12 Science Fiction Reads I’m Looking Forward to in 2021 #Brainfluffbookblog #12SciFiReadsfor2021 #SciFiMonth2020

Whatever else it’s been, 2020 has been a marvellous year for science fiction reads, particularly space opera. So what am I looking forward to reading in 2021? I’ve determined to become more disciplined and complete series that I’ve started, thoroughly enjoyed – and then dropped again because the new shiny drew me away… This is the final post that I’m linking to #Sci Fi Month 2020.
So in no particular order:

Bear Head – Book 2 of the Dogs of War series by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Anyone who has been on this site for a while knows I’m a huge fan of his writing – and I was delighted to learn that this sequel to the thought-provoking novella Dogs of War – see my review – is due out in early January 2021.

The Expert System’s Champion – Book 2 of The Expert System series by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Expert System’s Brother is one of those books that hasn’t left me alone since I read it – see my review. So I was so excited to learn that we have now the opportunity to follow what happened next to poor old Handry after his previous adventures.

Scardown – Book 2 of the Wetwired series by Elizabeth Bear
I was blown away by Ancestral Night – see my review – and am thoroughly enjoying Machine, so got hold of Hammered – see my review – for more Elizabeth Bear goodness. And I want to continue with this series, seeing as I had such fun with the first book.

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A Desolation Called Peace – Book 2 of the Teixcalaan series by Arkady Martine
After the acclaimed A Memory Called Empire – see my review – I’m sure I won’t be the only desperate to get my hands on this sequel. And the good news is that we won’t have all that long to wait…

Endgame – Book 6 of the Sirantha Jax series by Ann Aguirre
I started this series far too long ago and have loved the progression of Jax. So one of my Christmas presents from me to me, will be a copy of this one, seeing how much I enjoyed Grimspace, Killbox and Aftermath – review to follow.

The Fall of Koli – Book 3 of the Rampart trilogy by M.R. Carey
This post-apocalyptic adventure featuring poor old Koli in a savage Britain, where even the trees have gone feral, has gripped me even more than The Girl With All the Gifts or The Boy on the Bridge – see my reviews of The Book of Koli and The Trials of Koli. So I need to discover what happens next!

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Network Effect – Book 5 of the Murderbot series by Martha Wells
I loved All Systems Red – see my review – but given that the novellas aren’t all that long and I read quite fast, I simply couldn’t justify the expense of following the rest of the novella series. The first novel, however, is a different proposition and I’m really looking forward to tucking into this one next year.

By Other Means – Book 5 of the Hayden War Cycle by Evan Currie
I’ve loved following super-soldier Sorilla Aida on her adventures in On Silver Wings, Valkyrie Rising, Valkyrie Burning and The Valhalla Call. But, again, this is a series that has simply taken too long to catch up. So I’ll be tucking into this one sometime in January or February.

Driving the Deep – Book 2 of the Finder series by Suzanne Palmer
I loved listening to Finder earlier this year – see my review. So I have decided to treat myself to the audio version of this one, so I have another space opera action adventure to keep me company while cleaning the house.

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Lines of Departure – Book 2 of the Frontlines series by Marko Kloos
I loved the first book, Terms of Enlistment – see my review – and fully intended to tuck into the second book , which I have on my TBR, much sooner. As it is, better late than never. So this is another offering I intend to read in the early part of 2021…

Defending the Galaxy – Book 3 of the Sentinels of the Galaxy series by Maria V. Snyder
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the upbeat, bouncy vibe of young Ara has she faces off the creepy alien shadows and a nasty crime synicate in Navigating the Stars and Chasing the Shadows – review to follow. So I’m keen to see how this all plays out in the final book of the series.

Fleet of Knives – Book 2 of the Embers of War series by Gareth L. Powell
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, Embers of War – see my mini-review. The sentient ship Trouble Dog rather stole the show for me and I’m only too happy to read more about his ongoing adventures.

