#SciFiMonth Audiobook Review: The Original by Brandon Sanderson & Mary Robinette Kowal

Posted on November 9, 2020 23 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Original by Brandon Sanderson & Mary Robinette Kowal

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Recorded Books (September 14, 2020)

Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins

Author Information: Brandon Sanderson | Mary Robinette Kowal

Narrator: Julia Whelan

I’m a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, and I’ve also enjoyed the Mary Robinette Kowal’s work in the past, so you can imagine my excitement for their futuristic sci-fi action-thriller collaboration. There’s a couple things you need to know, however. First, this is novella-length story, and second, it is only available as an audiobook, and both these factors have the possibility to influence your enjoyment as it did mine.

The Original starts with protagonist Holly Winseed waking up in a hospital room with no recollection of how she ended up there, surrounded by government agents waiting to interrogate her, and based on their questions, her heart immediately fills with a sense of dread as she realizes what must have happened. She is a Provisional Replica, a clone that is created only in cases where their Original had committed a serious crime. In this case, the real Holly had murdered her husband Jonathan in cold blood and is now on the run, evading all attempts to track her down. The task now falls to replica Holly to find and kill her. If she succeeds, she will be given the opportunity to assume her Original’s place and petition for Jonathan to be revived. But if she fails, her life-sustaining treatments required by replicas will be halted, and she will die.

But the government had underestimated Holly’s persistence for answers. As a clone, she has all her Original’s memories and emotions, and she cannot fathom any scenario in which she would ever want to kill her husband. With her new combat implants and enhanced abilities, replica Holly sets out to find her Original, convinced of her innocence. But as the trail of clues takes her closer to her goal, Holly comes under attack by terrorists and other shadowy enemies, forcing her to confront some uncomfortable truths.

Sad to say, despite the incredible premise and some of the very cool ideas here, I can’t say I enjoyed this one as much as I wanted to. The good news, however, is that the world-building is fantastic. There was definitely some of that Sanderson magic shining through, especially the points about injectable nanite technology allowing humans to essentially choose eternal life should they want it. Those who decide to live on the edge and “checkout” of this system become the ones that go against the prevailing norm for a variety of reasons, which can range from risk-taking to the preservation of personal privacy. This creates the basis for further exploration—from social, moral, and emotional standpoints and more—quite typical for Sanderson stories, if you’re familiar with his work.

Unfortunately, the world-building is about the only aspect I found to truly stand out. This was a relatively a short novella, so that might a restricting factor, limiting development to the characters and plot. As for Holly, I didn’t feel much sympathy towards her, and felt like there may have been slight overwriting and too much telling-not-showing when it came to her feelings and motivations (which incidentally is a weakness I’ve noted in Kowal’s books in the past). I also could have done with more action and thrills, and less time spent in Holly’s head watching her bemoan her situation and wallow in self-pity.

All in all, The Original was enjoyable enough, but I have to say I’d expected a bit more from a collab project between these two powerhouses of SFF. It’s still a good listen and worth your time, but it didn’t wow me, and on top of that, there were a few things about the audiobook I found irritating. Narrator Julia Whelan delivered a fantastic performance, as she always does, but I had no idea what the production team were thinking when they added in the sound effects, which came in at the most random times. Instead of adding to the atmosphere and immersion, they were just plain annoying, and is definitely not usual for an audiobook.

Audiobook Review: The Cabin on Souder Hill by Lonnie Busch

Posted on November 8, 2020 23 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Cabin on Souder Hill by Lonnie Busch

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Mystery, Paranormal

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing (September 29, 2020)

Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins

Author Information: Website

Narrator: Sarah Mollo-Christensen

The Cabin on Souder Hill was a weird book, but in a good way—for the most part. I’m just glad that I came prepared for some of that strangeness, otherwise I probably would have been more nonplussed, because not gonna lie, this one was a very different kind of mystery.

