Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

 
Title: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Pages: 440

How it was obtained: Library.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 1 ½ weeks.

Days spent reading it: 3 days.

Why I read it: The cover looked cool and it kept getting recommended to me in my amazon searches.

Brief review: Leviathan is set during World War I with a few significant changes.  Genetically altered animals serve as the backbone of the British Empire, and mechanical war machines for the German army. This is a futuristic novel written about the past.  The story follows two individuals: Alex (the son of the assassinated Archduke of Austria) and Deryn (a girl who disguises herself as a boy to join the air force). The plot kept moving, the characters were interesting, the creativity was flowing. We follow their adventures as these two characters attempt to find safety from their pursuers and eventually join forces. My only gripe is that this was just the first installment of a trilogy and I thought it was a stand alone.  But really this is not a bad thing, the story was interesting enough that I would follow a trilogy (I was a little less excited about the possibility of a longer series). 

This is a fun introduction to the steam-punk genre if you have never experienced it before. Steam-punk usually involves a story set in the Victorian era and then adds crazy elements from the future back into the era. Like giant mechanical war machines, or flying whale-like airships.

Leviathan was a fun novel, worth the quick read. I would highly recommend to young adults and people who like (or would like to be introduced to) steam-punk.

Favorite quote: "What the Clankers lack in finesse they make up for with blanket ruination."

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Final Word: Beastly.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart

 
Title: The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart

Pages: 400.

How it was obtained: This is the first book I ever ordered for my Kindle. Took me awhile to get to it!

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 7 months.

Days spent reading it: 3 days.

Why I read it: I have enjoyed the Mysterious Benedict Society series and wanted to continue reading through them.

Brief review: The Mysterious Benedict Society (MBS) is a series of books by Trenton Lee Stewart. I absolutely loved the first book in the series. This third book in the series, while not bad, was not as inspired as the original either. The MBS is about three children geniuses and their friends who must outwit an evil mastermind. I guess as I have read this series I found the first book fresh and new, but the subsequent books have had a little of the same old same old genius kid vs. evil genius. I typically love those kind of plots, but this incarnation is getting a touch hackneyed.

What I did enjoy about this book was that it brought the trilogy to a good conclusion. Loose ends were tied up, character arcs were completed. Stewart will probably go on writing more in the series, but here is a clean wrap up for right now. Stewart is a solid writer. His characters are charming, at times annoying, and occasionally brilliant. This is a solid series which entertains, and I think it has greater potential than the two sequels have produced.

I would definitely recommend this series to young adults. Parents and other adults might also enjoy the series, but as I said it is never as inspired as that first installment.

Favorite quote: "Yes, but you're smarter than he is, Reynie. Also, you're not evil."

Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

Final Word: Unoriginal.

Book 44: Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Title: Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov 

Pages: 480

How it was obtained: I bought it on half.com.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 3 years.

Days spent reading it: 2 days.

Why I read it: I wanted to finish the last of the Foundation series that Isaac Asimov wrote.

Brief review: This is the seventh and final book in the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. It was finished just before Asimov died in 1992. In the Foundation chronology it comes just after Prelude to Foundation and just before Foundation. It is really a direct sequel to Prelude to Foundation, but more importantly it is a very gratifying conclusion to the series.

Forward the Foundation chronicles the life of Hari Seldon in 10 year increments. At each decade mark something significant has happened to Hari or his plans for psychohistory. I think this book shines because it reads more like four short novels rather than one long novel (which I've commented on about Asimov's writings before). The character of Hari Seldon is fleshed out a little more, as are many of his associates and family members.

Forward the Foundation is a much better conclusion to the series than Foundation and Earth (the last book in the Foundation timeline). It struck me as almost nostalgic. This is good, because I think that the series really struggled during Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth. I think Asimov really liked the character of Hari Seldon, and so in Prelude to Foundation and this book, we catch a glimpse of a great character during some crisis moments. These crisis moments are my favorite part about the Foundation series.

This was a fitting ending to a fairly solid series. I think it fleshed out Asimov's vision of Hari Seldon who is sure to be a titan among Science Fiction fans for decades to come. Thanks Isaac, job well done. I would definitely recommend this book to Foundation fans, it was worth it.

