Thursday, May 05, 2016

Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

Lost Stars (Star Wars: Journey to the Force Awakens)Lost Stars by Claudia Gray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazing retelling of the Star Wars saga.

This 'young adult romance' is so much more. Yes, it IS that, but it is also

* Hard SF Star Wars
* Retelling the saga from Imperial and Rebel perspectives
* Lays groundwork for The Force Awakens

I'm very impressed by how Gray wove a story of two star-crossed lovers through a retelling of the original saga. It is reminiscent of the way Orson Scott Card retold Ender's Game in Enders's Shadow - it is a standalone story that doesn't require you to know Star Wars - but it enriches the Universe of Star Wars in an artistic and creative way. Terrific!

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Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

Grave Secret (Harper Connelly, #4)Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Satisfying Conclusion - though I wish there would be more.

Harris ties up the mysteries of Harper's life, though it's too much to hope she might develop this series more. Harris seems happy to build interesting characters and settings, and tie them up and move on. She does it well, but sometimes it would be nice to go on a bit longer.....

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A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent, of course.

Unbeatable, especially as it introduces Holmes. The flashback diversion to Utah is a bit weird and... I don't know, creaky, but the story holds up well.

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