User Profile

yoavzack Locked account

yoavzack@books.theunseen.city

Joined 1 year, 5 months ago

A science nerd that likes to read. I do prefer sci-fi/fantasy, but double in almost any other genre. Will fight over Eragon to my last breath

This link opens in a pop-up window

Death's End (EBook, 2016) 4 stars

Death's End (Chinese: 死神永生, pinyin: Sǐshén yǒngshēng) is a science fiction novel by the Chinese …

Review of "Death's End" on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This book buffles me. It has 5-star good parts, which it then ignore and skip without finishing, or finishing in bad ways.

Given 4 stars because I want to judge it for its good and not its bad.

The Three-Body Problem (Hardcover, 2014, Tor Books) 4 stars

Within the context of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a military project sends messages to alien …

Review of 'The Three-Body Problem' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Although this book is really physics-inspired (just look at the name), it is not actually intended for physicists, and more for the general public (which is good! Just not expected). Let me explain:

I just finished my B.A. in physics, and although I'm in no means an expert, I do have certain knowledge in the field. This caused an unexpected problem for me.

The physicists in the book (except Ye Wenji maybe) aren't believable. They lack basic knowledge that all physicists have, or understand the situation far slower than expected.

For example, let's look at the 3body game. As a non-expert with limited knowledge, I was able to understand the mechanics of the game within the first chapter of it. For Wang, en expert with years more of experience it took 3 another several chapters.

Of course, this is not a problem for most people (I guess), since most people …

Elantris (2006) 4 stars

In 2005, Brandon Sanderson debuted with Elantris, an epic fantasy unlike any other then on …

Review of 'Elantris' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Read it right after finishing Fitz And Fool, and the contrast is incredible.
This is a great book, but it does not allow itself to ever become really scary.
I never really worried about any of the characters, because Sanderson never let them become hurt of anything. Events that would have scarred people for life are brushed off as no more than inconvenience.
This book is a great example of what makes Sanderson so good: the hard magic system, and his amazing ability to always leave me surprised although I already had all of the knowledge to solve the problem myself.
But it is also an example of his shortcomings. The book is easy and fun and interesting which means that nothing actually has any emotional weight.