Favorite quote: "But together…our power is awesome!" (I know, it makes no sense without context, sorry!)

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Final Word: Gratifying.

Book 39: Xenocide by Orson Scott Card

Title: Xenocide by Orson Scott Card

Pages: 592.

How it was obtained: I bought it at Borders.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 2 years.

Days spent reading it: Over 1 ½ years. I started reading it just before a family vacation in June of 2008.

Why I read it: It is the third book in the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. Ender's Game is one of my favorite books of all time.

Brief review: Xenocide is a strange book to categorize for me. On the one hand, Card has created a morally fascinating novel that started in Speaker for the Dead and continues here in Xenocide. At the heart of the book is the question—how do we determine who we will go to war with and kill? What if it is us or them, how do we respond? And he takes these very great questions and extends them to the extreme. So, what if it was the entire human race or an entire alien race? What would we do? What if it was three or four intelligent species? I love the questions that this book creates and begins to solve.

Second, I like how Card makes me think about how we would interact with a culture that is entirely different from our own. Sure, Card is using aliens as his example of a new culture, but aliens are a clear metaphor for any culture different from our own. How will we interact with that culture, influence that culture, change that culture, even by simply observing? It is a question cultural anthropologists and missiologists have been dealing with for a long time now.

This book struggles (and so does Speaker for the Dead) in explanations about science. Card gets bogged down explaining philosophy about human connections (philotes), DNA splicing, space/time travel, etc. It is clear that Card has done his background research, his explanations just seem forced. I feel like someone needs to tell him, "It is science fiction, it does not have to be based on REAL science."

Reading Xenocide made me want to read Ender's Game again. And that is not a bad thing. I think people who are already committed to the Ender series will like this book, but it would not be a good place to start.

Favorite quote: "Isn't it possible, he wondered, for one person to love another without trying to own each other?  Or is that buried deep in our genes that we can never get it out?  Territoriality.  My wife.  My friend. My lover.  My outrageous and annoying computer personality who's about to be shut off at the behest of a half-crazy girl genius with OCD on a planet I never heard of and how will I live without Jane when she's gone?"

Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

Final Word: Deadly.

Book 37: The Final Warning by James Patterson

Title: The Final Warning by James Patterson

Pages: 255.

How it was obtained: Susan and I bought it from Border's for 30% off (the sticker is still on the book).

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 1 year.

Days spent reading it: 1 day.

Why I read it: This is the fourth book of a series, need I say more?

Brief review: It is clear that James Patterson can write a book. I enjoy reading his stuff. He's a light, quick, easy read. So of course I still enjoyed reading The Final Warning. Mostly because I just relax when I read Patterson's stuff.

Having said that, this series is increasingly becoming less and less interesting. Patterson moves to a plot purely driven by the dangers of global warming--culminating in a hurricane that "was caused by global warming" towards the end of this book. I find that simply ridiculous.

Another way in which Patterson is beginning to faulter is finding a good bad-guy. It seems that the old ones were not up to snuff, and so he created (I'm not kidding here) The Uber-Director, a brain in a jar who masterminds the capture and auction of Max and her flock. If it sounds silly, it is silly.

This book seemed rushed. It is about 100 pages shorter than any other Maximum Ride novel so far (and they're not that long!). It was also released almost before the previous book was out in paperback.

I know Patterson is a writing machine, but I hope that for the next installment (which I already have, and Susan has read), that Patterson slowed down some, established a solid nemesis, and begins to wrap things up. He is becoming predictable and boring. This is not helped by his tirades on global warming. I'm all about people sharing their beliefs about global warming. But this book was a little on the absurd side.

If you've read Maximum Ride, you'll read this one, but unless the series reclaims it's original grandeur, I'm getting close to checking out. I enjoy reading Patterson's stuff, but there is only so much that I can take. And that's my final warning.

Favorite quote: "You stand out like a fart in church."

Stars: 3 out of 5.

Final Word: Global-boring.

