Reading Archive: 2014
December
3 Stars to The Mind From Outer Space by Eando Binder
Description
It came to Earth very quietly one evening from an alien planet. It was a mind, a free mind separated from any brain. A galactic mind that had taken one million years of superscience to create. Dr. Thule Hillory of Serendipity Labs was the only Earthman able to feel the alien presence. Through his PSI experiments, he had already discovered the phenomenon of Psychokinesis. But now time was running out, and Hillory must work night and day if there's to be any chance to halt the invisible menace!
Review
Delightfully retro, a sci-fi pulp story. I enjoyed it for its historical virtues over any sort of pretense at believability.
3 Stars to I Wish (I Wish, #1) by Elizabeth Langston
Description
Book 1 in a new series. What Lacey needs is a miracle. What she gets is a genie with rules. Lacey Linden is hiding the truth of her life—a depressed mom, a crumbling house, and bills too big to pay. While her high school classmates see a girl with a ready smile and good grades, Lacey spends her evenings seeking ways to save her family. On a get-cash-quick trip to the flea market, Lacey stumbles over a music box that seemingly begs her to take it home. She does, only to find it is inhabited by a gorgeous "genie." He offers her a month of wishes, one per day, but there's a catch. Each wish must be humanly possible. Grant belongs to a league of supernatural beings, dedicated to serving humans in need. After two years of fulfilling the boring wishes of conventional teens, he is one assignment away from promotion to a challenging new role with more daring cases. Yet his month with Lacey is everything that he expects and nothing like he imagines. Lacey and Grant soon discover that the most difficult task of all might be saying goodbye.
Review
Typical younger teen fair, slanted toward the fairer sex as well. well-written, but I can't say I approve of the love over duty aspect much.
2 Stars to Desperate Games by Pierre Boulle
Description
Long before Battle Royale or The Hunger Games, the author of The Planet of the Apes imagined a world governed by science and brutality gone mad in this long-neglected, dystopian sci-fi classic, now in a new translation Despairing at the state of world degeneration, a group of the world's most renowned intellectuals form the new Scientific World Government, aiming to put the world to rights. Elected into power, they quickly start making changes for the better, eliminating world hunger and cancer, encouraging scientific thought, and banning frivolous entertainment. But while congratulating themselves on a job well done, they fail to notice that actually, people are not happy. The suicide rate has sky-rocketed and, strangely, it turns out the public wants a little risk and conflict in their lives. So to cater to the masses, the Department of Psychology forms a plan: they will stage an entertainment show the likes of which the world has never seen before. It starts with gladiatorial style battles, bloodthirsty and brutal, where the victors become celebrities of unseen proportions, and quickly escalates into entire historical battle re-enactments involving chemical warfare and mass destruction. The Scientific World Government has unleashed a monster. What has the world let itself in for?
Review
Can't say I was overly impressed with this, and the ending really didn't help.
2 Stars to Baby Talk, Book 2 by Mike Wells
Description
In this creepy horror novel, Neal Becker is convinced that his 5 month old baby daughter can talk. But that's impossible...isn't it? Except that Neal didn't really want to get married in the first place and pushed his wife for an abortion. And now, Baby Natasha knows it. She's out to get Neal, or so he believes. Join the two in a terrifying battle for survival that will make your blood run cold! "A fantastic book, but don't read it at night. It gave me some very weird dreams." Theresa K., Boston "Any parent who has ever reached his wit's end with a toddler will appreciate this terrifying story!" -- Jennifer W., Atlanta "A nanny's worst nightmare!" -- Veronika P, Manchester, UK
Review
The ending was predictable, given that all these devil child stories have a fatalistic bent to them anyway. Points for pace, decent writing, but not keen on having to acquire two titles for the pleasure of finishing a single story.
4 Stars to Indomitus Vivat: Book Two of the Fovean Chronicles by Robert Brady
Description
King Glennen of Eldador gave me a job to do - avenge his wife's death - and hey, you know me, I am to please! So maybe he didn't say, "Attack the invincible city, sack it and pretty much slap the faces of every important person on Fovea," but then again I never went to charm school. I kind of do what I do. But you know what I wish he had said? I wish he'd said, "Lupus, if you do plan to go sack the invincible city, you better make darn sure you have a way out of there, because the Uman-Chi are the most powerful Wizards on the planet, and every other nation is a friend to them." Yeah, that would have been pretty good advice. These are the continuing adventures of Randy Morden, a man from our world thrust into another where magic is real and technology sounds pretty far-fetched. As the chosen of a god named 'War,' Randy has a mission to fulfill a destiny that he doesn't understand and, incidentally, to keep himself and his family alive while doing it. In Indomitus Vivat, the stakes are raised as War drives Randy to greater stakes and greater consequences, and pathway that could lead to empire, or straight to hell!
Review
Though know Kvothe, Morden is an interesting character. There's a little trampling of locale, but the theme overall is of a displaced person from our world sent to work on behalf of a war-like God and it's handled pretty well. I don't know where it's going, but there are at least 2 more books in the series!
4 Stars to Indomitus Est: Book One of the Fovean Chronicles by Robert Brady
Description
I grew up on a farm in Connecticut, when Connecticut had farms, where sleeping in was getting up after the sun, and you could put your hands in the Earth, smell the soil, and grow something other than grass in it. I didn't know that a god named 'War,' in a land called Fovea in another reality, needed a champion, and that he'd contracted with the dying god Anubis to provide him with one, in return for enough power to put Ra on his throne again. I didn't know that Anubis chose me, and for a total of eighteen years threw everything he could think of at me, to break me, to torment me, to forge me into this thing to be traded. He cost me the love of my life and a college education. He cost me my career in the US Navy. He cost me my parents and friends, each one given up in offering, passed like a mile post, left behind to harden me into this instrument that War wanted. My failures became His successes, my anger that instrument's edge. At the end of it all, after I passed all of the tests, leading a life left in a shambles, never knowing that I had been tested at all, Anubis appeared and tricked me into pledging my soul to him. That gave him the right to make the trade and give me to War who, by comparison, made Anubis seem like a pretty nice guy. I'm Randy Morden - welcome to my world. A world where magic is real, technology the stuff of fantasy, and warriors with swords ride horses into battle, trying to stay one step ahead of their gods' will. I didn't ask for this life, but I promise before anyone ever knocks me down again, I'm going to have their blood on my knuckles, because a man can only be pushed so far!
Review
No content provided.
5 Stars to Broken Homes (Peter Grant, #4) by Ben Aaronovitch
Description
A mutilated body in Crawley. Another killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil - an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man? Or just a common garden serial killer? Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case, a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load. So far so London. But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on an housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans and inhabited by the truly desperate. Is there a connection? And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River? Full of warmth, sly humour and a rich cornucopia of things you never knew about London, Aaronovitch's series has swiftly added Grant's magical London to Rebus' Edinburgh and Morse's Oxford as a destination of choice for those who love their crime with something a little extra.
Review
This was brilliant. The story was as good as any of the others, but of particular and exquisite delectation was the ending. Books that go on to this sort of number in a series do tend to get formulaic, and so this sort of knife-in-the-guts twist at the end really keeps things ticking over freshly.
3 Stars to Foxglove Summer (Rivers of London, #5) by Ben Aaronovitch
Description
In the fifth of his bestselling series Ben Aaronovitch takes Peter Grant out of whatever comfort zone he might have found and takes him out of London - to a small village in Herefordshire where the local police are reluctant to admit that there might be a supernatural element to the disappearance of some local children. But while you can take the London copper out of London you can't take the London out of the copper. Travelling west with Beverley Brook, Peter soon finds himself caught up in a deep mystery and having to tackle local cops and local gods. And what's more all the shops are closed by 4pm ...
Review
I enjoyed the story and the geography, on my patch as it were. The ending disappointed though, and the interplay between our two leads was a little drawn-out, so I can only assume the next installment will be rather good. A work of anticipation.
3 Stars to The Hunters' Haunt (Omar, #2) by Dave Duncan
Description
A blizzard savaged the mountain peaks, but at an inn called the Hunters' Haunt, travelers found safe refuge, a cozy room, and a roaring fire. All but Omar, the Trader of Tales -- against whom the innkeeper had been nursing a grudge. But before he could pitch Omar out into the storm, his other guests proposed a contest: if Omar could top a roomful of their tallest tales, the storyteller could win his room and board. For Omar the stakes were life and death. That gave the contest some spice. So as winter winds whipped about the little inn, lies and truths and fabulous fabrications swirled before the blazing hearth. The innkeeper and his pretty sister; the merchant and his blushing bride; the dowager and the crusty captain of her guard; the scribe, the maid, the minstrel: they all poured out their tales, and Omar wove them together. Before they knew it, their very lives were intertwined, and their separate stories were spinning relentlessly to a single conclusion no human could have foretold!
Review
Omar isn't my favourite Duncan character, but I must say he's certainly a showman. This also marks the last of Duncan's works I own that I haven't read, which makes me proud and sad in equal measure.
3 Stars to Macroscope by Piers Anthony
Description
Macroscope Throughout history, man has been searching for better ways to gather information about his universe. But although they may have longed for it, not even the most brilliant minds could conceive of a device as infinitely powerful or as immeasurably precise as the macroscope, until the twenty-first century. By analyzing information carried on macrons, this unbelievable tool brought the whole universe of wonders to man's doorstep. The macroscope was seen by many as the salvation of the human race. But in the hands of the wrong man, the macroscope could be immensely destructive-infinitely more dangerous than the nuclear bomb. By searching to know too much, man could destroy the very essence of his mind. This is the powerful story of man's struggle with technology, and also the story of his human struggle with himself. This novel takes us across the breathtaking ranges of space as well as through the most touching places in the human heart. It is a story of coming of age, of sacrifice, and of love. It is the story of man's desperate search for a compromise between his mind and his heart, between knowledge and humanity.
Review
Another one of my historically-cherished Anthony's, though the sexism and technological aspects stretch credibility here and it's less well-turned than his other work. I still found it enjoyable at the time, and can't really give it anything less than a 3.
3 Stars to Experiment With Destiny by Stephen Carr
Description
“Dark dystopian tales of the extreme measures desperate people will take to change the course of their own destinies…” Is our destiny pre-determined or can we really alter our future? Are we stuck with the hand that fate dealt us, or can we choose our own path? These are the questions that trouble the bleak lives of British Eurostate citizens and non-citizens alike. And some are more desperate to change the course of destiny than others… Marcus is a ticket clerk for the gleaming Community Monorail network but he dreams of how much better life used to be in bygone ages…and when a 19th century picnic basket is unearthed he decides to steal this time capsule and escape to the past. Steven is an ambitious journalist who wants to change the world. But will he risk taking his big chance when he witnesses a fatal road accident and discovers the identities of the victims have been changed in an attempt to cover up the state’s involvement in the assassination of the last British Prime Minister before Eurostate? Ivan is a football thug and a member of the outlawed British Nationalists, playing at bringing about a violent end to the Eurostate – but it really gets serious for the self-appointed ‘defenders of the realm’ when they decide to arm themselves with guns. Fergus is a student who can enjoy the ultimate in home entertainment thanks to his wealthy father…but is he pushing his escapism too far by combining his state-of-the-art virtual reality tank with the most powerful hallucinogenic drugs known to man? Artist Gino wakes one morning to find a human foetus nailed to his bedroom wall and has to find answers, quickly, in the eye of the resulting media storm. Malcolm is a non-citizen who survives by avoiding the authorities and hiding out in the industrial wastelands on the fringes of the city…until one day he has to venture into the heart of the hostile metropolis to rescue an autistic boy. Meanwhile Susan and her boyfriend Scott are turning their back on the city and escaping to the idyllic rural setting of her childhood in search of lost innocence and meaning for their directionless lives. Their desperate individual quests to change destiny unfold and intertwine over the space of five days in Cardiff, British Eurostate…
Review
Enjoyably different, but certainly not something you'd see from a mainstream publisher. It's too descriptive, perhaps too provocative in spots, with a compelling power and Welsh overtones that kept me wanting more.
5 Stars to The Silence of Six (SOS, #1) by E.C. Myers
Description
“What is the silence of six, and what are you going to do about it?” These are the last words uttered by 17-year-old Max Stein’s best friend, Evan: Just moments after hacking into the live-streaming Presidential debate at their high school, he kills himself. Haunted by the image of Evan’s death, Max’s entire world turns upside down as he suddenly finds himself the target of a corporate-government witch-hunt. Fearing for his life and fighting to prove his own innocence, Max goes on the run with no one to trust and too many unanswered questions. Max must dust off his own hacking skills and maneuver the dangerous labyrinth of underground hacktivist networks, ever-shifting alliances, and virtual identities — all while hoping to find the truth behind the “Silence of Six” before it’s too late.
Review
Penny put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay.” Max smiled. It might not be true, but it felt good to hear the words, and even better to not be on his own anymore. This was really, really cool. Young, perhaps, but with great, Cory Doctorow overtones, a moral yet hacker-based story line and an exceedingly riveting cocktail of technologies. There's no denying the YA audience, it's not deep in a way that a teen wouldn't twig to, but it is powerful in its message, potent in its computing and a call to arms in its battlecry. Highly worth your while, my coming-away thought was a younger pirate cinema with a shade less ambiguity and a touch more good parenting (Max's dad kicks ass).
3 Stars to End of Secrets by Ryan Quinn
Description
Review
This reminded me, in synopsis, of The Circle. It did ramble in spots and the ending was in no way on a par with the rest of the writing, so a little disappointing for me.
4 Stars to Arena Mode (The Arena Mode Saga, #1) by Blake Northcott
Description
The Arena Mode Saga has over 500 Five-Star Reviews across Amazon and Goodreads, and is Kickstarter's #1 selling science-fiction series of all time. In his twenty-nine years, Matthew Moxon had done virtually nothing with his record-breaking IQ and unparalleled problem solving abilities. Until one morning, after a dangerous fall lands him in the emergency room, he discovers that a tumor is pressing against his brain. Unable to afford experimental but potentially life-saving surgery, Moxon takes drastic action; he volunteers for Arena Mode: 2041's most vicious sporting event, where thirteen superhumans fight in an urban combat zone for a multi-billion dollar prize. Moxon is forced to battle opponents possessing ungodly speed, strength, and abilities once thought to exist only across the pages of superhero comics - and he's armed with nothing more than his rapidly-diminishing brain cells. With the odds stacked impossibly against him, Moxon fights to not only survive the wrath of the other competitors, but to unlock the mysteries buried within the Arena itself. Discover the series that has been nominated for the prestigious BSFA Award (Arena Mode, Best Novel of 2013), has been ranked #1 on Amazon in the US and the UK (Arena Mode, Superhero and Dystopian categories, May 2015) and is currently part of the high school curriculum in the state of Florida.
Review
Despite lacking virtual reality, I was reminded a little of Ready Player One, Erebos and Spawn Point whilst reading this, with a dash of Stealheart thrown in for good measure. It’s addictive, captivating if you’re into the genre and has a foreseeable yet strangely appetising ending which means that I’ll without doubt give the author another few pounds when it comes to the crunch.
November
2 Stars to The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson
Description
Scott Warden is a man haunted by the past-and soon to be haunted by the future. In early twenty-first-century Thailand, Scott is an expatriate slacker. Then, one day, he inadvertently witnesses an impossible event: the violent appearance of a 200-foot stone pillar in the forested interior. Its arrival collapses trees for a quarter mile around its base, freezing ice out of the air and emitting a burst of ionizing radiation. It appears to be composed of an exotic form of matter. And the inscription chiseled into it commemorates a military victory--twenty years in the future. Shortly afterwards, another, larger pillar arrives in the center of Bangkok-obliterating the city and killing thousands. Over the next several years, human society is transformed by these mysterious arrivals from, seemingly, our own near future. Who is the warlord "Kuin" whose victories they note? Scott wants only to rebuild his life. But some strange loop of causality keeps drawing him in, to the central mystery and a final battle with the future. The Chronoliths is a 2002 Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel and the winner of the 2002 John W. Campbell Memorial Award.
Review
There was a hint of orient to this work, and although a lot of it is US based that hung on, somehow. A rather anticlimactic work which seems not to go very far.
3 Stars to God's Loophole (God's Loophole, #1) by Dan Rix
Description
Gabe Rockwell’s prom night is cut short when he gets a frantic call from his older brother Jeremy, the Stanford University dropout turned CEO of this year’s hottest tech startup. He’s talking about things Gabe doesn’t understand—venture capitalists, prototypes, million dollar IPOs; he’s stumbled on something big and he needs people he can trust. He needs Gabe. Nicknamed “the bubble”, Jeremy’s invention isolates users from reality and lets them directly experience quantum effects. Inside the bubble, humans can even manipulate individual atoms. For the computer industry, it’s a dream come true. Except the bubble may have side effects. After being inside the bubble for only a few minutes, Gabe feels a strange desire to go inside again. He has nightmares and wakes up vomiting in the middle of the night with no idea who he is. Even more troubling, the bubble seems to eat through every kind of radiation shielding known to man…whether it’s plugged in or not. Now, ever since that first time in the bubble, Gabe has been harboring a terrifying secret—a power, whose addictive pull he finds harder and harder to resist with each passing day: he’s developed the ability to move objects with his mind.
Review
Though the idea behind this one takes a bit of getting used to, the final third of the book was certainly interesting and the end left me dangling and wanting more. An series to watch, even if I wouldn't immediately peg it as a bestseller.
3 Stars to Out Of Whack by Jeff Strand
Description
From the author of How to Rescue a Dead Princess comes Out of Whack, an outrageous comedy about friendship, love, following your dreams, and other really scary stuff. Seth Trexler has two goals in life: to find success with his off-the-wall sketch comedy troupe, and to win the girl of his dreams. But when you suffer from brain-erasing stage fright and an incredible female-phobia, those goals can be a bit tricky to attain. With his best friend Travis at his side, Seth struggles to overcome his fears (along with the 2,873 other roadblocks in the path to success) in this hilariously demented yet heartfelt tale. But don't read it for the laughs. And don't read it for the heartfelt parts. Read it for the sex scene, which proves that even if you're filled with ravenous animal passion, trying to dramatically tear off somebody's underwear can only lead to wedgies.
Review
One of Strand's less mature offerings, this still managed to elicit a chuckle.
3 Stars to The Terminal Experiment by Robert J. Sawyer
Description
To test his theories of immortality and life after death, Dr. Peter Hobson has created three electronic simulations of his own personality. The first has all knowledge of physical existence edited out, to simulate life after death. The second is without knowledge of aging or death, to simulate immortality. The third is unmodified, a control. Now they are free. One is a killer.
Review
Nobody does courtroom drama like Sawyer. Although there's a fair bit of technological misfiring (wasn't this 1995?) It's surprisingly cogent and enjoyable. Ending is very typical, though.
4 Stars to Whispers Under Ground (Rivers of London, #3) by Ben Aaronovitch
Description
An Alternate Cover edition can be found here In Tufnell Park, North London, a set of railway tracks run under a school playground, leading to and from King's Cross. Wet, filthy, dangerous. Lovely place. And one Sunday before Christmas, Abigail Kamara, one of my endless brood of cousins, dragged me and my long-suffering colleague Lesley May down there to look for a ghost. We found one. And that was that, I thought come Monday. First case of the day: Person Unknown has been stabbed to death on the tracks at Baker Street Underground. Magic may have been involved. Sure enough, the weapon turns out to be saturated in the tell-tale traces left by magic. But Person Unknown turns out to be the son of a US senator, so before you can say "international incident", FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds and her firmly held religious beliefs are on my case. And down in the dark, in the Tube tunnels of London, along with the buried rivers and remnants of Victorian sewer systems, I'm hearing some really strange things...
Review
This takes off some time after the end of the previous one, but I'm really getting my teeth into the series and enjoying them a great deal.
4 Stars to Moon Over Soho (Rivers of London, #2) by Ben Aaronovitch
Description
Body and Soul. The song. That's what London constable and sorcerer's apprentice Peter Grant first notices when he examines the corpse of Cyrus Wilkins, part-time jazz drummer and full-time accountant, who dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a gig at Soho's 606 Club. The notes of the old jazz standard are rising from the body - a sure sign that something about the man's death was not at all natural but instead supernatural. Body and soul - they're also what Peter will risk as he investigates a pattern of similar deaths in and around Soho. With the help of his superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, and the assistance of beautiful jazz aficionado Simone Fitzwilliam, Peter will uncover a deadly magical menace - one that leads right to his own doorstep and to the squandered promise of a young jazz musician: a talented trumpet player named Richard "Lord" Grant - otherwise known as Peter's dear old dad.
Review
Wow, this series doesn't hold back. Despite having zero interest in jazz I still found this really good, and the ending was great.
4 Stars to Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1) by Ben Aaronovitch
Description
Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.
Review
“I've already told the police what happened, but they didn't believe me. Why should you?” he said. “Because we're the people that believe people that other people don't believe,” I said. This was gripping, gritty fiction with humour that works and magic handled neatly. Postmodern, almost, I thought - an upgraded, slicker Dresden files set in Britain. If you like that sort of thing, highly recommended.
4 Stars to Pressure by Jeff Strand
Description
Alex stared at the red pocketknife shown to him by his daughter. A pocketknife owned by somebody he hadn't seen in years … CHILDREN They met first in boarding school at age twelve. Alex Fletcher, shy and scared. Darren Rust, always furiously scribbling away in a private journal. It was not an immediate friendship, but then one night Darren convinced his roommate to sneak off school grounds to see something glorious. There was a sleazy strip club, you see, and every once in a while the back door opened just long enough to maybe catch a quick glimpse … Though a bond was formed from their pre-pubescent interest in naked women, Darren had another interest. A morbid curiosity about death. A curiosity that turned into something much more sinister. FRIENDS They crossed paths again in college and became the best of friends. But Darren wasn't just looking for a friend. He had dark, ghastly urges squirming around in his head, and he believed he saw the same things—the urge to hurt, the urge to kill—in Alex. He was looking for somebody who understood. A partner. But Alex could never become a monster. Not even when Darren tried to bring out his friend's most deeply buried feelings of rage. Not even when Darren tried to show him the euphoria of having that much power over another human being. It just couldn't happen … right? ENEMIES Now Alex has a wife and a daughter. And Darren is back. He's hiding. He's patient. His mind is twisted in the worst possible way. And he's seeking a soul mate. PRESSURE is a defining moment in Jeff Strand's career as an author, and an unforgettable psychological thriller you do not want to miss.
Review
This was horrific in the true sense of the word and, despite the humour being there, it was toned down. The story held my interest, and even though I didn't completely click with Alex, I'm glad I read this one.
4 Stars to Mindscan by Robert J. Sawyer
Description
Robert J. Sawyer's Hominids , the first volume of his bestselling Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, won the 2003 Hugo Award, and its sequel, Humans , was a 2004 Hugo nominee. Now he's back with a pulse-pounding, mind-expanding standalone novel, rich with his signature philosophical and ethical speculations, all grounded in cutting-edge science. Jake Sullivan has cheated he's discarded his doomed biological body and copied his consciousness into an android form. The new Jake soon finds love, something that eluded him when he was encased in he falls for the android version of Karen, a woman rediscovering all the joys of life now that she's no longer constrained by a worn-out body either. But suddenly Karen's son sues her, claiming that by uploading into an immortal body, she has done him out of his inheritance. Even worse, the original version of Jake, consigned to die on the far side of the moon, has taken hostages there, demanding the return of his rights of personhood. In the courtroom and on the lunar surface, the future of uploaded humanity hangs in the balance. Mindscan is vintage Sawyer -- a feast for the mind and the heart.
Review
Sawyer excels at courtroom drama with his unparalleled sci-fi twist, and this showcases that fairly well. Not quite on a par with Illegal Alien, and covering less stretchy topics than AI or the existence of God, this nonetheless explores a fascinating potential in a thoughtful, intricate way.
5 Stars to Written in the Blood (The String Diaries, #2) by Stephen Lloyd Jones
Description
The new, enthralling supernatural thriller from Stephen Lloyd Jones, following his highly acclaimed debut THE STRING DIARIES. High in the mountains of the Swiss Alps Leah Wilde is about to gamble her life to bring a powerful man an offer. A promise. Leah has heard the dark stories about him and knows she is walking into the lion's den. But her options are running out. Her rare lineage, kept secret for years, is under terrible threat. That is, unless Leah and her mother Hannah are prepared to join up with their once deadly enemies. Should the prey ever trust the predator?
Review
"It had been more than a lie; it had been a betrayal. She had been damaged before she arrived at Tansik House, even more damaged by the time she left, and yet the longest years of suffering she'd endured had been delivered by her own hands. She had locked her feelings away so deep that now, as they flooded up to the surface, bitter and poisoned and so, so sad, she felt herself flailing, sinking beneath them…" Duologies are rare in my reading list, but this one excelled. The emotional shift in chapter 11 was very strong indeed, and despite the very, very ending not quite clicking with me the two books as a whole mean I have to give it a 5 star rating. The excellent characterisation, the scope and depth of history, the sheer power of the writing in terms of both atmosphere and emotion puts this author as one I will be watching out for in the future.
4 Stars to Spy School (Spy School, #1) by Stuart Gibbs
Description
Can a normal, average kid become a superstar secret agent? Maybe not, but it’ll be fun to watch him try! Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: C.I.A. or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent.” In fact, Ben is so awkward, he can barely get to school and back without a mishap. Because of his innate math skills, Ben isn't surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science—but he’s entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior C.I.A. academy. Could the C.I.A. really want him? Actually, no. There’s been a case of mistaken identity—but that doesn’t stop Ben from trying to morph into a supercool undercover agent, the kind that always gets the girl. And through a series of hilarious misadventures, Ben realizes he might actually be a halfway decent spy…if he can survive all the attempts being made on his life!
Review
This was, honestly, a rather cool story. I don't think it stands out in kids fiction like some others I've read, but it's a solid children's spy story with enough to keep a young mind intrested.
5 Stars to The String Diaries (The String Diaries, #1) by Stephen Lloyd Jones
Description
The String Diaries Hardcover StephenJones MulhollandBooks
Review
I utterly and totally devoured this book. Its poetic, delightfully heartfelt prose struck a chord with me, and I enjoyed the writing and the story in equal measure. The tension was remarkable, and as the story bounced from viewpoint to viewpoint, generation to generation and evildoer to harrowed, fleeing family I found myself riveted. Chapters seemed to climb, escalating emotion in me and there were several moments where my adrenaline spiked, I got that strange, swooping over-a-cliff feeling in my stomach (I think the biggest one, for reference, was in chapter 25). This is my third 5 star book in a row, but for a different reason to the others. Ben Elton's book was a very good time travel story and provided an excellent interpretation of The Great War, and Jeff Strand's humorous horror was, to quote a friend, "very very disgusterous but really cool". This book, for all that it's a play on the mythological bogeyman and a powerful, cautionary revenge story has that quality of writing which catapults itself into a very exclusive, sinfully enjoyable position. More, Mr Jones, please.
5 Stars to Time and Time Again by Ben Elton
Description
It’s the 1st of June 1914 and Hugh Stanton, ex-soldier and celebrated adventurer is quite literally the loneliest man on earth. No one he has ever known or loved has been born yet. Perhaps now they never will be. Stanton knows that a great and terrible war is coming. A collective suicidal madness that will destroy European civilization and bring misery to millions in the century to come. He knows this because, for him, that century is already history. Somehow he must change that history. He must prevent the war. A war that will begin with a single bullet. But can a single bullet truly corrupt an entire century? And, if so, could another single bullet save it?
Review
"Somewhere in that big dusty city there was a father who would be spared the death in life that he himself was living." This clever, thought-provoking story has a lot going for it. The first 15 chapters are very neatly woven together and, despite a third of the book being used for setup, at this point we feel we know enough to proceed. And then, of course, we're just bashed over the head repeatedly at the end of chapter 17, and again (or at least I was because I'm a clueless idiot) near the end of chapter 45. I really liked the calculation method for the loop, far more interesting than the vehicular approach I must say, and the plot wasn't at all bad either. A solemn, introspective ending, and with that great poke at today "which every school kid used to know and are now almost forgotten" (have there ever been truer words about our education system written anywhere?) I hadn't read any Elton before that I can recall, although The First Casualty is on my bookshelf. An author to read more of, though, be this any indication.
5 Stars to Benjamin's Parasite by Jeff Strand
Description
At any given moment, the human body contains millions of parasites. This is the story of just one. A really, really nasty one. Benjamin Wilson was having a lousy month even before the stomach pains began. He was about to turn forty. One of his students had been shot while on a homicidal meat cleaver rampage. And shortly after the funeral, Benjamin didn't feel so good... Now everything is changing. His body is being affected in some very unpleasant ways. His personality is developing a few "quirks." But the biggest change is that he has a bunch of evil and/or psychotic people trying to hunt him down to acquire the parasite. His only hope is Julie, a gorgeous bounty hunter who may or may not have Benjamin's best interests in mind, and who may or may not be competent enough to help him anyway. Jeff Strand, author of The Sinister Mr. Corpse, Gleefully Macabre Tales, and Pressure, delivers his most outrageous adventure yet-an over-the-top mix of gruesome body horror and a wacky road trip comedy. You'll laugh until your intestines scramble.
Review
"He'd never used the f-word in front of his daughter, and could tell that he'd suddenly become infinitely cooler in her eyes." I laughed out loud at more than one point in this story, especially the earlier parts. Things did seem to get a little more serious and deadly as things progressed and it's not a tale all tied-up and loose ends sorted, but it was a very enjoyable read indeed. Benjamin's internal voice was on-form throughout, and Cindy was well painted for her age, it's refreshing to see a working father-daughter relationship at that age.
3 Stars to Death Glitch by Ken Douglas
Description
Heart surgeon Isadora Eisenhower is seventy-seven and dying of cancer when she is shot dead. She wakes in the morgue with the body of an eighteen year old. Something brought her back to life, made her young again and some very bad people want to find out how it happened. However, being poked and prodded and having her new life sucked out of her in the name of science and so a few wealthy people can have eternal life doesn't sit too well with Dr. Eisenhower, so to save herself, she goes on the run. But the men behind her pursuit are powerful and bring the forces of Homeland Security and the FBI after her and it seems no matter where she runs, they're a jump ahead of her and soon she'll have no place to hide.
Review
A bit of a headlong title with a few minor spelling and proofing issues, this at least kept my interest. The ending wasn't exactly shattering but it's certainly one way to add to a writing career.
4 Stars to Peaceable Kingdoms (Star Trek: The Fall) by Dayton Ward
Description
Following the resolution of the fertility crisis that nearly caused their extinction, the Andorian people now stand ready to rejoin the United Federation of Planets. The return of one of its founding member worlds is viewed by many as the first hopeful step beyond the uncertainty and tragedy that have overshadowed recent events in the Alpha Quadrant. But as the Federation looks to the future and the special election to name President Bacco’s permanent successor, time is running out to apprehend those responsible for the respected leader’s brutal assassination. Even as elements of the Typhon Pact are implicated for the murder, Admiral William Riker holds key knowledge of the true assassins— a revelation that could threaten the fragile Federation-Cardassian alliance. Questions and concerns also continue to swell around Bacco’s interim successor, Ishan Anjar, who uses the recent bloodshed to further a belligerent, hawkish political agenda against the Typhon Pact. With the election looming, Riker dispatches his closest friend, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, in a desperate attempt to uncover the truth. But as Picard and the Enterprise crew pursue the few remaining clues, Riker must act on growing suspicions that someone within Ishan’s inner circle has been in league with the assassins from the very beginning . . . .
Review
a great, naturally enterprising end to what has been a truly interesting series. If ever I needed my interest in Star Trek rekindled, this series has jump started that and I can now gladly dip into upcoming novels or even hunt out specifics from my lost era with confidence.
