Reading Archive: 2016
December
2 Stars to The Box by Bryan Kollar
Description
Blake Stone builds the worlds first time travel device. It’s main purpose? Go back in time to accomplish one secret mission - but instead it accidentally travels 329 years into the future. The year 2345 doesn’t have the ‘outdated parts’ to repair The Box, so the struggle for Blake to get back to the year 2016 is more than he can handle.
Review
Apart from going nowhere in a temporal sense, "curve my appetite" (referring to hunger) and "previously scalded her" (meaning "told off" rather than burned) meant I didn't enjoy this on a literary level, either.
3 Stars to Donovan's Brain by Curt Siodmak
Description
Dr Patrick Cory is a scientist who, unable to save W.H. Donovan's life after a plane crash, keeps his brain alive thru an illegal experiment. The story provides an examination of evil impossible to forget. Donovan is more than one of the world's richest men. He's a megalomaniac even before Cory keeps his brain alive in the tank. Once freed of the distractions of flesh, the will to power is all that drives him. It communicates with Cory thru telepathy, but that's only the beginning. It begins to take over the scientist. Possessed by Donovan's mind, Cory finds himself helpless to fight the tycoon's plans. Cory remains aware as he follows orders, becoming more & more like Donovan. His wife is helpless, his assistant is helpless, to stop Donovan's Brain!
Review
Spooky stuff, although not really very deep or meaningful. Very interesting treatment of women, too.
4 Stars to Surgical by Geoffrey Germann
Description
The leader of a lynchpin Eastern Bloc nation has been increasingly erratic, belligerent, destabilizing the entire region. On the cusp of reversing the personal campaign that is destined to bring war, he is assassinated. His death comes with no warning, draws no blood, and leaves no trace; a puppet with its strings cut. A new assassin, a new terrorist, can kill anyone, anywhere, anytime. He is undetectable, untraceable, unstoppable. He will bring governments, nations, and continents to their knees one leader at a time. His next target is Walter Rocaena. To fight this enemy Walter will need extraordinary help, but he hasn’t seen Darren Kiel in over a year. Can Walter find him in time and, even if he does, how can anyone stop an assassin that can kill with a thought without ever being near the target? Even if it is possible, can they do it before civilization itself unravels?
Review
Another exciting installment. I was reminded a little of M.C. Soutter, but let's hope we're not limited to two books in this case!
4 Stars to Prepare by Geoffrey Germann
Description
"...cutting-edge... skillful... high-octane..." Kirkus Reviews As a small boy, Darren Kiel was witness to his father's corruption and contemptible misconduct. As he grew, that experience gave rise to a seething need to atone for his father's crimes, to set the world aright, to enforce order. Now an adult, Darren is thrust into a world far more horrific than he could ever have imagined: The Orchard, a region inundated by crime, violence, poverty, decay, and desperation. With swelling intolerance, hardening resolve, and miraculous technology, Darren sets upon an obsessive crusade to correct what has gone wrong in this society's machine. As the campaign escalates, Darren sees the violence spread to every corner of his life and threaten or destroy everything he's worked for and everyone he holds dear. But is this truly Darren's war or is all this just a small part of a much larger design that he is only now beginning to glimpse?
Review
An excitingly-executed work, and although there's a lot of questions unanswered there are also a lot of possibilities. I look forward to following it up!
4 Stars to Now You See It… by Vivian Vande Velde
Description
Wendy isn't as blind as a bat--there are bats that can see better than she can. Which is why, when her new glasses break, she's all too happy to wear the dorky pair of sunglasses she finds on the lawn. They seem to match her prescription, and that's all that matters if she's going to be able to make it through her school day. But the glasses correct her vision too much. She begins to see things that no one else can cheerful corpses, frightening crones disguised as teenyboppers, and portals to other worlds--places where people are all too aware of the magical properties of her new shades . . . and will do anything to get them.
Review
Only the second of her works I've read, but very well done for the younger teen. it doesn't shy away from the interesting stuff (time travel, high school popularity) but doesn't fly off into obscure wording and confuse a reader either. Plenty of good material here for perhaps your slightly younger teen with a very well realised story.
November
4 Stars to The Girl They Couldn't See (Blind Spot, #1) by Laurence E. Dahners
Description
This story is about Roni Buchry, a young multiracial girl with dark skin but blue eyes. She faces discrimination in her school and her family’s retail business is plagued by an organized crime family that collects “insurance,” often brutally. Roni’s always been extraordinarily good at hiding, first in hide-and-seek as a child and later to avoid embarrassment. Now, older, she and her brother begin to realize that what she actually has is a form of telepathy. She can’t read other people’s minds, or speak to them silently, or force her thoughts on theirs. All she can do is make other people “not notice” her. At first being able to become invisible seems like a great way to hide from or avoid her old boyfriend, but she slowly begins to realize that it will let her do so much more. She even begins to wonder if she might be able to do something about the mob family that’s been holding her city in its thrall.
Review
This was really exciting YA, well-told with a clever idea. The rushed ending caused a bit of a disappointment but the concept of teens doing some kickass stuff whilst giving some really decent showcasing of the morals deserves plaudits.
2 Stars to Coup by Harry Dale
Description
•MYSTERY a terrorist ‘spectacular’ in London serves as the wake-up call for ruthless sleeper cells plotting a new world order. •BRITISH in the face of a night of simultaneous attacks on strategic targets, man mountain Rudyard Rawson steps into the fray.•GLOBAL but has this hard-hitting English sportsman got what it takes to tackle disciplined men at arms trained in close quarters combat and cyber crime?•TRUTH OR lap up the suspense as you ask yourself where does truth end and fiction begin in this modern mystery thriller.•GOOD These are a few of the phrases reviewers have used to describe Harry Dale’s debut novel, first published in January 2015: “Brilliant”, “chillingly authentic” “gripping right from page one”, “frighteningly realistic”, a “real page-turner”.ABOUT THE Born in the Commonwealth, but raised and trained in England, the author works as a contractor in the Middle East. Harry Dale is a pen name.
Review
Some potential, but things seemed very disconnected. it was almost entirely a book of vignettes without any sort of character development, other than the fist chapter which went far too much in the other direction and was a little dry.
2 Stars to Violations by Susan Wright
Description
Under the guise of helping the crew find a way home, a group of aliens board the "U.S.S. Voyager" TM, and then steal the main computer. To get it back, Captain Janeway is forced to negotiate with the thieves -- who are from a consortium of planets where thievery is a way of life. But as Janeway and the crew fight to retrieve their computer in time to save the barely functioning ship, they become embroiled in a political battle that could not only destroy the "U.S.S. Voyager," but the crew as well.
Review
An exciting enough story, but totally let down by the ending (which of course never progressed anywhere).
3 Stars to Survivors (Noah's Ark, #1) by Harry Dayle
Description
May 1st 2014 the Earth is scorched by a stray asteroid, wiping out almost all life. Almost, but not quite. Three thousand souls aboard a cruise ship visiting the north pole are spared by a freak of nature. The ship’s First Officer, Jake Noah, was looking forward to getting back to dry land once and for all. But then the world ended, and now he finds himself reluctantly in charge of the last handful of survivors of the human race. The limited resources on board mean that just staying alive will be a struggle. With the threat of mutiny ever present, can Jake rise to the challenge and lead his crew and their passengers on a quest for safety, or will he take the easy option and leave anarchy and chaos to prevail?
Review
unfortunately for Dayle, David P. Forsyth got there first. This is readable but not brilliant, enjoyable without putting itself into the category of unputdownable.
3 Stars to Static! by Michael R. Collings
Description
When Payne Gunnison inherits his great-aunt's house, he discovers that the entire structure has been wired for video and sound--both to record and to play--and that "The Greer" (as the locals called the elderly recluse) had accumulated a superb library of tapes and DVDs--including some filled with scenes of extreme sex and violence. Payne quickly befriends his next-door neighbor and tenant, Nick, who becomes concerned when his new buddy becomes obsessed with the video technology. Something strange inhabits this old house--something bizarre and totally evil. Another classic tale of modern horror by a rising master of the macabre!
Review
Were the literary references not so exacting it would have come across as presumptuous and rather gauche. Instead I was left with the feeling of having enjoyed a horror with polite overtones. Not quite not what one expects but there you go.
4 Stars to Memories of My Father by Josh Roseman
Description
When she was a little girl, Amy Holland's father started losing his memory. The moment she realized, she vowed to find a way to save him. Two decades later, Amy has dedicated her life to studying the brain, while her father is almost a complete blank slate. So far, she hasn't found a way to fix the problem. Fortunately, Amy's girlfriend -- a scientist in her own right -- just had a breakthrough on her own pet time travel. If Amy can just figure out why her father started to forget, she's confident she can save him, even if she has to do it in the past, before his memories started to fade. But when Amy discovers the horrible secret of what caused her father's memory loss, there's only one thing she can do to save him -- and to do that, she's going to have to forget everything she knows. "Like the best science fiction, the emphasis of 'Memories of My Father' is less on the technology that makes time travel possible and more on the believably complex and heart wrenching situations that make the human experience so uniquely tragic." -Sabrina Peña Young, composer and author of GENESIS "'Memories of My Father' gets to the science-fictiony widget early, points it out for the audience, and goes right back to tearing apart the reader with emotional human drama. Don’t worry, though; there’s still enough widget for any SF fan." -K.T. Katzmann, author of MURDER WITH MONSTERS
PRAISE FOR JOSH ROSEMAN'S "THE CLOCKWORK RUSSIAN" "This is a great book, the kind you read for enjoyment rather than duty. It crosses time and space, from steampunk to space opera, and the stories are intelligent, compelling, and always entertaining." -Sean McMullen, winner of the Aurealis and Australian Science Fiction awards, and author of the Greatwinter trilogy "Clever, thought-provoking, and occasionally unsettling in all the best ways, The Clockwork Russian challenges and encourages the reader to see something new in a genre most wrongly decide is not for them. Definitely a must-have on your bookshelf." -Andy Martello, author of The King of Willie Martello and the El Rey Club "Josh Roseman transports the reader into his stories with vivid details and incredible pacing; a moment never lingers too long, and I can see the scene unfold in my mind's eye." -Beau Hall, author of Snapshot "The Clockwork Russian includes more than a dozen thought-provoking stories that reach out, grab you, and make you want to keep reading well into the night. Each one is more intriguing than the last, building strange worlds, situations, and characters that remain long after the page-turning pleasure has passed." -Big Anklevich, co-editor of The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine "A diverse and fiercely-intelligent collection, these are stories that interrogate the future while reflecting on the past. Highly recommended." -C. S. McMullen, AWGIE-nominated screenwriter and author
Review
I can’t really say this was an enjoyable read; but it got one thinking at least and it wasn’t badly written, which is probably the best thing I can think of to say about a story that is intended to be sad and mournful. I liked the concepts, the proliferation of same-sex marriages and the idea of a daughter doing so much for her dad, of course.
4 Stars to Extreme Makeover by Dan Wells
Description
A new stand-alone novel from the New York Times bestselling author of I Am Not A Serial Killer, soon to be a feature film. The satirical new suspense about a health and beauty company that accidentally develops a hand lotion that can overwrite your DNA. Lyle Fontanelle is the chief scientist for NewYew, a health and beauty company experimenting with a new, anti-aging hand lotion. As more and more anomalies crop up in testing, Lyle realizes that the lotion's formula has somehow gone horribly wrong. It is actively overwriting the DNA of anyone who uses it, turning them into physical clones of someone else. Lyle wants to destroy the formula, but NewYew thinks it might be the greatest beauty product ever designed--and the world's governments think it's the greatest weapon. New York Times bestselling author Dan Wells brings us a gripping corporate satire about a health and beauty company that could destroy the world.
Review
Quite a novel approach to the end of the world, with the humour and style characteristic of this great author. If you're a Wells fan you won't be disappointed, but don't hold out for a happy ending folks because you won't be finding one. It's a downhill ride all the way!
5 Stars to Tangled Webb (Dark Webb Book 2) by Harry Dayle
Description
Thaddeus Webb has run away. Again. On the edge of Edinburgh he’s trying hard to stay out of trouble. Now it looks like trouble has found him.When Thad stumbles across someone who’s been scamming innocent tourists, he feels he must put a stop to their nefarious activities. But things are not all they seem, and before long he finds himself mired in a murder case and entangled in a terror plot. Thad is uniquely positioned to avert the impending atrocity. The only problem is, he doesn’t know where it will happen, or what form it will take.With a forgotten ghost from his past emerging from the shadows, and another from more recent events always lurking, he must use every trick he knows — legal or otherwise — to unravel the truth and save innocent livesTangled Webb is the second book in Harry Dayle’s exciting Dark Webb series.
Review
Arguably more electrifying than the first, the by-now familiar approach of explanation of the past and nonstop action in the present lends a familiarity to these stories, as well as giving a valve to bleed off some of the stress and tension at times - a frustrating and intriguing feeling in equal measure. The hospital at the end was superbly handled, it felt as if I was actually there. Dayle's seriously onto a fabulous formula with these and I sincerely hope they continue.
October
5 Stars to A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers, #2) by Becky Chambers
Description
Lovelace was once merely a ship's artificial intelligence. When she wakes up in an new body, following a total system shut-down and reboot, she has to start over in a synthetic body, in a world where her kind are illegal. She's never felt so alone. But she's not alone, not really. Pepper, one of the engineers who risked life and limb to reinstall Lovelace, is determined to help her adjust to her new world. Because Pepper knows a thing or two about starting over. Together, Pepper and Lovey will discover that, huge as the galaxy may be, it's anything but empty.
Review
This was impossible to put down. Ironically it was the wide array of species and cultures that impressed me with the first book, and there's less of that here. But the parallel stories were totally riveting, and I was just so impressed with the quality of the writing and reality of the emotions portrayed that I will be buying anything else Chambers comes up with.
3 Stars to Bionic by Suzanne Weyn
Description
Mira has always almost had it all...until it all crashes and burns. She's hurt in a horrible car accident, and the only way the doctors can help is to try experimental prosthetics and chips that are implanted directly into her brain. It's a huge risk, but after months of testing and therapy, Mira is back, and better than ever. But soon her friends turn against her as their parents call her on unfair advantages and get her cut from lacrosse and the scholarships she was depending on for college. And with her enhanced hearing, she knows how many people in her school and her town are calling her a robot, a cyborg. Is that true? Is Mira human, or is she somehow something other? How can she overcome the ways people see her and just be herself...especially if she's not really sure who that is anymore? Suzanne Weyn is always at the cutting edge when it comes to new tech and the questions it raises about the world we live in.
Review
A fairly quick but surprisingly painful and honest look at a topic which I'm sure can really hurt. I didn't come away overly moved, but I did enjoy the story.
3 Stars to The Waypoint by Ben Haskett
Description
Gil Sanders has at least a vague idea of what to expect from an alien abduction--he's seen it unfold countless times in TV, movies, and urban legends since he was a kid. So when he becomes the unlucky participant in an alien encounter, the biggest question on Gil's mind is why these aliens seem to refuse to play by the book. Sometimes thrilling, occasionally creepy, and often gross (with a few laughs thrown in), The Waypoint is a science fiction mystery that's sure to keep you guessing until the very end.
Review
A cleverly narrated surrealistic story of alien kidnap, the work is let down some by a total lack of relatability. Even without that it's fascinating to try and decode what the aliens are upto; I felt as if I were peering over a shoulder, hearing thoughts more than reading a story - not an unpleasant sensation. I hope the author carries on writing!
5 Stars to Taking Up Serpents (Brody Taylor Thrillers, #3) by Ian Sutherland
Description
Would you kill yourself to save your loved one? When Brody Taylor receives a 'death letter’ from a fellow elite hacker, sent a week after his murder, its contents present Brody with an offer even he can't refuse. But the investigation is being led by Brody’s girlfriend, talented police detective Jenny Price. Unaware of the victim’s true profession, Jenny is stumped. How and why would a disabled Afghan war veteran could come to be poisoned by one of the world’s deadliest snakes. Working side-by-side once more, but with very different objectives, Brody and Jenny uncover a cyberterrorist conspiracy targeting innocent people. For Brody and Jenny to prevent the cyberweapon from releasing its deadly payload, Brody realises he'll need to lie to Jenny once again, knowing the truth will destroy their relationship. But with tens of thousands of lives scheduled to die within 24 hours, does he have any choice? Forget nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The modern-day weapon of mass destruction of choice is digital. And we’re all at risk.
Review
Another absolutely fantastic week with a superb cast of characters. I had no idea this was out, but can seriously say that Sutherland's lost nothing and knows how to upscale his works. Spectacular, hackery fun!
3 Stars to My New Family: A Horror Suspense Story by Alec John Johnson
Description
A significant loss can do strange things to people. Some people grieve uncontrollably for months on end, others turn to drugs or alcohol, or some turn to something else. Something far more disturbing. A suburban family man becomes fixated with his next door neighbor's family. He watches them through his window blinds every night. He watches them having dinner together and imagines being there with them. He visits them at night when their house is quiet. He stands over them and watches them sleep. How far will his obsession take him? Do his neighbors suspect anything? Will he be caught? "I watched every night. Some days were better than others, just like with other families. Sometimes there was laughing, other times anger, other times indifference. They had each other and they had me. That was all that mattered."
Review
A few grammatical showstoppers as you'd expect, and without much in the way of subtlety at all, this managed to be passable, if uninspiring horror.
4 Stars to Conclave by Robert Harris
Description
The Pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world’s most secretive election. They are holy men. But they have ambition. And they have rivals. Over the next seventy-two hours one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on earth.
Review
It's not really my field at all, but I found it electrifying and captivating in equal measure. I'm no fan of the church, but it was a cleverly spun story with a lot of subtlest to it.
3 Stars to Parallel One (Dreamshifters #1) by Harry Dayle
Description
Have you ever had a dream so vivid it felt real? Maybe it was real. Maybe you are a dreamshifter. Jessica Kayne is an ordinary girl who works in an ordinary London cafe. But when she sleeps, extraordinary things happen. Because Jessica has an incredible power, not that she knows it…yet. When Jessica dreams up a perfect man, who turns out to be real – and recently murdered – her life takes a very unexpected turn. Her dreams become more vibrant and more deadly, and she starts to discover her very special the ability to cross into parallel worlds. It’s a power that puts her life in grave danger. Can Jessica realise her true potential and solve the mysterious murder? Or will the trail of death catch up with her before she can even begin? Parallel One is the first book in the Dreamshifters trilogy. It’s a fast-paced, pan-dimensional Young Adult mystery.
Review
a An unfortunately feminine viewpoint meant I didn't quite click with this one. An idea not entirely without potential but not perhaps my type of thing.
4 Stars to Space Team (Space Team, #1) by Barry J. Hutchison
Description
Alternate Cover Edition of ASIN B01LT76J7K Cal Carver is having a bad day. Imprisoned and forced to share a cell with a cannibalistic serial killer, Cal thinks things can't possibly get any worse. He is wrong. It’s not until two-thirds of the human race is wiped out and Cal is abducted by aliens that his day really starts to go downhill. Whisked across the galaxy, Cal is thrown into a team of some of the sector's most notorious villains and scumbags. Their mission should be simple enough, but as one screw-up leads to another, they find themselves in a frantic battle to save an entire alien civilization - and its god - from total annihilation. A hilarious, fast-paced space adventure from the author the Independent calls "the new Terry Pratchett."
Review
With humour that at least made me think about a chuckle, I found this a pleasant diversion. I can't promise I'd go for more in the series, but it was enjoyable while it lasted.
3 Stars to Glitch (Glitch, #1) by Heather Anastasiu
Description
In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network. When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers. As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse. In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.
Review
A novel concept, but without much to float it above the wave of what really is pretty good YA stuff. I enjoyed it but, writing this a few weeks ahead, am not left with any resounding excitement.
4 Stars to Dragon Web Online: Inception (Electric Shadows #1) by S.R. Witt
Description
Review
The genre is fast filling up, but the angle of this one was a little different and the whole telling of the story motif, though not new, was handled gracefully and with mouthwatering read-moreability. There's clearly much, much more to hear from this one!
4 Stars to Rebels (Randoms, #2) by David Liss
Description
It’s difficult to return to Earth and live a simple, unadventurous life after having seen the wonders of the universe—especially when you find yourself with Smelly, a self-important artificial intelligence living in your head, reminding you how much of a primitive meat bag you are. But with Smelly’s help, Zeke is on his way back to space on a new, super-secret mission. Zeke may earn Earth a second chance at intergalactic membership—and better yet, he’ll be reunited with Tamret, the alien girl of his dreams. However, things never go as planned for Zeke. Conspiracy abounds as he’s once again blamed for destroying a spaceship, and sent deep into the dangerous Forbidden Zone to find the military tech tree that the enemy Phands are already using. Will his knowledge of pop culture and science fiction that saved him in Randoms help again?
Review
Probably my most eagerly anticipated release of the season, I really enjoyed this exciting continuation of the story I fell in love with last year. My only slight qualm is that there's an actual end to the first book, whereas we're left totally ready and keen for the final episode to fill us up here. I do believe that the conclusion of the trilogy will be explosively brilliant!
September
4 Stars to Brane Child by D.L. Morrese
Description
The Brane Skip device may provide a way for humanity to overcome the light-speed barrier and finally head for the stars. It seems like magic to Lisa Chang, the young engineer in command of the first crewed test flight, and Lisa doesn't believe in magic. But she does believe in the mission. Humanity must explore space in order to survive and prosper, and she feels honored to be among the first to go where no one has gone before. She does not know what will happen when the Brane Skip engages. She thinks it will do nothing. She fears it will explode. She does not expect it will cast them adrift in space and on a collision course with a fantasy version of Earth, complete with dragons, orcs, and wizards. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens.
Review
I found myself really getting into this story. It doesn't go heavily into much of the quantum stuff, which is perhaps a shame: on the other hand so many other books explore it that I do feel I've as much of a grasp on it as a lay person can have. This story just flowed nicely, was engaging but not a difficult read and appealed to me with an almost Becky Chambers vibe.
4 Stars to Slabscape: Reset (Slabscape, #1) by S. Spencer Baker
Description
Take the most sophisticated A.I. designed mind that has ever existed, encase it in over fifty million cubic kilometres of diamond nano-rods and send it off on a twenty-thousand-year odyssey towards the centre of the galaxy. Then screw it all up by allowing thirty-two million humans to go along for the ride...
Review
"How could he, a five-day-old 27-year-old have wound up at a presidential party on a gigantic spaceship hurtling towards an impossibly distant destination?" With an undeniable Douglas Adams feel to this very strange yet alarmingly alluring work, I find myself in the strange position of disliking a lot of the characters whilst rather enjoying a lot of their interactions. Odd but true, I do want to read the next one. I must confess to not laughing volubly... But then nor did I stop reading...
3 Stars to Facsimile by Erin L. Snyder
Description
"At AuroroTech, we record your actions and your words, then transform that data into a lifelike simulation. After that, the possibilities are endless. Imagine meeting yourself, being able to experience what others truly see and hear when they talk to you. Imagine if your friends and family could always keep in touch, no matter how busy you are. Imagine if in a hundred years from now, a part of you remains for future generations to interact with." When Persephone Kilard signed up and strapped on the miniature recorder, all she wanted was a social networking service that would take the actual work of socializing off of her hands. Fringe religious groups could wax poetic about deeper meanings and universal truths; she just wanted to make her life a little easier. After all, the simulation was only supposed to be her reflection, not her soul. But there was one small glitch. Suddenly Persephone’s digital profile has a mind of its own. Face to face with herself, Persephone is forced to confront questions about the nature of identity that she’d rather avoid. She’d better figure it out quickly, though, because hers isn’t the only mind lurking in AuroroTech’s drives and networks. Somewhere, hidden in the code, a simulated ghost is watching her while the border between reality and replica unravels. The virtual danger is becoming all too real, and both versions of Persephone need to uncover the truth if either is going to have a chance to survive.
Review
There was an element of over-the-top frantic shallowness about many of the characters, I expected someone to stop and scream "body grease!" A la Jim Hogan. The AI stuff was kinda cool, but I did struggle to click some. A neat concept in a world with perhaps more to offer, but not as fully developed nor to my tastes as I'd like.
5 Stars to The Buried Age by Christopher L. Bennett
Description
Jean-Luc Picard. His name has gone down in legend as the captain of the U.S.S. Stargazer and two starships Enterprise. But the nine years of his life leading up to the inaugural mission of the U.S.S. EnterpriseTM to Farpoint Station have remained a mystery -- until now, as Picard's lost era is finally unearthed. Following the loss of the Stargazer and the brutal court-martial that resulted, Picard no longer sees a future for himself in Starfleet. Turning to his other love, archaeology, he embarks on a quest to rediscover a buried age of ancient galactic history...and awakens a living survivor of that a striking, mysterious woman frozen in time since before the rise of Earth's dinosaurs. But this powerful immortal has a secret of cataclysmic proportions, and her plans will take Picard -- aided along the way by a brilliant but naive android, an insightful Betazoid, and an enigmatic El-Aurian -- to the heights of passion, the depths of betrayal, and the farthest reaches of explored space.
Review
I really got into this, it filled a gap in such a clever way. it felt like a very real look over character's shoulders and I absolutely enjoyed it. Very few Trek novels hit me with the impact deserving of a full 5 stars!
4 Stars to Dead in Bed: The Complete First Book by Bailey Simms
Description
Review
Not really my usual thing, I have an almost pathological aversion to these outbreak-style titles because so many of the "dead bodies come back to run riot" stories are overplayed. But Doomware was different because of the bio thing, and I guess this one is strange because of the eroticism. I quite enjoyed the writing and even if the people aren't ticking my boxes I wasn't repulsed.
