“Cloud Atlas” by David Mitchell

... Or when being epic and panoramic through ages is, in the end, not enough. I remember when I saw the "Cloud Atlas" trailer. I must have been eleven or twelve, waiting to see an animation in the movies. The trailer was the only thing standing out from the other teasers before the movie. I … Continue reading “Cloud Atlas” by David Mitchell →

My Recent Bad YA Read

...was The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller. I should have predicted that. I wasn't delighted with her first pirate novel, it was bland and predictable to me. It reminded me of how, before the Wattpad era, people were publishing their fanfiction on Blogger. And it was like a mediocre fanfiction. The Shadows Between Us … Continue reading My Recent Bad YA Read →

Yes, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” Is Somewhat Problematic

So, there's been a TV series based on it recently. There was a movie several years earlier. There was a stage adaptation. And all this inspired by a cult novel of the not-very-prolific author. Yes, I'm talking about The Time Traveler's Wife. And you have no clue how glad I am: That over times, some … Continue reading Yes, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” Is Somewhat Problematic →

Bad Things in “The Stand”

One important thing: It isn't that I dislike Stephen King's books, okay? If I didn't like them, I wouldn't be able to say that I've read six novels by him already. But while many people are just team "King is the King!", I am sceptic about particular things in his universe. You're given an impression … Continue reading Bad Things in “The Stand” →

I’m Bored Again… This Time It’s Epic Fantasy by Sam Sykes

Seven Blades in Black. Or something. Because though I've read over 650 pages about it, I don't care. Akward names, awkward settings. It's steampunk, but you don't get the aura. If your steampunk is just about machines and guns, and if references trying to emulate the given epoch are so vague, than it's no steampunk. … Continue reading I’m Bored Again… This Time It’s Epic Fantasy by Sam Sykes →

“Kingdom of the Wicked” Is Boring

I like reading about Italy. I like reading about Italy when it's described from the perspective of people with Italian heritage. I like Sicily. I like works of art questioning the stereotypical image of violence and poverty on that island. So, Kerri Maniscalco is a Sicilian-American and she wrote a paranormal romance about Sicily. I … Continue reading “Kingdom of the Wicked” Is Boring →

Postapo and Pandemic

To say that we live in difficult times is to say something obvious. As a person from Poland, I have had this feeling since the beginning of war in Ukraine. Just as a person, I've had this feeling since the pandemic's outbreak. People are afraid of WWIII. People are afraid of nuclear war. And people … Continue reading Postapo and Pandemic →

Darkover Revisited: The City of Sorcery

What can you say about a book full of well-known and likeable characters, a book which is the last installment of a trilogy? You may try to sum it up somehow, to see how it fits into the previous ones. In The City of Sorcery, though, I can see only a good science fantasy novel … Continue reading Darkover Revisited: The City of Sorcery →

Darkover Revisited: Thendara House

My review of The Shattered Chain, the first book in The Saga of the Renunciates, was actually more like a sporking in two parts. This time, my reflections of Thendara House are going to be closer to a review. However, still BEWARE HEAVY SPOILERS, please. Have you ever had an impression that some fantasy/sci-fi books … Continue reading Darkover Revisited: Thendara House →

Darkover Revisited: The Shattered Chain, Part Two

Today, we'll delve into the second part of The Shattered Chain by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Twelve years have passed since the first time and now Magda Lorne, a Terran agent raised on Darkover, begins a journey in a disguise of a Renunciate, on Lady Rohana Ardais' orders: she thinks that Kyril, the Lady's son kidnapped … Continue reading Darkover Revisited: The Shattered Chain, Part Two →