Book 35: Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson

Title: Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson.

Pages: 405

How it was obtained: This was a gift to Susan one Christmas.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 2 years.

Days spent reading it: 2 days.

Why I read it: This is the third book in a series.

Brief review: This third book in the Maximum Ride series begins to show the real overall plot of the books. I was saying to myself "Finally!" and then "Lame." Threaded through the books so far have been not-so-subtle hints that there is indeed an overarching plot. I am still not sure how Max and her flock fit into it, but essentially this book reveals that the evil nemesis is pollution by evil giant companies. That's a little lame in my mind.

Patterson has written a great series. Max and her flock of misfits are loveable characters. The books are easy to read, quick paced, and have a tinge or cynicism that will certainly appeal to every teenager. I really enjoy reading them. But this book turns from unique and fun to a higher degree of absurd plot. Patterson has one of his characters start a blog that soon has millions of kids following it. They become a children's army that is willing to raise their tiny fists against "the man." So we have teenagers throwing rocks and protesting outside of giant corporations at one point in the book. Do I believe in the power of the teenager? Absolutely. But this was a little ridiculous. I think Patterson envisions millions of little eco-terrorists crying in the streets to save their planet. I just can't buy it . I will suspended my disbelief for a bunch of genetically altered bird-kids, but teenagers becoming tree-hugging protesters is a little too much for me.

The same problem runs through Christopher Pike's Alosha series (which I reviewed here, here, and here). These are fun writers, and I'm sure they want to do something significant with their words. But they are not believable. A believable writer in this area of ecology is Carl Hiaasen. Check out Hoot or Flush for a great story with a believable teenager stepping up to help the environment.

I still enjoy these books, but the plot is starting to get annoying. Will I keep reading them? Yup. I'll finish the next two at some point in the near future, I'm sure. I had some great hopes for this series, but it seems like they keep getting a little worse each time. Oh well, I guess that happens when the author writes like 10 books a year. Quality is sacrificed for quantity (and profits!). Such is life.

Favorite quote: "'You should really try one of these cookies,' she said, holding out a chocolate-chip chunk of treason."

Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

Final Word: Eco-friendly.

Book 33: Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever by James Patterson

Title: Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever by James Patterson

Pages: 409.

How it was obtained: It was a Christmas gift for Susan from her parents a few years ago.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 2 years.

Days spent reading it: 10 days.

Why I read it: I actually heard this one on CD a few years ago. We really liked it, but missed the first one. So now I'm reading through the series, and this has been on the list for a little while.

Brief review: Maximum Ride is the brain child of the prolific James Patterson. It is a series aimed at young adults about a group of kids who have wings (and other special powers). They escape from their laboratory and have great adventures. This is the second book in the series.

What I like about these books is that they are very funny, engaging, and quick reads. You can pick one up and read through it in a few hours (if you're Susan) or days (if you're Patrick). They don't take much brain power, but they are very enjoyable. There are lots of little quotable bits throughout. Max is the main narrator, and her character is witty and likeable.

I would definitely recommend this series to Middle and High School students, but there is a small amount of swearing or pseudo-swearing in the series. I think adults would appreciate the series as well, but its not like this is refined literature. It's a beach read, and an enjoyable one at that. So there you have it.

Oh, and for anyone keeping track, this is my first book that I read in Thailand! Woo-hoo! (Check out my other blog Keeping Up With the Joneses if you want to read about our adventures in Thailand)

Favorite quote: "If you're ever feeling a lack of middle-aged white men, just pop into the Capitol. Not so much the House of Representatives, which has a bit more color and texture, but the Senate--jeez. Yes, let's have more testosterone running the country."

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Final Word: Flighty.

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

Title: Old Man's War by John Scalzi

Pages: 311.

How it was obtained: I picked it up at Books-A-Million.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 0 days.

Days spent reading it: 2 days.

Why I read it: I saw Zoe's Tale come out a few months ago in hardback and liked the cover. So I checked into the original book in the series, which was Old Man's War. After doing some checking into it, it sounded like a book I might actually like a lot. So I picked it up and bought it before I took off for Thailand to pass a few nights reading.

