Asaro, Catherine: Ascendant Sun

Ascendant Sun (2000)
Written by: Catherine Asaro
Genre: Space Opera
Pages: 384 (Mass Market Paperback)
Series: Skolian Empire
Rating: 5 – It’s a Gamble

Why I Read It: Thanks to the Mount TBR project, it’s given me a chance to delve into series that I’ve collected but neglected, and Asaro was at the top of my pile. I started with The Radiant Seas, and next in line in the series (by publication chronology) was Ascendant Sun, so no matter how much I hated the cover (I’ll get to that later), I picked it up and gave it a whirl.

Please Note: the premise spoils the events of Catherine Asaro’s The Last Hawk.

O’Malley, Daniel: The Rook

The Rook (2012)
Written by: Daniel O’Malley
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Pages: 486 (Hardcover)
Rating: 6 – Worth Reading, with Reservations

Why I Read It: The opening of this book snagged me faster than anything’s snagged me in a very long while. Then when The Book Smugglers gave it an 8 out of 10, I knew this was a new release I had to get my hands on, so I did.

Robson, Justina: Silver Screen

Silver Screen (1999)
Written by: Justina Robson
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 383 (Trade Paperback)
Rating: 7 – Good Read

Why I Read It: while Robson’s stuff can be hit or miss with me, her stuff’s usually a hit more than a miss, and Silver Screen has been sitting on my shelf for a while. I always enjoy reading Robson’s fiction, because she’s a fabulous stylist with great technique, empathetic characters, and vivid descriptions. I kind of see her as the Catherynne M. Valente of SF, in a way. At any rate, thanks to the Mount TBR challenge, I was happy to dig this out of the TBR pile and give it a go.

Okorafor, Nnedi: Akata Witch

Akata Witch (2011)
Written by: Nnedi Okorafor
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Pages: 350 (Hardcover)
Rating: 7 – Good Read

Why I Read It: This book has been on my radar ever since I got my hands on Who Fears Death and I wondered if Okorafor was coming out with anything new. To my surprise, this came out less than a year later, so I happily plunked it on my wishlist and waited for the right time to get it. Turns out, the right time to get it is at Christmas, as a friend of mine picked it up for me, and when this came to the top of my queue, I was more than happy to read it.

Asaro, Catherine: The Radiant Seas

The Radiant Seas (1999)
Written by: Catherine Asaro
Genre: Space Opera/SFR
Pages: 493 (Mass Market Paperback)
Series: Skolian Empire
Rating: 5 – It’s a Gamble

Why I Read It: I first discovered Catherine Asaro when I was a graduate student working on my own SF thesis, and at the time, I didn’t know that such a thing as Science Fiction Romance (or commonly known as SFR) existed. Once I read Asaro’s debut Primary Inversion, I was hooked. I ended up with the whole series to date and read the next two novels (I should note I’m not referring to series order, but rather publication order) within the year, and then just stopped. Thanks to the Mount TBR challenge, I knew it was time to pick this series up again, if only to get just a few more books under my belt. The Radiant Seas is fourth in the publication order, which is how I’ve decided to read the series, rather than rely on any internal chronology, because Asaro’s chronology is rather all-the-place.

Please note: the premise includes spoilers for Primary Inversion, the very first book in the series.