Mark Anderson

A short book but still pretty good. Relied on many tried and true Sci-Fi tropes. If you liked the Children of Time books by Adrian Tchaikovsky, you'll probably like this book as well. Don't expect the same depth or risk taking, but it was a fun little read with some discussions of consciousness at the end.

An interesting tribute to 80's and 90's pop culture, video games, and pencil and paper roleplaying games. Set in a semi-dystopian future where most people live in poverty and escape to a virtual reality universe called the OASIS. It has funny moments, somewhat epic moments, and some decent attempts at being heart-warming. Would recommend.

In reading this book, I couldn't help but imagine an action-sci-fi movie playing. It wasn't very thought provoking, but it did move at a decent pace. I wouldn't recommend it unless you want something mildly entertaining yet thoroughly unoriginal.

A very prototypical post-Tolkien start to an epic fantasy series. Small town youngsters embark on an adventure where they learn about themselves, grow up, find relics, gain power, etc.Lagged in the first third of the book and a little in the middle. It finished well and it did leave me wanting to read more of the series. This book felt longer than it was. I recently read [b:Words of Radiance 17332218 Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2) Brandon Sanderson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659905768l/17332218.SY75.jpg 16482835] by [a:Brandon Sanderson 38550 Brandon Sanderson https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg] which was longer but felt shorter because it was more intriguing and had more action. It's not that I need my books to be action packed, but I'd expect more than a handful in a 700+ page book. I've heard that this series does pick up in books 2-6, so I am excited to read them, just not right away.

The first book in this series, City of Lost Chances, was just OK. I was reluctant to try this one, but many of the reviews stated that if you had mixed feelings about the first book, you would truly enjoy House of Open Wounds.

They couldn't be more correct! This book was fascinating, heart-wrenching, well thought out, and ended satisfyingly. I recommend this book to anyone who was OK with the first book, enjoys Adrian's books in general, approves of the 'found family of outcasts' trope, or wants to read a (mostly) stand alone fantasy book that has an epic feel to it.

Best Bosch out of the first three

Better than Black Powder War

I was disappointed in this book. Other than the introduction of Tharkay, I felt like this book was a huge trudge. I hope that future books are better.

Book three, similar to the second book. Everyone gets separated and then it is a race to reunite at a big battle. Still solid, however. Looking forward to Book 4.

This is the tale of two books. The first 60% of the book takes place on a ship travelling to China, and I believe that part drags on quite a bit. The last 40% of the book takes place in China and is much more exciting. All in all, I recommend this book, especially if you enjoyed the first one.

Much better than Eye of the World.

Interesting book. Solid sci-fi and the main character is likable, or at least reasonable.

Absolutely perfect. Another wonderful book in this series. Action, twists and turns, humor everywhere.

Honestly, Ghost Story was a low point in the series for me, and Cold Days was a small improvement over that. However, Skin Game is Dresden back on point. Can't wait for the next one.

An excellent short read. A great take on alternate history, combining fantastical dragon battles with the Napoleonic War. I enjoyed the interplay between the different characters and their dragons, and I liked the constant historical connections that were made. Recommended.

A great detective mystery with a solid plot and great writing. I didn't see any of the twists coming, but in retrospect I can see the set-up for it. All you can ask for from this genre.

Amazing. This book told a great story and ended amazingly. Brandon Sanderson gets better with every book he writes. Bravo.

This one started slow but came together nice at the end. Tied up many plot threads and had a good set of action scenes. I liked this one better than Allegiance.

I read the first two Robert Langdon novels, Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code. After these books, you develop an expectation for a story involving the tweed-clad symbologist. You have a treasure hunt through an significant city (or cities) filled with secrets, an intelligent woman that is emotionally tied to the plot, and a game-changing plot twist.

The Lost Symbol delivers on these three expectations, but does not live up to the other two books in other ways. First of all, Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code, while somewhat controversial, still seem somewhat grounded in comparison to The Lost Symbol. Without giving anything away, The Lost Symbol is extremely mystical in tone, from the exploration of the “science” of Noetics to the conclusions reached during the conclusion of the story.

Also, the two main plot twists were pretty clear to me from about halfway through the story. I'm not sure if I have just adjusted to Dan Brown's writing style after reading two of his other books, or whether he just dropped way too many hints in this story. Obviously you don't want plot twists to come out of thin air, but at the same time if they are totally transparent there is no point in presenting them as shocking plot twists.

In conclusion, this book wasn't terrible, but it doesn't live up to the former two books. If you really enjoyed those two books, then this book will not waste your time. I enjoyed the ride while it lasted, but it definitely left a sour taste in my mouth at the end.