MostlyNotWork

Wyrd Sisters is a comedic and fantastical take on Macbeth, set in the highlands of the Discworld. It’s a short but entertaining tale, perfect for those looking for a quick read or easy listen.

| See my other Discworld posts here|

This month I listened to ‘Wyrd Sisters’ as part of my slow but steady journey through Terry Pratchett's Discworld stories. This is a relatively short novel, following the ‘wyrd sisters’ (witches)  as they attempt to heal the land of Lancre by restoring the rightful heir to the throne.

I enjoyed ‘Wyrd Sisters’ as it’s essentially a twisted tale version of Macbeth set in the Discworld. As with the previous books, this story stands alone as a fun work of fiction, but offers more for those who’ve read the earlier books. Since we’re on  book six of the series, the references to familiar locations and the presence of Granny Weathwax as one of the major characters added to the fun for me.

‘Dark Patterns, Deceptive Design, and the Law’ is a legal text examining how web sites and apps can be designed to influence, and problematically manipulate, user behaviour. This is a deep and thoroughly researched book by an expert in the field. If your work or study requires thinking more deeply than the average consumer about these topics - this book is for you. For everyone else though, there are easier ways to get the knowledge you need to be a smarter online consumer.

This book is authored by Dr Mark Leiser, who specialises in the study of deceptive design, artificial intelligence (AI) and regulation of digital deception. The author’s expertise comes through in the incredibly detailed analysis of how the law applies to this topic, especially the application of European (EU) laws such as the Digital Services Act and the AI Act.

While visible interface level dark patterns are arguably becoming better known and regulated, Leiser argues AI is creating new layers of deception and manipulation. The book discusses how the autonomy given to some AI systems can lead to scenarios where AI engages in manipulative practices that its designers did not explicitly direct or even imagine.

If you happen to be interested in the application of law and regulation to dark patterns and AI, this book may be a valuable addition to your library - though be aware it’s priced like a legal textbook. ($$$$$).

I was fortunate enough to be able to listen to the audiobook as part of my Spotify subscription. That’s a cheaper alternative if you don’t need to have the book continually on hand to refer to. However an important lesson for me was that text books are not something to be consumed end to end for leisure. Especially incredibly dense and technical books about law. And this applies even more so for audiobooks.

‘The Rush’ is a mystery-thriller set in the Australian outback. It combines extreme weather, a roadtrip going badly wrong, an isolated outback pub and a body on a road. Yet even with a well paced (almost) ending, I still came away feeling a bit ‘meh’ about this book.     

I feel like I should give some extra context for my views on this book. This is my first foray into this genre. As the archive of my Tumblr will show, my fiction reading tends to be dystopia, romantasy, fantasy, sci-fi, comedy and the occasional action & adventure story.  It’s therefore quite possible some of my ‘didn’t like / could have been better’ comments reflect not being as familiar with the conventions of this genre. If you’re a fan of this genre, book, author (or happen to be the author) - feel free to comment and provide more context for me.  The book currently sits at 3.73 on Goodreads, which suggests plenty of people did enjoy it, even if I was a bit 'meh' about it.

‘The Rush' is a mystery-thriller set in the Australian outback. The story is told from the perspective of four women. 

Quinn - a young woman who grew up in the farming regions of remote South Australia and who works at a remote hotel/pub - ‘The Pindarry’. 

Andrea - co-owner of the ‘The Pindarry'. 

Hayley - a university student seeking to rekindle the relationship with her boyfriend via an outback road-trip to Darwin, and

Livia -  a Brazilian climate activist who, along with a Dutchman called Joost, join the young couple on their road trip.

The book begins with an engaging mystery. Driving back to The Pindarry on a stormy afternoon, Quinn finds a bloodied body on the road.  Who is this person and how did they get here?  

The book then jumps back in time to explore the events leading up to Quinn’s discovery. This includes events at The Pindarry leading up to the storm, as well as following the road trip of Hayley and her companions. Throw in some uninvited guests at The Pindarry, and you have some extra danger to add to the mystery of the body on the road.

So what were my struggles with the book?

I’m a sci-fi fan, so I’m generally ok with multiple timelines. But in the early stages of the book I found the bouncing between characters a bit disconcerting. I think this was because not only did we go back in time to before the body on the road, but for different characters it was  different amounts of time.

