Paul Grenyer

Having previously read two of James Kinsley’s novels, I was surprised, and impressed, by It’s Hard to Tell You This. While I’ve always associated Kinsley with science fiction, this book takes a different direction, focusing instead on intimate human emotions and relationships. It’s a departure that works beautifully. I found myself immediately identifying with Michael’s father. His experiences, especially his awkwardness at a Catholic school and his fear of girls, resonated with my own memories. The story caused me to think about my own relationships over the years.. At just the right length, the novel flows quickly, and while I could easily have read more, its brevity is one of its strengths. The ending, in particular, stands out. Endings are difficult to get right, but Kinsley manages to finish the story well. This is, without question, Kinsley’s best book so far and, incredibly, it’s all fiction! ISBN-13:  978-1917090193 

It’s dull, which is a shame as Nemisis Games  had picked up after Cibola Burn . There’s nothing new from the characters. No new characters of interest.  What was an exciting sci-fi series in the beginning has turned into politics and war in space. I can get that anywhere. There’s a ring gate with thousands of new worlds to explore, yet the story is confined to the solar system and the warring factions. The bad guys are unpleasant and not even interesting to read about. I don’t think it matters any more, but I didn’t recognise anything from the TV series here either. Of course I’ll plough on and read the other books. It might get better again. ISBN-13: 978-0356504285