Reviews and Comments

David Scrimshaw Locked account

DScrimshaw@bookwyrm.world

Joined 4 months, 1 week ago

An avid sci-fi and fantasy reader who sometimes does historical fiction or even mainstream.

You might notice that most of my reviews are 5 stars. That's because if I start reading a book that doesn't engage me, I stop reading it. Life is too short. I've realized that it's not fair to review a book I haven't read and nobody really needs to hear why I didn't get into a book especially when they might like it.

My goals with reviews are to be brief and give other potential readers an idea of why they might like the book. I leave it to the marketing people and other reviewers to describe the plots.

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reviewed The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin (The Great Cities Duology, #1)

N. K. Jemisin: The City We Became (Hardcover, 2020, Orbit) 4 stars

In Manhattan, a young grad student gets off the train and realizes he doesn't remember …

Review of 'The City We Became' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

The stuff going on in this novel has a multi-verse explanation, but I'd say you have to call it fantasy.

If you like an interesting story that has just about nothing in common with other fantasy stories you've read, this is a good choice.

I think it would be particularly fun for people who feel connected to New York City.

First in a duology that reimagines fairy tale tropes within a space opera—The Princess Bride …

Review of 'How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

This is a good fast-paced adventure with some highly likable characters that blends sci-fi with magic.

My only quibble is that, so far, "Multiverse" seems to mean one area of a single universe rather than a group of multiple universes that differ from each other in large or small ways.

K. Eason: How Rory Thorne destroyed the multiverse (2019, Daw Books, Inc.) 5 stars

First in a duology that reimagines fairy tale tropes within a space opera—The Princess Bride …

Review of 'How Rory Thorne destroyed the multiverse' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

This is a good fast-paced adventure with some highly likable characters that blends sci-fi with magic.

My only quibble is that, so far, "Multiverse" seems to mean one area of a single universe rather than a group of multiple universes that differ from each other in large or small ways.

William Gibson: Agency (Hardcover, 2020, Berkley) 4 stars

They call Verity 'the app-whisperer,' and she's just been hired to evaluate a pair-of-glasses-cum-digital-assistant called …

Review of 'Agency' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

William Gibson is keeping it weird.

If you're into William Gibson, you don't need me to tell you to read this.

If you haven't tried any, I'd start with [b:Neuromancer|6088007|Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1)|William Gibson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554437249l/6088007.SY75.jpg|909457], but you should definitely read [b:The Peripheral|24611819|The Peripheral|William Gibson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574084339l/24611819.SY75.jpg|40167043] before this one.

Seanan McGuire: Come Tumbling Down (Hardcover, 2020, A Tom Doherty Associates Book) 4 stars

Review of 'Come Tumbling Down' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

If you have started the Wayward Children series, you are hooked and have already read this one.

If you haven't started, but have liked other stories about children being transported to magical lands, you should start.

If you're wondering if the series holds up and further volumes add new and interesting things without rehashing the same old stuff, be assured the series holds up.