# What are you Reading? Noctilucent November 2019 edition



## Ralif Redhammer (Nov 1, 2019)

Halloween is over, and a bit of magic has gone out of the air. But books, books always have their own.

I finished reading the second half of the Elric Saga yesterday. Man, does that ending still pack a punch. 

“Farewell, friend. I was a thousand times more evil than thou!”

Next up is Sapkowski's "Baptism of Fire." With the Witcher series on Netflix coming up soon, it's as good a reason as any to continue on in the book series.


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## Richards (Nov 1, 2019)

I'm reading _Deadlock_ by Iris Johansen.  Basically, a pair of archaeologists get kidnapped and tortured for info by a crazed guy trying to find an ancient treasure.  Then an occasional assassin for the CIA is hired to rescue them; he saves the woman but the man's already been tortured to death.  And now they're running from the crazy guy and his army of hired thugs while figuring out a way to track not only him but the guy who hired him to kidnap the archaeologists in the first place.  And the treasure is somehow tied to Rasputin, the Mad Monk.  It's been...interesting thus far.

Johnathan


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## carrot (Nov 2, 2019)

Just finished Brent Weeks' _The Burning White: Book 5 of lightbringer. _It was a really enjoyable (if very long-winded) read right up until (just before) the "final battle". Unfortunately at that point it all just went a bit "meh". It rather felt like the author was trying to include every idea he'd ever had for what to do with all the main characters no matter how little it made sense. Since that was the last of the series, its rather fallen flat.

Now onto _A pilgrimage of Swords _by Anthony Ryan. Not far in yet, but so far so good...


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## reelo (Nov 2, 2019)

These...


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## jaerdaph (Nov 2, 2019)

I'm almost done with Guy Endore's 1933 novel, _The Werewolf of Paris_. It was the basis for the 1961 Hammer Film Productions movie _The Curse of the Werewolf_ starring Oliver Reed and directed by Terence Fisher.


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## Janx (Nov 2, 2019)

finished These Violent Delights by Jessica Raney a few days back. A bloodsporty zombie romp with a deadly fun heroine.

Then I read Brandon Sanderson's Mitosis novella and am in the early stages of FireFight (book2 of whatever his evil super powereds series is called).


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## Rob Kuntz (Nov 2, 2019)

When time permits I have been re-reading the shorts of Clark Ashton Smith in no particular order.


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## Nellisir (Nov 4, 2019)

_Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog_, by Boris Akunin. Rather good and enjoyable, except that the translator has followed the author's and russian tradition of using all the parts of a characters name at different times in different combinations (XYZ might be XY, or Z, or X, or XYZ...), which is correct, but... <flips through the book AGAIN to figure out who someone is...>

Also reading _A Brief History of the Normans_, and _Judge Dee At Work_ (Robert Van Gulik). Highly recommend the Judge Dee books.


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## Rob Kuntz (Nov 4, 2019)

Nellisir said:


> _Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog_, by Boris Akunin. Rather good and enjoyable, except that the translator has followed the author's and russian tradition of using all the parts of a characters name at different times in different combinations (XYZ might be XY, or Z, or X, or XYZ...), which is correct, but... <flips through the book AGAIN to figure out who someone is...>
> 
> Also reading _*A Brief History of the Normans*_, and _Judge Dee At Work_ (Robert Van Gulik). Highly recommend the Judge Dee books.




Especially about the one bolded.  Could be interesting!


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## Ralif Redhammer (Nov 4, 2019)

Been there. 

I suspect that the Brothers Karamazov would be about half the length if they just standardized everybody's names.



Nellisir said:


> Rather good and enjoyable, except that the translator has followed the author's and russian tradition of using all the parts of a characters name at different times in different combinations (XYZ might be XY, or Z, or X, or XYZ...), which is correct, but... <flips through the book AGAIN to figure out who someone is...>


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## Nellisir (Nov 4, 2019)

Rob Kuntz said:


> Especially about the one bolded.  Could be interesting!



I'll get you an author soon. Right now it's in my, ah, "throne room". . It's interesting reading & fills in gaps in my knowledge. Could use more maps though.


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## Nellisir (Nov 5, 2019)

Rob Kuntz said:


> Especially about the one bolded.  Could be interesting!



It's _A Brief History of the Normans: The Conquests that Changed the Face of Europe_, by Francois Neveux, translated by Howard Curtis.