This meant early in the book, the reader is moving between the ‘present’ and multiple out of order dates and times. The story arguably flowed better once events became close enough together that the perspective switching  felt like a change of scene rather than cutting to a whole different story.

The male characters in this story were presented as unlikeable or unsympathetic to varying degrees. This may have been a deliberate choice to keep the reader guessing about who the real villain was. However, because all the male characters were being presented through the eyes of the female protagonists, it had the (unintended?) effect of initially making these women less likeable as well. (Perhaps with the exception of Quinn).

Again, this may have been a deliberate choice, in which case, the author succeeded. But I suspect that wasn’t the intent.

I also found the ending somewhat underwhelming. The story reached a dramatic conclusion, with a twist I didn’t fully see coming. But this was undone by a prologue that came across as a stilted info dump. The prologue did help to explain the plot twist and close off loose ends. I just feel like the book could have been better if more of this was done in the main story's dramatic showdown.

So where did I land on this book?

I enjoyed the later stages of the story. The action seemed to flow better, though I may have also grown more accustomed to the author’s writing style by that point. While others claim they saw the twist coming from early on, there was still an element of surprise in it for me.

‘Livesuit’ is a sci-fi novella that follows one soldier’s journey from civilian to a member of the elite ‘Livesuit’ unit. As our protagonist reflects on past battles and the sacrifices made by the livesuit soldiers, the reader is left trying to work out just why they have such an uneasy feeling building in their stomach. A great story that can be enjoyed by anyone in to action sci-fi with dark twists. 

This novella is set in the same universe as the ‘Captives War’ trilogy but can be read and enjoyed as a standalone story.

Kirin is a livesuit soldier. Members of this elite unit spend their tour of duty enveloped in a living combat suit that provides all their nourishment, protection, environmental needs  and emergency medical aid. But this godlike power comes at a price - soldiers must remain suited for their full tour of duty, not even seeing each other's faces once the helmet is donned.

The livesuits fight an enemy that would feel right at home in a horror story, capable of ripping a human body apart with ease. And while the livesuit soldiers are powerful, they're not invulnerable. Across a series of battles and the brief lull between them, the reader experiences the impact on body, mind and spirit of being a ‘livesuit’. 

‘Livesuits’ is a well paced story. Fast moving battles are interspaced with moments of reflection. Like the soldiers themselves, the reader is often left disoriented by the dilation of space-time, which makes each reveal more satisfying, and at times disheartening. 

One thing potential readers of this book need to be aware of is that ‘Livesuit’ doesn’t shy away from the gore factor. Think Aliens or Starship Troopers (the movies) as your point of reference. If brutal bodily injuries make you squeamish, you will need to steel yourself before heading into this novella.

So who will enjoy this story? 

If militaristic sci-fi is your thing, I think you’ll love ‘Livesuit’. There’s action, but also great characters that you’ll find yourself growing and grieving with.  And even if militaristic sci-fi isn't normally your thing, those interested in a story that explores the impact of  war on those who fight it may also find this a story worth reading. 

Overall, a great story and a well narrated audiobook too if that happens to be your choice for consuming this book.

Yuanyuan is fascinated by bubbles, and it’s a fascination that will have profound effects on her life and those around her. When the city of her birth is threatened with being consumed by the desert, can the girl who dreamed of blowing big bubbles come to its rescue? This is an entertaining short story for those happy to mix sci-fi with the optimism of a child.

‘Yuanyuan’s Bubbles’ is the graphic novel adaptation of a short story by Chinese sci-fi writer Cixin Liu. Although translations of the story are available for free online, I’m glad I was able to experience it first as a graphic novel. Steven Dupre’s illustrations wonderfully bring to life Yuanyuan’s fascination with bubbles, as well as the bleakness of her hometown.

On a first read through, the way the story jumped and skipped ahead had me wondering if elements were being cut in order to make a comic sized adaptation. But the graphic adaptation seems true to the original short story, which itself jumps and skips through Yuanyuan’s life. I especially enjoyed the book on a second read through, where I took more time to enjoy the artwork as well as the relationship between Yuanyuan and her father.

Is this book worth getting? Like most niche graphic novels it’s relatively expensive and you need to think of this as buying a piece of art, not just an hour or so of reading. I was able to pick up a cheap (cover damaged) edition from a second hand market, and feel fortunate to have been able to enjoy the story in this format.