At the heart of this story are Michelle and Cliff Stage, a married couple whose eighteen-year marriage is now on the rocks. Trying to repair the relationship after finding out her husband has been unfaithful has been hard, but Michelle is hoping that spending time together—just the two of them, without their teenage daughter Cassie—will do the trick. Hence, their new vacation cabin in the isolated mountains of North Carolina. One freezing night though, Cliff notices a mysterious light in the woods, and goes out to investigate. When he fails to return hours lately, a frantic Michelle contacts the sheriff’s department about his disappearance but gets no help. She decides to take matters into her own hands, venturing out into the woods to search for Cliff on her own. However, when those efforts eventually come to naught, Michelle staggers back to the cabin, worried and exhausted, only to come home to a reality she doesn’t recognize.

For one thing, Cliff is there to greet her with relief, claiming that she had been the one who was missing. He had contacted the sheriff, who now stands in their home, having no memory of speaking to her earlier about Cliff’s disappearance. To Michelle’s astonishment, her husband is also a changed man. No longer the brash and controlling brute who had cheated on her, he has become gentler and more sensitive. And he is missing a finger. When pressed on it though, Cliff is reluctant to explain, thinking that shock and exposure had affected her memory. Panicked with confusion, Michelle demands answers, and her whole world is shattered when he finally explains that he been in a car accident over a year ago—an accident that also killed their daughter.

Deep down, Michelle knows that can’t be true. She had just spoken to Cassie on the phone earlier that day. But apparently there had been a funeral, and Michelle is even shown the grave. Still, she refuses to accept that Cassie is gone, or that this is even her world. Michelle knows that it must have something to do with what happened to her in the woods that night. Returning to mountains, she seeks out the help of realtor Pink Souder (who had supposedly built their cabin), as well as his family of Wiccan practitioners who may hold the key to the mystery of their shifting realities.

I’ve tried to keep it as straightforward as possible, but this is a tale that grows more twisted and complicated by the second. I’ll tell you right now, if you are looking for a logical explanation by the end of this whole mess, you’re not going to get it. The first half of the book was easy enough to understand at least, but past the halfway point, the plot really turns into a quagmire which takes some effort to follow.

In spite of that though, I had quite a bit of fun with this one. The element of magic and Wicca was a welcome addition to the story, even if it didn’t feature as prominently as I expected. The mystery was what really mattered, with Michelle’s terrifying situation carrying most of the momentum, though we also had sections where other characters’ perspectives took over. One of these belongs to Pink, though by the end of the book, I couldn’t help but wonder just how relevant these other POVs were. Not going to spoil anything here, of course, but it really didn’t take long to figure out how everything would go down—even if you didn’t know the details, you could determine the mood. There was a sense of futility and hopelessness to it all, and ironically, accepting that was what ultimately made it easier to let go and simply let the story take me where it wanted.

Again, sorry for being vague, but The Cabin on Souder Hill was just a very odd book. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no question that it’s an interesting read if you’re in the mood for a weird journey or are into mind-bending speculative mysteries.

Audiobook Comments: The Cabin on Souder Hill is the kind of audiobook that could have used multiple narrators to make it a more immersive, but Sarah Mollo-Christensen carried a great performance, nonetheless. Her portrayal of Michelle was incredible, where she was able to convey the full range of thoughts and emotions going through the character’s mind as she lived through her ordeal. It was a good listen overall.

Bookshelf Roundup 11/07/20: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on November 7, 2020 20 Comments

Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.

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Received for Review

My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!

Kicking off this roundup with the latest batch of books from the awesome folks at Orbit! First up, The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie sounds so creepy, and it’ll also be my first book by the author so that’s double the excitement! As well, I’m looking forward to tackle Call of the Bone Ships by RJ Barker, the sequel to The Bone Ships. I enjoyed the first book a lot, and I just can’t wait to return to the amazing world of The Tide Child. Speaking of sequels, I’m also looking forward to read The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter, the follow-up to his runaway hit The Rage of Dragons. And because Orbit just loves to spoil me, earlier this week I also received a surprise ARC of The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick, which had me jumping up and down like a giddy schoolgirl. It’s one of my most anticipated releases in the new year!

