Reviews in a Minute: May Sci-Fi/Fantasy Finds

These are some sci-fi and/or fantasy books that are releasing in the month of May! 

Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff



Reviews in a Minute: May Sci-Fi/Fantasy Finds Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Series: Empirium #1
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on May 22, 2018
Pages: 512
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

Follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.

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I kind of thought that the problems I had with this book might be “just me”. Then I read some other reviews from people who felt similarly, so now maybe it’s not just me? Anyway, my deal was this: I found the story interesting, but I also found it quite cumbersome. I feel like it was very well written, and I think that a ton of thought went into building this story. As it jumps from past to present, and between two main characters’ points of view, there’s a lot happening.

And for me, this is also kind of the problem. See, while I was impressed by the story, I was also wholly overwhelmed. It was kind of hard work, and when I read, I want to be entertained and not feeling like I had to keep a damn spreadsheet just to know what was going on. It was very slow going for me, which in part was because it is a longer book. But it wasn’t just the length, it was just very taxing to read. Trying to keep all the characters in two timelines straight, the magical elements, the world building, there was a lot to take in.

I also don’t know if it was a great decision to start the way it did. The prologue tells the reader what the fate of one of the characters is from the start, and it made the stakes feel a little lower for me. I did enjoy the characters, though I don’t know that I enjoyed them quite enough to make up for the slowness/difficulty.

Will I Read the Next Book? I’m torn. On one hand… I don’t want to. But on the other, I am a little curious? Let’s leave it as a “perhaps, let’s wait and see”.

Bottom Line: The story has a lot of appealing elements, but I was too overwhelmed (and a little bored) most of the time to be fully immersed.


Reviews in a Minute: May Sci-Fi/Fantasy Finds Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Series: The Murderbot Diaries #2
Published by Tor.com on May 8, 2018
Pages: 159
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

It has a dark past – one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot”.

But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A” stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks…

...

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This sequel started off a little slow for my liking, but then once it got going it really got going! I’m just going to say it: Murderbot is such a phenomenal character. Because okay, you don’t think you’ll be able to relate to robot designed to kill, but then… you definitely do. Murderbot likes to snark, and watch the future’s equivalent of Netflix all day, and I mean, same. Sometimes Murderbot wants to be left the hell alone, and sometimes they feel a real responsibility to help others. Basically, this series is doing a really entertaining job of posing the whole “what makes us human?” question.

“I wish being a construct made me less irrational than the average human buy you may have noticed this is not the case.”

I ended up loving the new characters introduced in this volume as well. At first I was a little worried about meeting a whole new group, but yeah, I shouldn’t have been. They were shockingly well fleshed out for being introduced so recently, and ART the ship was like a cross between Honor Among Thieves and Illuminae and it was fabulous. Add in a lot of diversity, and it’s just fabulous all around.

Will I Read the Next Book? Oh definitely! I need to know what shenanigans befall Murderbot next time.

Bottom Line: After a bit of a slow start, I was yet again entertained completely by Murderbot’s adventures and companions!


Reviews in a Minute: May Sci-Fi/Fantasy Finds LIFEL1K3 by Jay Kristoff
Series: Lifelike #1
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on May 29, 2018
Pages: 416
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley

On a floating junkyard beneath a radiation sky, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap.

Eve isn’t looking for secrets—she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she’s just spent six months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, and the only thing keeping her Grandpa from the grave was the fistful of credits she just lost to the bookies. To top it off, she’s discovered she can destroy electronics with the power of her mind, and the puritanical Brotherhood are building a coffin her size. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it.

But when Eve discovers the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robotic conscience, Cricket, in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, infiltrate towering megacities and scour the graveyard of humanity’s greatest folly to save the ones Eve loves, and learn the dark secrets of her past.

Even if those secrets were better off staying buried.

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Back again with more mixed feelings! There are parts of this book that I flat out adored, but then parts that really fell kind of flat for me. So, we shall break them down, as you do.

What I Liked:

  • The characters, basically all of them really. They’re quite well done and fleshed out. I might have even liked the side characters more than the main characters, but it still worked really well. The relationships that Eve had were fabulous too. Loved the loyalty that her friends and well, robots, but they were friends too, had for her. And it was obvious that the love was reciprocated.
  • Romanov history for the win! I was kind of giddy excited when I realized what it was. I know there are other references (Cait @ Paper Fury described them more in depth) but… this was the only one I know-know, okay? Plus, the U.S. cover doesn’t tell us about any of them, so I went in surprised, happily so, because the Romanov story is pretty compelling, right? Yes, and even though I kind of knew how that part would end up (actually we all learn really early on so it’s not spoilery even), it was still really emotionally charged.
  • Snark and banter and delightfulness. This probably ties into the character piece, but the dialogue was just perfect for me. I enjoyed it so much- maybe that is why the battles bugged me, I just wanted everyone to chat for several hundred pages!

What I Didn’t:

  • Pacing was hit or miss. I actually had a really hard time getting into the book. And then for awhile, I was pretty invested! But then, I felt more lulls, and it went on like this for most of the book for me.
  • So. Many. Battles. This may be more of a personal qualm, but I just get bored with too many battle scenes. Like okay, I get it, things are rough out there. My eyes just start to glaze over after awhile.
  • Quite predictable. Now, I will say that there was one pretty big twist I didn’t see coming, and that was fun! But most of it… yeah, I kind of predicted. So when you add that in with me getting kind of bored of the fighting… well, it’s a recipe for mild apathy.

