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Soh Kam Yung Locked account

sohkamyung@bookwyrm.social

Joined 3 years, 3 months ago

Exploring one universe at a time. Interested in #Nature, #Photography, #NaturePhotography, #Science, #ScienceFiction, #Physics, #Engineering.

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Soh Kam Yung's books

Currently Reading

Nghi Vo: City in Glass (2024, Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom) 4 stars

A demon. An angel. A city.

The demon Vitrine—immortal, powerful, and capricious—loves the dazzling city …

A story about a city blessed (or cursed) to have a demon and, later, an angel.

4 stars

A fascinating story about a city that is cursed (or blessed) by a demon that loves the city and the people who live in it, in a world where demons, angels (and other beings) can affect the lives of people and animals in subtle, and sometimes, devastating ways.

The demon drops hints and alters the destinies of people, keeping the city a lively place, which she then notes down in her book, which she keeps in her heart. But it comes to an abrupt end when angels appear and devastate the city. In her rage, the demon curses one of the angels.

The demon goes through the remains of her city, remembering the people that once lived there and the places they occupied, and starts to clean up. She occasionally meets the cursed angel, now bound to remain on earth as long as her curse remains in him. She rages …

Cory Doctorow: Vigilant (2024, Tor Books) 3 stars

When schools make war on their own students, something has to give. . .

A …

On how to help a student cope with exam anxiety the right way.

3 stars

A story about a hacker who tries to help a student who suffers from anxiety at school, causing him to take his exams from home. Only, this is worse, as the anti-cheating software installed on his computer to scrutinize him as he takes the exam makes him even more anxious. The hacker tries to help him by circumventing the anti-cheating software, only to finally realize that he should really listen to what the student wants and that, sometimes, technology isn't the help that is needed.

Peter S. Beagle: I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons (2024, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers) 4 stars

Dragons are common in the backwater kingdom of Bellemontagne, coming in sizes from mouselike vermin …

A twisty fairy tale involving a dragon exterminator, a princess and a prince

4 stars

A lovely fairy-tale like story about a dragon exterminator who loves dragons, a princess and a prince who comes calling. Only, the exterminator hates his job, passed down from his father, for he loves dragons and even keeps the smaller ones as pets. The princess is bored with the princes she has to 'interview' as potential partners. And the prince, who fits the physical role of Prince Charming, would rather not try to live up to expectations of his bloodthirsty father who wants to make a 'man' out of him.

They are all thrown together when the princess unexpectedly meets the prince and falls in love (puppy love?). She calls on the exterminator to come to her castle to get rid of the small dragons infesting it before the prince arrives. As for the prince, he decides that he really has to kill a dragon before he can consider himself …

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Peter S. Beagle: I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons (2024, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers) 4 stars

Dragons are common in the backwater kingdom of Bellemontagne, coming in sizes from mouselike vermin …

Really good! Would read again.

4 stars

I don't wanna spoil anything since the book hasn't been out long, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely reread at some point! My only complaint is that it isn't The Last Unicorn, but not many books can live up to that one, for me. Not even books by the same author. And if given the opportunity, I would love for my next partner to be like Robert Thrax.

The one thing I will say is that, like The Last Unicorn, this story makes a clear distinction between what the characters want, or think they want, and what they truly need. I've always loved that about Peter S. Beagle's work.

P. Djèlí Clark, P. Djèlí Clark: The Dead Cat Tail Assassins (Hardcover, 2024, Tordotcom) 4 stars

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they …

A wonderful story set in a world with undead assassins

4 stars

A wonderful story set in a fantasy world where some dead people are now undead assassins, bonded to a guild. This story follows one particular assassin who has been given a job but finds herself unable to complete it. This causes all kinds of complications for in this world, assassins are 'agents' of a god of assassins (and, for a funny reason, cooking). And once an assassination has been contracted, the contract must be fulfilled or the god will get very angry.

As the assassin tries to figure a way out of the dilemma, while being chased by her fellow assassins, she starts to get clues that this particular job was a set-up, done by a person who may have a grudge against her. As time runs out, she may have no choice but to confront the person and hope that she can figure a way out of the situation …

Clifford M. Will, Nicolás Yunes: Is Einstein Still Right? (2020, Oxford University Press) 5 stars

Albert Einstein is often viewed as the icon of genius, and his theories are admired …

A great book about the various tests that have been done to (dis)prove General Relativity

5 stars

A great book about the various tests that Einstein's General Relativity (GR) have been put through since it was proposed. Spoiler alert, GR has passed all the tests so far, while alternative theories of gravity have not. A follow up to one of the author's earlier book, "Was Einstein Right?", this book covers much of the same ground, but updates it with some of the latest experiments that have been performed to verify the predictions of GR.

Many aspects of GR, from the effects of gravity on space-time, to how black holes twist and turn space-time and light, are covered in the book, along with historical and current experiments done to prove (or disprove) GR. Some of the tests involving astrophysics (like stars orbiting black holes, imaging black holes and gravitational waves) are the latest, and most dramatic, examples of GR in action and are still ongoing. The hope is …

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Frances White: Voyage of the Damned (2024, Michael Joseph) 4 stars

For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible …

Voyage of the Damned

3 stars

The setup of this story is that the twelve provinces of Concordia have sent their heirs on a voyage by themselves to the Goddess's Mountain, and while en route one of the heirs is mysteriously murdered.

The mystery in this story worked well for me. Each heir has a Blessing, which takes the form of some sort of magical power (fire breathing, invisibility) but it's considered gauche to ask people what form it takes. The reveal and ongoing discovery of what Blessing each heir has becomes part of the mystery. (And on top of that the narrator Ganymedes does not actually have a Blessing and has to disguise this fact from his fellow heirs.) There's some twists and complications, enough crumbs for the reader to guess at what might be happening, and it all gets a good reveal in the end.

The worldbuilding was a bit weak. It's a bit …