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## Blue (Nov 6, 2019)

Near the end of _Presto!_ by Penn Jillette. It's ostensibly about him losing 100 lbs, but it's more like a travelogue of interesting things he did during that time where food comes up, with various food-focused nuggets scattered about. He's vulgar, makes a ridiculously large number of sexual references, and is hugely entertaining in doing so.

It's the first book by him I've ever read, and he's a real character. I could read more by him - but I'd want a break first. His writing is turned up to 11 with anecdotes and such that tend to blur with too many close to each other.

As a diet book, it doesn't budge the needle. As a inspiration to diet, it is likely decent for the type that like him and are willing to try something radical. As a chapter in the life of Penn Jillette - ah, that's what this really is.


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## Ralif Redhammer (Nov 8, 2019)

Finished Baptism of Fire. I enjoyed it quite a bit, much more than the previous four Witcher novels (I know, I keep reading them).

Next up is Andre Norton's Witch World. I've whiffed on Norton before in the past, but wanted to give her another try.


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## Blue (Nov 12, 2019)

So it's been a long while since I finished a novel in a sitting, but that was tonight with _Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours_ by Jim Butcher.  Part of it was that the novel didn't let up, it just carried you along with it, pacing immaculate.  Another part was the writers knowledge of our favorite web-slinger (go ahead, dare tell me you have a web-slinger you like more) that just rang true and deep.  But the last ingredient is that our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is both smart and a smart-ass, and Jim Butcher is spot on at writing that combo, as his _Dresden Files_ series shows.

Very entertaining. Oh, and for those who enjoy the MCU movies, the dialog for another character was so spot on that you would of had to work _not_ to hear it in their voice.  I'll leave out who - Spidey is known for his team-ups - so as not to spoil anything in case good sense overcomes you and you buy it immediately.


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## Richards (Nov 13, 2019)

I finished _Deadlock_.  Ugh.  I cannot recommend it.  The author somehow got it into her head to turn it into a love story, with the female archaeologist who was rescued by the CIA assassin falling for him and deciding to turn him around.  She ended up being a Mary Sue - always right about everything - while he was willing to do anything she said because of his great love for her...no thanks.  I thought I was reading an adventure thriller, not a love story.  And the adventure part of it sucked - they never even found the MacGuffin they were supposed to be looking for, but that's okay because they found each other....  Just no.  I'm striking Iris Johansen from my list of authors I'm willing to try - she had her chance and she blew it.

I'm now reading _Dark Journey_ by A. R. Morlan.  It's about a haunted carnival and it's a refreshing breath of fresh (actually, fetid and gloomy) air compared to the book I just plowed through out of sheer stubbornness.

Johnathan


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## Kramodlog (Nov 13, 2019)

_Latium_ by Romain Lucazeau. A uchronic post-human space opera. Basically, the Roman Empire in space, but humans are all dead and huge spaceships piloted by godlike AIs try to find meaning in to their existance. And their is an alien/barbarian invasion looming, but the AIs can'thurt them because of their program (think Asimov's Three Laws). Ambitious.


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## Nellisir (Nov 13, 2019)

Just finished _Great North Road_, by Peter F Hamilton. Very good space opera. Not a light read; the book clocks in at about a thousand pages and I only finished the last 500 because I literally was able to spend the entire day doing nothing but reading. I read _Pandora's Star_ and _Judas Unchained _a few months ago and liked those as well. I still favor Alistair Reynolds, but Hamilton is a very solid read.

I also read a bunch of Polity novels by Neal Asher recently. Same general space opera feel as Reynolds & Hamilton, but not the same level. Decent. If Reynolds is a 5, and Hamilton a 4.5, then Asher is probably a 3.


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## KahlessNestor (Nov 13, 2019)

Currently reading two books. I'm about half through _The Last Hero_ in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Unlike the others, this is a shorter and with gorgeous illustrations.

The other book that I'm reading while waiting for the next Pratchett book is Ron Chernow's biography of Ulysses S. Grant. It's an amazing look at a period in American history I'm not as familiar with, by the author who wrote the biography behind the musical Hamilton.


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## Blue (Nov 13, 2019)

Kramodlog said:


> _Latium_ by Romain Lucazeau. A uchronic post-human space opera. Basically, the Roman Empire in space, but humans are all dead and huge spaceships piloted by godlike AIs try to find meaning in to their existance. And their is an alien/barbarian invasion looming, but the AIs can'thurt them because of their program (think Asimov's Three Laws). Ambitious.