‘Data Dreams’ catalogues how several artists have tackled topics related to AI through their art. It’s a fascinating book, but one that is best enjoyed in conjunction with other media that enable you to explore the artists work.

‘Data Dreams: Art and AI’ was originally published as a companion book to the exhibition of the same name. The exhibition was put together by the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney, Australia to showcase the work of ten international artists.

The book includes beautiful full color images and a discussion of each artists work that features in the exhibition. Since the art featured includes many videos and sculptures, I enjoyed supplementing the book with the video content published by the MCA on its web site and MCA YouTube channel.

Additional essays on art and AI are also included, along with a helpful history of AI. The history section is especially revealing, as it demonstrates that while AI has raced ahead in recent years, this rapid change is based on more than a century of work that included many setbacks.

On an unnamed island, one woman attempts to save her friend from becoming yet another thing that disappears and is lost from memory. ‘The Memory Police’ is promoted as a dystopian novel, but it’s also a creeping horror story. The book’s strength is the sense of growing dread it invokes and will suit anyone who can enjoy a novel for its atmosphere and the questions it asks, without needing all the answers.

Note: This novel was originally published in Japanese in 1994, and was translated and published in English in 2019.

On a mysterious and unnamed island, things are disappearing. Birds, boats and the outside world. For most of the island’s inhabitants, the loss is not just of the object, but also the concept, feelings and memories associated with the missing thing.

‘The Memory Police’ is narrated by a novelist living on this island. When she discovers her editor, R, can remember things after they disappear, she recruits an old family friend to help hide R from the Memory Police.

As the novel progresses there is a growing sense of dread as more things, people and even ideas, are lost from the island. A strength of this book is the sense of creeping doom created by the impact of disappearances on the characters. This eerie atmosphere was something I really enjoyed.

Interspaced in the main story is the narrator’s own novel. It begins as a simple romance about a woman who falls in love with her typing teacher. But like the primary story, this too has twists and turns.

This book’s conclusion won’t please everyone. But if you’re someone who can enjoy a book for the atmosphere it creates and the questions it asks - rather than the answers it gives, then ‘The Memory Police’ is worth reading.

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SPOILER CONTAINING DISCUSSION ON KEY THEMES AND IDEAS BELOW

‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ (SOTR) is a prequel novel for the Hunger Games series. This novel is the backstory of Haymitch; his trials and subsequent victory in the 50th Hunger Games, and the events that shape the character readers meet in  book 1 of ‘The Hunger Games’. Fans of the original series should enjoy this book, and may want to consider it ahead of the upcoming (late 2026) movie.

SOTR is the latest Hunger Game prequel story. Where ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ (BSS) sought to help readers better understand President Snow, SOTR centres around Haymitch Abernathy, who features in the original series as the mentor to District 12’s tributes.

This novel adopts a similar structure to the earlier prequel. In it, we are introduced to just enough of  Haymitch’s life in District 12 to understand that the carefree teenager we meet will be irreparably damaged by the Hunger Games.

Similar to BOSS, the action then turns to the Hunger Games, firstly the scene setting of getting to know the contestants, and then the vicious and cruel elimination of all until only Haymitch remains. 

As a prequel, we know Haymitch ultimately triumphs. The tension in this ‘Games therefore lies in Haymitch’s own agenda and whether he has the will and capability to follow through with it. 

Author Suzanne Collins is again at her best with the build up and action of the Games itself. As with BSS though, I would have appreciated more time dealing with the fallout from the Games and the way those events shape and scar Haymitch before readers meet him in ‘The Hunger Games’. 

My recommendation for this book is similar to the earlier prequel.

This book explores the businesses tactics that get you spending the last dollars in your bank account. These are valuable insights at a time when household budgets are stretched. While the book is written for an Australian audience, many of the insights are still applicable in Europe, the US or Canada. That makes this a great read whether you’re looking to save some money or simply fascinated by how companies always seem to find new ways  to extend their profits.

‘How They Get You’ examines the business models and sneaky ways that businesses make extra money out of consumers. It explores the psychology and economics of 24 different business practices and how they separate people from their money. Importantly, each chapter concludes with practical tips for how to deal with these different practices, especially if they’re unavoidable. 