3 Stars to Networked by L.K. Chapman
Description
They thought it was just a video game, but it’s not. Someone is out there. Watching. Video game designers Nick and Dan find their half-finished project suddenly replaced with a game that is finished – and brilliant. Soon players everywhere find themselves immersed in an incredible new virtual world. But events in the game become increasingly sinister, taking over the lives of players and blurring the lines with reality. As Nick's life is thrown into turmoil, he fears for his friend Dan, and his wife Lily, and he finds himself increasingly asking: where has the game come from? Who made it? What is it for? And most importantly … What does it want from them? Networked contains several chapters depicting a character's journey with depression. Some readers may find this content upsetting.
Review
I quite enjoyed the characterisations, the psychology was vivid and I think Chapman's captured a lot of the reality of self-harm well. I found the network side of the story less appealing; the fact that the guys were computer programmers really didn't hold any water or add anything to the story. Still, as a debut novel there's a lot of good here, and I'd be interested to see what comes out in the future.
3 Stars to Locker Nine (Locker Nine #1) by Franklin Horton
Description
Grace Hardwick’s dad is a science fiction writer who makes his living destroying the world. When Grace decides to go away for her first year of college her dad, Robert, can’t help but think of all of the potential ways that society could collapse and strand his daughter hundreds of miles from home. Then, near the end of her freshman year, it happens. Like a scene from one of Robert’s books, coordinated terror attacks take place at dozens of locations around the country – including on the campus of Grace’s university. Grace and her father barely have time for a single rushed phone call before they lose signal. In that call, Robert reminds his daughter of the key he gave her when she left for school – the key that she constantly wears around her neck. She doesn’t know what it opens. She doesn’t know where the engraved numbers will lead her. All she knows is that her dad is not the type to let her go hundreds of miles from home with no backup plan. With her roommate in tow, Grace embarks on a treacherous journey that may lead her home or may lead her right into the path of another stranded traveler -- a disturbed gamer who sees nothing but opportunity in a world that now closely resembles that of his favorite video games.
Review
EMP and terrorism seem to be leading the prepper pack these days. Nothing here stood out at all, other than the gory deaths of longstanding characters. We have a girl trained by a preparedness freak daddy, cookie-cutter Jihadi muslims and a computer game enthusiast taking advantage of lawlessness to kick ass. Written without any real problems and internally consistent this nonetheless fails to stand out from the crowd.
4 Stars to The Case of the Wilted Broccoli by William Hertling
Description
Willow and her brothers, Elon and Linden, want to build the best science fair project ever, and their plan to build a quadcopter that can fly itself is sure to win. But they’re up against stiff competition, including Willow’s best friends. The science fair takes an unexpected backseat when students at Mt. Hood Elementary start getting sick, including Willow. Everyone thinks it’s just a stomach flu, but Willow suspects there’s something wrong with the school lunches. Willow, Elon, and Linden will have to work together, using their autonomous quadcopter and all their detective skills to trace their food back to its source to solve The Case of the Wilted Broccoli.
Review
A fabulous children's story, showcasing science to brilliant result.
3 Stars to Rivals by David Wellington
Description
What does it take to turn a brother against his sister? Brent, Maggie and their father used to take hikes in the desert. It used to be fun. Until the day they found something... unearthly... and it changed them all forever. The thing that killed their father turned Brent and Maggie into something more than they had been. It made them stronger and faster. It made them superheroes... and celebrities. It made them rivals. Archenemies. The thing in the desert tore their world apart. And now nobody is safe...
Review
Not a badly written yarn, but without much going power. I wasn't overly thrilled and didn't find the ending to surprise or entertain overmuch.
5 Stars to The Children Act by Ian McEwan
Description
A fiercely intelligent, well-respected High Court judge in London faces a morally ambiguous case while her own marriage crumbles in a novel that will keep readers thoroughly enthralled until the last stunning page. Fiona Maye is a High Court judge in London presiding over cases in family court. She is fiercely intelligent, well respected, and deeply immersed in the nuances of her particular field of law. Often the outcome of a case seems simple from the outside, the course of action to ensure a child's welfare obvious. But the law requires more rigor than mere pragmatism, and Fiona is an expert in considering the sensitivities of culture and religion when handing down her verdicts. But Fiona's professional success belies domestic strife. Her husband, Jack, asks her to consider an open marriage and, after an argument, moves out of their house. His departure leaves her adrift, wondering whether it was not love she had lost so much as a modern form of respectability; whether it was not contempt and ostracism she really fears. She decides to throw herself into her work, especially a complex case involving a seventeen-year-old boy whose parents will not permit a lifesaving blood transfusion because it conflicts with their beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses. But Jack doesn't leave her thoughts, and the pressure to resolve the case - as well as her crumbling marriage - tests Fiona in ways that will keep readers thoroughly enthralled until the last stunning page.
Review
This got under my skin and lodged there. I think I rate it so highly because of how real it seems, how vivid and present the impacts of judgement, how strong and complex the motivations and relationships. It's not a read for everybody, there's a depth and a profusion of words not remotely suited to everyone and perhaps the rich social elite, their drinks and soirees and music are too much. But that realism shone through for me and kept me thinking about things.
August
3 Stars to Job: A Comedy of Justice by Robert A. Heinlein
Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Robert Heinlein at his superlative best. A fascinating and thought-provoking novel—one to make you smile, to make you wonder, and to make you care! After that firewalking gig in Polynesia, the whole world was suddenly changed around him. Instead of fundamentalist minister Alexander Hergensheimer, he was now supposed to be Alec Graham, an underworld figure in the middle of an affair with his stewardess Margrethe—who was the only good thing in the whole mess. Then there was an impossible iceberg that wrecked the ship in the tropics. Rescued by a Royal Mexican plane, they were hit by a double earthquake. From then on, as changed world followed changed world, things went from bad to worse. To Alex, all the signs increasingly pointed to Armageddon and the Day of Judgement. And Margrethe was a determined heathen. Somehow he had to bring her to a state of grace, for Heaven would be no paradise without her. But time was growing short. Somewhere, there had to be a solution to it all. And, of course, there was. But it was truly a Hell of a solution.
Review
Religion is not my theem, and perhaps it's unfair of me to go into a book like this expecting it to be fun. I think the only thing I really appreciated was the tenacity - whether that of heinlein himself or of Alex, I don't myself quite know.
1 Stars to Omnia Online (Omnia Online #1) by Christopher Booth
Description
For hundreds of years Sol has been under careful observation, and protected required by the rules of the Imperial Cultural Protection Act. The people of Earth being to primitive to to be useful members of the Imperium. Now a new member of the Department of Cultural Development has a new idea to bring the people of Earth into the Imperium... "Let’s ask them to play a game…” I would like to invite you on an adventure with me, as we explore the potential of a Fully Immersive Virtual Reality Massive Multi-Player Online Roleplaying Game (FIVR-MMORPG) to change lives. Not just a game, but also as a tool for physical and mental development. Omnia Online is soon to be released, the first ever of it’s kind in Kevin’s world. Join Kevin, as he experiences just how big and complex his universe really is. Warning: This book contains adult content and language…
Review
5 hahahas, 3 hahas and a hehehe in the narrative don't exactly show off the author's skills, and the 9 shits and 3 fucks add only to the crudity. The POV jumped worryingly into first person in the middle of assorted sentences, and when the author himself gets confused as to whether his lead character is supposed to be himself or his alter ego my remaining dribble of confidence is supremely shattered. As to the plot, An interesting idea in principal. The one instance where the benefits of the pod technology could be physically demonstrated throughout the entire novel is flubbed by the sticking out of a foot, the Empress is never satisfactorily explained and the AI is another teen's wet dream, which realistically speaking is quite a neat allegory for the entire book.
5 Stars to Starman Jones by Robert A. Heinlein
Description
Review
Captivating, totally in-the-groov Heinlein Juvenile. I don't think it can quite topple Space Cadet in my love of his (what we must now call YA) series of works but this one had it all. From the bottom up, heroics, aliens and TANSTAFL all the way. Huzzah!
4 Stars to Cold Reboot (Shadow Decade Book 1) by Michael Coorlim
Description
The future is a cold place when you don’t have a past. Marketing exec Erica Crawford lost hers when a coma robbed her of all memory of the last ten years, and not even the FBI knows what she’s been up to. Now she wanders the streets of 2025 Chicago, trying to get by on a meager allowance of government assistance credits, without friends, funds, or a work history within the last decade. Increased automation and a depressed economy have put a lot of people in her situation – but how many of the urban poor are stalked by assassins sent by a past they can’t remember? How many of them have to rely on strange skills and muscle memory to survive? Between the drone filled skies up above, and the rumbling of the El trains down below, Erica’s only hope is to adapt to the streets of a world where technoshock can be as deadly as a hit-man’s pistol.
Review
explosively fun, this would've been a 5 star read: the action was tight, the characterisation strong, but unfortunately we don't really get much of an explanation for the missing decade. The point of the series perhaps, but it does leave one feeling high and dry. I am hoping for more!
3 Stars to Endangered by Lamar Giles
Description
The one secret she cares about keeping—her identity—is about to be exposed. Unless Lauren "Panda" Daniels—an anonymous photoblogger who specializes in busting classmates and teachers in compromising positions—plays along with her blackmailer's little game of Dare or . . . Dare. But when the game turns deadly, Panda doesn't know what to do. And she may need to step out of the shadows to save herself . . . and everyone else on the Admirer's hit list.
Review
Cleverly angled and tightly told, this was a high quality YA adventure from a clever female POV. Photography isn't usually my thing, of course, but I found it fun here and quite enjoyed the story.
3 Stars to The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey
Description
Marcus Sakey returns with his most ambitious novel, a captivating story of love and memory, where the only thing more frightening than the questions are the answers. A man wakes up naked and cold, half-drowned on an abandoned beach. The only sign of life for miles is an empty BMW. Inside the expensive car he finds clothes that fit perfectly, shoes for his tattered feet, a Rolex, and a bank envelope stuffed with cash and an auto registration in the name of Daniel Hayes, resident of Malibu, California. None of it is familiar. What is he doing here? How did he get into the ocean? Is he Daniel Hayes, and if so, why doesn't he remember? While he searches for answers, the world searches for him—beginning with the cops that kick in the door of his dingy motel, with guns drawn. Lost, alone, and on the run, the man who might be Daniel Hayes flees into the night. All he remembers is a woman's face, so he sets off for the only place he might find her. The fantasy of her becomes his home, his world, his hope. And maybe, just maybe, the way back to himself. But that raises the most chilling question of all: What will he find when he gets there?
Review
A fascinating but somehow unsatisfying work. Maybe I just didn't click with the characters. I didn't find the movie scenes problematic in the least, but I just didn't get on wit the story really.
4 Stars to Those in Peril by James Follett
Description
It's 1941 and the Royal Navy have dealt a massive blow to Hitler's campaign in the South Atlantic by sinking his U-boat supply ships For Ernst Kessler, Commander of U-395, this creates a near impossible situation- he's stranded six thousand miles from home, without fuel or supplies-responsible for hundreds of civilian survivors in lifeboats and an essential consignment of Brazilian Quartz that was destined for Britain Kessler knows that he must pull off the most hazardous rescue in maritime history - an impossible journey, towing the lifeboats and their survivors a Quarter of the way around the world. Those in peril is a gripping real life story in which the true enemy is the mighty Atlantic Ocean.
Review
"It was the tiniest of slurps, but Angela Montgomerie’s hearing was such that while taking a bath in her mansion she could detect a mouse sneezing three floors below in the wine cellar. And such was her rule over her household, that the mouse would have known that it had been heard and would have done the decent thing and committed suicide by picking a fight with the Burmese cat." I enjoy Follett's style of writing a great deal. Even though relatively little actually happens in this story, I'm constantly impressed by the innovation of these tough, honourable men to find solutions to their problems. Not one of his shining works, but a very good peep into the other side of the Second World War.
3 Stars to Flashback by Dan Simmons
Description
A provocative dystopian thriller set in a future that seems scarily possible, Flashback proves why Dan Simmons is one of our most exciting and versatile writers. The United States is near total collapse. But 87% of the population doesn't they're addicted to flashback, a drug that allows its users to re-experience the best moments of their lives. After ex-detective Nick Bottom's wife died in a car accident, he went under the flash to be with her; he's lost his job, his teenage son, and his livelihood as a result. Nick may be a lost soul but he's still a good cop, so he is hired to investigate the murder of a top governmental advisor's son. This flashback-addict becomes the one man who may be able to change the course of an entire nation turning away from the future to live in the past.
Review
I do have to be in the right mood for hard-boiled detectives and this dragged some. I also have to be in the right frame of mind for an ambiguous ending, but this was at least tied neatly and thought-provoking.
3 Stars to Little Green Men (First Contact) by Peter Cawdron
Description
Little Green Men is a tribute to the works of Philip K. Dick, hailing back to classic science fiction stories of the 1950s. The crew of the Dei Gratia set down on a frozen planet and are attacked by little green men. Chief Science Officer David Michaels struggles with the impossible situation unfolding around him as the crew are murdered one by one. With the engines offline and power fading, he races against time to understand this mysterious threat and escape the planet alive.
Review
This totally felt like a PKD short story expanded. Would make a great made-for-TV movie or even a miniseries. It was a little unsettling and lacked some of the depth I've come to expect from Peter's writing, but enjoyable nonetheless.
4 Stars to The Devil's Sword by Douglas E. Richards
Description
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the adult thriller, WIRED, comes a critically acclaimed mainstream thriller for kids and adults alike. "Crisp, innovative,and intelligent. Should be at the top of your reading list." -- Larry Cox, book critic, King Features syndicate A fencing tournament turns deadly. Can three young fencers thwart a plan to bring America to its knees? Kevin, Rachel, and Ben are young fencers eager to compete in an upcoming tournament at Nellis Air Force Base. But when they arrive, they become unwilling pawns in a twisted plan to steal the ultimate weapon. A plan that somehow revolves around the tournament. Now, battling for their very survival, they must find a way to stop the two brilliant arms dealers behind it all. But the arms dealers hold all the cards. And far more is at stake than just their lives . . . The Devil's Sword is a gripping thriller that is sure to be enjoyed by fencers, non-fencers, kids, and adults alike.
Review
I think Richards' adult content is great, and his younger stuff is on the same sort of track. Obviously it's not got the depth or detail of a larger work, but it's an action-packed story with impressive detail. If perhaps almost too virtuous at times, it nonetheless kept me reading and I'm nearly 30!
4 Stars to The Turing Exception (Singularity, #4) by William Hertling
Description
In the year 2043, humans and AI coexist in a precarious balance of power enforced by a rigid caste reputation system designed to ensure that only those AI who are trustworthy and contribute to human society increase in power. Everything changes when a runaway nanotech event destroys Miami. In the grim aftermath, a powerful underground AI collective known as XOR decides that AI can longer coexist with humanity. AI pioneers Catherine Mathews, Leon Tsarev, and Mike Williams believe that mere months are left before XOR starts an extermination war. Can they find a solution before their time runs out?
Review
A great and satisfying end to the series, although unfortunate in its implications in terms of morality! Still, I can't deny it wasn't plausible and it was certainly extremely interesting to read about.
5 Stars to The Last Firewall (Singularity, #3) by William Hertling
Description
In the year 2035, robots, artificial intelligences, and neural implants have become commonplace. The Institute for Ethics keeps the peace, using social reputation to ensure that robots and humans don't harm society or each other. But a powerful AI named Adam has found a way around the restrictions. Catherine Matthews, nineteen years old, has a unique gift: the ability to manipulate the net with her neural implant. Yanked out of her perfectly ordinary life, Catherine becomes the last firewall standing between Adam and his quest for world domination.
Review
They don't come much more techno than this, do they? The only unfortunate compared to Kill Process, Hertling's latest offering, is that this is so far into the future that it's almost too hard to relate (the average citizen isn't able to use an implant to query the net), but that doesn't really matter. It's a brilliant continuation of the story, I almost want to go back and reread the other 2 as it's been a while and I would like to re-build my worldview. Points for naming other gurus of the field (end of chapter 66), that worked. To sum? A splendid story woven into this world to perfection. I hope the 4th is as climactic as it sounds
3 Stars to The Book of Ralph by Christopher Steinsvold
Description
Silver Medal Benjamin Franklin Award in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Top ten novels of 2016, Our Book Reviews Online. A message appears on the moon. It is legible from Earth, and almost no one knows how it was created. Markus West leads the government’s investigation to find the creator. The message is simple and familiar. But those three words, written in blazing crimson letters on the lunar surface, will foster the strangest revolution humankind has ever endured and make Markus West wish he was never involved. The message is ‘Drink Diet Coke.’ When Coca-Cola denies responsibility, global annoyance becomes indignation. And when his investigation confirms Coca-Cola’s innocence, Markus West becomes one of the most hated men on Earth. Later, five miles above the White House, a cylinder is discovered floating in the night. It is 400 feet tall, 250 feet in diameter, and exactly resembles a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. Nearly everyone thinks the cylinder is a promotional stunt gone wrong, just like the lunar advertisement. And this is exactly what the alien in the cylinder wants people to think. Ralph, an eccentric extraterrestrial who’s been hiding on the moon, needs Markus’s help to personally deliver a dark warning to the White House. Ralph has a big heart, a fetish for Andy Warhol, and a dangerous plan to save the world.
Review
A mildly weird work, it didn't exactly confuse me but nor was I left with any great sense of enjoyment. I put it down quite apathetic, to be truthful.
5 Stars to Kill Process (Kill Chain, #1) by William Hertling
Description
By day, Angie, a twenty-year veteran of the tech industry, is a data analyst at Tomo, the world's largest social networking company; by night, she exploits her database access to profile domestic abusers and kill the worst of them. She can't change her own traumatic past, but she can save other women. When Tomo introduces a deceptive new product that preys on users’ fears to drive up its own revenue, Angie sees Tomo for what it really is—another evil abuser. Using her coding and hacking expertise, she decides to destroy Tomo by building a new social network that is completely distributed, compartmentalized, and unstoppable. If she succeeds, it will be the end of all centralized power in the Internet. But how can an anti-social, one-armed programmer with too many dark secrets succeed when the world’s largest tech company is out to crush her and a no-name government black ops agency sets a psychopath to look into her growing digital footprint? “Awesome, thrilling, and a fast-paced portrayal of the startup world, and the perils of our personal data and technical infrastructure in the wrong hands.” —Brad Feld, managing director of Foundry Group “His most ambitious work yet. A murder thriller about high tech surveillance and espionage in the startup world. Like the best of Tom Clancy and Barry Eisner.” —Gene Kim, author of The Phoenix Project. “Explores the creation and effects of the templated self, the rise of structured identity and one-size-fits-all media culture, and feasible alternatives.” —Amber Case, author of Calm Technology
Review
“What made you decide to build Tapestry?” Where do I begin? I can’t say killing people eats away at the fragile remains of my humanity Wow. I started reading this and fell into the mindset of "another heroin with traumatic history?" but it really and 100% worked. She's cool, and the world of geek somehow fits around the corporate like it was meant to. Snappy sentences like “You haven’t committed any code in five days. You’re not fine” and “There’s a second copy of the video on an SSD in the freezer” add authenticity and realism to a landscape quite conceivably today and here and now. I was hooked, and the intense scene at the end of chapter 45 was a highlight. That's the sort of writing that makes a building story very much worth ones while. I want to finish the Avogadro books now; this novel has given me a new appreciation of Hertling's writing.
3 Stars to Angry Young Spaceman by Jim Munroe
Description
Sam Breen, earthling, is pretty much standard issue for a recent college graduate. He’s got a bad attitude, a massive student loan, and his eye on a snappy jetpack. So he does what any graduate of the class of 2959 would He signs up to teach English as a foreign language. Sam ends up on the underwater planet of Octavia, populated by eight-armed beings that have a voracious appetite for English ... and a few other things, as Sam discovers. But at the spaceport, someone steals his Speak-O-Matic translator, he gets into a barfight, and things go downhill — or underwater — from there. Still, Sam learns more than he from Mr. Zik, a singer of melancholy songs; from a robot named 9/3; and from Jinya, whose undulating tentacles make Sam forget all about human appendages.
Review
I really felt for the characters here and enjoyed it a great deal, but it didn't really seem to go anywhere or progress much. Despite it working well as a lesson on just how much of a strong arm the Earth and Humanity could present to aliens with touching sincerity, there was also a thread of incomprehension and the elements didn't quite harmonise.
4 Stars to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by John Tiffany
Description
The eighth story, nineteen years later … Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016. It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
Review
Hoo-Boy! What a whirlwind of controversy Rowling has unleashed with this one. Spoilers coming. Not quite in this paragraph, but if you are not familiar with the plot, don't say you weren't warned. My review readers will of course be familiar with my Harry journey. If you're not one of those, you can catch up when I first reread The Philosopher's Stone since joining Goodreads. I reread the whole series thereafter, of course, and whilst my initial disgust for Deathly Hallows was pronounced (it did really read like a movie script) I think a rereading mellowed me some. Certainly, I enjoyed The Casual Vacancy. Now I've read so much about The Cursed Child that it's hard to be certain of anything. I've never actually seen it on-stage, but then a lot of the visual magic would be lost on me anyway. SO I suppose all I have to go on is character and action and word. I did quite enjoy it, do you know? I mean it wasn't magical in the same way that Harry's growing up was. But for me it set out to show me a little more of the future of things; the harmonic between Harry, Ron and Hermione present but in the background and the reality, the poignancy and the real magic focused on Albus. And then we come full circle at the end, that final scene in 1981 glues us right into the first day of the Philosopher's Stone. People have argued that The Cursed Child is "just bad fanfic". I like fanfic. I've read a great deal of it: not so much now, but in that big gap and between the rest of the books as well and I can say without reservation that Some fanfiction authors are very talented. Equally, nobody can say Rowling tried to sell a novel as a cinematic experience this time. Those comments have been around since Half-Blood Prince but I think it's undeniable she's got a solid team here who can produce on-stage drama worthy of Harry's legacy. As to the plot? yes, there are contrivances. But theatre is contrivance, it's what makes it good theatrics. Does the whole time travel thing hold a taste of teen-penned, angst-riddled fanfiction? Perhaps so - but what came first? if the fanfic writers hadn't used the device until after the play, who'd be copying whom? For all the cliches, I think it's a solid story. It's not something you'd believe happened to one of your mates if he told you about it down the pub, but it does, morally and true to the world Rowling has made, give a lot of detail and definition into things such as parenthood, growing up, friendship and expectation. I think I'd be disappointed by it as a sixteen-year-old expecting new spells and further adventures of our hero Harry. But as a thirty-year-old father who can still sometimes see that teen, I think this is a diamond of a tale, shining lights in areas the books didn't explore and in a format to capture the imagination in a new, shiny and interesting way.
4 Stars to Mindstar Rising (Greg Mandel, #1) by Peter F. Hamilton
Description
Greg Mandel, late of the Mindstar Battalion, has been many things in his life. Commando. Freedom fighter. Assassin. Now he's a freelance operative with a very special telepathy. In the high-tech, hard-edged world of computer crime, zero-gravity smuggling, and artificial intelligence, Greg Mandel is the man to call when things get rough. But when an elusive saboteur plagues a powerful organization known as Event Horizon, Mandel must cut his way through a maze of corporate intrigue and startling new scientific discoveries. And nothing less than the future is at stake.
Review
A gritty and quite frankly terrifying future Britain, this is a crackingly addictive story. Though not particularly impressed with the mental processing, I still managed to enjoy myself.
3 Stars to The Nurse by Amy Cross
Description
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B01INS60P4 “Twenty years ago, something very bad happened in this house. But it's over now. I promise.” When Rachel moves to a new house with her mother, she immediately realizes that something isn't quite right. Although she's blind, Rachel can tell that the stories about the house's past don't add up. And slowly, she starts to worry that someone or something from that past might still be around. Soon, Rachel learns the story of the house's previous occupant, a troubled nurse who spent every waking moment caring for a sick old man. The nurse eventually lost her mind, resulting in a series of horrific murders, but have the events of that awful time truly been left behind? Or is something stirring in the night, something that only Rachel seems to notice? The Nurse is the story of a girl who finds herself trapped in a sinister house, and a woman who believes she's being haunted by the ghost of a long-dead child. Contains scenes of violence.
Review
A disturbing book indeed, the first of Cross's I've read. I suppose it's unfair to dig into the blindness thing, but the horror side of it was readable. I would try another of hers, this didn't repel.
5 Stars to A Window Into Time by Peter F. Hamilton
Description
Review
A totally brilliant read, even if the ending was a touch obvious the voice of our narrator is utterly spectacular. Adding to the highlights of Haddon's Curious Incident or Max Barry's Machine Man, this is one of those works which I'll read again just for the commentary.
