Disney Manga Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
By: Jun Asuka
Release Date: November 22, 2016
Publisher: TokyoPop
Rating:


It took an awfully long time for me to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas. Decades, in fact. I wasn’t quite five when it came out, and my parents banned me from watching it on account of me being too scared. This was probably a smart move in retrospect as I vividly remember being terrified that Halloween by a fellow trick or treater dressed up as a ghost (quite literally a middle schooler under a sheet with two eye holes cut out). I ran down the block, screaming, and refused to believe it wasn’t a real ghost. (Sorry, Dad).

Review – Arena by Holly Jennings

Arena
By: Holly Jennings
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Ace
Series: Arena Book 1
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Arena by Holly Jennings is the first book in a new science fiction series set in a near future where e-sports are now dominated by fully immersive virtual reality games. The story is told from Kali’s point of view – a twenty year old half American half Chinese woman who is making history as the first female team captain in the tournament bracket. Then her world starts to fall apart – her teammate dies of an overdose, she’s fighting an addiction herself, and corporate sponsors along with their team owner wants to sweep Nathan’s death under the rug.