Sotto Voce's Blog, page 8

Honey Locust is a sequel to the tale of Mason MacKay. Having read the first book quite recently, the plot flows without any hiccup for me as most details are still fresh in my mind.

I like this book better than the first one, although I still feel indifferent to the main characters. Imho, all the side characters have better developments, while the main character remains almost the same throughout this book. However, all characters are more consistent and feel more personal, well rounded with clea...

I have mixed feelings about this book.

 Vitruvian Mask startsstrongly, readers are presented with an interesting world where the timeline isset in the past, yet we learn about modern technology exceeding current time.We follow the journey of a heavily pregnant scientist, Adelaide Coumain, in atrying time when science has been outlawed, and she has to endure theman-dominated world without certainty in the future for her and her baby.

 We learn about thefather of the baby, snippets ...

The idea of this book is intriguing. We are following the transformation of the character as his storyline unfolds layer by layer.

I like the fast pace, the willingness to create impacts, and the body counts along the way. The tightly woven of interlocking flows between scenes and characters are established firmly. There are enough revelations and mysteries; it was not a difficult read for me. The author manages to handle some sensitive topics delicately, and personally, I don't mind others that ...

 This book is a unique view into the world on the other side.

Not the kind of book I usually pick up; this is the first time, actually. Last and this year, I explored books in genres I would never read before and was pleasantly surprised by many.

I have lived long enough to learn that there are many things out there that we don't know, and open-mindedness is the wisest way to live. I stayed and explored strange places. People I trust, including my Dad, had experienced unexplainable stuff. I like h...

Watery Grave is a book about a suspected murderinvestigation for a case that had been ruled out as an accident. A persistentfamily member of the deceased insists on finding out the truth when everyoneelse has given up.

This book has too many things besides the mystery itself. Iwish for more suspects, more motives, and more natural investigations of thecase. Still, instead, it focuses a lot on relationships and some unnecessaryscenes and interactions that are distracting and bring down th...

To be honest, I am not really sure how to review this book,as this is part of a series. It is laying down the foundation for morestories to come, introducing a lot of characters,  promising conflicts, and interaction as theirpaths start to cross.

Although there are a plethora of characters, in thebeginning, the book spends more time on General Voxinus, an honorable veteranwarrior whose main goal is to serve the realm with tons of family devotion. Ithelps to set the base and gives readers...

Personally, there are two things that I am wary of in fantasy books: One, stories that are difficult to follow, and second, over-the-top language, especially early in the book when readers haven't had good impressions or attachments to the plot or characters.

That is why I like this book. The story follows a female protagonist who is thrown into a quest. The plot weaves easily when it introduces the characters. The world setting unveils layer by layer, and with everything new, explanations are ...

I needed a very long time to get on this book, and I devoured all the available series of The Song of Ice and Fire in a small fragment of that time.

Too many things and different parts are happening from the beginning that I have difficulty following what is happening. This wouldn't be much of a problem if I was reading something I am familiar with. But in fantasy settings, they are wholly different animals with their own rules and words. What are the tasks, what is going on, why is the backgrou...

With the rise of AI in the creative world (no Skynet yet, sorry to disappoint you), there are discussions about how AI will affect artists, writers, and other creative fields in the near future. The majority is worried that AI will replace them because it is fast, has unlimited sources, and is most likely more manageable and cheaper. No author block and no books in series that take longer than a decade (I am looking at you, George!)

Personally, am I worried? Strangely, no. Not always for good re...

What can I say about this Zombie Apocalypse comic?

I am pleasantly surprised about how much I like it. I have watched my fair share of zombie and apocalyptic shows, but this is my first time reading a zombie comic book.

There are five chapters in the comic. The book is very well-illustrated; for some reason, it gives me the classic feeling of comic books I loved as a child. I can't remember which comic, something that came in two colors only, orange and white. I am not even sure if it exists so...