For the typical consumer, the author’s choice of breadth over depth is the right one. Each topic provides enough detail to understand why businesses are doing these things, and what actions the consumer can take. For business readers or those looking for a deep understanding of the topic, Kohler’s coverage might not be sufficient. However, I found the book a valuable way to get across multiple topics quickly, and it’s already helped me save money.

Readers should be aware this book is written for an Australian audience. Some chapters reference distinctly Australian consumer scenarios and laws. This may require reinterpreting things for their local context. Even with this limitation, the diversity of topics covered means ‘How they Get You’ still offers plenty of valuable insights for everyone.

‘Sourcery’ is a fantastical adventure story about the clash of power between wizardry and 'sourcery', as the more ancient form of magic is known by in this world. Being a Discworld novel, this is a battle that is absurd and comedic, yet still feels consequential. Fantasy lovers looking for a lighter take on a magical contest will enjoy this book.

This is book 5 in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. While I have read a couple of the later books, I’ve decided to go back to the beginning and start chipping away at the series as something of a long term goal for the next few years. The Discworld novels I’ve read so far are light hearted, fun and relatively quick to read. This makes them an ideal thing to slip in between reading longer novels, heavier subject matter, or non-fiction. Check my Discworld tag for more books from this series.

But back to ‘Sourcery’.

Unseen University is the home of wizardry on the Discworld. It’s a place where magic  sometimes happens, but is better known for the drinking, smoking and tomfoolery of its staff and students. It’s a place where the bumbling wizard Rincewind hopes to quietly go about his business, avoiding danger at all cost.

Rinacewind’s quest for a peaceful life is shattered by the arrival of a young boy with the ability to wield the power of ‘sourcery’ - an old and powerful form of magic. This sets in motion an adventure involving luggage, an assassin who wants to be a hairdresser, an entry level barbarian and a magical hat with a score to settle.

If you’re wanting complex plots, you may do better to look elsewhere. But by book five, the Disc is a world with recurring locales, characters who make cameos, and an expanding lore. The book however, can still be enjoyed as a stand alone novel.

‘Sapiens’ is a big picture examination of human history, exploring 70,000 years of evolution and civilisation changing developments. Taking such a macro perspective, this book can be both confronting and illuminating. I’d recommend ‘Sapiens’ for anyone seeking an engaging way to quickly take in the long sweep of history.

This is a book that takes on an incredible challenge - retelling the story of homo-sapiens. Though broadly told in chronological order, the book organises its chapters by theme. It explores how key events shaped the tale of humanity, and how in many cases, the world today continues to be influenced by these forces. Across its many chapters, topics include: the agricultural revolution, the role of money, the evolution of religion, and the convergence of capitalism, science and empire building.

Taking such a long term perspective illustrates how easy it is to look at recent events and mistakenly assume that things will continue to change predictably in a given direction, or that things are moving too slowly. A key takeaway from 'Sapiens' is that while change can seem slow in the context of an individual lifetime, change in the last few hundred years has been incredibly fast paced. 

Sapiens is written in easy to read language and an engaging manner. I expected it to take  longer to read, but instead found myself frequently picking it up to read “just one more chapter”.  

The only downside to this book is that it was originally published in 2014. That was a less turbulent and more optimistic time than the world of March 2026. It would have been interesting to see how the author would approach the latter chapters of the book today. Along similar lines, I’ve been left wondering how some of the projections the author makes about the future of humanity and artificial life (AI, cybernetics, genetic modification) might be changed by the technological advances of the last decade.

When a class of graduating students from the Capitol are tasked with mentoring tributes in the Hunger Games, Coryo Snow sees a chance to turn around his personal and family fortunes. This Hunger Games prequel gives readers a glimpse into the origin story of President Snow. Though arguably not as well realised as it could have been, it’s worth reading if you’re a fan of the series.

Some context…

‘The Hunger Games’ (THG) trilogy was originally released between 2008-2010. A dystopian series set in the post-America nation of Panem, the success of the books lead to movie adaptations being released between 2012-2015.

The original trilogy was something I enjoyed, though at the time I felt the writing had room for improvement. The violence was something that really stood out, and I questioned how much was actually needed to convey the brutality of the world versus how much was just there for a shock value.

That said, I am a fan of dystopian novels, and I was looking forward to returning to Panem.  So I picked up this novel with both those things in mind - my previous enjoyment that came with criticisms, combined with my overall love for the genre.

A book at its best when it sticks to the games it knows.

