Quantum Entanglement

Leisel K. Hill

The action grabs you right from the beginning and refuses to let you go. There’s no time to sightsee, everything is all systems go. Maggie has been taken back to her own time, but she’s destined to travel a lot more – and take her brother with her. With dangers around, will Maggie and Marcus ever be reunited? Will the Collectives win?

The character development that was really apparent in the first novel is lost a little in this one. Most of the characters have already been established, and this novel really builds on them through their actions. The exception to this is for Marcus – some of his memories are brought to the fore, and we experience more with him as a result.

The neurochemical ability to Travel is confusing, as all time-travelling abilities are. My brain got a bit warped just trying to believe it all! I have no idea how Karl keeps it together. Equally, the shots into the future and how Hill deals with them speaks strongly for how she has planned out the other novels in this series.

Most of the action in this novel takes place outside of the Interchron. We have a chance to see the world outside – but not much of it is described. Mainly the focus is on the characters, and the action taking place. However, I particularly enjoyed the jumps through the ages that gave glimpses into the disintegration of human-kind into the Collectives. Things like that give me a grounding that Hill has fully realised the world of her novels.

This novel is satisfying, and yet leaves you wanting more. I don’t know how I am going to survive until the next one is released. It didn’t leave me on a cliffhanger in the way that many second books in series do, and I thank Hill for that. A well rounded novel.

As an example of dytopian sci-fi, it’s thrilling. I can’t say I love the genre as a whole, but this is such a fine example, that even if you think you won’t love it, go get yourself a copy anyway – it’s amazing. If you’re still a bit hesitant, go enter the giveaway on Goodreads (click here). It’s not going to cost you anything, and you might get the chance to read this brilliant book for free.

I can’t believe how much I want to rave about this novel. I read it while I was at work, and thrilled through it the whole time. I just couldn’t click away from the screen.

I read the first one as a review copy in paperback, and it was beautiful. It’s a mark of how much I loved Quantum Entanglement in that I will be purchasing a paperback copy of it as soon as I have the spare money (or perhaps as a birthday gift to myself!).

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K.J. Taylor

The Shadow’s Heir

Laela’s father has just died. When she is facing being thrown out of her village, she decides to make the move herself and abandon the life she has known so far. Little does she know that the wild city is waiting – and that the person she meets might not be the kind of person she assumed him to be.

Laela is a plucky, if somewhat oblivious sometimes, hero. I loved reading about her, and getting inside her mind (even if it seemed like she was freaking out over nothing sometimes). What did I like about her? Her determination to keep going, and please her rescuer, and then her determination to try and fix things when they went wrong.

It felt to me like the story had several parts. The beginning, and Laela’s inductions into the household was sort of part 1, followed by the trip overseas which was part 2, followed by a very short part 3. The ending seemed a little far fetched to me, that the retainers would be so supportive of some of the ideas. I didn’t really feel much suspense at the end, but it was satisfying.

What more can I say about it? Well, it seemed to me like something that had been revealed to Laela in the beginning was completely forgotten either by her, or the author. I could have sworn she knew what her real father’s name was – in which case all the worrying she does about it is unfounded.

The dialect drove me a little nuts. I don’t think it was necessary to set the tone of the novel (not like in a historical fiction book). Also there were a couple of descriptions of things that didn’t do much for me. I think those were about my only complaints with this novel.

After I had bought this book to read (blindly choosing one in *gasp* a brick-and-mortar bookshop) and had started reading it, I realised that it follows another trilogy that I haven’t read. I’d already gotten into the story by that point though, so I wasn’t going to stop reading it just for that. Also, I think I was stuck on a 14 hour plane flight at the time with limited other reading choices.

My gamble paid off – and I hope to get my hands on the others in this series soon. My birthday is soon, so there’s a chance I’ll get off guilt free in buying them!

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the Hero of Ages

Brandon Sanderson

Vin mistakenly set free Ruin, and Preservation is no longer strong enough to hold Ruin in check. It is up to the fallible humans to set right their mistakes and save the world.

The Lord Ruler set up cashes to save his people, and yet failed to protect them the rest of the time when he was living. It’s strange how out of touch with the world he got – but perhaps that can be attributed to Ruin.

Vin is once again important, but Elend and the other character have bigger roles to play. No longer is brute force the way to solve every problem, instead diplomacy and thinking are useful. Nice to see for a change.

There were several lightbulb moments for me while reading where I suddenly realized the importance of something that happened in the first two books. I can’t get over how amazing some of these things were, and the setup of things.

The ending is just as I wanted it to be. It was obvious that they were doomed – but not obvious who would save things. Oh the irony for Sazed. I loved Sazed’s convincing uncertainty, but happy usefulness in the end. Who knew religion was good for something?

Amazing. I can’t wait to read the standalone book that comes around 300 years after the events in this novel. I’m not sure it’ll be as good as these, but still good no doubt. Additionally I’d like to read other things by Sanderson – the magic systems he dreams up are inspired.

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the Well of Ascension

Brandon Sanderson

Vin has toppled the Lord Ruler. What is left is a country increasingly in peril. Although Vin strives to become more than a tool, ultimately she is in service to a greater cause.

Vin has finally become more than just a pretty girl in Kelsier’s shadow. Her role in the fading empire isn’t clear, but she tries to do the best she can. She has to be the most convincing self-sacrificing heroine I have seen in a while. This is offset by her violence, which sometimes seems unjustified and dangerous.

The romance between Vin and Elend is refreshing. The trust between them is something that we should all strive for. Theirs is a relationship fraught with danger, and so is more wonderful for that.

Elend is a bit weak for me. That’s not to say his character building is weak, it’s just that him as a person is weak. His character progression is clear, and ultimately he rivals Vin for power and self assurance.

This novel has the big battles that you would expect in an epic fantasy like this one. When the odds seem poor, there has to be a way. It’s not necessarily the politics that will save them, perhaps it will tangle them up even more?

The kandra are an inspired creature creation by Sanderson. One part bones, one part muscle, and the other part composed of The Contract. Although they play an important role in this novel, it comes to a head in the third book.

Just as good as the first book in the series, and a pleasurable and surprising read.

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