Yeah, the main thing I remember being disappointed by was just the whole thing had a very “been there, done that” feel to it.
With needles in the handles - there was a whole blood thing involved. They were vampire lightsabers.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is on sale for $5 on Kindle today. That’s more than I typically consider a bargain, but that is also one of the best books I have read in my entire life, so. Weigh that as you will.
With a recommendation like that? Sold!
Interesting premise and I love a good mystery so I grabbed it. Thanks for the heads up.
I’ve never heard of this book. Have to look into it.
Argh, that sounds right up my alley. But I missed the sale so it’s 12 bucks now on Kindle.
Here’s a good sale. I put McCammon in the same box as Stephen King - solid writing that’s engaging. This book is a bunch of loosely interconnected tales about a 12 year old growing up in the south. However, his life is anything but normal and it involves mysterious plots, strange river monsters, shadowy figures, intrigue, and crossing the bridge between youth and adolescence (think of it as similar to King’s Stand By Me, fr’instance).
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005T54I2W/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Stephen Pressfield’s Gates of Fire is on Bookbub for $2 today. It’s a novelization of the Spartans and the battle of Thermopylae. There really isn’t a better novel about Ancient Greece. It’s a tour-de-force, and if you haven’t read it you’re in for a treat!
Critical question: does it discuss why the Spartans sent so few warriors? Because the whole narrative shifts when you realize that the principle concern of the Spartans was keeping their slaves in line, and letting too many warriors leave home (for something as trivial as preventing a massive foreign invasion) meant the surrounding tribes they’d enslaved might revolt.
As far as I recall, it does. The main character is a Spartan slave, and a good deal of the narrative is about Spartan society. But in any event, it is a brilliant novel.
I read that fairly recently and enjoyed it quite a bit.
Cool. Just trying to make sure it’s more real history, less “300.” Thanks for the clarification!
$2.99
I enjoyed this series (6 books). Back then, book 1 was free, as I recall…
I almost missed Tor’s free book this month. I totally missed that email. Luckily their newsletter came to my email today and reminded me of it. Even then, I was scrolling through my email and couldn’t find the free book email. I finally did a search and found it though. It’s only free until tomorrow, so don’t forget to grab it. The book is Walkaway.
I like the way you structured that post, almost like Hemingway.
“There is a free book this month. I almost missed it. You should get it. That book is Walkaway.”
I was actually coming here to post this. I happened to notice the email myself today and grabbed it already but thanks for the heads up. This thread has saved me from missing out on several of those Tor books.
Cross posting from the Gene Wolfe memorial thread - Shadow and Claw is on sale at Amazon for $2.99 today, a really good pickup for some classic sci-fi.
Alastair Reynolds’ Revelation Space is $1. Hard to think of a better series start in hard sf / space opera.