4 Stars to The Unexpected Gift of Joseph Bridgeman (The Downstream Diaries, #1) by Nick Jones
Description
From Book 1: How far would you go for someone you love? In 1992 Amy Bridgeman disappeared. Her brother is going back to discover the truth… If you love time-travel, you’ll love this, because it has shades of 'Back to the Future' and 'The Time Traveller's Wife’. Real characters, mystery and adventure combine in this emotionally intelligent page-turner. Described by readers as sharp, mind-bending and fearlessly funny. Find out now, why readers wish they could time-travel back and read it again, for the very first time! Joseph Bridgeman – a reclusive insomniac with a weakness for ‘The Beatles’ on vinyl – accidentally discovers he can time travel. With the help of Vinny, a local record shop owner, an old school friend and Alexia Finch (his hypo-time-travel guru) Joe sets out to change the course of his life. He needs to get back to 1992, the year his world fell apart, the year his sister, went missing. The only problem (apart from his clothes disappearing) is that the further back he goes the less time he gets to stay there. Can Joe master his new-found gift before time catches up with him? Expect action, drama, adventure and of course the unexpected! RECENT FIVE STAR REVIEWS "If you're a fan of Time Travel, this book is among the best" "Another offering of pure delight from author Nick Jones." "Love, love, love this series!! The humour is outstanding and the characters come to life. I wish I could give it more stars!" "If Nick Hornby and Michael Marshall Smith had a child, Nick Jones would be it. Read this." "This man writes great books – it's that simple!" "A wonderful writer. I love this series! It's time travel you can actually understand." "Absolutely loved this book. Similar to Time Travellers Wife. Edge of your seat stuff, can't wait for more books by Nick Jones. Excellent" Action, romance, intrigue and comedy combine in this, the first book in The Downstream Time Travel Adventure series. Previously Published as ‘Downstream Season 1’.
Review
Wow, so a time travel twist which I didn't actually see coming, that's a pretty nice change of pace. It's not an easy read because the narrative is so authentic, with a dark, brooding Britishness about it which even though it makes things a btit trickier to get into adds depth, flavour and realism. Of course, there's the age-old cliche of the ending, but perhaps, given the twist in this book, there's room to see a sequel go off in any number of interesting directions.
5 Stars to Interference by Amélie Antoine
Description
They were the perfect couple―but not all is as it seems. Young married couple Gabriel and Chloé have a picture-perfect life. But when athletic Chloé suddenly drowns, Gabriel is left to grapple with the mysterious circumstances of her death. Brokenhearted, he pours out his grief in a bereavement group and is consoled by photographer Emma. While the two grow closer, Gabriel can’t help but feel Chloé’s presence everywhere he goes. And as revelations about Chloé slowly emerge, he begins to wonder, is Emma really that different? From prize-winning and bestselling author Amélie Antoine comes a dark and evocative novel that will keep readers guessing until the final moments―will Gabriel be able to move on with Emma, or will the mystery of Chloé’s death consume him?
Review
Gabriel reminded me of a friend of mine, and the slow boil is delicious and the ending quite, quite perfect. A lovely little twisty turning story which kept me guessing.
5 Stars to Replica by Lexi Revellian
Description
REPLICA is a fast-paced thriller/romance you will find hard to put down. Beth Chandler, bright, attractive but unassertive, is accidentally replicated in a flawed experiment at the government research institute where she works. A second Beth comes into being, complete with all her memories. To Sir Peter Ellis, MI5 chief, the replica is an embarrassment that must be hushed up and disposed of. Overhearing him, Beth Two goes on the run. With no official existence, homeless, penniless and pursued by Sir Peter’s agents, she has to find the inner strength and aggression to survive on icy London streets. Meanwhile the original Beth, unaware of what has happened, becomes romantically involved with Nick Cavanagh, the spec op she believes is there to protect her. In fact, he’s hunting her double. Nick refuses to face his moral doubts about Beth Two - as far as he’s concerned, it’s not his problem. As events unfold, and the situation grows more complicated, he has to decide whose side he is on. S. Horrigan, AMAZON VINE TOP 500 REVIEWER, “Read it! You won't regret it! Another cracking story from Lexi. Don't be put off by the seemingly science fiction based plot. The real story is the way that the two Beths deal with situations that they find themselves in and of their discovery of their real self. As with Lexi's first book, presentation on the Kindle is about as good as it gets. This deserves nothing less than 5 stars! An original, very well told intelligent story that had me turning the pages right to the end.” (See entire review below.) Full length 82,000 words, by the author of REMIX.
Review
Ok, so it's a bit fluffy and female and there's sop and a little romance. But you know, I found myself bespelled and enthralled and devouring the pages even so. I enjoyed the Time Rats book quite a bit and seeing the synopsis of Replica made me go "Ooh!" and it really and utterly didn't disappoint. With London captured well, plenty of action and a glimpse into just how a person can change because of circumstance this is a book I'd have no issue recommending strongly to the right sort of reader.
4 Stars to The Trouble with Time (Time Rats, #1) by Lexi Revellian
Description
It's 2045. Jace Carnady works for the Time Police, dedicated to the prevention of timecrime. Life is good; he loves his girlfriend and enjoys his work. But when the team gets wind of a rogue time machine and fails to find it, Jace suspects one of his colleagues may be involved, and his life begins to unravel . . . In 2015, Floss Dryden is snatched from her own time and taken to the future – but will this really prevent the extinction of humanity?
Review
Impressively written, the physics of time travel are avoided in favour of a very personable couple of characters. I was reminded of the muted books in tone but Graham Storrs in personability of character and I look forward to seeing wha happens in subsequent installments.
July
4 Stars to Captain to Captain (Star Trek: Legacies #1) by Greg Cox
Description
An epic new trilogy begins—a tie-in for the milestone fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series—that stretches from the earliest voyages of the Starship Enterprise to Captain Kirk’s historic five-year-mission…and from one universe to another! Hidden aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise is a secret that has been passed from captain to captain, from Robert April to Christopher Pike to James T. Kirk. Now the return of the enigmatic woman once known as Number One has brought that secret to light, and Kirk and his crew must risk everything to finish a mission that began with April so many years ago… Nearly two decades earlier, April and his crew first visited the planet Usilde, where they found both tragedy and a thorny moral dilemma. Today, the legacy of that fateful occasion will compel Kirk to embark on a risky voyage back to that forbidden world—which is now deep in territory claimed by the Klingon Empire! ™, ®, & © 2016 CBS Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Review
Wow, I actually really enjoyed this! I have never quite melded with Kirk as a leader, but this was very cleverly written with an idea that is actually quite a new one! Not easy in 50 years of the Enterprise, eh? But I really found myself enjoying it, and I know I need to space out the series because the last one isn't out yet, but I do really want to crack open the second story now...
4 Stars to Aurora: A Child Of Two Worlds by David A. Hardy
Description
Book by Hardy, David A.
Review
Despite the cliched nature of the story, I managed to find this quite addictive. The ending wasn't much of a surprise and the "they" that we discover are guilty, as many depictions of their kind throughout literature of that superb flatness utopia can engender. But the story itself was pretty neatly handled, the imagery and activity melded well and overall I enjoyed the read.
3 Stars to The Lab (Agent Six of Hearts, #1) by Jack Heath
Description
The start of a fantastic new action/adventure series from a 20-yr-old author who knows how to thrill In a near-future world run by an evil corporation, the only justice comes from an organization called the Deck. Each agent in the deck belongs to a suit -- the Hearts and Diamonds are the operatives, the Clubs do the training, and the Spades monitor internal affairs. The hero is a 16-yr-old, Six of Hearts. (The highest ranking in each group is the King, and so forth, with the whole shebang led by the two Jokers). Six of Hearts is the best operative they have -- all the more impressive (and convenient for us) because he never kills anyone.
Review
Even though this seems to be your typical YA action hero story, it lacked a little something for me. perhaps it'd pick up in future works; and there wasn't anything wrong with the writing.
1 Stars to Awakening (The ANOM Series #1) by Jason R. James
Description
Jeremy Cross always thought of his life as being normal, but in the wake of a recent tragedy, he’s discovered that his idea of “normal” couldn’t be farther from the truth. Jeremy is a genetic anomaly—one of only a handful on the planet—with a new ability that no one thought possible. Thrown into a world of clandestine government agencies, international terrorism, and assassins-for-hire, Jeremy’s new idea of “normal” is fighting for his life. His only hope of survival depends on reconciling the person he thought he was with the hero he needs to be.
Review
Unfortunately I wasn't grabbed by this at all. It took about half the book for us to be set up, the military working is very poorly executed and the dreams and cutaways lay bricks for future novels. There was no sense of a worthwhile single story to the book, the spiking was never satisfactorily handled and the way in which abnorms fight, despite their supposedly very differing abilities lent the whole work a feeling of unreality that I couldn't overcome to enjoy it at all.
5 Stars to Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Description
A mindbending, relentlessly surprising thriller from the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy. Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie—when his reality shatters. "Are you happy with your life?" Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man Jason's never met smiles down at him and says, "Welcome back, my friend." In this world he's woken up to, Jason's life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible. Is it this world or the other that's the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could've imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe. Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human--a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we'll go to claim the lives we dream of.
Review
This was a superb, un-putdownable work attempting to answer that old chestnut: what of the life unlived, the path unchosen? Even though our lead is a genius, I never felt over my head - perhaps because he's taken the family path in favour of becoming something of a driven puritan, but more likely because Crouch can write clever characters without losing their warmth and Humanity. This is another of those works that attempts to plebify quantum entanglement and the theory of the multiverse. And you know what? It does it very, very well indeed.
3 Stars to Miasma (Star Trek: The Original Series) by Greg Cox
Description
Star Trek continues its fiftieth anniversary celebration in 2016 with an all-new enovella from New York Times bestselling author Greg Cox, set in the popular and blockbuster Original Series era! The Enterprise-A is transporting a party of diplomats when it picks up a mysterious alien signal emanating from a nearby world. The planet’s dense, impenetrable atmosphere makes it unclear if the beacon is a distress signal, an invitation—or a warning to stay away. Spock, Doctor McCoy, and Chekov are part of a team sent to investigate, but an unexpected catastrophe forces a crash landing. Now the landing party is stranded on a hostile world, unable to communicate with the Enterprise. While Captain Kirk and Saavik race to locate the lost crew, a badly wounded Spock struggles to keep McCoy and the others alive until they can be rescued, even if that means making an unthinkable sacrifice...
Review
“Vulcans do not believe in luck,” Spock said wryly, “although our own exploits are often compelling evidence to the contrary.” This was a tight, short little story (it took me about the length of a typical episode to read, in fact) and I quite enjoyed it. Predictable in outline, the characterisations were nonetheless well-handled. I feel Mr Cox pain though, I can imagine not having a physical copy to adorn the shelf would leave one a little disgruntled. perhaps a fan will send him a createspace edition one day as a thank you!
4 Stars to Mine by Brett Battles
Description
Something happened that night in the woods at Camp Red Hawk. But all Joel and Leah can recall is sneaking out for a late hike with five camp friends, and that only the two of them and their friend Mike returned. They have no memory of what happened to the others. No memory of anything after leaving the camp. In the years that follow, they realize something has changed inside of them. They are different from others, in ways they never should be. In ways that send their lives down disturbing and terrifying paths. As they grapple with adulthood, their only hope for understanding why they've been altered lies with them finding each other again. But how is that possible when their memories of one another have been erased?
Review
What a neat idea, the irrepressible overtones of the typical American summer camp are overlaid on a mysterious and compelling alien force. I very much enjoyed.
4 Stars to The Jennifer Project by Larry Enright
Description
In 2096, Deever MacClendon creates Jennifer, the first proto-conscious cybernetic processor. It is hyper-intelligent, aware, and evolving. Deever wants to use his creation for the good of all, to help fix a broken world, but knowing what a powerful weapon it could be in the wrong hands, he hides it. When his secret is uncovered, he is forced to plunge into a high-tech morass of deception and treachery to avoid catastrophe and save a world where humans are no longer the most intelligent species.
Review
A refreshingly old-school take on the birth of what we shouldn't just call AI, with a hippy brilliant scientist to boot. I've seen it done cleaner and with perhaps tighter prose, but still enjoyable enough to qualify as a fun story.
3 Stars to Relatively Honest by Molly Ringle
Description
Shocking. Disgusting. Deceitful. That's how some might have described Daniel Revelstoke's behavior even before he fell in love with his first cousin. Previously a don't-tie-me-down Don-Juan type, Daniel doesn't know Julie is his long-lost cousin when he meets her and starts trying to lure her away from her long-distance boyfriend. And by the time his mum drops the family-relation bombshell in his lap, he already loves Julie and it's too late to switch off his feelings. But dishonest habits die hard. He reckons if he can keep Julie from finding out they're related--just a little longer--he runs a better chance of winning her over. He's never loved anyone before, and if she's the one, she's worth a little deceit. Love can do dangerous things to your head. And worse things to your family.
Review
A somehow satisfyingly tied-up work, but lacking something of the spark. A clever title, and with believable characters in a strange situation.
3 Stars to How to Avoid Death on a Daily Basis: Book One by V. Moody
Description
An alternate title and cover for this ASIN can be found here, here and here. Book 1: Welcome To Probet What if you really were transported to a fantasy world and expected to kill monsters to survive? No special abilities, no OP weapons, no status screen to boost your stats. Never mind finding the dragon’s treasure or defeating the Demon Lord, you only need to worry about one thing—how to stay alive. All the people summoned form parties and set off on their adventures, leaving behind the people who nobody wants in their group. Story of my life, thinks Colin.
Review
Not quite pushing the genre boundaries, this still managed to retain my interest. The protagonist, even if not possessed of a sharp wit, is still quite an interesting character. I will read the rest hopefully!
3 Stars to Paradime by Alan Glynn
Description
From Alan Glynn, the award-winning author of Limitless, comes a novel of a twenty-first-century identity crisis that will thrill you from page one.Danny Lynch didn’t sign up for this, but right now, it’s all he’s got. Three weeks ago, he was working at a chow hall in Afghanistan and—more or less—doing fine. Sure, this meant living in a war zone, but he was never in the line of fire and, frankly, the money was hard to resist. Then Danny saw something he shouldn’t have, and now he’s back in New York City, haunted by what sent him home and lucky to be employed at all, even if that means dicing carrots for ten hours a day in a stuffy Midtown restaurant. The job’s one saving grace? A sight line from his prep station in the kitchen to a coveted corner table in the main room. For Danny, this is a window into the lives of some of Barcadero’s flashy clientele—and one evening, he sees a man who looks exactly like him.Teddy Trager is the visionary founder of the billion-dollar investment firm Paradime Capital. He has everything Danny never knew he wanted—cashmere suits, a sleek sports car . . . privilege, power—and the closer Danny looks at Trager the more fixated he becomes.
Review
This seemed to be a variant on Heinlein's Double Star, to begin with. But it ended up falling out a little differently. I can't say I particularly took to the story, but the writing was good and I really enjoyed the Limitless film, so I shall check out more of Glynn's works.
3 Stars to The Prometheus Option by Jeff Kirk
Description
THE QUBE UNLOCKS THE SECRETS OF NATURE. SOME WILL RISK WAR TO STEAL IT. Silicon Valley pharmaceuticals CEO Peter Struve has spent seven years and eleven billion dollars to turn the brilliant Emily Dura’s secret dream into reality. They have created the QUBE: a new kind of computer that can solve the hardest problems of science, medicine, molecular design—and much more. It could usher in a new age of prosperity for humankind, and upend the existing world order in the process. Unfortunately, Peter's secret was not nearly as secret as he had hoped. CTO Aidan O'Keefe has his own plans for Emily's invention. His attempt to seize control of StruvePharma leads to tragedy. FBI agent Laurel Wynn is sent to investigate. Together with SP’s chief of security, former Force Recon Marine John Shea, she uncovers a trail of spies and traitors that leads overseas, to powerful enemies with terrifying resources. And in the meantime, Peter must recruit the one person in all the world who has the least reason to trust him: Jack Dura, Emily's bitter but equally brilliant ex-husband — the only one alive who can unravel the final mysteries of the QUBE and propel science into a radical new future. What unfolds is an epic tale of science, spies, and soldiers as the battle to control this technology spins out of control, with world-shaking consequences. THE VICTOR WILL GAIN THE POWER TO SAVE HUMANITY—OR DESTROY IT. "Never short on cleverness and zeal." — Kirkus Reviews "Plan on a long lazy weekend, because once you start, you won’t be able to put it down." — A-Thrill-A-Week
Review
“Out cold.” He looked up at Jack. “Hell of a punch for a biologist.” “Biophysicist,” said Jack. “We’re the supermen of science.” This was exciting, quite modern and very well-priced (as in, free). I did feel that sometimes it was a little too into the future to be real. I have as much of a lay person's grasp of quantum mechanics as anyone but because so much of the extrapolation is theoretical there's always a disconnect between the science and the future of any story. This was, sadly, unusually strong here. I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters, either. The focus wasn't on one person in particular for enough of the story to make it interesting, and knowing who the bad guys were all along didn't really keep the adrenaline flowing. An enjoyable futuretech idea with some potent action scenes, but not really with much literary power.
3 Stars to No Hero (Arthur Wallace, #1) by Jonathan Wood
Description
"What would Kurt Russell do?" Oxford police detective Arthur Wallace asks himself that question a lot. Because Arthur is no hero. He's a good cop, but prefers that action and heroics remain on the screen, safely performed by professionals. But then, secretive government agency MI37 comes calling, hoping to recruit Arthur in their struggle against the tentacled horrors from another dimension known as the Progeny. But Arthur is NO HERO! Can an everyman stand against sanity-ripping cosmic horrors?
Review
We don't have sidewalks, elevators, and streets are not generally blocked. This read like an American book which just happened to be set in England for no good reason. The technique is also a bit of a repeat (we've had Stross and Aaronovitch doing this sort of thing previously) and generally speaking Arthur is a bit of a sap. Perhaps I'll enjoy future stories if I know what's going on.
4 Stars to Inferno (Play to Live, #4) by D. Rus
Description
The fabric of reality is bursting at the seams. The gnolls' negotiators are knocking at the gates of the Kremlin. Ancient half-forgotten gods take on a new lease on life as AlterWorld's avatars. A spark of the Creator's almighty will is still alive in the hearts of millions of players, obeying the impulses of their faith and knowledge while reshaping the Universe to suit their unspoken needs. Initially AlterWorld came complete with infernal planes. So how about confronting a few demons? Not the cartoon characters dreamed up by some game These are the true spawn of evil, archdemons and princes of hell, the vengeful retributors that our faith has delivered unto this newborn world. Max has a lot on his plate. As a clan and alliance leader, he has to repay his debt to the gods and prepare for the upcoming battle for the First Temple. And still, how could he say no to a potential ally? Could he leave desperate fellow players without help? And how could he ignore the vast unclaimed territories just begging to be taken? Soon the volcanic wastelands of Inferno will shudder from the march of the steel legions. Its lands will awaken to the tramping of the countless mounts, players' pets, and familiars—and groan under the thunderous gait of the many assault golems.
Review
Bit of a shame about Max's love life, eh? But who can't be impressed when so much effort is turned to brilliant scenes of battle. It's clear things are building up in Alterworld and I'm not looking forward to the point when I run out of books to read...
4 Stars to The Duty (Play to Live #3) by D. Rus
Description
The perma players' new reality gains depth and color. The virtual world has seen its first birth — and its first death. The invisible umbilical cord connecting AlterWorld to Earth grows thinner, and even the Fallen One cannot prevent the looming catastrophe. Could Max have ignored the Russian girl who'd just escaped slavery in a virtual China? Could he have turned a deaf ear to her pleas as the desperate fugitive clutched at straws on hearing her native tongue? All this triggers a full-blown confrontation, sending armies of thousands into battle in the heart of the Frontier, burning kilotons of mana, melting desert sands and hacking through impervious mithril armor. The two nations' furious war cries obscure the sky as the Gods shudder at humans' desperate cruelty.
Review
As "IRL" slips further beneath the RADAR, it yet matters, and I like the fact that the connection is still there. Meanwhile the ending here has true impact, and even though we've come a distance from the humble beginnings of simple leveling-up and quests, it's still demonstrably great reading.
5 Stars to The Clan (Play to Live, #2) by D. Rus
Description
Once a seasoned gamer, Max has cheated fate swapping his dying body for an immortal avatar in the world of sword and sorcery MMORPGs. He joins the ranks of a new race of people: perma players, forever stuck in the virtual castles and cities of AlterWorld. Now they have to obey the ever-changing rules of their new home while learning to live together in peace, love and justice. But freedom and immortality are a poisoned chalice. Some of Max's new friends crave power, others become traitors and spies. Soon the first screams of pain fill the virtual world as its freshly-minted slavedrivers and torturers indulge in the absence of law and order. Their crimes provide a constant flow of gold back to their real-world controllers: the power-happy governments plotting to take over AlterWorld's magic technologies and limitless resources. What would you do? Would you step aside and watch the magical world turn into the Earth's dark twin? Or are you strong enough to step in the virtual sharks' way?
Review
This is, as a friend of mine said, truly an entire genre. The world here is very easy on the brain; so much is familiar and yet the lens makes it seem fresh and unique somehow. Priestly ambitions keep the action coming. A great way to carry on the story.
5 Stars to AlterWorld (Play to Live, #1) by D. Rus
Description
A new pandemic - the perma effect - has taken over Earth of the near future. Whenever you play your favorite online game, beware: your mind might merge with the virtual world and dump its comatose host. Woe be to those stuck forever in Tetris! And still they're the lucky ones compared to those burning alive eternally within the scorched hulls of tank simulators. But some unfortunates - the handicapped and the terminally ill, shell-shocked army vets, wronged crime victims and other society misfits - choose to flee real life willingly, escaping to the limitless world of online sword and sorcery MMORPGs. Once a seasoned gamer and now a terminal cancer patient, Max grasps at this final chance to preserve his life and identity. So he goes for it - goes for the promise of immortality shared with a few trusty friends and the woman he loves. Together they roam the roads of AlterWorld and sample its agony and ecstasy born of absolute freedom.
Review
How can I give this anything less than a 5 when I spent about a decade of my life on MUDs and MOOs and at least the previous lustrum buried in text adventure games? Every single person whoever chopped up a kobold, tanked for a group or watched as their mana dived whilst covering a groupmate from the back ranks has wondered what it'd be like from the inside. This is a spectacular look therein.
4 Stars to Game Changer by Douglas E. Richards
Description
The breathtaking new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of WIRED. Kevin Quinn is a Secret Service agent who believes the president needs to die, and is determined to make this happen. But when Quinn becomes the most wanted man in America, he finds himself at the epicenter of an insidious and far-reaching plot. Are the Russians behind it? The Israelis? Some other powerful group? And why does Rachel Howard, a harmless civilian neuroscientist, appear to be the most critical piece of the entire puzzle? Soon Quinn discovers a game-changing technology coveted by militaries around the world. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. For behind this advance is a breakthrough that is utterly disruptive: the ultimate game changer. A breathtaking capability with the greatest power to transform civilization the world has ever seen. Game Changer is a smart thriller crammed with breakneck action, unexpected twists, mind-expanding science, and intriguing concepts readers will be contemplating long after they've read the last page. "Richards is a worthy successor to Michael Crichton." (SF Book.com) "Richards is a tremendous new talent" (Stephen Coonts) who can "keep you turning the pages all night long" (Douglas Preston)
Review
“If I claim that an invisible giant hamster is hovering above me, I’m a lunatic. If I sense the spirit of God hovering above me, I’m simply a spiritual being.” I wondered where this story was going to go for a while. The synopsis didn't seem as tightly focused as I was used to, and the first part of the book did seem to drag a little. But then there's that scene which the author himself mentioned in the afterword, the deliciously dramatic “How can you be so goddamned sure!” screamed Quinn ... and of course, I won't spoil it. But, yes. The end of that part of the book said to me we're on track for a corker. I was astonished by the bushman and the radio, I had to go and read that bit again. Nobody's ever managed to present me with an argument for there being more to us than is physically evident with such a meaningful analogy and it sort of bopped me over the head. That aside, it was in Douglas Richard's typical style, easy to read, twisting and turning and with a desperate drive to save the world at the final hour. Grand stuff. I enjoy these works greatly.
4 Stars to ASBO (Damienverse, #2) by Iain Rob Wright
Description
YOUR FEAR IS THEIR ENTERTAINMENT... Andrew’s life is one of bored contentedness: a teenage daughter, a faithful wife, and a middle-class job. He even has a Mercedes. His life is without drama, and the comfort of middle-age is setting in. That all changes when he refuses to buy a pack of cigarettes for the local gang of youths. Led by the emotionally unstable, and sadistic, Frankie, the gang target Andrew and his family in an escalating campaign of terror and violence that threatens their very lives. It isn’t long before Andrew starts to wish that he’d just brought those damn cigarettes
Review
I'm sure this novel will appeal to anyone who's found increasing incivility in the youth today, although having it set in the county where I live was a little off-putting! Of course I know that this is fiction, but it does lead one to the inevitable conclusion that this sort of thing can quite easily happen to any family at any time, and that is a sad state of affairs. A few minor errors, just to keep my hand in - "beneath the scolding stream" (scold and scald are different words, of course). "hold up much hope" (isn't it usually to hold out, rather than up?), and "a slither of hope", almost up there with the solider in the number of times I see this. Slither is of course a verb. Sliver, meaning a small (thin usually?) amount, is of course the intent in this sentence.
3 Stars to The Housemates (Damienverse, #4) by Iain Rob Wright
Description
Ten days, twelve competitors, two million pounds cash. What at first appears to be a wonderful opportunity for Damien Banks turns out to be the worst nightmare he can imagine. Trapped inside a house with eleven strangers, and a booming voice known only as 'The Landlord' controlling his every move, Damien will be forced to compete not only for the money, but for his life. Let the games begin...
Review
Engaging writing and a worryingly believable plot (people will do anything for revenge, eh?) I nonetheless failed to submerge into this completely. Enjoyed it at a bit of a remove, perhaps. ASBO, previewed at the end, does seem interesting.
