SI CLARKE reviewed Utopia PR by Adam Bender
Review of 'Utopia PR' on 'Goodreads'
DNF at 10%
Seems well written but, my gosh, it’s too close to reality. Maybe I’ll revisit when I don’t live in a country run by a raging narcissist.
Reviews and Comments
SI CLARKE is a misanthrope who lives in Deptford, sarf ees London. She shares her home with her partner and an assortment of waifs and strays. When not writing convoluted, inefficient stories, she spends her time telling financial services firms to behave more efficiently. When not doing either of those things, she can be found in the pub or shouting at people online – occasionally practising efficiency by doing both at once.
As someone who’s neurodivergent, an immigrant, and the proud owner of an invisible disability, she strives to present a diverse array of characters in her stories.
This link opens in a pop-up window
SI CLARKE reviewed Light Chaser by Peter F. Hamilton
Amahle is a Light Chaser - one of a number of explorers, who travel the …
Review of 'Light Chaser' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Amahle travels the galaxy in an endless circuit, visiting the same works over and over again. Until she meets a boy who shares a puzzling and disturbing bit of news.
The first chapter was tough going. It was just a walk off inscrutable text: looooooooong sentences and longer paragraphs. I nearly put the book down — but I’m really glad I didn’t.
I’ve not read any Peter Hamilton, but I know that what Gareth Powell excels at is creating compelling characters. And that’s on display here.
SI CLARKE reviewed Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater
Review of 'Lost Solace' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
There was a lot to love – but also a lot that detracted from its enjoyability.
Opal and her stolen stolen ship, Clarissa, stumble upon a ‘lost’ ship. They board, searching for … I’ll be honest, I’m still not sure what they’re looking for. And then the cavalry show up.
The pros: The story is unique and interesting. The writing is solid. I didn’t catch any distracting typos or grammatical errors. And the cover is fab.
The cons: The story is told largely in dialogue — yet there are almost no dialogue tags or indicators of any kind. I was constantly lost as to who was speaking. Big talking-head syndrome vibes. The other issue was that the story comes to repeated false climaxes. Like, this is it. There’s no way out. There’s literally nothing we can do this time. Oh, hang on, actually we can just do this thing and …
There was a lot to love – but also a lot that detracted from its enjoyability.
Opal and her stolen stolen ship, Clarissa, stumble upon a ‘lost’ ship. They board, searching for … I’ll be honest, I’m still not sure what they’re looking for. And then the cavalry show up.
The pros: The story is unique and interesting. The writing is solid. I didn’t catch any distracting typos or grammatical errors. And the cover is fab.
The cons: The story is told largely in dialogue — yet there are almost no dialogue tags or indicators of any kind. I was constantly lost as to who was speaking. Big talking-head syndrome vibes. The other issue was that the story comes to repeated false climaxes. Like, this is it. There’s no way out. There’s literally nothing we can do this time. Oh, hang on, actually we can just do this thing and then it’s all fine.
For me this was 3.5 stars. Rounded up because that’s how it works.
SI CLARKE reviewed A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark
Review of 'A Dead Djinn in Cairo' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This novelette puts the focus firmly on the world-building. And what a world it is. This is Cairo in 1912 – some 40 years after a gateway to other dimensions was opened. Part steampunk, part urban fantasy, part cosy mystery, and part alternative history – all superbly crafted.
Fatma is on the hunt. A djinn appears to have taken his own life. But who was he and why did he do it?
SI CLARKE reviewed The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (The Singing Hills Cycle, #1)
With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period …
Review of 'The empress of salt and fortune' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
A beautiful, engrossing, and elegantly written novella.
Chih is a cleric who makes a stop on the way to the coronation of the new empress. Rabbit is an old woman who reminisces about her life serving the former empress.
SI CLARKE reviewed Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather
Review of 'Sisters of the Vast Black' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
The Reverend Mother harbours a secret. But then, so do the other sisters of the Our Lady of Impossible Constellations.
For such a short book, this novella is loaded with characters and world-building. It's rich in detail and (mostly) leisurely in pace. A quick read that will leave you with warm feelings and a hunger for more.
SI CLARKE reviewed Will Save The Galaxy For Food by Yahtzee Croshaw (Jacques McKeown, #1)
A not-quite epic science fiction adventure about a down-on-his luck galactic pilot caught in a …
Review of 'Will Save The Galaxy For Food' on 'Goodreads'
Made it 10% off the way through, but it just didn’t grab me. Also, I thought I was picking up on some homophobia and fat-hate, so I looked at some of the other reviews. Yep. There’s more of that. And then some. So, it’s a no from me.
SI CLARKE reviewed Distant Gardens by Sara Codair
Review of 'Distant Gardens' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This came up in my ARC list recently. Part of the tagline says: 'If you like diverse stories with lesbian heroines practicing science'. Well, that had me sold.
My favourite is Jellyfish Lovepotion by JS Fields. Andrea is a snarky scientist about to leave Earth for the last time when things – as they so often do – go awry. Dew Diligence was a close second.
This brilliantly diverse anthology runs the gamut from silly and fun to eerily prescient.
Radiant by NL Bates
Anna and Chris work together to clear away discarded radioactive material off Vancouver Island.
A superhero story set in Canada. For me the focus was too much on romance and not enough in character or plot (but that’s just me)."
Jellyfish Lovepotion by JS Fields
Andrea don’t really want to leave Earth, but gets called up at short notice to join the generation ship, Lovepotion.
