Review: Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown

4.5 stars for Red Rising (Red Rising book 1) by Pierce Brown.

This novel is labelled under the Science Fiction genre, but with the exception that it takes place on Mars, there is hardly any science in this fiction. Nevertheless, I have a great time trapped in the layered society of Colours, the Golds, Silvers, Bronzes, Coppers, Obsidians and Reds to name a few. The initial 15-20% of the story is slow moving but hints of potential and great things to come. Boy, am I glad to have persisted beyond because after that, I willingly hold myself captive between the pages of this book.

Oppression. Lies. Rebellion. Freedom. Every sin, every death, every sacrifice, is for freedom. This story is a study of humanity; of political, psychological and behavioural science, how human beings react to one another, how armies function and how tactics win battles but strategies win wars.

I like the placement of Roman mythology in the story even though it is loosely based upon. Twelve Houses, each named for one of the gods of the Roman pantheon. But somehow I feel the need to voice out that the author fails the Mathematics test. When I finally decide to do a count, I find out that there is one extra House to account for. Shouldn't it be twelve Houses in twelve castles based on twelve great Roman deities? And don't get me started on where the twelve Roman Gods reside in - Mount Olympus. OMG! Mount Olympus is the dwelling of the Olympian Gods according to Greek, not Roman mythology. Well, it seems to me that the author wants the best of both mythologies, Roman and Greek. But please, get them right and don't confuse readers by blending them together.

Jupiter-Juno
Neptune-Minerva
Mars-Venus
Apollo-Diana
Vulcan-Bacchus
Mercury-Ceres
Pluto

Now, here comes the irony. Regardless of all the above grievances, Red Rising, with the adult-centric themes of justice, power and war, is a book worthy of my time.

Review: Dark Horse (Class 5 #1) by Michelle Diener

Did Not Finish Dark Horse (Class 5 book 1) by Michelle Diener.

This book is the winner of the SFR Galaxy Award 2016 and the Prism Award 2016 for Best Futuristic.

Unfortunately, science fiction romance with Artificial Intelligence lodged in a crystal key is not my cup of tea. That and the snail-like pace of the story lead to my decision that enough time has been invested - and wasted - at a quarter of the book.

Review: Tin Star (Casablanca recast #1) by Cecil Castellucci

3.5 stars for Tin Star (Casablanca recast book 1) by Cecil Castellucci.

Tin Star is an interesting read with an unusual story albeit a bit slow moving.

Beaten and left for dead on a space station called Yertina Feray, 14-year old Tula Bane finds the will and the means to survive among the aliens. And everything is so much bigger and more interconnected than it is thought to be.

Docking bay. Space travel. Space station. Planets. Galaxy. Humans. Aliens. Politics.

This book will appeal much to readers who like traditional Science Fiction stories.

Review: The Master Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy #3) by Charlie N. Holmberg

5 stars for The Master Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy book 3) by Charlie N. Holmberg.

The Master Magician is a captivating follow-up to The Paper Magician and The Glass Magician.

I absolutely love the Paper Magician series, a series which will enchant readers of all ages, and am sad that this is the last book in the Trilogy,

Review: The Glass Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy #2) by Charlie N. Holmberg

5 stars for The Glass Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy book 2) by Charlie N. Holmberg.

The Glass Magician is an enchanting follow-up story to The Paper Magician. While this trilogy is not exactly a romance story, the feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love is brilliantly interwoven in the magical world of magicians that ultimately lead to heart-warming moments and heart-stopping action.

Thoroughly engaging and irresistible, I read the book in one dreamy sitting and am all smiles by the time I hit the sack in the wee hours.

Review: The Paper Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy #1) by Charlie N. Holmberg

4.5 stars for The Paper Magician (Paper Magician Trilogy book 1) by Charlie N. Holmberg.

The Paper Magician is a charming Young Adult Fantasy set in a world of magicians who animate man-made materials such as glass, metal, plastic, rubber and yes, paper. It is beautifully written to convey the message that life is worth living and there is hope - and love - yet to be.

I bought this book from Amazon Kindle First on 3 August 2014, yet for one reason or another, I did not read it until 5 days ago. Oh, how I love this story and chide myself for not reading it earlier. On the other hand, perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that I have procrastinated in reading this book which I thought is a standalone at the time of purchase, for three years later, the trilogy is completed and I can have the luxury to read them back-to-back.

Review: A Tale For the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

5 stars for A Tale For the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki.

This book comes recommended by someone holding a senior management position in my workplace and is subsequently loaned to me by the same. I will be fibbing without batting an eyelid if I am to say that there is no pressure whatsoever in my quest to read this book with the hope that I will like it somehow. It does not matter that the book is passed to me with the accompanying message that it is perfectly fine if I do not enjoy the story as we all have our preferences, there is just this something at the back of my mind that troubles me. What if?

Well, I am glad to say that my worries prove to be unfounded. Truth is, by the time I am well into the so-called third chapter, any discomfort along with the "what if" has wholly dissipated. The story is... WoW. Totally unexpectedly exceptional. I am captivated by the way the author pens this story that feels more like reading a memoir (her memoir) than fiction. With true events - 11 Mar 2011 earthquake, tsunami and catastrophic meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear reactors to name a few - weaved among a cast of fictional characters, the author explores what it means to live at the moment in time, now.

Never mind that it is not a message in a bottle but a Hello Kitty lunchbox that is cast out onto the ocean, all the same, the stories contain within transport me across time and space into schoolgirl Nao's world where she lives to tell the tales of her family and especially that of her 104-year old great granny whom she feels is the only person who truly understands time.

Time as the theme in this book is as interesting as it is mystifying. The book title, for instance, carries a double meaning. (1) A Tale for the Time Being. Time being as in the moment in time. A Tale for the Moment in Time (2) A Tale for the Time Being. The Being which is Time. A Tale for Time. Do you feel this way too when you first come across the book title?

Time and again, the author brings me on an emotional roller coaster ride as I alternate between first person Nao and third person Ruth's narratives. Just when I am so utterly absorbed in Nao's world, I am pulled out from that alternate world back into being Ruth the observer again. And this is where the real challenge lies; to sleep or stay up to find out more.

Finally, in case you are wondering, yes, I am aware right from the beginning that third person narrator, Ruth, shares the same name as the author. And that by itself, is a beauty in A Tale For the Time Being.

Review: The Fireman by Joe Hill

Did Not Finish The Fireman by Joe Hill.

I read this book because it is voted the best horror story in Goodreads Choice Awards 2016. Sadly, in this case, what is voted as best by some do not sit well with me and I decide to throw in the towel at 2% shy of a quarter of the book.

The story starts off well with a sense of mystery and foreboding. However, the plot degenerates soon enough and I feel as if I am reading a meaningless novel about controlling and manipulating fire as a weapon to protect and avenge the wronged.

This book just seems wrong on so many levels; I am not sure why it is a horror story in the first place let alone understand it as the best. One thing I know for sure, at least for me, is that this book will bag the award for the biggest disappointment of 2016 if there ever is one.