Today’s suggested post is to talk about a book you discovered solely though a book blog:

But let’s talk about that book you know, the one you discovered only because you read about it on a book blog and then you realized you couldn’t live without it! 

There are plenty of books and authors I can blame the entire internets on! The Hunger Games or John Green’s books for example, that I just would never have read if it wasn’t for this book blogging thing we all do. So much so, it would be impossible for me to pick out just one blogger.

And then there are bloggers like, Nymeth and Chris who both do terrible things to by TBR pile, but again it’d be hard to pick just one book from many they have introduced me to.

But there is a book (well series actually) that I can pin the blame on one of you! About the time when I was getting into book-blogging properly (finding the community, starting to overwhelm my my Google Reader account, you know the sort of thing!) There as a book doing the ARC rounds (it was part of LibraryThing’s: Early Reviewer programme I believe) and that book was Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi.

Then a few months later, Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings, posted his review of the book, and he was so effusive about it, I just had to know more, and before I knew it, I was reading Carl’s reviews of the other books in the series, Old Man’s War, The Ghost Brigades, The Last Colony, and the limited edition novella: The Sagan Diary.

Go on read these reviews and I bet even if you’re not a Sci-Fi geek, you’re still going to be interested!

Inevitably, I had fantastic few weeks at the start of the year, as I devoured the series (although I still have to read, The Sagan Diaries.) and ended up with a new favourite author.

You can see my thoughts on each book with my reviews – although Carl’s are much better! – Old Man’s War by John Scalzi, The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi, The Last Colony by John Scalzi, Zoe’s Tale by John Scalzi [Narrated by Tavia Gilbert].

So, thanks for being so enthusiastic about these books, Carl!

“I lifted up my dad’s PDA, and counted off the seconds with the two thousand other people in the room. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…”

The book blogging world had been responsible introducing me to some fantastic books and authors in the 12 months or so I’ve been part of it, and none more welcome than, the books of John Scalzi. Specifically those set in the Old Man’s War universe.

(And if any book blogger can assume more responsibility than any other, I need to lay that blame at Carl V’s feet, his appreciation of Scalzi’s work, was the tipping point that finally convinced me to give him a go. So I’ll just take a moment to thank Carl for his reviews, the four main novels that form the series, have provided some of the most reading enjoyment, I’ve had out of a series of books in any genre.)

I read the first three books in the series in paperback, but for this one I thought I’d try out a different format, and downloaded the audiobook, and I’m so pleased I did. Tavia Gilbert, delivers a thrilling narration and completely nails Zoe’s voice.

The events in Zoe’s Tale, run parallel to those in The Last Colony, but are viewed this time through the eyes of John and Jane’s adopted teenage daughter, Zoë Boutin-Perry.

Zoë’s biological father, was Charles Boutin, the Colonial Union traitor from the events detailed in The Ghost Brigades, created a device capable of giving a race of creatures, called the Obin, consciousness. The Obin worshipped him,  and when he died his daughter, Zoë, became a demigod to them.

So, traveling with Zoë and her family, to the new colony of Roanoke, are two representatives of the Odin, Hickory and Dickory.

We follow Zoë, as she makes new friends, settles in to the community and deals with the events as they start to unravel. Thankfully, Salzi chooses not to just rehash those events from a different point-of-view, but also flesh them out and give us new information.

As I mentioned earlier, Tavia Gilbert, narration is amazing, she perfectly caputures Zoë’s snarky sarcastic attituse with her friends, but also easily gets across the characater’s intellegence and compassion, her voice creaks with emotion at one point (if you’ve read either this book or The Lost Colony, you’ll know where) and as the reader/listener your emotions will be seriously shredded.

This is certainly going to be one of may favourite books of the year, and Zoë is one of my new favourite literary characters.

[rating: 96/100]

Other Reviews to Consider:

• Stainless Steel Droppings
• Devourer of Books

View my Reviews of the Rest of the Old Man’s War Universe

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Buy,Zoe’s Tale (Unabridged) from Amazon.

You should go check it out if you’ve ever read an Old Man’s War book.

http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=18728

Book Coveting.

I’m not one usually to go out and spend £40 odd quid ($60) on a limited edition version, of a book I already own, (and have only just read). But by-heck Subterranean Press and John Scalzi are seriously doing a good job of weakening my resolve, today.

