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I started Seveneves in 2016 and finished it today, and found it a bit uneven, but with more than enough great ideas to net four stars. I thoroughly enjoyed Stephenson's Barock Cycle in 2016, though, and that was probably my best read of the year.
Some good random finds last year: the Temeraire series and We Are Legion (We Are Bob) were both great fun.
Of the new entries in series I was already reading, Bands of Mourning was the best. I hadn't much liked the previous entry in that series after loving Alloy of Steel, so it was nice to have BoM pull me back into the Mist-o-verse. Calamity didn't do much for me (a crawling city of salt? I guess it's more compelling if you're from Utah), leaving Firefight the only Reckoners book I much liked. The new Foreigner book was fine, but not a standout.
The Fifth Season was fascinating, but I think I'll need more of the series to make a call. It seemed more a long prologue than a story unto itself. Another honorable mention to Use of Weapons. I finally read a Culture novel last year, and I have Consider Phlebas queued up next on my Kindle.
On the stinkpile, The Aeronaut's Windlass fell entirely flat for me. More Dresden please, Mr. Butcher.
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