And finally, with thanks to Minotaur Books for sending me an ARC of Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano. This was completely new to me, and at first I wasn’t sure if it’ll be my kind of book based on the cover. After doing some research though, I found out it is the first book of a new mystery series, one that’s supposedly full of wry wit and humor, so who knows, maybe it’ll turn out to my thing after all 🙂

In the digital haul this week, I snagged a trio of listening copies. With thanks to Macmillan Audio for The Survivors by Jane Harper, a crime mystery set in a small Australian town on the coast of Tasmania. I’ve been hearing a lot of great things about the author and this book, and it made me curious to try. Also thank you to Tantor Audio for a review copy of The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill (because YAY for maritime fantasy!) as well as A Chorus of Fire by Brian D. Anderson, the sequel to The Bard’s Blade. Last but not least, my thanks to Penguin Audio for a ALC of We Hear Voices by Evie Green. It’s a dystopian horror-thriller, and from the reviews I’ve been seeing, apparently it’s terrifying.

Reviews

The Mirror Man by Jane Gilmartin (4 of 5 stars)
Machine by Elizabeth Bear (2 of 5 stars)

This Week’s Reads

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Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Let me know what you plan on checking out. Until next time, see you next Roundup!

Friday Face-Off: Planets

Posted on November 6, 2020 19 Comments

Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.

This week’s theme is:

“You’re on Earth. There’s no cure for that.”
~ a cover that features PLANETS

Mogsy’s Pick:

Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell

Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell is a sci-fi military space opera following a handful of characters in the aftermath of a bitter violent war fought in a galaxy rife with political tensions. Disgusted with the part she played, the sentient warship Trouble Dog has decided on a new course for her life, joining the House of Reclamation, an organization that answers the calls of distressed starships, in the hopes of atoning for the atrocities she committed. Sal Konstanz, who once fought against Trouble Dog, now finds herself on the same side as the ship as her captain. Together with their crew of medics and rescue workers, they follow a signal from a downed vessel to a touristy but disputed area of space called the Gallery, a system whose planets have all been carved into gargantuan intricate shapes by an ancient alien race.

Let’s take a look at the covers to see how well they capture the tone and scope of the story:

From left to right:
Titan Books (2018) – Italian Edition (2019) – French Edition (2019)

Russian Edition (2020) – Croatian Edition (2019) – Czech Edition (2019)

Winner:

I found it difficult to choose a favorite this week, and it’s not for of the lack of pretty covers because several of these are actually quite nice. However, there’s only so much you can do with the good old “ships in space with some planets in the background” motif (very popular when it comes to military sci-fi covers), so a lot of these come off as a bit generic. Still, the Russian edition stuck out for me the most on account of its brilliant hues and color contrast, so that’s the one I’m going with.

But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?

#SciFiMonth Review: Machine by Elizabeth Bear

Posted on November 5, 2020 27 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Machine by Elizabeth Bear

Mogsy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Book 2 of White Space

Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press (October 20, 2020)

Length: 496 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately it just didn’t work out for me. While I’ve enjoyed Elizabeth Bear’s work in the past, for some reason Machine failed to capture my attention, and even from the start the story and main character struggled to make an impression, though I tried my best to give the book a fair shake.

At first, I thought it might have something to do with the fact it is a sequel, and that I haven’t read its predecessor, Ancestral Night. However, it soon became clear that was not the case, because although Machine takes place in the same White Space universe, it is written to be experienced as a standalone, featuring a new story and a different protagonist. Dr. Brookllyn Jens is her name, a rescue specialist working on a first responder ship dispatched to investigate a distress signal originating from a generation ship which left Earth hundreds of years ago. Upon arrival, Dr. Jens finds the ship’s crew and passengers still sealed inside their cryogenic space pods, with only an android named Helen as the only conscious caretaker active onboard.