Isn’t that  Vincent Chong artwork just soooooooo tempting?

Head on over to Subterranean Press to find out more. Me, I’m going to empty out the penny jar and look behind the sofa cushions, just in case!

Let me tell you of the worlds I’ve left behind.

The third book in John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War universe follows John Perry, Jane Sagan and their adopted daughter, Zoe.

Retired from the Colonial Defense Force, John and his family are enjoying life in an agricultural village on the planet Huckleberry working as village ombudsman and constable. Life is good.

Of course, that state of affairs is never going to last! And when General Rybicki arrives for a visit, life is going to get very interesting once more.

The Colonial Union only allows people from Earth to start new colonies, but the peoples of existing colonies want to as well. and are beginning to make their voices heard.

The Conclave the new enemy coalition introduced in The Ghost Brigades, is starting to impose its will on the universe, and is being kept secret by the Colonial Union from its people.

And, it is with this backdrop that General Rybicki invites John and Jane to lead a new colony, a unique colony, one not made up from ex-patriots from Earth, but instead from other planets in the union.

As their new home comes into view, and with the strains of Auld Lang Syne still echoing around the Magellan (the huge ship that has brought them to this spot), Perry’s assistant turns to him and tells him they are at the wrong planet. This is followed soon after by the Magellan’s captain’s announcement that they no longer have control of their engines.

The Colonial Union is fighting a political game, with John and Jane’s new colony as the pawns.

And pawns are there to be sacrificed.

This is a slightly different book to the first two in the trilogy, with the bang bang action of the first to giving way to political maneuvering and much more time is spent on the characters and the sometimes minute of their lives. This works well, because when it becomes obvious the Colonial Union are playing with there lives, you care even more new colonists.

And can I just say how great it is to have John Perry back! He has got to be one of my favourite characters of the last few years reading, and his sarcastic one-upmanship with his assistant Savitri Guntupalli, is a joy to read.

John and Jane are also joined by their daughter, Zoe, who does her best to both mock & love her 90-year-old adopted dad. I can’t tell you just how much I am looking forward to meeting Zoe properly in her own book, Zoe’s Tale, which follows the events in The Last Colony from her teenage point-of-view.

While, there is less action in this book, it is certainly not missed, Scalzi once again, excels at writing characters and their interactions and that is what makes his books so much fun to read. And this one is no different. Excellent, excellent read.

[rating: 94/100]

Buy, The Last Colony from Amazon.

Other Reviews

• Carl V @ Estella’s Revenge
• Bold Blue Adventure

No one noticed the rock.

So, begins The Ghost Brigades, the excellent sequel to, John Scalzi’s, Old Man’s War, and there’s no gentle start to this one, we are launched straight into the action, with little or no exposition (at least at the start  – although it does come in spades later, and its for this reason I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as OMW).

Once again, the ‘meat’ of the book follows a raw recruit, this time, Jared Dirac, though his training and out into his first battles. Those who know their earth bound philosophers and The Colonial Union’s naming conventions, will realise of course, that Jared, is not training to be a normal Colonial Union soldier, but as a member of the secretive Ghost Brigades. It’s also clear that he isn’t even a normal member for them either.

You see, Jared has been created with the consciousness of the traitor, Charles Boutin, with the hope that they can find out just what his plans are. When this plan appears to fail, Jared is sent to the Ghost Brigades, and a character from the first book, Old Man’s War Jane Segan is assigned to watch over him.

And then one day Jared starts to remember…

Yes, as I hinted at earlier this book contains a little too much exposition at times, which then affects the pacing, but this is only a really minor niggle, Scalzi continues to ‘build’ an interesting and complex world, that hints at future storylines, some of which will be told and some of which won’t be, (this is a good thing as it’s good to know the world does exist outside of the 300 or so odd pages of the book.)

But the book’s real strong point once again, is the characters, and the narrative. All of the main characters (new and old) are all interesting to get to know further – as are many of the more minor characters, and much of the ever present humour in the series comes from their interactions and banter.

Which leads to the story’s central strength which is the journey of Jared Dirac from, ‘new born’, to a member of the Ghost Brigades, while also learning is also partly the traitor Charles Boutin, through the person he is at the end. (And no, I’m not going to say, who or what that is, you’ll have to read the book to find that out!)