4 Stars to The Poisoned Chalice (Star Trek: The Fall) by James Swallow
Description
One simple act, and the troubles of the United Federation of Planets have grown darker overnight. The mystery behind the heinous terrorist attack that has rocked the Federation to its core grows ever deeper, and William Riker finds himself beset by rumors and half-truths as the U.S.S. Titan is ordered back to Earth on emergency orders from the admiralty. Soon, Riker finds himself drawn into a game of political intrigue, bearing witness to members of Starfleet being detained—including people he considered friends—pending an investigation at the highest levels. And while Riker tries to navigate the corridors of power, Titan’s tactical officer, Tuvok, is given a series of clandestine orders that lead him into a gray world of secrets, lies, and deniable operations. Who can be trusted when the law falls silent and justice becomes a quest for revenge? For the crew of the U.S.S. Titan, the search for answers will become a battle for every ideal the Federation stands for. . .
Review
As with all the rest of the series I hadn't followed the characters through. I think I was aware that Riker had the Titan, but apart from that hadn't really met any of the crew, with the exception of Pazlar and of course Tuvok. Still, I enjoyed the progression of what has woven together to be an interesting series, and will look forward to see how it all comes together.
4 Stars to A Ceremony of Losses (Star Trek: The Fall) by David Mack
Description
THE NEEDS OF THE MANY Despite heroic efforts by Thirishar ch’Thane, the Andorian species is headed for extinction. Its slow march toward oblivion has reached a tipping point, one from which there will be no hope of return. THE NEEDS OF THE FEW With countless lives at stake, the leaders of Andor, the Federation, and the Typhon Pact all scheme to twist the crisis to their political gain—at any price. THE NEEDS OF THE ONE Unwilling to be a mere bystander to tragedy, Doctor Julian Bashir risks everything to find a cure for the Andorians. But his courage will come at a terrible cost: his career, his freedom . . . and maybe his life.
Review
Now this, yes. This is the sort of novel to get my teeth into! I have added Zero Sum Game to my reading list before I manage to get to the new Section 31 novel, so one day... I did find that Unverzagt reminded me in speech patern of Picard, which is perhaps unfair as he is a character we aren't meant to like. But then again Ezri being so timid, at least at the beginning, seems atypical, and so I guess these things slide in and aren't really meant to derail us. The story zipped along nicely, even being very unfamiliar with the Andorian government and political structure didn't detract and I really enjoyed the whole thing.
4 Stars to The Crimson Shadow (Star Trek: Typhon Pact) by Una McCormack
Description
Cardassia Prime is home to a prideful people who, for centuries, forged alliances with those they believed would strengthen them and their place in the Alpha Quadrant, and expanded their empire at great cost to other worlds. For generations, dissenting voices were silenced by either fear or an early grave. When their wartime ally, the Dominion, suddenly turned on them, seeking to transform Cardassia into a tomb for every last member of their race, their old adversary—the United Federation of Planets— put an end to the carnage, and even now works to help rebuild Cardassia Prime. To celebrate this alliance, the Castellan of the Cardassian Union is to welcome the Federation president to Cardassia Prime. As a symbol of this deepening friendship, the U.S.S. Enterprise-E is tasked to carry the Cardassian ambassador to the Federation back home. For his part, Ambassador Elim Garak is working with Captain Jean-Luc Picard to oversee the diplomatic reception that will commemorate the last of Starfleet’s personnel finally leaving the homeworld. However, there are malevolent forces at work, who even now strive to “restore Cardassia to its proper place and glory,” and are willing to do anything to achieve their goal....
Review
“I did not . . . I did not do all that I might once have done.” Garak was, perhaps inevitably, one of my favourite characters of his time. His episodes, clearly taken on board in this very enjoyable story, were both meaningful and suspenseful and gave DS9 a dose of reality which one could argue Section 31 took a little too far. Still, they were the highlight of a season or two and to see Cardassia rebuilding was both interesting and meaningful. Definitely, a worthy addition.
3 Stars to Revelation and Dust (Star Trek: The Fall) by David R. George III
Description
Welcome to the new Deep Space 9After the destruction of the original space station by a rogue faction of the Typhon Pact, Miles O’Brien and Nog have led the Starfleet Corps of Engineers in designing and constructing a larger, more advanced starbase in the Bajoran system. Now, as familiar faces such as Benjamin Sisko, Kasidy Yates, Ezri Dax, Odo, and Quark arrive at the new station, Captain Ro Laren will host various heads of state to an impressive dedication ceremony. The dignitaries include not only the leaders of allies—such as Klingon Chancellor Martok, Ferengi Grand Nagus Rom, the Cardassian castellan, and the Bajoran first minister—but also those of rival powers, such as the Romulan praetor and the Gorn imperator. But as Ro’s crew prepares to open DS9 to the entire Bajor Sector and beyond, disaster looms. A faction has already set in action a shocking plan that, if successful, will shake the Alpha and Beta Quadrants to the core.And what of Kira Nerys, lost aboard a runabout when the Bajoran wormhole collapsed? In the two years that have passed during construction of the new Deep Space 9, there have been no indications that the Celestial Temple, the Prophets, or Kira have survived. But since Ben Sisko once learned that the wormhole aliens exist nonlinearly in time, what does that mean with respect to their fate, or that of the wormhole...or of Kira herself?
Review
If you'd asked me a decade ago whether I was a Star Trek fan I would have looked at you like you were batty. I enjoyed greatly the climaxes of Voyager and DS9 as they were aired; the concept of watching a show week-by-week, without recourse to timeshifts, pausing or online catch-up has eroded since. and yet, things move on, don't they? I picked up this book because David Mack's Disavowed came out recently and, having enjoyed Section 31 a great deal both on screen and on the page I was keen to carry on with it. Reading that the events of the book follow "directly after The Fall", made me pause for thought. Now I am familiar, at least in very, very broad strokes, with the post-television era. I'm up-to-date with Peter David's New Frontier series, I read the other Section 31 novel set aboard the post-dominion DS9 and I have dabbled, though not entirely happily, in the universe of the returned Voyager. But as to keeping up with everything else? The Typhon pact, etc? That just seemed hugely daunting. So I decided to start with the opening of the Fall. I did feel of course that I'd missed a huge, gigantic slice of the happeningssince the Dominion were defeated, but were I to go chronological there'd be another Section 31 book out before I read this one! This way I think I can at least catch up somewhat, have some context. It felt, in many ways, like a new series. Our familiar characters were overpowered by new blood, which is I think one of the reasons I'm not overwhelmingly attracted to these series (I don't have a screen presence for the new people), and they were either surrounded by body guards and security because they're so important or otherwise doing things that, in the era I'm familiar with, seem highly implausible (Ro? In charge of a huge starbase?) There's an almost overblown use of bathrooms ("refreshers"), and this opener was far heavier on description and milieu than dialogue and action than previous novels, either televised or set in that space. Whether this is a trend remains to be seen, of course, but I can't quite decide if I like it. The writing was very good, but for me it seemed to lack a little of the Trek magic. I put this down in the main to my unfamiliarity with what has gone before, and hope that by the time I'm done with the saga I'll be back in the zone.
4 Stars to The Alchemist's Pursuit (The Alchemist, #3) by Dave Duncan
Description
Hampered by arthritis, Nostradamus is in no mood for granting favors or running about looking for trouble. But when his apprentice Alfeo's mistress asks him to investigate the murder of her beloved courtesan mentor-and promises a fortune in payment-he comes around. It appears that someone is murdering the courtesans of Venice. All were well-known, admired for their skills-and somehow connected by a sinister event involving one of the great families of the city. While Nostradamus attempts to use the dark arts to solve riddles which confound explanation, Alfeo finds himself led by a possibly demonic force through a maze of deceit and death. And when the master and apprentice come to the end of their intertwined paths, there may be hell to pay.
Review
As well put-together as the rest of the series. Despite my repeated claims that this isn't Duncan's best, I was still compelled toward the end.
October
1 Stars to Space Corps: Explorer (Book 1) by K.W. Matthews
Description
Space Corps - Explorer (Book one of the Space Corps series) "We thought we were alone in the universe. We were wrong." In the sixties, President Kennedy led America to create a great space program. After years of limited advances, a leader emerges to lead the United States in a new space race. When the President announces a mission to Mars, Ashley sees a chance to fulfill a childhood dream. Years of education and hard work grant her the opportunity to join the newly formed Space Corps. By earning a role of leadership in the organization, she is determined to be the first to create a colony on another planet. As Ashley and the crew of the Explorer race to Mars, they receive a distress signal. In their attempt to help, they discover something that forever changes Earth's future. There is no backup and there are no second chances. If the Explorer is to survive, its crew may have to break some rules.
Review
Tawdry is probably the best descriptor for this work. There's a lot not to like: the affectation of Ashley's hair, the execrably overused "trust me" (it appears 4 times in 3 chapters). Then there are the things that just irritated me (the overuse of ensigns for key posts, a character called Robert Harris and the generally subpar and cliched writing). I am perhaps being a little harsh, but I'm sorry to say the book didn't grab me in the least.
4 Stars to The Coldest War (The Milkweed Triptych, #2) by Ian Tregillis
Description
Someone is killing Britain's warlocks. Twenty-two years after the Second World War, a precarious balance of power maintains the peace between Great Britain and the USSR. For decades, the warlocks have been all that stand between the British Empire and the Soviet Union-- a vast domain stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the shores of the English Channel. But now each death is another blow to Britain's security. Meanwhile, a brother and sister escape from a top-secret research facility deep behind the Iron Curtain. Once subjects of a twisted Nazi experiment to imbue ordinary humans with extraordinary abilities, then prisoners of war in the vast Soviet effort to reverse engineer the Nazi technology, they head for England. Because that's where former spy Raybould Marsh lives. And Gretel, the mad seer, has plans for him. As Marsh is drawn back into the world of Milkweed, he discovers that Britain's darkest acts didn't end with the war. And as he strives to protect Queen and country, he's forced to confront his own willingness to accept victory at any cost.
Review
There's a great heaviness to the writing in these books, and I was sucked into this one as I had hoped I would be. Part of me really wants to reread the first, even though I'm familiar with this book, just to fully appreciate the climax of the final installment. Gripping, very well-written and impressively worked indeed, I cannot wait to see where things will go next.
5 Stars to Ambassador (Ambassador #1) by William Alexander
Description
Gabe Fuentes is in for the ride of his life when he becomes Earth’s ambassador to the galaxy in this otherworldly adventure from the National Book Award–winning author of Goblin Secrets. Gabe Fuentes is reading under the covers one summer night when he is interrupted by a creature who looks like a purple sock puppet. The sock puppet introduces himself as the Envoy and asks if Gabe wants to be Earth’s ambassador to the galaxy. What sane twelve-year-old could refuse? Some ingenious tinkering with the washing machine sends Gabe’s “entangled” self out to the center of the galaxy. There he finds that Earth is in the path of a destructive alien force—and Gabe himself is the target of an assassination plot. Exactly who wants him out of the way? And why? Back home, Gabe discovers that his undocumented parents are in danger of being deported. Can Gabe survive long enough to solve two sets of “alien” problems? He runs for his life, and through Minneapolis and outer space, in this fast-paced adventure from a National Book Award–winning author.
Review
Oh, wow. I really enjoyed this. It was on just the right level for its age bracket with huge, indeed tidal implications in terms of belonging and family. A powerful, compelling read with my only critique being the end, which doesn't really resolve itself but I am hoping the author does more here. An excellent story.
2 Stars to The Patriot Paradox (The Reluctant Hero Series - Book 1) by William Esmont
Description
When ex-CIA analyst Kurt Vetter receives a package of encrypted files from his recently assassinated brother, he’s drawn back into the world of international intrigue he thought he had left behind forever. The files lead him to London, where he meets Amanda Carter, a mysterious woman from his brother’s past. Using Amanda’s contacts, he uncovers a rogue CIA plot to detonate a nuclear bomb in Moscow. Meanwhile, the assassins who killed his brother launch an all-out hunt to silence him and anyone else who may thwart their plans. In a frantic sprint across Europe, Kurt and Amanda must stay one step ahead of the killers while racing against the clock to prevent the bomb from incinerating millions of innocent people. Book 1 - The Patriot Paradox Book 2 - Pressed Book 3 - Blood in the Streets (Fall 2014)
Review
This had potential, but there were a few things that pushed it down the scale for me. First, unnecessary profanity (mostly pissed or pissing, a lot of fucks) combined with sex that doesn't go anywhere sort of takes the macho out of the work to start with. The professionalism of the establishment is seriously undermined when Mason starts sniffing panties. The cat-and-mouse nature of the chase is handled in a most amateur fashion, there's a bilingual announcement which is different in French, people hear voices on the phone when characters don't actually speak and there's the very typical paraplegic redshirt who is naturally a hacker supreme. Tired, warn-out tropes keep this book at the bottom end of the Ludlum scale, but there is always future work to develop things.
4 Stars to The Alchemist's Code (The Alchemist, #2) by Dave Duncan
Description
The legendary Maestro Nostradamus may be able to glimpse the ever-changing future, but even he cannot see the danger that is about to envelop him and his daring apprentice Alfeo when Nostradamus is hired to find a foreign spy by Venice's ruling Council of Ten. The only clues they can offer him are the spy's intercepted messages, encoded in a seemingly unbreakable cipher. But Nostradamus soon detects evil influences working against him, and realizes the spy can only be caught by occult means. He turns to his able apprentice, the young swordsman Alfeo Zeno, whose unique talents may prove essential to unraveling the truth.
Review
It was spring half a decade ago when, of the Alchemists Apprentice, I wrote: "whilst an enjoyable enough read, there was nevertheless a feeling of something missing and I'm probably going to put the continuing parts of the series deep in my haystack, which I may or may not get through one day." That day has come, and I picked up Alchemists code yesterday evening. Whilst I still believe almost every other work of Duncan's is better in many ways, I cannot but help enjoy the style and observational skill of the narrator and, even for one who knows nothing of the era or locale I found the description fairly captivating, the scenery and pomp of the age well depicted. I'll read the third, but this isn't a series to keep me up all night reading, unfortunately.
5 Stars to A Better World (Brilliance Saga, #2) by Marcus Sakey
Description
The brilliants changed everything. Since 1980, 1% of the world has been born with gifts we’d only dreamed of. The ability to sense a person’s most intimate secrets, or predict the stock market, or move virtually unseen. For thirty years the world has struggled with a growing divide between the exceptional...and the rest of us. Now a terrorist network led by brilliants has crippled three cities. Supermarket shelves stand empty. 911 calls go unanswered. Fanatics are burning people alive. Nick Cooper has always fought to make the world better for his children. As both a brilliant and an advisor to the president of the United States, he’s against everything the terrorists represent. But as America slides toward a devastating civil war, Cooper is forced to play a game he dares not lose—because his opponents have their own vision of a better world. And to reach it, they’re willing to burn this one down. From Marcus Sakey, “the master of the mindful page turner” (Gillian Flynn) and “one of our best storytellers” (Michael Connelly), Book Two of the Brilliance Saga is a relentless thrill ride that will change the way you look at your world—and the people around you.
Review
I enjoyed this more than book one, I don't quite know why. The whole thing seemed to click in my head, somehow, and the premise is so simple yet so powerful that I can't but help enjoy the storytelling. It was just very, very good.
4 Stars to Terra's World by Mitch Benn
Description
Terra , which Neil Gaiman said reminded him of Douglas Adams,Terry Pratchett and Roald Dahl, launched the novel writing career of stand-up comedian and BBC Radio 4 Now Show regular Mitch Benn. Now Terra is a couple of years older and back on earth. She's in hiding. And in Terra's World we find out why. But none of this is known to Billy Dolphin. He's just annoyed that since Terra returned to Earth Science Fiction has died a death. How wrong could a teenage boy be? Terra may be back on Earth but the powers of the universe are not finished with her. Her old home faces a terrible threat which possibly only Terra can overcome. Just what is the black planet? To find out first Terra must learn how to survive as there is an alien bounty hunter on her trail. And only Billy Dolphin to help her.
Review
The wit and humour was all still here, and whilst the awe and amazement of the first book would be practically impossible to recapture, this one was a very nice carry on. Very much enjoyed.
4 Stars to Defriended (Point Horror) by Ruth Baron
Description
Jason has met the perfect girl. OK, so maybe he hasn't actually MET Lacey yet, but they talk online all the time. Yet despite spending most nights chatting, Lacey refuses to meet up in person. Suspicious, Jason googles multiple newspapers. Lacey fell off a balcony and died a year earlier. Jason meets Lacey's best friend Jenna, and they try to find the truth.
Review
This was actually a very solid younger teen story, expertly set in the post-MSN, Facebook fueled world of teens in the here and now, or at least a year or so ago. The plot twists, whilst clear in outline were well managed and the idea of the work was a good one.
4 Stars to Trapped (The Prometheus Project, #1) by Douglas E. Richards
Description
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the adult thriller, WIRED, its sequel, AMPED, and the adult science fiction/technothriller, THE CURE The Prometheus Project: Trapped is the first book in a science fiction series that has been widely praised by kids, adults, reluctant readers, and advanced readers alike. Ages 9 to adult A fantastic alien city buried deep underground. What wonders -- and what dangers -- is it hiding? Ryan and Regan Resnick have just moved to the world's most boring place. But when they discover their parents are part of an ultra-secret project called Prometheus they are plunged into a nonstop adventure: one that will be the ultimate test of their wit, courage, and determination. Soon they are under attack and facing hostile alien worlds, alien technology, and unimaginable dangers at every turn. Now, with their mother facing certain death, they must race to solve a seemingly impossible mystery to have any hope of saving her. But if they save their mom, they will have no way to save themselves. . .
Review
Bravo, bravo indeed. If my daughter comes out of her princess phase and decides aliens are the in thing, this will be top of the list. It was well written, cliffhangers at every turn and just the sort of story to hit the age group it targeted. I'd have adored this as a child.
2 Stars to Evolution (Star Trek Voyager: String Theory, #3) by Heather Jarman
Description
ENTANGLED STRANDS OF PAST AND PRESENT ENDANGER THE FUTURE A wake of destruction and loss threatens the U.S.S. Voyager ™ as Chakotay assumes command. Grief over Janeway's impending death coupled with anxiety brought on by the disappearance of Paris, Kim, and the Doctor forces the crew to take increasingly dangerous actions in order to assure their own survival. But Voyager doesn't fight alone: behind the lines, powerful forces have allied to give the starship aid. Toward this end, a familiar nemesis -- the cosmic meddler Q -- sends Paris and Kim on a perilous journey. Elsewhere, the Doctor, trapped in a dimension alien to human understanding, reunites with an old friend to help secure the fates of those he's left behind. Yet the conflict raging in the Monorhan system is merely a surface manifestation of more serious turmoil; the true struggle is rooted in the universe's very foundation. Standing at the eye of this maelstrom is Voyager, whose crew may hold the fate of all.
Review
as neat an ending as you could want when silly pan-dimensional beings get involved. Sad, that it started with such promise. ah well.
2 Stars to Fusion (Star Trek Voyager: String Theory, #2) by Kirsten Beyer
Description
As the Cosmos Unravels The disruption in the space-time continuum caused by the creation of the "Blue Eye" singularity continues: Thread by thread, the fabric slowly frays and peels away, breaking down barriers between dimensions. As the lines between realities blur, the consequences cascade. A Sleeping City Awakes Voyager pursues Tuvok to a long-dormant space station, a place of astonishing grandeur and wonder. Ancient almost beyond imagining, the city seduces the crew with the promise that their greatest aspirations might be realized. Such promise requires sacrifice, however, and the price of fulfilling them will be high for Voyager. A Mysterious Power Stirs Unseen sentries, alarmed by Voyager's meddling in the Monoharan system, send emissaries to ascertain Janeway's intentions. Unbeknownst to the captain, she is being tested and must persuade her evaluators that their contention -- that Voyager poses a threat to the delicate web of cosmic ecology -- is baseless. And failure to vindicate her choices will bring certain retribution to her crew.
Review
I really enjoyed the first of these but this descended a little beneath what I consider truly enjoyable trek, a combination of a rather silly ineffable species and Q never makes sense. Still, we'll see where it goes.
4 Stars to Doorport Alterludes by Scott Michael Decker
Description
The lives of six people around Dr Janet Thompson change in dramatic ways, each having little awareness of the changes as multiple parallel universes begin to cross threads. A married Denver County Sheriff's Deputy assigned to missing persons doesn't realize his wife has gone missing since he left for work that morning. A struggling environmental attorney occupying an old, drafty office on the outskirts of Denver thinks she must have been dreaming when she returns to her Corporate offices on the seventh floor with a grand view of the Capitol. A two-bit reporter at a small-circulation local weekly contemplates suicide, but after going to work the next day at the national daily, a Pulitzer in his pocket, he wonders what could possibly have possessed him to entertain thoughts of ending his life. Gerontopsychiatrist Dr David Winters packs his license to practice in his briefcase, the medical board having asked him to surrender it for having helped his parents die, and arrives at a law-signing ceremony that makes physician-assisted death legal. An assistant inspector general at a federal housing agency putting the final touches on an investigative report likely to blow the lid off horrific corruption at the Colorado Housing Authority steps through a doorport to get lunch, and she becomes depressed when she returns to her desk at the backwater transportation agency, where nothing happens because Doorports are so reliable. A psychiatric patient shows up for her appointment, ranting about how her life was stolen by Dr Janet Thompson at the age of twenty-eight and how the doorport system is nearing impending collapse, fixed delusions refractory to pharmacotherapy which don't change even after Dr Winters increases her dosage. Mostly incognizant of how their lives have changed, these six people assist or hinder Dr Thompson, VP of R&D at American Doorport, as she tries to revamp the entire doorport system -- from the time of its rollout forty years before. These are their stories.
Review
This was a clever release, because now I really have to zip Doorport to the top of my "to buy" list. An excellent introduction to the author's style and a fascinating glimpse into what promises to be a compelling novel.,
4 Stars to Cohesion (Star Trek Voyager: String Theory, #1) by Jeffrey Lang
Description
Lifting the Hem of the UniverseSpirits unbroken by the failed promise of the U.S.S. Dauntless, Captain Kathryn Janeway's indefatigable crew continues their odyssey of discovery through an enigmatic region of the Delta Quadrant, encountering a system inhabited by a species that, according to known physical laws, shouldn't exist. These unusual beings, the Monorhans, hover near the edge of extinction; technology from the Starship Voyager(TM) promises life. Janeway, compelled by the aliens' plight, dispatches Seven of Nine and Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres to the Monorhan homeworld. But an unexpected shock wave crashes the shuttle carrying Torres and Seven, catapulting Voyager into a place beyond the fabric of space-time. As B'Elanna and Seven wage an interpersonal war, Voyager struggles to prevail on an extradimensional battleground against an indefinable enemy. But fate has determined that one is inexorably linked to the other: the insurmountable chasm separating Voyager from her lost crew members must be bridged...or all will perish.
Review
“I do not know,” Seven said. “Not precisely, which is remarkable in itself.” Good, solid Voyager, well-written with different aliens to the norm. I did find the complete obliteration of a ship something of a surprise, or more accurately the lack of reaction thereto, but that was my only complaint in what was otherwise a well-paced and enjoyable work. “Pardon my intrusion, Captain,” Tuvok said, leaning forward slightly. “But I believe I have something to add.” “Go ahead.” “I have a headache,” Tuvok said. I enjoyed the B'Elanna and seven byplay quite a lot, as well as the story as a whole. Definitely going to read the rest.
3 Stars to The X-Files: Antibodies by Kevin J. Anderson
Description
When a deadly virus is unleashed, agents Mulder and Scully discover a cure that could be the key to eternal life, and they must race against time to stop it from falling into the wrong hands. Reprint.
Review
I first heard this as a 2-cassette audio tape as a younger adult and the language and grimness of the thing held me captive for a few weeks. It lacks a lot of that impact when reading it myself, so I suppose the performance was a good one. anderson's got a lot of good material under his belt, and this in no way detracted from that, I feel.
4 Stars to Fat Chance by Nick Spalding
Description
Meet Zoe and Greg Milton, a married couple who have let themselves go. Zoe was a stunner in her high school days, but the intervening decades have added seventy pounds, and removed most of her self-esteem. Greg's rugby-playing days are well and truly behind him, thanks to countless beers and fast food. When Elise, a radio DJ and Zoe's best friend, tells them about a new competition, it seems like the perfect opportunity to turn their lives around. Fat Chance will pit six hefty couples against one another to see who can collectively lose the most weight and walk away with a large cash prize. So begins six months of abject misery, tears, and frustration—that just might turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to them—in another laugh-out-loud look at the way we live now from bestselling author Nick Spalding.
Review
I'm a bit of a sucker for soppy stories and, despite eating like a horse and only gaining a few pounds in the last decade, something in this cleverly-written, very British work kept me reading. I chortled and chuckled my way through the amusing bits, had an awww moment in the mirror, and came away at the end with a very satisfied, content feeling a book hasn't given me for a little while.
2 Stars to The Computers of Star Trek by Lois H. Gresh
Description
The depiction of computers on the various Star Trek series has ranged from lame to breathtakingly imaginative. This book covers the gamut, and makes lucid and entertaining comparison of these fictional computers with those that now exist or are likely to inhabit our future. Throughout its history, Star Trek has been an accurate reflection of contemporary ideas about computers and their role in our lives. Affectionately but without illusions, The Computers of Star Trek shows how those ideas compare with what we now know we can and will do with computers.
Review
Though promising in title, this book suffered from a lack of source material. This meant that the authors resorted to repeating themselves fairly often and were almost gleeful in their pointing out where Star Trek "got it wrong", superbly ironic with the book's touting of ZIP disks, floppies, and other now arcane storage media. The thing that put me off more than anything, though, is the acknowledgments sectionwherein the authors have to thank an individual who "made available to us" his Star Trek video collection. What sort of a trek fan doesn't have that to hand? Shame on them.
4 Stars to The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
Description
The most famous catastrophe novel of the twentieth century, John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids, published as a Penguin Essential for the first time. 'When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere.' When a freak cosmic event renders most of the Earth's population blind, Bill Masen - one of the lucky few to keep his sight - finds himself trapped in a London jammed with sightless mobs who prey on those who can still see. But another menace stalks blind and sighted alike. With nobody to stop them the Triffids - walking carnivorous plants with lethal stingers - rise up as humanity stumbles and falls . . .
Review
I can't believe I hadn't read this already. I love the blind man (I mean the one who was blind before), and I enjoyed the story. I will have to sit and read it again to extract more deep and meaningful commentary, I just let it flow this time for the story of it.
4 Stars to More Fool Me (Memoir, #3) by Stephen Fry
Description
Following on from his hugely successful books, Moab is My Washpot and The Fry Chronicles, comes the third chapter in Stephen Fry's life. This unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of More Fool Me is performed by Stephen Fry himself.
Review
This is, as a reviewer rightly pointed out, a book of 2 halves. There's the wonderful on-form Fry of the opening section, and then we get a glimpse, practically unexpurgated it would seem, of a diary he maintained as his cocaine habit reasserted itself. This book does hold all the hallmarks of a Fry work - wit, charm, a certain ineffable stamp of Stephenness, and continues in the trend of self-effacing brutal honesty Fry began in Moab all those years ago. Yet it has moved on, and although I found it enjoyable, I think I value his younger days more. Poppycock, you say, value him as he is now. Value him for the things he's done you love (Rowling's readings, his radio work, etc). And I do, I really, really do, were I able to give him my opinion of him it would be that he is someone I can wallow in: his personality and voice and stream of thought and word bathe me in a soothing, comforting wash and I am again reminded of the man's power and warmth whilst maintaining an awareness of his Humanity, his fallibility and, what i am sure he would call his normality. But those early, early days, his childhood, seeds something great and there's so much there to discover, each and every time I reread Moab I come away with something new. it is, to me, an inexhaustible book, a book which tells the same overall story but seems to impart small details afresh each time. This one hasn't done that yet for me. perhaps it will, years down the path, or perhaps it's just a title I'll pick up later on in life to reacquaint myself with. what a muddled, hodgepodge of a review. Sorry, folks.c
4 Stars to Quantum Lens by Douglas E. Richards
Description
A mind-blowing new thriller from the NY Times bestselling author of WIRED “Richards is a worthy successor to Michael Crichton.” —SF Book.com Omar Haddad is a brutal jihadist in Syria who appears to be invulnerable and capable of supernatural feats. But is Haddad divine, as he claims? Is he a gifted magician? Or is he making use of a stunning scientific breakthrough? And what, exactly, is keeping him from unleashing the global apocalypse he’s so eager to bring about? Brennan Craft, a quirky quantum physics genius, has the answers, and the US military is desperate to capture him. But when Craft risks everything to recruit a Black Ops researcher named Alyssa Aronson, it becomes clear he's playing a treacherous game of his own. Hunted by both the military and Haddad, Craft and Alyssa race to find a way to keep the unstoppable jihadist in check. But there may not be any way. And Alyssa soon fears that Craft is becoming an even bigger threat to the world than Omar Haddad . . . Quantum Lens is a smart, roller-coaster-ride of a thriller, packed with intriguing ideas that readers will be contemplating long after they've read the last page. “Richards is a tremendous new talent” (Stephen Coonts) who can “keep you turning the pages all night long” (Douglas Preston)
Review
Another charged and gripping work from Richards, with similarities to Wired and Amped yet with enough divergence to keep things fresh. I've read enough Richards now to know which way endings are going to go, which does take things down a little, and the thrown-in female, macho yet physically alluring guy and very, very rich helping-hand is becoming something of a theme. Still, a worthy story and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
4 Stars to Rich Man's War (Poor Man's Fight, #2) by Elliott Kay
Description
The action-packed sequel to Poor Man's Fight! “They will never let you go…because there’s no money in it.” No one walks away from business with the three biggest corporations in the Union of Humanity. Cutthroat trade deals, relentless propaganda and bloody covert operations drive that point home as the star system of Archangel slips further away from corporate dominance. Yet despite all their power, the Big Three are more vulnerable than anyone knows—leaving them desperate to make an example of Archangel. Tanner Malone would gladly avoid such struggles. He’d rather just run out the clock on his enlistment in the Archangel Navy. Instead, he’s been ordered back into the front lines of a cold war that quickly grows hot. He doesn’t know about his government’s shady deals, or about the old enemies lurking in the shadows. All he knows is that the sky is falling—and he’ll have to fight like hell if he doesn’t want to be crushed beneath it.
Review
dived straight into this after finishing the first, because it carries on from where the former left off. The final chapters of the firs book were superb after a slow boil build-up, and this book keeps the pace up. the daring, climactic combat action ending this one doesn't seem so grandiose, but that's only because we've had skirmishes all the way through the book and they're compellingly done. I desperately want to see what happens to Archangel and all the rest. it's a series to watch, with milage aplenty to proceed I sincerely hope.
4 Stars to Poor Man's Fight (Poor Man's Fight, #1) by Elliott Kay
Description
"This test completes your compulsory education. Congratulations! You have graduated high school. Your financial obligation is 67,879 credits. Please visit our loan officer as you exit." Tanner Malone never bought into military myths of honor and glory. He never wanted to wear a uniform or medals. Yet when family upheaval brings his otherwise stellar performance in school to a disastrous end, Tanner's plans for university lie in ruins. Facing homelessness and a mountain of debt, Tanner enlists in his home planet's tiny navy. It’s a hell of a time to sign up. Vicious pirates stalk the space lanes, claiming to fight an oppressive economic system even as they shed innocent blood. Civil war looms beyond the borders of Tanner’s home star system of Archangel. Corporate security fleets are nowhere to be found when trouble arises. In response, Archangel begins ambitious military expansion. Basic training becomes six months of daily bare knuckle brawls, demanding cross-training and constant stress. Brutal as it is, Tanner will need the preparation. The pirates grow more audacious with every attack. As if that’s not enough, Tanner is assigned to a small ship whose disgruntled crew has no patience for cerebral new recruits, and they’re on the front lines of all of Archangel’s woes. Tanner soon learns there is only one way to deal with his bullying comrades, their ruthless foes and the unforgiving void of space, and that’s to get up close and personal.
