Review: The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

In a future hammered by climate change and drought, mountain snows have turned to rain, and rain evaporates before it hits the ground. In a fragmenting United States, the cities of Phoenix and Las Vegas skirmish for a dwindling share of the Colorado River. But it is the Las Vegas water knives - assassins, terrorists and spies - who are legendary for protecting Las Vegas' water supplies, and for ensuring Phoenix's ruin.

When rumours of a game-changing water source surface, Las Vegas dispatches elite water knife Angel Velasquez to Phoenix to investigate. There, he discovers hardened journalist Lucy Monroe, who holds the secret to the water source Angel seeks. But Angel isn't the only one hunting for water, Lucy is no pushover, and the death of a despised water knife is a small price to pay in return for the life-giving flow of a river. Star Rating: 5 stars

I loved Paolo Bacigalupi’s last book, The Windup Girl, so when I saw The Water Knife available on NetGalley, I just had to put in a request for it. I am so pleased that my request was excepted and I received a kindle version for free in exchange for my honest review of the book.

Like with The Windup Girl, the beginning is a little complex. I know why it is and so I suppose I didn’t mind it so much. This book is set in the future and therefore, the world as it is then needs to be explained as does its technology, politics and problems. That said, I found that quite quickly I was able to understand what was going on, much quicker than what I had with The Windup Girl – I was well and truly hooked by the end of Chapter 2.

As I’ve already said, this book is set in the future in a world where Climate Change occurred well and truly, brought about a permanent drought and everyone is desperate for water. This book is scary and I said the same thing about The Windup Girl too. It’s scary because this could actually happen and so much of it is reminiscent with our current situation in this world.

I really liked the following two quotes – kind of sums up what is happening right now with the whole Climate Change debate.

“If I could put my finger on the moment we genuinely fucked ourselves, it was the moment we decided that data was something you could use words like believe or disbelieve around.”

“We knew it was all going to go to hell, and we just stood by and watched it happen anyway. There ought to be a prize for that kind of stupidity.”

The story is set in the Southern States of America, near the border with Mexico. Bacigalupi includes many local Spanish words and phrases (and the odd Chinese one too as there are some Corporations from China involved in the storyline). I really like it when an author does this.

So each chapter focuses on a different character at the beginning. We have Angel, who is a Water Knife for Catherine Case who owns the Archologies in Vegas in which many people live in; Lucy who is a Journalist living in struggling Phoenix; and Maria who has to do anything to make money to live in a city which is going down the pan. These character’s lives intertwine when Angel is sent to Phoenix to check out whether some important water deeds actually do exist.

Bacigalupi did a fantastic job creating believable, likeable (and dislikeable) characters.

I know that Bacigalupi has been likened to William Gibson in the past and I can see why for sure. Gibson coined a few words and I reckon we may see the term “collapse pornography” around after The Water Knife is published. I thought this was a great term for the articles produced by the media detailing everything going down the pan and what’s worse, people can’t get enough of it.

So in a world where there is limited water to go around, it goes the way of oil today: it’s sold by the litre, it fluctuates with the markets, companies drill for it and make a lot of money from it, pipeline deals, and fighting and wars over the reserves. I really liked this.

It’s amazing how many phrases we use that are water related (and boat related for that matter) – I only noticed recently when I bought my boat and I became really aware of when I use one of these phrases in conversation, for example, “we’re really pushing the boat out”. I like all the water references throughout the book, for example, people were described as being out of their depth or drowning (metaphorically). I’m glad that the author didn’t shy away from these phrases when the main focus of the book was on water (or lack of).

There was quite a raunchy, explicit sex scene about three quarters of the way in. I don't mind a bit of sex in a book as long as it's not the main focus of a story. I did find it interesting the words the author chose to use to describe this scene though, especially the use of the C word. I don't mind expletives – I use enough of them but I really wasn't expecting to see that one placed there. But upon reflection it does go with the style of the writing and the harshness of the world these people were in.

I whizzed through this book so quickly. I was hooked from the beginning and it was fast paced so I just had to keep reading to find out what would happen next. A 5 star read for sure. More books please Mr Paolo Bacigalupi!

Review: Endsinger by Jay Kristoff

A TREMBLING EARTH
The flames of civil war sweep across the Shima Imperium. With their plans to renew the Kazumitsu dynasty foiled, the Lotus Guild unleash their deadliest creation—a mechanical goliath known as the Earthcrusher, intended to unite the shattered Empire under a yoke of fear. With the Tiger Clan and their puppet Daimyo Hiro in tow, the Guild marches toward a battle for absolute dominion over the Isles.

