Tag: read

God of the Internet by Lynn Lipinski

Title: God of the Internet Author: Lynn Lipinski Pub Date: 15-Aug-2016 My Rating: 5 Stars
Title: God of the Internet
Author: Lynn Lipinski
Pub Date: 15-Aug-2016
My Rating: 5 Stars

God of the Internet, by Lynn Lipinski, is a thriller about a Muslim extremist computer hacker, aka God_of_Internet, who has developed a worm that will infect computers in the western world in increasing disruptive acts. The story is fast paced and even though I figured out who the hacker was the story was so well written I didn’t care. In addition, the story is not a stretch at all. I can easily see this type of cyber terrorist attack happening and suspect it will only be a matter of time.

Ms. Lipinski did a good job of explaining the mechanics behind hacking and how through back doors and security lapses this type of scenario is possible. We, meaning humanity in general, are addicted to our technology. I shudder to think of the repercussions of an attack of this type would have on our society. Continue reading “God of the Internet by Lynn Lipinski”

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Title: The Bear and The Nightingale Author: Katherine Arden Pub Date: 10-Jan-2017 My Rating: 4 Stars
Title: The Bear and The Nightingale
Author: Katherine Arden
Pub Date: 10-Jan-2017
My Rating: 4 Stars

The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden, is an adult fairy tale. The story draws heavily on folklore and fairy tales and is set during Russian medieval times when belief in demons and witches was still prolific. The story is beautifully crafted and the imagery is elegantly presented. I did find the first thirty or so pages a little slow, but once I made it through the beginning I was thoroughly entertained.

The story is about a young girl, Vasilisa, who is the second daughter of Pyotr Vladimirovich, a Russian lord. Vasilisa, like her mother, is able to see the old spirits that protect the home and hearth. Though Christianity is starting to take a foot hold, even in the remote northern wilderness of Russia, the belief in these spirts is still strong. When Father Konstantin, a new priest, comes to Vasilisa’a small village he preaches against the old ways and forbids the honoring of the old spirits. Without the spirit’s protection evil is allowed to gain a foothold and crops fail and some of the villagers die. Vailisa must find a way and the courage to protect those she loves from the evil that abounds. Continue reading “The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden”

Sleeping Giants by Sylain Neuvel

Title: Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) Author: Sylvian Neuvel Pub Date: 26-Apr-2016
Title: Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)
Author: Sylvian Neuvel
Pub Date: 26-Apr-2016
Rating: 4 Stars

Sleeping Giants is the debut novel by Sylvain Neuvel. This novel uses an unusual technique, like found in World War Z, to tell the story. The narrator is an unknown person and you are reading the interview files of said narrator with a few journal notes and news reports as fillers. I was not expecting this, even though this technique is not new; yet, it really worked for me and I found it to be a very effective tool.  It gave a certain air of mystery and aloofness that I found enhanced the story.

The story opens with Rose Franklin riding her new bike on her 11th birthday and out of nowhere a huge hole opens up and swallows her. When rescue arrives it is discovered that she has fallen into a pit that contains an ancient artifact. This artifact is a gigantic metal hand and the hole is glowing and contains strange symbols on the walls. Skip forward twenty years and Rose is now a scientist and is leading a team of people to uncover the mystery behind the hand and the symbols. Continue reading “Sleeping Giants by Sylain Neuvel”