Review
"Chang spared an irritable thought for how the hostages were the safest ones in this mess. They were the only people that nobody had any reason to shoot." This was actually a very engaging military sci-fi story, with a growing political factor as things progress. The technology is on a par with that of Rick Shelley or Mike Shepherd but the writing shines, and the political factors swinging into play make this something more than just cannon fodder. I recommend it for any fans of the genre, if you're so inclined it'll hold and keep you.
September
4 Stars to Trojan by James Follett
Description
Forced to confront the possibility of a contamination of the brilliant Kronos superchip technology, Beverley Laine begins to suspect a plot to ruin her company, Nano Systems. With many lives and millions of pounds at stake, the race is on to solve the mystery of the terrifying Trojan virus.
Review
I am quite a Follett fan, and was pleasantly surprised to find this hither too unavailable 1991 title available on Kindle having signed up for their Unlimited trial. It started off in a most fascinating fashion. The end of chapter 10 was most graphic and disturbing, but showing his mastery of the macabre we then see poor Stan, who was indeed "no problem" providing us light relief. I found the whole thing pretty engaging: Marshall's history was fascinating, as much for the projectors, cameras and evolution of the satellite broadcasting industry as the guy himself, and when things start to go wrong with the casino, I enjoyed that, too. I did find the ending a little slack for Follett's usual, so not quite top billing, but a worthy story with a lot to offer, especially given that it was published over two decades ago.
4 Stars to Connected by Simon Denman
Description
Brief Synopsis CONNECTED is a speculative fiction thriller with touches of science and philosophy, which reached No.1 in Amazon UK's Bestseller lists for both Thrillers and Science Fiction within 5 days of release. Beginning with the funeral of a renowned classical violinist in a sleepy rural hamlet in the Lake District, a former theoretical physicist tries to make sense of his brother's suicide. Across the country, a university student, enjoying the unexpected attentions of an enigmatic seductress, is disturbed when his best friend falls to his death from the thirteenth floor of a neighbouring campus tower block. As each tries to unravel the mystery behind the apparent suicides, they are drawn into an obsessive search for a computer-generated fractal video sequence, with startling effects on human consciousness, and which might just pave the way for discovery of the ultimate Theory of Everything. However, they are not the only ones to have seen the potential of this mind-altering video, and soon find themselves in a desperate race against time with gangsters from the shadowy worlds of sex, drugs, cyber-crime, and massively multi-player on-line gaming. Science Content Although, as the reviews testify, CONNECTED has been enjoyed by many with no background in computer science, Mandelbrot Fractal geometry, string theory, quantum physics or brain science, those with some interest or knowledge in these areas seem to have particularly enjoyed the book. One reason for this appears to be that most of these references are actually based on fact. Of course, some readers have preferred to skim these sections, and claim that this did not detract from the story. Others have appreciated the scientific detail and fidelity, and some have even thanked the author for explaining such things in a way that enabled them to learn something new. Philosophy, Science and Religion Although CONNECTED is mostly enjoyed as a fast-paced mystery thriller, it is also, to a limited extent, about the inevitable conflict between science and religion. The two main male protagonists happen to be atheist, and some of the dialogue explores the different thoughts and attitudes concerning some of life’s deeper questions. These include the origins of the universe, the nature of consciousness, and whether there could be life after death. Again these philosophical references to faith and atheism are few, and mostly quite short, but all are crucial to the story. Setting and slang CONNECTED is a contemporary novel, set entirely in England. As the story unfolds through two converging plot threads, the action switches between a fictitious village in the Lake District, the University of Essex in Colchester (an old Roman town about 60 miles north-east of London), Bracknell (a newer suburban town some 40 miles west of London), and North London. Consequently, there is some British slang and occasional use of bad language (e.g. a few instances of the F-word etc.) in keeping with the age and background of the characters. Why Connected? Years ago, while the author was at university, a fellow student had a breakdown and was admitted to the local psychiatric hospital. A few, who knew him well, went to visit and reported that he’d subsequently lost the plot and was gabbling incomprehensibly of having found the answer to life, the universe and everything. While most people seemed consumed with sadness and pity at this, the author’s first thought was, “What if he really had discovered some universal truth?” Although never seriously believing that he had, it was on that day that the seed of an idea lodged in his young brain – a seed that years later would
Review
“Not to me. Understanding why we love one another doesn’t make it any less real or any less wonderful. If anything, it makes it more so. Just because I choose logic and reason over religion and superstition doesn’t mean that I refuse to acknowledge the existence of emotion and abstract concepts such as beauty and love.” This was a powerful work, and I loved the end of chapter 9 in particular. I didn't come away feeling overawed, though it certainly gave me food for thought and as a debut means Denman's on my watch list.
4 Stars to Small Doses of the Future: A Collection of Medical Science Fiction Stories by Brad Aiken
Description
Like many fields of science, the future of medicine is frequently predicted by the science fiction writers of today, very much as many of today’s medical advances were presaged by science fiction stories of the past. In this book, physician and science fiction author Brad Aiken conveys his own speculations about our medical future through nine highly entertaining and thought-provoking short stories. Touching upon a great variety of themes, including but not limited to telemedicine and remote surgery, vaccination strategies against unknown deathly pathogens, nanomedicine to cure diseases and retard ageing, bionics, cloning and euthanasia, we get a glimpse of what might be awaiting humanity. Yet, in these stories it is always the protagonists, humans after all, who remain at the center stage, not the new technologies. This provides the fictional material with a unique blend of science fiction and social fantasy. It also warns us to be wary of the pitfalls of too much reliance on dehumanizing technology and to make sure it remains our helper, not our master. Last but not least, an extensive scientific essay investigates the interplay between science fiction and both past and current advances in medical sciences and technology, making the link to the fictional material in the book as well as to the relevant scientific literature. Brad Aiken is the Medical Director for Rehabilitation at Baptist Hospital in Miami, Florida. He has published several scientific articles, and has presented to both professional and non-professional groups on a variety of topics. Dr. Aiken has received numerous science awards, including the Navy Science Award, as well as awards from the Army, the Air Force and NASA. He began writing science fiction while in college at Boston University, and published his first book, The Silver Bullet , in 2000. His latest book, Zone of the Tenth Degree , was published in August 2012. His short stories have appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Padwolf Presents, and the vampire anthology New Blood.
Review
"For the first time in his life, the solitude Devlin had always sought now felt disquieting rather than calming. Stolen moments alone in the lab or at home had always been a phone ring or door knock away from disruption. But the finality of his self-imposed isolation now sent unexpected pangs through his gut." This was a brilliantly diverse collection of short stories and the essay portion of the book was both thought-provoking from a scientific viewpoint and interesting to correlate with the writing of the stories themselves. I'd read an Aiken novel for sure.
3 Stars to When It's A Jar (YouSpace, #2) by Tom Holt
Description
Maurice has just killed a dragon with a bread knife. And had his destiny foretold. . . and had his true love spirited away. That's precisely the sort of stuff that'd bring out the latent heroism in anyone. Unfortunately, Maurice is pretty sure he hasn't got any latent heroism. Meanwhile, a man wakes up in a jar in a different kind of pickle (figuratively speaking). He can't get out, of course, but neither can he remember his name, or what gravity is, or what those things on the ends of his legs are called. . . and every time he starts working it all out, someone makes him forget again. Forget everything . Only one thing might help him. The answer to the most baffling question of all. . . When is a door not a door?
Review
Still just mildly perplexed by these.
3 Stars to The Tiger's Eye (Angus the Mage, #1) by Robert P. Hansen
Description
Angus wakes up one day with a problem, a very BIG his memory is gone. He doesn't know who he is or what he does. Voltari tells him he is his apprentice, but Angus knows nothing about magic. Still, Voltari is a Master Wizard, so he would know, wouldn't he? Voltari knows other things about him, too, but he isn't talking. Then, just as Angus begins to come to terms with his situation, everything changes....
Review
Despite an almost day-by-day accounting at times, which did sometimes drag, I found myself thinking I should look out for the next one to carry these on. Interesting, for the right type.
4 Stars to Rewinder (Rewinder #1) by Brett Battles
Description
From Book 1:
Review
This was actually a gripping novel, great for a slightly younger YA audience. I loved the way in which "the change" set things on a familiar path, and although the end didn't quite sit well with me, I enjoyed the alternative history approach and the world it paints.
3 Stars to The Outsorcerer's Apprentice (YouSpace, #3) by Tom Holt
Description
A happy workforce, it is said, is a productive workforce. Mmmm. Try telling that to an army of belligerent goblins. Or the Big Bad Wolf. Or a professional dragonslayer. Who is looking after their well-being? Who gives a damn about their intolerable working conditions, lack of adequate health insurance, and terrible coffee in the canteen? Thankfully, with access to an astonishingly diverse workforce and limitless natural resources, maximizing revenue and improving operating profit has never really been an issue for the one they call "the Wizard." Until now. Because now a perfectly good business model -- based on sound fiscal planning, entrepreneurial flair, and only one or two of the infinite parallel worlds that make up our universe -- is about to be disrupted by a young man not entirely aware of what's going on. There's also a slight risk that the fabric of reality will be torn to shreds. You really do have to be awfully careful with these things.
Review
whilst there was inevitably an element of amusement here, I can't quite decide if the humour is to my taste. There were things that made me chuckle, but there was also much that was over-the-top and just a little silly. I do feel as if I've come at this backwards, which is of course the right way to do things with such a confusing novel, so will read more of Mr Holt if only to set my own mind at ease as to whether or not I actually enjoy the writing.
3 Stars to Blind by Rachel DeWoskin
Description
When Emma Sasha Silver loses her eyesight in a nightmare accident, she must relearn everything from walking across the street to recognizing her own sisters to imagining colors. One of seven children, Emma used to be the invisible kid, but now it seems everyone is watching her. And just as she's about to start high school and try to recover her friendships and former life, one of her classmates is found dead in an apparent suicide. Fifteen and blind, Emma has to untangle what happened and why - in order to see for herself what makes life worth living. Unflinching in its portrayal of Emma's darkest days, yet full of hope and humor, Rachel DeWoskin's brilliant Blind is one of those rare books that utterly absorbs the listener into the life and experience of another.
Review
There's a lot in here to look at, and I'd need to give it another reading. Never having lost my vision, it'd be unfair for me to comment intemperately. A heartwarming story in places, the grave was a vivid memory. I will revisit this, as the blindness does need a more detailed discussion.
3 Stars to The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1) by Agatha Christie
Description
Agatha Christie's debut novel was also the first to feature Hercule Poirot, her famously eccentric Belgian detective. A refugee of the Great War, Poirot has settled in England near Styles Court, the country estate of his wealthy benefactor, the elderly Emily Inglethorp. When Emily is poisoned and the authorities are baffled, Poirot puts his prodigious sleuthing skills to work. Suspects are plentiful, including the victim’s much younger husband, her resentful stepsons, her longtime hired companion, a young family friend working as a nurse, and a London specialist on poisons who just happens to be visiting the nearby village. All of them have secrets they are desperate to keep, but none can outwit Poirot as he navigates the ingenious red herrings and plot twists that contribute to Agatha Christie's well-deserved reputation as the queen of mystery. Librarian's note: the first fifteen novels in the Hercule Poirot series are 1) The Mysterious Affair at Styles, 1920; 2) The Murder on the Links, 1923; 3) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, 1926; 4) The Big Four, 1927; 5) The Mystery of the Blue Train, 1928; 6) Peril at End House, 1932; 7) Lord Edgware Dies, 1933; 8) Murder on the Orient Express, 1934; 9) Three Act Tragedy, 1935; 10) Death in the Clouds, 1935; 11) The A.B.C. Murders, 1936; 12) Murder in Mesopotamia, 1936; 13) Cards on the Table, 1936; 14) Dumb Witness, 1937; and 15) Death on the Nile, 1937. Poirot also appears, in this period, in a play, Black Coffee, 1930, and two collections of short stories, Poirot Investigates, 1924, and Murder in the Mews, 1937. Each novel and short story has its own entry on Goodreads.
Review
It's almost hard to credit this as the beginning of what, to me, was a very enjoyable television series. David Suchet playing Poirot onscreen was a staple of my childhood, the series is, after all, almost as old as I am. Last year's Curtain, broadcast on a Wednesday last November, brought back many memories of sitting down with my grandfather to watch a performance. Early Poirot is seemingly more clue-based, more your typical detective than his future depictions seem to indicate. Latterly he seemed very much to look for reasons, whereas for the majority of the novel he's seeking clues. I did enjoy poor old Hastings bewilderment throughout, and will I am sure read the rest of these over the years.
3 Stars to Dying Memories by Dave Zeltserman
Description
A woman shoots a man to death on a crowded street in Boston, claiming that he raped and murdered her eleven-year old daughter. Except he didn't, because this woman never had a daughter. Another man stabs an MIT professor to death in front of a crowd in Harvard Square, saying that he witnessed the professor running down his wife in the street. Except the MIT professor was three thousand miles away when the man's wife was killed. Reporter Bill Conway discovers that these victims are connected to ViGen Corporation, a shadowy pharmaceutical company. When he tries to investigate ViGen Corporation and their role in these deaths, he soon finds himself framed for murder. And that turns out to be the least of his problems... An intense thriller for our times that mixes the best of Michael Crichton and James Patterson.
Review
This was enjoyable enough, although one does wonder at the author's range of dialogue when the phrase "I'd like that" turns up 4 times between the same 2 people less than a tenth of the way into the book. Still, the idea was explored interestingly enough.
3 Stars to Going Grey by Karen Traviss
Description
An all-original near-future military thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author! Who do you think you are? Ian Dunlap doesn’t know. When he looks in the mirror, he’s never sure if he’ll see a stranger. After years of isolation, thinking he’s crazy, he discovers he’s the product of an illegal fringe experiment in biotechnology that enables him to alter his appearance at will. And the only people he can trust to help him find out who and what he is are two former soldiers trying to make their way in the high-stakes world of private security. He’s got a unique and disturbing skill: they can help him to harness it—and maybe even learn to accept it. Set ten years from today, these three unlikely allies search for identity and loyalty in an uncertain world.
Review
This was almost superb, but the strange first-person asides coupled with the extreme good nature of everyone (everybody good is very good) grated some. An interesting idea, and it'd be intriguing to see where it goes.
August
4 Stars to No Talking by Andrew Clements
Description
"You have the right to remain silent." However... The fifth-grade girls and the fifth-grade boys at Laketon Elementary don't get along very well. But the real problem is that these kids are loud and disorderly. That's why the principal uses her red plastic bullhorn. A lot. Then one day Dave Packer, a certified loudmouth, bumps into an idea -- a big one that makes him try to keep quiet for a whole day. But what does Dave hear during lunch? A girl, Lynsey Burgess, jabbering away. So Dave breaks his silence and lobs an insult. And those words spark a Which team can say the fewest words during two whole days? And it's the boys against the girls. How do the teachers react to the silence? What happens when the principal feels she's losing control? And will Dave and Lynsey plunge the whole school into chaos? This funny and surprising book is about language and thought, about words unspoken, words spoken in anger, and especially about the power of words spoken in kindness...with or without a bullhorn. It's Andrew Clements at his best -- thought-provoking, true-to-life, and very entertaining.
Review
This was pretty fun, and of course communicates a message very well by not really communicating. I hadn't seen the author before. Enjoyed.
3 Stars to Gangsta Granny by David Walliams
Description
Another hilarious and moving novel from David Walliams, number one bestseller and fastest growing children's author in the country. A story of prejudice and acceptance, funny lists and silly words, this new book has all the hallmarks of David’s previous bestsellers. Our hero Ben is bored beyond belief after he is made to stay at his grandma's house. She's the boringest grandma ever: all she wants to do is to play Scrabble and eat cabbage soup. But there are two things Ben doesn't know about his grandma: 1) She was once an international jewel thief. 2) All her life, she has been plotting to steal the Crown Jewels, and now she needs Ben's help...
Review
I enjoyed watching this last Christmas on television and the novel held little difference (other than Jedward, of course, which was cool). I'm not a fan of Walliam's particular type of potty humour, but the message here for the young toward the elderly is valid and cleverly delivered.
3 Stars to Lock In (Lock In, #1) by John Scalzi
Description
Not too long from today, a new, highly contagious virus makes its way across the globe. Most who get sick experience nothing worse than flu, fever and headaches. But for the unlucky one percent - and nearly five million souls in the United States alone - the disease causes "Lock In": Victims fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus. The disease affects young, old, rich, poor, people of every color and creed. The world changes to meet the challenge. A quarter of a century later, in a world shaped by what's now known as "Haden's syndrome," rookie FBI agent Chris Shane is paired with veteran agent Leslie Vann. The two of them are assigned what appears to be a Haden-related murder at the Watergate Hotel, with a suspect who is an "integrator" - someone who can let the locked in borrow their bodies for a time. If the Integrator was carrying a Haden client, then naming the suspect for the murder becomes that much more complicated. But "complicated" doesn't begin to describe it. As Shane and Vann began to unravel the threads of the murder, it becomes clear that the real mystery - and the real crime - is bigger than anyone could have imagined. The world of the locked in is changing, and with the change comes opportunities that the ambitious will seize at any cost. The investigation that began as a murder case takes Shane and Vann from the halls of corporate power to the virtual spaces of the locked in, and to the very heart of an emerging, surprising new human culture. It's nothing you could have expected.
Review
Though enjoyable enough, this lacked something for me. I really didn't click with Shane, I must confess, bit of a Chris Longknife thing going on there and that properly put me off. A shame, as I was expecting to really, really dig this one.
4 Stars to The Prometheus Deception by Robert Ludlum
Description
The ultimate spy. After fifteen years as a brilliant master spy, Nick Bryson has disappeared into anonymity as a professor at an exclusive college in western Pennsylvania-- until he's suddenly lured back into the game. The ultimate threat. Recruited by the CIA, he's been commissioned to track the moves of the Directorate. Once, the ultra-secret intelligence agency was Bryson's training ground. Now it's a multinational terrorist conspiracy bent on global domination. The ultimate deception. But to eliminate the core of corruption means plunging into his own past, investigating the motives of a beautiful stranger who may be his greatest downfall, and infiltrating a secret nexus of power called Prometheus that holds the terrifying clues to his past-- and the even more terrifying possibilities of the future...
Review
High powered and typical of Ludlum's style, I found the ending a little bit of a let down. Enjoyable Ludlum action at least.
2 Stars to Shift (ChronoShift #1) by Zack Mason
Description
What is the worst thing that could happen to you? For Mark Carpen, it is the death of his children at the hands of a drunk driver. In the tragic aftermath, he also loses his wife, his job and everything else of value. Grief stricken, Mark turns his back on society for a life wandering through the North Georgia woods. That is until he finds a strange watch in the middle of those woods. A very special watch. One that gives its wearer the power to travel through time at will rectifying past wrongs and stopping tragedies before they happen. Mark is determined to use the watch to save his kids, yet certain mysterious forces are poised to stand in his way and a shadowy group of assassins has decided that Mark Carpen must die.
Review
Though bland in tone probably due to Mason's religious overtones, this was nevertheless an interesting idea, if confusingly played. I'd be interested to read the next not so much to find out what happens to the characters but how the author resolves things, which is probably not the best motivation for wanting to buy a book! Phrases like "dad-blamed", "Can I he’p you", and the other colloquialisms, as much as they were intended to provide authenticity simply annoyed me by their overuse, and the vapidity of Carpen and his band quickly palled. I enjoyed it for the possibilities afforded by the technology but it's not writing I can say is either inspiring nor particularly well-handled.
5 Stars to Invasion of Privacy (Brody Taylor Thrillers, #2) by Ian Sutherland
Description
Your private life is streamed live to a global audience. But no one told you about the cameras hidden in your home. And now a killer is watching, learning, planning... Jenny Price, talented and ambitious police detective, leads the investigation into the murder of a beautiful young cellist. Baffled by the killer’s intimate knowledge of the girl's dreams and desires the case begins to run out of steam. Out of leads, Jenny reluctantly accepts the aid of attractive but mysterious witness Brody Taylor, who has come forward with a bizarre story about webcams hidden in thousands of homes across the country. But Jenny is unaware that the charming Brody is under cover on his own covert operation. An up-to-the-minute crime thriller that exposes the dark side of the connected world in which we now live.
Review
This is one of the most intense weeks I've ever read about. Sutherland deftly weaves dramatic, Humanly plausible police procedure with very high-level hackery to form a novel both intricately plotted and meticulously produced. He makes the note, in his about the author section, that the book is "professionally published". I cannot of course see the book cover, but judging on the content rather than the layout this certainly holds sway. The writing flowed free of errors or misspelling, the book feeling professionally edited to a standard above and beyond that of any one of the big houses. The characters were bold and real, the timeframe of the book compressing events into a hectic, headrush of a week that I cannot believe only took me four and a half hours to read. It felt so much longer, considerably more real. I could see this forming one of those five-day long dramas ITV have shown over the last few years, although it would probably need some creative adaptation to get into Brody's head (maybe he could narrate). When I say high hackery, I don't just mean mentioning of an iPad: the stuff here goes way beyond the Surface (pardon the Pun) and explores the deep, dark, gritty end of both morality and technology as they stand today. No novel I have read this year (this is the 140th), or indeed no novel I have read published in the last 4 years (currently 246) explore both with such compellingly powerful detail nor such accurate yet accessible way of discussing technology. It's a little late to pick up another work right now, but I have just procured the prequel novella and, tomorrow, will be subscribing to the author's newsletter. To you, mr Sutherland, I say this: Keep doing what you've done, you're on to a winning formula. Your characters, your technology and your plots fall into harmony with perfection. The twists are credible, yet not always obvious (I missed the ring), and your publication and quality is first rate. Your prices are more than reasonable, your tone authentic and the sky's the limit for such a complex character.
4 Stars to Backwards by Todd Mitchell
Description
An edge-of-your-seat thriller asks: Is it possible to fix a tragic future by changing the past — while experiencing life backwards? At the moment Dan’s life ends, the Rider’s begins. Unwillingly tied to Dan, who seems to be shuffling through life, the Rider finds himself moving backwards in time, each day revealing more of the series of events that led to Dan’s suicide. As the Rider struggles to figure out what he’s meant to do, he revels in the life Dan ignores. Beyond the simple pleasures of a hot shower and the sun on his face, the Rider also notices the people around Dan: his little sister, always disappointed by her big brother’s rejection, and his overwhelmed mom, who can never rely on Dan for help. Most of all, the Rider notices Cat with her purple hair, artistic talent, and misfit beauty. But Cat doesn’t want anything to do with Dan, paying attention instead to popular football player Finn. As the days move in reverse and Halloween looms, Cat becomes the center of the Rider’s world — until the Rider finds out the shocking reason why Cat is so angry with Dan. Can the Rider make things right before it’s too late?
Review
The tide of time most intriguingly displaced in this hard-hitting story. It really put me in mind of a modern day Christmas Carol, and was eloquently, poetically rendered.
3 Stars to Alternity by Mari Mancusi
Description
Imagine waking up in a post-apocalyptic, nightmare world--and being told your whole life is but a dream. Skye Brown thought she was your typical teen--good grades, hot boyfriend, and an afterschool job that pays her to play videogames. But then she started having the dreams. In her dreams, there is no Earth. Only Terra, a bleak, underground wasteland where people live in squalor and oppression. In her dreams, there is no Skye--only Mariah, a rebel leader fighting against a vile, dystopian regime. And then there's Dawn, a handsome, but haunted solider who sees her as but an empty shell of the girl he once love--a betrayer he vows to hate forever, despite what she sees deep in his eyes. Now, ripped between Dark Siders and club kids, the mundane and the mystic, Skye finds herself in a fight against time--to learn who she really is, where she belongs..and why. The shocking truth will have her questioning her own reality...and her heart.
Review
Nothing really leapt out at me in this work as anything outstanding. The trouble with things like this is, I think, that they reference stories like The Matrix, which goes a long way to dispelling their own magic. The writing wasn't poor and the characters were interesting to a point but I think a spark was missing somewhere which would have made the work a more daring title.
2 Stars to Restoration: Immortality Begins by Todd D. Utley
Description
The entire manuscript has been updated with many grammar and format changes as of October 2013. The year is 2056. The world is still recovering from the pandemic of 2027 when a meteor borne virus wiped out half the population. Cloning has been legalized in a desperate attempt to save humanity. Dodge Kerrington, a renowned Electronics Engineer leads his team at Embedded Systems Specialist in a race against their competitors. They must design and perfect memory transfer for the Human Cloning Process. ESS prevails by creating the first successful system that records IHE (individual human experience) as a LifeFile that uploads into the brain of a newly grown clone. ESS launches the system and human immortality is born. Disease Treatment Centers are bankrupt. Hospitals and Clinics convert to LifeCenters, all in the business of providing Restoration services. Funerals are nearly unheard of, only hardcore religious hold outs choose natural death over Restoration. Enter the world of High Tech Industrial Espionage with Dodge Kerrington and his best friend and security expert John Calhoun as they fight for their very lives against criminal master mind Cyrus Slade and his partner, a world renowned hacker known only as “Glitch” who desperately desire to obtain the new technology and the incredible power that comes with it. It’s an all out battle for control of Restoration and the minds of those that created it. In a high tech game of murder, hacking, and unbridled greed, the future of humanity hangs in the balance.
Review
Unfortunately, the style of writing let this down a little for me. It reminded me in tone of James Galloway or Wayne Edward Clarke, without their precision. The idea was good, but the issues with English was a put-off.
3 Stars to Robbery, Murder and Cups of Tea: A Novella by Phil Church
Description
In a small English village, Ray, the supermarket manager, wishes he was a private detective. When one of his neighbours is brutally murdered, he gets the chance to investigate a real crime. Unfortunately, the hunt for the killer is far from simple, as winter sets in and he struggles to deal with his wife's disinterest, his friend's bungling enthusiasm, a village that will happily implicate anyone and everyone, and a rising body count.
Review
I enjoyed this quite a lot: Ray's bewilderment throughout was amusing, but you still sort of feel sorry for him and I liked Adam, too.
5 Stars to Killobyte by Piers Anthony
Description
Walter Toland has the heart and soul of a hero - but his physical body is confined to a wheelchair. He lost both his legs and his job in the line of duty as a policeman. Baal Curran is a high school senior, full of the promise and heartbreak of her first love, and her first loss. The needle scarring from her diabetes drove away the only boy ever to care for her. Now she has retreated inside herself, determined never to be hurt again. Both of them have discovered Killobyte, an exciting new fantasy adventure game that promises to be the most realistic experience they can imagine. Once again Walter can have the strong legs of a hero, charging through a castle to rescue a captive princess, battling a ferocious dragon, matching wits with a sorcerer. With her face hidden behind a fictional character, Baal can forget her shyness and her fear that others will shrink away from her because of her lifetime of illness. She can laugh and have adventures, and dare to care about someone else again. But Killobyte is more real than even its creators can have dreamed. Within its programming lurks a flaw that has allowed one demented player a kind of power its creators never intended - a power that can trap and "kill" Walter and Baal time after time in the game scenarios. Of course, as long as this game of cat and mouse is kept within the world of computer-generated adventures, it's only a frustration. Walter and Baal seem never to win. But as the games continue, they begin to wonder whether the power of this mystery player can extend outside the framework of the game.... The mystery player is out for power - and the power he has in mind is far more than just racking up points against fictional opponents. He's coming after Walter and Baal in the real world, and his threat is death.
Review
This is, if not the first work of Anthony's I actually read, the first I enjoyed so much that I recognised his name as a tour de force. Of course, I reread it for these few reflections, but I almost didn't need to: it's a book I devoured time after time after time. It’s on par with every big book, series or author that shaped my reading life, and there are many of those. I have a very strong memory of listening to this book on a Road Runner or Book Courier, both of these are very niche reading machines for blind people. The Runner was developed in the late 90s and it's quite feasible that I read the book, more than once, on both devices. It's a matter of record that in march 2009 I added it to my Courier again, but as I no longer use the Courier now I can't be more specific. Even after adding it in 2009, I could have returned to it time after time. This wasn't the case with the Runner, which to give you some perspective only had 3 MB of memory which was flashed whenever you added new content. Anyway, I've probably read it on both those machines, and almost every computer I've had or used since. I don't recall the first time I read it in any detail, it's not like the Philosopher's Stone where there's a great event going on, and of course in the mid-to-late 90s I wasn't cataloguing my reading. There's a huge amount about the book that I absolutely love. The opening sentence “Draw, tenderfoot, or I'll plug you where you stand!” Is indelibly burned into my memory, and the way in which the Killobyte game is revealed during the novice chapter really starts the book off well. Then, there are more esoteric things about the book which appealed, and it's only looking back at it now that I see why. Baal impressed me at the outset, because she'd taken the time to read the game's manual rather than diving in, an approach my younger self would have fully supported. But Baal also pulled at me, because of her disability. It's interesting that Walter's story unfolds first, and we learn how he becomes disabled before we read about Baal's onset. And yet to me, Baal's story impacted more: in fact, had you asked me before this reread (remember, it's been a goodly time since I last read the book) I would've said we'd found out about Baal's condition first. we do, of course, in her introductory chapter, but it's not until later that we get the story of her discovering the Diabetes. In my mind, that story totally eclipsed Walter's injuries. y, then? I think the bit that really pulled at me was Baal's summer camp reference. The complete dichotomy she experiences between her "friends" and the people at camp, her apathetic interest in going and her enjoyment when being, the frenetic pace of life at camp and the adaptations they make there to cater for the issues that arise due to the necessities of Diabetes and the nature of the relationships formed there all spoke, tremendously, to me somehow. I don't think any of this was conscious at the time. I probably hadn't even considered this until now, but during this reread, things just clicked into place and I came to see Baal's situation as, if not an analogue of my own, at least a variant of it in some way. The other psychological thing of interest to me was Phreak, especially his aunt. The sentences "All he needed from his aunt and uncle were food, a place to sleep, and ignorance. They gave him that." almost exactly mirrored my own feelings when I moved away from home. It's worrying, because although I don't see any of my actions in phreaks at all, I do see the potential, a path I could, I'm sure, have taken were circumstances different. The lure of the book for me at a younger age was, of course, the technology. The game of Killobyte proved mesmerizing, and finding the things that wouldn't work with the technology of the era (such as NLP and the bandwidth constraints for such high-brow physical action and immediate high-quality vocal transmission) were as thrilling as suspending disbelief and just enjoying the thrill. The way in which the story unfolded kept my interest, even when young, and I find it astounding, looking back, that the whole psychological analysis angle completely flew over my head but yet must've impacted, somehow, for the book to hold such sway over me. As to the writing, I do remember that I hadn't come across the word twain before I saw it here. Nothing else leapt out at me as being worthy of my lexicographical attention, but that also must've helped me soak up the work as a youth - it was so easy to read, so accessible to my vocabulary at that age. Reading it was effortless, enjoying it was practically guaranteed. Trying to think objectively, there's nothing overwhelmingly innovative about the storytelling. The VR concept was early for its age, the people, just painted well but essentially ordinary. But there's some magic there, because had I been able to read a paperback of this book it would doubtless be falling apart by now, if it hadn't long-since disintegrated. This hasn't really been a review, has it? Wikipedia calls this book a character study, and I must say the story played less to me this time than did the people in it. The author's note went in my mind from being a reflection on the story, at the beginning of my relationship with the work, to a powerful message about the creative process, the research involved for such an undertaking and the people and stories Anthony draws from to make the book work so well. I'm sure I'll read it again and again and, doubtless in another iteration I'll uncover even more. the books been published for twenty-one years now, so perhaps in another two decades I'll find it warn and old and tired. But I doubt it. This is one of those titles that holds a seed of my youth, part of the key that unlocks my tastes so precisely, an ingredient into that unique mix that is my own makeup. It can never lose that lustre and I think I owe the book more than I can articulate.