The premise of ‘Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ (BSS) is that a group of Capitol students, including  a future President Snow (Coryo), must mentor tributes for the tenth Hunger Games.

Coryo is assigned a wily and charismatic girl from District 12. He is at first disappointed with his assigned tribute. She is clearly not going to be capable of beating the other tributes in a direct fight. But over time Coryo comes to realise that Lucy Gray Beard might just be the longshot that helps him gain the glory and power he desires. 

The chapters dedicated to the Games and Coryo’s life in the Capitol have the same feel as the original trilogy. This part of the book is engaging in the same way the original book was. Tension is built and then released violently, over and over again until only one tribute is left.

When the second half of the story takes us to District 12, I had high hopes for it giving us deep insights into future President Snow's psyche.  The book tries to do this by subjecting its protagonists to a series of escalating ethical dilemmas.

However, the ending didn’t feel well paced. For my mind it would have been more effective with either a shorter and more ambiguous ending, or else extending the book to give more weight to the consequences of Coryo's choices.

Fans will enjoy it, but for me it’s another imperfect book

‘Unruly’ examines the interplay of current trends in technology, politics and law. Emerging trends mean businesses face new risks and a world where established norms will be abandoned. Companies will need to proactively adopt a more holistic approach to managing legal, political and technological risk. This book will be of interest to general readers, but will be especially thought provoking for those in risk management or regulating the corporate sector.

‘Unruly: Fighting Back when Politics, AI, and Law Upend the Rules of Business’ by Sean West

‘Unruly’ examines the convergence of trends in technology, politics and law that are creating new risks for businesses. Where once businesses could manage risks in each of these areas as separate issues, West argues a triad of convergent risks is emerging.

 Geopolitics and technology are increasingly linked as countries seek to use the law to gain an economic and technological edge over rivals. Norms against the targeting of ‘civilians’ (businesses and individuals) are being abandoned in an era where cyberwarfare and abuse of the law are normalised as means of asserting political power.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently argued:

“Over the past two decades, a series of crises in finance, health, energy and geopolitics have laid bare the risks of extreme global integration. But more recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.”  (emphasis added)

The increasing weaponization of economic integration is called out by West in ‘Unruly’. The book was published in March 2025, yet the author foresaw many of the norm violations (at home and abroad) of the second Trump presidency. And the prediction is, there’s still potential for things to get a lot worse.

Businesses typically prefer certainty and predictability. West argues the world is not just becoming uncertain and harder to predict, it’s becoming unruly. The rule of law and established legal and political norms are not just being eroded, but completely torn up. That’s a difficult world in which to conduct business, with flow on effects for society at large due to its impacts on investment, economic growth and employment.

Lessons for business:  Rethink your approach to the world and especially how you approach risk management

One of the more alarming bits of advice is that businesses should treat legal grey zones like a give-away sign, not a stop sign. That is, they should continue to proceed, but with caution. West argues that a business that ‘stops’ to wait for the law to catch up in areas like AI, will be overtaken by competitors that simply drive on through. 

[At this point I would refer readers to my previous review of ‘The Dark Pattern’, a book which analyses some of the biggest corporate scandals in modern history. West’s ‘give way sign’ approach to legal greyzones arguably increases the risk of a company being caught up in a major legal and ethical scandal. There is definitely a balancing act, and some gambling, to be had with this approach.]

The abandoning of norms against targeting  regular citizens and businesses in geopolitical power struggles, means all businesses can potentially become combatants. Companies must plan for this scenario by examining their exposure to international and domestic political crises.

West also has an interesting take on companies adopting public positions on social issues. He argues that in a politically fractious and divisive world, it’s better for most businesses to sit on the sidelines. He cites examples of firms who have made things worse by taking a position and then flip-flopping and reversing course, ultimately pleasing no-one. West’s advice seems to be that you should only take a public position if it truly aligns to company values. In that scenario, firms must be prepared to stay the course and stick by whichever group or cause they’ve backed. 

Lastly, the book encourages businesses to take an integrated and holistic approach to how they manage risk. Having separate legal, technology and government affairs teams developing their own risk strategies doesn’t work in a world where the biggest risks emerge from the convergence of these three areas.