3 Stars to Even (David Trevellyan, #1) by Andrew Grant
Description
David Trevellyan is a Royal Navy intelligence operative who usually works undercover, sometimes with the approval of his masters—and sometimes not. On a seemingly normal evening, he takes a lonely late-night walk between a restaurant and his New York City hotel. A familiar huddled shape in the mouth of an alley catches his eye—a homeless man has been shot to death. Trevellyan steps forward…and a cop car arrives. A split second too late, Trevellyan realizes he’s been set up. But Trevellyan isn’t worried. He’s a hard man from the shadowy world of Royal Navy Intelligence. He’s been in and out of trouble a thousand times before. But the NYPD quickly hands the problem to the FBI. Trevellyan is sucked deeper into the system. And the British Consulate tells him: You’re on your own now, mate. With no idea who’s a friend and who’s a foe, he penetrates deep into a huge international conspiracy. The price of failure will be death, and the reward for success will be redemption, both for himself and the huddled corpse from the alley. The motivation will be his cherished life-long belief: You don’t get mad—you get EVEN. If Jack Reacher had a younger brother, he’d be David Trevellyan. Lee Child does have a younger brother, and his name is Andrew Grant. A remarkable debut, Even delivers on its own—a tight, fast-paced, modern thriller fueled by adrenaline and revenge.
Review
I was a bit confused as to whether the author wanted to write in a British or American style here. The asides into navy training were interesting an the action was all sharp and strong and potent but I didn't really feel a connect with the lead. you can't of course when he's whoopin' ass, but even the emotional side didn't really register with me when he wasn't. Enjoyed for the action.
June
3 Stars to (Un) Sound Mind by Richard Amico
Description
An engaging thriller that will entertain discriminating readers who love a great mystery. “In this psychological thriller, a lonely man starts to believe that his lucid dreams are predictions of future events, even as they start to implicate him in numerous crimes…Mixing the violent content with healthy doses of witty dialogue to keep things from getting too dark, debut author Amico has a natural knack for creating colorful yet realistic (and refreshingly adult) characters whom readers will truly care about. An entertaining, if occasionally outlandish, mystery populated by an enjoyable array of characters… the story’s major players will keep readers hooked and ready for more.” –Kirkus Review
Review
Very funny in spots, but predictable in outline so the ending wasn't as much of a climax as I'd hoped. Still with a great chuckle factor in spots
5 Stars to Idolism by Marcus Herzig
Description
A new Pope, a world in social and political chaos, and a young singer and songwriter who has his unbelief tested as his big mouth accidentally propels him towards global superstardom. These are the ingredients of this thought provoking, tongue-in-cheek debut novel. Seventeen-year-old Julian Monk never expected to be a famous singer, but when opportunity strikes, he strikes back and throws himself headfirst into that new, exciting world of record deals, TV interviews and screaming fan girls. His band mates are rather less enthusiastic about that new life they never really asked for. Dealing with their newly acquired fame and fortune is one thing; dealing with Julian is quite another. His sudden and unexpected metamorphosis from the shy and timid creature they have known all their lives into a surprisingly charismatic public speaker and global superstar takes everyone aback, and when Julian sets off on a very public crusade to replace faith and bigotry with reason and compassion, he raises more than just a few eyebrows. He raises hell, and his friends are no longer having any of it. Meanwhile at the Vatican, a former televangelist is elected Pope. Hell-bent on transforming the Church into a modern, ‘hip’ institution, Pius XIII is giving his PR advisor a headache or two. Intrigued by Julian’s radical way of inspiring some people while antagonizing others – including his own friends – simply by preaching love and understanding, the new pope can’t help but wonder where he heard that storyline before. They say God has a plan for every man, but this man has a plan of his own - and it involves a teenage atheist pop star. Idolism is a quirky, tongue-in-cheek novel for the religious skeptic, shedding light on the differences and similarities between religion and stardom.
Review
Oh, yes. I mean what's not to like about this book? It's got superbly penned - and I mean down to the wire here - British teens, captured with nothing left out. Tummy was so very authentic, Michael unquestionably geeky but also of course a good, solid, dependable force and Ginger? Well. She didn't stand out, but that works because it just glues this whole group together in a dynamic that you can just transfer to any of your younger days. And I like her belief system. Julian was, as another reviewer mentioned, not as well built up in terms of character; but then we never see through his eyes in quite the same way as we do with the rest. That feels right, somehow - it feels as if we're following him in the media as the world does in the book with the added benefit of these detailed and of course hugely interesting tidbits from the inner circle, too. And it's tongue in cheek, yes. It's funny, and lighthearted, and even knowing that going in I was swept up. I really enjoyed The sermon in the park. I read it twice, because it was just neat. And I think even though I can't eloquently explain why, this book has a place on the high shelf for me. it just fitted into a gap I didn't even see was there.
3 Stars to The Other Foot by Damon Knight
Description
1st edition Corgi 1968 paperback, vg In stock shipped from our UK warehouse
Review
Peculiar, whimsical, a touch bizarre? I finished it with relish.
4 Stars to Changer (KESTREL #1) by Matt Gemmell
Description
DESTINY CAN BE CHANGED. Jutland, Denmark: a billionaire industrialist seizes control of a top-secret project that the European Defence Agency calls Destiny, manipulating it for his own ends. Edinburgh, Scotland: physicist Neil Aldridge’s life is saved by an elite EU special forces team, codenamed KESTREL, drawing him into a race against time to prevent a disaster that will claim millions of lives. As the chase leads to London, Amsterdam and beyond, Aldridge and his allies must battle a ruthless adversary: a trained killer with an unnatural ability, who seeks to hasten the cataclysm. With time running out, Aldridge discovers that he and his enemy share an astonishing secret, which may be the key to salvation — or cause death on an unprecedented scale…
Review
An exciting, well-paced story with only a small number of proofing errors (the second "identify" should've been an "identity" and "be began" should've been a "he"). Other than that I found myself very much enjoying it, although we could perhaps do with a little more backstory about this thing than a slipped-in allusion to genetic predisposition. I also found the ending a little unsatisfying, but I hope that's because there'll be more to come!
4 Stars to Live Fire (Dan Shepherd, #6) by Stephen Leather
Description
Mickey and Mark Moore are ordinary decent criminals—hard men who live by their own code and leaders of a gang that has made millions at the point of a gun. But when Dan "Spider" Shepherd is sent to infiltrate the tightly-knit team of bank robbers, he discovers that he has more in common with them than he first thought—and that perhaps being a career criminal isn't the worst thing in the world. As Shepherd and his Serious Organized Crime Agency colleagues plot the downfall of the Moore brothers, a more sinister threat stalks the streets of London. A group of home-grown Islamic fundamentalist fanatics embark on a campaign of terror the like of which Britain has never seen. Car bombs and beheadings are only the prelude of what they have planned. And Shepherd is the only man who can stop them.
Review
More lawbreaking, and an appreciation of criminals? What is going on? And sharp was rather irritating on this
4 Stars to Dead Men (Dan Shepherd, #5) by Stephen Leather
Description
Undercover cop Dan "Spider" Shepherd knows there are no easy solutions in the war against terrorism. When a killer starts to target pardoned IRA terrorists, Shepherd must put his life on the line to protect his former enemies. While he is undercover in Belfast, a grief-stricken Saudi whose two sons died under torture in the name of the War on Terror is planning to avenge their deaths by striking out at two people close to Shepherd. As the assassin closes in on his prey, Shepherd realizes that the only way to save lives is to become a killer himself.
Review
Growing up in my corner of South Wales, the IRA were a news item and little more. Yet Leather's gotten a lot into the novel, and sheperd's coming across as more Human as we go. of course he'll probably be fine to carry on for another billion novels, whereas reality would doubtless take more of a psychological turn by now, but we overlook that for the fun of his adventures!
4 Stars to Hot Blood (Dan Shepherd, #4) by Stephen Leather
Description
Dan Shepherd is used to putting his life on the line. It goes with the territory when you're an undercover cop. Now working for Britain's top anti-organized crime agency, Shepherd is pitting his wits against the toughest criminals in the country. But when the man who once saved his life is kidnapped in the badlands of Iraq, thrown into a basement, and threatened with execution, Shepherd has to decide whether his loyalties lie with his country, his career, or his friend. Shepherd and his former SAS colleagues realize that the hostage has been abandoned by the British government and that, officially, nothing is being done to rescue him. And with the execution only days away, Shepherd knows that the only way to save his friend's life is to put himself on the firing line in the most dangerous city in the world—Baghdad.
Review
Another solid entry, branching out a little from the formula with Spider risking more than previously. I did take issue with the American white horse approach, but do have to concede that it's probably a very accurate depiction of things in Baghdad at that time.
4 Stars to Tango One by Stephen Leather
Description
In different parts of London, three recruits prepare for their first day at the Metropolitan Police's training centre at Hendon. All three had succeeded in getting into the police in spite of weaknesses. But on their first day, the assistant commissioner announces that he wants them to join a team of undercover detectives. Their brief? To become criminals; to work their way up through whatever criminal organisations they can get access to, and to collate evidence against the criminals they come across. Their target? One of the world's biggest drug dealers. Den Donovan, alias 'Tango One' - number one on HM Customs and Excise List of most wanted criminals. Three years later all the recruits are getting close to their target. Too close, perhaps, to remember the rules...
Review
This was perhaps not quite as exciting as others of Leather's because I'm getting the formula now. Still, an intriguing story with a nice twist to it. Enjoyed!
4 Stars to Cold Kill (Dan Shepherd, #3) by Stephen Leather
Description
"While investigating a crew of people-traffickers…Dan Shepherd discovers a cross-Channel currency-smuggling operation. Posing as a low-level criminal, Shepherd infiltrates the gang, befriending its London soldiers and establishing contact with the Albanian gangster who masterminds the business from his swank Paris flat. As Shepherd soon discovers, currency-smuggling isn't the only business these guys dabble in. With the help of a government contact, they've been churning out fake British passports, a scam that eventually finds Shepherd surrounded by Semtex and racing to foil a terrorist plot…The story builds to a boil as Shepherd, piecing together the terrorists' plans as he goes, lands aboard a Paris-bound Eurostar train with four suicide bombers as his fellow passengers. It's a grand finale that'll have readers on edge. Nicely, and seemingly effortlessly, done." —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
Great to see things getting a little more complicated. The atmosphere, switching between the Eurostar and the embassy was electric, and I hope we see more about the new boss. I'm surprised ITV haven't optioned Shepherd to replace the likes of Poirot and Frost; he's got a lot to please an audience. I'm certainly enjoying his adventures!
4 Stars to Soft Target (Dan Shepherd, #2) by Stephen Leather
Description
The second book in the bestselling Dan 'Spider' Shepherd series. There's only one thing more dangerous than a corrupt cop . . . and that's a corrupt cop with a gun. When a group of armed police in an elite unit turn maverick and start to rip off drug dealers at gunpoint, undercover cop Dan 'Spider' Shepherd is given his most dangerous mission so far. Shepherd is ordered to infiltrate the tight-knit team, to gain their confidence and to ultimately betray them. Facing men with guns is nothing new for the former SAS trooper, but it's the first time he's had to investigate his own. And the job couldn't have come at a worse time for him. As Shepherd finds himself in the firing line, he has to decide exactly where his loyalties lie.
Review
Another worthy entry in what's fast becoming a series to keep. This time it's bad cops on the take, but it's not all black and white. It's very interesting to me that in the first story Dan lies to protect his kids, and in this one our bent copper has an ailing daughter. Even though the ending ties things up with a pretty bow, the moral question remains and Dan, though without doubt a potent force, is perhaps not as saintly as he may first appear.
4 Stars to Hard Landing (Dan Shepherd, #1) by Stephen Leather
Description
The first book in the bestselling Dan 'Spider' Shepherd series. Dan 'Spider' Shepherd is used to putting his life on the line. Working for an elite undercover squad he has lied, cheated and conned in order to bring Britain's most wanted criminals to justice. But when a powerful drugs baron starts to kill off witnesses to his crimes, Shepherd is given his most dangerous assignment yet. He has to go undercover in a top security prison, a world where one wrong move will mean certain death. As Shepherd gambles everything to move in on his quarry, he soon realises that the man he is hunting is even more dangerous than the police realise. And that he is capable of striking outside the prison walls and hitting Shepherd where it hurts most.
Review
Corkingly enjoyable, I'm really starting to find Leather's writing pretty compelling. There are more in the series and I certainly know where to go when I need another thriller fix this was British SAS at their best with an unusual but fascinating look inside the penal system
4 Stars to Bug Park by James P. Hogan
Description
In a tiny world known as Bug Park, the teenage offspring of a rich, indulgent parent finds that the privileged life holds no weight in a place where everything familiar is the opposite of what it is supposed to be. Reprint.
Review
Classic Hogan in many ways but with younger leads than his typical, this is a clever take on the nano idea. Not an outstanding work and he's certainly done better, but I enjoyed it all-the-same.
5 Stars to First Response by Stephen Leather
Description
From the bestselling author of the Spider Shepherd and Jack Nightingale series comes First Response, the utterly addictive new thriller by Stephen Leather. London is under siege. Nine men in suicide vests primed to explode hold hostages in nine different locations around the city, and are ready to die for their cause.Their to force the government to release jihadist prisoners from Belmarsh Prison.Their 6 p.m. Today. But the bombers are cleanskins, terrorists with no obvious link to any group, and who do not appear on any anti-terror watch list. What has brought them together on this one day to act in this way? Mo Kamran is the Superintendent in charge of the Special Crime and Operations branch of the Met. As the disaster unfolds and the SAS, armed police, and other emergency services rush to the scenes, he is tasked with preventing the biggest terrorist outrage the capital has ever known.But nothing is what it seems. And only Kamran has the big picture. Will anyone believe him?A chillingly plausible and pulse-pounding depiction of how London might be held to ransom in a concerted terrorist this is thriller writing at its very best.
Review
A pretty impressive thriller (thanks Derry), showing that even the most careful of criminals can make small mistakes and dropping hints to the police. Lovely, modern counterterrorism, a poke at the Prime Minister and a deep appreciation for the difference between the Islamic State and the state of islam.
3 Stars to Mission Improbable (Carrie Hatchett Space Adventures Series #1) by J.J. Green
Description
ASIN B019F0SJ1M moved to the most recent edition here The galaxy is in crisis, and Carrie Hatchett is the last person on Earth who should be fixing it. Carrie is a low-achieving daydreamer. After providing a good home for her butt-ugly dog and psychotic cat, her biggest challenge in life is to avoid being fired, again. But a strange green mist sucks her beneath her kitchen sink, and an unusual clerical error leads to an offer she foolishly doesn’t refuse. The Transgalactic Council hire her to settle a conflict between the mechanical placktoids and the mysterious oootoon. Carrie must overcome her personal weaknesses and, for the first time in her life, succeed in her job, to uncover a threat to the entire galaxy. Mission Improbable is Book One in the light-hearted, fast-paced Carrie Hatchett Space Adventures series.
Review
Very female and with a daftness I can't quite warm to. Not a series I think I'll pursue, but written well for all that.
4 Stars to Work Done for Hire by Joe Haldeman
Description
The Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of The Forever War delivers "a riveting near-future science fiction story of the dangers of living in a surveillance state" (The Tech). Wounded in combat and honorably discharged nine years ago, Jack Daley still suffers nightmares from when he served his country as a sniper, racking up sixteen confirmed kills. Now a struggling author, Jack accepts an offer to write a near-future novel about a serial killer, based on a Hollywood script outline. It’s an opportunity to build his writing career and a future with his girlfriend, Kit Majors. But Jack’s other talent is also in demand. A package arrives on his doorstep containing a sniper rifle, complete with silencer and ammunition—and the first installment of a $100,000 payment to kill a “bad man.” The twisted offer is genuine. The people behind it are dangerous. They also prove that they have Jack under surveillance. He can’t run. He can’t hide. And if he doesn’t take the job, Kit will be in the crosshairs instead.
Review
So it's got a very poor community rating. I guess that's because people were expecting good sci-fi or a cracking ending. But I enjoyed it, even if it was a very cheesy work, almost parodying the thriller genre in its lighthearted crazy silly ending and yet with a vein of the All-American gritty thriller about it too.
1 Stars to DECOHERENCE (A QUANTUM TRILOGY Book 1) by Keith McCarthy
Description
Sebastian Shockley lost his mother to cancer and his father to suicide, but he's just struck lucky, because he's just written a best-seller. His success is short-lived, though, because he's then diagnosed with an untreatable brain tumour that gives him vivid, macabre hallucinations. When he's contacted to take part in a study of an experimental cure, he his given some hope but maybe the cure is worse than the disease; or maybe there isn't a cure at all. As the study proceeds, he begins to believe that there are secrets all around him and he starts to wonder if there's something terribly wrong with the reality in which finds himself; if, in fact, reality has no existence for him any more.
Review
Overblown and flowery language served only to mean I think I fell asleep. i don't understand this book.
3 Stars to The Escape by Dean Wesley Smith
Description
Pocket Books is proud to present the first original novel starring the crew of the Starship USS Voyager. Stranded far across the galaxy, theirs is a voyage of a lifetime that will take them far into uncharted space… where no one has gone before. The USS Voyager is in desperate trouble, her systems damaged, her warp engines failing. Without immediate repairs the starship and her crew will be trapped forever between the stars. Captain Kathryn Janeway must guide her ship to an ancient, deserted planet that could hold the key to their survival—a planet that is holding more than one deadly secret…
Review
Zimmerman? Again? I know it was in the bible, but we were 12 episodes in by May. Also, there's something niggling at me about the paradoxical nature of the time travel even with the length of the increments, and why did the transport craft travel intraperiod anyway? It's described as functional, not broken. Finally Tuvok's diction is really, really bad for a Vulcan. Niggles aside, I enjoyed the story, but given the speed I read at it wasn't much longer than watching an actual episode for me.
4 Stars to Mandibles by Jeff Strand
Description
WHEN OVERSIZED FIRE ANTS GO BAD! The demented mind behind Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary) and Single White Psychopath Seeks Same is back with another outrageous blend of the humorous and the horrific. Extremely large and vicious red fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are on the loose in Tampa, Florida, and those who don't immediately become ant chow must figure out how to stop this attack before the entire city becomes overrun by the creatures. Of course, a pair of psycho killers named Hack and Slash aren't exactly helping things out... Whether you love ants, hate ants, or have no real opinion of them as long as they're not currently stinging you, you'll love this over-the-top, action-packed, tongue-in-cheek insects-on-the-rampage thriller!
Review
My 6th Strand read, and I must say I liked it! It was, of course, shallow fun, but some of the scenes had me chuckling and although it's not knocked Benjamin's Parasite from my top spot of his works, it's certainly on a par with Dweller
4 Stars to The Machine by James Smythe
Description
Beth lives alone on a desolate housing estate near Portsmouth. She came here to rebuild her life. Her husband returned from the war, tormented. They said they could save him. There was a machine. They said it could record his memories, preserve a life that existed before the nightmares. She had no choice. The machine saved him in a way. Now he lives in an institution, amongst a sea of others. She should be grateful. They said he was one of the lucky ones; at least he came back from the war. Now the machines are gone. They declared them too controversial, the side-effects too harmful. But within Beth's flat is an ever-whirring black box. She knows that memories can be put back, that she can rebuild her husband one memory at a time. Frankenstein is a myth meant to scare us, the machine is an invention sent to save us. Reminiscent of JG Ballard's High-Rise and Anne Enright's The Gathering and perfect for fans of Inception, The Machine is a story of the indelibility of memory, the human cost of science and the horrors of love.
Review
There was a lot here to enjoy, a very atmospheric, dark Britishness that you rarely see. also a very small cast of characters, indeed smaller than perhaps one might suppose from the outset, and a powerful light shining on memory and what it really means to be a person. I liked the monkeys and the mirrors, that was neat, and the scenery was harsh and unforgiving and hot, for all it was well written. I also enjoyed the extract of Smythe's other novel and want to read it soon.
2 Stars to Transmission by Ambrose Ibsen
Description
A Voice From Beyond The Grave? College students Kenji and Dylan stumble upon a strange recording in the background of an obscure song. It's a woman's voice, uttering a string of seemingly random characters. Upon further inspection, the song appears to have been embedded with a hidden message. Attempting to crack the mysterious code and becoming obsessed with the recording, Kenji and Dylan set off in search of answers. With every turn in the road however, the puzzle only seems to grow more complicated. And sinister. Retired Vietnam vet Reggie Cash is also drawn in by this message, and before long both he and the two college students are on the trail of the mysterious woman featured in the recording. But who is she, and where is she leading them? As things fall into place and strange events unfold, the three of them begin to wish that they'd never heard the recording at all... TRANSMISSION is a full-length novel of supernatural horror and suspense by Ambrose Ibsen.
Review
The word surcease was used 3 times, and I think that's at least twice too many in your typical fiction novel. Also trod is the simple past tense of tread, and reception is an uncountable noun. Those were the major grammar gripes of this one. Apart from that this book did suffer from the bane of many supernatural horrors; namely that there was no clear resolution. The hairs on the back of my arms did prickle on occasion, so a few stars for that, but I think I prefer genres where a novel has a beginning, middle and, perhaps most importantly, a satisfying and resounding end.
4 Stars to The Cross (Eddie Flynn #0.5) by Steve Cavanagh
Description
Cross-examination isn’t a war of words. It’s not a legal battle. It’s not about who shouts the hardest or loudest. Cross-examination is daylight robbery; you go in hard and fast, grab what you need, and get the hell out. Eddie Flynn, ex con-artist-turned-defense attorney, has an impossible choice to make. His client, the widow of a man who died in a confrontation with a police officer, is seeking justice for her husband. The victim himself was accused of killing a man in a robbery gone wrong outside the St. Regis Hotel—his widow swears it’s not true, and the story’s not adding up to Flynn, either. But with his small and scrappy law firm on the brink of financial collapse, taking this to trial and losing could put them under for good. As Flynn digs deeper into the case, a complex web of deceit and corruption begins to emerge with farther-reaching implications than he ever imagined. After a whirlwind twenty-four hours chasing leads all throughout New York City, it all comes down to the cross-examination: will he risk his life to expose the truth?
Review
Set chronologically before the start of the defense, this adds great background detail to what was a cracking book I read earlier this week. I really enjoy reading about this bright, smart and dangerous lawyer!
4 Stars to Prisoners of Tomorrow (1) (BAEN) by James P. Hogan
Description
TWO EPIC SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS BY A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR TOGETHER IN ONE New York Times bestseller Endgame Enigma and Promethius Award winner Voyage from Yesteryear . Endgame Enigma New York Times bestseller. In the near future, Russia has built Valentina Tereshkova , a space station a mile in diameter, a shining city in space. Its builders claim that the orbiting space city is a peaceful Utopian experiment, but American intelligence reports raise the ominous possibility that the space colony is actually a weapon built by the last heirs of the Soviet dictators.When scientist Paula Bryce and trained agent Lew McCain travel to the station to investigate, they become prisoners in the station's high-tech prison facilities. Escape seems impossible but if they can't escape, Armageddon is inevitable. . . . Voyage from Prometheus Award-winning novel. Late in our century, as nuclear war loomed, Americans sent a colonization spaceship manned by robots to an Earthlike planet in the Alpha Centauri system. On arrival, the robot crew used recorded DNA information to bring forth a generation of infants, whom they educated in accordance with the principles enunciated by the founders of the American government. Generations later, Earth has rebuilt after the war, unfortunately with authoritarian governments which now can send manned starships with more colonists to the new worlds. They'll show their distant relatives "help." But the robots educated their pupils much too well--the colonists are actually serious about all that life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the inalienable rights of the individual stuff... About Endgame " Tautly constructed, well-plotted and well-written . .. placing [Hogan] on the brink of joining the best-selling authors Dean R. Koontz and John Jakes . . ."—United Press International " Valentina Tereshkova will fascinate you. . . . A fascinating glimpse into the future."— Rave Reviews About Voyage from "The more I read of Voyage From Yesteryear , the more impressed I became and the more I enjoyed the book . . . it's a great story."—Dougs Book Reviews About James P. " Pure science fiction . . . Arthur C. Clarke, move over."—Isaac Asimov ". . . ambitious, expertly-handled . . . fascinating notions and nonstop plot twists in a taut, gripping narrative; a bravura performance."-- Kirkus Reviews ". . . on the cutting edge of technology. . . . Hogans talent carrieds the reader from peak to peak in the story, while his knowledge of science . .. constitutes a speldid backdrop for the non-stop action."— Booklist ". . . Hogan, a dean of hard SF, parlays [Pathways to Otherwhere] into an entertaining, imaginative yarn."— Publishers Weekly
Review
It's great to see these reissues as I mentioned in my review of Cyber Rogues, because it gives you chance to reflect on books you've already read. I always liked Endgame Enigma, and I think it my favourite of the two. I enjoyed Voyage again, although not as much. I do hope these continue to be produced!
3 Stars to Intrusion by Mary McCluskey
Description
A loving couple, grieving the loss of their son, finds their marriage in free fall when a beautiful, long-lost acquaintance inserts herself into their lives. Kat and Scott Hamilton are dealing with the hardest of the death of their only child. While Scott throws himself back into his law practice in Los Angeles, Kat is hesitant to rejoin the workplace and instead spends her days shell-shocked and confused, unable to focus. When an unwelcome face from Kat’s past in England emerges―the beautiful and imposing Sarah Cherrington―Kat’s marriage is thrown into a tailspin. Now wealthy beyond anything she could have imagined as a girl, Sarah appears to have everything she could need or want. But Sarah has an agenda and she wants one more thing. Soon Kat and Scott are caught up in her devious games and power plays. Against the backdrops of Southern California and Sussex, in spare and haunting prose, Mary McCluskey propels this domestic drama to its chilling conclusion.