Brief review: I absolutely loved Old Man's War. John Scalzi is a witty writer. Sure, he borrows many ideas from Ender's Game, Starship Troopers, and other classic sci-fi books, but that does not make his own book inferior. It is going to be a classic on its own one day, I'm pretty sure.

The plot is simple. We meet our hero at the ripe age of 75 as he is about to enter the military for a 2-10 year stint. Yes, you read that correctly. In this book, military service (in space) is for the old who have already retired. They are taken into space and rejuvenated (I'll let you read the book to find out how). We follow Poole through his training and career in the military (and it's a pretty exceptional career). It is a fun romp that is over all too soon. The pace and point of view reminded me heavily of Starship Troopers (which was written by the master of science fiction Robert Heinlein). But some of the ideas and concepts were pure John Scalzi.

I'm glad I picked this book up, and I look forward to reading the other books in the series (and perhaps Scalzi's other works). He is a great writer and I find him very fun to read.

Favorite quote:

"You may refer to me as Ambassador, unworthy though I am of the title," The Consu said. "I am a criminal, having disgraced myself in battle on Pahnshu, and therefore am made to speak to you in your tongue. For this shame I crave death and a term of just punishment before my rebirth. It is my hope that as a result of these proceedings I will be viewed as somewhat less unworthy, and will thus be released to death. It is why I soil myself by speaking to you."

Stars: 5 out of 5.

Final Word: Refreshing.

Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card

Title: Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card

Pages: 367.

How it was obtained: Checked it out from the library.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 0 Days.

Days spent reading it: 3 days.

Why I read it: I packed most of my books from "The Patrick Challenge" and shipped them to Thailand. So I had to fill in with some books. Shadow of the Giant is the fourth book in the Ender's Shadow series by Orson Scott Card, I figured I would finish up this series before I left to go to Thailand. I'm glad I did.

Brief review: Shadow of the Giant is the final (as of right now, and probably ever) installment of the Ender's Shadow series. I have enjoyed this particular series quite a bit. It recounts the events on Earth after the events in Ender's Game. We follow Bean and Petra, but the real star of this show (and perhaps the real "Shadow" of Ender) is Peter Wiggin. We follow as Peter continues in his quest to become the Hegemon (the world leader) and to have actual authority over the whole world. The political and military maneuvers and manipulation that make this a reality for Peter are fun to watch unfold.

This series has been easy to read, but still full of great ideas by Card. Shadow of the Giant makes us think about contemporary events, even though it discusses them in playful science fiction. Card brings up issues about Muslim, Chinese, and United States politics from current headlines and stretches them to their logical conclusion. What if the Muslim world united under one head? Or if the massive Chinese population began an offensive against an almost equally massive Indian nation? In this book Card examines these possible political situations, but he does so within a very entertaining novel.

Shadow of the Giant is clever and thought provoking. If you have not read any of the rest of the series, this would not be a good place to start. But I would highly recommend picking up Ender's Game and then Ender's Shadow, because these books (and especially Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow) have been worth it.

Favorite quote: Life is full of grief, to exactly the degree we allow ourselves to love other people.

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Final Word: Huge.

Book 31: Sandworms of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

Title: Sandworms of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

Pages: 494

How it was obtained: My parents gave it to me for Christmas.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 18 months.

Days spent reading it: 3 days.

Why I read it: After reading Hunters of Dune, I simply HAD to finish Sandworms of Dune as well. Its the sequel and concluding book in the Dune series (although now Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson are going back and filling in the holes in the series).

Brief review: I have enjoyed reading Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's additions to the Dune universe. I have read both prequels and now the concluding chapters to the series. They are fun and easy reads. Like I said for Hunters of Dune, they're not literature, but they are not bad.

Having said that, I have a few more complaints about Sandworms of Dune than I did about Hunters of Dune.

First, Brian and Kevin treat the readers like they are stupid. They drop not-so-subtle hints about the direction of the story every page and I guess they hope that the readers do not put it all together before the final unveiling. At points in the novel I literally shouted out "I'M NOT STUPID!!! I GET WHAT YOU ARE HINTING AT!!!!!!!" Seriously, I'm not a kindergartner.