A BROKEN REBELLION
Yukiko and Buruu are forced to take leadership of the Kagé rebellion, gathering new allies and old friends in an effort to unite the country against the chi-mongers. But the ghosts of Buruu’s past stand between them and the army they need, and Kin’s betrayal has destroyed all trust among their allies. When a new foe joins the war tearing the Imperium apart, it will be all the pair can do to muster the strength to fight, let alone win.

A FINAL BATTLE
The traitor Kin walks the halls of Guild power, his destiny only a bloody knife-stroke away. Hana and Yoshi struggle to find their place in a world now looking to them as heroes. Secret cabals within the Lotus Guild claw and struggle; one toward darkness, the other toward light. And as the earth splits asunder, as armies destroy each other for rule over an empire of lifeless ash and the final secret about blood lotus is revealed, the people of Shima will learn one last, horrifying truth.

There is nothing a mother won't do to keep her children by her side.

Nothing.

Star rating: 5 stars
Izanagi's Balls, that was intense!

I'm not going to go in to the plot of this story as I really don't want to give anything away. This book is the conclusion of all conclusions. We get to understand what happened in Everstorm and why the female Arishtora doesn't like Buruu, why Hana has a rose tinted eye, Kin's motives, why the Guild is like it is, and a whole heap more. Everything is wrapped up nicely.

In many movies I've watched recently, in particular action films involving superheroes, I've felt that the director's have gone over the top with action and the number of baddies. I can't believe I'm actually saying that. I felt a little like that while reading this book. It's the final book in the Lotus Wars series so I suppose I was expecting a huge battle between good and evil as the other books had been building up to that but this was relentless. Enemies on all sides, the gaijin show up plus loads of new characters which took a little getting used to. It was very tense and I felt like I didn't breath throughout the whole of reading it.

While there was a lot of battling, it was written well and it kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. This was mainly down to the fact that there were a lot of unexpected things happen. When I read a book, I usually get a feel for how things might end up, who gets together with whom and that they overcome a problem etc. but that was all blown out of the water with this book. I was shocked at some of the goings on and the deaths. And how could you, Mr Kristoff? The ending! What can I say?! You made me cry. And that doesn't happen very often when I read a book.

Throughout reading the book, I was thinking I was going to rate it 4 stars but then by the end I just had to give it 5 stars especially as it had me welling up.

This book was a fantastic end to a great series and I will miss these characters dearly. I look forward to seeing what future books this author brings out. I was lucky enough to receive this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune — and remarkable power — to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved — that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt — among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life — and love — in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?

Year Read: 2014
Book Format: Kindle eBook
Star Rating: 5 stars

I had to read Ready Player One because many of my Goodreads friends had and they'd rated it 5 stars! It's also shelved as Science Fiction, Cyberpunk and Dystopian, three genres that I really enjoy!

While reading this book, I was so torn between reading as fast as I could to find out what happened, to slowing down so that I could savour the story, the characters and revel in all those 80s popular culture references.

This book was so good! 5 stars without a shadow of a doubt and it also made it on to my favourites shelf.

So the story is told from the POV of Wade, an 18 year old high school student who lives in a trailer stack in a dystopian future world. We don't see much of that world but it's pretty dank and dismal and life is pretty harsh. So in comes OASIS, a fully submersible computer generated world where you can learn anything you want, go to school, play games, watch movies, and basically do anything you can do in the real world and then some. In this world you can be anyone you want to be and do anything you want to do (if you have enough credits, hit points, experience points and have leveled up). When the designer of OASIS dies, he bequeaths his estate to the person who can find the Easter egg he has hidden in the program. And the quest begins...

No other book has made me feel as much of a geek as this book did. But that's a good thing! The video-game world that the book is based just plays to my inner geek (who am I kidding - there's no inner, I just am!)

The writing and the storyline I suppose you could say is reasonably simplistic but it is really well written with some excellent characters which are well developed - the kind you can really care about and identify with.

I liked the writing style, in particular all the 80's references - yes I've mentioned them again but they are a really important part of the book and what made it so fantastic. The protagonist of the book, Wade, as I have mentioned already is 18 years old and I do wonder what an 18 year old person would think of this book if they read it now - would they enjoy it as much as I did without knowing what all those book, game, comic book, TV, film references related to?! Sure they'll recognise a few but some are quite obscure. The author is American and so naturally the pop culture references are to do with the American 80's as opposed to the British 80's (which I experienced) and while a vast majority of that decade is shared, there were also many differences, so I did miss some of the references.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It was so much fun and I spent the vast majority of the time fangirling over all the references in the book (and the book as a whole). I see that Ernest Cline has a book set for publication in 2015 and I will definitely be reading that one as soon as it comes out.