Will I Read the Next Book? Possibly. I liked the characters and the ending a lot, so yeah.

Bottom Line: While sometimes slow and predictable, the characters and writing were ultimately enough to keep me reading.

Have you read any great Sci-Fi or Fantasy stuff lately? If so, do share! 

Posted May 18, 2018 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in In a Minute, Review / 16 Comments

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16 responses to “Reviews in a Minute: May Sci-Fi/Fantasy Finds

  1. Ooh you read Murderbot! I haven’t started it yet. Can’t wait tho. I was afraid I would miss the people he left behind, but sounds like Wells has that covered. And ART- can’t wait to see what the ship is all about.

    Bummer about Furyborn. And Lifelike I was super curious about because Kristoff, and having read Illuminae and all that. The Romanov angle sounds fun, I may read this one. Down the road maybe, or after the second book comes out, or something. Good to know it’s decent tho.

    • Yeah they approved me the day before it was published haha so I had to read it ASAP! It was really good though- I was definitely worried about the people left behind, but I needn’t have been! ART is pretty great- and I think (well, hope?) that hopefully they whole gang will end up back together, but who knows? Let me know what you think of it when you read it!

      You may have less trouble with Lifelike than I did- honestly I felt like the battles were just TOO much but if you don’t mind them, that would bump it up significantly! The Romanov angle was one of my favorite parts too- actually, THERE’s a fun era in history to try! 😀

  2. I am sort of impressed by the fact that a 159 page SFF book exists, and it met your approval. I have seen similar things about Furyborn, which is why I have put off reading it. =/ The concept sounded amazing, but I totally understand feeling overwhelmed. I just had a similar experience.

    • Hahah it’s I guess technically a novella? Idk, sometimes Tor does stuff like that and I don’t fully understand it, but I like it. It’s kind of impressive that the book can hook you in so few pages, right? UGH yep I honestly don’t blame you about Furyborn. Especially if you just had a similar book experience- dare I ask?

  3. I’m sooo with you on Lifel1k3 (not to mention typing the title twists my brain EVERY time) ? Like it was fun and badass and I loved the humour and the characters, buuuut it was so predictable and I just felt kind of tired reading it. Whooops. And omg Furyborn had me wroth because IT’S LIKE MY NAME IN THE TITLE. I SHOULD’VE LOVED IT?? But yet??? I was really bored.?And what’s the point of spoiling a book right in the prologue omg. And I think I’m done with trials plot lines. Yup. They are just as tired as I am tbh.

    (Also I have not read any good sci-fi lately *sobs* I just finished Iron Gold and pretty much loathed it so that’s awkward. haha.)

    • Dude, I refuse to use the actual title. Lifelike. That’s it. (It actually hurts my brain to think about, I just cannot.) And YEP exactly- like since I kiiiind of knew what would happen the stakes were just lower? Apparently it took me even longer than Furyborn when I looked at Goodreads, oops! But both took me about a week which is INSANE for me. I was so bored for most of Furyborn (and it IS sad because of your name, extra sad, as you are literally Fury Born). And yeah like, same thing as Lifelike with the stakes- um, we know she doesn’t die because the prologue TOLD US she didn’t (in the trials, anyway) so… why did we read all that stuff!?

      Nooooo Iron Gold wasn’t good!? SO sad. I mean- for you, since you have invested so much time in the series, I, on the other hand, quit early haha. I read ONE good one- The Bird and the Blade- but it was my first good fantasy in a looooong time.

  4. That’s too bad about Furyborn! I had high hopes for that one. I’m with you on books that take too much to figure out though. At least the Murderbot books are still good.

  5. Great reviews as always, Shannon! I’ve been getting back into fantasy this year and it’s been so wonderful. I’ve missed quests and big casts of characters and all that good stuff. I’ve been hearing some mixed things about Furyborn and I don’t know if I’ll ever give it a try myself, but it at least as a pretty cover! The Murderbot Diaries sounds really fun, though, so I might check them out. =)

    I’m so, so late to the party, I know, but last month I finally read Six of Crows, thinking I was going to like it but nothing more, and I loved it so much and I’m a little bit obsessed with it and it’s been so long since I felt this invested in a story and I’m loving it. I’m reading Crooked Kingdom at the minute but really slowly because the idea of having to say goodbye to this story is making my heart ache. I think 2018 is definitely the year I’ve rediscovered my love of fantasy, though, so I’m going to try and read as much of it as I can.

  6. I’ve had Furyborn on my TBR list for awhile now, but I’m not sure when or if I’ll ever read it. Time is very precious to me lately, and I just don’t have the patience or will to start a dense book that calls for extra work.

  7. I have the Muderbot books on my radar so I skimmed that review. Glad to see you enjoyed it though, I need to get to the first one already! And I’m seeing such mixed things for Lifel1k3 so I just can’t decide if I want to read. It’s not out for another couple of months here so I have plenty of time to decide. I feel like I’ll either love or hate it and considering I still have Nevernight sat on my shelf unread I feel like maybe that’s a sign.

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