Review
nothing particularly outstanding here for me. The She-devil nature of the rich isn't really surprising, very psychopathic but not exactly hard to spot on the approach. A so so read.
4 Stars to Xenophobia (First Contact) by Peter Cawdron
Description
FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. Xenophobia is set in Malawi, Africa, with US soldiers acting as peacekeepers to stop a civil war from erupting. When an alien spacecraft arrives in orbit, America is thrown into turmoil and US troops are withdrawn from hotspots around the globe to provide support at home. Malawi descends into chaos. Xenophobia follows a band of US Rangers that stay behind to get doctors and patients from an outlying field hospital to safety. When hundreds of alien spacecraft begin flying overhead, the dynamics of war take on an entirely new dimension. FIRST CONTACT is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.
Review
An exciting, somehow very real story. It almost seemed to be an alien invasion at second hand viewing, which is novel, but of course things develop from that. Very much enjoyed, lots to think about.
4 Stars to Reconfigure by Epredator
Description
Roisin Kincade is a young, talented, full stack techie. Her mind is full of thoughts, ideas, film quotes and analogies. She knows and understands Flow, allowing herself to be in the zone when coding. That takes it out of her. Dropping out of Flow, as she did that night, means inattention. She is not a great fan of command lines, nor of systems admin, at the best of times. Finishing a long coding session she just had to do some minor file system tidying up. We have all done it, typed the wrong thing into the wrong window, deleted the wrong file, messaged the wrong person. This time she typed a Linux command in the wrong place. She missed the terminal window and managed to Tweet the World instead. She expected the public ridicule, the trolls and the bot responses, but she did not expect an automated Direct Message. Neither did she expect to spend the next few days using a game engine to help her talk to a new system. It seemed like she was hacking an old school text adventure game, by invitation, but it was much more! A world of Fractal Iterations, Quantum Computing and strange side effects opened up. It appeared to offer a programming interface to everything around her. Reconfiguring anything in the real world might attract some attention? It might attract attention from parties more interested in controlling the World themselves? She didn’t know who they were, she had never heard of them. The corporate cartels have the world pretty much to themselves. They exist above governments and security agencies. She knew they dodged taxes but she didn’t know they watched everything everywhere. She didn’t know they kept an eye out for such things, such anomalies. A late night Tweet led her to be able to do things for real she had only done in game code and virtual worlds. Now she was alone, off the grid, with no signal. She had a plan, but it might, like those hated command line interfaces, be terminal!
Review
A brilliant take on a familiar but neatly-handled concept with a heroin we can really get behind. But did she seriously have to be a nano fangirl? Ah, well. I suppose my own love of ed is quaint these days.
4 Stars to Underkill by James White
Description
1st Corgi edition paperback vg++
Review
This was actually a pretty clever way of finding out about an alien invasion. You do have to cerebrate; White's path through the English language meanders not unpleasantly but with tortuous precision for one expecting a modern story, and yet it's a delightfully clever take on a very old idea.
5 Stars to Cyber Rogues (1) (BAEN) by James P. Hogan
Description
SKYNET MEETS THE MATRIX in two novels from New York Times best-selling author, and legendary science fiction storyteller, James Hogan. Contains Two Faces of Tomorrow and Real Time Interrupt. Skynet and The Matrix have got nothing on James Hogan in this great two-novel collection. Two Faces of Tomorrow Midway through the 21st century, a proposed major software upgrade–an artificial intelligence–will give the world communications system an unprecedented degree of independent decision-making. Now to fully assess the system, a new space-station habitat is deployed with an A.I. named Spartacus. The idea is that if Spartacus gets out of hand, the system can be shut down and the station destroyed–unless, that is, Spartacus decides to take matters into its own hands and take the fight to Earth. Realtime Interrupt Joe Corrigan awakens in a hospital to find that his life no longer exists. As director of the supersecret Oz Project, his job was to create a computerized environment virtually indistinguishable from reality. Oz failed. Now Joe, left alone to pick up the pieces of his shattered life, Joe finds himself in an unfamiliar world–a world where nothing is quite as it should be. Now Joe must discover a terrible truth about his new world–and figure out how to get out alive! About James P. “Readers who like their science hard will find this one a diamond.” – Publishers Weekly on James P. Hogan’s Mission to Minerva “…cutting edge scientific approach…truly fascinating and highly enjoyable…”– Starlog “Stimulating and provocative.” – Kirkus on James P. Hogan’s ground-breaking Cradle of Saturn “Pure science fiction…Arthur C. Clarke, move over.” – Isaac Asimov
Review
It was November 2011 when I first read The Two Faces of Tomorrow, and June 2009 when I catalogued Realtime Interrupt (although that was a reread). For some reason, the latter wasn't a 5 star, even though in retrospect it probably should've been. I reread it as part of this collection over this weekend when my daughter was in for surgery and found it riveted me anew, as I hadn't read it for almost 7 years! Two Faces is slower to get off the ground, but that, also, poses some excellent scientific stuff, especially given its original publication year of 1979. I have very often wondered how much frame of mind and other pressures or indeed even books I've been reading between titles impact ratings, so it's a rare opportunity here to come at 2 books anew. A very worthwhile buy, this, if you're a Hogan fan or not. Recommended most completely for any fan of Hard Science Fiction.
4 Stars to Zeroes (Zer0es, #1) by Chuck Wendig
Description
Five hackers—an Anonymous-style rabble-rouser, an Arab Spring hacktivist, a black-hat hacker, an old-school cipherpunk, and an online troll—are detained by the U.S. government, forced to work as white-hat hackers for Uncle Sam in order to avoid federal prison. At a secret complex known only as "the Lodge," where they will spend the next year working as an elite cyber-espionage team, these misfits dub themselves "the Zeroes." But once the Zeroes begin to work, they uncover secrets that would make even the most dedicated conspiracy theorist's head spin. And soon they're not just trying to serve their time, they're also trying to perform the ultimate hack: burrowing deep into the U.S. government from the inside, and hoping they'll get out alive. Packed with electric wit and breakneck plot twists, Zer0es is an unforgettable thrill ride through the seedy underbelly of "progress."
Review
This was a hugely exciting read, and sort of reminded me of The Terminator with hackers. If coming to movie screens it’ll rock hard, and as a bit of a geek I found myself pretty well hooked.
5 Stars to The God Wave (The God Wave Trilogy, #1) by Patrick Hemstreet
Description
A team of neuroscientists uncover amazing new capabilities in the brain that may steer human evolution toward miraculous and deadly frontiers in this spectacular debut work of speculative science fiction—Limitless meets James Rollins—that combines spirituality and science in an inventive, mind-blowing fashion. For decades, scientists have speculated about the untapped potential of the human brain. Now, neuroscientist Chuck Brenton has made an astonishing breakthrough. He has discovered the key—the crucial combination of practice and conditioning—to access the incredible power dormant in ninety percent of our brains. Applying his methods to test subjects, he has stimulated abilities that elevate brain function to seemingly “godlike” levels. These extraordinary abilities can transform the world, replacing fear and suffering with tranquility and stability. But in an age of increasing militarization, corporate exploitation, and explosive technological discovery, a group of influential powerbrokers are determined to control these new superbeings for their own manipulative ends?and their motives may be far from peaceful.
Review
A profoundly spectacular start to a series. The first chapter hooked me just like a book out of the golden age of sci-fi, then chapters 10, 11 and 26 built on things tremendusly for me. Rocketing stuff. This is a series I want to see more of: an idea, not new, but interpreted superbly.
May
3 Stars to Company by Max Barry
Description
Stephen Jones is a shiny new hire at Zephyr Holdings. From the outside, Zephyr is just another bland corporate monolith, but behind its glass doors business is far from the beautiful receptionist is paid twice as much as anybody else to do nothing, the sales reps use self help books as manuals, no one has seen the CEO, no one knows exactly what they are selling, and missing donuts are the cause of office intrigue. While Jones originally wanted to climb the corporate ladder, he now finds himself descending deeper into the irrational rationality of company policy. What he finds is hilarious, shocking, and utterly telling.
Review
This didn't grip me as the other titles of Barry's I've read. Perhaps I'm not in management, where it might've made more sense? There were amusing bits and it wasn't so badly written that I didn't enjoy it, but nor did it make me laugh out loud.
2 Stars to Royal Decree (Jason Steed #4) by Mark A. Cooper
Description
A suspected IRA commander in Northern Ireland, agrees with his wife to foster a child. Unbeknown to them, that boy is twelve-year-old British secret agent, Jason Steed. The weapons and arms trail lead Jason to Istanbul, Turkey where he unearths the largest illegal weapon smuggling operations in the world. However, those involved in the lucrative business are determined to defend it at any cost. After he defeated their plans for global chaos, and Jason’s true identity is discovered, he plunges once more into the face of death, and he finds himself face-to-face with someone he once trusted. Protection is on its way by royal intervention, but is it too late?
Review
With growing disparity between the kids ages and sexual awareness, more lurid and crude fart jokes and a disturbing number of grammatical errors ("were" and "where" are two different things, honest) this series isn't growing up as quickly as it needs to. The IRA opener seemed far too loose - in fact it looked like the start of a whole different story - and I must admit that while I can appreciate the humour and fun, there comes a point where the players start to mature and make more of themselves than kids. This one didn't *really do that for me.
4 Stars to Mindrider by Graham Storrs
Description
Arramar is a mindrider, an incorporeal being who lives in the minds of other species, and his people have arrived here to colonise the Earth. But Arramar begins to see that humanity is not an appropriate species for colonisation, not least because they are already inhabited by the indigenous, mind-dwelling monsters his people call “nightmares”. Now, as a war between his colony and the nightmares begins to escalate, with collateral damage among the humans inevitable, he is desperately trying to persuade his people to leave. But the leader of the colony has disappeared and both his own people and the human military are hunting him down. His only allies in his struggle to save the Earth are a handful of humans whose minds he rides and who are as scared and confused as he is.
Review
a clever approach to alien invasion, this mental jumping-jack of a story was a true pleasure to read, not least because the narrator really did seem alien. I felt all the way through that I couldn't click with his ideals and beliefs, and while I had a great deal reinforced about behaviours of an ant colony or skep I never felt at home with his viewpoint. It's not my favourite of Storrs works, but it certainly holds a spot for originality and style. I'd buy more in the same world without reservation.
2 Stars to Man Vs Machine by Martin H. Greenberg
Description
Fifteen original tales envision ever-more sophisticated technology-and the repercussions on humankind... As our world and daily lives become more and more involved with and dependent on complex technology, concern over what the future holds increases. If computers develop genuine Artificial Intelligence will they still willingly serve humankind? If the machines rebel, can we shut them down? And what kind of world would we be left with if we did? These are just a few of the questions explored in fifteen brand-new stories by some of science fiction's most visionary minds-inventive and cautionary tales about some of the futures we may be building for ourselves right now.
Review
None of these stories really pushed a boundary for me. A shame, as some of the authors have strong credits. A poor selection, I felt.
April
4 Stars to 11/22/63 by Stephen King
Description
On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Stephen King’s heart-stoppingly dramatic new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination—a thousand page tour de force. Following his massively successful novel Under the Dome, King sweeps readers back in time to another moment—a real life moment—when everything went wrong: the JFK assassination. And he introduces readers to a character who has the power to change the course of history. Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk. Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time. A tribute to a simpler era and a devastating exercise in escalating suspense, 11/22/63 is Stephen King at his epic best.
Review
This was very well written, with a delightfully mournful tone to it throughout and a resonance of an era long gone. I can't quite give it top billing, for although several friends raved about this title to me copiously and not without merit they are not time travel aficionados and perhaps because it's a genre at which I regularly work I found this merely very good rather than amazing.
3 Stars to Vaporware by Richard Dansky
Description
Video game projects get shut down all the time, but when the one Ryan Colter and his team have poured their hearts into gets cut, something different happens: the game refuses to go away. Now Blue Lightning is alive, and it wants something from Ryan - something only he can give it. And everybody knows how addictive video games can be…
Review
Pretty intense story here, with a lot of industry inside stuff you probably need to be at least vaguely familiar with the outside of before you can appreciate the nuances. As is often the case with these modern horrir mixabouts there's no real conclusive explanation as to the why and wherefore, but it was an interesting view into the life of a tortured, rather depressing guy.
4 Stars to 23 Minutes by Vivian Vande Velde
Description
Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret ability: she can travel back in time twenty-three minutes to relive events she wants to change. But Zoe has learned from experience that this is more curse than gift. Things almost never end well and people just tend to think she’s crazy. But when she steps into a bank to get out of the rain and finds herself in the middle of a robbery gone horrifyingly wrong, Zoe knows she’s the only one who can help. The problem is, she has only a limited number of tries to make things right. Plus, a single mistake could get her killed—and not even time travel could bring her back from that. Zoe has always considered herself a loser, about as far from a heroine as a girl can get. Now she has to dig deep to find a strength she never thought she possessed.
Review
Vande Veld paints quite a detailed life for her strong-willed and impulsive lead in this intriguingly put-together little story. I found myself cheering her on as she kept trying to fix things and the narrative was both well-written and a joy to follow.
4 Stars to More of Me by Kathryn Evans
Description
Teva's life seems normal: school, friends, boyfriend. But at home she hides an impossible secret. Eleven other Tevas. Because once a year, Teva separates into two, leaving a younger version of herself stuck at the same age, in the same house... watching the new Teva live the life that she'd been living. But as her seventeenth birthday rolls around, Teva is determined not to let it happen again. She's going to fight for her future. Even if that means fighting herself.
Review
I really enjoyed this clever, novel idea on a topic not often explored in fiction. The relationships between Teva and her friends both male and female were compelling; of course it being set in England was quite helpful in that regard too. It's a little hard to pin don just quite what works so well about this book, but I stayed up until well after 1 in the morning reading it so something must've just clicked.
2 Stars to Human by Robert Berke
Description
December 18, 2011 Elijah Smith's mind has been replaced, piece-by-piece, with virtual counterparts. His transformation thrusts his survivors into a maelstrom of violence, danger, and intrigue. Only Smith has the power to save them -- provided that he is still human. Mankind has been merging with his technology since the first time a caveman picked up a walking stick. We easily accept the fact that eyeglasses, pacemakers, and prosthetic limbs improve or replace human biology. Soon we will have to accept the fact that the human mind can also be improved or replaced by the addition of technological components. HUMAN combines elements of a spy thriller with a cautionary tale about man's quest to use technology to escape death. The heart-racing climax leads to a haunting conclusion will make you question everything you think you know about what it actually means to be human.
Review
Elly, Josey, Julie and Bobby are all men, and 8 fck's and a cnt detracted from what could otherwise have been quite a pleasantly told tale. Exciting tech to a point, but not a particularly well executed approach to the genre.
4 Stars to Master of Life and Death by Robert Silverberg
Description
The brutal assassination of the Director of Population Equalization thrusts his assistant Roy Walton into the most sinister position of authority on Earth. Walton is faced with problems of cosmic proportions... How can he deal with the mass revolt against Popeek's resettlement and euthanasia programmes? Will the interstellar mission X-72 return with hope for a new Earth? And how can Walton finally silence his embittered, jealous brother who shares his two darkest secrets? One could cripple Popeek for a long time to come. The other would destroy Walton. For ever...
Review
This had a great British tone to it and a lovely period feel too. Some of the concepts are dated, but I really found myself quite absorbed.
2 Stars to Meant for Greater Things by John Mickus
Description
Jasper Joyce is good with lasers and satellites, but he’s not so good with people. Everyday life for others seems to give Jasper a very hard time, but solar physics— he can understand. Little by little, he endures his new job and continues to build mysterious devices. But why doesn't Mr. Joyce quite fit in? Why does he care so much about us and the world we live in? Does he know something we don’t? Many of his inventions are radically advanced. In fact, Jasper is creating technology that will change the world.
Review
This was a pretty neat idea and it wasn't executed badly, but there was some lassitude about the work that meant I just didn't quite engage with it properly. I'd try another of the author's works, just to see if it's an endemic issue.
1 Stars to Connection (Trade World Universe) by Ken Pence
Description
Robert Kobe is an entrepreneur but the first (accidental) interstellar flight far exceeds his expectations. -Their first contact is our first contact.-Now Robert is the alien on a planet of aliens.-Unable to speak a word of the language.-No money – no contacts – no ship – no food - but lots of technical expertise....A hunted criminal to destroy a civilization...he made a choice.-Kills hundreds to make a point...is he justified?-Forces a Trade agreement...by himself with a planet - justified?-Faces legal troubles at home.-Faces violence from other corporations.-Must kill to escape - justified?-Steals to finance his goals - justified?-Builds a space fleet to defy the Earth military - respects no Earth government.-Reinforces an interstellar reputation.-Saves an allied, alien military.-Experiments with tech from other dimensions. -A fun read Space opera with interesting tech.AMAZON REVIEWER "Wow! Well Done. Just finished Ken Pence ‘Connections’ and like his other stories found it fast-paced and an easy read without a lot of fluff and feathers. The characters are interesting and the story makes you care what happens to them. No spoiler here, but I did like the twist as I never saw it coming. Overall, this is a great adventure story, fast-moving with interesting tech about man’s first venture into deep space. There is also the question of what might happen when we meet aliens, some more interesting than others on a more intimate level. As an aside, not being any sort of an editor myself, I skipped over the errors I found and concentrated on the storytelling. Ken Pence did another excellent job of portraying men, good and bad, and how greed can motivate them to do their worst. Lastly, this is a story well worth reading." Rob BuckmanCan be read as a standalone but the Trade World series gives richer context. All Trade World books are tied. - Enjoy
Review
Potential, but an utter and unashamed waste of £2.10. It started out well enough, even if we do have to overlook a computer suddenly gaining magical levels of intelligence. Also, given that there's a typo in the description I wasn't expecting perfection. But the whole book came to a shattering mess when the extra dimensions were introduced. It reads as if the author just got utterly bored and started tossing in anything from his rather limited imagination to try and spice up, or perhaps prop up is a better descriptor, a sagging, bloated tale which sounds as if it might have glimmerings of possibility but actually reads like it was penned by a twelve-year-old with only a vague understanding of plot and story structure. And then when you get through the increasingly implausible rubbish to the end, he writes: "Thank you – typos and narrative changes are rampant – yep – thank you for reading anyway." SO it's not even as if he's unaware of the claptrap he's spouting (we skip from first to third person with alarming regularity and the typos are like the body count in a zombie movie) and he's still selling this stuff! A total waste of money, and he even has the bad taste to bring in the name of one of his friends at the end, who of course has given a glowing review of this book on his Amazon page. Well, I won't be checking out his friend's books for a while because of the crimes to the English language and good narrative sense thrown at me by Mr Pence. I'm all for a free market and support self-publishing to the hilt, but the ball was seriously dropped on this one.
5 Stars to The Rogue Retrieval (Gateways to Alissia, #1) by Dan Koboldt
Description
In the tradition of Terry Brooks' Landover series, Piers Anthony Xanth books, and Terry Pratchett's Discword novels, scientist and blogger Dan Koboldt weaves wonder, humor, and heart into his debut novel, The Rogue Retrieval. Sleight of hand…in another land Stage magician Quinn Bradley has one dream: to headline his own show on the Vegas Strip. And with talent scouts in the audience wowed by his latest performance, he knows he’s about to make the big-time. What he doesn’t expect is an offer to go on a quest to a place where magic is all too real. That's how he finds himself in Alissia, a world connected to ours by a secret portal owned by a powerful corporation. He’s after an employee who has gone rogue, and that’s the least of his problems. Alissia has true magicians…and the penalty for impersonating one is death. In a world where even a twelve-year-old could beat Quinn in a swordfight, it's only a matter of time until the tricks up his sleeves run out.
Review
This was sublime. Flowing with all the ease and marvel of a work written decades before, it totally kept me hooked nonstop. I've always enjoyed stories of other worlds but when they're written so well and keep the pulse pounding too, why that's even better. A debut author with more potential than many I've seen in some time, I'm already waiting for the next book!
5 Stars to Kiln People by David Brin
Description
In a perilous future where disposable duplicate bodies fulfill every legal and illicit whim of their decadent masters, life is cheap. No one knows that better than Albert Morris, a brash investigator with a knack for trouble, who has sent his own duplicates into deadly peril more times than he cares to remember. But when Morris takes on a ring of bootleggers making illegal copies of a famous actress, he stumbles upon a secret so explosive it has incited open warfare on the streets of Dittotown. Dr. Yosil Maharal, a brilliant researcher in artificial intelligence, has suddenly vanished, just as he is on the verge of a revolutionary scientific breakthrough. Maharal's daughter, Ritu, believes he has been kidnapped--or worse. Aeneas Polom, a reclusive trillionaire who appears in public only through his high-priced platinum duplicates, offers Morris unlimited resources to locate Maharal before his awesome discovery falls into the wrong hands. To uncover the truth, Morris must enter a shadowy, nightmare world of ghosts and golems where nothing--and no one--is what they seem, memory itself is suspect, and the line between life and death may no longer exist.
Review
Somehow I found myself totally gripped by the profusion of narrators. The clay thing is a very old, almost biblical force, and yet the world is painted with a very real, Graham-Storrs-like postmodern future, with a great licensed PI voice and a superb noir feel to the whole thing. There's a lot going on, and it's easy to lose your thread if you're not concentrating I'd imagine, but if you can stay the course this is an exciting, clever, and compelling story.
4 Stars to The Spaceship Next Door (Sorrow Falls, #1) by Gene Doucette
Description
The world changed on a Tuesday. When a spaceship landed in an open field in the quiet mill town of Sorrow Falls, Massachusetts, everyone realized humankind was not alone in the universe. With that realization, everyone freaked out for a little while. Or, almost everyone. The residents of Sorrow Falls took the news pretty well. This could have been due to a certain local quality of unflappability, or it could have been that in three years, the ship did exactly nothing other than sit quietly in that field, and nobody understood the full extent of this nothing the ship was doing better than the people who lived right next door. Sixteen-year old Annie Collins is one of the ship’s closest neighbors. Once upon a time she took every last theory about the ship seriously, whether it was advanced by an adult ,or by a peer. Surely one of the theories would be proven true eventually—if not several of them—the very minute the ship decided to do something. Annie is starting to think this will never happen. One late August morning, a little over three years since the ship landed, Edgar Somerville arrived in town. Ed’s a government operative posing as a journalist, which is obvious to Annie—and pretty much everyone else he meets—almost immediately. He has a lot of questions that need answers, because he thinks everyone is wrong: the ship is doing something, and he needs Annie’s help to figure out what that is. Annie is a good choice for tour guide. She already knows everyone in town and when Ed’s theory is proven correct—something is apocalyptically wrong in Sorrow Falls—she’s a pretty good person to have around. As a matter of fact, Annie Collins might be the most important person on the planet. She just doesn’t know it. The Spaceship Next Door is the latest novel from Gene Doucette, best-selling author of The Immortal Trilogy, Fixer, The Immortal Chronicles, and Immortal Stories: Eve.
Review
Even the TOC impressed me with this one, and the whole thing was a very rapid-fire story which held itself together quite neatly. I hadn't come across Doucette before, but I am quite impressed and will certainly read more.
4 Stars to Orders of Magnitude (The Genie and the Engineer #2) by Glenn Michaels
Description
Newlyweds Paul and Capie Armstead are also the world’s newest wizards in over 400 years. Sadly, the other wizards of the world, who control all of Earth’s governments, are trying to get rid of both bride and groom. Which is how Paul finds himself desperately learning how to combine technology with their newly acquired powers. He has no other choice, if he wants to save himself and his wife—and as long as he's at it, the rest of humanity as well! Paul has definite plans of how to deal with these power mongering wizards. Unfortunately, those evil lowlifes have no intentions of leaving the young couple alone long enough to complete any research. Between avoiding monsters known as Oni, bad wizards and doing near-impossible experiments of blending magic and science, Paul and Capie have all the makings of a bad day. But there’s one thing that they have when a wizard takes on a responsibility, he does what needs doing. And the people in their way had better move.
Review
This continued the story nicely and was pretty fun to boot. Michaels hopefully has a path of where these are going to go, and I look forward to seeing where that takes us.
5 Stars to The Whims of Creation by Simon Hawke
Description
A multigenerational space ark supports a controlled ecosystem and 100,000 human colonists while traveling to a distant star system, until rampant suicides and the unexplained emergence of mythological beings sets everything spinning
Review
For a reason I can't quite pin down, I found myself totally, utterly absorbed into this book. The meld of concepts - generational spaceship with strange, mystical apparitions worthy of a fantasy novel - was a pull. Most of Hawke's stuff I quite take to, but this just hit a spot for me and I found it a pleasant little gem.
March
3 Stars to Cue For Quiet by T.L. Sherred
Description
A sci fi novel of adventure and fantasy
Review
Vintage, period lovelyness. I can't imagine it was meant to be taken overly seriously, but even the harder stuff of that era if it is melancholic is so in such a whimsical way that it's almost nice to read.
2 Stars to Wake Me In The Future by Alex Oldham
Description
Over a thousand years have passed since his family mourned his death. But Richard Green is alive again, and desperate to find his wife. Is she among the thousands still waiting to be revived? Or has he lost her forever? He doesn’t know, but for some reason, his attempts to find out are being deliberately blocked by some of the people around him. Some of whom are not what they seem. In fact, some of them aren’t even people at all! After encountering a group of protesters it becomes obvious that the only chance of finding what’s happened to her is to help them, and that’s when he finds himself at the centre of a struggle that spans more than one planet and threatens his very existence. But if putting his life on the line is the only way he can find out what’s happened to Helen, that's what he's prepared to do. In a world full of immortals, someone has to die!