2 Stars to Multiversum (Multiversum, #1) by Leonardo Patrignani
Description
Alex vive a Milano. Jenny vive a Melbourne. Hanno sedici anni. Un filo sottile unisce da sempre le loro vite: un dialogo telepatico che permette loro di scambiarsi poche parole e che si verifica senza preavviso, in uno stato di incoscienza. Durante uno di questi attacchi i due ragazzi riescono a darsi un appuntamento. Alex scappa di casa, arriva a Melbourne, sul molo di Altona Beach, il luogo stabilito. Ma Jenny non c’è. I due ragazzi non riescono a trovarsi perché vivono in dimensioni parallele. Nella dimensione in cui vive Jenny, Alex è un altro ragazzo. Nella dimensione in cui vive Alex, Jenny è morta all’età di sei anni. Il Multiverso minaccia di implodere, scomparire. Ma Jenny e Alex devono incontrarsi, attraversare il labirinto delle infinite possibilità. Solo il loro amore può cambiare un destino che si è già avverato. *** "MULTIVERSUM is a wonderful book on so many levels and it deserves as much success as THE HUNGER GAMES or DIVERGENT. It’s a wildly entertaining, cinematic page-turner with an inspirational core — that the human spirit is the force that can make the leap across time and space. Leonardo Patrignani is an important new voice on the YA stage." *** GLENN COOPER, bestselling author of the LIBRARY OF THE DEAD trilogy
Review
I must admit, I wasn't overly taken with this book. The Italian nature of the work seemed to add a layer of distance to the whole thing, and the naked scene, the language and the sex made it difficult for me to place the work in an age bracket. Needless to say the ending was deeply unsatisfying, too.
4 Stars to Containment (Children of Occam #1) by Christian Cantrell
Description
As Earth's ability to support human life begins to diminish at an alarming rate, the Global Space Agency is formed with a single protect humanity from extinction by colonizing the solar system as quickly as possible. Venus, being almost the same mass as Earth, is chosen over Mars as humanity’s first permanent steppingstone into the universe. Arik Ockley is part of the first generation to be born and raised off-Earth. After a puzzling accident, Arik wakes up to find that his wife is almost three months pregnant. Since the colony’s environmental systems cannot safely support any increases in population, Arik immediately resumes his work on AP, or artificial photosynthesis, in order to save the life of his unborn child. Arik’s new and frantic research uncovers startling truths about the planet, and about the distorted reality the founders of the colony have constructed for Arik’s entire generation. Everything Arik has ever known is called into question, and he must figure out the right path for himself, his wife, and his unborn daughter.
Review
This is a brilliant start to a novel career. The writing was technical yet captivating, Human, yet forward-facing. Each twist in the plot rekindled my enthusiasm and, although my only critique is that the ending suffered from any form of follow-through, everything upto the last sentence was powerful, potent and very well done.
3 Stars to Demolition Man by Robert Tine
Description
A cop and villian are frozen in a cryogenic prison. Years into the future, Earth is a bland and pleasant place where people are fined for swearing. It's run by a despot, but nobody realizes it. It is into this green, clean, world that Sparton and Phoenix are awakened to resume their former roles.
Review
I was unaware this adaptation existed, but a pressing need for a worthy read for Michael's birthday showed me true. It isn't as good as the film, I think, but I still got something out of it.
3 Stars to A Spell for Chameleon (Xanth, #1) by Piers Anthony
Description
Xanth was the enchanted land where magic ruled - where every citizen had a special spell only he could cast. It was a land of centaurs and dragons and basilisks. For Bink of North Village, however, Xanth was no fairy tale. He alone had no magic. And unless he got some - and got some fast! - he would be exiled. Forever! But the Good Magician Humfrey was convinced that Bink did indeed have magic. In fact, both Beauregard the genie and the magic wall chart insisted that Bink had magic. Magic as powerful as any possessed by the King or by Good Magician Humfrey - or even by the Evil Magician Trent Be that as it may, no one could fathom the nature of Bink's very special magic. Bink was in despair. This was even worse than having no magic at all..and he would still be exiled!
Review
It's a series I hear about time and time again, yet despite reading a lot of anthony not one I've ever looked into. I'm glad I started it: it's nothing outstanding, I've enjoyed others of his more, but was uniquely interesting in the way his novels are.
4 Stars to Guerrilla Internet by Matt Sayer
Description
'How careful are you with what you say in a phone call? In a text message? Are you strict enough to never reveal personal information in an email, or on Facebook? Most people aren't.' Charlie, a soon-to-be unemployed software tester struggling through remission from depression and anxiety, is about to discover just how lethal a weapon information can be in the wrong hands. When one of his colleagues is murdered for the sake of stealing his company's innocuous in-development phone app, his life is upended and shaken like one of James Bond's martinis. With the aid of Mel, a technologically illiterate but worldly-wise security guard, Charlie must conquer his inhibitions and venture outside his cloistered comfort zone in order to prevent a cyberterrorist conspiracy so devastating it threatens the very future of the internet itself... A technological thriller set in modern times, Guerrilla Internet tackles the themes of privacy, security, and freedom of expression in the age of a constantly connected society. A tale of subterfuge and doublespeak, of plots within plots, where laws and morals clash to decide the meaning of freedom in an always-online world.
Review
This was fun, and seeing inside the mind of someone suffering such things was a very new experience to me. This author has definite potential and this is a solid, if occasionally strange, novel.
3 Stars to To Be a Woman (The Metal Maiden Series, #1) by Piers Anthony
Description
Elasa is a humanoid robot, indistinguishable from living person, unless she reveals her nature. You can talk with her, embrace her, kiss her, and she is the perfect woman. Until she becomes the first conscious robot. No longer satisfied with the pretense, she wants legal recognition that she is a woman - among other reasons, to marry the man she loves. Novella.
Review
incredible, to think I've been reading work Anthony published since 1967 and to still see him pumping material out today is just wonderful. This is classic style, his distinctive characterisation is still right on the money.
July
2 Stars to The Reality Matrix Effect by Laura Remson Mitchell
Description
When newspaper copy editor Al Frederick is called back to work after a popular congressman is shot and killed in 1971, he is unprepared for the events that follow. A suddenly changed headline splits reality and sets Frederick's life—and the course of world history—on a new path. Fifty years later, the world is at peace, running on clean electric power produced by generators using a nickel-titanium alloy called Nitinol. Al Frederick, recently deceased, has bequeathed to high-school teacher Rayna Kingman a box of old audio tapes and newspaper clippings that explain much of what happened in the intervening years. This includes Al's work with a controversial counter-culture physicist whose research indicates that Al may have changed reality. Stunned by what she learns about her friend Al Frederick—and about herself—Rayna tries to make sense of it all while coping with disturbing changes that include a threat of war with mining colonies in the Asteroid Belt.
Review
I'd hoped that, written by a journalist, this would've grabbed me. Unfortunately although it was an interesting idea I came away without really feeling much for the people.
4 Stars to The Harry Harrison Megapack: 12 Classics of Science Fiction, including ROBOT JUSTICE, DEATHWORLD, and DEATHWORLD II by Harry Harrison
Description
The Harry Harrison Megapack collects 12 novels and stories by the author of the Stainless Steel Rat series, including the classics science fiction novels DEATHWORLD and PLANET OF THE DAMNED -- more than 700 pages of great reading! (Updated in 2016 to add the story "Robot Justice.") Included ARM OF THE LAW DEATHWORLD THE ETHICAL ENGINEER THE MISPLACED BATTLESHIP THE K-FACTOR NAVY DAY PLANET OF THE DAMNED THE REPAIRMAN TOY SHOP THE VELVET GLOVE SENSE OF OBLIGATION ROBOT JUSTICE If you enjoy this ebook, check out the more than 290+ other volumes in the series, covering not only science fiction, but fantasy, horror, mystery, western, and classic authors. Search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see the complete list.
Review
For the price, this was a really good investment. Although I think it's a bit of a cop-out having Planet of the Damned and Sense of Obligation in one pack, Harrison's got loads more stories which would've fitted better. The short stories are all worth a read. I'm very fond of Arm of the Law and The Velvet Glove, and the Repairman is fun, too. The Misplaced Battleship is a nice intro to Jim, and Harrison really lucked out when he expanded that character. It was fascinating to see DinAlt because of the rat parallelism, which is perhaps more evident in The Ethical Engineer. On amore personal level, this is one of the very few collections I didn't read in order. I did the short stories first, in the order they appear (Arm of the \law opens, The Velvet Glove ends which is brilliant as they are both superb), and then the novellas. had I scanned this in as a paperback book, I'd have found skipping around the text much more difficult, so the eBook wins again!
3 Stars to Year Zero by Rob Reid
Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An alien advance party was suddenly nosing around my planet. Worse, they were lawyering up. . . . In the hilarious tradition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Rob Reid takes you on a headlong journey through the outer reaches of the universe—and the inner workings of our absurdly dysfunctional music industry. Low-level entertainment lawyer Nick Carter thinks it’s a prank, not an alien encounter, when a redheaded mullah and a curvaceous nun show up at his office. But Frampton and Carly are highly advanced (if bumbling) extraterrestrials. And boy, do they have news. The entire cosmos, they tell him, has been hopelessly hooked on humanity’s music ever since “Year Zero” (1977 to us), when American pop songs first reached alien ears. This addiction has driven a vast intergalactic society to commit the biggest copyright violation since the Big Bang. The resulting fines and penalties have bankrupted the whole universe. We humans suddenly own everything—and the aliens are not amused. Nick Carter has just been tapped to clean up this mess before things get ugly, and he’s an unlikely galaxy-hopping hero: He’s scared of heights. He’s also about to be fired. And he happens to have the same name as a Backstreet Boy. But he does know a thing or two about copyright law. And he’s packing a couple of other pencil-pushing superpowers that could come in handy. Soon he’s on the run from a sinister parrot and a highly combustible vacuum cleaner. With Carly and Frampton as his guides, Nick now has forty-eight hours to save humanity, while hopefully wowing the hot girl who lives down the hall from him. “Hilarious, provocative, and supersmart, Year Zero is a brilliant novel to be enjoyed in perpetuity in the known universe and in all unknown universes yet to be discovered.”—John Hodgman, resident expert, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Review
If this is America's Douglas Adams, I do pity them. There were amusing spots, but it wasn't anywhere as funny as it tried to be. and if it's not American, it's so influenced by the US as to be American anyway. Not at all that this is a bad thing, it's just not hitting my funny bone.
4 Stars to I Will Fear No Evil by Robert A. Heinlein
Description
Johann Sebastian Bach Smith was immensely rich, and very old. Though his mind was still keen, his body was worn out. His solution was to have surgeons transplant his brain into a new body. The operation was a great success, but the patient was no longer Johann Sebastian Bach Smith. He was now fused with the very vocal personality of his gorgeous, recently deceased secretary, Eunice, with mind-blowing results, for Eunice hasn't completely vacated her body... Together they must learn to share control of her body. Mind versus body, Masculine desires versus feminine appeal. And soul versus soul. And when a third soul joins them the situation becomes even more fantastic. . .
Review
Of course, it's a Heinlein staple. I do think this work suffers from a lack of cohesion, so although I give it points for pushing several of Heinlein's themes hard and well, it's a hard novel to grok unless you're on the Heinlein page to begin with. Still, the characters are so strong as to be forceful, and we do get a potent view of sexual libertarianism. A man truly ahead of his day.
3 Stars to A World Without Secrets (Colton James, #1) by Thomas DePrima
Description
Colton James was just an ordinary man, struggling like the rest of humanity to earn a living from his innate talents and training, until a fateful event in early spring changed his life forever. Before dawn, a reputedly empty five-story apartment building across the street from his flat on New York City's Lower West Side, erupted into a giant fireball. Government agencies later attributed the blast to a gas leak. As the massive firefighting and cleanup effort began, Colton collected personal papers and property from a bent and twisted hulk that had, until minutes earlier, been his automobile. A box of photocopies he'd left on the backseat had wound up outside the vehicle and he was forced to sift through assorted street trash to recover as much as possible. Unaware that something extra had gotten mixed in with his personal items, he carried the bundle up to his apartment. When he later began to separate the papers in the privacy of his third-floor walk-up, he discovered something among the detritus that couldn't possibly exist, yet obviously did. Sci-Fi Crime Drama - 110,000 Words - 344 Pages
Review
Well executed and strangely captivating, the let down here was the end. Unless that's the end of the story overall, it's rather a poor show. If there are more to come, then I look forward to them!
5 Stars to Undetectable (Great Minds Thriller, #2) by M.C. Soutter
Description
You could learn more, do more, even live more. The potential is there. You could be anything: an engineer, a doctor, a chemist... Or one of the most lethal Secret Service agents on the planet. Undetectable is the story of Kevin Brooks, the first test subject of a new and unproven neurological technique called scrubbing. A private-school teacher in Manhattan, he has just landed a brand new job. It's the most important, most dangerous job he'll ever have. He just doesn't know about it yet. Kevin will soon be in charge of protecting the greatest computer scientist of our generation. This man is on the verge of a breakthrough that could change all of our lives, and he already has 24-hour protection from the United States Secret Service. There are people who want this scientist dead, and these people know how to pick their moments. Which is why the man will soon be the beneficiary of a new kind of protector, an undetectable protector. Now, in the second book of the Great Minds series, Kevin Brooks will be put through every imaginable test. He will have less than two weeks to prepare, but several years of training to absorb. Whether he is ready in time or not, there will be lives that need saving. And no one else who can do the job.
Review
We've had our fair share of "waking up without a memory" stories here at my shelf, of course. Ludlum's The Bourne Identity, Follett's Code to Zero and, more recently, Doug Richards Mind's Eye. This title doesn't quite fit the mould, as the memory loss is a gap rather than the guy's life, but the technique is there. The story was superbly spun, and even though we know a little of the background of the technology from Soutter's previous, it's a refreshing enough take on the first book that we want to keep reading to find out what happens. It is, of course, a huge leap of faith to imagine scrubbing works in precisely such a way and that the whole thing would fall into place as neatly as it did, but that's just part of the fun. Morality and legality aside, it was an intense read with a great deal of buildup and a most enjoyable climax. I eagerly wait to see where the author goes in future works.
4 Stars to Untapped (Great Minds Thriller, #1) by M.C. Soutter
Description
alternate cover edition of ASIN: B003RITJSQ Melissa Hartman has genius locked inside of her, and so do you. The question is: what kind of genius? The awesome potential of the human mind is an incredible thing, but it is also a very dangerous thing. After several years of neurology research on autistics and children, Dartmouth psychology professor Frederick Carlisle has made a startling discovery. With a custom-made device and a simple set of steps, he can unlock fantastic mental abilities in his test subjects. But the brain is a delicate, complicated piece of equipment, and side-effects are inevitable; when one part of the brain ramps up, another will inevitably shut down... Charcot's Genius is part one of the Great Minds series. It is the story of two very different people: an asylum inmate who is haunted by memories of the murder they say he committed, and a self-possessed first-year Dartmouth student who is trying to escape a small town and a destructive father. Both grapple with the effects of Professor Carlisle's treatment, and both discover powers of thought they never imagined possible. But while our Dartmouth first-year simply hopes to lead a normal life, the asylum inmate is out for revenge. He blames Carlisle for his condition and his imprisonment, and soon he will make his return to the Dartmouth campus. Professor Carlisle has some explaining to do.
Review
I got the order of these books confused and started reading the next one in the series first, which absolutely hooked me and meant I dashed back off to buy the first one second so I could carry on reading book 2 whilst fully informed. The writing flows superbly, the characterization is impeccable and the whole idea of the work is unaccountably wonderful. there was a huge emphasis on Melissa and of course a lot left to answer, it's clear that, although this episode is over, there's more to come.
5 Stars to Riddle in Stone (The Riddle in Stone, #1) by Robert Evert
Description
A debut novel of epic fantasy featuring an unlikely hero and his life-changing adventure from the author of the Quests of the Kings Trilogy. Long after the last of the great heroes of old has died, the Undead King is stirring again, amassing a goblin horde ready to storm out of the mountains and destroy all of humanity. The only thing preventing utter annihilation is Edmund, a stuttering librarian who knows a secret—one that every thief, assassin, and king would kill to have. Fleeing from relentless peril, Edmund wages a solitary battle against an ancient evil. But how can one man succeed when so many before him have failed? “This unique plot is oozing creativity. You have to give it a read to properly understand why . . . You will not be disappointed, it is an excellent read!” —Only the Indies “In many ways, Riddle in Stone harkens back to the early days of modern fantasy where the hero is really an everyman confronted with an impossible task and, despite his own innocence, insecurities, and sense of inadequacy, accomplishes that which the great heroes of the time could not. Yet, there are enough differences to give it a fresh feel.” —Maxine McLister
Review
an exciting new voice in the epic fantasy genre, not without a dollop of humour, which really works here. Ed's inner voice was probably one of my favourite strands to the work, and although a lot of the tropes are present and used, there's also something refreshing about falling into this world. As a debut, it really hits things on the head, and you can't beet the price nor quality.
3 Stars to Gray Retribution (Tom Gray, #4) by Alan McDermott
Description
Book 4, a continuation of the Tom Gray series. Tom Gray is enjoying time with his family after the birth of his daughter, now three months old, and just wants an easy home life. However, trouble has a way of finding him. While he is visiting his uncle’s new grocery store, thugs arrive demanding protection money, and in the ensuing fight, Gray is hurt. As he recuperates, Gray learns that a team of friends is facing grave danger on a mission in a tiny war-torn African nation, where an evil warlord is kidnapping boy soldiers to do his work in his bid for supremacy. Gray sets off on a rescue mission, but with his attention now divided between two continents, events are spiraling out of control, and Gray must fight to save all that is dear to him. In Gray Retribution , the fourth book of the popular, action-packed Tom Gray series, suspense builds to an unforgettable ending.
Review
Another well-penned installment, although I find it ironic that there's now a big publisher on the scene and the standards slip ("clambering" should read "clamouring", I'm sure). Still, poor Tom in this one, he gets more stuff thrown at him. perhaps a little of McDermott's zest in this series is wearing a little thin, there's only so much that can happen to one man.
3 Stars to The Dragon Business (The Dragon Business #1) by Kevin J. Anderson
Description
King Cullin may be known as "the Dragon Slayer," but he fears his son's legacy will be as "King Maurice Who Speaks with Proper Grammar." The boy keeps his nose buried in parchments, starry-eyed at the idea of noble knights and eager to hand royal gold to any con man hawking a unicorn horn. Tonight, though, Cullin will educate the prince in the truth behind minstrels' silly songs of glory. Long ago, in a kingdom, well, not that far from here really, young Cullin traveled the countryside as squire to brave Sir Dalbry, along with Dalbry's trusted sidekick Reeger, selling dragon-protection services to every kingdom with a coffer. There were no dragons, of course, but with a collection of severed alligator heads and a willingness to play dirty, the trio of con men was crushing the competition. Then along came Princess Affonyl. Tomboyish and with a head for alchemy, Affonyl faked a dragon of her own, escaped her arranged marriage, and threw in with Cullin and company. But with her father sending a crew of do-gooder knights to find her, the dragon business just got cutthroat.
Review
There was a little light humour in here, the beans made me chuckle especially. I'm not a big fan of the Kindle Serials format, but it's nice to see Anderson is still on form.c
2 Stars to Rescue Mode by Ben Bova
Description
Gritty and scientifically accurate science fiction adventure from New York Times best-selling author Ben Bova and NASA space scientist Les Johnson. If you liked The Martian, experience Rescue Mode. The first human mission to Mars meets with near-disaster when a meteoroid strikes the spacecraft, almost destroying it. The ship is too far from Earth to simply turn around and return home. The eight-person crew must ride their crippled ship to Mars while they desperately struggle to survive. On Earth, powerful political forces that oppose human spaceflight try to use the accident as proof that sending humans into space is too dangerous to continue. The whole human space flight program hangs in the balance. And if the astronauts can’t nurse their ship to Mars and back, the voyagers will become either the first Martian colonists—or the first humans to perish on another planet. About Rescue Mode: "Space enthusiasts will appreciate the technical accuracy of Rescue Mode which reflects the engineering background of author Les Johnson, a rocket scientist. . . . Space enthusiasts . . . will want to add this one to their collection."—Ad Astra, National Space Society "Bova and Johnson artfully introduce us to the major players in . . . the ambitious program for humankind’s first manned mission to Mars . . . and a tribute to Bova and Johnson’s story-telling skill . . . [which] shows plausible scientists at work in spite of daunting obstacles. . . . a story well-told."—LabLit About Mars, Inc.: "The Hugo winner returns to his most popular subject: the quest for Mars."—Publishers Weekly About the award winning novels of Ben Bova: “Technically accurate and absorbing . . .”—Kirkus “[Bova is] the science fiction author who will have the greatest effect on the world.”—Ray Bradbury “A masterful storyteller.”—Vector “Gives a good read while turning your eyes to what might be in the not so distant future, just like Clarke and Asimov used to do so well.”—SFX
Review
I had it in my head that Baen were reasonable, but this is ridiculously priced in every format. It's also a little meandering and plodding, and although it's interestingly retro in parts and alarmingly forward in others (Twitter and the reporter are good postmodern examples) it didn't really go anywhere out of the ordinary. The name's also misleading, because there's no rescue, just in case you, like me, were expecting one.
4 Stars to The Runner and the Kelpie (Ivor of Glenbroch, #3) by Dave Duncan
Description
When the wyrd-woman warned Ivor he was going to meet a monster, he didn’t believe her. He thought he had worse things to worry about. He was wrong about both.
Review
Much of the same, which is fine because these aren't too long. I do enjoy Duncan a great deal, although trying to reflect impartially I think his YA stuff would appeal to a very particular type of young adult. Still, that type is the type I was, and these provide an excellent grounding for his more adult works. Go on. Let my next one be a son. And yes, of course, my daughter will be thrust into Krasnegar just as soon as she can finish a novel by herself.
5 Stars to Level Zero (The NextWorld, #1) by Jaron Lee Knuth
Description
When the never-ending wars, pollution, and overpopulation of the near future have caused the outdoors to become uninhabitable, the government is forced to create a new world, a virtual existence that allows civilization to continue. Shopping malls, schools, concert venues, and religious gathering places all exist in the infinite confines of this new reality, yet the most popular domain for most teenagers is the one that houses the endless array of digital games. When the sequel to a popular title is released to the public for a special beta test, a group of players eagerly log in to try out the new experience. What seems like harmless violence quickly turns all too consequential when the players realize the game's biggest error: They can't log out. Forced to battle their way through an endless army of monsters programmed to kill their avatars, the players must fight against the clock and find a way out of the game before the real world catches up to them.
Review
This was brilliant. Frustratingly, my ereader trashed my highlights so I can't point out the most epic bits in as much detail as I'd like, but that just means I have to ramble on a little more aimlessly than usual. The dragon, of course, that was such a rush, and the way that battle ends was both poignant and very meaningful. I did feel that the ending of the book came a little suddenly, but the revelation before the last bit of the mission was very neatly done. I suspected, but I suspected everyone equally, everyone had something to hide (the hacker, the lagger, there was enough floating around) that my suspicions never cemented until we see exactly what is revealed (I'm trying not to give anything away, honest). This book firmly plants itself up there with quality works like Ready Player One and Erebos, it packs an empathic punch but doesn't dive so deep your average teen won't want to explore and the combat and action scenes are just there, in glorious vivid detail, ready to be picked up and splashed onto 'movie theater' screens everywhere. What a book. I must read more.
3 Stars to When HARLIE Was One: Release 2.0 by David Gerrold
Description
Includes an Introduction to the 2014 Edition by the author. HARLIE is the first self-aware intelligence engine. But instead of answers, he has questions—too many questions, and most of his questions have no answers at all. First published in 1972, When HARLIE Was One was immediately hailed as a groundbreaking debut novel, examining the most fundamental question of What does it mean to be human? Revised by the author in 1988, this expanded edition is available again, as an ebook. Despite all the progress in computer technology since then, When HARLIE Was One still has extraordinary power to touch the human heart. Nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novel of the Year, its themes of love and discovery are even more important today than when first published. Read. Enjoy. Be inspired.
Review
A truly fascinating work. I don't think it is a novel to read for the story, but it provides a great deal to think about.
3 Stars to Man Plus (Man Plus #1) by Frederik Pohl
Description
Ill luck made Roger Torraway the subject of the Man Plus Programme, but it was deliberate biological engineering which turned him into a monster -- a machine perfectly adapted to survive on Mars. For according to computer predictions, Mars is humankind's only alternative to extinction. But beneath his monstrous exterior, Torraway still carries a man's capacity for suffering.
Review
I enjoyed this, got the ending come over me gradually which was an interesting feeling. I haven't read much of his work, but this certainly holds a candle to other stuff of the period.
4 Stars to Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0, #2) by Scott Meyer
Description
The adventures of an American hacker in Medieval England continue as Martin Banks takes his next step on the journey toward mastering his reality-altering powers and fulfilling his destiny. A month has passed since Martin helped to defeat the evil programmer Jimmy, and things couldn’t be going better. Except for his love life, that is. Feeling distant and lost, Gwen has journeyed to Atlantis, a tolerant and benevolent kingdom governed by the Sorceresses, and a place known to be a safe haven to all female time-travelers. Thankfully, Martin and Philip are invited to a summit in Atlantis for all of the leaders of the time-traveler colonies, and now Martin thinks this will be a chance to try again with Gwen. Of course, this is Martin Banks we’re talking about, so murder, mystery, and high intrigue all get in the way of a guy who just wants one more shot to get the girl. The follow-up to the hilarious Off to Be the Wizard, Scott Meyer’s Spell or High Water proves that no matter what powers you have over time and space, you can’t control rotten luck.
Review
More of the same here, and although it was good, I think some of the initial fun is wearing a little thin. Still, it was a pleasure to revisit the world and I'm glad I paid for it.
3 Stars to NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS, #1) by Michael Buckley
Description
A group of unpopular students are part of a spy network inside their school. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities. They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond–style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.
Review
American, but rather funky for the younger teen. I could imagine Nat Parker reading it well, it had that sort of Artemisian feel to it, minus the MENSA angle and of course anything remotely fantasy-based. Worth offering to my Son, when I make him and he's into secondary.
3 Stars to Alone (The Girl in the Box, #1) by Robert J. Crane
Description
Sienna Nealon was a 17 year-old girl who had been held prisoner in her own house by her mother for twelve years. Then one day her mother vanished, and Sienna woke up to find two strange men in her home. On the run, unsure of who to turn to and discovering she possesses mysterious powers, Sienna finds herself pursued by a shadowy agency known as the Directorate and hunted by a vicious, bloodthirsty psychopath named Wolfe, each of which is determined to capture her for their own purposes...
Review
If you suspend your disbelief enough you will enjoy this. The writing was very light in tone, very in character which appealed tremendously, but I think shadowy organisations pulling the strings have had their day. Still, start of something and written well.
5 Stars to The Final Cut (Francis Urquhart #3) by Michael Dobbs
Description
FRANCIS URQUHART'S EVENTFUL CAREER AS PRIME MINISTER COMES TO A SPECTACULAR END IN THE FINAL VOLUME IN THE NO 1 BESTSELLING TRILOGY
Review
“Who is to tell? All I am sure of is that these are contrary winds, and some boats will be quite swamped before the gale has blown itself out.” This novel really impressed me. It's surely unfathomable to feel for Urquhart, after the previous titles, and yet I did. The cocktail of melancholy versus drive, of age pushing ambition, of journalism abutting discretion, and seeing cultural upheaval writ amidst beautifully-depicted landscapes even if they are arid and dry was a powerful censorious mix indeed I'll admit, I thought the prologue an excess, at least at the beginning. But the hostage situation which developed was a riviting read, and I paused to make a note at the end of the chapter to see if Dobbs had written anything more action or military-based: although it was woven into the politics, it was still a fine thumper of an extraction. There were a few extraordinary scenes for me. The "crossing of the floor", even for the most lackadaisical parliamentarian, was extreme and brilliant. The court case after the marching arrest was excellent legal stuffAnd then, the final scene - indeed, the final cut. What more can I add? Bravo.
4 Stars to To Play the King (Francis Urquhart #2) by Michael Dobbs
Description
After scheming his way to power, newly elected Prime Minister Francis Urquhart faces a crisis that could destroy his Government. But as he plots the drastic measures needed to save his political future he finds one determined man standing in the way - the idealistic new King. Urquhart will stop at nothing to cling to power. As he prepares to expose the scandalous activities of certain members of the royal household, he threatens to bring down not only his Royal opponent, but also the Monarchy itself.
Review
Again, a masterful performance. I did enjoy the way in which the first book ended and wouldn't have minded if the only change between titles was the final scene, but there clearly had to be some further change to some of the earlier story for continuity to be possible. I didn't quite enjoy this as much as the first, but I suppose my monarchistic views have been subsumed by recent titles by authors such as Ken Jack. The ending of this one also seemed slightly rushed, but at this point I suppose Dobbs new there was a third story to tell and so it made more sense. To sum, really worth picking up, but do go for the first in the series if you haven't, don't start here or you'll miss out on a corker.
5 Stars to House of Cards (Francis Urquhart, #1) by Michael Dobbs
Description
An alternate cover for this isbn can be found here. The bestselling political thriller that introduced the scheming Francis Urguhart - the most memorable politician of the last decade. Francis Urquhart is Chief Whip. He has his hands on every secret in politics - and is willing to betray them all to become Prime Minister. Mattie Storin is a tenacious young political correspondent. She faces the biggest challenge of her life when she stumbles upon a scandalous web of intrigue and financial corruption at the very highest levels. She is determined to reveal the truth, but she must risk everything to do so . . .
Review
How often can you blame the heir apparent for providing you literature? Not very, I suppose: and yet that is precisely what happened in this instance. The Radio Times produced an article about Charles, Prince of Wales, and the unlikely places he pops up. One of those places linked to a clip of The 1990 British House of Cards television series and that, in turn, lead me to the novel. I found it a captivating political read. The sheer ruthlesness of Urquhart juxtaposed with the vivid detail (right down to the deep leather chairs in the upper gallery of Pall Mall's Reform Club), layered with the political acumen of the era and very British flavour of the work as a whole combine to produce an astoundingly riviting read.
June
3 Stars to Decoy by Simon Mockler
Description
A research lab on the outskirts of Cambridge, England is under attack. The target? A synthetic biological weapon that’s been harvested inside the bodies of ten clinical trial patients. One of those patients, Jack Hartman, runs for his life as the others are brutally butchered and left for dead. Inside of him is the one remaining device, a cell-based supercomputer that could kill him, or might just save his life. Flung into a world of international arms dealing, high-tech security companies, and government corruption, Jack begins an epic battle for survival that takes him from the war-torn jungles of the Congo to the backstreets of Paris. On his trail is a rogue MI6 officer intent on silencing him for good, and his estranged father, a troubled former SAS officer once known as the Reaper.
Review
More grammatical nonsense, which always irritates but more so when it's not self-published: "source" (the foodstuff), onion "bharji" (yes, with the r), a "draw" (where you put things), "knifes" (that's when there's more than one, of course), "puss" (that's the yellow liquid you get with infections, buy one s, get one free!), "arrondisement" (French is tricky, all the more reason to be careful), and a "last will and testimony", just to finish off the set. Still, apart from a complete proofread, the story was fun. Fitting into the category of teen crack-troop stories (although at university he's getting on a little for the mold), the only glaring plot-hole that bothered me was when a computer's hard drive was downloaded and searched, we're told the keyword the searcher used, but we previously read in full the result they found (which, you guessed it, didn't contain the keyword). Clearly, the message had to be discovered for the plot to advance, but readers aren't usually so blind. To conclude, a fun, fast-paced, grammatically woeful story. Mr Mockler evidently has a keen interest in the SAS and the various political and militaristic machinations of their ilk. More work needed on the editing front, alas.
