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David Scrimshaw Locked account

DScrimshaw@bookwyrm.world

Joined 2 years, 3 months 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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David Scrimshaw's books

Currently Reading

Mark Lawrence: Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War, #1)

Review of "Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War, #1)" on 'Storygraph'

Set in the same empire as the "Thorns" books, but a completely different protagonist, this time, one who was inspired by Harry Flashman of [b:Flashman|142458|Flashman (The Flashman Papers, #1)|George MacDonald Fraser|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320656064s/142458.jpg|1137467].

Now, I read all the Flashman books back in the 80s, and I'll admit, I got a bit tired of him, but I never tired of Prince Jalan.

Plus he travels with the bravest and strongest Viking you could imagine, and who doesn't love a good Viking?

Brandon Sanderson: Legion: Skin Deep (2014, Dragonsteel, LLC)

Review of 'Legion: Skin Deep' on 'Storygraph'

It's fun reading about a character who seems to have all sorts of amazing experts living in his head. It was particularly cool how he considered what others thought was a mental illness to be an asset.

Martha Wells (duplicate author entry): All Systems Red (EBook, 2017, Tor.com)

"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring …

Review of 'All Systems Red' on 'Storygraph'

This is a charming series and I loved spending time with Murderbot.

I think this might be a good series for people who want to try science fiction because they like things like Star Trek, but don't like most sci-fi they have tried.

The stories are pretty short. Not too short for a full story to be told, but too short for someone who wants to spend a lot of time with the delightful Murderbot. (Spoiler Alert: Murderbot isn't actually a murderer. It's more a life-saver.)

Review of 'Beautiful Scars' on 'Storygraph'

This isn't fantasy or science fiction, so I wasn't inclined to read it, but Manon told me I'd like it.

She was right.

Even though I've followed the music of many of Tom Wilson's contemporaries, I've never followed his music.

But he has a fascinating story and he tells it beautifully.

Brandon Sanderson: Legion (2012, Subterranean Press)

"Stephen Leeds, AKA 'Legion, ' is a man whose unique mental condition allows him to …

Review of 'Legion' on 'Storygraph'

It's fun reading about a character who seems to have all sorts of amazing experts living in his head. It was particularly cool how he considered what others thought was a mental illness to be an asset.

Yoon Ha Lee: Revenant Gun

Review of 'Revenant Gun' on 'Storygraph'

This is a strong finish to the trilogy.

I especially like the "servicer" characters, who are basically sentient robots that the humans are barely aware of as thinking beings. I hope Yoon Ha Lee gives us more of them.

Mark Lawrence: Grey Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #2) (2018)

Review of 'Grey Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #2)' on 'Storygraph'

This is a satisfying second book in what is apparently going to be a trilogy.

Mark Lawrence is now on my must-read list.

I particularly like that each of the three series of his that I've read have very different protagonists and the stories have very different feelings.

Mark Lawrence: The Wheel of Osheim (Red Queen's War) (HARPER COLLINS)

All the horrors of Hell stand between Snorri Ver Snagason and the rescue of his …

Review of "The Wheel of Osheim (Red Queen's War)" on 'Storygraph'

I really enjoyed this.

I liked the little crossovers with the Thorn series.

Spoilers follow:
Things get mostly wrapped up.
Jalan and Snorri both survive.

I see no reason that we can't have more novels about them.

Yoon Ha Lee: Revenant Gun

Review of 'Revenant Gun' on 'Storygraph'

This is a strong finish to the trilogy.

I especially like the "servicer" characters, who are basically sentient robots that the humans are barely aware of as thinking beings. I hope Yoon Ha Lee gives us more of them.

Mark Lawrence: One Word Kill (2019, Amazon Publishing)

In January 1986, fifteen-year-old boy-genius Nick Hayes discovers he’s dying. And it isn’t even the …

Review of 'One Word Kill' on 'Storygraph'

Between this book and Stranger Things, I get the impression that my life would have gone better if Dungeons and Dragons had been a thing in the early 70s and I'd found a few people to play it with.