That sounds, if you'll pardon the repetition, refreshingly fresh.  When you finish please let us know your thoughts and if you'd recommend it.


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## Kramodlog (Nov 14, 2019)

Blue said:


> That sounds, if you'll pardon the repetition, refreshingly fresh.  When you finish please let us know your thoughts and if you'd recommend it.



I can draw lots of parallels with _Too Like the Lightning_ by Ada Palmer. Both authors are scholars and both are inspired by ancient periods of Western history (Enlightment and Classical). Both reference Western philosophers. Both also use a more literary writing styles (to mixed, but mostly positive, results). Both try to envision alternative to our current liberal economies and democracies. It is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism, and both authors, Palmer and Lucazeau, try to take up that challenge. 

I'll keep you posted, but as far as I know, there aren't any English translation of _Latium_.


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## KahlessNestor (Nov 18, 2019)

I finished _The Last Hero_ by Terry Pratchett, and also finished the Ron Chernow biography of U. S. Grant.

Now I'm reading the next Pratchett book _The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents._ For my next "in between" book, I will be reading _The Right Side of History_ by Ben Shapiro.


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## Ralif Redhammer (Nov 19, 2019)

Finished Andre Norton's Witch World. This book clicked for me in a way that prior attempts at Norton's writings had not.

Next is Feist's Magician: Master.


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## RobShanti (Nov 19, 2019)

I'm currently reading _The Gulag Archipelago_ by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the stuff they don't teach you in school.  Next on my list will be _Debunking Howard Zinn: Exposing the Fake History That Turned a Generation Against America_ by Mary Grabar, actually refuting the stuff they teach you in school.  They're actually quite inspirational for RPGs, given that truth is often more dramatic than fiction.


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## carrot (Nov 20, 2019)

Just finished _The Wolf’s Call _by Anthony Ryan. its a continuation to the Blood Song trilogy, but seems to be suffering from the law of diminishing returns. It was all a bit meh, and didn’t really hold my attention. It did get better towards the end, enough for me to interested in the next one, but I doubt I’ll rush to read it.
_Dispel Illusion _by Mark Lawrence is my current read, and this is a much more engrossing novel so far...


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## Celebrim (Nov 20, 2019)

_The Calculating Stars_ by Mary Robinette Kowal
_Three Parts Dead_ by by Max Gladstone
_An Army at Dawn_ by Rick Atkinson

It's actually been a good month for me. The last three years have produced very few winners in my reading, but none of the three currently on my desk is a loser, all have been fun, and _'An Army at Dawn' _is exceptionally well written.

I do continue to feel a dearth of good science fiction. Kowal's story is fun, but it's not good science fiction. Science fiction (and even fantasy) to me feels increasingly like it has become a set of trappings that someone hangs on some other genre to make it flashier.


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## Ralif Redhammer (Nov 20, 2019)

I absolutely loved this book. The Craft Sequence is great; the urban fantasy world-building is so imaginative and visually appealing.



Celebrim said:


> _Three Parts Dead_ by by Max Gladstone


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## Celebrim (Nov 20, 2019)

Ralif Redhammer said:


> I absolutely loved this book. The Craft Sequence is great; the urban fantasy world-building is so imaginative and visually appealing.




It was better than I expected.  I enjoyed it, but for slightly different reasons than you.  I found the world-building a bit trite, and felt that I was in someone's slightly experimental home-brew Eberron like setting, but thought that the characters had a Pratchett-like heroic appeal, but played straight and without the goofy humor, and I was quite willing to root for their success and happiness.   I particularly liked the chain smoking junior priest of the god of fire slash mechanical engineer.


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## Nellisir (Nov 21, 2019)

Finished up _Judge Dee At Work_ last night; more good solid mysteries. There's a lot to mine in the Judge Dee books for a campaign or adventure.

I'll probably read _Abhorsen_ next; I've had it for a little while but have been miffed because I ordered a "very good" used copy and got a beat-up, barely-held-together, ex-library copy, complete with stickers and stuff. Ah well.


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## Blue (Nov 21, 2019)

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Finished Andre Norton's Witch World. This book clicked for me in a way that prior attempts at Norton's writings had not.
> 
> Next is Feist's Magician: Master.