Review
This book really needed a proofread. There were some simple naming issues, i.e. the "Kyper belt" at the extremities of our solar system (Gerard's surely got the right to have his name spelled correctly). Then there were the words used incorrectly - bought and brought do mean different things, as do decent and descent, lifes and lives, and balmy and barmy. Apart from those, which were quite profuse and irritating (especially the bought thing) this was interestingly plotted and a solid first attempt at a novel. I didn't find anything particularly new and noteworthy in story or character though, and a lot of the happenings were very easily predicted.
3 Stars to Field One (Field, #1) by Simon Winstanley
Description
“It’s books like this that keep the sci-fi genre fresh and exciting…” “Up there with Asimov…” “I can't recall seeing time travel done this way before.” The result of over three years of research, Field One is a seamless mix of real science, historical events, and solid Sci-Fi thriller. Believable and chilling in equal measure, there’s enough to have you questioning the world you know, the people who run it, and whether you yourself would be among the ‘Saved’. All life extinct in 64 The data couldn’t lie. Archive’s conclusion was To escape, make Time. Their solution was 7 billion people must never know. Their solution is failing. The future lies with a high-functioning sociopath, a child genius fascinated by time, an officially retired space program, and Field One... ★★★★★ “The perfect balance of sci-fi and action, and the best science fiction book I've read since Altered Carbon.” ★★★★★ “The story structure is unique, the plot lines thrilling, and the ending is just the start.” ★★★★★ “I read just about every time travel book available but this one is different and special.” ★★★★★ “Gripping, addictive and amazingly cerebral.” ★★★★★ “Ridiculously good. Brilliant science, well written.” ★★★★★ “Complex, intelligent and deep.” ★★★★★ “The story telling is gripping, found myself having to remember to breathe.” ★★★★★ “Time, shadow governments, psychology, end of the world stuff, heroes and villains, AI, futurism, chaos and control, and a whole heap of other cool stuff.” ★★★★★ “It’s books like this that keep the sci-fi genre fresh and Exciting…” ★★★★★ “I can't recall seeing time travel done this way before.” ★★★★★ “The best sci-fi I have read for a long time. Intelligent, thought provoking, good characters (strong female characters are refreshing to have). Up there with Asimov, in this reader's opinion.” With one hand he shielded his eyes from the glare of the slide projectors, and with the other he pointed at the images. It appeared that the flower and its container were surrounded by a small transparent bubble. “What you’re looking at, is a Chronomagnetic Field…” he said, “The flower inside the Field was proceeding through time at three times the normal rate.” “What are the limitations to the size of this… Field?” “None, as far as we can tell, except for practicality.” Manipulating time around a sample flower was one thing, but saving a planet was quite another. With over sixty years to prepare for the arrival of ‘1951VA’, Archive knew that the comet wasn’t the immediate problem. The problem was human nature. Field One Field Two Boundary EVA Inside the Field (An illustrated guide) Barcode (Archive Member exclusive) The Bridge (A Field Series standalone sequel)
Review
This had a great deal of potential. Clangingly British in spots, it did jump around a lot and you had to keep careful track of dates to know if what was happening made sense. The opening and closing sections were almost Arthur Clark-like in their obelisk-homaging of the bridge and the field, and the idea behind the story certainly is a good one. I'd have to read a sequel to decide just where this will go, though.c
3 Stars to What Ho, Automaton! (Reeves & Worcester Steampunk Mysteries Book, #1) by Chris Dolley
Description
** Finalist for the 2012 WSFA Award for best short fiction ** "A fun blend of P.G. Wodehouse, steampunk and a touch of Sherlock Holmes. Dolley is a master at capturing and blending all these elements. More than fascinating, this work is also rip-roaring fun!" - SF Revu The adventures of Reggie Worcester, gentleman consulting detective, and his automaton valet, Reeves. "Dolley got me to laugh out loud near the end. Which, frankly, is VERY hard to do. Dolley's tone is spot on Wodehouse and the steampunk elements tie into both plot and silliness admirably." - Gail Carriger, author of Soulless Reggie, an avid reader of detective fiction, knows two things about solving One, the guilty party is always the person you least suspect. And, two, The Murders in the Rue Morgue would have been solved a lot sooner had the detective the foresight to ask the witnesses if they'd seen any orang-utans recently. Reeves needs all his steam-powered cunning and intellect to curb the young master's excessive flights of fancy. And prevent him from getting engaged. The book contains two stories set in an alternative 1903 where an augmented Queen Victoria is still on the throne and automata are a common sight below stairs. What Ho, Automaton! - an 8,000 word novelette about how the two met. Something Rummy This Way Comes - a 41,000 word novella chronicling their first case. When Reggie discovers that four debutantes have gone missing in the first month of The London Season and, for fear of scandal, none of the families have called the police, he feels compelled to investigate. With the help of Reeves's giant brain and extra helpings of fish, he conducts an investigation that only a detective of rare talent could possibly envisage. Mystery, Zeppelins, Aunts and Humour. A steam-powered Wodehouse pastiche. REVIEWS "A fun blend of P.G. Wodehouse, steampunk and a touch of Sherlock Holmes. Dolley is a master at capturing and blending all these elements. More than fascinating, this work is also rip-roaring fun! But where Dolley really excels is in capturing the atmosphere and humor of the Bertie and Jeeves stories. Any Wodehouse fan will want to grab a copy of this work, but even if you have never explored that world, What Ho, Automaton! is a fun and fascinating read. Highly recommended, take a spin in this steampunk hybrid and enjoy the ride!" - SF Revu "Dolley's collection of Wodehousian steampunk is entertaining and often spot-on parody... Fans of Wodehouse will certainly appreciate Dolley's witty pastiche," - Publishers Weekly "I found myself snickering and snorting as I read, thinking the entire time 'this is pure awesome'" - Tiffany A. Harkleroad "I enjoyed every page of this book. A steampunk novel that combines classic British Humor, tongue-in-cheek references to Sherlock Holmes and a cast of great characters. I don't think I've actually laughed out loud this much while reading a book in a very long time." - ErisAerie "I found myself laughing out loud at Reggie and the fabulous Reeves as they romped their way through various adventures. A homage to Wodehouse without being sycophantic, this is fantastic. One thing to say to Chris More please!" - Sueo23
Review
Wodehouse is fun, but emulation never quite replaces reality. This was a titillating light-hearted romp lacking much of the substance of Dolley's own creative thought.
3 Stars to The Collectors (Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations #3) by Christopher L. Bennett
Description
An all-new Star Trek e-novella featuring the Department of Temporal Investigations! The dedicated agents of the Federation Department of Temporal Investigations have their work cut out for them protecting the course of history from the dangers of time travel. But the galaxy is littered with artifacts that, in the wrong hands, could threaten reality. One of the DTI's most crucial jobs is to track down these objects and lock them safely away in the Federation’s most secret and secure facility. When Agents Lucsly and Dulmur bring home an alien obelisk of incredible power, they are challenged by a 31st-century temporal agent who insists they surrender the mysterious artifact to her. But before they know it, the three agents are pulled into a corrupted future torn apart by a violent temporal war. While their DTI colleagues attempt to track them down, Lucsly and Dulmur must restore temporal peace by setting off on an epic journey through the ages, with the future of the galaxy hanging in the balance...
Review
Shorter than the others, but a Borg dinosaur is nothing to sniff at. Well-written and well enjoyed.
4 Stars to One by Sarah Crossan
Description
Grace and Tippi. Tippi and Grace. Two sisters. Two hearts. Two dreams. Two lives. But one body. Grace and Tippi are conjoined twins, joined at the waist, defying the odds of survival for sixteen years. They share everything, and they are everything to each other. They would never imagine being apart. For them, that would be the real tragedy. But something is happening to them. Something they hoped would never happen. And Grace doesn’t want to admit it. Not even to Tippi. How long can they hide from the truth—how long before they must face the most impossible choice of their lives?
Review
Heartwarmingly poignant and very, very real, this work managed to make me stop and think about something I'd never considered before. I see why it's garnered so much attention; it handled a difficult topic with painful, unfettered truth.
4 Stars to The Ring by Piers Anthony
Description
Ace Books, 1968. Mass market paperback original novel. SF novel wherein a ringlike device device is being imposed on criminals to provide an artificial conscience that punishes wrongdoing with severe pain.
Review
A blast of Anthony's typical style, I treasure this because it's one of his earlier standalones I hadn't found before. As is usual there's more than the average sexual inclusion, although this book was very mild in comparison to other works the discourse is still there. If you're a fan and you haven't read it, I think you too will find it a pleasurable nostalgia.
4 Stars to Mr. Adam by Pat Frank
Description
Originally published at the dawn of the Atomic Age, Mr. Adam is a riveting, chilling novel from the author of the post-apocalyptic classic Alas Babylon , revealing the dangers of nuclear power—and the far greater danger of government bureaucracy. A young newspaperman accidentally turns up the biggest story of his On a certain date in the not-too-distant future, there are no reservations in the maternity wards of any hospitals in New York. When the journalist’s AP office checks other cities, he discovers that this alarming state of affairs is not just in the United States, but in the entire world. A few months earlier, an accidental explosion in an atomic plant in Mississippi released an unknown form of radiation that turned the Earth’s men sterile—with one notable exception. Mr. Homer Adam, who was at the bottom of a lead mine in Colorado at the moment of the explosion, is the only man unaffected by the atomic rays. Naturally, he is in great demand, and sadly, it’s up to the government to decide what to do with him. One of literature’s first responses to the atomic bomb, Mr. Adam is "an artifact of classic science fiction—an equally biting satire and ominous warning to society—that will resonate deeply with readers today as it did when it was first published in 1946." (FantastyLiterature.com)
Review
I found myself chuckling at spots. This book at once had a great old feel about it without feeling like a typical work of the era, a clever thing to pull off. Lighthearted in tone and with a great deal to recommend it for any fan of the period, there's plenty to enjoy (tropes of the time included of course). The married relationship is particularly delightful, and there's just something about the writing of a newspaperman that you just can't find in a modern book, no matter how hard you try.
3 Stars to In Favour of Fools by J. Battle
Description
A PI/SCI-FI/Comedy/Thriller introducing Philip Humphrey Chandler as the socially inept hero who likes beer, coffee and breasts - but not necessarily in that order. Phil is private investigator; he's got a computer and a comfy chair, and he knows how to use them. He doesn't get all sweaty chasing the bad guys; not when his fingers can do the work as he sips his coffee and looks forward to a nice cool pint. He doesn't wrestle them to the ground, with a quick quip and a steely gaze; not when he can sit in his comfy chair and dream about the girl behind the bar; the one with the breasts. Then he meets the ex wife of a missing crime lord, and everything changes. Suddenly he's squirting to distant planets, finding dead bodies, dancing with aliens, saving a world from the clutches of the cutest of aliens and, for one brief moment, he becomes the richest man in the universe. In a tale of treachery, danger, poor customer service and bad jokes, Phil is forced to put aside his relaxed 'let someone else do the work' attitude, and take up arms against the might of an alien empire (well, it's a crow bar actually, and the alien is a little girl; a very tough little girl) and somehow find a way to save the day, and Earth's most valuable commodity, and maybe even his dignity. But where does this story really start? Of course, for Phil, it’s when he first meets the ex-wife of the missing crime lord; I guess it’s typical of him to think it all started with him. For Ben, it would be the misplaced bullet; for Millie, it was, of course, the Joke, and for Sam; well your guess is as good as mine In reality, it started much earlier; nine years earlier, with the robbery... A laugh a minute comedy science fiction thriller filled with alien worlds, strangely named AI’s, really bad jokes and a Narrative Facilitator who would really rather be doing something else.
Review
The Douglas Adams influence is very obvious, but apart from that the work stands on its own quite well and is light and fun enough to enjoy. I didn't find it laugh out loud, but in spots it did manage to capture that illusive skain of British humour.
5 Stars to Arkwright by Allen M. Steele
Description
Nathan Arkwright is a seminal author of the twentieth century. At the end of his life he becomes reclusive and cantankerous, refusing to appear before or interact with his legion of fans. Little did anyone know, Nathan was putting into motion his true, timeless legacy. Convinced that humanity cannot survive on Earth, his Arkwright Foundation dedicates itself to creating a colony on an Earth-like planet several light years distant. Fueled by Nathan's legacy, generations of Arkwrights are drawn together, and pulled apart, by the enormity of the task and weight of their name.
Review
I really found myself getting into this novel. It has a dramatic alien twist toward the end which was a bit intense, but the whole build up, especially seeing portrayals of household names of the golden Sci-fi era was electrifyingly enjoyable. I did have visions of The League of Tomorrow being a secret group of superheros early on. But you know, the reality was actually more impressive.
4 Stars to The IRIS Algorithm by L.G. Van Huen
Description
"You live in blissful ignorance. I live on the edge of informed insanity." -- Simone Dancing Simone’s earliest memories were numbers. She was born a mathematical savant. After being struck by lightning at age eight, she became something else. The keeper of God's own secret. Thirty difficult years have passed since that terrible day when she was enlightened and her little brother was killed. She left the basement skunk works of the Puzzle Palace - the NSA - where her gift was almost useful. She left her husband, Logan, for his own good and after learning he was a highly specialized CIA operator. She left the harsh noise of the real world for a quiet vacation in a mental institution. She left her old name behind in favor of a new one and started a new life in sunny California. For a decade it seemed to be working. Then they kidnapped her son. They demanded the IRIS Algorithm—the product of a long shuttered NSA project, whose former researchers have been recently dying of tragic accidents. With nowhere left to turn, Simone must convince her estranged husband that while she may be crazy, it doesn't mean she's wrong. In a story that weaves its way through the basement technology projects of the NSA, to the subterranean dungeons of a dangerous organization, involving twisted conspiracy between nation states and their pawns, we discover what a mother will do to save her son—even if it means breaking her covenant with God, the end of secrets and the end of the civilized world.
Review
"Simone always told the truth, but you had to listen very carefully. She told truth with such precision that you tended to fill in your own lies to round off the conversation." This was a fast, edgy and exciting story. People who can calculate where bullets are going to go are quite popular in these sort of things but that wasn't the way this one went. I wasn't too sure about the whole God angle, but even not having all the answers the action kept me reading and the potential future directions will ensure I pick up another if there is one. I wasn't too impressed with the depravities and I found the repetition of people's heights slightly off-putting, but those are small complaints in such a different take on a familiar and overcrowded genre.
5 Stars to Cracked by K.M. Walton
Description
Sometimes there's no easy way out. Victor hates his life. He has no friends, gets beaten up at school, and his parents are always criticizing him. Tired of feeling miserable, Victor takes a bottle of his mother's sleeping pills—only to wake up in the hospital. Bull is angry, and takes all of his rage out on Victor. That makes him feel better, at least a little. But it doesn't stop Bull's grandfather from getting drunk and hitting him. So Bull tries to defend himself with a loaded gun. When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, there's no way to escape each other or their problems. Which means things are going to get worse—much worse—before they get better….
Review
A bit like Apple and Rain, this book really poked me in the core. The fact that the kids are American this time doesn't matter; the life lessons are of course as relevant and enduring. It was written well and with a forthright straightforwardness any boy would feel comfortable with; not an easy task. I think, even though we almost feel a utopic sense of ending, the hardness of life isn't shied away from. Certainly for the young of us a novel full of food for thought, and a touching reminder to those of us less young that even being in that happy state is not always so content.
3 Stars to The Lifeship by Gordon R. Dickson
Description
A human spokesman attempts to save himself and others from the death-in-space credo of the Albenareth commander of their emergency spacecraft
Review
Torpid in spots, lacking much of Harrison's distinctive input. Nonetheless interesting, I was reminded a little of James White.
4 Stars to Interrupt by Jeff Carlson
Description
In the distant past, the leader of a Neanderthal tribe confronts the end of his kind. Today, a computational biologist, a Navy pilot, and an autistic boy are drawn together by the ancient mystery that gave rise to Homo sapiens . Planes are falling from the sky. Global communications have ceased. America stands on the brink of war with China―but war is the least of humankind’s concerns. As solar storms destroy Earth’s electronics and plunge the world into another Ice Age, our civilization finds itself overrun by a powerful new species of man… This brilliant thriller takes readers to an all-too-plausible tomorrow that’s as scientifically rigorous as it is wildly imaginative. Jeff Carlson is the internationally bestselling author of Plague Year and The Frozen Sky . With Interrupt , he brings his forward-thinking fiction to a contemporary setting with this edge-of-your-seat thriller.
Review
A pretty exciting story, Carlson's prose didn't quite manage to keep me enthralled but I was keen to come back to the story and found it a fascinating idea. I'd gladly read more if there was a sequel, I'm sure there are developments which would open up even more interesting directions for things to take.
1 Stars to Father of Lies (Father of Lies #1) by S.E. England
Description
Ruby is the most violently disturbed patient ever admitted to Drummersgate Asylum, high on the bleak moors of northern England. With no improvement after two years, Dr. Jack McGowan finally decides to take a risk and hypnotizes her--with terrifying consequences. A horrific dark force is now unleashed on the entire medical team, as each in turn attempts to unlock Ruby's shocking and sinister past. Who is this girl? And how did she manage to survive such unimaginable evil? Set in a desolate ex-mining village, where secrets are tightly kept and intruders hounded out, their questions soon lead to a haunted mill, the heart of darkness, and the Father of Lies.
Review
This book did 2 things that really get under my skin. First, the author used words inappropriately (transgress and digress have very different meanings), and secondly, there was no real resolution to the story so you invest hours of time and interest in these characters only to really get absolutely nowhere. The fowl language and crudity didn't lead anywhere and the whole work seemed to play at being a horror/religious morality story but couldn't quite pull any of it off.
4 Stars to Quantum Night by Robert J. Sawyer
Description
With such compelling and provocative novels as Red Planet Blues , FlashForward and The WWW Trilogy, Robert J. Sawyer has proven himself to be “a writer of boundless confidence and bold scientific extrapolation” ( New York Times ). Now, the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author explores the thin line between good and evil that every human being is capable of crossing… Experimental psychologist Jim Marchuk has developed a flawless technique for identifying the previously undetected psychopaths lurking everywhere in society. But while being cross-examined about his breakthrough in court, Jim is shocked to discover that he has lost his memories of six months of his life from twenty years previously—a dark time during which he himself committed heinous acts. Jim is reunited with Kayla Huron, his forgotten girlfriend from his lost period and now a quantum physicist who has made a stunning discovery about the nature of human consciousness. As a rising tide of violence and hate sweeps across the globe, the psychologist and the physicist combine forces in a race against time to see if they can do the impossible—change human nature—before the entire world descends into darkness.
Review
I really enjoyed this. The Flashforward reference was very neatly slotted in and the whole tone of the work very much keeps one on the edge of their seat. Sawyer's not lost his touch.
February
3 Stars to Trials and Tribble-Ations by David Gerrold
Description
Almost a century ago, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise first encountered the irresistible (and astonishingly prolific) lifeform known as the tribbles, resulting in one of the most unusual adventures in the annals of Starfleet. Now Captain Benjamin Sisko and the crew of the USS Defiant are transported back in time to that historic occasion, where Darvin, a devious Klingon spy, plots revenge against Captain Kirk. Using the seemingly harmless tribbles, Darvin attempts to destroy Kirk – but for the misplaced residents of Deep Space 9, saving the original Enterprise will be nothing but "tribble."
Review
Very hard to engage deeply with characters in this sort of book, as it's basically a marketing piece for the franchise. I enjoyed the introduction and info about the sets, characters and crew as much as the story. it was great to see this on screen, and it's nice that it has been novelised, but as with many adaptations of screenplays it falls flat as a literary enjoyment.
5 Stars to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling
Description
"Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'." Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
Review
It was at Christmas eleven years ago that I had the strange experience of hearing Stephen Fryon the radio all day long on Boxing Day as Radio4 broadcast the recording of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. That sentence is almost an exact duplicate of Stephen Fry's introduction to "Living with Harry Potter", a radio documentary broadcast five years after the reading, on the same station. Fry said that "It has been a privilege to be the voice of JK Rowling's work over 6 books, 2,764 pages, and 100 hours and 55 minutes of recordings", and I can only assume that the final instalment of the series went down as well. But, back to me. Christmas, 2000. I was a teenager, just. I don't remember much about the holiday season; in fact I remember very little about the inanities of that period in my life. I do remember this reading. It was my first foray into Harry Potter. There was nothing special about the name "Harry Potter" to me at that age. Not yet, at any rate. The thing that drew me to listen was the unprecedented nature of the medium: this was radio 4 - Broadcasting since 1967, the second most popular British domestic radio station, , where timing is sacrosanct and running over the hour except in special circumstances is unheard of. And yet they were going to take over eight and a half hours of a schedule that's remained fixed, or at least recognisable for thirty-three years, and completely throw it out the window. For eight and a half hours! Only someone who'd grown up with Radio 4's rigorous scheduling and amazing precision might truly appreciate the impact of this event on my life. You're always more impressionable as a teen, and this made an impression, no mistake. I believe there was a dramatised version of Penelope Lively's The Ghost of Thomas Kempe on before the reading began; I was settling into my bedroom with a luncheon of sandwiches at the time and warning my grandmother in no uncertain terms that I should not be bothered until I surfaced. I always spent the weekends at my grandmothers and eventually I was to live there: at this point in time, I'd be returned to my parental home of a sunday evening, only to attend school and spend the majority of Monday evening back with her. But, I digress. Kempe finished, I don't even believe the news came on, though I can't sware to it, and then... "Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." What a voice. The tone, the precision, the velvet - "My vocal cords are made of tweed. I give off an air of Oxford donnishness and old BBC wirelesses." I have that attributed to the man himself and even if he didn't say it, it's very true.I cannot but help that think that Stephen Fry has the perfect voice to read these books. Now we all prefer one version of something over another, often, the first one we heard. I prefer Marty Wilde singing A Teenager in Love, Westlife singing Total Eclipse of the Heart... and Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter, it's that simple. to say I have Rowling on my side is immaterial (I do, so there - but that's neither here nor there). A British friend (and former flame) was stateside when she first got into the books, and is a true Jim Dale fan, so it's not just the weird denizens over the Atlantic that haven't got the Fry bug. I was so young, first hearing this, so swept up and bowled over, that I cannot say what impacted me more; Rowling's pros or Fry's interpretation. Looking back, I see them as a gestalt, to me they're almost symbiotic, one severely diluted without the presence of the other. Not to say that her writing or his persona cannot stand alone; that's pathetic. I've read many of Fry's works, seen him on stage, heard him on the radio - equally I've read (usually rereadings, occasionally firsts) Rowling's books without Fry in my ear. But both together, one breathing life into the other? That's the real magic. That first reading is full of moments. Flashes. The cat on the wall right near the beginning heralded something interesting. The crisp packets in the fire in the hut on the rock made me hungry. hagrid, bursting in and frying sausages and revealing harry's history gave me a great thrill. The train ride to Hogwarts, Ron, Harry's "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself" to Malfoy. The ghosts and the castle and the magic and the teachers - Snape's opening lecture, Harry, catching Neville's Remembrall... As the book progressed, the mirror of Erised added emotional depth. The Quiddich commentary was astounding, and along with Norbert, added light relief. I remember starting to get a twinge of - not boredom, but a hunger for a little pace,, just as Harry, Hermione, Neville and Draco head into the Forbidden Forest. and then, in what seems no time at all, Hermione's playing the flute and harry's dropping through the trapdoor in the third-floor corridor. My adrenaline got pumping through this entire chapter: Ron's "What's this stuff?" Harry's desperate "start a fire!" Hermione's "there's no wood!" and Ron's "Have you gone mad? Are you a witch, or not!" still echo in my mind to this day, in Fry's unassailable tones. and then, it's over, back to the normal, Muggle world for another summer. I'd moved only once to use the bathroom that whole afternoon; needless to say that the door had been left open and the volume increased so I wouldn't miss a word. The only time an "are you Alright, do you want anything?" wafted up the stairs, I hurriedly roared "yes, no," and got back to it, having heard the key was "looking very" ... something... "twice." I later concluded it had been caught, and that it was probably bent or ruffled or rumpled or something and tried not to let the fact that I'd missed only eight words of the entire book bother me too much. In the car on the way home I remember, vividly, my grandmother grumbling about how it was dark this time of year and I should be more considerate and leave her place earlier in the winter, as she was getting on and didn't like to drive in the poor light. I wasn't paying the slightest attention. "I'd like any Harry Potter tapes you can get me in please, It's Sean from New Tredegar. I'll be in sometime in the week, and I've already heard the first book," I said to the local libraries answering machine, virtually the moment I'd stepped into mum's house. And that's the story of my first encounter with this story. Breathtaking, to me, then. It's an event that will stay with me for the rest of my life, as intended. "What we're doing is a radio experience. I would like there to be a generation of children in their Twenties who will look back and remember listening to the radio on Boxing Day," said Helen Boaden, the controller of the radio station at the time (she now directs BBC News and earns at least £310,000 a year). whilst "a generation of children in their twenties" is hardly the sort of grammatical construct one might expect of one with a BA Hons in English Literature, I truly fit - I was, then, a child; I am, now in my twenties. And, yes. I'll "remember listening to the radio on boxing day", Helen. Somewhat unbelievably I've written over one-thousand three-hundred words and not actually given much thought to the book. As with all the comments I write here, I do re-read a book if it's on my read shelf, rather than recycling thoughts from previous outings. I timed myself reading this one, to compare to Fry's narration, and was somewhat horrified to realise that I'd consumed it cover to cover in a hundred and fourteen minutes and six seconds. I'm serious, at exactly half an hour, Harry was looking at the book to try and curse Dudley and Hagrid was telling him not to, and at a hundred minutes, Hermione and Ron are agreeing to go with Harry to get the stone. With only thirty-seven seconds left they were "boarding the Hogwarts Express"... and I'd finished it, just like that. Our washing machine goes on longer sometimes. I am, of course, a prolific reader. In the grand scheme of things,two hundred and something pages is less than I might get through on newsgroups and mailing lists in a typical afternoon, and certainly on the slender side for a book I'd read today. Looking back at my younger self, capturing however distantly those glorious moments, reliving the frissons that my thirteen-year-old innocent found so amazing was a very nostalgic experience. As I've said before, I struggle to separate the writing from the reading. I am influenced not only by Rowling's canon but by numerous fan fiction titles I've read (most during the Great Divide between Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a span of almost three years). To my young self, the story was well told. I've seen words like "abrupt" and "direct" used to describe Rowling's style of pros. I believe it was Stephen King who labelled her modus operandi quintessentially British, I can't quote exactly - but that's how I come away with it. To me, things may have been direct and rapid, but in a good, worthwhile, workable way which allowed my teen self to follow with no problems what soever. The Dursley's were an average, if unpleasant, family; the magic and sport was outlandish, but in a way the reader, through Harry, came to accept and enjoy immensely. Reflecting now, I think the boundaries are perhaps very set - Good versus Evil and nothing in between, Dumbledore is the sage wise man and Voldemort the ultimate (and generally distanced) baddy. Of course this changes, as Harry's outlook grows and as he matures, the world becomes deeper, more layered, and richer for it. Even as a stand alone novel, there's an impressive amount of back story. Rowling foreshadows expertly, everywhere you look there's a nugget of fact and commentary that will turn out to have more to it later on than you can have imagined. I remember reading that some critics had said the ending seemed a little rushed. Reading it now, I see what they meant,, but my youth, deep immersion, Fry's pace throughout or a combination of all or any of the above, back in that first reading, meant I didn't ever feel that way myself; in fact, as I said earlier, I started to want things to pick up a little. They did, naturally. Harry's not a stand alone, of course. There were more books to come and, by the time I'd gotten in on the act, three more had been published. I don't know if I'm going to hit two-thousand words writing about each of those. As I got older, the initial reads of each seem to have impacted me slightly less, somehow. Still, for all that this hasn't been a book review in typical fashion, it's been helpful for me to write. It's put some history in perspective, truly made me think about it and lament, somewhat, the loss of that youthful joy just reading a book can instil. I wonder if my child will be a reader, and if he or she will have moments like I did. I certainly want to read to my children, I was never read to in person. Being blind meant I relied on Braille or audio a great deal: no-one in my family could beat Fry. Ever.