3 Stars to 15 Minutes (The Rewind Agency, #1) by Jill Cooper
Description
I have 15 minutes to save my mother’s life… 15 minutes is all the Rewind Agency gives you in the past, but for Lara Crane it’s enough time to race through the city, find her mother, and stop her from being killed in a mugging that happened over ten years ago. But that’s not how it happened. The story she’s been told all her life is a lie and when Lara takes a bullet meant for her mother, her future changes forever. The love of her life acts like a stranger. Her simple life is replaced with a giant house, glamorous clothes and a new boyfriend. Except someone knows her secret. And he will try to stop her at every turn as she races against the clock to unravel a dangerous conspiracy. 15 Minutes is an edgy high octane YA thriller that can be described as Back to the Future meets Inception where the people Lara trusts change in an instant. She is in a timeline she doesn't understand, and is about to make one fatal mistake as she faces an enemy so familiar, he’s family.
Review
Potentially very exciting and enjoyable for a younger audience, it had slightly too much mystery for me to wonder about and left a little too much hanging for next time to be entirely satisfying on its own merit. Nonetheless, written well and with a central character one could groew to at least tollerate, this a clever enough work for the younger teen.
2 Stars to Chess with a Dragon by David Gerrold
Description
Pawns in a Deadly Game Man reached the stars and was offered unlimited access to the accumulated knowledge of the universe. Too good to be true: when the bill was presented, man had no way of paying other than enslavement and ultimate extinction... David Gerrold, creator of the classic Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" pits Earth against a host of predatory worlds—with some surprising results.
Review
Confusing. Just ... weird.
3 Stars to Interrupt by Toni Dwiggins
Description
Refusing to accept blame when he is held responsible for forty thousand Silicon Valley telephones going dead, AT&T employee Andy Faulkner finds himself facing a murder charge and the kidnapping of his deaf son, Wayne. Reprint.
Review
This had a great hayday of science fiction feel to it – almost a punchcard, computer era thing going on, despite terms like broadband. The disability aspect was interesting, though in fact the minicom equipment didn’t actually impact the story any which was a bit of a shame. Still, interesting for its technology more than its psychology, but interesting nevertheless.
4 Stars to An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris
Description
Robert Harris returns to the thrilling historical fiction he has so brilliantly made his own. This is the story of the infamous Dreyfus affair told as a chillingly dark, hard-edged novel of conspiracy and espionage. Paris in 1895. Alfred Dreyfus, a young Jewish officer, has just been convicted of treason, sentenced to life imprisonment at Devil’s Island, and stripped of his rank in front of a baying crowd of twenty-thousand. Among the witnesses to his humiliation is Georges Picquart, the ambitious, intellectual, recently promoted head of the counterespionage agency that “proved” Dreyfus had passed secrets to the Germans. At first, Picquart firmly believes in Dreyfus’s guilt. But it is not long after Dreyfus is delivered to his desolate prison that Picquart stumbles on information that leads him to suspect that there is still a spy at large in the French military. As evidence of the most malignant deceit mounts and spirals inexorably toward the uppermost levels of government, Picquart is compelled to question not only the case against Dreyfus but also his most deeply held beliefs about his country, and about himself. Bringing to life the scandal that mesmerized the world at the turn of the twentieth century, Robert Harris tells a tale of uncanny timeliness––a witch hunt, secret tribunals, out-of-control intelligence agencies, the fate of a whistle-blower--richly dramatized with the singular storytelling mastery that has marked all of his internationally best-selling novels.
Review
Though of course based on a very powerful politico-historical event, I wasn’t as familiar with the affair as I perhaps should have been. In fact, I don’t recall it being mentioned in any of my formal education; only my interest in the services really brought it into focus to begin with. Despite that, it wasn’t an area I’d explored in any depth. This was a vivid telling. Although occasionally the narrator is almost too Human and mundaine and you wonder where things are going, it’s a gripping story, more so because we know just how real the outcome is and in that light, his Humanity is surely to be applauded. It’s an interesting interpretation of a long-ago France, and I’m very glad I picked it up. Thanks, Rebecca!
4 Stars to The Fire In My Eyes (Kevin Parker #1) by Christopher Nelson
Description
College is a time for learning. When Kevin Parker heads to an elite institution in upstate New York, he learns more than he had bargained for. As he falls into the midst of paranormal competition and conspiracy, he has to balance his new found powers with his personal life.
Review
Despite a few strange things (the lack of sex, for one, at this age) I found this very compelling and interesting. I’ll enjoy seeing what happens next with these factions and powers, and although there was a sense of fanficism about the book it was still an engaging and well-written work.
3 Stars to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Description
Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live. With a foreward by Markus Zusak & interviews with Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney
Review
Enjoyed, but very far from any of my own experience of course. Still: beautifully penned.
4 Stars to Sarek (Star Trek: The Original Series Unnumbered) by A.C. Crispin
Description
The novel begins after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country™. Spock's mother, Amanda Grayson, is dying, and Spock returns to the planet Vulcan where he and Sarek enjoy a rare moment of rapprochement. But just as his wife's illness grows worse, duty calls Sarek away—once again sowing seeds of conflict between father and son. Yet soon, Sarek and Spock must put aside their differences and work together to foil a far-reaching plot to destroy the Federation—a plot that Sarek has seen in the making for nearly his entire career. The epic story will take the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise™ to the heart of the Klingon Empire, where Captain Kirk's last surviving relative has become a pawn in a battle to divide the Federation... and conquer it. With Sarek's help, the crew of the Starship Enterprise™ learns that all is not as it seems. Before they can prevent the Federation's destruction, they must see the face of their hidden enemy—an enemy more insidious and more dangerous than any they have faced before...
Review
This was a very powerful story. The flashback scenes were some of the most compelling I've seen in trek, especially for being, in the majority, Vulcan. . Although the current action wasn't as overwhelming, and the Kirk legacy did perhaps detract a little from the gravitas of Sarek himself, the book was intriguing, filling in several missing gaps and providing insight into a character so ably portrayed onscreen.
3 Stars to A Mystery of Errors (Shakespeare & Smythe #1) by Simon Hawke
Description
Two travelers, Will Shakespeare-a fledgling dramatist, and Symington Smythe, an ostler and aspiring thespian, meet at a roadside inn and decide to cast their lot together for fame and fortune in the cutthroat world of the London theater in Elizabethan England . . . but neither was prepared for their offstage encounter with A Mystery of Errors . When a backer's daughter is double-crossed by a would-be suitor, the reluctant bride turns to the ostler and the playwright for help. Little does anyone realize that these simple affairs of the heart and an arranged marriage will lead to a vast web of conspiracy, mistaken identity, and murder that finds the playwright targeted for assassination and the ostler hopelessly in love. But such matters are routine in A Mystery of Errors , where Shakespeare in Love meets the Brother Cadfael mysteries of Ellis Peters.
Review
Oh I do like Hawke, but this did drag a little in spots. Still, an homage, and some of the funny bits were funny. Nowhere near on the level of his Sorcerer works, which are, to my mind, his best output. He's done some good Star Trek, Blaze of Glory in particular as well, so not one to just brush off even if this wasn't quite to my taste.
3 Stars to Witches (The Cross-Worlds Coven Series, #1) by Phil Stern
Description
Alternate Cover Edition for B005IL1T4M. When it comes to magic, women have always been in control. Until now. For centuries, only gifted young women have been able to wield magic, using their special talents to protect those in need. But a powerful wizard has appeared, attacking empowered women across multiple worlds. A young Terran-based sorceress, the strongest of her generation, must find and stop the magical madman before he can bend the Coven to his depraved will. Along the way, she must also confront doubts about the role her fellow witches may have played in her own family's demise.
Review
Not an overly spectacular work, but with enough thematic interest for me to not be able to rule out picking up the next. Womany, not that that's a bad thing in itself.
4 Stars to Mind Over Mind by Karina Lumbert Fabian
Description
Deryl Stephen’s uncontrollable telepathic abilities have landed him in a mental health institution, where no one believes in his powers. But when Joshua Lawson, a student of neuro linguistic programming, takes part in a summer internship, he takes the unique step of accepting Deryl’s reality and teaches him to work with it. As Deryl learns control, he finds his next challenge is to face the aliens who have been contacting him psychically for years—aliens who would use him to further their cause in an interplanetary war.
Review
A page-turner and no mistake. I'm keen to read more and may have to buy some. The NLP was intriguing, the religion important but not overblown and the psychology absolutely crackling.
5 Stars to Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
Description
The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just one problem: They're hideously ugly and they smell like rotting fish. So getting humanity's trust is a challenge. The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal. Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He's one of Hollywood's hottest young agents. But although Stein may have just concluded the biggest deal of his career, it's quite another thing to negotiate for an entire alien race. To earn his percentage this time, he's going to need all the smarts, skills, and wits he can muster.
Review
The story of this novel is as interesting as the story itself, and I'm rather astounded I hadn't come across it before. It started a little slowly, but I laughed out loud at the end of the eleventh chapter and found it a fun, clever and modern read.
4 Stars to The Truth Machine by James L. Halperin
Description
"It is the year 2004. Violent Crime is the number one political issue in America. Now the Swift and Sure Anti-Crime bill guarantees a previously convicted violent criminal one fair trial, one quick plea, then immediate execution. To prevent abuse of the law, a machine must be built that detects lies with 100% accuracy. Once perfected, the truth machine will change the face of the world. Yet the race to finish the Truth Machine forces one man to commit a shocking act of treachery, burdening him with a dark secret that collides with everything he believes in. Now he must conceal the the truth from his own creation...or face execution. By turns optimistic and chilling, THE TRUTH MACHINE is nothing less than a history of the future, a spellbinding chronicle that resonates with insight, wisdom and astounding possibility.
Review
With a clever change of narrator from your typical novel, this was enjoyable, thought-provoking and intensely intriguing. Very much recommended, for although it’s not an action story, it is certainly a story of action.
2 Stars to Picoverse by Robert A. Metzger
Description
A hard science fiction novel by the scientist-author of Quad World journeys into a strange world, created by deliberately tearing apart the fabric of space-time, that is one million-millionth the size of our own universe. Reprint.
Review
With enormous potential, but even more potential to confuse me. One to come back to at a later date, I must admit I struggled to finish it.
May
3 Stars to The Candle Man by Alex Scarrow
Description
The stunning new Victorian thriller from the author of OCTOBER SKIES.. 1912. Locked in an eerily quiet dining room on the Titanic, a mysterious man tells a young girl his life story as the ship begins to sink. It all starts in Whitechapel, London in 1888... In the small hours of the night in a darkened Whitechapel alley, young Mary Kelly stumbles upon a man who has been seriously injured and is almost unconscious in the gutter. Mary - down on her luck and desperate to survive - steals his bag and runs off into the night. Two days later, an American gentleman wakes in a hospital bed with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He has suffered a serious head injury, and with no one to help him remember who he is he starts to wonder how he will ever find his way home. One terrible truth links these two lost souls in the dark world of Victorian London - a truth that could ruin the name of the most influential man in the land... Back in 1912, as the Titanic begins its final shuddering descent to the bottom of the frozen, black Atlantic, the truth behind a series of murders that have hung like a dark fog over London for more than two decades is about to be revealed... the identity of Jack the Ripper.
Review
An interesting ripper story, well written and capturing fairly well the era. Nothing overly leapt out at me as one to remember, unfortunately.
3 Stars to Learning Curve: A Novel of Silicon Valley by Michael S. Malone
Description
Get an inside view of the breathless, winner-take-all world of high technology--Silicon Valley style--in this fast-paced corporate thriller. Veteran businessman Dan Crowen is finally handed the reins of a large, successful tech firm, Validator Software--only to be ordered by its eccentric owner, Cosmo Validator, to take a step that could destroy the company. Young entrepreneur Alison Prue is at the helm of Validator's upstart rival, eTernity. When the venture capitalists funding eTernity decide it's time to take the the hot young startup public and go head-to-head against Validator, both Alison and Dan are caught up in a global tsunami of high-tech conspiracies. Nothing's as it seems in this high-stakes game of cat and mouse that will keep you guessing the whole way through.
Review
The topic didn't interest me, it was far too corporation to hold very much of meaning to me at this stage in my leisure reading career. I enjoyed the writing, so I will be trying another of his many titles.
4 Stars to Relic (The Dean Curse Chronicles, #2) by Steven Whibley
Description
Fourteen-year-old Dean Curse is still having horrifying visions of people in grave danger – visions that leave him a single day to save their lives. So far, he’s considered a few broken bones and a standing appointment in group therapy to be a small sacrifice compared to the good he's done. While learning more about the mysterious society that gave him the gift, Dean has a vision that leads him to believe a monk is going to rob a museum—if he’s right, the robbery will go very badly. But he can’t get the police to believe him. In fact, the authorities think Dean is at the root of all the trouble. Dean and his friends decide the only way to save a few lives is to take matters into their own hands, even if it means breaking a few laws. They have 24 hours to decide if the ends really do justify the means
Review
"I drew a breath and stopped listening, continuing to my room. Great! OCD, PTSD, ADHD, just a couple more and I’d have the whole alphabet." Great goings on of these intrepid crew. Colin's fun, but Lisa interjects a little sobriety to things. A solid teen series.
5 Stars to Age Bomb by Ken Jack
Description
In a Britain not too far in the future, conflict erupts between the generations, as an ageing population strains resources. The Government introduces harsh control measures which turn the elderly into degraded and abused third-class citizens. The disaffected older generation rebels with what at first is simply anti-social behaviour, but transforms into organised resistance. As a ruthless and self-serving Prime Minister comes to power, is there any way back from the desperation, division, and social disorder his drastic policies lead to…?
Review
What a brilliant, superb novel. It highlights a growing concern of course - looking at our immediate family, the care sector (and elderly care in particular) employs more than any other. And of course the story here taken as a whole is draconian, but it doesn't half get you thinking. The second chapter is a great introduction to how things are going to go and the forth starts really turning the teenage stereotypes on their head, great reading. Things start to darken in chapter 10, and the whole second part of the work is dark and foreboding. As for the way in which the money is located to fix some of these issues, well, that's a little off-the-wall, though appealing, written in such a way. But even if the ending doesn't make you come over all happy as it did me, the idea behind the story, some of the implications so thoughtfully and worryingly explored herein, should at least make you pause for thought.
4 Stars to United States of Europe by Ken Jack
Description
In a Britain not too far in the future, the newly-elected Prime Minister decides to pull the country out of what has become the United States of Europe. But the all-powerful President of the Union says no. When Britain decides to ignore this veto, and the President reacts, events spiral out of the control of both men – in very different ways. A military solution and a military response, together with mass resistance, sends the whole of Europe teetering towards nuclear war....
Review
Pretty captivating stuff this, the opening sentence alone is a great hook. It doesn't dive into political exposition too often to be credible, and although the relationship with the Lady is a little tawdry in spots, the idea is a brilliantly clever one. I am literally going to Kindle to buy Age Bomb now, for although I'm sure some of the political maneuvering will be similar, Jack's writing is easy to read and flows well.
3 Stars to The Collini Case by Ferdinand von Schirach
Description
The internationally bestselling courtroom drama centering on a young German lawyer and a case involving war crimes A bestseller in Germany since its 2011 release—with rights sold in seventeen countries—The Collini Case combines the classic courtroom procedural with modern European history in a legal thriller worthy of John Grisham and Scott Turow. Fabrizio Collini is recently retired. He’s a quiet, unassuming man with no indications that he’s capable of hurting anyone. And yet he brutally murders a prominent industrialist in one of Berlin’s most exclusive hotels. Collini ends up in the charge of Caspar Leinen, a rookie defense lawyer eager to launch his career with a not-guilty verdict. Complications soon arise when Collini admits to the murder but refuses to give his motive, much less speak to anyone. As Leinen searches for clues he discovers a personal connection to the victim and unearths a terrible truth at the heart of Germany’s legal system that stretches back to World War II. But how much is he willing to sacrifice to expose the truth?
Review
an intriguing little work, with, of course, devistatingly real implications and reflection on history. There's a sense of George Smiley in Leinen, I felt, and I love the European writing.
3 Stars to Search Terms: Alpha (Search Terms, #1) by Travis Hill
Description
"Search Terms: Alpha" is the first half of a new time travel thriller. College sophomore Tyler Gallagher loves computers, video games, and Thanksgiving Break. He's timed the arrival of his computer components with the holiday vacation from school to blast aliens and enemy soldiers alike on his brand new, high-end gaming computer. When the parts arrive, it soon becomes apparent that they aren't what he ordered from TechTerritory. Thinking he's the butt of a practical joke, Tyler plays along, and builds the computer with the obviously fake components. His annoyance turns to shock when the computer powers on. His shock turns to a mix of disbelief and wonder when he learns the strange "quantum" computer can pull web pages from the near future. Disbelief and wonder soon become fear and uncertainty when he discovers the future might not be so bright. word count: 52,000 Adult themes/language/mild sexual content
Review
This was promising: geeky, clever, not even if not overly original. Be great to see where it goes, that's the trouble when you split something like this up, you're guaranteed to sell me the next bit! Looking forward with interest to see where things go.
5 Stars to My Real Children by Jo Walton
Description
It's 2015, and Patricia Cowan is very old. "Confused today," read the notes clipped to the end of her bed. She forgets things she should know—what year it is, major events in the lives of her children. But she remembers things that don’t seem possible. She remembers marrying Mark and having four children. And she remembers not marrying Mark and raising three children with Bee instead. She remembers the bomb that killed President Kennedy in 1963, and she remembers Kennedy in 1964, declining to run again after the nuclear exchange that took out Miami and Kiev. Her childhood, her years at Oxford during the Second World War—those were solid things. But after that, did she marry Mark or not? Did her friends all call her Trish, or Pat? Had she been a housewife who escaped a terrible marriage after her children were grown, or a successful travel writer with homes in Britain and Italy? And the moon outside her window: does it host a benign research station, or a command post bristling with nuclear missiles? Two lives, two worlds, two versions of modern history. Each with their loves and losses, their sorrows and triumphs. My Real Children is the tale of both of Patricia Cowan's lives...and of how every life means the entire world.
Review
A hauntingly powerful and very evocative novel, this kept me awake until I'd finished it. It was very sad, on one level, seeing how different Pat's lives could have been, but so poignant and eloquently written that I almost felt as if I was reading something very sacrosanct and personal and private. The relationships depicted were solid and powerful, the glimpses of teens through to the very elderly excellent in their execution and each element - from Pat's father at the seaside, to her naivety at college, her complete subservience to her husband, her love of art and literature, her kids and grandchildren, her mother: each of these added nuanced layers to the work, and my head is still full of two of her lives and at the moment very little of my own. Highly recommended.
4 Stars to Flightsuit (The Lost Cove Series, #1) by Tom Deaderick
Description
Alternate cover edition for ASIN: B00H1TC8C6 A wrecked alien flightsuit is discovered in the Appalachian Mountains, and the alien wants it back. Series website: FlightsuitBook.com Growing up poor in a virtual era isolates 14 year-old Leo. The others are immersed in a digital world he cannot access. He's left to explore miles of wilderness bounded by the Nolichucky River and encircling Appalachian mountain ridges of Bumpas Cove, Tennessee. Beyond the last broken and tilted pieces of a crumbling asphalt road, he discovers the abandoned village where Iron Mountain's mine workers lived. He walks inside empty houses and mine-works searching for toys and relics of the families that lived there decades before. In this place, being alone feels natural. He returns daily, looking for forgotten things. Crawling through a streambed under a tunnel of long blackberry briars, he finds something that isn't covered with rust. It shines white in the scattered shadows. Freed of muck and mire, the glass-metal sleeve is as light as plastic. He slides his arm inside, but before his fingers can reach down into the two long flat fingers, a sharp hook locks into his arm. Leo is forced to find other scattered pieces, assembling a full flightsuit. Once restored, it prepares for a thousand light-year return trip with Leo trapped inside, as it waits for its alien pilot to be restored into Leo's mind. But the suit has drawn others, like Leo, set apart and isolated. Their fate and Leo's intertwine as they face an alien entity that has no regard for their lives.
Review
This was a thrilling take on the Area 51 idea, cleverly written and certainly with scope for more books in the series. Deaderick has put some interesting hurdles into play for his characters to live with and I'm sure this series will only grow in strength and intrigue as it progresses.
3 Stars to Silicon Man (Silicon World, #1) by William Massa
Description
To infiltrate the robot rebellion... One man must become a machine. A global pandemic has cut the human population in half. An android workforce fills the void left by the devastation. But some of the AIs have grown tired of being slaves. Some want freedom. An underground movement of runaways has sprung up and wages a shadow war with a simple objective -- equal rights for artificial people. As head of the elite AI-TAC squad, Commander Cole Marsalis' job is to hunt down rogue robots. Now he has been tasked with the ultimate undercover mission -- infiltrate the android underground. But to do so, he will have to become that which he hates the most... A machine! "SILICON MAN is an intelligent techno-thriller where the line between man and machine has never been more unclear." Nicholas Sansbury Smith, best-selling author of ORBS "William Massa does a great job at introducing us to a cyberpunk/technothriller setting where AIs no longer want to work for the man. It's fast-paced read that has hints of Blade Runner and Neuromancer..." - Colin F. Barnes, author of the bestselling TECHXORCIST series
Review
Nothing overly special because it was predictable in outline. What did catch my eye was the way many scenes, especially early on, seem to have been written for a movie, that was pretty cool. Shame about the ending which seems to have taken away one of the key players!
4 Stars to Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1) by Hugh Howey
Description
This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside. Alternate cover for B0071XO8RA
Review
This was quite scary to read, really. It worked superbly well as a series of shorter works, and I especially liked the way the thread of the story follows a different character each time, at least to begin with, which I thought was pretty cool. I'll be keen to pick up the remaining two works in the set, chronicling the future of the silo
3 Stars to Interlude-Brandon (The Game is Life, #3) by Terry Schott
Description
Brandon Strayne. Brilliant computer programmer, businessman, and world leader. Where did this mysterious man come from? This volume details his history and rise to power. Before there was the Game...there was a boy.... This takes the story of the Game even further by viewing how it all started! A must read for all fans of the Game is Life Series.
Review
This was a clever way of tipping the focus away from what's been going on for a spell and showing us another side to things, all-be-it one that one really should've seen coming. Still, there's an end game on the horizon and I'm looking forward to reading it.
3 Stars to Digital Heretic (The Game is Life, #2) by Terry Schott
Description
Millions on Earth are shaken by the events set in motion by Zack's final play... Billions on Tygon watch breathlessly as the consequences of his actions ripple through both worlds. Will his girlfriend, still inside the Game, step forward to lead the movement that he created? Billions of lives are in jeopardy of being lost...based on the decisions made by children inside the Game.
Review
really this was a continuation of the first book, so no surprises. Of course, we have had a revelation about another God, and it does get a little confusing with the weird ethereal body guard and people being good or bad at the flip of an eye colour. Still, I'm sure all will be explained as we progress.
4 Stars to The Game (The Game is Life, #1) by Terry Schott
Description
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B009U5TCKU The Game... A virtual reality simulation played by over a billion children around the world. The best players are celebrities, adored and worshiped by countless fans. Zack is a superstar among players. His final play may change the world, forever...
Review
This was an engaging, exciting story. Not with the impact others of its kind have had and with perhaps more of a longer-term agenda as there are more in the series, still a very worthy and indeed intriguing title.
3 Stars to Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome (Lock In, #0.5) by John Scalzi
Description
A new near-future science fiction novella by John Scalzi, one of the most popular authors in modern SF. Unlocked traces the medical history behind a virus that will sweep the globe and affect the majority of the world’s population, setting the stage for Lock In, the next major novel by John Scalzi. Free to read here: http://www.tor.com/2014/05/13/unlocke... At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
Review
This is a clever idea, releasing a short work before a novel. Gets you into the universe. No humour, which is a little disheartening, but I do want to read the book now, which is, I suppose, the idea.
2 Stars to We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Description
A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth. We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.
Review
I think I need to come back to this title. I didn't find it to hold any literary or philosophical merit, the narrator irritated me and, although I understood the story perfectly I was sadly disappointed all the way through.
3 Stars to Shiftling by Steven Savile
Description
"Captures the wonder of youth, and the loss of that magic, in a way that reminded me of some of Ray Bradbury’s works and IT by Stephen King." —Josef Hernandez, Examiner One summer in 1985, the funfair came to the sleepy rural town of Ashthorpe, and with it the smells of hot dogs and candy floss, the allure of magicians and the Big Wheel, and the sounds of young girls giggling. But what promised to be the highlight of the season for a band of teenage boys soon turns to tragedy. Years later, when Drew receives a mysterious phone call, he learns one of the most important lessons life has to the past can never be forgotten. For the past wears many faces, and some of them are drenched in blood. "Shiftling is a story of two stories, that meld together to form a brilliant, exciting and emotional story, that will appeal to all readers of dark fiction." —Jim McLeod, Ginger Nuts of Horror "A novella of staggering power and depth that not only will affect you emotionally, it will most likely leave you running to turn the lights on." —Peter Schwotzer, Literary Mayhem
Review
A clever little work on the fallibility of memory with a tinge of horror to keep the juices pumping. Not an author I'm familiar with, but not a genre I'm comfortable judging.
4 Stars to A.I. Apocalypse (Singularity, #2) by William Hertling
Description
Leon Tsarev is a high school student set on getting into a great college program, until his uncle, a member of the Russian mob, coerces him into developing a new computer virus for the mob’s botnet - the slave army of computers they used to commit digital crimes. The evolutionary virus Leon creates, based on biological principles, is successful -- too successful. All the world’s computers are infected. Everything from cars to payment systems and, of course, computers and smart phones stop functioning, and with them go essential functions including emergency services, transportation, and the food supply. Billions may die. But evolution never stops. The virus continues to evolve, developing intelligence, communication, and finally an entire civilization. Some may be friendly to humans, but others are not. Leon and his companions must race against time and the military to find a way to either befriend or eliminate the virus race and restore the world’s computer infrastructure.
Review
Brilliant, picking up some years after Avogadro and focusing on a younger main character really shifts the viewpoint cleverly in this most interesting of series. The technology has come on greatly, and the Elope interaction is just what I'd expect from Hertling, who's doing a splendid job factoring a new future into place having birthed an artificial intelligence.
5 Stars to Glimpse (The Dean Curse Chronicles, #1) by Steven Whibley
Description
"Save them, Dean. Save them all...." Dean Curse avoids attention the way his best friend Colin avoids common sense. Which is why he isn’t happy about being Abbotsford’s latest local hero – having saved the life of a stranger, he is now front page news. Dean’s reason for avoiding the limelight? Ever since his heroic act, he’s been having terrifying visions of people dying and they’re freaking him out so badly his psychologist father just might have him committed. Dean wants nothing more than to lay low and let life get back to normal. But when Dean’s visions start to come true, and people really start dying, he has to race against the clock – literally – to figure out what’s happening. Is this power of premonition a curse? Or is Dean gifted with the ability to save people from horrible fates? The answer will be the difference between life and death. [For more information about this title visit www.stevenwhibley.com]
Review
“First step to recovery is acceptance,” he said. Acceptance was the last thought on my mind. Answers, that’s what I wanted. That was the only thing that would help. I had to read this because Disruption, the first of Whibley's titles I read, utterly hooked me. This was his debut novel, so I expected to come away thinking it needed more polish, or that he'd have gotten better as he went on. although I prefer Disruption because of the genre, the writing is as compelling and easy to read as that here. It's a clever, deeply thought-provoking work with plenty of action to keep the story going whilst packing powerful messages. This guy's writing is just so easy to read, enjoyable and absolutely spot-on for his age bracket that I wish wholeheartedly I was a teen again, just so I could soak them up as intended. If they're doing this to me now, I can only imagine the power they'd hold over a younger adult. BRILLIANT.
4 Stars to Debut for a Spy by Harry Currie
Description
David Baird learned to fly in the Canadian Army. Now the former career officer is an up-and-coming singer in 1962 Britain. Talented, self-assured, Baird's life is going according to plan, and he's in control. Or so he thinks. Engaged to sing at the Soviet Embassy, British Intelligence enlist his covert assistance. He just has to keep his eyes and ears open. Or so they say. This complex international intrigue thrusts Baird into the middle of a plot -- a Soviet attempt to sabotage Britain's development of a vertical-take-off jet fighter. A missing list of names, critical to U.S. oil negotiations and sought by both the CIA and KGB, draws Baird deeper and deeper into a quicksand of espionage, deceit and death. A confrontation with a sadistic KGB assassin in Paris, a desperate escape across France and Belgium, a Soviet-crewed cruise ship steaming toward Odessa with a mysterious cargo, a beautiful Soviet liaison officer hiding her dark secrets -- the threads all come together in a dramatic dual in the skies over the Atlantic and in a remote, deep-cover Soviet safe-house on Britain's south coast used for interrogation and depraved sex-sting operations. Set into authentic backgrounds in a seamless blend of fact and fiction, Debut for a Spy weaves a rich tapestry of David Baird's music into a tangled web which alters forever the course of his life. In this sensational first novel author Harry Currie catapults into the ranks of the world's finest thriller writers. A master of high drama, he twists together parallel plots of action, romance, mystery, technology, sex, and surprise after surprise.
Review
This was very british, for all its Canadian overtones. I really got into the story and, even with the obvious Russian love interest and the rather trashy lyrics dotted arouned it kept my interest.
3 Stars to The Cinderella Theorem (The Lily Sparrow Chronicles Book 1) by Kristee Ravan
Description
Alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here Fairy tales are naturally non-mathematical. That is a fact, and fifteen-year-old Lily Sparrow loves factual, mathematical logic. So when her mother confesses that Lily’s deceased father is (a) not dead, (b) coming to dinner, and (c) the ruler of a fairy tale kingdom accessible through the upstairs bathtub, Lily clings to her math to help her make sense of this new double life (1 life in the real world + 1 secret life in the fairy tale world = a double life). Even though it’s not mathematical, Lily finds herself being pulled into a mystery involving an unhappy Cinderella, a greasy sycophant called Levi, and a slew of vanishing fairy tale characters. Racing against the clock, with a sound mathematical plan, Lily attempts to save her fairy tale friends while proving that normality = happiness.
Review
"This makes absolute perfect sense. Why shouldn’t she have seen him? I mean, my goodness, the man rules a fairytale kingdom and travels through a bathtub. Why wouldn’t he have time to see his wife?" This was fun, and clever mathematically as well. Not for the age range of YA I normally read, I think, aimed a little younger. But intelligent, neatly done and a grand homage to the fairy tale.
April
3 Stars to The Calypso Directive by Brian Andrews
Description
An unprecedented genetic mutation, an underground think tank, and an unscrupulous pharmaceutical company collide in this dazzling debut thriller. For one hundred and fifty-five days, Will Foster has been locked in medical quarantine without his consent. The doctors claim he is infected with a deadly virus, but this is a lie. Encoded in his DNA is a mutation that provides immunity from disease for all who possess it, source code that Vyrogen Pharmaceuticals aims to commercialize as a multi-billion-dollar gene therapy. Against all odds, Foster escapes his laboratory prison and steals a virulent strain of bubonic plague as insurance. To help him unravel the mystery inside him, Foster contacts the only person he can trust: a former lover and microbiologist living Vienna and the two become fugitives, hunted across the heart of Europe. Under the guise of averting a plague pandemic, Vryogen hires an elite, underground Think Tank to track down Foster. But the brilliant team discovers something unexpected—the ugly side of multinational pharmaceutical competition—and must choose between serving their client and saving Foster. With unflagging suspense, unforgettable characters, and riveting biomedical detail, The Calypso Directive deftly explores the issues of genetic exploitation and piracy. Captivating, controversial, and courageous, Andrews debut is sure to thrill and leave you wondering what secrets are locked in your DNA.