Second, I did not like the simple way they wrapped up some of the serious conflicts in the story. The Dune universe has been about conflict its entire existence, and at the end of this book we are supposed to believe that with a few kind words those conflicts simply disappear. Please. I envision a war torn universe and factions to emerge, not this homogenizing effect that magically happens with the thoughts of one powerful being. In my opinion the conclusion of this series was a little forced. Even if this is the conclusion Frank Herbert outlined, it was poorly executed by Brian and Kevin.

That being said, any Dune fan would consider this a must read. It was not difficult reading and it did bring a sense of closure that was lacking in Chapterhouse. Of course, if you are like me, perhaps you liked the wide open possibilities that Chapterhouse presented and would prefer to stay in a universe that is so open-ended its crazy. If that's you, don't read Hunters of Dune or Sandworms of Dune, just revel in your imaginative Dune universe.

Favorite quote: "One can always find a battlefield if one looks hard enough."

Stars: 3 out of 5.

Final Word: Lacking.

Book 30: Hunters of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

Title: Hunters of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson

Pages: 520.

How it was obtained: Bargain bin at Barnes and Noble. I would have bought it outright, but I knew it was going to be a two book story, so I waited.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 6 months.

Days spent reading it: 3 days.

Why I read it: Nearly 10 years ago now, I started and finished the original Dune series by Frank Herbert. I have long considered Dune (the original novel that kicked off the franchise) and Chapterhouse: Dune (Book 6 of the series) two of my favorite novels. I loved the complex story telling, interweaved with innovative (and strange) ideas about science, religion, politics and technology. But most of all, one of the last chapters in Chapterhouse is one of my favorite chapters in a book of all time. It was not expected and simply blew my mind away. The possibilities were endless. Frank Herbert had left a door so wide open my mind raced with the different scenarios of what happened after the book ended.

Frank Herbert was supposed to write a final 7th Dune novel, but sadly he died before this could happen. Then his son, Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson found some outlines for the last novel and started writing. The result has been 2 trilogies of prequels to the Dune series and now the final 7th novel (which became 2 novels). I waited patiently for the 2nd of the two novels to be released and then preceeded to read books 7 and 8 in the Dune saga.

Brief review: I enjoy the Dune universe. I think Frank Herbert had a very creative mind that was both full of intrigue and subtlety. He was nuanced in his writing. It is truly sad that he could not be the one to complete his grand epic. Instead his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson have picked up the mantle.

There are pros and cons to this situation.

Con--Brian and Kevin are no Frank Herbert. Frank's thoughts were dense and his overall vision broad. He was a visionary and a creative genius. Brian and Kevin, not so much.

Pro--Brian and Kevin are MUCH MUCH easier to read. I cruised through these two rather large books (each over 500 pages) in a little under 3 days each. It would have taken me a few weeks to manage reading 1,000 of Frank Herbert. Really its the difference between pop fiction and literature. Frank Herbert wrote literature, it just happened to be sci-fi. Brian and Kevin write pop fiction. Not bad, just not of the same caliber.

I know I did not get much into the plot here. And I won't really because it would reveal too much from the previous books and the next book. What I will say is that I did enjoy reading Hunters of Dune. It was cheesy at points, it was action filled adventure at others. But it was a fun read. This book is definitely defined by the "Hunters" that exist in many forms through the book. It is a constant game of hide and seek, of hunting and being hunted. There is a real sense of danger for the main characters through the whole book.

Did it live up to my expectations for book 7 in the Dune epic? No, but I think with the way my brain was rolling after Chapterhouse:Dune, perhaps nothing ever could. Not even if it was written by a Frank Herbert ghola himself (gholas are people who have been cloned from dead cells in the Dune universe...often they can get their old memories back, for those who have never read the series).

I think anyone who has read the entirety of the Dune series would read Hunters of Dune and its sequel Sandworms of Dune simply for closure. Its not bad, its just not as great as it might have been.