Another fun and thoroughly entertaining read.

[rating:88/100]

Other Views and Opinions:

• Stainless Steel Droppings

Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings, is hosting the Out of This World mini-challenge this weekend as a part of both the Sci-Fi Experience and the challenge in Dewey’s memory. The idea is just to read at least one Science Fiction short story over the weekend. Carl even provides a link to a fabulous online resource to find them!

All Summer in One Day by Ray Bradbury

No one in the class could remember a time when there wasn’t rain.

On the planet Venus the sun only shines for a couple of hours each day, nine year old Margot whose family moved to the planet when she was four, is an outsider to the rest of her class, and when their teacher leaves leaves for a few moments, they decide to pull a very mean prank on her.

My Thoughts:

For such a short story it contains incredible descriptions:

She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair. She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be a ghost. Now she stood, separate, staring at the rain and the loud wet world beyond the huge glass.

And as Rusty says, it’ll make you hate bullies even more. 4.5/5

Read the story online, here.

They’re Made Out of Meat by Terry Bisson

“We’re supposed to talk to meat.”

Two aliens on a recon mission, discuss the race they have been sent to investigate.

My Thoughts:

This entirely dialogue driven short story, is very funny 817 words. 4/5

You can download a free version of this story (in several reader formats) from ElectricStory.com.

After the Coup by John Scalzi

“How well can you take a punch?” asked Deputy Ambassador Schmidt.

Lieutenant Harry Wilson, a Colonial Defence Force’s space technician is coerced into fighting a goodwill exhibition match against a little known alien race.

My Thoughts

A fun and speedy return to the world and characters of Old Man’s War for me. Weird aliens, spaceships, witty dialogue, naked fighting, diplomacy, what more could you wan out of a sci-fi short story?! 4.5/5

Read the story online, here.

I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife’s grave. Then I joined the army.

It’s Sci-Fi Experience time and the first book too make it to the top of the reading pile, is one I’d seen warmly received and commented on all over the place since I joined the book blog-o-sphere, enough times that a few weeks ago – and in anticipation of reading some decent Sci-Fi this January and February – I mooched a copy of Old Man’s War by John Scalzi.

Old Man’s War, tells the story of 75 year old John Perry, who after a few years of mourning his beloved wife, visits her grave one last time, then heads over to the recruitment office to sign up, and head off to war.

The Colonial Defence Force, defend humanities interests out there in the universe, and defends them vigorously, the mortality rate is high. The CDF place a lot of value in the attitude and experience gained from decades of living, and once you join up and leave earth, you can never return.

Rumours of science and medical abilities far beyond that on earth, and the prospect of simply being young again – even if your life expectancy may even be shorter that it would be by staying on earth, is such a tantalising prospect that the CDF is never short of volunteers.

At first I was worried, when he advancements that allow a 75 year old to go to war are revealed. My first reaction was to roll my eyes. Because, well, at first glance it appears to be an easy way to allow the author some wriggle room with his book title, but I was pleased to find, that even though, Perry, may be physically young again, the fact that he and the other recruits still are 75 years old maintains it’s importance and prominence throughout the book.

One thing that can sell almost any tale to me, is when an author gets the interaction between friends, absolutely spot on.

Friends, banter with each other, insult each other, drop sarcastic comments any chance they get, and in a lot of books this would be superfluous and would get in the way, thankfully that is not  the case here, Scalzi’s dialogue, is not only, snappy, but it is often used to impart information that drives the story along, it is also fantastically witty, I’ve not chortled so much in reading a book in ages (and remember that two of my recent books have been Pratchett’s!).

It’s a fast paced thrill of a read and the techno-babble mumbo-jumbo that might scare non Sci-Fi fans away, is kept to a minimum. And for the most part you won’t even notice it because you’re having too much fun to care.

Very much looking forward to the other books in the series.

[rating:90/100]

Other Reviews to Consider:

• Stainless Steel Droppings

Giveaway!

I somehow managed to mooch two copies of this one So I’m going to hold my first giveaway away of the year! If you’d like to have a chance to read the book yourself, then simply say so in the comments below. It’s that easy! I’ll draw the winner on Saturday 24th!