Review
Though I enjoyed this, there was a spark missing that kept my thrillomitre going. Things seemed ever so slightly too contrived, the internal com chatter of the think tank team was a little overdone. Still, it was big budget action on quite a grand scale, would've been a pretty good movie in the style of Dan Brown.
4 Stars to Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine
Description
This is an alternate cover edition for ISBN 0140373551 Lydia, Christopher and Natalie are used to domestic turmoil. Their parents' divorce has not made family life any easier in either home. The children bounce to and from their volatile mother, Miranda, and their out-of-work actor father, Daniel. Then Miranda advertises for a cleaning lady who will look after and mind the children after work - and Daniel gets the job, disguised as Madame Doubtfire. This bittersweet, touching and extremely funny book inspired the highly successful film "Mrs Doubtfire", starring Robin Williams
Review
I love the movie. I mean it's a classic, a hallmark of my youth, how could I do otherwise? The book was, as far as I knew, not available electronically. I have a vague memory of an audio tape version from the local library, but that's itt. But now, thanks to the Puffin Modern Classics range I get to enjoy it properly. It's a well-told story, the issues are, of course, powerful and controversial and although it's far too quick to read as an adult, it's going to be one on my shelf when the little one gets older. I was most pleased to have the opportunity to read it.
5 Stars to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6) by J.K. Rowling
Description
It is the middle of the summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursleys' house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the Headmaster, he was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can't quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursleys' of all places. Why is the Professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks' time? Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine...
Review
When I began rereading this series back in February 2011, my aim was to take them slow and perhaps do one a year. There was no rush, I thought, having already read them and with newer and different things to read. And yet I managed to fit in books 4 and 5 last year, and now, having only recently caught the terrestrial television premier of Deathly Hallows part 2 (despite the DVD languishing unopened for years) I have a burning desire to finish the series yet again. Half-Blood Prince, at the time, I liked quite a lot. I did rush through it of course, how could I not? It was a Potter release. Yet the full impact of things didn't really hit me, I fear, because I came away a little disheartened. You can argue that I was supposed to: the end of the novel certainly doesn't cause you to think that the final book in the series will be as light and fun as a walk in the park. Still, something didn't sit right with me, and I wondered, in a brooding, teen-age way, just where Rowling was taking my precious series. Of course, that's silly. But I'd lived with Harry for some time now and, by this time, had amassed a considerable collection of fanfiction to go along with the official stories. I was at that stage of Potterhood where every morsel of trivia, every new spell or creature introduced, each new fact about the world slipped in was a diamond and a treasure and, yes, I'll admit this, the stage where speculation and guesswork were more fun and rewarding than just waiting to have things revealed from the oracular Rowling. Of my initial reading, the two scenes that stand out best are Harry's trip to retrieve Slughorn's memory, more than the extraction itself, which is odd. And, unsurprisingly, the flight of the prince, which I have heard Fry read time and time again. At just under ten minutes into the chapter, when "He missed; the jet of red light soared past Snape's head; Snape shouted, “Run, Draco!” and turned". Those six minutes or so with that very personal and powerful duel, despite not being big on action, make for intense and powerful reading. This time around, I enjoyed the romance more. Reading it at first, I found the teen emotions and all the snogging distracting from the story line, and yet the light humour and those sprinklings of Humanity are really what it's all about, aren't they? I'm going to have to read Deathly Hallows next, there's just no way around that now. I'm caught up once again in this most powerful and compelling of series, and even knowing how things go, I have to go through them. I suppose I was a little foolish to think that I could just dip in, one book a year, and let the world carry on at the same time. I should have known me well enough to understand that when things start to sweep along, I'd inevitably get caught in their wake. The first three, even four books are essentially Harry to me. They saw me out of my childhood, yes, but embody a lightness and a fun the latter books can't match. But it's that fun, that freedom, that sense lost in the later works that Harry is really fighting for. The only way out is through. Things are darkest before the dawn. That sort of thing. I'm going to start Deathly Hallows on my way home from work, as I'm penning this review on my way thereto. Not that it's been a review in the traditional sense - I haven't even mentioned dumbledoreisnotdead.com (so utterly compelling and yet bonkers), Rowling's amazing foreshadowing (that scene where he hides the book: superb!), The extra dialogue between Malfoy and Albus on the tower (mysterious and hugely controversial), or the brilliance of Dumbledore and of Snape, both in their own ways. But I don't need to, do I? Because if you're reading this, either you're such a fan that you already know these things, or you're not so involved that my mentioning them would matter to you. Perhaps, when I reread the books in another decade, or two, or even a quarter of a century hence (assuming I haven't been worked or childrened to death by that point), then who knows what things will leap out at me from these pages. These pages which are unchanging, and yet that offer new things each time you look at them. How clever is that? I am going to save this review now and go and dig out the final book from my library of ebooks, transfer it to my ereader, and work with the warm, contented glow that having a very enjoyable read ahead of me always provides.
5 Stars to Anomaly by Peter Cawdron
Description
ANOMALY examines the prospect of an alien intelligence discovering life on Earth. The technological gulf between humanity and the alien species is measured in terms of millions of years. The only way to communicate is using science, but not everyone is so patient. Humanity's first contact with an alien intelligence is far more radical than anyone has ever dared imagine. With a technological gap of millions of years, mankind is barely able to recognize the arrival of an alien spacecraft outside the gates of the United Nations in New York. FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore the concept of humanity's First Contact with extraterrestrial life. Like BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE, the FIRST CONTACT series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. These books can be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens from the perspective of science, society, politics and religion. Thank you for supporting independent writing.
Review
Wow. This was a brilliant work, I wolfed it down in a single sitting. It took religious strife to the level of Graham Storrs, had aliens written with an atmosphere of Joe Haldeman but, when taken as a whole sends, I think, a single clear message. The distillation of hard science into an easily digested and understood form, the extraordinarily Human characters, the very real people put on the spot in interesting ways and the aliens themselves shouts to me Hello, Robert J Sawyer, you've got competition. Some people reviewed it and didn't like the ending, which is most ironic to me as I didn't like the ending of the first work of Cawdron's I read earlier this month. But this one nailed it, I submit, and did it very well indeed.
4 Stars to Necropolis by Guy Portman
Description
What is a sociopath to do? Dyson Devereux has it all – a way with the ladies, impeccable good taste, and a complete inability to empathise with other human beings. Perfect for the head of Burials and Cemeteries at Newton Borough Council. But Dyson’s fed up. How long will he have to deal with banal work colleagues, drug-addled girlfriends and gaudy memorial structures? It feels like he’s just serial-killing time … When Dyson suspects someone of having an even darker past than him, he sees a chance to get out. Will he take it, or is he destined for a life of toil in the health-and-safety-obsessed public sector? Brutal, bleak and darkly comical, Necropolis is a savage indictment of political correctness and woke culture. ‘… a magnificent foray into the mind of a sociopath’ – DLS Reviews ‘The book is full of razor-sharp satire’ – Crime Fiction Lover ‘… a mix between The Office and American Psycho’ – Amazon Reviewer Necropolis is the first instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy - #1 Necropolis #2 Sepultura #3 Golgotha ‘…it’s the well-crafted and perfectly executed satirical observations, along with the dry wit and devious humour that makes ‘Necropolis’ such a delight to read.’ – Chris Hall (Top 500 Amazon Reviewer. Vine Voice) ‘I remain slightly troubled as to why I found myself applauding a sociopath for being so thoroughly entertaining.’ – Little Bookness Lane (Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer)
Review
“He hud tae lae, th' beanflicker uv a radge.” This means nothing to me. Turning to Cheikh I ask. “Where is Kiro?” “Rebecca a perdu son sang-froid et a renvoyé chez lui.” “Thank you.” Portman presents an exciting, fascinating glimpse into a logical, ordered, and deliciously twisted mind with this tour de force. "From their grinning faces it is apparent that these photographs were taken pre-food poisoning." Devereux is so cold, yet with such a convivial bonhomie on the outside that you can't but help be drawn in, and it's good to see that Guy has found another thing to latch on to (it was alcoholic drinks last time, as I recall, and this time it's a rather impressive list of foreign languages). “You have the right to legal representation.” “No representation required,” responds I, looking at the two of them in turn. “A cappuccino will suffice.” To sum, a well-spun poke at political correctness and an absorbing look into a mind alien to many of us, with that twist of class and decorum at which Portman excels.
3 Stars to Brainstorm by Margaret Belle
Description
BRAINSTORM is the story of Audrey Dory, who while working to manage her anxiety disorder, finds herself in jeopardy of losing her business, her best friend, and her police officer boyfriend. With everything she values at stake, Audrey begins a journey to find out who is turning her world upside-down, before everything she cherishes is taken from her, including her sanity. While struggling to gain control over her life, Audrey uncovers a trail of dysfunction, greed, and deception, as she puts her faith in people who may or may not be worthy. How does she decide who to trust when her anxiety disorder muddles her judgment, and leads her to make irrational decisions?
Review
This was actually a worrying title, seeing into her mind an enlightening and alarming look into mental anguish. Strong characterization and twists and turns. Enjoyed.
4 Stars to The Turnarounders and the Arbuckle Rescue (Turnarounders #1) by Lou Heneghan
Description
Ralf Osborne lives with his Great Aunt Gloria who eats pigeons and talks to people who aren’t there. Ralf justs wants to be a normal boy but, as his twelfth birthday approaches, he starts to recognise people he’s never met before and know things he can’t possibly know. He also suspects that the mysterious hooded man he keeps seeing is following him. He is. Why? Because Ralf Osborne is far from normal. Ralf has lived before. The hooded man is Old Father Time and, at a shocking meeting, he reveals Ralf is one of The Turnarounders – a group of special children who, in a previous incarnation, made a solemn promise that it is now time to keep. Soon Ralf and the other Turnarounders are plunged back into their previous lives in a tiny Kent fishing village at the start of World War II. At first, they are only concerned about getting back home, but soon they uncover a mystery that could alter the course of history…
Review
“Could it be any more unhelpful? Righteous Echoes, a weather forecast, flowering shrubs and rhyming couplets. What on earth does it all mean?” This is a delightfully penned work of art, for although I found myself a little befuddled, especially toward the start, I nonetheless really got into the work and found its enthusiasm addicting and young heroes fascinating to read about. Reminding me a little of Trenton Lee Stewart or Dew Pellucid, this is certainly an author worth watching.
3 Stars to Feedback (First Contact) by Peter Cawdron
Description
Twenty years ago, a UFO crashed into the Yellow Sea off the Korean Peninsula. The only survivor was a young English-speaking child, captured by the North Koreans. Two decades later, a physics student watches his girlfriend disappear before his eyes, abducted from the streets of New York by what appears to be the same UFO. Feedback will carry you from the desolate, windswept coastline of North Korea to the bustling streets of New York and on into the depths of space as you journey to the outer edge of our solar system looking for answers.
Review
Though I really enjoyed the first two strands of the story and how they wove together, the final segment was a touch too transhuman for me to get my head around completely. It was an intriguing story, well-written and interesting and I think I'll seriously have to consider reading another from Cawdron to get more of his style.
4 Stars to Fortunate Son (Greatest Trial in Irish Trilogy) by David Marlett
Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLERMeet James Annesley, son of 18th Century Ireland. Though you may have never heard his name before, his story has already touched you in profound ways. Now, for the first time, novelist David Marlett brings that incredible story to life.Stretching from the dirty streets of Ireland to the endless possibilities of Colonial America, from drama on the high seas with the Royal Navy to a life-and-death race across England and up the Scottish Highlands, from the prospect of a hangman's noose to a fate decided in the halls of justice, Fortunate Son is a powerful, relentless epic. Here nobility, duels, love, courage, revenge, honor, and treachery among family, friends and ancient enemies abound. And at its center is the most momentous trial in Irish history - the trial of Annesley v. Anglesea from which our modern "attorney/client privilege" was forged, and our concept of a "jury of one's peers" was put to the test. Carefully researched, vividly evoked, and lovingly brought to the page, Fortunate Son is an unforgettable work of fiction based on fact, one that will resonate deep within you long after you finish it.
Review
I saw this at a ridiculously low price last week and snapped it up. It was very well constructed, the trial transcripts and quotations served well to remind us that although written as fiction there's a lot of truth in the story. For all that, the story itself flows along beautifully and was a pleasure to read. I am looking forward to the author's next, coming "late 2014".
4 Stars to Half a King (Shattered Sea, #1) by Joe Abercrombie
Description
Betrayed by his family and left for dead, Prince Yarvi, reluctant heir to a divided kingdom, has vowed to reclaim a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea itself - all with only one good hand. Born a weakling in the eyes of a hard, cold world, he cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he has sharpened his mind to a deadly edge. Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast, he finds they can help him more than any noble could. Even so, Yarvi's path may end as it began - in twists, traps and tragedy...
Review
This was a particularly well-executed novel, the endgame sufficiently twisted to keep me interested right up to the last. Though the final act wasn't disappointing, it filled expectations nicely and the world was detailed enough and interesting to read about.
3 Stars to The Future of Us by Jay Asher
Description
It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long—at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right—and wrong—in the present.
Review
Potential, but a little too young perhaps inasmuch as Emma is probably the most irritating female I've read about this year. Still, the concept has a lot of possibility in it, so kudos for the idea.
3 Stars to Last Human (Red Dwarf, #4) by Doug Naylor
Description
Lister gazed out of the porthole and catalogues the series of disasters that had led him to this point in space and the bad decisions, the poor career choices, the unreliable friendships that had led him here - on a prison ship bound for the most inhospitable penal colony in the outer cosmos...and all he'd ever wanted was to be a soft metal guitar icon. This is the beginning of the third and eagerly awaited red dwarf novel where Lister starts out by searching for his Doppelganger and ends up having the future of the human race on his shoulders.
Review
Though enjoyable enough, I think this lost some of the spark. Some things were familiar (I'm sure Kryten got turned Human in an episode and the gags were familiar), but the feeling you come away with at the end of this one is a little flatter, as if a little of the fun was missing.
5 Stars to The Intern's Handbook (John Lago Thriller, #1) by Shane Kuhn
Description
Interns are invisible. That’s the mantra behind HR, Inc., an elite "placement agency" that doubles as a network of assassins-for-hire, taking down high-profile executives who wouldn't be able to remember an intern’s name if their lives depended on it. At the ripe old age of twenty-five, John Lago is already New York City’s most successful hit man. He’s also an intern at a prestigious Manhattan law firm, clocking eighty hours a week getting coffee, answering phones, and doing all the grunt work no one else wants to do. But he isn't trying to claw his way to the top of the corporate food chain. He was hired to assassinate one of the firm’s heavily guarded partners. His internship is the perfect cover, enabling him to gather intel and gain access in order to pull off a clean, untraceable hit. The Intern’s Handbook is John Lago's unofficial survival guide for new recruits at HR, Inc. (Rule #4: "Learn how to make the perfect cup of coffee: you make an exec the best coffee he’s ever had, and he will make sure you’re at his desk every morning for a repeat performance. That’s repetitive exposure, which begets access and trust. 44% of my kills came from my superior coffee-making abilities.") Part confessional, part how-to, the handbook chronicles John’s final assignment, a twisted thrill ride in which he is pitted against the toughest—and sexiest—adversary he’s ever faced: Alice, an FBI agent assigned to take down the same law partner he’s been assigned to kill.
Review
This was a roller coaster of epic proportions. John's voice is snappy, direct, and truly explosive. The combat is intense and thrilling, every relationship worthy of a question and the sleeper agent idea refreshingly updated and executed well. An author to watch, without doubt.
5 Stars to Blood Song (Raven's Shadow, #1) by Anthony Ryan
Description
“The Sixth Order wields the sword of justice and smites the enemies of the Faith and the Realm.” Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of ten when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order. The Brothers of the Sixth Order are devoted to battle, and Vaelin will be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate, and dangerous life of a Warrior of the Faith. He has no family now save the Order. Vaelin’s father was Battle Lord to King Janus, ruler of the unified realm. Vaelin’s rage at being deprived of his birthright and dropped at the doorstep of the Sixth Order like a foundling knows no bounds. He cherishes the memory of his mother, and what he will come to learn of her at the Order will confound him. His father, too, has motives that Vaelin will come to understand. But one truth overpowers all the rest: Vaelin Al Sorna is destined for a future he has yet to comprehend. A future that will alter not only the realm, but the world.
Review
Nortah looked at his men, his haunted eyes distant, no doubt picturing them in battle, hacked and bloodied. “They’ll fight,” he said eventually. “Poor bastards. They’ll fight all right.” This is an extraordinary work, and as I read I really couldn't but help draw parallels to Hobb and Rothfuss. It's not that Vaelin is a Kvothe or a Fitz, but something about the atmosphere and Ryan's writing is very compelling and certainly on a par with these figures. I really need to reread to fully appreciate the subtleties, but a fine title and a brilliant way to start a series.
2 Stars to Bookworm (Bookworm, #1) by Christopher G. Nuttall
Description
Elaine is an orphan girl who has grown up in a world where magical ability brings power. Her limited talent was enough to ensure a magical training but she’s very inexperienced and was lucky to get a position working in the Great Library. Now, the Grand Sorcerer – the most powerful magician of them all – is dying, although initially that makes little difference to Elaine; she certainly doesn’t have the power to compete for higher status in the Golden City. But all that changes when she triggers a magical trap and ends up with all the knowledge from the Great Library – including forbidden magic that no one is supposed to know – stuffed inside her head. This unwanted gift doesn’t give her greater power, but it does give her a better understanding of magic, allowing her to accomplish far more than ever before. It’s also terribly dangerous. If the senior wizards find out what has happened to her, they will almost certainly have her killed. The knowledge locked away in the Great Library was meant to remain permanently sealed and letting it out could mean a repeat of the catastrophic Necromantic Wars of five hundred years earlier. Elaine is forced to struggle with the terrors and temptations represented by her newfound knowledge, all the while trying to stay out of sight of those she fears, embodied by the sinister Inquisitor Dread. But a darkly powerful figure has been drawing up a plan to take the power of the Grand Sorcerer for himself; and Elaine, unknowingly, is vital to his scheme. Unless she can unlock the mysteries behind her new knowledge, divine the unfolding plan, and discover the truth about her own origins, there is no hope for those she loves, the Golden City or her entire world.
Review
Fairly average, though a rather untypical "fuck" lowers things in my estimation. Not going to count the author out because the politics and magic were interesting, but gratuitous swearing doesn't really appeal.
4 Stars to Cargo Cult by Graham Storrs
Description
When a Vinggan ship crash-lands on the uncharted planet Earth, the marooned survivors – twelve religious zealots, their leader, and a single, low-ranking crewman, called Drukk – decide to make the best of it by converting humanity to their rather authoritarian religion. Inadvertently disguised as megastar actress Loosi Beecham, they set off to begin their evangelical mission. And that’s when things really begin to go wrong. For their crash was not all it seemed, interstellar law enforcement is on their tail, and the humans are inexplicably strange – especially the busload of old folk they make off with, the New Age cargo cult that welcomes them, the local police force that is following them around, and an overambitious reporter and her idiot brother who don’t help matters by kidnapping crewman Drukk. Oh, and did I mention the talking kangaroos? Only Drukk finally begins to understand what is really going on, but by then the Vinggans have unwittingly carted dozens of humans off-world and the only plan anyone can come up with to get home again is complete and utter insanity.
Review
Humour is a very particular topic, so I must admit to a little trepidation when I heard about this novel. Graham's sci-fi thrillers are electrifying and amazing, and his provocative and futuristic short stories hold much food for thought. How, then, would a comedy stack up? Well, let's get the bad out of the way first. Not bad, really, but the only negation here for me was that the novel focuses (perfectly understandably of course) on Australia, and so a little of the dialogue was unusual. But that really is the only thing to detract from what was, really, a fun romp of a story with a lot to offer. The good points (and they are legion) , the aliens were absolutely delightful, the spaceship included. It's a very modern way of doing science fiction comedy which still works and holds the charm of something along the lines of Douglas Adams. The parody of government, and attitude of law enforcement was funny, and the religion used in a clever way to fill the story out. Though a comedy, there's a lot here to take in with links to serious issues as well, it's all handled deftly and amusingly. The ending was absolutely superb, and there's certainly scope for more novels in this universe. Whilst I personally prefer the more serious science fiction, this comedy debut shows Graham Storrs has a warm, appealing, and sharply-defined sense of humour. I believe this one will be delighting for years to come.
March
4 Stars to Backwards (Red Dwarf #3) by Rob Grant
Description
This is the third adventure of the unlikely space heroes of the cult TV hit "Red Dwarf" - Lister, Rimmer, Kryten, Holly and the Cat - as they continue their epic journey through frontal-lobe-knotting realities. We join them just as Dave Lister has finally found his way back to planet Earth - which is good. What's bad, however, is that time isn't running in quite the right direction. And if he doesn't get off the planet soon, he's going to have to go through puberty again - backwards. If his crewmates can't help him, Lister will carry on growing younger until he becomes a baby, then an embryo, meeting a very sticky end indeed.
Review
“Believe me, I'd love to join this little expedition, only I suffer from a terrible mental affliction known as “sanity”.” This is classic Dwarf, really, despite the absence of one of the co-authors. The dialogue is snappy, the backward concepts sufficiently confusing yet rather appetizing all at the same time and the tangential nature of the second half of the book wild enough to convince us which parts of the remaining bits of the TV series were predominantly Grant's work. Really worth the read if you're a fan.
4 Stars to The Wizardry Cursed (Wiz, #3) by Rick Cook
Description
Wiz Zumwalt and his gang of Silicon Valley hackers and otherworld wizards must stop whoever has created the adjoining universe, where magic and technology both work and whose power could destroy their own world
Review
This is another good one and no mistake. The humour's all still there, and even if the enemies are contrived and the tropes a little silly, the dwarves are fun and the characters are light and great to read about.
3 Stars to Turbulence by Samit Basu
Description
Aman Sen is smart, young, ambitious and going nowhere. He thinks this is because he doesn't have the right connections - but then he gets off a plane from London to Delhi and discovers that he has turned into a communications demigod. Indeed, everyone on Aman's flight now has extraordinary abilities corresponding to their innermost desires. Vir, an Indian Air Force pilot, can now fly. Uzma, a British-Pakistani aspiring Bollywood actress, now possesses infinite charisma. And then there's Jai, an indestructible one-man army with a good old-fashioned goal - to rule the world! Aman wants to ensure that their new powers aren't wasted on costumed crime-fighting, celebrity endorsements, or reality television. He wants to heal the planet but with each step he takes, he finds helping some means harming others. Will it all end, as 80 years of superhero fiction suggest, in a meaningless, explosive slugfest? Turbulence features the 21st-century Indian subcontinent in all its insane glory - F-16s, Bollywood, radical religious parties, nuclear plants, cricket, terrorists, luxury resorts, crazy TV shows - but it is essentially about two very human questions. How would you feel if you actually got what you wanted? And what would you do if you could really change the world?
Review
this was fun in spots, but the humour wasn't quite to my taste. Not bad in any way, just different to my usual, and I would like to read more at some point.
4 Stars to Emma's Baby by Abbie Taylor
Description
Your baby has been stolen by a stranger. The police won't listen. What would you do? Abbie Taylor shows remarkable flair in this involving and intriguing debut novel. A young mother's nightmare comes true... the tube doors close with her baby still on the train. Struggling as a single mother, Emma sometimes wishes that her thirteen-month-old son Ritchie would just disappear. But when, one quiet Sunday evening, Ritchie is abducted by a stranger on the London Underground, Emma is thrown into a situation worse than she could have ever imagined. But why don't the police seem to fully believe her story? Why would they think that she would want to hurt her own baby? If Emma wants Richie back, it looks like she'll have to find him herself. With the help of a stranger called Rafe, the one person who seems to believe her, she goes in search of her son. And she is determined to get him back... no matter what it takes.
Review
This was quite a hard-hitting story. I suppose it’s all the more real to one with children, and I found the descriptions of single parenthood utterly believable even though I’m not one. Highly recommended for anyone very close to their young children, it’ll keep you interested all the way through.
3 Stars to Cybernarc (Cybernarc, #1) by Robert Cain
Description
The CIA has created Rod, a high-tech amalgam of advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, and more. In this action-adventure tale, Rod is asked to confront drug lords.
Review
This was actually a lot of fun. It’s strange to think of books from this sort of era being dated; you expect it from publications from the 60’s and 70’s, but to see such anachronism in a work of relative modernity is telling. The story wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but I got into it well and will enjoy reading more in the future.
4 Stars to This is Not a Game (Dagmar Shaw, #1) by Walter Jon Williams
Description
Once upon a time, there were four of them. And though each was good at a number of things, all of them were very good at games... Dagmar is a game designer trapped in Jakarta in the middle of a revolution. The city is tearing itself apart around her and she needs to get out. Her boss Charlie has his own problems — 4.3 billion of them, to be precise, hidden in an off-shore account.
Review
This was actually a very exciting story. I loved the way in which reality and the design of the game bounced off each other, so although the danger was predictable, the way in which it was written and the atmosphere around it made it very much worth the read. I’d pick up another by this author for sure.
3 Stars to Avogadro Corp (Singularity, #1) by William Hertling
Description
David Ryan is the designer of ELOPe, an email language optimization program, that if successful, will make his career. But when the project is suddenly in danger of being canceled, David embeds a hidden directive in the software accidentally creating a runaway artificial intelligence. David and his team are initially thrilled when the project is allocated extra servers and programmers. But excitement turns to fear as the team realizes that they are being manipulated by an A.I. who is redirecting corporate funds, reassigning personnel and arming itself in pursuit of its own agenda.
Review
I enjoyed the idea behind this story a great deal, although unfortunately it suffered from that most common of plagues: the indi typo pool. In this case, the errors included: •"'We’re going to have to blow them up,' the grey-haired yelled back, equally frustrated." The grey-haired what? •“I think the cargo containers would protest the servers against even an EMP blast.” Not "protect", then? •"before they were disable", "descend several levels toward keel", "Carrying a HK417 ", "A few minutes he emerged ". All of these are missing something (a "d", a "the", an "n", and an "in" or a "later"). Once again, you can argue that these are little things. But I just don't understand how, if there's more than one person on these works, these things get through. How can people read the words on the page and miss these when in each and every instance the sentences they form are broken? Still, a very clever techno idea and one which I enjoyed reading about. Recommended to fans of Suarez.
4 Stars to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1) by Douglas Adams
Description
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox—the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years. Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!
Review
It's been many years since I first heard the radio broadcast of this book. As a result of my initial experience with it, the characters' voices are fully-formed in my head, even when reading a book rather than listening. Naturally, this transcends the first volume, but I shall stick hereto for the benefit of my review. It's also the case that, what I found amusing in my teens, now seems a little warn and overdone. Adams' repetition of certain phrases or the re-going over of certain points, for instance. Two scenes vividly stood out for me during this reread: Eddie, singing his way to doom, was a scene from the radio drama which I found funny then and almost managed to replay in my head during this read. I love it dearly and it made me chortle to myself whilst washing a wine glass. The second one was Ford turning into a penguin, which is also linked to the drama (the vocal on that also amused me greatly). Of course, a lot of my retrospection is linked to the radio. As a stand alone novel, the ending is poor and the characters may seem shallow without the radiophonic or televisual background flushing out their personalities. Still, I enjoyed rereading it and it opens the way to what is indisputably a treasured series.
3 Stars to Enterprise Logs (Star Trek) by Carol Greenburg
Description
In the annals of adventure and exploration, there are few names to rival that of the USS Enterprise. Edited by Carol Creenburg with stories by Diane Carey, Peter David, Michael Jan Friedman, Robert J. Greenburger, John Vornholt and more, THE ENTERPRISE LOGS celebrates the proud history of the many ships which have borne the name of Enterprise and the valiant captains who have steered them through danger to glory. From the original real-life USS Enterprise - a fighting sloop which fought in the American Revolution - to the state-of-the-art starship commanded by Jean-Luc Picard, this stirring anthology captures some of the most thrilling moments in the careers of the ten captains - Kirk, Pike, Decker and Garrett amongst them - who have been privileged to command a legend.
Review
This was a fascinating little collection of stories. I had no clear favourite, though Peter David's style is unmistakable and familiar. The stories by Diane Duane and A. C. Crispin were particularly good and it's welcoming to keep a toe in the trek universe every now and then.
4 Stars to Sanctus (Sancti Trilogy, #1) by Simon Toyne
Description
An explosive apocalyptic conspiracy thriller from a major new British talent that will set the world alight… REVELATION OR DEVASTATION? The certainties of the modern world are about to be blown apart by a three thousand year-old conspiracy nurtured by blood and lies … A man throws himself to his death from the oldest inhabited place on the face of the earth, a mountainous citadel in the historic Turkish city of Ruin. This is no ordinary suicide but a symbolic act. And thanks to the media, it is witnessed by the entire world. But few understand it. For charity worker Kathryn Mann and a handful of others in the know, it is what they have been waiting for. The cowled and secretive fanatics that live in the Citadel suspect it could mean the end of everything they have built – and they will kill, torture and break every law to stop that. For Liv Adamsen, New York crime reporter, it begins the next stage of a journey into the heart of her own identity. And at that journey's end lies a discovery that will change EVERYTHING … SANCTUS is an apocalyptic conspiracy thriller like no other – it re-sets the bar for excitement and fascination, and marks the debut of a major talent in Simon Toyne.
Review
Another recommendation from work (isn't this becoming a theme?) I enjoyed it for what it was, very Dan Brown-ish. Short, snappy chapters, quick and intense action. I especially liked the lack of america (we had aluminium with a u, boot rather than trunk, mobile rather than ell), a refreshing change of pace. Of course I do need to carry on with these to see where things go next!
5 Stars to Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2) by Brandon Sanderson
Description
ASIN B00DA6YEKS moved to the more recent edition Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive sequence began in 2010 with the New York Times bestseller The Way of Kings. Now, the eagerly anticipated Words of Radiance continues the epic story and answers many of your questions. Six years ago, the Assassin in White, a hireling of the inscrutable Parshendi, assassinated the Alethi king on the very night a treaty between men and Parshendi was being celebrated. So began the Vengeance Pact among the highprinces of Alethkar and the War of Reckoning against the Parshendi. Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin's master has much deeper motives. Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl. Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined. Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable. The doors of the Stormlight Archive first opened to us with The Way of Kings. Read that book – now available in all formats – and then Words of Radiance, and you can be part of the adventure every dazzling step of the way. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Review
“Brightness,” the man said as she stepped up to him, “we aren’t what you think we are.” “No,” Shallan replied. “You aren’t what you think yourselves to be.” This is a superb, massive, sweeping work of majesty. The size didn't put me off in the least, and I found myself devouring every bit with unparalleled relish. The structure is familiar from previous works, although I did feel that we learn a lot more of Shallan than of Kaladin in this installment. I grew to respect her more in this book too, and partly that's to do with narrative style. "The woman was poised, in control, but also obviously exhausted. The mask was cracked, and Shallan could see the truth." There's a huge sense of something brewing in this book, and the climax, when it comes, feels comparatively short because Sanderson so deftly juggles a huge cast of complex and nuanced characters throughout. Some subplots plateau and, if they don't resolve they at least fall into alignment as we expect, but others are clearly there for the future of the series and that's amazing to anticipate, too. "Vines withdrew, rockbuds closed. Grass hid in its holes. They knew, somehow. They all knew." I must say, the one really impressive thing I got from this book was the way in which the whole novel builds toward the conflict and discovery at the end without tying everything else down. The overarching theme is that "something is coming" but the characters still flair, brilliantly, whilst awaiting it. "They might idolize him, but they did not isolate him. It was good enough." Kaladin's scenes are not, by any means, neglected. The bridgmen are well and thriving, and the variety of spren keep the links between the characters fresh. There's a great section with Kaladin and Shallan both in a chasm, and any other author would have surely exploited the confluence with the powers as they were. Not Sanderson, he really knows how to play a long game. I didn't enjoy Wit so much, and at times, I felt the comedic flirtation was too strong. On the other hand, the interleaving of viewpoints mid-chapter, especially as the pace of the action increased, was literary ambrosia, and the whole world is so well painted that it's an absolute pleasure to be in it. Even characters like Ym made me want to read on and on, that's no small thing. The books no small thing either: Just looking back at this year, This marvelous, huge novel is larger than 8 books I've already read with some pages left over! I would happily pick up book 3 in the series right here and now if it was available, and I really cannot wait to see where the the series goes next.
