Highlights and Lowlights - May 2025

Highlights and Lowlights - May 2025
Books are rated using a very primitive rating system:
“+” are good, and more “+” are better
“-” are not good, and more “-” are worse
I’m happy to answer questions about anything here.
Highlight: Sweep of the Heart - Andrews [Innkeeper Chronicles #5]
Lowlight: Rogue Star - Pohl & Williamson [Starchild Trilogy #3]
May 2025
( +++ 1/2 ) Cast in Atonement - Sagara [Elantra #18]
( ++ - ) Destroyer of Worlds - Correia [Saga of the Forgotten Warrior #3]
( + - - - ) Rogue Star - Pohl & Williamson [Starchild Trilogy #3]
( +++ 1/2 ) A Liaden Universe Constellation Vol 1 - Lee & Miller
( +++ ) Mistress of the Catacombs - Drake [Lord of the Isles #4]
( +++ 1/2 ) Sweep of the Heart - Andrews [Innkeeper Chronicles #5]
( + - ) Starchild - Pohl & Williamson [Starchild Trilogy #2]
( ++ ) Mickey7 - Ashton
Now Reading:
Long work - Rhythm of War - Sanderson [Stormlight Archive #4]
Collection - The New Hugo Winners Volume II [Presented by Isaac Asimov]
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May 2025
( +++ 1/2 ) Cast in Atonement - Sagara [Elantra #18]
Excellent. Another great entry. This one picks up shortly after #17. In the aftermath of killing Azoria, some of her spells and deeds are still causing issues. The primary example is that the once-dormant Ancient that Azoria disturbed (and which Kaylin rescued from Azoria’s plans) is inadvertently causing really big problems. Mrs Erickson has also noticed the cause of Bellusdeo’s anger/depression/malaise. Of course, Kaylin gets drafted to help solve both.
Quick Quiz Question: Amongst the supposed good guys or neutrals, who is the biggest jackass in this book/series: Androsse, Larrantin, or Terrano?
Quick Quiz Answer: Mr Spock, please beam all three of them into a rock.
( ++ - ) Destroyer of Worlds - Correia [Saga of the Forgotten Warrior #3]
This was fine. I will likely read #4, but that’s not 100% certain. This is a setting somewhat reminiscent of India before the British showed up, plus magic and gods (almost entirely off stage) and demons and wizards. Ashok is a legendary warrior, once an elite Protector, whose magical House Blade has shattered. Thera is the Voice of one of the gods. The mustache-twirling-antagonist-behind-the-scenes is nuts in a cliched, predictable way. He wants to be a god. In this heavily caste-/class- based world, he decides that all the casteless across the entire empire have to die in The Great Extermination. That’s millions of people. Ashok and Thera try to rescue as many casteless as they can, becoming de facto leaders of a growing Resistance. Ashok is a great character, and Thera is becoming one.
( + - - - ) Rogue Star - Pohl & Williamson [Starchild Trilogy #3]
AND
( + - ) Starchild - Pohl & Williamson [Starchild Trilogy #2]
Makes sense to review these two together, starting with #2 “Starchild”:
In loose terms, we’ve often mentioned two versions of Van Vogt in this newsgroup, the good mostly-coherent one, and the disjointed not-so-good one that jumps all over the place. In this second book of the trilogy, Pohl & Williamson seemed to have channeled their inner Van Vogt, but the wrong one. Scenes, locations, plot threads seem to careen from place to place, possibly to give the impression of great events at grand scales, but holy cow does this not hang together well. There’s almost no overlap with the characters of book 1 (though they are mentioned), and all characters but the protagonist are one-dimensional.
Under the assumption that the second in a trilogy is often the worst, I did read number 3. Here goes, #3 “Rogue Star”:
Oh my, this was awful. At least, it would have been far far better to catch this trilogy while I was a teenager. Continuing the Van Vogt analogy above, imagine a feverish, delusional Van Vogt finishing a trilogy on deadline. It would have been better than this. Pohl & Williamson should have done better. They knew better. Every prominent character here is either an idiot, a one-dimensional caricature, or a one-dimensional caricature of an idiot. Stupid characters behaving stupidly, the protagonists are ultimately observers, affecting almost nothing of consequence. Terrible ending, and what little did get resolved was rather unsatisfying. The plus is for the world-building and the setting(s), which were stuck way too far in the background here.
( +++ 1/2 ) A Liaden Universe Constellation Vol 1 - Lee & Miller
Published in 2013, this is an excellent collection of 17 stories in the Liaden Universe, all originally published between 1995 and 2002. Some stories involve familiar characters from the novels, and some do not. All of them are well worth reading, and some reveal some impressive long-term planning and forethought on the part of the authors. I will definitely seek out Constellation Vol 2.
( +++ ) Mistress of the Catacombs - Drake [Lord of the Isles #4]
Very good, the best entry since book 1. I will read #5. Drake again finds ways to separate the four protagonists into four places with four sets of critical issues. This time, though, one of them is 1000 years in the past, and one is 1000 years in the future. The inner circle of characters beyond the four are well-drawn and get some featured time as well.The huge threat/crisis that is narrowly averted at the end leads to some serious questions, and signals further issues to come.
( +++ 1/2 ) Sweep of the Heart - Andrews [Innkeeper Chronicles #5]
Excellent. This is (so far) the final entry in this series, and it was delightful. It’s longer than all the others, surely because there’s so much more ground to cover. Sean’s mentor has been  kidnapped and taken to an isolated and dangerous place that only the Dominion has access to. In exchange for giving Dina and Sean access, the Dominion asks to hold an interstellar event at their inn. Huge cast of characters, touching on every previous book (as well as introducing some new ones). The Dominion event takes up a lot of the book, and the final 1/4 (or so) details the mission to rescue Sean’s mentor. The conclusion is satisfying, but it would be neat to revisit this universe some time.  Fun stuff.
( ++ ) Mickey7 - Ashton
This was pretty interesting, and I’ll read the next one some time. The tone is reminiscent of Weir’s The Martian, and the characterizations are a bit hit-or-miss. It seems to take place roughly 600 years in our future. Mickey is the Expendable on a colonizing expedition to a cold, barely habitable planet. As an Expendable, when Mickey dies, he can be “reprinted”, with the most-recently-uploaded memories of his previous iteration already installed when he “wakes up”. So Mickey7 — the current Mickey — has died 6 times in service to the colony/mission. His job is to do the most hazardous stuff needed, knowing that he can be reprinted. There are some interesting takes on being an Expendable and the effects on the surrounding society.
Long work - Rhythm of War - Sanderson [Stormlight Archive #4]
Collection - The New Hugo Winners Volume II [Presented by Isaac Asimov]
Tony