When I was a pre-teenager ("tween" didn't exist yet) back in the early 80s I really liked her work, but that may have been a reflection of what was available in my town library back then.  Zero Stone and it's sequel Uncharted Stars are the ones I remember.  My first taste of psionics, and what was effectively an Ioun Stone.

But recently I tried to read one of her books and I couldn't finish it.  Heck, I couldn't even middle it.  Don't know if it was that book or just a more experienced palette and matured tastes.  I do find that many of my childhood favorites don't carry as a adult.


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## Ralif Redhammer (Nov 21, 2019)

As one of the few women in Appendix N, I felt like it was important to give Andre Norton a shot.

Some of my childhood favorites still have a nostalgic charm for me, but I don't love them like I did back then. Some still hold up. And some I don't dare revisit, like the Xanth series.



Blue said:


> When I was a pre-teenager ("tween" didn't exist yet) back in the early 80s I really liked her work, but that may have been a reflection of what was available in my town library back then. Zero Stone and it's sequel Uncharted Stars are the ones I remember. My first taste of psionics, and what was effectively an Ioun Stone.
> 
> But recently I tried to read one of her books and I couldn't finish it.  Heck, I couldn't even middle it.  Don't know if it was that book or just a more experienced palette and matured tastes.  I do find that many of my childhood favorites don't carry as a adult.


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## Nellisir (Nov 21, 2019)

Ralif Redhammer said:


> As one of the few women in Appendix N, I felt like it was important to give Andre Norton a shot.
> 
> Some of my childhood favorites still have a nostalgic charm for me, but I don't love them like I did back then. Some still hold up. And some I don't dare revisit, like the Xanth series.




Oh heck, yes. Pretty much anything by Piers Anthony.
On the flip side, I don't think Patricia A. McKillip is in Appendix N, but the Riddlemaster of Hed is excellent and of the right era to replace older series that have not aged...well.


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## Ralif Redhammer (Nov 21, 2019)

So good! Her The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is another absolute gem from that era.



Nellisir said:


> On the flip side, I don't think Patricia A. McKillip is in Appendix N, but the Riddlemaster of Hed is excellent and of the right era to replace older series that have not aged...well.


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## MiraMels (Nov 22, 2019)

I just finished up _Gideon the Ninth_, by Tamsyn Muir, at the recommendation of one of my D&D players.

Absolutely devoured it, that book got its hooks in me and I finished it in a few days. I'll probably read through it a second time before its due back at the library.


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## KahlessNestor (Nov 22, 2019)

I finished Terry Pratchett's _The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents_, so I started on Ben Shapiro's _The Right Side of History_ while I wait for the next Pratchett novel _Night Watch._ I think the City Watch books are my favorites in the series (though that usually lasts until I read a witches book LOL). He does a pretty good crime novel in all of those city watch books.


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## Ralif Redhammer (Nov 22, 2019)

Gideon the Ninth is so darn good! And that ending, guh! Harrow the Ninth can't come soon enough.



MiraMels said:


> I just finished up _Gideon the Ninth_, by Tamsyn Muir, at the recommendation of one of my D&D players.
> 
> Absolutely devoured it, that book got its hooks in me and I finished it in a few days. I'll probably read through it a second time before its due back at the library.


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## Janx (Nov 22, 2019)

Finished Calamity last night.  Next up is Veronica Smith's book Transparent Walkways, a collection of short stories.


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## generic (Nov 22, 2019)

Currently reading _Asimov's Guide to the Bible_.


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## MiraMels (Nov 24, 2019)

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Gideon the Ninth is so darn good! And that ending, guh! Harrow the Ninth can't come soon enough.



THAT ENDING. God, I was not expecting something so romantic and so absolutely heartbreaking.


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## Kramodlog (Nov 24, 2019)

I finished _Latium _by Romain Lucazeau_. _It is a very ambitious uchronic post-human space-opera. Well that was a mouth full, and so is the text. I have to say that I was sold on this novel because of the ideas (humanity is extinct, AIs are left behind and rule the place in a Roman-like setting because Roman went to space, they can't stop the invasion of alien life-forms that are coming because Asimov's Three Law protect the aliens). 

Once I read it, I'm still sold on these ideas, but the execusion leaves to desire. The characters are a bit bland, the text is pompous and the plot secondary. 

