Book #229 of 2021: The Andalite Chronicles by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs Chronicles #1) I’m still too early in my Animorphs reread to definitively call this prequel my single favorite entry, but it is certainly a strong contender for that eventual claim. In its first half in particular, it’s a sweeping space opera that takes …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Andalite Chronicles by K. A. Applegate”
Book #224 of 2021: The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story by Stephen R. Donaldson (The Gap Cycle #1) This is a difficult book to read, putting us into the mind of one of the vilest science-fiction protagonists ever created. Angus Thermopyle is not an interstellar pirate in the charming rogue sense; he’s an amoral …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story by Stephen R. Donaldson”
Book #223 of 2021: The Change by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #13) True to its title, this is one of the most consequential early Animorphs novels, coming just late enough in the franchise (around a quarter through) that the disruption to the prior status quo is completely unexpected and thrillingly carried off. That element is …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Change by K. A. Applegate”
Book #217 of 2021: The Reaction by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #12) Another goofy one-off premise, this time involving Rachel’s allergic reaction to the DNA of a crocodile she acquires. (At least the Sario Rip of the previous novel’s time-travel eventually comes up again; the idea of a morphing allergy and the ensuing ‘hereth illint’ …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Reaction by K. A. Applegate”
Book #211 of 2021: The Forgotten by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #11) In the first half of this story, the Animorphs are investigating a spaceship crash site, eventually embarking on a plan to steal the vessel and fly it to the White House. It’s one of those tossed-off elements that the series never really thinks …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Forgotten by K. A. Applegate”
Book #205 of 2021: The Android by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #10) I wouldn’t go so far as to call this a series-best Animorphs volume, but it’s one of the stronger entries for sure. It’s also the rare case of an item in this franchise with an unambiguous, straightforward title: this is in fact a …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Android by K. A. Applegate”
Book #204 of 2021: The Born Queen by Greg Keyes (The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone #4) This high fantasy quartet never quite regains the propulsive rush of its initial entry, and there are a few too many dramatic reversals and reveals in the lengthy climax of this last novel for each to land with …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Born Queen by Greg Keyes”
Book #199 of 2021: The Secret by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #9) This is perhaps the classic example of a disposable Animorphs volume, one which doesn’t really move the plot forward or tell us anything new about the characters or their universe. The crisis du jour is so quintessentially 90s too: the Yeerks are illegally …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Secret by K. A. Applegate”
Book #193 of 2021: The Alien by K. A. Applegate (Animorphs #8) The first Animorphs book narrated by Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill is a roaring success. (Strictly speaking, his viewpoint was introduced in the previous volume, Megamorphs #1, but it feels richer here where it doesn’t have to share space with any others.) We get new terminology for …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Alien by K. A. Applegate”
Book #191 of 2021: The Blood Knight by Greg Keyes (The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone #3) Another strong fantasy adventure, following the returning heroes — by this point fairly scattered across the realm — as they navigate civil war, political intrigue, and unjust imprisonment amid the prophesied apocalypse still unfolding all around them. It’s …
Continue reading “Book Review: The Blood Knight by Greg Keyes”
The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more