Jim C. Hines

I'd never read Jim Hines before but I was in a mood for something light, so I picked this up expecting some kind of zany, "Guardians of the Galaxy" witty space romp.

What I got was a five star SF read. This is a funny, fast-paced, witty and original novel that also has a clever and quite serious plot.

The story takes place in a universe where most humans have been turned feral by a zombie plague from which 10,000 or so have been rescued by an alien race who now use them as a military force. show more The post-plague humans are hard to kill, aggressive and loyal. For the aliens, it's a great deal.

The janitors of the title humans who keep the warship clean and plumbing functioning, albeit that their leader, nicknamed mops, is occasionally consulted by the humans in battle command because she has good strategic insights and keeps a cool head.

When the warship gets caught in a trap that kills the alien officers and turns most of the humans feral again, it's left to Mops and her crew to find out what happened and save the universe, or at least humanity.

The pace is fast. The humour is irresistible. Yet this is not a shallow book. The universe-building is robust and complex. The characters, including the alien characters, are believable and engaging. The plot stands up against more mainstream SF and contains a big, skillfully revealed, secret. Best of all, Mops turns out to be a giant amongst humans: a natural leader, a shrewd tactician, an insatiable reader (Jane Austin's and Mary Shelley's works have survived the holocaust), quietly brave and always witty.

What more could I want?

The book works as a standalone novel but sets up the sequel, "Terminal Uprising" beautifully. It comes out in February 2019 and I'd have already pre-ordered it except Amazon want to gouge me for a you-cannot-be-serious $18.42 for the privilege. I figure time is on my side.

Amazon pricing policy to one side, I highly recommend this book to anyone with who loves SF and has a sense of humour. show less

‘Kitemaster‘ was my seventh book by Jim C. Hines, and it is by far my favourite. For me, it sets the bar for what a Fantasy novel can be.

It’s an exciting adventure with an against-the-odds struggle by an underdog locked in a righteous struggle with a powerful, ruthless enemy. It has a unique, well-thought-through magic system, flying ships, great battle scenes, wonderful air serpents and enormous dragons.

What impressed me most was that it never followed the obvious path. Nial did show more what needed to be done, but she always sought the route of least harm to others. Her enemy was ruthless, cruel, but not evil. She was broken and her actions were monstrous but her failings were very human.

I found myself absorbed in the world that Jim Hines had created: its religion, its people, its use of magic as a technology and its endless cycle of war over territory. I loved how what I at first thought to be myth turned out to be history, and how history started its journey towards becoming myth.

I liked that Nial’s journey wasn’t powered by a hero’s zeal for an epic quest but by her need to protect her family and the other people she cares about. She never falls into a righteous anger that allows her to take any action necessary to achieve her goals. She always takes responsiblity for what she does and is more comfortable with sacrificing herself than with harming others.

For me, the most powerful aspect of the novel was its deep understanding of grief and loss. If you've lived through grief, you'll recognise the emotions being described here. There is no attempt to say that grief is something that you'll get over. Grief and loss change you. You are never again the person you were before they touched you. This story shows how, if grief turns to rage, it can consume a person. It also shows that you can't 'move on' from grief; you can only become reconciled to the life that now sits before you.

Jim Hines captures that sense of isolation and dislocation that comes when your life is derailed by loss. Nail's life stops for a while. She withdraws from the people around her, no matter how well-meaning, knowing that she causes them discomfort and they can offer her little to fill the void.

I loved the spirit kite funeral rites of Nial's people. Even without the magical aspects, it seems to me that this is a practice that honours the dead and helps the living. show less

If you think it's hard being a hobgoblin or a human, try living a goblin's life for a while. In fact, try imagining what it's like to be the runtiest goblin in the caves, the lone worshiper of a god who's been forgotten for a good reason, and the target everyone points to at the first hint of trouble. Try picturing yourself as Jig Dragonslayer, and see how you like it...Despite impossible odds, Jig was still alive. He'd survived an adventurer's quest against a dragon and a necromancer, a show more pixie invasion that had ogres and trolls dropping like flies, and, most frightening of all, the threat of being made chief of the goblins. He wasn't sure how much more he could stand. Naturally, he was about to find out.War was brewing in the world outside the Mountain, and when the goblin's lair was invaded by human warriors in search of the Rod of Creation, Jig knew it was just the start of another really bad day...

Fast paced, fun dialogue, and bouncy descriptions wrapped up in a humorous package. Jig makes a great anti-hero. Hines brings a fun but well-written genre to life and makes this a engaging story even for those that don't have extensive background in fantasy in general and this series in particular. show less

Great fun. The entertaining and cool premise has enough consideration behind it to really have legs, and the narrator-protagonist is fun and sympathetic in both his unabashed nerdy glee and his better nature. I was particularly pleased with the navigation of the complex consent issues around the awesome, ass-kicking love interest character, and the resolution that arc received. Fun, clever, nicely written.