Still, I just bought the second tome, as I want to know how the universe is weaved and how the plot is resolved.


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## dragoner (Nov 25, 2019)

Finished the Arthur C Clarke collection, and have started The Snow Queen by Joan D Vinge.


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## cbwjm (Nov 25, 2019)

I've recently finished up the heroes of Olympus. I forget the name of the author, the Percy Jackson series guy. After that was the third forging divinity book by Andrew Rowe. I have the first book of his next series but I'll be reading the saga if shadows by Kevin J Anderson first. His saga of the seven suns series was amazing so I'm looking forward to reading the follow up series.


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## trappedslider (Nov 25, 2019)

cbwjm said:


> I've recently finished up the heroes of Olympus. I forget the name of the author, the Percy Jackson series guy.



Uncle Rick is what the fandom calls him..now you need to read Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard and/or The Kane Chronicles followed by The Trials of Apollo.


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## Ralif Redhammer (Nov 25, 2019)

I know, right? 



MiraMels said:


> THAT ENDING. God, I was not expecting something so romantic and so absolutely heartbreaking.


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## cbwjm (Nov 25, 2019)

trappedslider said:


> Uncle Rick is what the fandom calls him..now you need to read Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard and/or The Kane Chronicles followed by The Trials of Apollo.



They are definitely on my reading list. I've only recently started to put time aside to read again, so many series I need to catch up on.


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## KahlessNestor (Nov 27, 2019)

Over halfway through Terry Pratchett's _Night Watch._ This has definitely solidified the City Watch books as my favorites in the Discworld series.

And Brandon Sanderson's new book _Starsight _just arrived! Fansquee! That will be next.


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## Kramodlog (Nov 29, 2019)

I'm reading the _Umbrella Academy _graphie novel. It is quit enjoyable. Better than tge TV series. Does anyone know if the other two graphie novels are as good? Thank you.


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## the Jester (Nov 29, 2019)

Currently, I'm reading _Surface Detail_ by Iain M. Banks. It's one of the Culture novels - a generally well-regarded group (not really series) of sci fi stories. I've read several in the past and they left me cold, but I got another one from the library recently and really dug it. So I picked up a couple more, and am giving Banks another try.


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## Nellisir (Dec 3, 2019)

dragoner said:


> Finished the Arthur C Clarke collection, and have started _The Snow Queen_ by Joan D Vinge.



I'll swear I've been looking at that book since it was published but never read it. Let me know how you like it.


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## dragoner (Dec 3, 2019)

Nellisir said:


> I'll swear I've been looking at that book since it was published but never read it. Let me know how you like it.




I was like that too, it's a whole lot more sci-fi than the cover blurb lets on, sort of does a disservice to the book, which is well written sci-fi, worth reading. There are four books in the series: _The Snow Queen, World's End, The Summer Queen, and Tangled Up In Blue_; which the last one has good reviews, encouranging as many last books of a series fall flat. I just realized from looking those up, that the library has the first edition hardcover of The Snow Queen that I'm reading.


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## Jdvn1 (Dec 3, 2019)

I just finished _The Last Dance_, by Martin Shoemaker. It was a fairly fun read about the captain of a ship that goes back and forth between Earth and Mars. The trip to Mars and back has been made more cost effective by utilizing this ship that basically slingshots around Earth then around Mars... And shuttles essentially just have to make the much shorter trip from the planet surface to the ship.


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## Nellisir (Dec 3, 2019)

dragoner said:


> I was like that too, it's a whole lot more sci-fi than the cover blurb lets on, sort of does a disservice to the book, which is well written sci-fi, worth reading. There are four books in the series: _The Snow Queen, World's End, The Summer Queen, and Tangled Up In Blue_; which the last one has good reviews, encouranging as many last books of a series fall flat. I just realized from looking those up, that the library has the first edition hardcover of The Snow Queen that I'm reading.



I've seen the two Queen books; didn't realize it was a full on series either. I'll pick it up next time I see it around.


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## dragoner (Dec 3, 2019)

Nellisir said:


> I've seen the two Queen books; didn't realize it was a full on series either. I'll pick it up next time I see it around.




I just dropped off The Snow Queen, and picked up World's End, The Summer Queen is there, but I might have to buy Tangled Up In Blue, oh well, I need to go through and get rid of books.


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