Review: A Feast for Crows

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Jaime,” she said, tugging on his ear, “sweetling, I have known you since you were a babe at Joanna’s breast. You smile like Gerion, fight like Tyg, and there’s some of Kevan in you, else you would not wear that cloak…but Tyrion is Tywin’s son, not you. I said so once to your father’s face, and he would not speak to me for half a year. Men are such thundering great fools. Even the sort who come along once in a thousand years.”

This book, concentrated on the action happening around King's Landing. The main narrators where Cercei, Jaime, Brienne, and Samwell, with a couple chapter's for Sansa, Arya and the Dornish. I found Brienne and Samwell's story arc's to be the most interesting. Cercei, finally started getting on my nerves by the end of the book. Jaime, as always, had entertaining wit. Also, it should be added that Sansa's chapters have become much better now that she has been paired with the amazing Littlefinger, the greatest mind in Westeros, with the possible exception of Tyrion.

I greatly enjoyed this book, the wild intricate plots and characters keep you still turning the pages, through the entirety of book 4. There were no weaknesses like the Daenerys chapters in the first couple of books.

This book also added a few new characters and kingdoms. The deserts of Dorne and its sly and sexy characters were filled in.

The star of this book was without doubt Brienne and her quest, she was the true knight, dashing, formidable, true to her word, endlessly loyal. She was the knight that Sansa was always looking for and pining over. [




View all my reviews

Review: Software

Software by Rudy Rucker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Cobb Anderson is the creator of the boppers: anarchic robots that have rebelled against the humans and now live autonomously on the moon. He built a simple directive into their code: each robot or bopper must rebuild bodies for themselves every 10 months. This directive cause rapid evolution among the boppers, the idea was "we couldn't build intelligient robots, but we could cause them to evolve."

At the beginning of the novel Cobb Anderson is retired and living in the "gimme retirement state" of Florida. He is worrying about how he can afford a new artificial heart, when a robot duplicate of himself, built by the boppers, offers him a ticket to the moon and the chance for immortality.

This novel is a classic and a major influence of the early cyberpunks. Although it was written in the 70s it doesn't feel dated, unlike some of the early cyberpunk novels from the 80s. It was a joy to read, and the bopper society, as well as Rucker's vision of Florida and the Gimme State and Baby boomer retirees is hilarious and not to be missed. This is the second time I have read this novel and I liked it even better the on the second reading. Highly recommended.



View all my reviews