Review: The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi

This just got…interesting. Unity is an experimental, secret colony that’s designed to stress test different species living together.

Until the Consu kidnap it and take it to another universe with a new FTL drive variant that goes sideways in time.

Gretchen Trujillo, last seen in Zoe’s Tale, is tasked with investigating the colony’s disappearance.

Honestly, all this one needs is a Big Dumb Object, because it has inscrutable aliens, exotic physics, and weird philosophy. And the joys of sleeping with one’s ex. Don’t sleep with your ex, dang it.

Would you call an incredibly powerful alien “Kitty?” I…probably would.

Or Bob.

Maybe just Bob.

This has me caught up with the series, but it’s such a left turn I’m not sure where Scalzi goes from here. Not written into a hole, just written into weird.

Still. Enjoyable.

I received a copy of this book for award consideration purposes 

Review: The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison

We return to Thara Celehar, still without his medium powers and facing a peculiar issue with a cemetery that’s had a burial backlog for 50 years. Among other things.

Then he gets abducted and taken to a disused mine…the tomb of dragons of the title, and regains his abilities just in time to be asked to Witness for…the dead dragons.

There’s a vague bit of environmental fiction in here…the author has a low opinion of mining…and a bit of xenophobia. A resolution of a relationship (no, they are not doing the nasty). And a potential shift…this clearly isn’t meant to be the last book…of venue for our unfortunate protagonist.

I really want him to get a boyfriend, dangit.

And I feel sorry for the dragons. Really sorry. But they also address what you do with the miners when you have to close the mines. 

I remember the strikes. This hits an emotional chord.

Possibly the best book so far, but I do wish it had chapters. Sorry, Katherine, I really like chapters…

I received a copy of this book for award consideration purposes.