April/May TBR - 2018 - The Fantasy Review

This month will be a quiet one for reading. There is not a huge amount of time left when you consider all the deadlines for the end of the university year!

Anyhow, I still have a few books to get through. Some have been kindly gifted to me from publishers and others I have bought myself. (This post is not sponsored).

1. The Measurements of Decay by K.K. Edin

An engrossing and multi-layered science fiction epic, The Measurements of Decay is K. K. Edin’s stunning debut. At once a tortured love letter to philosophy and a space opera spanning centuries, it is a novel of ideas wrapped in a cautionary tale.

In the far future, Earth’s nearby star systems have been colonized. Outfitted with a device that allows them to escape into hallucinations at will, people spend most of their time withdrawn into their own minds. Tikan Solstafir, a renegade who refuses the illusory life enjoyed by others, lives in self-imposed exile on a starship. When a mysterious enemy attacks the ship, Tikan embarks on a mission to destroy the galactic tyranny and liberate humanity from its own dreams.Meanwhile, in the 21st Century, a disillusioned philosopher believes that humanity s collective misery originates in people s failure to communicate with others and make sense of the world. Growing increasingly misanthropic and monomaniacal, he proceeds on a hermetic quest to save humanity from itself, while also succumbing to his own moral decline.

As these stories intertwine, a young girl reappears through various epochs, fleeting through Ancient Greece, Medieval Norway, Bolshevik Russia, among others. Unbound by time, Sielle has formed few attachments. Eventually thrust into Tikan’s world, she becomes unwillingly entangled in a political scheme spanning centuries.

Metempsy Publications have kindly sent a paperback copy of this novel in return for a review. I’m looking forward to reading this! I have actually put off reading anything new recently because I know that it is on its way.

I have recently been getting into more sci-fi so I can’t wait to add this to my list!

2. Valcoria: Awakenings – Anthology

The battle for Amigus is over, and orphan-turned-hero, Yuiv, is settling into his life as junior lord of the house of Trauel. The loving family and peaceful life he’s so long yearned for seems to be within his grasp; that is until Yuiv starts having vivid nightmares. His glowing Kalyra eyes mark these dreams as supernatural, proof that he has the gift of Farsight—a power held only by the Al’Kalyra or Arch Sage.

As frightening as the idea of being Valcoria’s prophesied savior is, the terror of what Yuiv witnesses in his sleep is much worse. Pain, grief, blood and death descend upon him as he sees through the eyes of men, women, and even children who have been touched by the light of YaJiann.

The Children of the Crystal star are awakening, rising above turmoil and strife to embrace their destinies as defenders of Valcoria. But all light casts a shadow, and with the heroes come the horrors born of blood and shadow. A dark threat looms; monsters that are far closer than anyone realizes—anyone except for Yuiv. And the revelation is nearly too hard for him to bear as it can mean only one thing.

The battle with the darkness is not over. It has only just begun.

I am not a big reader of anthologies but you’ve got to start somewhere, right? And this sounds really good! I believe it is linked to another series of books but I don;t know much else. I guess I’ll find out… or just get very confused.

3. Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov

Although small and seemingly helpless, the Foundation had managed to survive against the greed of its neighboring warlords. But could it stand against the mighty power of the Empire, who had created a mutant man with the strength of a dozen battlefleets…?

After reading, and thoroughly enjoying, the first book of this series, I can’t wait to jump right back in with Foundation and Empire.

4. Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

In February 2014, Reni Eddo-Lodge wrote about her frustration with the way discussions of race and racism in Britain were constantly being led by those who weren’t affected by it. She posted the piece on her blog, and gave it the title: ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race’.

Her powerful, passionate words hit a nerve. The post went viral, and comments flooded in from others desperate to speak up about their own, similar experiences. Galvanised by this response, she decided to dig into the source of these feelings; this clear hunger for an open discussion. The result is a searing, illuminating, absolutely necessary exploration of what it is to be a person of colour in Britain today. Exploring issues from eradicated black history to the political purpose of white dominance, whitewashed feminism to the inextricable link between class and race, Reni Eddo-Lodge offers a new framework for how to see, acknowledge and counter racism.

Full of clear, bold and keenly felt argument, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race is a wake-up call to a nation in denial about the structural and institutional racism occurring at its heart. It is a timely, essential book by a vital new voice.

I was recommended this book by a friend. I really need to get into the habit of reading a little more nonfiction. There have been so many positive reviews of this book – both for the writing and important messages – so I’m looking forward to diving right in.