The Tide of Victory, by David Drake

In the time before award season I'm catching up on a series I began long ago and have enjoyed, David Drake's Belisarius Saga.  The Tide of Victory is number five, by way of Baen Books and Free SF Online. 

This is a good entry, though it is very heavy on large-scale military strategy.  Much more so than past entries.  In fact, Drake spends a fair amount of time depicting Belisarius and his associates pondering logistics and politics--much more common in a straight war history book than in speculative fiction.  Interesting to see the lesson, though.

Drake is very much given to glorifying warfare--has pretty much made a career of it.  But he's not the only one, and he does it pretty well, so if you are into military SF you've probably read him already.  This entry in the series very much displays his commitment to history.  Read the rest first, or don't bother with this one.  Three stars from me.

The Towers of Midnight, by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

We are so very near the end.  This series has been going on for a HECK of a long time.  Long enough to kill the author. But this review is not for A Memory of Light.  It's for the book before it, The Towers of Midnight. 

Things are really progressing at this point, and that's something to like--more on that later.  And as events progress, the characters grow and change (mostly).  Egwene, Rand, and especially Perrin are becoming defined more by the roles they play.  Perrin and Rand are very conscious of the process, but it's not clear that Egwene is.  That kind of writing is very advanced and makes me appreciate the book on several levels.  Mat is still a bit of a caricature, but he figures in a very exciting sequence so it's OK.  All in all, this book really gripped me all the way through.

We don't see much of the Forsaken or other Dark Side folks, though.  Just little snips here and there.  They tend to resemble each other, all 100% backbiters who would seem to stand every chance of success except that they spend so much effort on each other.  Possibly that's because there is really only one featured in the book.  That's evil for you.

What makes this whole series stand out for me is the very clear point of the book, and the strong sense of progress.  Now, the pace of the plot has varied--some of the later Jordan volumes hardly moved--but in each one, the good guys gain new insights into how to fight, and they overcome one or more of the Forsaken.  Many fantasists get stuck in a cycle where the hero loses and loses, suffers and suffers, then finally pulls it out at the end.  Or gains a victory only to see it be a small one.  The foe is definitely getting stronger in the Wheel of Time, just as prophesied.  But Rand and company steadily hack away.  And of course the point is clear all along--it's all for T'armon Gai'don, the Last Battle.

I have tried to recall when I started reading the series.  I believe it was in the late 90's, and by then seven novels were out. I went through them quickly from the library, then bought some of them.  It doesn't really break new writing ground, but it's been great fun and I'll get around to the ending soon.  I give this one four stars.

Eros, Philia, Agape, by Rachel Swirsky

Robot stories have never really gotten past Asimov--his Three Laws of Robotics have pretty much defined how robot stories get told. It's like Hobbes in political science--everyone has to respond to Asimov.  But Rachel Swirsky's Eros, Philia, Agape is a good move away--the robot is a familiar humanoid, but his thinking is very much not in the logical vein of Asimov's artifical humans. 

We have two very equal protagonists in this one.  Adriana, a rich woman with a difficult past and much too little to do, purchases a robot as a companion.  Lucien is a fine robot, learning about Adriana and assembling his personality as her perfect companion.  She views him as human, and assists groups that work for robot personhood.  The story starts with his taking advantage of this, leaving to find his own programming.  The story got a Hugo nomination for Best Novelette in 2010, and it's quite a good read, if rather relaxed and sad.  I enjoyed reading it, and I think you will too.  Three stars from me.

Evil Robot Monkey, by Mary Robinette Kowal

When you read a really short story it can be a pretty challenging review. This review will be almost as long as the story. Evil Robot Monkey is a vignette of an experiment wherein a chimp is given a brain implant that enhances his intelligence. But he isn't human, so he is still in captivity and on display. Working clay preserves his sanity. The story includes comments, and Kowal says she is thinking of writing a longer tale with chimp and keeper because she likes them. Plenty of room for that. Three stars, go take five and read it.

The Singing of Mount Ahora, by Theodora Goss

The Singing of Mount Ahora won the World Fantasy Award for best short story in 2008, and I would say it was well-deserved. The form is one where multiple stories are woven together to form a whole (in this case it is three). And it's very satisfying as a fantasy tale, told in that sort of sing-song that makes it feel like you're being read to. And it's a love story. What more could one want? Four stars from me. I am writing this on an iPad Mini, still getting used to the keypad and cut-and-paste functions, so here is the link to the story.

Nazarian, Vera - The Story of Love

The Story of Love is exactly what it says it is.  In this version it is the story of forgiveness--a daughter painfully abused by a wealthy but cruel and somewhat mad father eventually prays to the God of Love and is granted the ability to love him.  Thus saving him and her husband, whom she is dutiful toward as her rescuer but does not particularly love.  I have completely spoiled the story and am not at all sorry, as it is completely predictable the whole way through.  But it is well written, so can still be read and enjoyed.  2 stars from me, though.

The House Beyond Your Sky, by Benjamin Rosenbaum

I am unintentionally rereading some things these days, but no serious regrets here.  The House Beyond Your Sky is a very good exercise in far-future, or just far-speculative, fiction.  The entities span worlds, and possibly soon universes.  Matthias is creating that new universe, but he maintains his human connection. 

It's fun to read through the inventiveness here, that got it a Hugo nomination for best short story in 2007.  I enjoyed it both times, and may remember it better now.  Enjoy it for yourself.