Thus, a tantalizing mystery emerges: What could have happened to the ship to leave its ten thousand souls in such a state? And what might have caused Helen, an A.I. who doesn’t appear to be all together there, to be left in charge by herself? Even more disconcerting is the discovery of a modern vessel attached to the centuries-old generation ship, and the strange machine inside of it, dubbed a craboid because of its resemblance to the crustacean. Everyone is baffled as to its purpose, though Jens might have a few guesses. As she works hard to rescue as many of the passengers as she can by transporting them to the state-of-the-art hospital at which she is employed, even more problems begin to arise, including an unknown illness, computer viruses, and even malicious sabotage. As much as Jens wants to get to the bottom of all of it, she worries the answers will come at a steep price—and she isn’t sure she will like what she finds.

To be fair, Machine had quite a few strengths, even if they weren’t enough to win me over. For example, I liked that our protagonist was a doctor, and the medical angle of her narrative provided this space opera with a fresh and interesting perspective. I also enjoyed the author’s vision for her futuristic setting, one populated by humans, aliens, and A.I. There’s wonderful interaction between the characters, creating opportunities for compelling relationships as well as plenty of room to grow them.

Unfortunately though, Dr. Jens winds up being the weak link in all these scenarios. For one thing, she can’t seem to stop with the aggravating internal monologues, rambling on and on in a completely different line of thought than whatever was happening on the page. While it’s probably in her character’s nature to be inquisitive and examine every single tiny thing from all possible angles, as a reader trying to follow her often long-winded and digressive spiels it was absolute torture. It’s a shame, really, for I’m sure this novel could have been one hell of a sci-fi mystery page-turner, if only the main character could’ve shut up long enough for the exciting parts of the story to actually come through.

Perhaps it is not surprising then, that pacing was also an issue. Due to all the frequent interruptions and tangents, the plot never really manages to find its rhythm, and to be honest, there were too many moments I found myself bored and tempted to skim or skip ahead. I tried to sympathize with Jens, because she really does have quite an intricate and poignant backstory, but the narrative style simply made it far too difficult to engage. I also didn’t like her over-the-top self-criticism especially towards the end of the book, which didn’t help her likeability one bit, and only served to make me even more annoyed with her.

Overall, I can’t say I had a good experience with Machine, even though the novel’s premise with its mystery and intrigue should have been right up alley. Regrettably, I just couldn’t get onboard with the main character and the stop-start pacing of the story, when what I really wanted was less talk and more emphasis on the mystery aspect and the action elements. Ultimately, I was left unsatisfied and disappointed.

#SciFiMonth Waiting on Wednesday 11/04/20

Posted on November 4, 2020 20 Comments

Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!

Mogsy’s Pick

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (May 4th 2021 by Ballantine Books)

In honor of Sci-Fi Month, I’m featuring sci-fi picks for my Waiting on Wednesday posts for the whole of November. First up is Project Hail Mary – I’m so excited for this, because you just know anything from the author of The Martian will be so much fun.

“A lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this incredible new science-based thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Martian.

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that’s been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it’s up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian–while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.”

#SciFiMonth Sci-5 Tuesday: Colonization Sci-Fi

Posted on November 3, 2020 36 Comments

To celebrate science fiction during the month of November, I’ve put together a series of posts I’ll be doing every Tuesday to highlight the sci-fi tropes or themes that I find simply irresistible! I’ve also been fortunate to read some great books in the genre over the last few years, and to give them some extra attention, each week I will also be featuring five titles that I recently enjoyed or thought were pretty special.

This week’s topic is most certainly one of my absolute favorites! Today we look at COLONIZATION SCI-FI: stories about the colonization of space and the indomitable human spirit in the face of extreme adversity that ranges from alien aggro to environments that want to kill you!

Dark Eden by Chris Beckett

Dark Eden isn’t really the kind of book you can take at face value. In many ways, it’s almost like a hypothetical social experiment, exploring the possible outcomes if a society were to emerge on its own, completely cut off and free of influences from the rest of humankind. The story’s premise begins with a scenario that sees five human beings stranded on a dark and icebound planet they dubbed Eden. Three decided to leave, while two remained behind. They were Angela and Tommy, who eventually settled down and raised children. 160 years later, the story officially beings and the population of Eden has grown from 2 to 532. Collectively calling themselves “Family”, all this time their group has stayed together living in a small area dubbed Circle Valley. However, with their numbers ever increasing, their home is becoming far too small and the surrounding resources are becoming depleted. One teenager named John Redlantern changes everything when he proposes Family abandon their old ways to seek new expansion beyond the forest and over the mountains of Snowy Dark. (Read the full review…)

