The Wandering Earth, by Liu Cixin

 I read this because of the hype surrounding Liu Cixin's more recent novel, The Three Body Problem. I wanted to read some of the author's work before I committed to the first of a trilogy of hard sci-fi. To get a feel for his style, and an idea of his ideas.

 This novella, I felt would be a great jumping-in point. I'm glad I gave it a go. High-concept science fiction is not something I read a lot of, but this was presented in a very readable manner. Some of the exposition is rather clunkily delivered through dialogue, but this may be a translation issue, and does not take away too much from the piece.

 A brilliant concept, that in order to survive the sun becoming a red giant, humanity must take to the stars. Deciding that a generation ship would not be sustainable for the distance, or the length of time of the journey, the powers that be decide to take the Earth instead, hence the title. 

 I don't know how accurate the science behind the story is, but that doesn't matter, it reads as plausible, and the suspension of dis-belief is as necessary here as in fantasy. 

 I look forward to reading more of this author's work, even if it might take a while to wrap my head around the science.

Knight's Shadow (Greatcoats Book 2), by Sebastien de Castell

This book had a lot to live up to. One of last year's standout debuts, Traitors Blade was a fun action-packed thrill ride owing more than a little to Alexander Dumas and his Three Musketeers. 

The sequel, much bigger in terms of both size and ambition, was very eagerly awaited.

And it did not disappoint. In terms of storyline, we meet up with our three heroes more or less where we left them. A new band of Greatcoats has risen to take on Trin, the ducal heir with designs on the throne. The story here is much more complex and ambitious than the first volume, with deep political intrigue played off against stunning action sequences, which make for a compelling tale.

The story is told from Falcio's perspective, but, like in the fist book, Brasti and Kest get enough time to develop further and allow us to see their motivations as well as Falcio's. We also see other characters points-of-view and, mainly through confrontations, get to see what makes them tick as well. It makes for a fully formed story, and is much better for having fully formed characters rather than mere caricatures.

Tristia is a fascinating setting, with a political landscape which feels very real. The dukes and the Knights make for unsettling antagonists, with a sense of evil surrounding their plans for the country. It is through this conflict de Castell shows us his world, and the various people who populate it, the villagers and the nobles alike.

With more sequels planned, Tristia will only grow, and hopefully we will see more of it.

Bigger and better than its predecessor, Knight's Shadow is a wonderful sequel, managing to keep the tone of the original intact while at the same time expanding the themes that made it so good. The Greatcoats series is thriving, and I look forward to the next instalment.

Knight's Shadow is published in the UK by JoFletcherBooks

The Liar's Key (Red Queen'sWar, book 2), by Mark Lawrence

I've read that The Liars Key is not a redemption tale. I think it absolutely is. Perhaps not for Jalan, but for the reader. We may not like to admit it, but we all have the same feelings as Jalan, the same weaknesses, and it's in the ownership of these that we, like Jal, become more. Like it or not, most of us are more Jal than Snorri, and it's that acceptance which drives this story.
Prince Jalan Kendeth of Red March began the first book as unlikable a protagonist as one could hope to meet, but by the end of this, the second volume, having admitted to himself, and us, that there is so much more to him than his cowardice and his greed, he emerges as a figure of strength and loyalty. It is a story of discovery, of finding oneself through adversity. Despite his best efforts, Jal becomes a hero. While failing utterly to escape unscathed on several occasions, he manages to, among other things, escape from one prison and break into another, fight a horde of Red Vikings, necromancers, and well, the list is quite extensive by the end. And yet, Jal is still unconvinced. A lifetime of pretending, quite well it must be said, to be one thing, is a hard habit to break. But if we can open those doors, and admit that maybe, just maybe we are more than the sum of our parts, there remains hope.
It is a common human trait to put oneself down, to look past our achievements and our qualities, and focus only on the negatives, on the things we can't, and ignore the things we can. If Jal can show us one thing, it's that when push comes to shove, if he can, we can.
A wonderful story with a fantastic setting, and a very important message at its core. And it's damn fun too.