I'm really sad that the book is over now but I think I'd actually read it again some day.

Playing Catch Up...

It's been a while since I posted any reviews or taken part in my usual book memes. Real life has gotten in the way some what. All good things though which is always a bonus. Since my last post I have purchased, borrowed and received many books. And I've read quite a few too. So, in this post I am going to give a quick run down of these books to incorporate my Mailbox Monday and WWW Wednesdays book memes.

Here are the books which made it in to my house over the last few weeks:

Kindle Purchases:


NetGalley Books for Review:


What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading my first Robert McCammon book, Swan Song. It's a real whopper at 856 pages. It is set in a post-nuclear-apocalyptic world with some supernatural elements thrown in to the mix. I am really liking the writing style and there are some great characters. It's pretty bleak as you'd expect when life as you know it goes down the pan. I'm nearly half way through it. I will definitely be reading more of McCammon's books in the future.

What have you read recently?

I've read quite a number of books since I last posted. My most recently read book was a firm favourite of mine, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Many of my Goodreads friends had read it and rated it 5 stars so I've wanted to read it for a while now. I decided to treat myself to the book with some money I got for my birthday. I read it as a buddy read which I am glad of as I got to discuss and reminisce over the 80s popular culture references throughout the book. I will post my review soon.

I read Horns by Joe Hill, one of my favourite authors, in preparation for the film release. The book was fantastic, although I'm yet to go to the cinema and see it.

I also read a horror classic for Halloween - Ghost Story by Peter Straub. This was my first book by Straub. I thought the book was pretty slow in pace but it still had me captivated which is quite unusual for me. I will certainly check out his other books though.

Another favourite recent read was Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. I have read a large proportion of Koontz's work and this book is a great start to the series. I've already bought the follow up book for it. I do love it when I find a series I like that has already quite a number of books in it to work through.

Another classic was Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice which I thought I had better read as I received it for my birthday last year and a year has already flown by. I profess to loving anything vampire so it's quite embarrassing that I have never read this book before (I've seen the film though). I did enjoy it, loved the writing style but it was quite slow in pace.

And finally, I read The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. This is a fantastic book - I wish I had been a kid when it came out to experience it with childhood imagination and wonder.

What will you be reading next?
I've pretty much finished all my book challenges for the year so after I've finished Swan Song, I am going to read something fun I think. I've got quite a number of NetGalley books to read and review but also I would like to read some of my dead tree books so they can go off to the charity shop so I have one less book to pack when I move house. Decisions, decisions!

Have you read any of these? And what did you think?

Mailbox Monday - 13th Oct

Mailbox Monday is a book meme which is hosted by Marcia at Mailbox Monday blog.

In this post, you can see which books I have bought, received for review, or borrowed this past week.

I've been trying desperately not to buy any books this week but a few managed to sneak their way on to my kindle. Here is what made it in to my house:

Personal Purchases:


Library Audiobooks:

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? If not, do any of them take your fancy?

WWW Wednesday - 8th Oct

The book meme WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading.

The aim of WWW Wednesday is to answer the following three questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?
I just started reading Horns by Joe Hill last week and I have about 100 pages left. It is really good and it's a great book for a group read. I'm enjoying the discussion almost as much as the book. What I love about Joe Hill and Stephen King is that they tip their hats to each other and to other books they have read. When you've read a few of their books, you start to notice them and when I do, I get all excited because I'm in out and I know what they are talking about.

I am also listening to Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. I was enjoying it at first but it seems to have slowed down midway through the book. I'm hoping it will pick up soon as the cases start to be solved. I do like Atkinson's writing style though.

What did you recently finish reading?
I haven't finished anything this week.

What do you think you’ll read next?
Well, my buddy read for A Discovery of Witches has been moved to next month now so I've decided to read Ghost Story by Peter Straub instead. I've not read any books by Straub before.

Have you read any of these? And what did you think?

Mailbox Monday - 6th Oct

Mailbox Monday is a book meme which is hosted by Marcia at Mailbox Monday blog. I haven't participated in a couple weeks mainly because I have been so busy but also I've not bought any books! Has to be a record!

As you may have noticed, I've also changed how I'm titling my Mailbox Monday posts - I was just numbering them but I've decided to stop that now and just use the date.

In this post, you can see which books I have bought, received for review, or borrowed this past week.

I've been trying desperately not to buy any books this week but a few managed to sneak their way on to my kindle. Here is what made it in to my house:

Personal Purchases:


NetGalley Books for Review:

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? If not, do any of them take your fancy?