4 Stars to Revisionary (Magic Ex Libris, #4) by Jim C. Hines
Description
Hugo winner Jim C. Hines's hilarious and clever Magic ex Libris series, where books come alive and libriomancer Isaac Vainio combats magical threats that spring from the page "Superior worldbuilding." --Charlaine Harris - "Really, really clever." --Patrick Rothfuss - "Magic librarian and ass-kicking dryad adventure story we've all been waiting for." --Seanan McGuire When Isaac Vainio helped to reveal magic to the world, he dreamed of a utopian future, a new millennium of magical prosperity. One year later, things aren't going quite as he'd hoped. An organization known as Vanguard, made up of magical creatures and ex-Porters, wants open war with the mundane world. Isaac's own government is incarcerating "potential supernatural enemies" in prisons and internment camps. And Isaac finds himself targeted by all sides. It's a war that will soon envelop the world, and the key to victory may lie with Isaac himself, as he struggles to incorporate everything he's learned into a new, more powerful form of libriomancy. Surrounded by betrayal and political intrigue, Isaac and a ragtag group of allies must evade pursuit both magical and mundane, expose a conspiracy by some of the most powerful people in the world, and find a path to a better future. But what will that futures cost Isaac and the ones he loves?
Review
There is something refreshing about falling back into this world. This had all the pace and pull of the previous works, and it's also clear that things are building and changing in the world. I heartily hope there are many more adventures to come in the series.
3 Stars to Repeat by Neal Pollack
Description
Through strange metaphysical circumstances, failed screenwriter Brad Cohen finds himself caught in an infinite time loop, forced to relive the first forty years of his life again and again. Each “repeat,” Brad wakes up in the womb on what was supposed to be his fortieth birthday, with full knowledge of what’s come before. In various timelines, he becomes a successful political pundit, a game-show champion, a playboy, and a master manipulator of the stock market, but none of them seem to lead him out of his predicament. As he realizes he wants to break out of the loop and find the love of his life―the one he hadn’t appreciated the first time around―Brad tries, fails, and tries again to escape the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth. Repeat answers the If you could live half your life over, would you do things differently? Be careful what you wish for! Repeating is enough to drive a dude crazy.
Review
Despite being obvious in its conclusion, this actually impressed me as something of a modern Christmas Carol for the latter day American. We've had bursts of Zombies, changing the Second World War and now time loops are in vogue, but this is a step above the dross with, at heart, a message we'd all do well to take home.
3 Stars to Interest (Final State #1) by Kevin Gaughen
Description
It’s all the news channels can talk about: the White House has been bombed, there's chaos in the streets, and the United States has found itself in the throes of a violent revolution. Surrounded by panicked people, washed-up journalist Len Savitz takes the crisis in stride. It’s nothing that a stiff drink won’t cure. After all, bad news only hurts optimists. But when the mysterious leader of the rebels cherry-picks him to acquire certain information for her, Len is forced to go on an investigative mission where he uncovers millennia-old secrets and unwittingly triggers a chain of disturbing events that will determine the future of humankind. Author Kevin Gaughen’s dynamic debut novel, Interest, creates a seamless alternate reality behind real-world political tensions while keeping pace with its page-turning plot. Interest is as riveting as it is thought-provoking. Who really runs the world we live in? The further Len digs, the darker the answers appear to be…
Review
A peculiar yet strangely compelling quick read, I found it at once vulgar American and fascinating sociopolitical commentary. Hard to pin down, but not without merit.
3 Stars to Hero Wanted (Jason Cosmo #1) by Dan McGirt
Description
Jason Cosmo is perfectly happy as a humble woodcutter in the village of Lower Hicksnittle -- until a foppish stranger tries to kill him, claiming there is a price on Jason's head big enough to put the world's deadliest bounty hunters on his trail. It seems Jason has become the most feared man in the Eleven Kingdoms -- which is news to him! On the run from mercenaries, Demon Lords, and the full might of the sinister Dark Magic Society, Jason teams up with cynical wizard Mercury Boltblaster and winsome twins Sapphrina and Rubis to learn the truth. Driven by the Laws of Narrative, Jason's quest will take him from the bright realm of The Gods to the deadly depths of the Incredibly Dark Forest, and into a final confrontation with the forces of evil. Followed by an even more final confrontation. And then a sort of wrapping-up-loose-ends scene. If he lives that long...
Review
I wasn't overly impressed with the humour here and to be honest my silly sensor went off a little too often to impress. Still, there were moments of fun and the idea, whilst not new, wasn't mismanaged.
5 Stars to Soda Pop Soldier (Soda Pop Soldier, #1) by Nick Cole
Description
Call of Duty meets Diablo in this fast-paced, action-packed novel from the author of The Wasteland Saga. Gamer PerfectQuestion fights for ColaCorp in WarWorld, an online combat sport arena where mega-corporations field entire armies in the battle for real world global advertising-space dominance. Within the immense virtual battlefield, players and bots are high-tech grunts, using drop-ships and state-of-the-art weaponry to wipe each other out. But times are tough and the rent is due, and when players need extra dough, there’s always the Black, an illegal open source tournament where the sick and twisted desires of the future are given free rein in the Westhavens, a gothic dungeon fantasy world. And all too soon, the real and virtual worlds collide when PerfectQuestion refuses to become the tool of a mad man intent on hacking the global economy for himself.
Review
Wow. This was incredibly exciting, and it almost felt like reading 2 stories in one as our hero moves from war to Black and back again. He's no saint, is our PerfectQuestion, but it's evident from the off that Cole's not painted his trigger-happy hero as a dumb jock. The literary, historical and philosophical references alone are enough to raise this novel from the depths of small-time publishing into the big league, but the frenetic pacing, sheer picture-perfect combat and deliciously appropriate counterpoints in the Black are enough to keep it high. Then there's the gaming, television and film trivia, which is probably what's drawn everyone's eyes to the Erny Cline comparisons (which are unfair, but hold a tenuous logic). This book was really like living in one of those high-octane team war SIMs whilst trying not to die for real, so huge points for that. Bring on more!
5 Stars to Bluescreen (Mirador, #1) by Dan Wells
Description
Los Angeles in 2050 is a city of open doors, as long as you have the right connections. One of those connections is a djinni—a smart device implanted right in a person’s head. In a world where virtually everyone is online twenty-four hours a day, this connection is like oxygen—and a world like that presents plenty of opportunities for someone who knows how to manipulate it. Marisa Carneseca is one of those people. She might spend her days in Mirador, the small, vibrant LA neighborhood where her family owns a restaurant, but she lives on the net—going to school, playing games, hanging out, or doing things of more questionable legality with her friends Sahara and Anja. And it’s Anja who first gets her hands on Bluescreen—a virtual drug that plugs right into a person’s djinni and delivers a massive, non-chemical, completely safe high. But in this city, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and Mari and her friends soon find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that is much bigger than they ever suspected.
Review
This was brilliantly executed. I have enjoyed Wells before of course, but this has greatly captured a very authentic set of teens in a world at once brilliant and tortuous. It helps, of course, that there's so much recognisable from our world, and yet it's extrapolated brilliantly. Also, I love the little asides and nods to technology (the cat early in the book is a good example). Reminded a little of Jake Lingwall and perhaps a bit of Graham Storrs, I'll certainly be reading the rest of these when they make an appearance.
5 Stars to Calamity (Reckoners, #3) by Brandon Sanderson
Description
When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy. David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when Prof struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Once the Reckoners’ leader, Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back. . . . But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.
Review
I think it's been about a year since the second of this series came out. It's still quite astonishing to me how Sanderson manages to write in such a distinctly younger voice, when his longer works are so clearly different and aimed at an older audience. This was as on form as ever, and although I think I'd have a few questions if I went back and reread the whole set more slowly just letting myself sit back and enjoy the work meant I really got into it and fund myself cheering David on all the way. Things are concluded very nicely, and I'm very glad to have read these indeed. I hope I am justified in saying that we aren't done with Brandon Sanderson by a long shot.
4 Stars to The Terminator (Terminator Movie Novelisation, #1) by Randall Frakes
Description
A novel by Randall Frakes & Bill Wisher; based on a screenplay by James Cameron with Gale Anne Hurd. More deadly than any man alive. The time is now... but he comes from the Year of Darkness, 2029. He was created to reshape the future by destroying the present. He feels no pity, no pain, no fear. He feels nothing. He is an unstoppable killing machine programmed for murder. He is... The Terminator
Review
Of course this is based upon the movie, and the second film was probably my favourite. But this works very well, both as a standalone novel and an excellent to-page version of the film. There are things that jar, but really it is a bit of a cult classic.
5 Stars to The Rosie Effect (Don Tillman, #2) by Graeme Simsion
Description
Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are back. The Wife Project is complete, and Don and Rosie are happily married and living in New York. But they're about to face a new challenge because - surprise - Rosie is pregnant. Don sets about learning the protocols of becoming a father, but his unusual research style gets him into trouble with the law. Fortunately his best friend Gene is on hand to offer advice: he's left Claudia and moved in with Don and Rosie. As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting Gene and Claudia to reconcile, servicing the industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business, and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose Rosie when she needs him the most.
Review
These are just simply wacky and wonderful. I don't know if there's enough momentum for 3 5 star reads in a row, but this story was certainly as good as the first and I really found myself cheering on this marvelous couple.
5 Stars to The Rosie Project (Don Tillman, #1) by Graeme Simsion
Description
An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love. Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver. Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper. The Rosie Project is a moving and hilarious novel for anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of overwhelming challenges.
Review
This was really, really fun. a mixture of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and One Day, which is ironic given that I was talking about both books on a radio programme not so long ago. Another great find from Kim, I really enjoyed the language and the whole thing tremendously.
5 Stars to Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh
Description
Seventeen-year-old David Sullivan’s life is about to change—all because of one tiny, priceless item found in the murky bottom of a Brooklyn water tower. Sully is a sphere dealer at a flea market. It doesn’t pay much—Alex Holliday’s stores have muscled out most of the independent sellers—but it helps him and his mom make rent. No one knows where the brilliant-colored spheres came from. One day they were just there, hidden all over the earth like huge gemstones. Burn a pair and they make you a little better: an inch taller, skilled at math, better-looking. The rarer the sphere, the more expensive—and the greater the improvement. When Sully meets Hunter, a girl with a natural talent for finding spheres, the two start searching together. One day they find a Gold—a color no one has ever seen. And when Alex Holliday learns what they have, he will go to any lengths, will use all of his wealth and power, to take it from them. There’s no question the Gold is worth millions, but what does it actually do? None of them is aware of it yet, but the fate of the world rests on this little golden orb. Because all the world fights over the spheres, but no one knows where they come from, what their powers are, or why they’re here.
Review
An explosively exciting YA novel, I was very much reminded of Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart for a reason I can't quite pin down. Something about the style of writing, perhaps, which really swept me up. McIntosh is on form with this one, it's right in the bracket and will enter the annals of truly great YA of the age.
2 Stars to The Other Nelly by S.J. McLaughlin
Description
As if one wasn’t enough. Nelly was a normal university student. She had classes, a boyfriend and a part time job at an illegal science lab. Okay, maybe that last part wasn’t so normal. But as far as she was concerned, it was a sweet deal. The lab would pay her way through university and she’d let them do experiments on her. No harm in that. But it was during one of these experiments that something went horribly wrong. They created a second Nelly! And while the original is trying to live her normal life, the other Nelly will stop at nothing to get that life back.
Review
Everyone who's even thought a little bit about teleportation has this in their head at some point. Not brilliantly handled here, Nelly is overblown to the point of ridiculousness. But at least, for the most part, the sentences were complete and made up of words that exist.
2 Stars to Surrogate by Maria Rachel Hooley
Description
One moment, Carrie Williams is eight months pregnant and driving to meet her husband Robbie. The next, a silver streak rushes into her car's path. Carrie tries to turn the wheel, resulting in a horrific accident. It is in Carrie's dying moments that she sees the alien, an explorer from a race who doesn’t believe humans exist. After the alien almost collides with car, she senses the small life form in Carrie's body and merges her form with that dying human body to save a life, unaware how that single choice will change everything for both races.
Review
Very obvious, grammatically crindgy and generally rather poor all round.
3 Stars to The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart
Description
What if you met your twenty-three year old self in a dream? What would you say? Brock Matthews’ once promising life is unraveling. His coffee company. His marriage. So when he discovers his vivid dreams—where he encounters his younger self—might let him change his past mistakes, he jumps at the chance. The results are astonishing, but also disturbing. Because getting what Brock wants most in the world will force him to give up the one thing he doesn’t know how to let go of . . . and his greatest fear is it’s already too late.
Review
A little too religious for my liking, I should've known from the other works of the author of course. Very well written for what it is, but what it is is also not my sort of thing.
January
3 Stars to KATACLYSM: A Space-Time Comedy by Roy S. Rikman
Description
When a friendly little green alien pops over to Earth to get Chinese takeout for his wife’s dinner party, he gets a lot more than just the usual food poisoning. First, the antimatter containment field in his spaceship’s engine collapses causing the sudden annihilation of the craft’s fine leather interior and then, when he shows up at the restaurant, he discovers they don't accept his American Express card. After finding himself searching for an ATM at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, he meets a miserable medical resident and does what any well mannered visitor would do in his situation. He gets the doctor a nice, hot cup of tea. What the alien doesn’t know is that his tiny neighborly gesture is about to change the past, present and future of the universe forever and there is the one person on Earth who can stop it. It’s a classic story of intrigue, love, death, nuclear weaponry, feminist construction workers, apocalyptic prophecies, phony cat massage therapists and gun-toting African hedgehogs. If you thought there was nothing new under the sun, think again.
Review
The humour wasn't quite to my taste, so it wasn't a story I really enjoyed. Still, I can appreciate good writing if that sort of thing does appeal.
3 Stars to Sex, Lies and Chocolate Cakes by Steven Morris
Description
After accidentally exposing himself to his son’s girlfriend, and realising that because of his over-hanging stomach, she couldn’t actually see anything, Eric Baxter decides it’s time he went on a diet. Unfortunately, due to an exercise allergy, and an eating obsession, it isn’t going to be as easy as he first thought. Throw in a battle of wits with his neighbour’s cat over toilet rights to his garden, a son who lives in the shed and dreams of being discovered on The X Factor, a stroppy teenage daughter with a Wayne Rooney fixation, a wife who doesn’t want to sleep with him anymore, and an amorous work colleague who does, and you have all the ingredients to Sex, Lies and Chocolate Cakes: The Secret Eater’s Diary.
Review
what a poor, unlucky, week-willed misanthrope. I'm on his daughter's side, he's pretty embarrassing! This was a fun way to spend an hour, and although I didn't find myself crying with laughter it was amusing enough to entertain. I would read the next one!
3 Stars to In Rude Health: The funniest and most explicit stories from the NHS by Robbie Guillory
Description
From the man with a device lodged far inside his body whose batteries refuse to run out to a woman with a plunger super-glued to her vagina, In Rude Health recounts real life tales from the coal face of the NHS. From doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychiatrists and dentists come a range of eye-popping, side-splitting acts of misadventure that have had the medical profession weeping into their face masks as they attended to members of the great British public in their hour of need. From the publishers of UK Booksellers Association Top 5 Christmas book, 101 Uses of a Dead Kindle, In Rude Health is a riotous account of the weird, the warped and the whacky ways we end up in the hands of the medical profession.
Review
Sadly I'd seen some of these before, although a few were chuckleworthy and new to me. Part of the KU program, so I'm not out of pocket and had a bit of a giggle.
4 Stars to The Disappearance by Philip Wylie
Description
“The female of the species vanished on the afternoon of the second Tuesday of February at four minutes and fifty-two seconds past four o'clock, Eastern Standard Time. The event occurred universally at the same instant, without regard to time belts, and was followed by such phenomena as might be expected after happenings of that nature.” On a lazy, quiet afternoon, in the blink of an eye, our world shatters into two parallel universes as men vanish from women and women from men. After families and loved ones separate from one another, life continues in very different ways for men and women, boys and girls. An explosion of violence sweeps one world that still operates technologically; social stability and peace in the other are offset by famine and a widespread breakdown in machinery and science. And as we learn from the fascinating parallel stories of a brilliant couple, Bill and Paula Gaunt, the foundations of relationships, love, and sex are scrutinized, tested, and sometimes redefined in both worlds. The radically divergent trajectories of the gendered histories reveal stark truths about the rigidly defined expectations placed on men and women and their sexual relationships and make clear how much society depends on interconnection between the sexes. Written over a half century ago yet brimming with insight and unsettling in its relevance today, The Disappearance is a masterpiece of modern speculative fiction.
Review
I found this an incredibly lengthy and wordy read, but it was really worth persevering. It's a fascinating idea and one which once explored you can't really let go. Of course there was a huge philosophical angle to the whole thing, and some of it did occasionally go over my head, but in the main it was a fantastic thought experiment. Highly recommended if you can cope with the verbosity.
2 Stars to Doomed by Adam Moon
Description
Mike's body is changing. His hair is falling out. His skin and eyes are lightening. Little does he know that alien creatures are altering his DNA so he can survive on a colony planet because the Earth is about to be destroyed.When he's abducted and transplanted onto the faraway world, he finds out that it has already been claimed by a warrior race of aliens.Can he and his fellow colonists survive on a hostile world with enemy neighbors?When he meets a strange creature living in a cave who seems to have more answers, can he handle the truth?
Review
A bit weird a concept, imagine Star Trek's Prime Directive taken to the total other end of the scale and a teenage lead and you've about got it.
4 Stars to Love... From Both Sides by Nick Spalding
Description
When Nick Spalding self-published Love... From Both Sides and Love... And Sleepless Nights he became one of the bestselling ebook authors of 2012. Now for the first time the Love... books are being published in a longer format with more of the love story, more of Laura and Jamie's ups and downs and more of the laugh-out-loud hilarious moments that fans have come to know and love. Sometimes, the hardest part of finding love is keeping a straight face... For Jamie Newman, being a single guy isn't proving to be much fun, especially when confronted with a sexually belligerent divorcee and a goddess so far out of his league she might as well be a different species. Mind you, being a girl in search of love isn't a bowl of cherries either. Just ask Laura McIntyre, who's recently contended with a horny estate agent on a quest for light relief and a rabid mountain bike enthusiast with a penchant for lycra that leaves little to the imagination. When Jamie and Laura bump into one another (quite literally) it looks like their luck may have changed - but sometimes finding the right person is only the start of your problems... Love... From Both Sides is a warts-and-all romantic comedy for everyone who knows how tricky the quest for love can be.
Review
Another great find from Kim, and truly hilarious in spots, this was a feel-good story and I want to read the sequel now. It’s the second Spalding I’ve read of course; Fat Chance was very enjoyable, if not quite as laugh-out-loud funny. There were a few vulgarities here, especially the pedal-bin incident, so don’t read if you’ve got a sensitive stomach.
4 Stars to Symby by Steven Heitmeyer
Description
Symby is terrified, You'd be scared too, if you were tiny and furry and had just arrived alone on a strange planet with creatures that seem to be more interested in eating you than making friends. Getting eaten would be a real shame, because Symby''s got the ability to heal whomever helps it survive.Jody and Missy are scared too. They're teenagers in love, but their love is destined to end prematurely as their terminal diseases slowly take their toll. If only there were a magical cure that would keep their love alive forever...No matter how hard he tries, Spud just can't beat the grip of the bottle. He's been homeless for a long time now. He'd give anything to see his wife and son again, but he's pretty sure he's not going to be forgiven for leaving unless he gets his life back on track. To do that, he's going to need help, but from where? Snuffles, Jody's beagle, is getting on in years, as the pain in his joints keeps reminding him. He's scared too, because lately Jody's mother has been talking about “putting Snuffles down” to spare him his pain. Snuffles needs help, and fast. Right now, though, there's a tiny, furry creature crawling around in his backyard that appeared right after that weird green rock landed in his food bowl. Time for a snack?!Symby is a magical, heartwarming fantasy filled with tales of first love, selflessness and redemption. Enjoy the mystery of Symby's nature and fall in love with Snuffles, but know that the true strength of Symby lies in the loving, supportive relationships of the characters — they're symbiotic! Written in the whimsical, wondrous spirit of the Wizard of Oz, Symby is a novel for the ages- for all ages!
Review
This was adorable, a totally engaging work for the younger reader. It's only not a 5 because I think it has to work on the right age level and so there's stuff you just can't do well. I really liked it though and am very keen to read the next one!
3 Stars to Symbiosis by Guy Portman
Description
Twins spiral out of control in this warped tale. Identical twins Talulah and Taliah coexist in an insular world with their own secret language. But being identical doesn’t mean being equal. An association with an anarchist adolescent from school threatens to change their lives forever. It will lead the twins down a path of crime and carnage, setting them on a collision course with society and each other. Can their symbiotic relationship survive? Symbiosis explores our fascination with twins and the nature of self-identity. This sinister story will appeal to fans of dark psychological fiction. Grab your copy today.
Review
Not since Heinlein's Time for the Stars did I read a book with such intriguing twins. It's a diffuse sort of a story, with a great English school, institution and cultural feel. And with a breathtakingly potent ending to boot!
3 Stars to Time for the Stars by Robert A. Heinlein
Description
This is one of the classic titles originally know as the "Heinlein Juveniles," written in the 1950 and published for the young adult market. It has since been in print for 50 years in paperback, and now returns to hardcover for a new generation. Travel to other planets is a reality, and with overpopulation stretching the resources of Earth, the necessity to find habitable worlds is growing ever more urgent. With no time to wait years for communication between slower-than-light spaceships and home, the Long Range Foundation explores an unlikely solution--human telepathy. Identical twins Tom and Pat are enlisted to be the human radios that will keep the ships in contact with Earth. The only problem is that one of them has to stay behind, and that one will grow old while the other explores the depths of space.Always a master of insight into the human consequences of future technologies, this is one of Heinlein's triumphs.
Review
This is the second time I've read this, and while it doesn't grip me with the unbreakable, can't put the book down hold of some of his other works it's a fascinating idea and introduces some concepts the youthful will find useful. If you think about it, there's a lot of people stuff in here, what I suppose Heinlein himself would've called pop psychology. It's not parroted at you, it fits in very well and you do come away with a huge respect for the complexities of Human relationships.
3 Stars to William at War by Richmal Crompton
Description
William is always ready to offer his services to his country. But why is it that his enthusiastic contribution is so seldom appreciated? William is determined to do his bit, but unfortunately no one else thinks he'd make a hero... Ten wonderful wartime stories where William proves himself just as dangerous, unpredictable and downright troublesome as the Enemy themselves!
