Blood of Dragons

Robin Hobb

Book 4 in the Rain Wilds Chronicles

The wrap up of the story, the most dragon-like dragons we have yet seen as they thrive in the city built for them. And the keepers are turning to true elderlings, both from the dragons guidance and from the city memories they are partaking. Everyone is growing -- not together or apart, just growing. And the new rules are developing too as these dragons have also changed because of their journey. The down river intrigue is thicker, begging for a dramatic dragon intervention. I guess it is a sign of a well built world that even when everything in the end is solidly resolved, we still want to know more about the characters and where they go next. A bittersweet ending for the reader in that way. 

3 stars (out of 4)

City of Dragons

Robin Hobb

Book 3 in the Rain Wilds Chronicles

How do the dragons get to Kelsingra? Well, they must fly of course. And when they do, the keeper/dragon relationship changes. Add to that the parallel stories of what is happening down river in the Rain Wilds, and further down river in Chalced with the Duke who seeks dragon parts for healing. This definitely feels like an interstitial book, the big middle. But Hobb moves the story along and begins the weaving of plots that will be necessary for the big resolve. If the last book collapsed to a single thread, this book puts everything back on the loom. 

3 stars (out of 4)

Dragon Haven

 Robin Hobb

Book 2 in the Rain Wilds Chronicles

Book 2 collapses to a single story -- the keepers and dragons walking upriver to find Kelsingra. This is the story of their journey, their developing of community and the revealing of more secrets than they wanted. Alise and Sedric find their home, and the keepers are gaining confidence in their new selves. Tragedy and trauma force the issue, but in the end, the quest is (mostly) fulfilled as the caravan reaches nearish to Keslingra. At least, they can see it across the river.  

3 stars (out of 4)

The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life afterAI

Cory Doctorow

Renown sci-fi writer offers up a hot new take on the current state of the world vis-á-vis the AI invasion. Doctorow is not necessarily anti-AI, but he is decidedly anti-power and anti-techbro. He lays out a pretty clear picture of the status quo, describing the relationship between users, tech developers, content creators, copyright and money. In a nutshell, the thesis is:

When using technology, don't simply think about what the technology can do, consider who it is doing for and who it is doing to. 

This thinking will really lay bare the true purposes, the money trail and what to watch out for with nearly any technology. And probably also any legislation, new product, etc. It is a very fast read and since it makes you think, well worth it. 

3 stars (out of 4)

The Dragon Keeper

Robin Hobb

Book 1 in the Rain Wilds Chronicles

It took a minute to get invested, but this has all the things I like in a good fantasy epic. Several stories running parallel that we know will merge or intertwine at some point. An interesting new take within a fabulous new world. In the Rain Wilds, a new batch of dragons has metamorphed, the first in a generation. Unfortunately, most of them are malformed or weak, can't fly. The characters we are following include Thymara (a Rain Wilds touched young girl who volunteers to travel with the dragons),  Sintara (a dragon queen, one of the strongest of the small herd), Alise (a woman in a horrible marriage, but a self-taught dragon expert), and the Tarman (a liveship barge with its own secrets). In this installment, the characters are all introduced and join together for their quest for Kilsingra, the mythical dragon/Elderling city. 

3 stars (out of 4)

Platform Decay

Martha Wells

Book 8 in the Murderbot Series. My biggest complaint here is that this is a novella. I want more. This is another rescue mission, another unintended consequence from System Collapse with other parts of Dr. Mensah's family. Murderbot must infiltrate a hostile space station, get to the hostages, is thrown an unseen variable that completely changes the mission plan, and adjusts to accomplish it while encountering the benefits and detriments of his humanity. In many ways, this is retread material. But Wells is also extending the rogue secunit world by expanding the family of rogues. This version just sets up the storyline, but I look forward to exploring the ethics and implications of mass emancipation in future stories. For now, I am happy to see Murderbot maturing and developing new skills. 

Still 4 stars (out of 4)

Whistler

Ann Pachett

This latest novel by Pachett stars Daphne, a 50-something woman who by chance, encounters her step-father (her mothers 2nd husband) and re-establishes a relationship. The real joy of the novel is the recounting of her history, with pieces told by Daphne, Eddie (the step-father), sister Leda, and mother Abigail. Like My Friends, this is a story told out of order. The central event is a car accident that took place when Daphne was 9 that she and Eddie survived. The retelling of that story and how it threads together the relationships and revelations of the characters is quite engaging. 

4 stars (out of 4)