A business book that will also be of interest to those interested in current events

When the only apprenticeship Mort can get is with Death, mistakes are made and the fabric of reality becomes rather untidy. This sets in motion a series of hilarious events involving wizards, a princess and Death’s exploration of other career options. If you love the idea of a quick and absurd read, then look for ‘Mort’ in your bookstore or library.

‘Mort’ is the fourth book in Terry Pratchet’s Discworld series of fantasy comedies. The book's main protagonists are Death, his adopted daughter Ysabell, servant Albert and recently recruited apprentice - Mort.

When Mort decides to override fate and spare the life of one destined for death, it sets in motion a hilarious series of events. Can Mort make things right? And what even is right in a world where Death seems more interested in a career change than debating the meaning of justice?

‘Invisible Women’ explores how missing or misused data leads to a world that fails women, often with life threatening consequences. Although this book is several years old, it still serves a useful role by identifying areas where data on women has historically been overlooked.

My first book for 2026 is ‘Invisible Women’ by Caroline Criado Perez. As someone with a keen interest in the use of data for decision making,  I’m always interested in books that examine where the weak points are in the data life cycle. 

The default male and missing women

‘Invisible Women’ highlights how research and data collection often assume a ‘default male’, which can lead to decisions being based only on what is optimal for men. This is, as shown through numerous examples in the book, rarely what is optimal for women. 

Sometimes missing data arises when, (typically male) researchers cite concerns about the cost or complexity of conducting trials and experiments that include women. In others, the lack of women in government or industry means problems impacting women are not even recognized, and hence no data exists on what may be a long standing issue.

In other cases, there appears no clear explanation for why data on gender wasn't captured or reported on. As someone who has worked in industries with rich data, including data on gender, I was surprised to discover that many sectors didn't collect or publish analysis with a gender split.

Perez also highlights examples of where even when data on women was available, this data was not used properly or was outright ignored.

The assumption of the ‘default male’ perspective means that without a conscious effort to include more women in public, political and corporate decision making, existing blindspots will remain.

Lessons for researchers

The two simplest lessons for researchers that emerge from this book are: 1) don’t assume the ‘default male’ or the gender neutral human will do. Women need to be part of the data set.  2) Once you’ve collected data on women, this should be included as one of the key data splits. Even if there is no difference in results, this should at least be mentioned. Do not simply lump all results into one category of ‘people’.

Sometimes less is more when persuading with data or its absence

For a book about the lack of data on women, ‘Invisible Women’ is at times a firehose  of data points and citations. As someone who values data, I appreciate the author’s diligence in bringing together so many examples to back up each of the thematic areas the book examines. 

The persuasiveness of the book might potentially have been improved on though by doing a deeper dive on some of the case studies. Examples of highly impactful policy or research proposals being passed over by grants bodies might have benefited from an in text explanation of what alternate proposals received funding instead.

A worthwhile read for anyone interested in improving data driven decision making

Another year done, and another year of reading ticked off. This year turned out to be my biggest one yet, with 25 books in total consumed.

Print reading was the main way I consumed books this year.

Most of my reading (16/25) was still reading print, either physical or digital. This surprised me since it felt like I’d listened to a LOT of books this year. While my book consumption was definitely boosted by audiobooks, there was a lot of print being read. 

I think I will also have done pretty well on the word count of ‘print’ books again. Last year was big due to  some mammoth books (Dune + 'Remembrance of Earth’s Past’ trilogy). This year it was the Empyrean trilogy that boosted the word count. I also read fewer and shorter graphic novels, again probably boosting word count.

The year of romantasy (and romance) 

 Romance and romantasy made up the bulk of my fiction reading. Rainbow gifted me several romance and romantasy books, but it was my choice to add a couple of extras to the list in order to finish the series she started. Dystopian novels still made a showing this year, but far less than in previous years. 

In the non-fiction category, it was another mix of business books and self improvement / personal development books, including a reread (listen) of ‘Atlas of the Heart’.

As per previous years, here’s the full list of books. 

