Figured it was about time I updated things, like several series I finished over the past few months:
- Daniel Suarez’ Daemon and Freedom. Daemon left me breathless. My goodness, talk about brutal and ruthless. Freedom, though, threw a great big bucket of ice water on all that when it turned the entire story into typical far left corporations-bad communes-good kerap. But it did underscore the far left’s willingness to slaughter millions simply to install their own narrow version of how the rest of us should live. Under their guidance, of course. Because there’s something about being a talented computer programmer that gives you a greater ability to tell everyone else how to live their lives than they can on their own. Still, it’s a great read. Just know what you’re getting into.
- Ann Leckie’s Ancillary series. Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Sword, Ancillary Mercy…wow, wow, WOW! Just love this trilogy and, yes, I understand it’s more than a trilogy but these are the base books and you gotta read them before you read anything else. The story of Breq, the ancillary (read “zombie soldier”) who becomes a starship (yep, a starship) and then a Fleet Captain opposed to the warring aspects of his empress (read “clones of the empress who are fighting each other”) as he cherishes the memory of his beloved captain when he was a starship…c’mon, with a description like that, you know you have to read them. The last book reduces this universe-wide story to a single star system, which makes the whole thing manageable. You can catch your breath.
- N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth series. The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, The Stone Sky…wow, wow, WOW! Nothing more to say. She’s won the Hugo three years running for a reason.
- Abaddon’s Gate. The third book of The Expanse series. Let’s just say this completely changes the direction of the story. Completely. I don’t know if that’s good or bad yet. Tell ya after the next one, Cibola Burn.
- Second season of Jessica Jones: Hmm. Not…bad, but who’s this whiny, self-pitying dweeb and what have you done with the real Jessica Jones? And Trish as Hellcat? Dunno ‘bout this.
- Second season of Luke Cage. That’s MUCH better. They got away from the 70’s-style blaxploitation silliness and made a gripping, gritty, street fighter black superhero show the way it should be. I could have done without the tropes (“Hands up, Don’t Shoot” did not happen) but the show played straight throughout. Shades is now my favorite villain: a murderous cold blooded killer with a conscience. And Misty Knight has come into her own.
7. Second season of Iron Fist. Hmm. I’m only halfway through and have mixed feelings. When I’m done, I’ll give this the full treatment.