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And there you have it – 12 science fiction reads I have lined up to get me through the miserable months of January, February and March, in amongst my fantasy and crime reads. Are there any books here that you are intending to also read? Or others you would like to recommend? I’ve loved taking part in #Sci Fi Month 2020 – it’s been a joy to browse through the master schedule and make a note of books I want to get hold of. But I am trying very hard to be adult about this – and work on completing more series that I have already started. Wish me luck!

Review of AUDIOBOOK Finder – Book 1 of the Finder Chronicles by Suzanne Palmer #Brainfluffaudiobookreview #Finderbookreview #SciFiMonth2020.

The Cap from Captain’s Quarters was fulsome in praising this one – and I’ve come to respect the Cap’s opinions such that I immediately went looking for Finder. I decided to treat myself to the audio version – and I’m delighted that I did, because Joe Hempel did a cracking job on the narration. I’m linking this article with #Sci Fi Month 2020.

BLURB: Fergus Ferguson has been called a lot of names: thief, con artist, repo man. He prefers the term finder. His latest job should be simple. Find the spacecraft Venetia’s Sword and steal it back from Arum Gilger, ex-nobleman turned power-hungry trade boss. He’ll slip in, decode the ship’s compromised AI security, and get out of town, Sword in hand. Fergus locates both Gilger and the ship in the farthest corner of human-inhabited space, a gas-giant-harvesting colony called Cernee. But Fergus’ arrival at the colony is anything but simple… That’s as much of the rather chatty blurb that I’m prepared to share.

REVIEW: Well this is a bucketful of fun! Fergus is a sympathetic protagonist, who I immediately bonded with over the way he handled himself during the first adventure that sucked him into Cernee’s power struggle. In common with most protagonists, Fergus has a troubled backstory that accounts for his footloose lifestyle. But although this comes into play and at times has a bearing on the decisions he makes, it doesn’t turn him into too much of a victim.

While this book is packed with action, it isn’t at the expense of the main characters or the setting. And I really enjoyed seeing Fergus pitchforked into the middle of a series of impossible situations and then watch how he tries to improvise his way out of them. A couple of his madcap ideas are plain hilarious – his use of sex toys comes to mind – which brings some welcome levity into a story that could have been all about the killing and bloodshed. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting – the space habs were vividly portrayed, as were the pests…

There is a McGuffin that Fergus acquires during his various adventures, but I was glad to see that in the eventual showdown, that didn’t allow him to prevail against the baddie. The supporting cast are also fun, especially the snarky teen who keeps popping up just as Fergus thinks he’s got her tucked away somewhere safe.

My only niggle is that we don’t really get a sense of the motivations of arch-villain, Arum Gilger – and given that he is the major antagonist throughout, I was a tad disappointed that it wasn’t until right at the very end of the adventure, we get any kind of insight as to what runs him. And even then, it wasn’t really fully explored, which given the reach he has, I found a little unsatisfactory. It isn’t a dealbreaker as such – and I’m certainly going to get hold of the second book – but it does account my score of eight, rather than a nine.

Highly recommended for fans who enjoy excellent space opera adventure with an interesting, likeable hero.
8/10

Sunday Post – 20th September, 2020 #Brainfluffbookblog #SundayPost

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.

It’s been a quiet week. I had a minor sniffle and sore throat. Nothing remotely COVID, but it still seems very anti-social to start spreading whatever-it-is around, so I stayed at home. My youngest grandson, after three days at school, has had to quarantine for a fortnight as a child in his yeargroup cluster was discovered to have COVID-19. I’ve been busy catching up with my blog, and harvesting my fennel seeds, while still slightly buzzy about last week’s holiday.

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The photos are from last week’s visit to Batemans, home of Rudyard Kipling for the last years of his life. Although the house was closed, we had a lovely time wandering through the gardens and along the small river running along the end of the property. The weather was absolutely fantastic, though it has continued to be dry and warm throughout this week, too. Long may it continue, if it keeps Winter at bay.