4 Stars to The Runner and the Saint (Ivor of Glenbroch, #2) by Dave Duncan
Description
Earl Malcolm has reason to fear the ferocious Northmen raiders of the Western Isles are going to attack the land of Alba, so he sends Ivor on a desperate mission with a chest of silver to buy them off. But the situation Ivor finds when he reaches the Wolf's Lair is even worse than he was led to expect. Only a miracle can save him now.
Review
Wonderfully continued with the aplomb you expect from this master,the prologue alone is enough to make you buy and keep reading. The one comment I do have that's a bit of a negative is these are highly priced, given their length. This is more a concern nowadays when indi publushing is so big, but Dave is one of those authors who I'd pay any price for.
4 Stars to The Runner and the Wizard (Ivor of Glenbroch, #1) by Dave Duncan
Description
Young Ivor dreams of being a swordsman like his nine older brothers, but until he can grow a beard he's limited to being a runner, carrying messages for their lord, Thane Carrak. That's usually boring, but this time Carrak has sent him on a long journey to summon the mysterious Rorie of Ytter. Rorie is reputed to be a wizard—or an outlaw, or maybe a saint—but the truth is far stranger, and Ivor suddenly finds himself caught up in a twisted magical intrigue that threatens Thane Carrak and could leave Ivor himself very dead.
Review
I already knew Duncan was good at condensing, his Kings Daggers proved that well. The latter half of chapter 6 was particularly good and this is certainly well worth reading if you're a fan or a way of getting into Dave's writing style without diving into a huge series if not.
4 Stars to The Restoration Game by Ken MacLeod
Description
There is no such place as Krassnia. Lucy Stone should know - she was born there. In that tiny, troubled region of the former Soviet Union, revolution is brewing. Its organisers need a safe place to meet, and where better than the virtual spaces of an online game? Lucy, who works for a start-up games company in Edinburgh, has a project that almost seems made for the job: its original inspiration came from The Krassniad - an epic tale, based on Krassnian folklore, concocted by Lucy's mother who studied there in the 1980s. As Lucy digs up details about her birthplace to slot into the game, she finds her interest in the open secrets of her family's past - and the darker secrets of Krassnia's - has not gone unnoticed. When a Russian - Georgian border war breaks out, Lucy has to move fast - and return to Krassnia herself, to the heart of the mountain that holds Krassnia's darkest and oldest secret. But nothing Lucy has discovered can possibly prepare her for the crucial role she is destined to play in The Restoration Game ...
Review
The concept behind this one was very well done. A superb way to be introduced to the author and I eagerly look forward to reading more.
February
3 Stars to Plague from Space by Harry Harrison
Description
Spacecraft: Pericles Type: Manned exploration Destination: Jupiter Cargo: Extinction Bertolli was there when the Pericles returned to Earth. He was the first to reach Commander Rand as he staggered, hideously disfigured & close to death, from the crew's cabin. From that moment, Dr. Bertolli became the front line of defence against a savage epidemic that threatened to extinguish life on earth.
Review
More great retro material, the idea of tattooing people's medical history physically on to their bodies is an intriguing prospect. The ending is, at least in outline, easily seen coming, and the gender stereotyping is dated. But for all that, it was done well and I do enjoy a bit of Harrison!
3 Stars to The Time Takers (Trapped in Time, #1) by Saxon Andrew
Description
Book one in a new series by the International Bestselling Author, Saxon Andrew, Trapped in Time-The Time Takers is a must read that will keep your attention through the last page. Throughout history, humans have been saved a moment before they died. Those that are taken, awake to find themselves in a strange new world different from anything they had ever seen. They discover that some agency has taken them out of the time they lived and dropped them into the early Cretaceous Age. They are now faced with surviving in a world that was called the Golden Age of the Dinosaurs. Not only must they learn how to survive the giant carnivores but also survive other humans. They are challenged to build a civilization ninety million years before the first Homo sapiens appeared on Earth. The humans struggling to survive wonder if the Time Takers are a larger danger than any they face in the prehistoric world they now inhabit. One of them is determined to find out why they were taken and his quest could endanger everyone. Excerpt from: The Time Takers Suddenly, the cave was filled with a deafening roar. Everyone in the cave turned, grabbed their ears and looked to the left, where they saw an opening in the cave wall at the end of a short corridor. Something was filling the opening. Andy was stunned at what he saw. This was a nightmare that could only come from an overdose of bad drugs. Everyone fled across the cave to the wall furthest from the opening. The Romans broke formation and ran with the others. The Roman Leader held his ground and Andy saw he was shocked and frightened out of his wits. It was easy to see why. Andy sprinted across the cave and moved into the short corridor leading to the opening where a giant head with rows of sharp teeth was being pushed further into the cave. He stopped twenty feet from the head, raised the bow and fired an arrow directly into the open mouth of the huge Allosaurus. The giant reptile screamed and jerked its head back out of the opening but not before Andy had notched another arrow and hit it between the eyes with an arrow that buried itself to the fletching. The giant’s roar was silenced as it straightened up and then fell backwards. Andy put the bow over his shoulder and ran toward the entrance. He saw a large stone wheel on the right side of the opening designed to block the entrance and he ran behind it and tried to push it forward. The roars from outside the cave were getting louder…and numerous; everyone inside could hear that there were more of the nightmares that had stuck its head in the cave outside the opening. He pushed as hard as he could but the wheel was just too heavy to move. There was a channel cut into the floor for it to roll in; but it was just too massive to budge. The Roman Leader sprinted over and started pushing with Andy. They looked out of the opening as they struggled to move the stone wheel and saw ten of the giant carnivores were just outside the entrance surrounding the dead Allosaurus,. They appeared to be trying to determine what killed it. One of them looked at the cave opening and started moving toward it. Ten Samurai and five Vikings arrived at that moment and began pushing with Andy and the Roman. The wheel started moving and then rolled over the entrance just before the dinosaur arrived. The men gathered at the wheel felt it lean into the cave for a moment…and then fall back against the opening. This book is dedicated to my brother, Wayne. I wish you could have read this one. Thanks for reading Science Fiction to me when I was five years old. You started me on the path that led me to all the stories that spring from my imagination, I miss you and love you. Visit us on face book at www.facebook.com/SaxonAndrewsUniverse or our website at www.annihilationseries.com. You may contact me directly at saxonandrew@msn.com
Review
This has the ring of a fanfic about it. The writing, though detailed, wasn't what I'd consider of a standard to be out there from a big publisher. Andy's history is dumped out to provide answers without adding much meaningful to the story, and although he's clever and well drawn, there are times when he's just too shallow to be real. Timings sometimes seem far too precise (people are running around attacking dinosaurs and phrases like "andy arrived an hour and fifteen minutes later" don't quite fit in with the atmosphere. Then there's the huge focus on archery, obviously something the author's keen on rather than a necessary plot device, and I did find it strange that, despite the tone of female inclusion, even main characters were surprised when the women turned out to be better at some things than the men. For all that, I enjoyed the story. I don't think it's writing I'd go out to buy especially in the future, but it may also be interesting to read about the future of this world someday.
4 Stars to Absolutely Nothing (Jason Steed #3) by Mark A. Cooper
Description
After going under cover and uncovering a child trafficking organization in Britain, 12 year-old Jason Steed settles into an elite American Military School for boys and finally feels normal. When a peacekeeping force working for the United Nations are taken hostage, it was just another boring news story that Jason ignored until he is informed his father is among the captives. Repeatedly told not too worry someone will do something. Jason decides he is that someone and discovers more than he bargained for when he unearths a group of American fathered children deep in the Vietnamese Jungle. Unwanted by the Americans and shunned by the Vietnamese, they are left to die and hunted by a ruthless Vietnamese General. Can anyone rescue the prisoners and help the children? With odds stacked against him he must rely on all his skills, for his nightmare is just beginning…….
Review
Another high-flying heartpounding adventure. The way characters just get superbly angry doesn’t always ring believable, and the disparity between the level of violence and sexual awareness is very high, but then the kids portrayed are very young indeed and maybe themes will mature as things go on. This is certainly a very, very powerful series of stories for young people who want an action hero. Cooper is a fabulous storyteller.
4 Stars to Revenge (Jason Steed, #2) by Mark A. Cooper
Description
"A page-turner in the spirit of Alex Ride and Co."--Kirkus Only one secret agent can defeat the world's most ruthless criminal organization. He was surrounded. Jason's body worked automatically, his mind blank. He was fighting to breathe, forcing himself not to give up. But he was trapped. Standing on one leg and kicking out to keep the men back, he fumbled for the door handle to his left. He ran inside and leaped onto the narrow window ledge. He was nearly a hundred feet up, but the Triad thugs were closing fast. Jason jumped-- Martial arts expert and undercover agent Jason Steed is on the run, hunted by a crew of vicious criminals. To survive, he must rely on his training-to be faster, smarter, tougher. Jason will do whatever it takes to defeat the Triads. But when his own government turns against him, does he have more enemies than he can handle?
Review
Keeping things rocketing along at a breakneck pace, shattered kneecaps and broken noses do only go so far. Still, they're really fun and Cooper's quite a talent.
4 Stars to Fledgling (Jason Steed, #1) by Mark A. Cooper
Description
Tormented by his mother's death... Taken for granted by his father... Trained in deadly martial arts... Jason Steed is looking for a place to call home. He finds what he's looking for in the Sea Cadets-an elite group of British youngsters being groomed for lifelong service in the military. But when a routine training exercise goes awry, Jason finds himself in the middle of a secret mission. The future of the world hangs in the balance...and Jason might be the only one who can save it.
Review
“Sorry, sir, I have to turn off the radio. I need to concentrate. The mission objective is stuffed down my underwear.” This was a very cool book. Self-published, and with that thing that says to you it's not a big name, but the story is gripping and the writing flows, even if it's a little uneven in spots. I love Cooper's reason for writing the book, and the whole idea is cleverly executed (think a whole book building up to alex rider or Zak Darke) The ending promises more to come, and more there is, and happy I am.
5 Stars to Infoquake (Jump 225, #1) by David Louis Edelman
Description
How far should you go to make a profit? Infoquake, the debut novel by David Louis Edelman, takes speculative fiction into alien territory: the corporate boardroom of the far future. It's a stunning trip through the trenches of a technological war fought with product demos, press releases, and sales pitches. Natch is a master of bio/logics, the programming of the human body. He's clawed and scraped his way to the top of the bio/logics market using little more than his wits. Now his sudden notoriety has brought him to the attention of Margaret Surina, the owner of a mysterious new technology called MultiReal. Only by enlisting Natch's devious mind can Margaret keep MultiReal out of the hands of High Executive Len Borda and his ruthless armies. To fend off the intricate net of enemies closing in around him, Natch and his apprentices must accomplish the impossible. They must understand this strange new technology, run through the product development cycle, and prepare MultiReal for release to the public—all in three days. Meanwhile, hanging over everything is the specter of the infoquake, a lethal burst of energy that's disrupting the bio/logic networks and threatening to send the world crashing back into the Dark Ages. With Infoquake, David Louis Edelman has created a fully detailed world that's both as imaginative as Dune and as real as today's Wall Street Journal.
Review
“I've tackled a lot of tough problems in my life, but I can't remember a single time I said to myself, You could fix this if you just had a few alternate realities.” Wow. The first bit was superbly irritating because the world seems so impenetrable and almost too futuristic to be real. But after we see a little history in the shortest initiation I was raring to read the rest. It's a boldly painted world with Humanity on a rough, hard, diamond edge, not a relaxed tome or a pretty futuristic depiction as such. The technology is 'well cool'; the appendices are interesting reading and the sequel is going on my ereader now.
3 Stars to A Day's Work on the Moon by Mike Shepherd
Description
She always wanted to work on the moon, but she figured she'd have to wait until she was out of High School. But her first job is working on the moon. Bummer, she's only delivering pizza ... from her room in her folks house, but hey, she's working on the moon. It's a start. Also. She grew up with the Program. Which meant Dad was usually gone and Mom was usually talking up PR for the Program. She swore she'd never, ever go to space and leave her kids behind. But what you want, and what real life lets you have are often two different things. What are the chances that a kid today can find himself on the Starship Enterprise. Read Summer Hopes, Winter Dreams and find out.
Review
This reminded me of a Heinlein short (The Menace from Earth, perhaps). I like.
5 Stars to Influx by Daniel Suarez
Description
What if our civilization is more advanced than we know? The New York Times bestselling author of Daemon imagines a world in which decades of technological advances have been suppressed in an effort to prevent disruptive change. Are smart phones really humanity's most significant innovation since the moon landings? Or can something else explain why the bold visions of the 20th century--fusion power, genetic enhancements, artificial intelligence, cures for common disease, extended human life, and a host of other world-changing advances--have remained beyond our grasp? Why has the high-tech future that seemed imminent in the 1960's failed to arrive? Perhaps it did arrive...but only for a select few. Particle physicist Jon Grady is ecstatic when his team achieves what they've been working toward for years: a device that can reflect gravity. Their research will revolutionize the field of physics--the crowning achievement of a career. Grady expects widespread acclaim for his entire team. The Nobel. Instead, his lab is locked down by a shadowy organization whose mission is to prevent at all costs the social upheaval sudden technological advances bring. This Bureau of Technology Control uses the advanced technologies they have harvested over the decades to fulfill their mission. They are living in our future. Presented with the opportunity to join the BTC and improve his own technology in secret, Grady balks, and is instead thrown into a nightmarish high-tech prison built to hold rebellious geniuses like himself. With so many great intellects confined together, can Grady and his fellow prisoners conceive of a way to usher humanity out of its artificial dark age? And when they do, is it possible to defeat an enemy that wields a technological advantage half a century in the making?
Review
“Mankind was on the moon in the 1960s, Jon. That was half a century ago. Nuclear power. The transistor. The laser. All existed even back then. Do you really think the pinnacle of innovation since that time is Facebook? ” This is probably Suarez best work to date. The idea is so compelling, the concept so believable in outline that conspiracy theorists everywhere will be jumping for joy with vindication. And as for the level of detail Suarez has extrapolated, it's boldly, vividly, and indisputably terrifying. “You’re telling me everything will be fine if I agree to be your slave.” “We’re not asking you to be a slave.” “Then you’re asking me to be a slaver—and that’s even worse.” I'll admit, the level of mathematical chatter in the opening chapter did cause me to pause for thought. But the end of the third chapter was nicely done, and as for the seventh ... Suarez wasn't billed as a horror writer but that whole chapter exuded terrifying images of AI's doing things no Human mind should have to tolerate and disturbed me on a very powerful, techno-Humanic level I've somehow not ever thought about quite in that way before. Even though the ending was soft and the final chapter a little too neat and tidy, the journey to that point was electrifying. One of the best of its kind, this work, and highly, heartily recommended. So, the five stars go to Suarez and the book. Now, I was given my copy of this book by a friend. I don't condone piracy, as such, and fully intend to buy the title as soon as it becomes available in the UK (at time of writing I have to live in the US to buy this file from the publisher). I do, however, find it remarkably unfair that we are subjected, worldwide, to the information about upcoming titles and releases, yet publishers, rather than authors, decide when and how things become available in other territories where they hold an interest. The author has little choice but to agree with their publication schedule, of course. I mention this only so that, when you read the next paragraphs, you can do so safe in the knowledge that my findings may differ from a version I can verify is the market eBook. First, I always mention in my reviews when self-published books contain typos, grammatical incontinuities, deviations from English. One has come to expect them in the landscape of the Kindle eBook, where anyone's an author (but everyone's a critic, me included). This novel, I'm sad to say, was the tipping point: a modern, recent work with more holes and errors than something anyone could knock out on their own (and I know, because I've read hundreds). Three occurrences of "starting" rather than "started", an "each another" instead of an "each other", an "one other" instead of "one another", a "doing to " that should've been a "going to", a "don’t forgot" which should have read "don’t forget"... These are just the errors I found whilst reading this book for leisure. Enjoyment. I wasn't looking for them, I don't sit down to proofread these things. And, you can argue, these are relatively small things. Quibbles and things that in the grand scheme, surely don't detract from the story? Well: they certainly interrupted my flow of reading. You cant tell yourself a story if the words don't make sense, and each time this happened I found myself remembering I wasn't in there with Jon and company but actually was reading words instead. I find this off-putting in self-published and "budget" publications. Seeing them proliferate in a title published by one of the big houses gets my goat far more. This is because when I buy this book I will pay, at a rough estimate, three times the price I'd pay for one of those budget works. I'm not using budget in a derogatory sense here, but there's this huge, gaping divide in the eBook world at the moment and it's never more visible than between these two camps of big publisher versus the "underdog". One way you used to be able to tell them apart was quality, but that's been ever more difficult as the self-publishing authors tighten up their works and the smaller publishers do more to clean up the works they champion. So now, the only difference is price. So having read this book, what am I paying three times the price for a similar title from an Indi author to gain? Well, I get a book riddled with mistakes, released later in my country of residence than elsewhere in the world and protected with irritating and totally ineffectual digital rights management technology. Isn't that super? If Mr Suarez wishes to publish his next work by himself, at the same price as this but with the guarantee of finding a decent proofreader, no DRM and a worldwide release, I, for one, would pay double because of the message that sends. I've not taken a stance in the vitriolic wars of self-publishing versus agents and the big houses. I don't normally care. But this work surely says something about the health of an industry which makes one pay through the nose for what is, demonstrably, a lesser product.
4 Stars to Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1) by Kasie West
Description
Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . . Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not. In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.
Review
"My heart thumps an extra beat when my brain takes too long to process that he’s speaking about the story we’re writing, not the story we’re living." This is an explosively clever teen work, and all-the-more impressive because you're really getting two stories in one. The alternate view point idea is incredibly and deftly managed to produce a story both tense and seductively compelling. It is a very female heavy book, which isn't to say guys wouldn't enjoy it, but there's a lot about it that would appeal to the lady simply because Addie's female and so well written. One of the more memorable teen titles, I submit.
3 Stars to The Early Years (Dark Lord, #1) by Jamie Thomson
Description
Greetings, Puny Humans: In your hands, you are holding a tome of staggeringly evil genius. It is not for the faint of heart or for the whining masses. It is for those willing to serve as my devoted minions while I plan my greatest feat yet: surviving life as a human boy and returning to my rightful place as the ruler of the Dark Lands. Before I can exact my revenge, I must infiltrate this world and learn its ways. How, you might ask, is it possible that I, the Dark Lord, the Master of the Legions of Dread and Sorcerer Supreme, could be reduced to human form? And how is it possible that the Lord of darkness could be forced to attend school and befriend such pitiful life forms? Only by reading my tale will you learn the truth behind the cataclysmic defeat that left me stranded on this accursed planet, Earth. But make no mistake, revenge will be mine... as soon as I finish my homework. Mwah, hah, ha! Yours insincerely, Dirk Lloyd (aka the Dark Lord)
Review
“I woke in the prison you humans call the ‘hospital’ to find that my powers of domination and destruction had been taken away from me, probably by some kind of warding, and that I had been given over to those psychotic fools, Wings and Randle. Then the commander of the Social Services Legion lashed me into her Chariot of Combustion and drove me here, where I was given over again, this time to my Guardians, the Pure Ones, who are tasked with my imprisonment.” This is a clever idea, although we lack a little from not being able to see the images as poor blind people. It would certainly appeal to the right sort of teen and was very good in places.
3 Stars to The God Patent by Ransom Stephens
Description
Sex, drugs, and quantum physics collide with artificial intelligence, faith and free will in this perspective-altering story. The memo said they'd get bonuses for submitting patents, so why not? Money came easily during the dot-com boom. Concealed in engineering jargon, Ryan McNear submits a patent for the soul disguised as a software algorithm and his best friend Foster Reed rewrites Genesis and calls it a "power generator." A few years later, amid the fallout of a ruptured technology bubble, his career ruined and family shredded, a desperate Ryan discovers that a company headed by his old friend Foster is developing his patent. What he thought was a joke is generating stacks of money amid claims that it will provide a source of limitless energy and prove the existence of God. Willing to try anything to rebuild his life, Ryan stakes a legal claim to the patent. He soon discovers a sinister undercurrent in the venture. Racing against time and aided by a motley group of assistants that includes an attorney/conman, a beautiful and passionate physicist and a death-obsessed adolescent math prodigy, Ryan gets caught in a battle between hard science and fundamentalist religion that threatens his sanity, his freedom and his son. Before long Ryan will test the limits of faith and free will, evaluate the nature of desire, and comprehend the human soul in a way that requires a single step, rather than a great leap, of faith.
Review
Not as good or fluid a read as the other title released, but a worthy entry into the genre and a very good debut.
3 Stars to Dead Simple (Roy Grace, #1) by Peter James
Description
Michael Harrison had it all: good looks, charm, natural leadership, a wicked sense of humor, and now, Ashley, his fiancée. While out celebrating with a group of friends a few nights before the wedding, Michael suddenly and unexpectedly finds himself enclosed in a coffin equipped only with a flashlight, a dirty magazine, a walkie-talkie, and a tiny breathing tube. It's all in good fun — payback for the grief his mates suffered due to his own penchant for tomfoolery — that is until the four are killed in a drunk driving accident just moments after leaving Michael completely alone and buried alive. Detective Superintendent Grace—himself dealing with the pain of losing his wife—is brought on to the case when Ashley reports Michael missing. Suspicions are raised when Michael's only friend not at the bachelor party refuses to cooperate, and Ashley's faithfulness—not to mention her increasingly mysterious past—are suddenly thrown in to question. As Superintendent Grace soon discovers, one man's disaster is another man's fortune.
Review
James seems a fan of l-shaped things, but not in writing a fan of dogs: odd, as in the bio... Ah, well. I enjoyed this as a solid opener to what promises to be a long-running and procedural series. The paranormal isn't quite my thing, but even so, I'm glad I picked it up.
2 Stars to Adventures of a London Call Boy by Ben Franckx
Description
He's the accidental gigolo. Young and good-looking, he can be your Mr Darcy ... for a fixed fee. Jobless and down on his luck, Argentinian actor Francesc, or Cesc to his friends, needs to find quick cash. His best friend, Celeste, an occasional artist and part-time model with too much time on her hands, starts him internet dating and soon he finds a world of casual sex. When a date offers him cash for sex, he realises there's money to be made from his natural assets and a call-boy career is only a step away. Cesc narrates the story of his career and the tricks of the trade with wit and dry humour. Part ing�nue, part cynic, he leads the reader on a tour through the glamour and sleaze of life selling sex to rich female pleasure seekers.
Review
A constant barrage of explicit sex. Not really a surprise, but I only picked it up because the title sounded interesting.
5 Stars to Earthman Jack vs. the Ghost Planet (The Earthman Jack Space Saga, #1) by Matthew Kadish
Description
Jack Finnegan only has to worry about dealing with school bullies, suffering through detention with his homeroom teacher, and getting noticed by the girl of his dreams... at least until an army of evil aliens invade Earth. Suddenly, this teenage slacker finds himself at the center of a galaxy-spanning conflict - where the lives of everyone on the planet are in jeopardy, soldiers use Quantum Physics to become superheroes, and the enemy uses some mysterious form of magic to make themselves practically unstoppable. The secret to ending the conflict and saving the universe may lie in a powerful ancient spaceship, which it seems can only be flown by Earthmen. Now, Jack and a rag-tag group of allies must overcome impossible odds, defeat an unkillable enemy, rescue the princess of the galaxy, and save the universe from a threat more terrifying than any it has ever faced. Can this underachiever rise to the occasion and become the hero Earth needs? The fate of all life in the galaxy may rest in his hands.
Review
“It was my first date, and the world ends. Go figure.” This is rather astonishingly good. Kadish set out to create an "everlasting Spielberg movie from the 80’s – filled with excitement, awe, and wonder - that kids, teens, and adults could get lost in whenever it suited them", and it's all there. The epic battles, the love angle, good versus evil, inspirational dialogue and scenes that really should be set to sweeping, grand music (the whole of chapter 35, for instance). The extreme cheesiness of evil robots and zombies and the reliance on quantum theory makes this work more endearing in a retro, pulp kind of a way - it's a less serious Ready Player One, a more sweeping, younger The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. “Okay then!” he said a little too loudly as he clapped his hands together. “I’m, uh, just gonna fly the ship into hyperspace now and try again not to get us all killed.” It is, to use an inappropriate, time-warn and cliched word ... Cool. It seeps sop and oozes a little drivel on occasion, but is very fun, family friendly and has all the hallmarks of something you really shouldn't feel guilty about reading in your spare time but actually, well, you know... “Yeah, it’s cool, I’m cool, the spaceship is totally awesome,” said Jack offhandedly. “Now I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am ready to get the heck out of here.” More, you ask? Kadish plans 7 in the series, and I've certainly sent a few bucks his way. they'll probably end up going to the government or a milkshake or something, but hey if it keeps the guy writing he can use it to buy some luminous underpants or a 1950's pulp magazine for inspiration. It's cool with me. More Jack, though, please, I want to know about that Secret Army!
4 Stars to Mind's Eye (Nick Hall, #1) by Douglas E. Richards
Description
Nick Hall awakens with powerful implants in his brain and assassins on his tail. And the future of humanity depends on his survival. Now the subject of an upcoming movie franchise! ( Variety , 11/17/21) . A riveting sci-fi thriller from the NY Times bestselling author whose books have sold almost three million copies. When Nick Hall awakens in a dumpster, bloodied and without a memory, he can't imagine how things could get worse. But that's before multiple assassins promptly start trying to kill him. Hall soon discovers that advanced electronics have been implanted in his brain, and he now has two astonishing abilities--he can surf the web using thoughts alone, and he can read minds. But who inserted the implants? And why? And why is someone so desperate to kill him? As Hall races to find answers, he comes to learn that far more is at stake than just his life. Because his actions can either catapult civilization to new heights--or bring about its total collapse. Based on actual research on neural implants and thought-controlled web surfing (and foreshadowing the emergence of brain implant companies such as Elon Musk's Neuralink) , Mind's Eye is a smart, roller-coaster ride of a thriller. One that raises a number of intriguing, and sometimes chilling, possibilities about a future that is just around the corner. "Richards is a worthy successor to Michael Crichton." (SF Book) "Richards is an extraordinary writer,"(Dean Koontz) who can "keep you turning the pages all night long."(Douglas Preston) NEAR-FUTURE SCIENCE-FICTION THRILLERS BY DOUGLAS E. RICHARDS WIRED (Wired 1) AMPED (Wired 2) MIND'S EYE (Nick Hall 1) BRAINWEB (Nick Hall 2) MIND WAR (Nick Hall 3) SPLIT SECOND(Split Second 1) TIME FRAME (Split Second 2) THE ENIGMA CUBE (Alien Artifact 1) A PIVOT IN TIME (Alien Artifact 2) QUANTUM LENS GAME CHANGER INFINITY BORN SEEKER VERACITY ORACLE THE IMMORTALITY CODE UNIDENTIFIED Kids Science Fiction Thrillers (9 and up, enjoyed by kids and adults alike) TRAPPED (Prometheus Project 1) CAPTURED (Prometheus Project 2) STRANDED (Prometheus Project 3) OUT OF THIS WORLD DEVIL'S SWORD
Review
This is the forth of Richards works I've read. it was November 2012 when I read Wired and Amped, then October last year with The Cure. Each of them was very enjoyable, but I think this is my favourite of his published works to date. Of course, the opening makes you think of Bourne. It's a comparison I've drawn for better or worse with lots of authors (see my thoughts on works by James Patterson, Jon Stock, Ken Follett, Marcus Sakey, Mat Nastos, and Thomas E. Sniegoski). This book transcends that, of course, and quickly takes itself off in its own direction. With good, flowing prose and an author as self-effacing and humble as they come, there's little to dislike about the style. He has his tropes, and the things that you grow to expect in his novels, but who doesn't? Look at Dave Duncan, a paragraph of his would be identifiable a mile away and he's probably my most-read author of all time. I'm solidly impressed, and would without hesitation pass a recommendation to any thriller fans. In the league of people like James Follett (but not British, which does show), Richard Bard, Greg Iles, Daniel Suarez and Chris Ryan, without a doubt.
3 Stars to Out of the Silent Planet (The Space Trilogy, #1) by C.S. Lewis
Description
In the first novel of C.S. Lewis's classic science fiction trilogy, Dr Ransom, a Cambridge academic, is abducted and taken on a spaceship to the red planet of Malacandra, which he knows as Mars. His captors are plotting to plunder the planet's treasures and plan to offer Ransom as a sacrifice to the creatures who live there. Ransom discovers he has come from the 'silent planet' – Earth – whose tragic story is known throughout the universe...
Review
This is amazingly retro. That's not the point of it, of course, but that's the impact it has - like a Wyndham but with God. No religious fan I, but the spaceship was interesting, if underexplored.
4 Stars to Black Hand Gang (No Man's World, #1) by Pat Kelleher
Description
On November 1st 1916, 900 men of the 13th Battalion of the Pennine Fusiliers vanish without trace from the battlefield only to find themselves on an alien planet. There they must learn to survive in a hostile environment, while facing a sinister threat from within their own ranks and a confrontation with an inscrutable alien race!
Review
This was a wonderful read, capturing well the atmosphere of the trenches as well as cleverly showing an alien world. I loved the dramatic end of the first chapter, the sudden, unexpected, heartstopping battle in the shell-hole in the second, and the wonderful tension of the seventeenth and eighteenth. superb storytelling.
3 Stars to Firmware by Stephen J. Sweeney
Description
HF-Tech's chips have changed the world. Embedded into the heads of over 90% of the world's population, they have cured autism, dementia, provided intelligence boosts, and helped to ease some of the more mundane tasks in life. Daniel Blair works in the Workshop, creating ROMs and hacking the chips to further increase their usefulness, an activity that is deemed illegal. But Rouge, his favoured ROM, is better than the official firmware; it simply does more. And besides, who knows what really goes into HF-Tech's official software releases? What is it capable of sending? And what can it receive? Dan doesn't quite trust them, not least of all because of the flaws in the system. And when the day comes that HF-Tech releases a software update that allows a terrorist attack to take place, Dan begins to distrust the company even more. But is there a threat closer to home that he should be paying more attention to..?
Review
"He could now see them starting to deploy the yellow tape that marked a police cordon around the parameter" was my only significant error located in this intriguing story. Sadly, novels that end this way don't often appeal. British, fascinating in its detail but, upon reading the final page I came away unfortunately unsatisfied.
4 Stars to How to Slay a Dragon (The Journals of Myrth, #1) by Bill Allen
Description
Ruuan is a very large dragon. Twelve-year-old Greg Hart can't slay a dragon. He'd be lucky to win a fight against one of the smaller girls at school. Now the magicians of Myrth have mistaken him for a legendary warrior, so they've yanked Greg into their world of sorcery and danger. Nothing will stop the people of Myrth from believing Greg will rescue King Peter's daughter from Ruuan the dragon. After all, Greg has been named in a prophecy, and no prophecy has ever been wrong before. Until now.
Review
"When Greg opened his eyes his first reaction was to close them again instantly. This turned out to be his second reaction as well. He might have given it a third go had one of the hooded figures hovering over him not poked him with a sharp stick before he could get to it." This was delightfully amusing for the younger reader, clever morality and fun adventure. Very interesting to compare it with Red Planet, aimed at a similar age bracket in the same country but some 60 plus years earlier and without the humourous slant. Still, a lot of fun and something to come back to.
