The Book of Esther Review

This novel is one of the best I have read in years. This is a retelling/revision of the story of Esther from the Bible. Except...
This story of Esther takes place in a world just slightly tilted about 3 degrees skew, where Esther lives in a steampunk world of Judaism, golems, steel horses, and Nazis. In this world, determining male and female, animal and machine, alive and not alive, God and human becomes hazy and empowering. Emily Barton creates a lush world of deep characters and deep ideas. It is truly beautiful.


A Strange and Satisfying Journey. 

Paradox Bound

Let's just say that infatuation will always lead to nothing good. Especially if it involves time travel. Overall I enjoyed Paradox Bound, but found it a little uneven in pacing compared to Cline's last book, The Fold, which was well paced and he knew how to build to the moment where it needs to escalate, and then it kicked it up a notch to bring the story home. This one lingers a little too long in the middle, but not so much that you loose interest and never come back to it.

If you have to chose between The Fold and Paradox Bound, the answer is simple. If you've already read The Fold, Paradox Bound might be disappointing, but there's still fun to be had. 

Armada Review

An exciting sci-fi adventure that is far too reminiscent of Ernest Cline's hit novel and soon to be film: Ready Player One. A lack of a original plot, and the rehash of ideas from RP1 make this a slog for those that already got their fill of nerdy nostalgia from the first novel. For new-comers, Armada will still provide from enjoyment.