Favorite quote: "As human beings, we have trouble functioning in environments in which we feel threatened. The threat becomes the focus of our existence. But 'safety' is one of the great illusions of the universe. Nowhere is truly safe."

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Final Word: Spicy.

Book 29: Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry

Title: Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry

Pages: 482.

How it was obtained: It was a Christmas present for Susan (I don't remember if I bought it or if someone else bought it).

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 2 1/2 years.

Days spent reading it: 4 days.

Why I read it: I already read (and liked) the other two books in this series, so I wanted to read this one (obviously)!

Brief review: Since this is the third book in a series, I do not want to give too much away in regards to the series. But I do want to give a little review. Peter and the Secret of Rundoon continues the popular Peter and the Starcatchers series that re-envisions the Peter Pan story.
I went into this book a little nervous about the quality. Susan and some others I know read this book and were not as impressed as they were with the first two books in the series. So I thought I would not like it as much either. However that was not the case. I actually liked it quite a bit. Right there with the second book, not quite as good as the first book.

Barry and Ridley continue to create a magical world that is fun to explore. I liked the change of scenery that this book offered (a desert instead of an island or city). This book also explains more about the origins of the Starcatchers and the Others. It even explains a little more about what the mysterious and powerful starstuff is.

In my opinion this book was definitely worth reading if you enjoyed the first two. If you didn't enjoy them, you won't enjoy this one. The only real criticism I have about this book is that, as far as plot and storytelling go, there is nothing really new here. Sure there are some new elements (new bad guy, bigger picture). But clearly Barry and Ridley have a formula going. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And I'm fine with that. This series is fun and lighthearted and is a good read for relaxing.

Favorite quote:
"You trust [Hook]?" said Peter.
"I trust him to do what's in his interest," said Leonard. "Right now it's in his interest to take us where we want to goso that we don't toss him over the side, which I have assured him we will hapily do at the first sign of treachery."
Peter smiled and was rewarded with a personalized glare from Hook.

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Final Word: (Secret!)

Book 27: Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

Title: Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

Pages: 572.

How it was obtained: I traded in a ton of used books at a used book store before we left Columbia. This is one of the books I got in exchange for super cheap.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 3 years.

Days spent reading it: 3 weeks.

Why I read it: I love science fiction. I like the idea of colonizing Mars. This book won the Nebula award in 1993 (very prestigious SF awards). So I imagined I would like it.

Brief review: Red Mars is a novel about colonizing and terraforming Mars. It deals with all the facets of colonizing another planet: scientific, political, personal, nature, business, and government, amongst others. It also theorizes on the consequences of that transformation.

I picked up Red Mars not really knowing what to expect. I was blown away by Kim Robinson's (a man, by the way) grasp of the technical elements of space travel and colonization. I would not say that the technical side gets too heavy except occasionally. Robinson's sheer knowledge of the technical side of space colonization is dumbfounding. He certainly did his homework before writing this novel. I would not be surprised if he actually traveled to Mars! It was so realistic at points.

My only complaint about this novel was that it was actually very slow reading. It took me almost twice as long to read a page than it normal does. Which meant this novel took some real time to finish. And I could only take it in smaller chunks (50 pages or so at a time).

The characters in the novel are fantastic. They are all a little messed up. You spend a lot of time with a few of the first 100 (the first 100 to travel to Mars). They all have their different take on what colonizing Mars should mean for them and the nations they represent (or the planet they represent as they settle Mars). The political elements of this book were very fascinating. The business elements of this book (talking about transnational businesses, etc) was confusing to me, but I understand nothing about big companies. Somebody out there probably appreciates what I could not even fathom.

Overall I thought this book was great, but probably not for anyone who is not really interested in sci-fi or colonization. The technical side of it alone will slow the reading to a crawl, but the ideas are entirely worth the time. I thought I might not be interested enough to read the other two in the trilogy, but after finishing Red Mars I am ready to start Green Mars (once I get through this list of course!).

Favorite quote: "Frank Chalmers made his way through them , feeling their stares, moving without thought toward them, feeling their stares, moving without thought toward the platform at the top of town; and as he walked he said to himself, Now we'll see what I can do with this planet." (Its not a great quote out of context, but in the midst of the chapter, it was amazing).

