The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov is organized into 3 distinct parts. The first follows a young physicist doing research on the history of the Electron Pump which is a nifty invention providing unlimited energy for all of humanity. He comes to believe that the 'Father of the Electron Pump' is merely a puppet of the entities living in the para-universe (where the energy was being siphoned) and that the Pump itself poses a grave risk to our Universe. The second part occurs in this para-universe and follows a group of entities that are composed of an amorphous substance which allows them to merge with one another and form 'triads'. In this universe the Sun is dying which creates a ripple effect on the creatures which inhabit the planet. A member of this species (it's hard to describe these creatures) has a theory that the Pump they're employing is dangerous to them all and is the reason that procreation has nearly ground to a halt. [A/N: This might be the first instance where a description of alien sex is described in fairly explicit detail and as the alien beings are so different from ourselves it was super weird but certainly showcases Asimov's ingenuity.] And then we come to the third and final part which takes the reader back to our universe. We follow a (retired) scientist named Denison who has moved to the Moon where an entire society has taken residence (most of which are natives to the Lunar colony). Denison has his own suspicions about the Pump and believes he knows how to counteract the negative effects of the Pump but he soon discovers that the Lunarites may have their own agenda.

Overall, I didn't love this book but I did appreciate Asimov's writing (it's always cutting edge even though it was written decades ago) so my overall rating is a 5/10.

A scene from the third part of the book. Did I mention the Lunarites are a nudist society? [Source: tvtropes.org]

 

What's Up Next: Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon

 

What I'm Currently Reading: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (reread)

The beginning was weird and slow, but when I really got into the book, it turned out to be such an amazing story with great characters and unbelievable world(s). All these Londons were so different. I actually had a dream about the White one ... more like a nightmare, to be honest.

Kell, a wizard who can travel between worlds, is doing something illegal - for a price he smuggles things from one London to another. Delivering a letter to a dying man he has a feeling that something is wrong, so he opens the letter and finds a blank page. But the package with his payment contains a stone with very powerful and dangerous magic. Kell knows that such magic can destroy his world, so he tries to return it to its rightful place. While escaping the men trying to take to stone away, he meets Lila Bard, a pickpocket from Grey London, who is in search of her big adventure.

These characters were so amazing. I liked how conflicted Kell was - he seemed to have everything but actually was lonely and lost. And I adored Lila. She was wonderful - spunky and bloodthirsty but also brutally honest. Her friendship with Kell was a thing of beauty, so fragile and so strong at the same time. 
I'm glad I got the book from the library and decided to finish it. Yes, there was a moment somewhere on page 30, I actually thought of dnf-ing the book (I told you the beginning was weird). 
Now, I just have to wait for the second book to be translated into my mother tongue.

When it’s been more than 20 years since the publication of an awesomely successful trilogy, there must be a temptation to just leave it alone. Notwithstanding the frenzied publicity, there’s an attendant apprehension for the (now older) fans that a savoured memory might be about to be irreparably tarnished. Of course, my bluff was called by the Christmas gift of a copy of Phillip Pullman’s prequel to the original “His Dark Materials” (my family know me so well). Though, to be fair, I did delay my gratification until January and the last remnants of festive chocolate, before gorging myself in sumptuous sessions of novel gluttony. 546 pages swept past with all the force of the flood that has beset Pullman’s parallel Oxford. And, amid the carnage, an unlikely pair of guardians for Lord Asriel’s baby daughter – Lyra Belacqua.

Still, it was reassuring to discover the author’s story-telling has not dimmed at all in the intervening years and this latest adventure unfolds at a gloriously break-neck pace. All the familiar components are present, the fascinating animal dæmons accompanying each human, like an external emotional core; the alethiometer – an instrument of almost mystical qualities, powered by ‘dust’; and the ongoing struggle between the malevolent Magisterium (church) and scientific schools of thought. Throw in a giant, a witch and a fairy and what’s not to like?!

What I do like is the seamless way Pullman has laid the foundations of the later books here and even offered some deeper explanation for why, in due course, Lyra will find herself the subject of ‘scholastic sanctuary’ at Jordan College. We haven’t learnt much more yet about the relationship between her parents, Asriel and the enigmatic Mrs Coulter, but their absence from the life of their daughter is curious, especially since the baby’s safety is instead reliant on eleven year-old Malcolm Polstead and fifteen year-old pub washer-upper, Alice. But, what great heroes they turn out to be!

For younger readers there’s surely a certain satisfaction in seeing these main characters outwit their elders, however, that’s not to suggest the book cannot be appreciated by an adult readership. Indeed the brutality of some scenes and the protagonist’s struggle with their part in the violence suggests that this is more than simply a tale of derring do. In any event, Pullman’s compelling storyline that pits good versus evil fizzes along and readers (young and old), can expect to be rooting for the good guys and hoping the cruel wrong’un with the three-legged hyena for a dæmon, gets his comeuppance!

Using Malcolm’s canoe (the ‘Belle Sauvage’), the youngsters need to navigate the flooded Thames valley and get Lyra to safety in London, traversing the natural barriers and avoiding the chasing Magisterium agents, who have other designs on the child of prophecy. For me 'His Dark Materials' set the bar very high, but I'm delighted to report that  ‘The Book of Dust’ is a magnificent romp that skilfully adds to the existing classic trilogy and has left this reader wanting more. What more could I ask for....the next two books in the new series perhaps (family take note)?

I don’t know what it is about this author’s shifters and demons but I just cannot get enough of them. They are your typical possessive, growling, super sexy sort of supernaturals however the way they are depicted and the voice the author gives them makes all the difference.
Ian and Fiona are both dragon shifters who had to part ways a while ago because her family didn’t approve of their relationship. Cut 50 years later and they get to reunite only to have their time together shortened by evil forces beyond their control.

Like I said, Ian and Fiona are pretty much typical in the sense of that they are alpha by nature but when it came down to do what was right for everyone they were both wiling to relent power for the greater good. That’s another thing I liked about the story; the author was able to tell a believable story where there already was one true leader in the series however she managed to include other alpha characters without stripping power away from the Alpha of the whole pack.
Another favorite part of mine was that we spent more time with old characters and we finally got to meet the “sperm donor” of the half-demon siblings, which by the way are kind of my favorite characters of the whole pack.
All in all I thought it was a great story and I cannot wait to see who the next couple in the series will be. 4 stars.

*** I received this book from the author at no cost to me and I volunteered to read it; this is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.***

All good things must come to an end and so...I finished Purgatory's Key which is the final installment of the Legacies trilogy which you may recall me mentioning a few times (this post and this one just in case). Firstly, if you haven't read either Captain to Captain or Best Defense and you want to avoid spoilers then I'll say this: I very much enjoyed this trilogy and I think you should read it. If you want a bit of most likely spoiler-y info then stick around because I'm about to spill some beans. Okay, I hope all of those still reading are ready to be spoiled...

The conclusion to the trilogy was everything you'd want from a sci-fi adventure set in the Star Trek universe. If you're looking for a way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this amazing show then you can't go wrong with picking up the Legacies series. 9/10