Last week I read:

Attack Surface – Book 3 of the Little Brother series by Cory Doctorow
Most days, Masha Maximow was sure she’d chosen the winning side. In her day job as a counterterrorism wizard for an transnational cybersecurity firm, she made the hacks that allowed repressive regimes to spy on dissidents, and manipulate their every move. The perks were fantastic, and the pay was obscene.

Just for fun, and to piss off her masters, Masha sometimes used her mad skills to help those same troublemakers evade detection, if their cause was just. It was a dangerous game and a hell of a rush. But seriously self-destructive. And unsustainable.

When her targets were strangers in faraway police states, it was easy to compartmentalize, to ignore the collateral damage of murder, rape, and torture. But when it hits close to home, and the hacks and exploits she’s devised are directed at her friends and family–including boy wonder Marcus Yallow, her old crush and archrival, and his entourage of naïve idealists–Masha realizes she has to choose. And whatever choice she makes, someone is going to get hurt.
I was blissfully unaware that this is a spinoff from a series – but it really doesn’t matter. Although another of the main characters features in the previous stories, this is essentially a standalone, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Review to follow.


Dead Man in a Ditch – Book 2 of the Fetch Phillips Archives by Luke Arnold
The name’s Fetch Phillips — what do you need? Cover a Gnome with a crossbow while he does a dodgy deal? Sure.

Find out who killed Lance Niles, the big-shot businessman who just arrived in town? I’ll give it shot.

Help an old-lady Elf track down her husband’s murderer? That’s right up my alley.

What I don’t do, because it’s impossible, is search for a way to bring the goddamn magic back.

Rumors got out about what happened with the Professor, so now people keep asking me to fix the world. But there’s no magic in this story. Just dead friends, twisted miracles, and a secret machine made to deliver a single shot of murder.
I’d enjoyed the first book, but I had a few issues with this one. Review to follow.

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AUDIOBOOK Finder – Book 1 of the Finder Chronicles by Suzanne Palmer
Fergus Ferguson has been called a lot of names: thief, con artist, repo man. He prefers the term finder.

His latest job should be simple. Find the spacecraft Venetia’s Sword and steal it back from Arum Gilger, ex-nobleman turned power-hungry trade boss. He’ll slip in, decode the ship’s compromised AI security, and get out of town, Sword in hand.

Fergus locates both Gilger and the ship in the farthest corner of human-inhabited space, a gas-giant-harvesting colony called Cernee. But Fergus’ arrival at the colony is anything but simple. A cable car explosion launches Cernee into civil war, and Fergus must ally with Gilger’s enemies to navigate a field of space mines and a small army of hostile mercenaries. What was supposed to be a routine job evolves into negotiating a power struggle between factions. Even worse, Fergus has become increasingly–and inconveniently–invested in the lives of the locals.
Well, this is fun! Lots of mayhem, well narrated and plenty of surprises and plot twists until the climax – and the good news is that it is the beginning of a series. Review to follow.


My posts last week:

Castellan the Black and His Wise Draconic Tips on Childcare

Review of The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Déjà vu review of Earth Girl – Book 1 of the Earth Girl series by Janet Edwards

Friday Faceoff featuring The Hound of the Baskervilles – Book 5 of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Arthur Conan Doyle

Cover Love featuring the covers of Janet Edwards

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The Trials of Koli – Book 2 of The Rampart trilogy by M.R. Carey

Can’t-Wait-Wednesday featuring The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

Reblog of interview with S.J. Higbee by Jean Lee

Tuesday Treasures – 13

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of Earth Prime – Book 1 of The Earth Girl Aftermath stories by Janet Edwards

Sunday Post – 13th September 2020

To my shame, I haven’t visited many blogs or interacted on Twitter all that much this week – so I don’t have anything to share ☹.

Thank you for visiting, reading, liking and/or commenting on my blog – I hope you and yours have a peaceful, healthy week. Take care.