Planetfall by Emma Newman

Planetfall opens on a world far from Earth, where protagonist Renata Ghali is called urgently to the colony boundary when a mysterious figure is spotted heading towards the settlement. As the stranger approaches, even though Ren doesn’t recognize him, she sees that he bears a striking resemblance to her friend Suh-Mi, also known as the Pathfinder—the woman who had led their group here to this planet all those years ago to escape a polluted and over-populated Earth. But then, more than two decades have passed since they first arrived, and Suh-Mi had entered the gargantuan alien structure they found when they made planetfall, never to emerge again. So, just who is this mysterious newcomer? He claims to be the grandson of Suh-Mi, but few people know why this information would be dangerous if it got out. It would mean the end of the colony’s way of life, which they have spent years cultivating into their own little utopia. Long story short: I loved Planetfall…except the ending. But if you’ve ever enjoyed a great book that you nonetheless had some issues with, then you’ll probably understand why I still found this book fascinating and fun to read. In its finer moments, the novel is a thought-provoking narrative about the fear of the unknown, and how in times of uncertainty, those around you can be a comfort…or a strain. (Read the full review…)

Outpost by W. Michael Gear

Outpost opens on Donovan, a planet settled by colonists who arrived a mere few decades ago to establish a mining operation on behalf of the Corporation. What they hadn’t expected, however, was the lack of support they would receive from their employers. Of course, some of this also had to do with the unavoidable perils of space travel. Almost half a dozen Corporate ships have gone missing, never reaching their destinations. So when news arrives that the Turalon has been sighted in orbit, it is almost like a miracle. The people of Donovan are relieved but some are also quite fearful. With space travel being such a risky business these days, what will happen to their colony? And for those who want to return to the Solar System, is it worth the chance that they will become lost forever? Or would it be better simply to remain on Donovan, where most of the colonists have deeds to their own land and control over their own lives? There’s a lot going on in this book: survival, politics, romance, mystery, action and adventure with high drama mixed with intrigue and suspense. I enjoyed every moment. (Read the full review…)

Semiosis by Sue Burke

Semiosis is a multi-generational story that takes place over the course of many years, following a group of human colonists who have settled on a planet they dubbed Pax. The first pioneers hoped to start over and establish a peaceful society on this newly discovered planet. However, they were wholly unprepared for the alien environment and the surprising ways Pax’s bizarre flora and fauna interacted with their surroundings. Many of the settlers died within a matter of weeks, but through hard work and perseverance, the colony managed to hang on and give rise to the next generation. Still, their difficulties were far from over. Despite the settlers’ lofty goals to live in harmony with the land, with every new generation also came new challenges, both biological and social. The colony adapted to the planet, but Pax adapted in turn. It was a joy watching the society on Pax evolve over the years, even when the settlers themselves struggled and dealt with some difficult obstacles and brutal conditions. Overall, I found the book to be a very realistic depiction of human colonization on an alien planet, and I also admired many of the characters for trying to uphold their values even in the face of danger and despair. (Read the full review…)

Cibola Burn by James S. A. Corey

The most accurate way to describe Cibola Burn is part space colonization story and part space disaster thriller. This fourth installment of The Expanse sequence is also, in my opinion, the turning point where the series went from good to great. With the massive ring structure created by the mysterious proto-molecule determined to be a gateway leading to thousands of new worlds, corporations have been scrambling to get first dibs on exploration and harvesting rights. To their chagrin, however, a ship of refugees have also made it over and settled on the first of the habitable new planets, starting up their own mining operations. Violence erupts when the company with claims to the planet arrives to protect what they think of as their property, with the colonists pushing back. Protagonist James Holden is tasked to mediate the conflict before both sides end up killing each other, but even the system’s best known peacekeeper can only do so much. It is no secret that I am a big fan of the Expanse, and Cibola Burn captures many of the reasons why. Of course, you’ll have to catch up with the first three books if you haven’t read them yet, but they, this is a series that should be on every sci-fi fan’s TBR anyway! (Read the full review…)

What are some of the tropes and themes you enjoy reading about in sci-fi? Are you also a fan of space colonization stories? Let me know your favorites and recommendations!