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Final Word: Transforming.

Book 26: The Yanti by Christopher Pike

Title: The Yanti by Christopher Pike

Pages: 398

How it was obtained: This book is a part of a series, and I bought it for Susan when it came out.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 2 years.

Days spent reading it: 3 days.

Why I read it: I thought it was the final book in a trilogy. Turns out it is the third book in a series. But that's why I read it in the first place.

Brief review: After a strong second book in the series, I was hoping for a solid third book. Instead it was a mediocre book, in the sense of not horrible, but not great either. The Yanti was an alright book, but it definitely was not as good as its predecessor.

The Yanti continues the story of Ali Warner as she battles the evil Shaktra that is attempting to destroy the world. My biggest gripe about this particular book is that the plot turned from interesting to lame in one fell swoop. The ultimate enemy is revealed and its honestly a little disappointing. "The Entity" is a conquering race that is without love. They are powerful but have no morals. And they are behind what's going on in the world of Ali Warner.

This book also became hazy in who or what the characters are. Pike is clearly attempting to appeal to a strange mysticism based in Buddhist, perhaps some Hindu, and New Age thinking. And he's also not so subtle with his environmental concerns. All of this makes a muddled novel that is not as clear or as fun as The Shaktra was. And Pike continues to use the annoying method of showing that some characters understand what is happening while refusing to tell the readers (or other main characters) what the heck is going on. Each question is pushed off for later. Nagging suspicions and moments of insight are alluded to, but not explained. I felt like Pike was writing to a 5 year old...This is important little boy, but I'm not going to tell you why just yet! JUST TELL ME YOU JERK!

Well, that about sums up The Yanti from my point of view. There is another book slotted to come out in this series, but given its up and down quality, I'll probably pass. And I would probably recommend passing on this series. Its alright for a little bit, but not worth the overall investment in my opinion.

Favorite quote: (Not my favorite quote, actually, I probably could not disagree with it more, but it is most revealing about Pike's own beliefs I think)

"On Earth, each of your religions teaches that their holy books are the final word of God. In their minds, the truth is set in stone, and that makes most of your people comfortable. They can point to a source of inspiration and say to themselves, there, in that book, is the supreme truth."
"I prefer a set truth," Ra admitted.
"Well, you're an elf," Geea said. "Fairies prefer to see truth as fluid--more like a river that flows along twisting bends. We see truth as too sacred to define. It's one way today, different tomorrow."

Stars: 2.5 out of 5

Final Word: Mediocre.

Book 24: The Shaktra by Christopher Pike

Title: The Shaktra by Christopher Pike

Pages: 334.

How it was obtained: Christmas present to Susan.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 3 years.

Days spent reading it: 3 days.

Why I read it: After reading Alosha, I almost decided not to continue this trilogy. I was a little disappointed. However, my desire to complete things got the better of me, and I picked up The Shaktra as originally intended.

Brief review: The Shaktra is the second book in the Alosha trilogy. I was disappointed in the first book, but was quite surprised by the second. I'm not sure what the difference was, but Shaktra exceeded my expectations.

The story moves along a bit quicker I think, and the images in the book are more unique and memorable than in the first book. For instance there are these great creatures in the book called scabs, which are like jellyfish that float in the air and suck the brains out of their victims. That's awesome in my book. Although Pike draws out some of the basic questions of the book through the whole book (like who or what is the Shaktra?), he does move the plot along.

One thing that was kind of odd was how little Pike used some of the main characters from the first book in this book. A troll and leprechaun are constant traveling companions of Ali, but they do very little besides whimper and complain in this book. I mean, come on, you have a freakin' troll in your entourage, use it!

But overall, this book delivers in a way that the first book in the trilogy did not. And for me, that is huge. Most trilogies that start great have trouble in the middle section, this book wobbled a little, but was more solid than its origins.

Favorite quote: "And it was a great treat to hear a troll giggling, because he sounded like he was about to throw up."

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Final Word: Unexpected.