Abstract Reader started reading Stealing Worlds by Karl Schroeder
Looks kind of schlocky, which should make it perfect to listen to as an audio book.
Reviews and Comments
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Abstract Reader reviewed The Causal Angel by Hannu Rajaniemi
Satisfying conclusion to the trilogy
4 stars
In my experience, the third part of trilogies usually sort of tapers off. This is also true here but not as bad as in many other series. Overall, this was still a pleasant read.
Without spoiling too much, this book delves deeper into the faction the previous two volumes sort of left unexplored. That means that the series closes without leaving you with any burning questions about the world building, which is quite nice.
Abstract Reader reviewed The Fractal Prince by Hannu Rajaniemi
Also excellent
5 stars
Just as good as the prequel. This time, the character writing is a bit weaker but in return we get even more world building. Still highly recommended.
Abstract Reader reviewed The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi (Jean le Flambeur, #1)
Jean le Flambeur gets up in the morning and has to kill himself before his …
Briliant!
5 stars
This book has everything you could possibly want: Incredible world building, lovable characters, funny writing and an engrossing plot. If you like SciFi, you will like this.
Abstract Reader started reading The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi (Jean le Flambeur, #1)
Jean le Flambeur gets up in the morning and has to kill himself before his …
Turns out I accidentally started the sequel of this before this one. Hopefully I got the order correctly now.
Abstract Reader reviewed Absynthe by Brendan P. Bellecourt
Pretty average
3 stars
When I started reading this book, I really did not like it at first. Many aspects of the story and characters initially felt quite cliched and forced. As the book went on, I found myself enjoying the characters and central mystery more. Especially the latter turned out to be a bit more exciting than initially expected. Still, this book isn't anything out of the ordinary. There's probably something better out there for you to read instead of this.
Abstract Reader reviewed Reamde by Neal Stephenson
Reamde is a speculative fiction novel by Neal Stephenson, published in 2011. The story, set …
Fun albeit sometimes a bit obnoxious
4 stars
It's a fun adventure/thriller involving techbros, terrorists, mafia, three-letter-agencies and gun-nuts. It takes some pretty crazy twists and turns but eventually culminates in a really satisfying manner. It was kind of different from what I usually read/listen to but definitely worth it.
As pointed out in the title, the writing can sometimes be a little obnoxious. This is because the book was clearly written by a techbro-y kind of guy: Computer stuff, MMORPG culture, commercial and military organization principles and gun usage are all described and explained in minute detail. Some of this is quite interesting (I learned a bunch of stuff about firearm safety) but it can get somewhat draining at some points.
Another thing that I found somewhat off-putting is all of the cartoonish characters. Nearly everyone is an excentric genius, super hardcore operator or very principled anti-Trump conservative. With some fantastical stories, Dune prime among, this sort …
It's a fun adventure/thriller involving techbros, terrorists, mafia, three-letter-agencies and gun-nuts. It takes some pretty crazy twists and turns but eventually culminates in a really satisfying manner. It was kind of different from what I usually read/listen to but definitely worth it.
As pointed out in the title, the writing can sometimes be a little obnoxious. This is because the book was clearly written by a techbro-y kind of guy: Computer stuff, MMORPG culture, commercial and military organization principles and gun usage are all described and explained in minute detail. Some of this is quite interesting (I learned a bunch of stuff about firearm safety) but it can get somewhat draining at some points.
Another thing that I found somewhat off-putting is all of the cartoonish characters. Nearly everyone is an excentric genius, super hardcore operator or very principled anti-Trump conservative. With some fantastical stories, Dune prime among, this sort of stuff is fine or even great, but for a story that is supposed to take place in the real world, it makes some of the characters much less relatable than I think they were intended to be.
Even though the negatives of this review are much longer than the positives, I still had a lot of fun with it and if it sounds like something you'd like, I'd recommend you give it a try!
Abstract Reader reviewed Piranesi
From the New York Times bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, an …
Most likely the best book I'll read this year
5 stars
As the title says, this will likely be the best book I'll read all year. It certainly was better than every book I read last year. I started the book yesterday evening and have basically spent my every waking moment since then reading it. I strongly recommend anyone who enjoys reading to pick this one up. It will be worth it.
I will not say anything on what it is actually about. The less you know, the more you will enjoy the book. Not really because of twists and turns but rather because you will see an astounding world laid out from the perspective of a very interesting main character.
The main thing this book reminded me of was the books I read in German class in my two last years at school. This is a very good thing (German was my favorite class). The book is fairly short and …
As the title says, this will likely be the best book I'll read all year. It certainly was better than every book I read last year. I started the book yesterday evening and have basically spent my every waking moment since then reading it. I strongly recommend anyone who enjoys reading to pick this one up. It will be worth it.
I will not say anything on what it is actually about. The less you know, the more you will enjoy the book. Not really because of twists and turns but rather because you will see an astounding world laid out from the perspective of a very interesting main character.
The main thing this book reminded me of was the books I read in German class in my two last years at school. This is a very good thing (German was my favorite class). The book is fairly short and straight to the point, it takes as much time as it needs to lay itself out elegantly but does not meander or waste your time. Also, it is so incredibly unique that it will stick with you for a while after finishing it (again, like all the books we read for class).
Abstract Reader reviewed The Anubis gates by Tim Powers
An ancient Egyptian sorcerer, a modern millionaire, a body-switching werewolf, a hideously deformed clown, a …
My surprise of 2021
5 stars
I picked this one up at a used book store for 40 SEK and it probably was the most fun I had reading a book. The characters and the plot are absolutely wild and it was not at all what I expected it to be. There's also tons of nice twists and reveals. Highly recommended.
Abstract Reader reviewed Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
It's the twenty-fifth century, and advances in technology have redefined life itself. A person's consciousness …
Fun cyberpunk
4 stars
At first I was kind of put off by the noir-style narration but once I got over that, it is a fun story in a very interesting cyberpunk setting. There are quite a few surprising twists and reveals which kept me guessing until the end. If you like crime novels and/or cyberpunk, you'll probably enjoy this.