#SciFiMonth Review: The Mirror Man by Jane Gilmartin

Posted on November 2, 2020 33 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Mirror Man by Jane Gilmartin

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: MIRA (October 20, 2020)

Length: 352 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

How many times have you wished you could clone yourself? To have a double take over your life, just for a little while, so you can catch a quick breather? In Jane Gilmartin’s The Mirror Man, the ability to achieve this has become a reality, albeit the technology is highly illegal. The possibility of creating a perfect copy of a human being, complete with same personalities and memories, is not something the world is ready to accept, so the company behind the scientific breakthrough can only conduct their experiments under the utmost secrecy.

Now, the experts ViGen Pharmaceuticals believe they have found the perfect subject. Jeremiah Adams is a middle-aged husband and father living a disaffected life, who is also willing to be discreet. For ten million dollars, he agrees to be a part of their top-secret study, which involves being cloned. The catch? Jeremiah will need to be removed from his life for an entire year, while his clone takes over. After all, part of the experiment is “quality testing” to see if the copy is indeed indistinguishable from the original. If successful, no one should suspect Jeremiah has been replaced. Behind the scenes, a team of ViGen scientists will also be monitoring the clone’s every move to ensure adherence to expected personality and behavioral patterns.

At first, Jeremiah thought it would be easy. A year isn’t all that long, plus ten million dollars is a ridiculously large sum of money, enough to set him and his family up for life after the experiment was over. And if he’s being completely honest, he’s also been having a rough time lately, at home and at work. He figures a break will do him good, especially with ViGen setting him up in a luxury apartment where his every need will be met. He’ll finally be able to do what he wants, when he wants—though he would have to meet periodically with a company psychologist, as per his contract agreement. Through these sessions, however, Jeremiah soon realizes that watching him clone live his life from afar isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Though he’ll need the experiment to succeed in order to receive his money, he also can’t help but feel unsettled, not to mention hurt, to see someone else replace him so completely. Then, Jeremiah’s mother dies. Already angry and devastated from being forced to grieve at a distance, our protagonist receives another shock as stumbles upon the dark truth behind the real purpose of ViGen’s cloning technology.

As a fan of sci-fi stories that read like “what if” scenarios, I really enjoyed The Mirror Man and blew through it rather quickly. While it doesn’t place as much emphasis on the science aspect, the energetic pacing and thrills more than made up for it. As the reader, you’re thrown into the thick of things pretty much right away, as the author wastes no time in establishing the premise. As such, I didn’t mind the lack of background into ViGen’s cloning technology, once I realized that wasn’t the point of the novel anyway. Instead, its focus is almost entirely on Jeremiah and the internal conflict raging within him, as he watches his clone with a new perspective on himself, thinking he doesn’t really like what he sees.

Subtle as they were, there were some meaningful underlying philosophical themes at play, exploring the question of what makes us human. Observing his life from an outsider’s perspective forces Jeremiah to confront the truth of his malaise and re-examine his personal choices as he finally realizes what he’s been missing. I wish the narrative had carried this thread a little further, but the plot then swiftly adopts a thriller tone and style, taking off like a runaway train from there. Technology meets conspiracy in The Mirror Man, which I can see being a hit with readers who enjoy the intense pacing and high stakes of books like Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, The Fold by Peter Clines, or The Punch Escrow by Tal M. Klein.

Overall, I thought this was a great read, and in fact, my only criticism is that the conclusion could have been tweaked to pack a harder punch. In the end, the resolution might have come just a tad to easy for our protagonist, but I was nevertheless happy with how everything turned out. After all, it’s not every day I read a book about cloning! I had a blast with The Mirror Man and will most certainly be keeping an eye out for Jane Gilmartin’s future work!