Romance …
This came up in my ARC list recently. Part of the tagline says: 'If you like diverse stories with lesbian heroines practicing science'. Well, that had me sold.
My favourite is Jellyfish Lovepotion by JS Fields. Andrea is a snarky scientist about to leave Earth for the last time when things – as they so often do – go awry. Dew Diligence was a close second.
This brilliantly diverse anthology runs the gamut from silly and fun to eerily prescient.
Radiant by NL Bates
Anna and Chris work together to clear away discarded radioactive material off Vancouver Island.
A superhero story set in Canada. For me the focus was too much on romance and not enough in character or plot (but that’s just me)."
Jellyfish Lovepotion by JS Fields
Andrea don’t really want to leave Earth, but gets called up at short notice to join the generation ship, Lovepotion.
Romance takes a back seat to both plot and character development in this high-stakes yet snarky tale. I really enjoyed this one.
Thorns and Fur by William C Tracy
Kamuli and Bhon are on opposing sides of a war when they meet. But that can't stop the intense attraction between the pair.
Dew Diligence: The First Fairyl@nd Story by Robin C.M. Duncan
Reeling from a bad breakup, Julia goes to stay with her grandmother in Berks for a bit.
A really fun tale with a wonderful combination of old-fashioned whimsy and legal geekery.
Killer Trees and Second Chances: An Evanstar Chronicles Story by Sara Codair
This one didn’t vibe with me, so I skipped over most of it. That’s probably because it’s set after the end of a series I’ve not read.
How to Steal a Planet by N.L. Bates
As a newly minted captain, Mae is assigned to a small mining ship. When they discover an uncharted planet and her brand new crew mutinies on her, things get weird quickly.
Brie and the Marsh Kraken by Sara Codair
Brie returns to her childhood home to find her childhood crush, Gretchen. eager to reconnect. Oh, and Gretchen’s a kraken.
Overall well-written and engaging, but the fact Brie doesn’t even bat an eyelid when she discovers Gretchen’s a mythical monster took me out of the story for a moment.
Down Among the Mushrooms by William C. Tracy
Agetha’s leading the work crew to build the new zeta radian in the colony on Lida. Management want it done ASAP, but the planet’s plant life has other plans.
This story took a while to get off the ground, but once it did, it was excellent. The science felt a bit iffy, but the struggles were all too real.
The Bibliothek Betrayal: A Quirk and Moth Debacle by Robin C.M. Duncan
Separately, both Cassie and Quirk are running from their part mistakes and successes.
The lack of dialogue tags or easy-to follow indicators made this one tough for me … which is a shame as it’s seems like a great story.
Rings: An Ardulan Tale by JS Fields
Atalant and Emn have won their wars and settled into their new life on Ardulum. Atalant is toying with the idea of proposing to Emn – but first she has to deal with outbreaks of both koalas and fruit.
I definitely got the sense this would be a lovely little wrap-up to their story – for readers who knew the characters.
I received an advance review copy via BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
SI CLARKE reviewed Kitra by Gideon Marcus
Review of 'Kitra' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
The Martian meets Victories Greater Than Death in this debut novel.
Kitra has finally saved up enough money to make her dream a reality: a ship of her own. She gathers her friends together to take it out for a quick spin – which doesn't go quite to plan.
This YA space opera is full of casual diversity and found family. It's a short easy read involving a group of young adults working together to think their way out of an insurmountable problem.
My one complaint is that the character of Pinky wasn't as fully fleshed out as he could have been. Hopefully that's rectified later in the series.
"Richard Mayhew is an ordinary young man with an ordinary life and a good heart. …
Review of 'Neverwhere Illustrated Edition AUTOGRAPHED by Neil Gaiman (SIGNED EDITION)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Still very good, but did feel a bit more rambling than I remembered.
SI CLARKE reviewed Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law by Lavie Tidhar (Judge Dee, #1)
The wandering Judge Dee serves as judge, jury, and executioner for any vampire who breaks …
Review of 'Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
A fun little vampire story with a plot twist.
SI CLARKE reviewed The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard (Universe of Xuya)
Welcome to the Scattered Pearls Belt, a collection of ring habitats and orbitals ruled by …
Review of 'The Tea Master and the Detective' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Gender-bent, AI-infused, Sherlock Holmes-inspired story steeped (if you'll pardon the tea-based pun) in rich language and culture.
SI CLARKE reviewed Lock In by John Scalzi (Lock In, #1)
Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the …
Review of 'Lock In: A Novel of the Near Future' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
In a post-pandemic world, Chris Shane is the poster child for the survivors. Their body is at home in their parents' house. But thanks to new technology, Chris's mind can inhabit a threep and take up an active role in society. In their first week as an FBI agent, Chris becomes embroiled in a murder mystery.
I love that we never learn Chris's gender.
SI CLARKE reviewed Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (Binti, #1)
Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to …
Review of 'Binti' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
At 16, Binti is the first of her people to leave the safety of home to study mathematics at the unparalleled Oomza University. When her transport ship is attacked and all her future classmates are killed, Binti alone stands between a war that would span the entire galaxy.
This short novella is sharp, poignant, and intense – with complex world building.
SI CLARKE reviewed Making money by Terry Pratchett (The Discworld series -- 36)
The Ankh-Morpork Post Office is running like . . . well, not at all like …
Review of 'Making money' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Still one of the finest, clearest, and funniest explanations of how financial markets work.