mpStation_4 Non-Review

Let me say right off the bat that this is going to be a non-review. I couldn't finish mpStation_4 by Thadd Evans. Here's my impressions of what I did read and why I had to stop.

Fraterfamilias Review

"Templar knights, shamanism, Russian mobsters, and immortality." Those are the things Fraterfamilias by Judith Doloughan and Paula R. Stiles promises. Sadly, the book only delivers on one and a half of them. Fraterfamilias tells the story of two seemingly immortal brothers--Paul Michel Farrell aka Pavya and Alan Kedward aka Alain aka Alexei Bakunin aka Ayanke--and their story...No really that's about it. The biggest problem I had with Fraterfamilias is that it is almost 100% set up for a sequel. Read on for more.

Queen of Candesce Review

Note: I'm attempting a new way of titling these posts. Just letting you all know.


I know that Queen of Candesce is a couple of years old, but I just finished rereading it, and I wanted to post my review. Who knows? You might discover something new.

Karl Schroeder's Queen of Candesce picks up practically where the first novel in the series, Sun of Suns, left off. Venera Fanning and Hayden Griffin were falling through the air near Candesce, Virga's "sun of suns." Queen of Candesce follows Venera Fanning after she abandons Hayden and finds herself on the strange, ancient, cylindrical nation of Spyre.

Does the change in protagonist and location help or hinder Queen of Candesce? Can Venera make a convincing protagonist, especially considering how off-putting some readers might have found her in Sun of Suns? Read on to find out.