Penric's Mission lifts the main character to new heights in terms of his confidence and maturity. This is the Penric I've been waiting for and the one which makes this fourth book in the series a must read....

This next installment in the Penric and Desdemona series goes a little deeper than previous stories, but not deep enough to rise above a three rocket rating. Still, it's a good read and a nice addition to the ongoing saga....

Penric and Desdemona must face off against a rogue shaman wanted for murder. As always, Bujold's writing draws you into her world and her characters never disappoint....

Outpost earns a solid four rockets from me. I liked the characters, the story, the planet, and the direction the author is going with all of it. It’s a good science fiction series you should add to your reading list....

A one rocket bomb. I couldn't finish To Fall Among Vultures due to the erratic writing, flat characters, and confusing storytelling....

Vick's Vultures barely qualifies for two rockets. Confusing writing, flat characters, and marginal storytelling couldn't salvage an otherwise promising premise....

Assassin's Fate is everything you might expect from Hobb as her masterful storytelling intertwines all of the disparate Elderling worlds and brings to a close the story of one of fantasy's most beloved characters....

Scalzi has the success and the genre cred to write a real book on writing. This is not that book....

A fun, fast, enjoyable read that sets the stage for many adventures ahead as we explore the intriguing relationship between Penric and Desdemona....

A 4 rocket rating gets marked down to 3 due to the excessive typos. Otherwise, Blackguards is a rich collection of dastardly tales full of rogues, thieves, and assassins....