Reviews and Comments

I don't remember when I read this, but I know I did and I liked it.

I recommend this if you're into books that build on the myths of fairyland and show it as a dangerous and scary place. Or if you like stories where someone is in a bad situation and has to rely on their resourcefulness and what makes them different from everybody else.

I started this book thinking I probably wouldn't finish it, but before long I was hooked and am now disappointed that I'm going to have to wait for the sequel.

I don't remember when I read this, but I liked it.

This is a delightful big fantasy novel. It increases my desire to learn Chinese mythology and I'm eager to read further adventures of Master Li and Number Ten Ox.

I love the way that Master Li introduces himself to everyone he meets: "My surname is Li and my personal name is Kao, and there is a slight flaw in my character."

Nobody ever asks him about the slight flaw. I'm afraid that wouldn't be the same if I introduced myself that way.

This is a darker book than I usually like to read these days, but it is written in an engaging way and is entirely compelling.

It took me a long time to be sure I was reading something in the fantasy genre because other than the title it starts off seeming like a story about people living unique but otherwise ordinary lives in New York.

This is a darker book than I usually like to read these days, but it is written in an engaging way and is entirely compelling.

It took me a long time to be sure I was reading something in the fantasy genre because other than the title it starts off seeming like a story about people living unique but otherwise ordinary lives in New York.

I've been waiting for this book for a long time.

It didn't have as much outer space wonder and weirdness as other Varley books.

But it did have a sentient dog narrator, a cybernetically enhanced canine named Sherlock, and he was an absolute delight.

I am hoping that Varley liked writing him enough that we get another book with him.

These are really good science fiction stories.

But they're not happy stories.

According to the bio, the author lives in Ottawa. So, I'm being careful to not annoy any strangers because I don't want to wind up being described as a jerk in a story.

This collection was a good way to sample a bunch of fantasy series.

Spoiler Alert: Fantasy characters don't seem to have much luck having relaxing, fun vacations.

Bonus: One character spends much of the story as a talking dog.

I'm writing this review mainly for myself, because you're not going to start with the ninth book in a series. Although mainly you'll be interested in starting with [b:The Atrocity Archives|101869|The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files, #1)|Charles Stross|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440461724s/101869.jpg|322252] if you know that the series maintains and even builds on its energy.

It feels funny to see that it's #9 and Stross is still finding ways to make it fresh and interesting. This was a highly satisfying volume in the Laundry Files. It was particularly fun to spend more time with people who had smaller roles in previous stories.

I did not love this book the way I loved Bennet's Divine City series, but this was still pretty good.

It has a well thought-out magic system that made me wonder if these were people living inside a computer simulation who had found a way to hack the source code.

I'll definitely read the next installment in the series because I want to know what happens next.

I'm writing this review mainly for myself, because you're not going to start with the ninth book in a series. Although mainly you'll be interested in starting with [b:The Atrocity Archives|101869|The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files, #1)|Charles Stross|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440461724s/101869.jpg|322252] if you know that the series maintains and even builds on its energy.

It feels funny to see that it's #9 and Stross is still finding ways to make it fresh and interesting. This was a highly satisfying volume in the Laundry Files. It was particularly fun to spend more time with people who had smaller roles in previous stories.

I've liked the Martha Wells Murderbot books so much that I thought it would be a good idea to try one of her older books.

It turned out to be a good decision, and also a surprise. Because City of Bones is nothing like the Murderbot books.

You know in Calvin and Hobbes when the image would switch from the simple line drawings of the regular cartoon to incredibly detailed painting like images, so you'd realize that Waterson could draw any picture he wanted to? This is like that. Murderbot although incredibly powerful is sweet and naive and the adventures are like something in a comic book.

City of Bones has a Byzantine culture and the main character is a jaded outsider who has mostly learned how to navigate his way to survive. I found it entirely satisfying.

Martha Wells can clearly write any kind of story she wants to.