Lee Hunts

I just finished reading The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. This is a military science fiction book that was written in 1974 by a Vietnam war veteran. This "Forever War" is essentially a conflict between the human race and an alien species that they know nothing about. They are essentially clueless as they plunge into what could potentially be an existential conflict, but this is the only thing that can be done. More importantly, there is a special focus on the return to life after war, as the soldiers try to adapt to their new life after being abroad for so long. This is where some interesting scifi spin involving relativity comes into play. So what did I think? Let's see. No Spoilers Core Premise Right from the outset, it is worth commenting on the key scifi element that was added to the story. As I mentioned above, the story tries to focus on the characters having to return home from war, as much as the war itself. And Haldeman has a genuinely fascinating way of exploring...

I just finished reading The Thousandfold Thought, which is the third book in The Prince of Nothing trilogy. The story picks up where the second one left off, with Kellhus now seizing a hold of the Holy War and making it his own. In terms of the plot, there wasn't too much left to cover in the story, with the only necessary beats to cover being the Holy War's final movements to Shimeh, and some of the clashes between the side characters. Overall, I enjoyed the story and was excited to see the story rounded off the way it was. Unfortunately, distractions in life led to a slight delay in the time in which I could write this review, so I fear I might forget some things, but I've also watched a number of other reviews to help refresh my memory, so I am doing my best, lol. On the bright side, I will definitely reread this series again sometime in the future. I am also pumped to learn how the story will continue on from this first trilogy, so I will be moving directly on to The Ju...

I just finished reading The Heroes, which is the second standalone novel written by Joe Abercrombie. This book is an account of three days of battle over a hill between the forces of the North, led by Black Dow, and the forces of the Union. The book is not plot driven, but rather focuses on the characters and the theme over the course of this very short period. Overall, the book is good. I don't think this one is near the top of my rankings for Abercrombie, especially surprising because I knew this one was a favorite among fans, but the book was still enjoyable, all around. Overall (No Spoilers) I think Whirrun of Bligh is my favorite character in the story. The audiobook gave him more or less the same voice as Casca, which made me draw a connection, though I'm not sure there are many more parallels. Either way, the voice was perfect. And the fight he has in the latter part of the book was both unexpected and amazing. I'm conflicted about how it ended, but not because I dis...

I just finished reading Best Served Cold, by Joe Abercrombie, which is his take on the . . . you guessed it . . . romance story. As such, the book opens with the main character being betrayed, her brother being killed, and then her being thrown off a mountain to her death. Her survival was a miracle, and from there she plots her revenge, swearing to take down seven men that were present at the time of her betrayal. This book is similar to Before They Are Hanged in that there is a ragtag team of people who all hate each other at the center of the story, struggling to work out their differences. The change is that these people all have prior histories, and one's filled with betrayal and killing, adding an interesting backdrop to the story. I really enjoyed this story. From beginning to end, I was engaged, and despite the revenge story structure being straightforward, the story is unpredictable and fun, with Abercrombie's twists on the story making it only better. Overall (No Spoi...

I just finished reading The Trouble with Peace, which is the second book in the Age of Madness Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. This book picks up right where A Little Hatred left off, in the aftermath of the war and uprising that took place in the aftermath of the previous book. The book, as the name suggests, is about the peacetime, and also the problems that surface which drive us right back to war. The directions that the characters go are unpredictable and exciting, and the climax of the story makes the set up well worth it. I have not read any of his stand alone novels, but based on what I remember of the original trilogy and the first of this trilogy, I think this is my favorite Abercrombie novel that I have read to date. The character work is amazing, as ever, and there was a strong plot that drove the story forward from beginning to end. Overall (No Spoilers) The final climactic confrontation is by far my favorite part of the story. But, the nature of the sequence prevents me from ...