Fiction

A Darkling Plain - Philip Reeve (audiobook)

Icebreaker - Hannah Grace

Eruption - Micheal Crichton (audiobook)

Five Brothers - Penelope Douglas

The Serpent and the Wings of Night - Carissa Broadbent

Throne of Glass - Sarah J Maas

The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood (audiobook)

Fourth Wing -Rebecca Yarros

The Ashes and the Star Cursed King  - Carissa Broadband

Iron Flame - Rebecca Yarros

I’m starting to worry about this black box of doom - Jason Pargin (audiobook)

Starter Villain - John Scalzi

Onyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros

Graphic Novels / Comics

The Park - Oscar Zarate

You Must take Part in Revolution - Badiucao & Melissa Chan 

Non-Fiction

Mental Mana - Will Jonathan

Draw to Win - Dan Roam

Mono in a Poly World - Tazmyn Ozga

Thinking in Bets - Annie Duke

Sludge - Cass R Sunstein (audiobook)

The Power of Letting Go - John Purkiss (audiobook)

Atlas of the Heart - Brene Brown (audiobook)

The Dark Pattern - Guido Palazzo & Ulrich Hoffrage (audiobook) 

The Let Them Theory - Mel Robbins

The Secret Life of Data - Aram Sinnreich & Jesse Gilbert  (audiobook) 

PREVIOUS READING LISTS

2024 - Things Add up (20 books)

2023 - Getting back in to reading (19 books)

2022 - getting back to books (4 books)

2021 - Another year of not reading much (2 books)

2020 - A year of not much reading (3 books)

2019 #bookbacklog

2018 #bookbacklog

2017 #bookbacklog

2016 #bookbacklog

2015 #bookbacklog

2014 year of reading

2013 year of reading

Onyx Storm is the third book in the Empyrean series, a romance-fantasy (romantasy) series that pits magic wielding dragon riders against mysterious dark magicians.  The series brings together an entertaining cast of characters in a war for the fate of Navarre.  

It’s difficult to write a spoiler-free commentary on Onyx Storm without giving away key elements of the earlier books. So for the benefit of those planning to read the full series, I’ve tried to keep all the spoilerish content in a separate section at the end of the post.

For those interested in my posts on the first two books:

Fourth Wing

Iron Flame

Spoiler Free: The Empyrean Series and Onyx Storm

The Empyrean is a romantasy (romance-fantasy) series. I’ve personally found the series to be a balanced mix of both genres, though Onyx Storm felt like it leaned more into the fantasy elements.

The romance between the protagonists is well crafted. It helps drive key elements of the plot, shape the characters, and also provides a different kind of downtime between the higher paced elements of the story.

For those more interested in the fantasy genre, the world building and lore of any single book isn’t as deep as one solely focussed on the fantasy elements. However, across the series the details of the world have been progressively built up. Now the world of Navarre is full of history, myths and living cultures. These have been built out as the fantasy plot at an individual and macro level have moved forward.

For those thinking of picking up this series, you should be aware that it contains both explicit sex scenes and graphic violence. Aside from the gore of combat, there is physical and psychological torture. 

With that said, I’ve enjoyed the series so far. While the books are relatively long, they’re not a difficult read. If you’re a fast reader or got some downtime coming up, this is a series that could be enjoyed by anyone who likes the idea of combining dragons, magic, an existential conflict and spicy romance. 

And now, the spoiler containing thoughts.

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Spoiler containing thoughts beyond. In no particular order

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The cliff-hanger finale

I’m just going to get this out of the way. There is such a thing as too much of a cliff-hanger. Just having Violet and Xaden be married (or a mystery around that) would have been a great hook. Having the aftermath of the battle be a victory that feels more like defeat would also have been a good cliff-hanger for the next book(s). But what we got - personally I feel it took away a bit from the climax of the major battle.

All the adventuring to different lands

If this doesn’t have payoffs in the later books, then it’s going to feel a lot like filler

You get a second power, and you get a second power and you get a second power

Look, at this point  any marked one has to be under suspicion of having a second signet/power. And that will surely have implications down the track. 

Multiple character perspectives

We needed this in the big battle in order to show its scope and all the world changing events going on. But I wonder if this was also setting us up for how the story may be told in the subsequent books. Or at least until Violet and Xaden are reunited.

Long distance romance… or new romances?

If we assume Violet and Xaden are physically separated until some sort of cure (redemption) is achieved for Xaden, then where does this leave us in terms of romance plots and sexy scenes? I can see this going a couple of ways. Firstly, this will all be in the form of Violet dreamwalking and encounters within their shared dreamspace. Second option, which links back to the introduction of multiple character perspectives, is that we might get to experience one or more of the other romantic sub-plots like the Imogen-Garrick one we get teased with at the end of the book. 

Final result - a solid addition to the series