last reads

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...

Another year has come to a close and so it is time for the year's best. I have to admit that the SPFBO took a lot of my reading time and a winner has been chosen (see last Tuesday's post). With that said, there weren't a lot of other books read even though I managed to get another 70+ books read this year. Without further ado, here are my top 5 books read in 2015: 5. The Devil's Only Friend by Dan Wells It was welcome return to the world of John Wayne Cleaver. While not the best book in the series, it does have it's charms. Cleaver has grown up a bit in this latest novel and become responsible. However, all that growth doesn't seem to help him much as he tackles his most dangerous foe yet. 4. Half the World by Joe Abercrombie The second book in the Shattered Sea trilogy. Still haven't gotten around to picking up the third book in the series but Half the World introduces us to a few new and compelling characters and picks up where Half a King left off. Not ...

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...