last reads

The Wall of Storms of Ken Liu Publishing Information: Paperback (Arc); 680pgs Publisher: Saga Press; 4 Oct 2016 ISBN: 978-1481424301 Series: The Dandelion Dynasty #2 Copy: Provided by publisher Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "In the much-anticipated sequel to the “magnificent fantasy epic” (NPR) Grace of Kings, Emperor Kuni Garu is faced with the invasion of an invincible army in his kingdom and must quickly find a way to defeat the intruders. Kuni Garu, now known as Emperor Ragin, runs the archipelago kingdom of Dara, but struggles to maintain progress while serving the demands of the people and his vision. Then an unexpected invading force from the Lyucu empire in the far distant west comes to the shores of Dara—and chaos results. But Emperor Kuni cannot go and lead his kingdom against the threat himself with his recently healed empire fraying at the seams, so he sends the only people he trusts to be Dara’s savvy and cunning hopes against the invincible invaders: his children,...

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu Publishing information: Hardcover; 400 pages Publisher: Tor; 9780765377067 ISBN: 9780765377067 Series: Remembrance of Earth's Past #1 Copy: Out of Pocket Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "The Three-Body Problem is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience this multiple award winning phenomenon from China's most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin. Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision." Three Body Problem has been sitting on my bookshelf for quite a while an...

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu Publishing information: Paperback; 450 pages Publisher: Saga Press; 8 March 2016 ISBN: 9781481442541 Copy: Received from publisher Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "A publishing event: Bestselling author Ken Liu selects his award-winning science fiction and fantasy tales for a groundbreaking collection—including a brand-new piece exclusive to this volume. With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie. This mesmerizing collection features all of Ken’s award-winning and award-finalist stories, including: “The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary” (Finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Theodore Sturgeon Awards), “Mono No Aware” (Hugo Award winner), “The Waves” (Nebula Award finalist), “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” (Nebula and Sturgeon award finalists), “All the Flavors” (Nebula award finalist), “The Litigation Master and the Monk...

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu Publishing information: Hardback; 623pages Publisher: Simon and Schuster; 1 April 15 ISBN: 9781481424271 Series: The Dandelion Dynasty #1 Copy: Out of pocket Reviewer: Tyson Amazon Synopsis: "Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they each find themselves the leader of separate factions—two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice. Fans of intrigue, intimate plots, and action will find a new se...