3 Stars to Accidental Sorcerers (Accidental Sorcerers, #1) by Larry Kollar
Description
Invaders just across the river. A powerful spell hidden in a child's rhyme. When an untrained boy awakens an ice dragon to protect his village, and lives to tell the tale, not even the Conclave of Sorcerers can predict what happens next. Accidental Sorcerers brings to life an unforgettable tale of love and loyalty in the world of Termag. Feel the magic!
Review
Interesting, but lacking that spark that really keeps me wanting to read more. Not badly written, but it seemed to assume knowledge I didn't already have.
4 Stars to Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein
Description
Jim Marlow and his strange-looking Martian friend Willis were allowed to travel only so far. But one day Willis unwittingly tuned into a treacherous plot that threatened all the colonists on Mars, and it set Jim off on a terrfying adventure that could save--or destroy--them all!
Review
"we aren't bound to follow customs that aren't appropriate to our needs here" I love Heinlein's outlook, his TANSTAFL, his liberty, and this extraordinary,naive yet idealistic attitude that if everyone is a gentleman everything is OK. I can't believe I hadn't read this one, but it was a rare gem.
2 Stars to The Final Fury (Star Trek Voyager #9; Invasion #4) by Dafydd ab Hugh
Description
For ages they have sought to claim our worlds. Now, at last, we take the battle to them. . . . Far from the Federation's desperate war against the invading Furies, the crew of the "U.S.S. Voyager" TM encounters something they never expected to hear again: a Starfleet distress call. The signal leads them to a vast assemblage of non-humanoid races engaged in a monumental project of incredible magnitude. Here is the source of the terrible invasion threatening the entire Alpha Quadrant -- and, for the "Starship Voyager" TM, a possible route home. But soon there may not be any home to return to . . .
Review
Treknobabble I can deal with, but deviation from the English language is pretty unforgivable. “I think we're safer figuring out who all is here than remaining rigidly silent”, says janeway. who all is here?? That wouldn't go out on air, would it? Then Tuvok comes out with the phrase: “one must assume a certain un interest in outdoor scenery”. "Un Interest?" It's not even a word! He's a Vulcan, and although he's recently been shaken up by racial memories, everything else he says use words that ... well. That actually exist. Then there's the phrase "for the entire rest of the bridge crew lay unconscious" (entire rest of?), and the command, "Aim manually using the computer!"Which sort of makes one wonder if she expected him to do an EVA with a torpedo and point it in the right direction without an explicit command to the contrary. This to Kim, too, because of course Ensign Kim is on weapons all the time. As if that wasn't issue enough ... the captain again: “Lieutenant Torres is going to make it.” Janeway rose and crossed to put her hand on his shoulder. “You care very much about her, don't you? I think Chell can use some watch standing experience ... why don't you go down to sickbay.” never mind that that second question doesn't have a question mark (we're outside the boundaries of decent grammar now) but who's B'Elanna's other half here? "Kim stood without a word and hurriedly walked to the turbo lift." Because it sure as hell isn't Harry! B'Elanna's an interesting one too, because there's this whole half-Klingon, half-Human struggle going on which is quite normal for her character, but also this huge thread of failure. “I disgraced myself. I am not fit to wear my uniform”, she says after being hit by a terror beam, but even before the weapon is used there's a great deal about how she doesn't fit in with the crew or know what she's doing and is generally a useless waste of space. It's almost laughably overdone. And, though this is the final fury, nothing's happened to them and they could be back someday. I suppose this was the case so that if another TV series came along something could be plausibly written up, but it does end the series a little awkwardly.
3 Stars to Time's Enemy (Star Trek: Deep Space 9 #16, Invasion #3) by L.A. Graf
Description
Millenia ago, an apocalyptic battle was fought in the Alpha Quadrant. The losers were banished, but what became of the victors?
Review
“Apparently the Ferengi don't have a word in their language for 'no.'” Quark sniffed with what Kira suspected was supposed to be indignation, somehow managing to sound both obsequious and offended at the same time. “That's not true,” the Ferengi countered. “We have several, depending on how much negotiation it will take to change your mind.” The racial characteristics were all here and neatly done, although at times the switching between station and ship was a little more confusing than it should've been. The strands, terrorists, a seemingly invincible aliens, ill Andorians and the whole Dax thing was all a little overwhelming, but then I am coming down with a horrendous cold and so am not really at my best. "In the great scheme of things, pain was fairly easy to ignore - comfort had a way of sneaking up on you and making you complacent." Kira was done quite well, though, and though DS9 isn't quite as fun without Garak, it wasn't a bad story.
4 Stars to The Soldiers of Fear (Star Trek: The Next Generation, #41; Invasion, #2) by Dean Wesley Smith
Description
Long ago, before the dawn of civilization, they were banished to the realm of nightmares. Now the terrors are real . . . A generation ago, another Starship EnterpriseTM fought off a ship of exiled aliens intent on conquering all of the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet thought the foe had been repelled forever -- until now. The Furies have returned in might warships even more powerful than before. But their weapons are more than merely physical, for these aliens are the origins of all the demons and monsters of ancient myth, and they have found a way to project fear directly into the minds of their enemies. To defeat the Furies, and save the Federation, Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. EnterpriseTM must first conquer the darkest terrors of their unconscious minds.
Review
"what was there to question? He and his best friend were going to die in the next few minutes. it was that simple." Because of the speed at which I read, these books are kind of like a feature-length episode for me. This one was certainly very enjoyable, and although the Redbay ending was predictable and Data’s immunity to the genetic queues underexplored, fitting into the work thus far was smooth and neatly managed. Guinan’s input was very televisual, too. The length of the DS9 extract, the next novel, was a bit weird – this novel itself was just under an hour and a half of reading, and the “up next” sequence was a further quarter of an hour on top of that. Still, this is a fantastic series to come back to after so long without the old familiar episodes on rerun.
4 Stars to First Strike (Star Trek, #79; Invasion!, #1) by Diane Carey
Description
THE BEGINNING OF THE ULTIMATE STAR TREK SAGA! "Across time and space comes a Fury!" Long ago, before the days of myth and legend, our worlds belonged to them. Now they want them back.... Captain Kirk is stunned when the Federation receives an urgent plea for help -- from the Klingon Empire. A mysterious starship has invaded Klingon space and resisted all their efforts to destroy it. Establishing contact with the stranger's ship, Kirk discovers that it is only the vanguard of a vast alien fleet obsessed with conquering the Klingons, the Federation, the Romulans, and all who dwell in the space that was once their own. The Invasion has begun....
Review
It was a weird experience, reading this, because the paperback edition I just spent the last few hours enjoying was published in July 1996. Long, long before ePub or Kindle ebooks, and I'd forgotten the unique brand of OCR error intrinsic to such scans. Took me right back to my pre-ereader days, and the hundreds of books I read that I, or other blind people as like as not, scanned manually page by page into our computers to read. This is a very worthy title, Kirk's on form and of course this is the first of a miniseries, which had nonetheless to end its own story so the next generation could take over. This is of course masterfully accomplished. I really wanted a little Trek back in my life, and this served admirably.
3 Stars to Fade-out by Patrick Tilley
Description
Patrick Tilley's brilliant bestselling thriller of humanity's first contact with advanced alien intelligence is a high-tension tour-de-force that will leave you thinking long after you have turned the last page.
Review
Though enjoyable, this was a little too US-centric and Human, somehow. Great potential, an intriguing ending, but not quite on the ball in terms of action for my liking.
5 Stars to The Circle (The Circle, #1) by Dave Eggers
Description
alternate cover for ISBN 9780385351393 When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency. As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO. Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in the world—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.
Review
"don’t presume the benevolence of your leaders" This is actually a terrifyingly realistic depiction of what could so seriously happen. A few years ago, people worried that Facebook could dominate in the way of the Circle as shown in this book, and there are still concerns about Google's monopolistic tendencies. Apple had an extreme share of the mobile market at one stage, and it only takes one company with enough pull and vision to tilt us into a single provider world. This is explored superbly here, and although the reactions from people like Alistaire, Nanci, and Helena and Edward are utterly out-of-proportion and neurotic, they show the absolutism of the social world. The Circle's insistence that out-of-hours "social" activities aren't optional yet are so necessary is a dichotomy brilliantly juxtaposed, and the final paragraph, those hundred words or so, are chilling to the marrow.
January
3 Stars to Fissures by D.L. Hodges
Description
Andrew (Drew) Parsons, the product of an abusive upbringing by his adoptive father, has spent 7 years in jail for a crime he committed in his teens. While in the penitentiary he befriends an older inmate, John, a seasoned veteran of the prison system, who mentors Drew, teaching him the path he has chosen isn't the one he should continue on. Returning home, after his prison release, with the desire to change his life, Drew steps back into a world fraught with conflict and misery; but also to a mother who has always been there to protect him. Soon, however, he realizes he must break away from that environment if he is to have any chance of success. Escaping his parents’ house, Drew sets out on a journey of discovery; to make a new future for himself, but also to learn the mystery of his past, to find his birth parents. As Drew begins to uncover his history he is swept into a world of lies, abandonment and violence, and the truths he finds are far from the ones he sought. Show more Show less
Review
This title was depressing: I seem to be having a bad run of suicides in fiction lately! The speech was a little stilted, contractions seem hard for the author to use in dialogue and the sex, especially the domination scene, was off-putting simply because it was out of character (or at least too graphic for the tone of the work).
4 Stars to Pass/Fail by David Wellington
Description
Jake's senior year of high school is shaping up pretty well, until his guidance counselor takes him aside to put him in a special program. "You're on a Pass/Fail basis now. If you pass enough tests you'll graduate with honors and I'll shake your hand. If you fail three tests, I'll personally take you behind the gymnasium and put a bullet in your head." Now Jake's navigating a crazy maze of diabolic puzzles and impossible moral choices. And he's already failed his first test...
Review
Adrenaline filled and fun for a teen, but the lack of any follow-up titles detracts a little. Still, had me intrigued, and I enjoyed some of the puzzels
3 Stars to Mayday by Nelson DeMille
Description
Twelve miles above the Pacific Ocean, a missile strikes a jumbo passenger jet. The flight crew is crippled or dead. Now, defying both nature and man, three survivors must achieve the impossible. Land the plane. From master storyteller Nelson DeMille and master pilot Thomas Block comes Mayday, the classic bestseller that packs a supersonic shock at every turn of the page....the most terrifyingly realistic air disaster thriller ever. Like a growing tidal wave, the escaping air was gathering momentum. A teenaged girl in aisle 18, seat D, near the port-side aisle, her seat dislocated by the original impact, suddenly found herself gripping her seat track on the floor, her overturned seat still strapped to her body. The seatbelt failed and the seat shot down the aisle. She lost her grip and was dragged after it. Her eyes were filled with horror as she dug her nails into the carpet, as the racing air pulled her toward the yawning hole that led outside. Her cries were unheard by even those passengers who sat barely inches away from her struggle. The noise of the escaping air was so loud that it was no longer decipherable as sound, but seemed instead a solid thing pounding at the people in their seats......
Review
a very predictable read in outline, though well written and dramatic enough. A little too much suicide and religion for my liking, but for its sort it works well.
4 Stars to 21st Century Science Fiction: The New Science Fiction Writers of the New Century by David G. Hartwell
Description
Twenty-First Century Science Fiction is an enormous anthology of short stories―close to 250,000 words―edited by two of the most prestigious and award-winning editors in the SF field and featuring recent stories from some of science fiction's greatest up-and-coming authors. David Hartwell and Patrick Nielsen Hayden have long been recognized as two of the most skilled and trusted arbiters of the field, but Twenty-First Century Science Fiction presents fans' first opportunities to see what their considerable talents come up with together, and also to get a unique perspective on what's coming next in the science fiction field. The anthology includes authors ranging from bestselling and established favorites to incandescent new talents including Paolo Bacigalupi, Cory Doctorow, Catherynne M. Valente, John Scalzi, Jo Walton, Charles Stross, Elizabeth Bear, and Peter Watts, and the stories selected include winners and nominees of all of the science fiction field's major awards. One of Publishers Weekly's Best Science Fiction Books of 2013
Review
This was quite modern in its own way, which naturally is the idea. I particularly enjoyed: Neal Asher's Strood, , Rachel Swirsky's Eros, Philia, Agape, Tony Ballantyne's tk'tk'tk, Ian Creasey's Erosion, Ted Kosmatka's The Prophet of Flores, James Cambias balancing accounts, Peter Watts The Island, And Cory Doctorow's Chicken Little. Omited from the above because I enjoyed it most of all is Ken Liu's Algorithms for Love, which haunted me for the whole night I red it, and is undeniably my favourite of the collection. I also have a whole coven of new authors to look at now, of course!
5 Stars to The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
Description
What begins as the story of a lost boy turns into a story of a brave man yearning to understand what happened that night, in the years since, and to his very person. While on vacation with their parents, Matthew Homes and his older brother snuck out in the middle of the night. Only Matthew came home safely. Ten years later, Matthew tells us, he has found a way to bring his brother back... Unafraid to look at the shadows of our hearts, Nathan Filer's rare and brilliant debut shows us the strength that is rooted in resilience and love. Editor's Note Feb 10, 2014: St Martin's Press have just announced that Where The Moon Isn't will be republished under the UK title, The Shock of the Fall this week in digital format and later this fall in paperback. They said that the title change was necessary "because otherwise there's a lot of confusion" - The Shock of the Fall recently won the Costa Book of the Year award, which is UK based but has international renown.
Review
I read this because of interest from a colleague at work and found it a gripping, compelling, and powerful story. As a debut, it's on par with S.j. Watson, and reds so very british and so mentally tortuous that it's hard to quantify exactly what about the storytelling kept me interested. The whole work radiated confusion and memory and swept me along in a tidal wave of thoughts not my own and the life of someone else. If I had to sum it up in one word? I think it would be believable.
3 Stars to The Cure by Douglas E. Richards
Description
Erin Palmer had a devastating encounter with a psychopath as a child. Now a grad student and scientist, she's devoting her life to studying these monsters. When her research catches the attention of Hugh Raborn, a brilliant neuroscientist who claims to have isolated the genes responsible for psychopathic behavior, Erin realizes it may be possible to reverse the condition, restoring souls to psychopaths. But to do so, she'll not only have to operate outside the law, but violate her most cherished ethical principles. As Erin becomes further involved with Raborn, she begins to suspect that he harbors dark secrets. Is he working for the good of society? Or is he intent on bringing humanity to its knees? Hunted by powerful, shadowy forces, Erin teams up with another mysterious man, Kyle Hansen, to uncover the truth. The pair find themselves pawns in a global conspiracy—one capable of destroying everything Erin holds dear and forever altering the course of human history . . .
Review
I liked this, but something didn't quite click to make it an outstanding read. It almost felt as if every twist and turn tried to outdo every other on a bigger and bigger scale, and too many comparisons to Jason Bourne don't really fit when your lead is female. Still, it was a fairly gripping thriller for all that, even if there were parts that weren't so wonderful.
4 Stars to Amped by Douglas E. Richards
Description
Kira Miller is a brilliant scientist who discovers how to temporarily boost human IQ to dizzying levels. But this transcendent intelligence brings with it a ruthless megalomania. Determined to use her discovery to propel human civilization to a higher plane, despite this side effect, Kira and ex-special forces operative David Desh recruit a small group of accomplished scientists, all of whom are safely off the grid. Or so they think . . . Soon Kira and her team are fighting for their lives against unknown but powerful adversaries. Worse still, while on the run and being relentlessly attacked from all quarters, Kira comes across evidence of savage acts that the enhanced version of Desh kept hidden, even from himself. Now both she and Desh must question everything they think they know. Can they trust each other? Can they even trust themselves? And all the while, the greatest threat of all may be coming from an entirely unexpected direction. A threat that could lead to devastation on a global scale. And time is quickly running out . . .
Review
I can't claim that the ending of this novel blew me away with amazement, yet it compelled me to carry on reading. I didn't even know there was more to come, after the first book, but just the synopsis of this installment made it a foregone conclusion that I'd read it, and soon. The action is as well done as the first, and the plot convoluted but followable, believable without being so far-fetched as to be remotely unthinkable. A truly enjoyable thriller, though the matched set are worth taking together. There is room for future work too, so I'll really have to think about picking up some of Richard's YA stuff in the meantime, just to keep me going.
5 Stars to Queen of Stars (The Starfolk, #2) by Dave Duncan
Description
While discovering the truth behind his half-human, half-elven parentage, master swordsman Rigel not only defeated the horrific monsters of the Starlands, but also thwarted Prince Vildiar’s dark designs to conquer the elven realms. Now, despite his fate to die an early, violent death if he remains in the Starlands, Rigel refuses to return to Earth, consumed as he is by love for the newly crowned Queen Talitha. But this passion is perilous: Vildiar has hatched multiple conspiracies to usurp the throne, and a vision has revealed that if Rigel and Talitha ever consummate their love, it will only hasten Rigel’s inevitable demise. Even under a pall of doom, Rigel never hesitates to defend the land and people he has taken on as his own. As traitors plot Talitha’s downfall, Rigel rescues one of Vildiar’s own half-breed offspring from Earth and offers her a new life in the Starlands. But will she embrace this gift without guile…or is she preparing to plunge a dagger into Rigel’s back?
Review
Well, now! This was Duncan on form and no mistake. I can't say that I was surprised at the marvelously twisted ending, in fact it's one of his strong points to dazzle us with a huge buildup to something nasty only to twitch the rug out from under your feet. It's more often done at the climax of a series, of course, and with only 2 books in you sort of come away disappointed, but then again the writing is as wonderful as ever and the politics and internal consistencies so cleverly set up and adhered to that it's a pleasure to read. The whole Avior line felt a little underexplored, but then who am I to judge the worthwhileness of those bits there were? I just enjoyed the whole thing from start to finish, and that's grand enough for me.
4 Stars to The Man Who Turned Into Himself by David Ambrose
Description
In the middle of an important meeting, businessman Rick Hamilton has a terrible premonition: His wife is about to die. Racing to save her, he finds her lifeless body in the road, her car crushed by a truck. The light dwindles from his eyes... and then she is alive again, begging for help, and Rick Hamilton no longer is himself, but another man with another life, and a different history. Based on the "many worlds" theory of quantum physics, which posits the existence of parallel universes, The Man Who Turned Into Himself is a suspenseful, mind-bending mystery that addresses our deepest questions about reality, death, identity, and the mind.
Review
Wow. This has all the solid narration of a much earlier work, the sort of no-nonsense first person you'd get out of a golden sci-fi era novel. It's also extremely confusing in a parallel world sort of a way and hardily recommended for fans of such.
4 Stars to The Girl with All the Gifts (The Girl With All the Gifts, #1) by M.R. Carey
Description
Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius." Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh. Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad. The Girl with All the Gifts is a sensational thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Justin Cronin, and Neil Gaiman.
Review
Oh, yes. This is an apocalyptic aftermath story done very well indeed. The point of view shifts, especially between Caldwell and Melanie, are vivid and bold and well delineated and overall, the story thumps along at an incredible pace.
4 Stars to The Hit by Melvin Burgess
Description
Take it. Live it. F*** it. A new drug is out. Everyone is talking about it. The Hit. Take it, and you have one amazing week to live. It's the ultimate high. At the ultimate price. Adam is tempted. Life is rubbish, his girlfriend's over him, his brother's gone. So what's he got to lose? Everything, as it turns out. It's up to his girlfriend, Lizzie, to show him...
Review
This book really got it right, somehow. The youth was credible, the city believable, and most of all the tone of the work was actually quite enthralling. It's a book tackling very big and complex issues and would be well worth introducing in education settings, aside from being a rather fantastic story.
4 Stars to The Complete Robot (Robot, #0.3) by Isaac Asimov
Description
THE COMPLETE ROBOT is the definitive anthology of Asimov's stunning visions of a robotic future… In these stories, Isaac Asimov creates the Three Laws of Robotics and ushers in the Robot Age: when Earth is ruled by master-machines and when robots are more human than mankind. Contents 9 • Introduction (The Complete Robot) • (1982) • essay by Isaac Asimov 15 • A Boy's Best Friend • (1975) • short story by Isaac Asimov 19 • Sally • (1953) • short story by Isaac Asimov 41 • Someday • (1956) • short story by Isaac Asimov 55 • Point of View • [Multivac] • (1975) • short story by Isaac Asimov 59 • Think! • (1977) • short story by Isaac Asimov 70 • True Love • (1977) • short story by Isaac Asimov 77 • Robot AL-76 Goes Astray • (1942) • short story by Isaac Asimov 93 • Victory Unintentional • (1942) • short story by Isaac Asimov 117 • Stranger in Paradise • (1974) • novelette by Isaac Asimov 151 • Light Verse • (1973) • short story by Isaac Asimov 157 • Segregationist • (1967) • short story by Isaac Asimov 164 • Robbie • (1940) • short story by Isaac Asimov (variant of Strange Playfellow) 191 • Let's Get Together • (1957) • short story by Isaac Asimov 211 • Mirror Image • [Elijah Bailey / R. Daneel Olivaw] • (1972) • short story by Isaac Asimov 231 • The Tercentenary Incident • (1976) • short story by Isaac Asimov 253 • First Law • [Mike Donovan] • (1956) • short story by Isaac Asimov 257 • Runaround • [Mike Donovan] • (1942) • novelette by Isaac Asimov 280 • Reason • [Mike Donovan] • (1941) • short story by Isaac Asimov 302 • Catch That Rabbit • [Mike Donovan] • (1944) • short story by Isaac Asimov 329 • Liar! • [Susan Calvin] • (1941) • short story by Isaac Asimov 350 • Satisfaction Guaranteed • [Susan Calvin] • (1951) • short story by Isaac Asimov 368 • Lenny • [Susan Calvin] • (1958) • short story by Isaac Asimov 385 • Galley Slave • [Susan Calvin] • (1957) • novelette by Isaac Asimov 427 • Little Lost Robot • [Susan Calvin] • (1947) • novelette by Isaac Asimov 459 • Risk • [Susan Calvin] • (1955) • novelette by Isaac Asimov 490 • Escape! • [Susan Calvin] • (1945) • short story by Isaac Asimov 518 • Evidence • [Susan Calvin] • (1946) • novelette by Isaac Asimov 546 • The Evitable Conflict • [Susan Calvin] • (1950) • novelette by Isaac Asimov 575 • Feminine Intuition • [Susan Calvin] • (1969) • novelette by Isaac Asimov 605 • ... That Thou Art Mindful of Him • (1974) • novelette by Isaac Asimov (variant of —That Thou Art Mindful of Him!) 635 • The Bicentennial Man • (1976) • novelette by Isaac Asimov 683 • A Last Word • (1982) • essay by Isaac Asimov THE COMPLETE ROBOT is the ultimate collection of timeless, amazing and amusing robot stories from the greatest science fiction writer of all time, offering golden insights into robot thought processes. Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics were programmed into real computers thirty years ago at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - with surprising results. Readers of today still have many surprises in store...
Review
I've read a lot of Asimov, and I must have first come across this marvelous collection back in the mid-to-late nineties. I enjoyed almost every story present, although the first section didn't appeal to me as much, and A Boy's Best Friend in particular was not very well developed (Robbie was much better). I think my favourite story of the book has to be Victory Unintentional, although Powell and Donovan and Calvin are huge and I also really enjoyed Reason, Galley Slave and Feminine Intuition. A highly recommended collection indeed.
4 Stars to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7) by J.K. Rowling
Description
Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him... In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectacular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited.
Review
If I'd felt let down by Half-Blood Prince, I positively hated Deathly Hallows on an initial read. I even read it a few months later, and though I enjoyed it more, I still held to my original attitude. It was a movie script in novel form. Yet, having red it afresh, I find myself full of admiration for the style and tone, the completion of the series and the powerful threads of friendship and loyalty that run through the work. I honestly thoughd I'd be able to sit down and properly examine these books, to really get into my reactions to them. This worked for Philosopher's Stone, but then each work pulled me further and further in so that I was captivated all over again and catapulted through them with all the voracity of someone new to them. So I've loved it, but have been foiled in my attempt to sit down with the books on an equal, level playing field and truly think about them objectively, without getting swept up in them to the point where I just wanted the story. When next, then? It's been six and a half years since Deathly Hallows was published, and precisely 12 years, 2 weeks and 3 days since I first started on my journey into Harry Potter (and I came to the party four years late, too). I imagine that the next complete outing will be when my daughter is old enough to take them. We're still under three and grasping with the concepts of pronouns. But in time, it'll come and, unless I get an overwhelming Harry feeling before that I see my next outing of this magnificent series being in young company. Of course, they are now on Goodreads, which was also part of my intent when rereading them. If, and I can't see why I wouldn't be, I am still reading and reviewing here, I'll add comments to my reviews as I reread. Thank you for your accompaniment on my Potter journey.
5 Stars to Sir Apropos of Nothing (Sir Apropos of Nothing, #1) by Peter David
Description
Fatherless, estranged from his prostitute mother, and the product of a violent, abusive childhood, Apropos makes his living as a thief, until the death of a young girl prompts him to question his dark existence and forges an unlikely alliance with a noble hero who could change his life forever. Reprint.
Review
It's been almost three weeks since I had the time or inclination to pick up a novel. I don't exactly know why I've struggled to read lately, but getting back into the literary arts was certainly something on my agenda. And with what a title to start... "there's nothing like seeing twenty armed men arriving too late to do anything about a disaster that truly stirs the heart to bursting with emotion." That's the entire ambiance of this novel. Every joke, gibe, jape and jest appears to be one thing but turns out to be something utterly different. Even the characters break the mould. "I am by trade neither writer nor historian; I am merely a master of fabrication, which I am told is all one requires to take up either of the aforementioned pursuits." So says Apropos, hero, narrator, look-out of his own fait and nothing else. Apropos is quite a messed-up guy, and his chronicled adventures in this novel kept me highly entertained from start to finish. the language is so well used that it's almost impossible to imagine things going any other way, but it doesn't stop there. the environs and universe in which the novel is set is by no means done in sweeping grandeur, but we get enough detail to know what's going on at any time. characterisation, dialog and pithy insight make the novel a cut above anything I've read for a while, and it's great fun to read - one feels as if one is peering over Apropos' shoulder and peeking into his hapless misfortunes. "It was disconcerting to realize that I was in agreement with someone whom I considered to be only slightly smarter than a mushroom I'd just mashed beneath my foot." Apropos himself is hardly the sort of hero one wants to feel kinship with - in fact, I can hardly stand him, as a person. Although he is generally true to his ethos, and there's something to be said for that - he's also a first rate top-class egoist. as much as I may dislike him, though, the twists, turns and surprises thrown at me throughout this book made me utterly unable to put it down. I hate apropos, but I love reading about him, and so there's no doubt I intend to stuff a sock in my mouth to stop myself from laughing, and go pick up the next book in the hopes that the story is continued with accustomed aplomb.
5 Stars to The Bourne Ultimatum (Jason Bourne, #3) by Robert Ludlum
Description
The world's two deadliest spies in the ultimate showdown. At a small-town carnival two men, each mysteriously summoned by telegram, witness a bizarre killing. The telegrams are signed Jason Bourne. Only they know Bourne's true identity and understand the telegram is really a message from Bourne's mortal enemy, Carlos, known also as the Jackal, the world's deadliest and most elusive terrorist. And furthermore, they know that the Jackal wants: a final confrontation with Bourne. Now David Webb, professor of Oriental studies, husband, and father, must do what he hoped he would never have to do again: assume the terrible identity of Jason Bourne. His plan is simple: to infiltrate the politically and economically Medusan group and use himself as bait to lure the cunning Jackal into a deadly trap, a trap from which only one of them will escape.
Review
My rating is perhaps a little unusual for me,as it's not really based on literary merit. Indeed, I found myself, upon this reread, a little shocked at how often Bourne makes mistakes and is mentioned to be getting old. Still, it's one of the first adult novels I really read and got into, and for that, it has a special place in my heart. William Dufris's narration of this work so enthralled me at the time that I played the tapes several times over - no small thing considering they ran for over twenty-five hours, and even reading it myself now, I find I hear his voice and his characters. I especially liked the way Ultimatum made homage to Identity, the section back in France was very nicely done, if a little rushed. And again, I can only further iterate that the way Bourne's age is brought up time and again makes the subsequent novels even more pointless than many have intimated. The final sentence of the novel ends the trilogy perfectly and, as far as I'm concerned, that's how the series should have remained.
3 Stars to Josiah Trenchard Part One The Might of Fortitude by Jonathon Fletcher
Description
Librarian note: alternative cover edition - ASIN B009PK84WW Four years ago Josiah Trenchard was almost killed during the Insurgent uprising of Belatu-Cadros on Mars; his throat slashed by a mysterious, masked and black clad assassin. His only clue to the assassin's hidden identity was a whispered goodbye in a feminine Japanese accent. But for some reason, she let him live… Now Commander Trenchard is fighting the Insurgents once more when he is unexpectedly re-assigned to the untested prototype Wolverine class vessel, the “Might of Fortitude”, the most deadly hunter-killer in the fleet. Uprooted from the star-ship that he has come to call home, Trenchard discovers that he has been specifically requested by an old comrade, now Captain of the cramped, submarine-like star-ship, which is about to be launched on her maiden voyage. Her mission: to hunt down bloodthirsty pirates who have unleashed a reign of terror throughout the asteroid belt. Struggling with an inexperienced crew, bad turns to worse when the hunter becomes the hunted and Commander Trenchard must put his life on the line to save his ship, his crew, and the honour of the Space Navy...
Review
Very pulp, pretty British, full of fowl language! What more could you want?
5 Stars to Heaven is a Place on Earth by Graham Storrs
Description
Ginny had only dated the enigmatic Cal Coplin a couple of times when the police arrived to question her about him. He'd disappeared – something that should be completely impossible in the late 21st century when everyone was electronically tagged. And then Ginny received a recorded message from Cal, asking her to deliver a small package for him. Her decision to help him plunges Ginny into a world of fear, corruption, and massive deception. On the run from the police, a dangerous terrorist organisation, and a shadowy corporation, Ginny struggles to stay alive and free while she tries to understand what is happening and prevent a deadly attack on the government. But in a world dominated by augmented and virtual realities, nothing is as it seems, and the deception runs deeper than anyone could imagine.
Review
"That's because, for your parents, augmented reality meant a geotagged app on their smartphone." This is a thrilling, intense and subtly disturbing novel which packs one heck of a wallop whilst being exciting at the same time. Storrs manages a believable extrapolation of artificial reality and forecasts a future at once fascinating and horrifying in all its sociological implications. I took some time to warm to Ginny, and found her a little whiny and irritating to begin with. I think it was because she was just some normal, everyday person thrust into these events, whereas Storrs previous characters, in Timesplash etc, had either been professionals or proper kickass with gumption aplenty. It's refreshing, on reflection, to see him take a run-of-the-mill lady trying to get on with the business of living and her reactions to the goings on in the book are as interesting as the events themselves. "Reality was even more depressing than usual and it was good to get back to normality." Throughout the book, there's a huge undercurrent of artificial or virtual reality as "normal", and reality as we have it today, with our own limited senses, is considered wrong, somehow. "Only a masochist would want to see the world as it really was" is the prevailing attitude of much of the population, and when Ginny visit's Cal's place and sees he's kept the reality and the augmentation together it's a profoundly shocking moment for her. I took to Rafe quicker, so from about the second third into this story I really was quite hooked. As the tension built and the lies and harsh realities became clearer, I found myself praying for traffic so I could finish before I had to clock in. and then there's the final chapter, that glorious "vicious wrenching of reality " which is extremely unsettling and when I'd turned the final page and actually had to step out into the real world, I of course had to wonder, for a moment, how real it really was? This is a story that makes you ask questions, makes you think about what we're being told and fed and made to think. It scared me a little, to be truthful. Graham Storrs has once again pulled out the stops for a true page-turner of a thriller. It's not the last we'll see of him in 2014, but it's certainly a brilliant way to begin the year!