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Overall: A Great little prequel to the excellent novel Telepath. It adds depth to the character and setting for readers of the novels. Those who have not read the novels may find it a bit slow to start, but if that doesn't bother you then this novella is a great bit of world-building.

On 1st Reading: If you are looking for an SF story that you can sink into like the warm embrace of a welcoming comfy chair, look no further than the Hive Mind series.

There are seriously tense moments. There are disturbing questions about society and identity that got right under my skin and creeped me out.

Yet this introductory story is told in a warm, friendly and innocent manner that just sucks you right into the world, I feel like I know these people and I really can't wait to meet up with them again in the next book.

I guess Ms Edwards is just an excellent and subversive writer.

I've read all her novels and I can see her becoming more ambitious with each release. I already wait for each new story with baited breath. I fully expect that a few books down the road I'll be shelving her with my all time greats such as Isaac Asimov and Anne McCaffrey. Not an honour I give out lightly.

On 2nd Reading: On rereading I noticed many more details, seriously good world building, pacing and simply darn good storytelling. While the main character goes through a lot, stepping back and looking at the implications of what is happening makes me realise that a lot more is happening then she realises. Great stuff, enough material for at least another book used just as background to make the world feel real. Talent!

On 3rd Reading: I see in my 1st review of this book that I said "a few books down the road I'll be shelving her with my all time greats such as Isaac Asimov and Anne McCaffrey" . After her recent books, that is now the case. In fact those two authors are a good description of Ms Edwards' writing: She has the forward thinking, social issue addressing, mystery-loving style of Asimov, but with the much, much better storytelling and character development of McCaffrey. I'd add to that mix the fact that in her latest books Ms Edwards has shown that in writing action scenes she is way better than either Asimov or McCaffrey, and this is amplified by the fact that there is always an issue at stake (Asimov style) and every character is one you care deeply about (McCaffrey style).

So, yes, Janet Edwards is my favourite living author.

On 4th Reading: This particular little story doesn't seem all that epic at first glance - it starts out as the tale of a 17 year old living in a vast underground city, but as you read it, not only do you come to care about young Amber, you get to see how this society works and you are made to ask some very serious questions about free will, the role of government and how much freedom we should give up for safety. At the same time there is an entirely different and much more serious story going in the background on that Amber is oblivious to, but that readers may deduce (reading it 4 times may have something to do with it ;-) ).

This is not the most action packed of Ms Edwards works - it's not meant to be - but all that character building and world building gives it a special place in my heart.

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Every time I return to Middle Earth, it's like visiting an old friend. The familiar faces, the smells of pipe smoke and trees, the quiet hum of the river – it all washes over me with a sense of peace and belonging. Tolkien's world-building is so immersive that I can almost feel the road going ever on beneath my feet and the cool breeze on my face.

The setting is truly a masterpiece, but it's not just that which draws me back. It's the characters. Frodo, with his quiet courage and unwavering determination; Gandalf, Sam all all the fellowship – these are people I've grown to love. Their journeys, their triumphs, and their struggles feel deeply personal.

Then there's the story itself. With each reread, I discover new nuances, hidden meanings, and deeper connections between the characters and the themes. I mentioned the sense of peace in my first paragraph. Of course that is how the story starts - it gets much darker, but that sense of peace is carried in the hearts of the characters as a sense of what is important, it is the reason they struggle against the darkness. This book reminds us what is important in life, in so many ways.

The Fellowship of the Ring is more than just a book; it's a world, a journey, and a friend. It's a place I can always return to and find solace, adventure, and a sense of wonder.

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This is a darn good detective story but also seriously gets you thinking (it’s also a totally different thing to the TV series once you get into it).

Minor – Chapter 1 style - spoilers ahead

The basic plot revolves around two seemingly normal cities existing in the same space somewhere in Europe. One city, Besźel, really reminds me of Bratislava when I first moved there. Lots of beautiful old architecture showing past wealth, but currently crumbling away from neglect. The other city, Ul Qoma is surging ahead economically and is full of glass and steel new construction.

The story follows Inspector Tyador Borlú, of the Besźel Extreme Crime Squad (who strikes me as if Inspector Frost grew up in Bratislava) who stumbles upon a crime that forces him to confront this very complex situation.

This is very much our world with Google and Microsoft Word and without any magic or fantastical elements. Everything is as it is today – if Besźel and Ul Qoma existed somewhere in Europe.

The two cities are physically intermingled. One building might be “in” Besźel the next might be “in” Ul Qoma. This isn’t magic, it’s just that the inhabitants of each city are trained to actively ignore the other, even though the physical evidence of both cities is present. From birth they are trained to see their city and to “unsee the Other”.

Making sure that the system is enforced is Breach. Breach is referred to as “a power” that is “invoked”. The agents of Breach seem to be human, however they seemingly materialise whenever someone “commits an act of breach” by interacting or visibly noticing the other city. These agents are hard to look at and usually simply make the one who committed breach simply disappear. No one understands or knows anything about Breach except that they are there in the same way as gravity. You may not understand it, but it works and there’s no point in arguing with it. If you don’t treat it with respect, it will have you.

If you want a good old fashioned detective story but also want to really explore a setting with a ton of mysteries – this is an excellent read.

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