Get Ready for #SciFiMonth 2020!

Posted on November 1, 2020 30 Comments

You may have noticed the hashtag #SciFiMonth and its related images popping up all over the book blogosphere lately. That’s because it’s November and that means Sci-Fi Month is here! The BiblioSanctum has had such a great time being a part of this event in previous years that we’re participating again in 2020. This year, the hosts imyril from onemore.org and Lisa from Dear Geek Place.

Starting today, we’ll be joining other bloggers, authors, and readers in a month-long celebration of everything science fiction. That doesn’t mean we’ll stop covering all our other favorite speculative fiction genres though! You will most definitely continue to see our usual reviews, weekly memes and features, spotlights, and all that other fun stuff of other genres. The only difference is, some of our reviews and posts will branch off from the usual to encompass the various mediums of science fiction.

The great thing about Sci-Fi Month is that it’s a casual, low-pressure event. It has no deadlines, no specific challenges or quotas to meet–just a month of fun to enjoy, discuss, and share everything science fiction. Sci-Fi Month is whatever you make it, and you are welcome to join anytime. The organizers have also arranged for some pretty exciting features like giveaways, readalongs, and a whole lot of other fun activities including prompt challenges and sci-fi themed Top Tens. So if this is something you’re interested in taking part of, head on over to the Google form to sign up.

After that, grab the banner and button and dive right in! Everyone is welcome! Be sure to also follow the hashtag #SciFiMonth and follow the event on Twitter @SciFiMonth so you won’t miss a thing!

Here at The BiblioSanctum, simply look for posts tagged with “SciFi November” or those that contain the SciFi Month images and hashtags to see how we’re getting involved. Come explore the wonders of science fiction with us, and to kick off the discussion, feel free to let us know:

How long have you been a fan of science fiction?

Why do you like sci-fi and what is your favorite thing about it?

What are your favorite books/games/films/TV shows in the genre?

What are your plans for Sci-Fi Month?

As for me, I haven’t been on the ball with regards to planning, so this year my sci-fi coverage will probably be more lowkey. Once more I’ll be playing things mostly by ear, though I do have a couple ideas I’m bouncing around in my head, so stay tuned! As always, I also have a few books I’ve been saving up for November as I use this opportunity to catch up with sci-fi releases I might have missed earlier in the year. Below you’ll find a preview of some of the books I hope to read next month!

Bookshelf Roundup 10/31/20: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on October 31, 2020 21 Comments

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Received for Review

My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!

Orbit has been really good to me lately, with new books arriving from them nearly every week. This week I want to thank them for sending me Legacy of Steel by Matthew Ward and The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn by Tyler Whitesides, both of which are sequels. I’ve already read Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward so I’ll be able to jump into the second book right away, and happily I recently snagged an audio copy of The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn and should be caught up soon enough.

Also thanks to Subterranean Press, I received a couple of new ARCs: The Best of Elizabeth Hand edited by Bill Sheehan and The Big Score by K.J. Parker (this one I’m pretty excited to check out!)

And with thanks to Head of Zeus and the kind folks at Kaye Publicity, I received an ARC of The Package by Sebastian Fitzek, who is called Germany’s most successful author of psychological thrillers. I believe this was originally published a few years ago, but might only be now coming to the US market. The tagline is this: “All you’ve done is taken in a parcel for a neighbor. You have no idea what you’ve let into your home.” Sounds pretty creepy and wild!

In the digital haul, I received a couple eARCs via NetGalley. First with thanks to Quirk Book for Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman, and also to Minotaur Books for sending an invite widget for The Lost Village by Camilla Sten. And from Inkshares, I received an e-galley of The Boy in the Woods by Scott Thomas, a new novella by the author who brought us Kill Creek and Violet. I’m definitely feeling the Halloween mood and loading up on some creepy reads!

And only one audiobook acquisition this week, and it’s the latest installment to the official Minecraft series of novels, The Shipwreck by C.B. Lee. I’ve always been curious to try the author’s work, particularly the Sidekick Squad series, but I think this should be interesting too. With thanks to Random House Audio for the listening copy.