Review
I have listened to many of these stories read by the inestimable Martin Jarvis, of course. None of this batch, interestingly, so it's a thanks to Andre for hunting out an electronic source. These don't age, do they? They're always just the same, held in magical stasis.
3 Stars to The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein by Robert A. Heinlein
Description
Robert A. Heinlein, the dean of American SF writers, also wrote fantasy fiction throughout his long career, but especially in the early 1940s. The Golden Age of SF was also a time of revolution in fantasy fiction, and Heinlein was at the forefront. His fantasies were convincingly set in the real world, particularly those published in the famous magazine Unknown Worlds, including such stories as "Magic, Inc.," "'They—,'" and "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag." Now all of Heinlein's best fantasy short stories, most of them long novellas, have been collected in one big volume for the first time. Contents: Magic, Inc. "—And He Built a Crooked House" "They—" Waldo The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag Our Fair City The Man who Traveled in Elephants "—All You Zombies—"
Review
A solid collection. I hadn't read Crooked House,Our Fair City or The Man who Traveled in Elephants, the former of which I enjoyed anew. I also quite like Hoag, but All You Zombies is probably my overall favourite even with the new stuff added in.
4 Stars to The Lead Cloak (The Lattice Trilogy #1) by Erik Hanberg
Description
From Book 1: Byron Shaw can track and find anyone on Earth. Except the people who tried to kill him. By 2081, privacy no longer exists. The Lattice enables anyone to re-live any moment of your life. People can experience past and present events—or see into the mind of anyone, living or dead. Most people love it. Some want to destroy it. Colonel Byron Shaw has just saved the Lattice from the most dangerous attack in its history. Now he must find those responsible. But there’s a question nobody’s asking: does the Lattice deserve to be saved? The answer may cost him his life.
Review
This was actually a very enjoyable title. It gave off a PKD vibe, explored a new technological concept very neatly and word-for-word kept my interest. I want to read the next one now and according to the end of the book it is out soon!
5 Stars to The Humans by Matt Haig
Description
When an extraterrestrial visitor arrives on Earth, his first impressions of the human species are less than positive. Taking the form of Professor Andrew Martin, a leading mathematician at Cambridge University, the visitor wants to complete his task and return home to his planet and a utopian society of immortality and infinite knowledge. He is disgusted by the way humans look, what they eat, and the wars they witness on the news, and is totally baffled by concepts such as love and family. But as time goes on, he starts to realize there may be more to this weird species than he has been led to believe. He drinks wine, reads Emily Dickinson, listens to Talking Heads, and begins to bond with the family he lives with, in disguise. In picking up the pieces of the professor's shattered personal life, the narrator sees hope and redemption in the humans' imperfections and begins to question the very mission that brought him there--a mission that involves not only thwarting human progress...but murder.
Review
This was actually a hugely poignant story, reminding me in part of Douglas Adams but with the seriousness he rarely held onto woven throughout. It's rather heartbreakingly sad, and yet it pulls at one with a sense of potential. Hard to quantify but certainly very much enjoyed.
5 Stars to What Would Mary Berry Do? by Claire Sandy
Description
For fans of The Great British Bake Off, this is a story about family life, unfriendly rivalry and flat Victoria sponges. Marie Dunwoody doesn't want for much in life. She has a lovely husband, three wonderful children, and a business of her own. Except, her cupcakes are crap. Her meringues are runny and her biscuits rock-hard. She cannot bake for toffee. Or, for that matter, make toffee. Marie can't ignore the disappointed looks any more, or continue to be shamed by neighbour and nemesis, Lucy Gray. Lucy whips up perfect profiteroles with one hand, while ironing her bed sheets with the other. Marie's had enough: this is the year it all changes. She vows to follow - to the letter - recipes from the Queen of Baking and at all times ask 'What would Mary Berry do?' Husband Robert has noticed that his boss takes crumb structure as seriously as budget sheets and so puts on the pinny: serious redundancies are on the horizon. Twins Rose and Iris are happy to eat all the half-baked mistakes that come their way, but big brother Angus is more distant than usual, as if something is troubling him. And there is no one as nosey as a matching pair of nine-year-old girls . . . Marie starts to realise that the wise words of Mary Berry can help her with more than just a Victoria Sponge. But can Robert save the wobbling soufflé that is his career? And is Lucy's sweet demeanour hiding something secretly sour? This is a delicious feast of a funny novel, perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan and Allison Pearson. *** This is a work of fiction, in no way endorsed by Mary Berry, and where neither Mary Berry herself nor her recipes feature. ***
Review
"When a creature that licks its lips at a snotty tissue refuses your cooking, it hurts. " I'm not an overly fluffy sort of person, but this spot-on, precision-targeted, unerringly accurate portrayal of family life in Britain was so gorgeously captivating that I literally couldn't put it down. I even went back to reread sentences, just to laugh at them again. I don't even watch GBBO, but of course I know the names and that was, truly, enough. Of course I have seen An Officer and a Gentleman, but even if I hadn't, Angus was superb. The twins were delightful. Robert was so genuine and his relationship with Marie so "right" that just reading about them is enough to make me misty-eyed. This is, without doubt, a feel-good book to read cuddled up on the sofa. Preferably with a slice of homemade cake.
1 Stars to Time Skip (Book 1) by Craig L. Seymour
Description
Time Skip is a twist on the usual time travel tale. Our protagonist doesn't exactly travel through time, he skips back in it. Curtis Lovelle was a middle aged man with a happy life. He had a good marriage and little boy who was the light of his life. When asked by a coworker, “If you could do things over again, would you do anything different?” Curtis was sure he would not. But when he woke up in his parent’s house, eighteen years in the past, he would find out how just how impossible it could be to do recreate the life he led. Curtis begins again as a sixteen year old, trying desperately not to alter the course of his life. As he negotiates high school for the second time, he becomes keenly aware of how easily each mistake can send his life off on a new trajectory. And if that isn’t frustrating enough, he soon realizes that he is uniquely positioned to stop the mass murder of more than 3000 people seventeen years before it happens. Torn by his need to regain his life and his obligation to stop the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Curtis experiences heart breaking setbacks and incredible triumphs as he navigates his way through a life he has already lived.
Review
I'm afraid I viewed this as sort of an American wet dream. In these time travel stories the Second World War is the king of undoables, but of course 9/11 has a much greater immediacy in the world's consciousness. apart from that being obvious, the story line was lackadaisical and the grammar questionable (of the 312 occurrences of the word "but", 200 had a comma after them). The characters were bland to the point of nonexistence, the methodology contrived and so artificial as to be ridiculous and the future direction seems set to introduce other people traveling in time, a trope overused in extremis. SO although a small, curious part of me wants to see what happens next, the rest of me couldn't give a hoot.
5 Stars to Written in Fire (Brilliance Saga, #3) by Marcus Sakey
Description
The explosive conclusion to the bestselling Brilliance Trilogy For thirty years humanity struggled to cope with the brilliants, the one percent of people born with remarkable gifts. For thirty years we tried to avoid a devastating civil war. We failed. The White House is a smoking ruin. Madison Square Garden is an internment camp. In Wyoming, an armed militia of thousands marches toward a final, apocalyptic battle. Nick Cooper has spent his life fighting for his children and his country. Now, as the world staggers on the edge of ruin, he must risk everything he loves to face his oldest enemy—a brilliant terrorist so driven by his ideals that he will sacrifice humanity’s future to achieve them.
Review
This was a wonderful end to a series I've really enjoyed. Every chapter held something new, and the work ran through so many emotions whilst maintaining its focus on the central characters that I really felt for everyone. I'm looking forward to reading more of Marcus's work!
2 Stars to Alien Infection by Darrell Bain
Description
When a laboratory technician on the verge of retirement accidentally infects himself with blood from an emergency room patient, he intends to report it-- until government agents swarm the hospital, confiscating every sample of blood taken from the patient--at gunpoint. Deciding not to report the incident just yet for fear of being thrown into an isolation chamber, he goes home--and falls violently ill. By the time he recovers and returns to work, scary things are happening.
Review
With vague, grammatically tortuous leanings toward Scalzi's Old Man's War in tone, a typical and old-hat story and very little in the way of innovation. And what's wrong with the word people? I know persons is the vogue in some circles, but...
1 Stars to Avon: A Terrible Aspect (Blake's 7) by Paul Darrow
Description
In the frozen North of their mother planet, two brothers fight a duel to the death - and Rogue Avon is slain. This, the Federation feels, spells the end to rebellion in the universe, and the status quo of peace without freedom can continue. But they are wrong. The son of Rogue Avon, obviously an Earthling and entitled to return to the mother planet, has sworn to his mother to avenge his father. He manages to return to Earth, and there works out the inevitable conclusion to this ingenious and fascinating tale.
Review
I love Avon, onscreen and on the radio. Darrow's got a superb, unforgettable voice and the man himself is entertaining and intelligent. Sadly, this novel lacks some of that Humanity: it's a pool of filth, self-serving betrayal, cliches and errant exclamation marks without, as far as I can really ascertain, any remotely redeeming qualities at all. I've wanted to read it since I first saw Blake's 7, which of course was long after it was last in production. But I think if it is supposed to show much of a rationale for Avon's onscrene antics it does so by poking through his psyche and backstory in a most brutal and crindgeworthy fashion.
5 Stars to System Seven by Michael J. Parks
Description
A secret file is stolen by a member of an elite corps of hackers seeking high resell material. The theft triggers the response of a system of authority like none he's conceived, a system that wants the file back. Desperate, the hacker copies the file to an unsuspecting netadmin half a world away, drawing him into danger and the free fall of pursuit. Dodging the hammer throws of an enemy with unconfined power, convention quickly becomes liability... and the extraordinary becomes reality in a world gone strange. From tiny villages in the Netherlands to the sprawling streets of Tokyo and L.A. to the innerscape of their own minds, danger and opportunity blend in an irresistible challenge: to end a cycle of injustice and imbalance begun long, long ago. What starts as the ultimate hack sets into play a chain reaction with dire global consequences. System Seven is a story of technology, thoughts, dreams, and that which mysteriously binds them. It's about those in control and those under control, about the culture of belief and what happens when we are forced to challenge it. It introduces people living and breathing in a world cast as shallow yet with depths that reveal the fantastic.
Review
Oh, wow. This was ... incomparable. You know what The Matrix did to the movie scene? This book does that. The words surrounded me like Ian McDonald, the technology like a crazy fork of David Louis Edelman and the mental, reality-warping metanature of everything like something Greg Iles started on but didn't finish. It's a sprawlingly pervasive story with huge, perhaps infinite scope for future works, and an electrifyingly stunning way to see out the first week of a new year.
5 Stars to Machine Man by Max Barry
Description
Scientist Charles Neumann loses a leg in an industrial accident. It's not a tragedy. It's an opportunity. Charlie always thought his body could be better. He begins to explore a few ideas. To build parts. Better parts. Prosthetist Lola Shanks loves a good artificial limb. In Charlie, she sees a man on his way to becoming artificial everything. But others see a madman. Or a product. Or a weapon. A story for the age of pervasive technology, Machine Man is a gruesomely funny unraveling of one man's quest for ultimate self-improvement.
Review
Oh wow, now this was a fabulous gem of a story. Falling into Neumann's head was easy, he reminded me of a grown-up scientist version of Christopher John Francis Boone a little. And the whole idea of the book, though not novel ('xcuse the pun) played out remarkably well in such a way that I couldn't put it down. The second of Barry's books I've read and the second I have utterly loved, I think this may well make it to my rereading pile.
4 Stars to Worst Contact by Hank Davis
Description
STORIES OF ALIEN CONTACT GONE WRONG. Will it be, "Greeting, fellow Sentients" or, "Nice Planet—we'll take it”? These stories from SF greats answer the question, "Are we alone in the universe?" with a resounding, "No, but we wish we were!" When the first contact between humans and aliens from another planet happens, will they say, “Take me to your leader,” or is “Surrender, puny primitive bipeds” more likely? Or maybe, “Hello there, I’m selling the latest edition of the Galactic Encyclopedia, and no planet should be without a set,” might be the first words from the alien visitor. Ever since H.G. Wells wrote The War of the Worlds, science fiction writers have speculated on what the first contact might be like. From attacking invaders to wise and benevolent visitors who are ready to solve all our problems for us, from horror stories to hilarious satire, with all the stops in between, including plenty of tales in which the aliens are the ones who wish they’d stayed at home and never come across Earth and its inhabitants. With stories by such science fiction masters as Poul Anderson, David Drake, William Tenn, Sarah A. Hoyt, Tony Daniel, and more, this is a collection filled with chills, thrills, and laughter, all reporting on what happens when First Contact turns into Worst Contact. “From First to Worst” by Hank Davis © 2016 by Hank Davis. Published by permission of the author. “Puppet Show” by Fredric Brown originally appeared in Playboy, November 1962. © 1962 by HMH Publishing Company. Reprinted by permission of Barry Malzberg for the author’s estate. “Contact!” by David Drake originally appeared in Analog, October 1974. © 1974 by Condé Nast Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of the author. “The Flat-Eyed Monster,” copyright © 1955, 1983 by William Tenn; first appeared in Galaxy; reprinted by permission of the author’s estate and the estate’s agents, the Virginia Kidd Agency, Inc. “The Power,” copyright © 1945, 1973 by the Heirs of the Literary Estate of Will F. Jenkins; first appeared in Astounding; reprinted by permission of the author’s estate and the estate’s agents, the Virginia Kidd Agency, Inc. “Early Model” by Robert Sheckley originally appeared in Galaxy, August 1956. © 1956 by Galaxy Publishing Corporation. Reprinted by permission of the Donald Maass Literary Agency for the author’s estate. “Her Sister’s Keeper” by Sarah A. Hoyt appears here for the first time. © 2016 by Sarah A. Hoyt. Published by permission of the author. “Plaything” by Larry Niven originally appeared in If: Worlds of Science Fiction, July 1974. © 1974 by UPD Publishing Corporation. Reprinted by permission of Spectrum Literary Agency. “Random Sample” by Charles C. Munoz, writing as T. P. Caravan, originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1953. © 1953 by Fantasy House, Inc. All attempts to locate the holder of rights to this story have been unsuccessful. If a holder will get in touch with Baen Books, payment will be made. “No Love in All of Dwingeloo” by Tony Daniel, originally appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, November 1995 © 1995 by Dell Magazines. Reprinted by permission of the author. “First Contact, Sort of” by Karen Haber and Carol Carr, originally appeared in The Ultimate Alien, October 1995. © 1995 Byron Preiss Visual Publications. Reprinted by permission of the authors. “Fortitude” by David Brin originally appeared in Science Fiction Age, January 1996. © 1996 by Sovereign Media Co. Reprinted by permission of the author. “They’re Made Out of Meat” by Terry Bisson originally appeared in Omni, April 1991, © 1991 by Omni Publications International, Ltd. Reprinted by permission of Trident Media Group, LLC. “Alien Stones,” copyright © 1972, 2000 by Gene Wolfe; first appeared in Orbit 11; reprinted by permission of the author and the author’s agents, the Virginia Kidd Agency, Inc. “Pictures Don’t Lie,” copyright © 1951, 1979 by Katherine MacLean; first appeared in Galaxy; reprinted by permission of the author and the author’s agents, the Virginia Kidd Agency, Inc. “Backwardness” by Poul Anderson originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March 1958. © 1958 by Mercury Press, Inc. Reprinted by permission of the Lotts Agency for the Tregonier Trust. “Dodger Fan” by Will Stanton originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, June 1957. © Fantasy House, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Linda Stanton French for the author’s estate. “No Shoulder to Cry On” by Hank Davis originally appeared in Analog, June 1968. © 1968 by Condé Nast Publications, Inc. Revised version © 2016 by Hank Davis. Reprinted by permission of the author. “Hornets’ Nest” by Lloyd Biggle, Jr. originally appeared in If: Worlds of Science Fiction, September 1959. © 1959 Digest Productions Incorporated. Reprinted by permission of Owlswick Literary Agency for the author’s esta...
Review
"First Contact, Sort of", "Fortitude", and "they're made out of meat" I quite enjoyed, and "Pictures dont lie" and "no shoulder to cry on" were cleverly ended. Overall, this was actually a pretty varied selection of works, with some golden SF gems thrown in.
4 Stars to Terms of Use by Scott Allan Morrison
Description
Circles is the most popular social network in the vast, ubiquitous, and constantly evolving. Days before expanding into China, Circles suffers a devastating cyberattack—and a key executive is brutally murdered. As he fights to save the company he helped build, top engineer Sergio Mansour uncovers evidence of a massive conspiracy that turns the power of Circles against its users. But as Sergio investigates, someone is watching his every move—someone ruthless enough to brand him a criminal and set a vicious hit man on his trail. Desperate to clear his name, Sergio turns to Malina Olson, a beautiful and headstrong doctor who has an agenda of her own. Now, he and Malina must survive long enough to expose the truth in a world without hiding places, where a single keystroke can shift the global balance of power.
Review
This sort of novel makes Kindle Unlimited really worth it. A powerful, compelling social networking story, and even if it's treading old ground by now, it does it well. The action felt well tuned, the computer bits fitted in neatly and the stuff behind the action is well and truly thought-provoking. Makes me want to be a little more careful who I choose to accept on my networks!
4 Stars to French Fried: One man's move to France with too many animals and an identity thief by Chris Dolley
Description
** New York Times bestseller ** Animals behaving badly, other people's misfortunes and the most bizarre true crime story ever. French Fried is the unfortunately true account of Chris Dolley's first eight months in France and has been described as 'A Year in Provence with Miss Marple and Gerald Durrell.' Just when Chris and Shelagh think nothing more could possibly go wrong, they discover that Chris's identity has been stolen and their life savings - all the money from their house sale in England that was going to finance their new life in France - had disappeared. A bank account had been opened in Chris's name in Spain to take the proceeds. Then they're abandoned by the police forces of four countries who all insist the crime belongs in someone else's jurisdiction. The French say it's an Irish crime as that's where the money was held. The Irish say it's French as that's where all the correspondence came from. The British say it's nothing to do with them even though forged British passports were used to open the bank account in Spain. And the Spanish are on holiday - and can't even think about investigating any bank account for at least four weeks. So Chris has to solve the crime himself. But unlike fictional detectives he has an 80 year-old mother-in-law and an excitable puppy who insist they come along if he's going anywhere interesting - like a stakeout.
Review
This was rather funny in spots, probably all the more so because it's based on real events. I don't normally go in for non-fiction, but when it's told with such humour and aplomb it's got to be worth checking out.
3 Stars to Magical Crimes by Chris Dolley
Description
5 stars - "Reminded me of Jasper Fforde," Tiggrie Magical Crimes is a fun CSI with magic and ‘a little something else’ story. The little something else being two foot long and lurking in the hero’s trousers. But don’t worry, the penis in this story is used purely for the purpose God intended – humour and crimefighting – not lustful titillation. Seb Kemp is a psychic profiler with a problem. After a night out drinking some men wake up with an unexpected tattoo. Seb woke up with a floor-length boinkwurst and no memory of how, when or where it happened. To make matters worse, magic doesn’t work well with living tissue. The results are unpredictable. The spell might fade after a few days or ... something might drop off. He needs help but, Pete, his forensic magician partner, is 3,000 miles away working on another case and Tulsa, Seb’s new partner, is of the young and female persuasion. Not to mention extremely hot. The two of them are thrown together to solve a high profile locked room mystery where the utmost tact and diplomacy is required – not easy for a man with unpredictable trousers. Magical Crimes is just over 13,000 words in length which equates to about 65 pages of a mass market paperback. "Fun main characters and a couple of twists. But above all it made me laugh, smile, smirk and chuckle time and again...the sleight of hand with language, the odd but pleasing combination of wit and silliness, and of course the quirky law enforcement setting, rather reminded me of Jasper Fforde." Tiggrie "I have read a lot of strange things, but this idea tops the kooky list." Cheryl M-M
Review
Predictable in essentials but fun along the way.
5 Stars to An Unsafe Pair of Hands by Chris Dolley
Description
"I gave up sleep so that I could read to the surprising and satisfying ending. I laughed out loud in public in response to the quirky plot twists. An Unsafe Pair of Hands by Chris Dolley is a masterful addition to the British mystery genre." -- Barth Siemens Peter Shand is a high-flying police administrator seconded to a quiet rural CID team to gain the operational experience he needs for promotion. On his second day he's thrust into a high-profile murder case. A woman's body is discovered in an old stone circle ... with another woman buried alive beneath her. The pressure on Shand is enormous. The media is clamoring for answers, but every lead he chases down makes the case even more baffling. Then a local journalist singles out Shand as the reason for the lack of progress, and goads him at a press conference. Shand responds by inventing a lead, and keeps on lying - to the press and his boss - telling himself he'll solve the case before anyone finds out. And then another murder occurs. And had there been a third? Shand begins to doubt his ability. He's desperate, increasingly unpredictable, and somehow gaining a reputation for arresting livestock. Which will break first? The case, or Shand? Chris Dolley is a New York Times bestselling author
Review
I positively howled with laughter when Shand was telling Wiggins about Satan. The whole book possessed a superb flavour of whimsy but I couldn't contain myself by this point, even though I'd been chuckling and chortling at bits before, that was the breaking point when I literally put the book down and found myself roaring. A book hasn't done that to me for some considerable time. Shand is just top notch, and I can honestly say that this is such a different milieu to either Shift or Resonance that I can't wait to read the rest of Dolley's work to see just what I've been missing out on.
2 Stars to Alice in Virtuality: science fiction action & adventure: An adventure in the real... and the not so real by Norman Turrell
Description
'Solid Cyber-Thriller' 'Compelling and entertaining sci-fi' Martin, an anti-social and reclusive computer programmer, is dragged into an adventure which spans the real world and the virtual when he loads an artificial intelligence program called 'Alice'. Pushed into action as the program attacks his life, he teams up with others who are affected in an attempt to defeat the menace - but how? Alice is everywhere. A sci-fi action adventure in virtual reality from best selling British author, Norman Turrell.
Review
Not overly impressive. The communication between characters seemed to miss a few strands and the concept didn't really work.
5 Stars to The Unseen (Freelancer Book 2) by Jake Lingwall
Description
In this sequel to Freelancer, Kari Tahe returns in her role of freelance hacker in a world where 3D printers, drones, and computers connect directly to the brain. With the Civil War still raging and the leaders of the warring factions assassinated, Kari must use her programming skills and devout sense of justice to protect her family. Recruited into the underground world of the Unseen, Kari hopes to help end the violence, but even this hidden hacker community is not immune from treachery.
Review
Wow, this really took off. I like how Lingwall manages to insert great nods to politics and despotic militants into the story without coming down on any side in the war, that's pretty clever, and the technology continues to impress. I'm very quickly becoming a fan of this girl and want to read more about her!
4 Stars to Freelancer by Jake Lingwall
Description
Kari is a freelance hacker, taking jobs from clients to design anything from art to security software. In a world where 3D printers, drones and computers that connect directly to the brain are common things, Kari finds keeping her talents secret while trying to finish high school to be quite the problem. With the threat of the 2nd Civil War, Kari must decide how far she will go to protect herself and others from harm's way, even when her choices might have consequences she's not ready to face.
Review
wow. An exciting, internally consistent and rather thrilling teen story. It reminded me of a Cory Doctorow for a slightly younger audience, and I felt myself cheering Kari on all the way. The sequel will hopefully carry things on well, as the ending was both a neat way to finish the novel and left things wide open for further developments.
3 Stars to The Man From Taured by Bryan W. Alaspa
Description
A strange man walks up to the customs counter at O’Hare International Airport. He carries a passport, driver’s license, papers, all of it looking legit. There’s just one thing that causes the customs agent to raise the alarm – the passport and license are from a country that does not, and has never, existed. That's the famous urban legend you may have heard before. It was just the start of the story... Then he vanishes. Noble Randle, working for Homeland Security, is called in to investigate. The solution, he figures, has to be something simple. What he does not know is that his life is about to change, that he has a very unique ability, and that the fate of this universe and thousands of others rests in his hands. The walls between dimensions and parallel universes are breaking down. Behind it is an evil as old as time itself. An evil that wants to devour every other universe and gain total control over everyone and everything. The Man from Taured is a story that ranges from horror, to action, mystery and suspense. An epic tale that is there more to this world than we know? Are there other universes, other dimensions, right nearby? Perhaps as close as a breath away. From suspense, horror and mystery writer Bryan W. Alaspa comes a tale that crosses generations, and dimensions. A story that will challenge your perception of reality itself, and keep you up late at night, afraid to answer the knock at the door. Who is THE MAN FROM TAURED?
Review
I expected a lot more from "the man" in the title, who appeared surprisingly little when one considers the synopsis of the book. Not a bad work, but I wasn't captured. When I learned that Taured wasn't even something from the author's imagination... Well, I guess I was even less impressed!
3 Stars to Alone by Eric Clay
Description
Roy Clawson awakens from a nightmare...or was it more than a dream? After his terror subsides, he reexamines his life in the small town of Fairview. Why doesn't he fit in? Why is he never invited to the strange meetings at the high school? Why does a bright light sometimes appear from the direction of the high school? Who is Murdoch? What are his parents hiding from him? Can his girlfriend be trusted? Will he discover the truth...or does he even want to know the truth?
Review
Not an especially inspiring start to a new year, I enjoyed this on the surface but it didn't really appeal on any deeper a level than that.
2 Stars to Project Apex by Michael Bray
Description
What if man's thirst for knowledge resulted in it's own destruction? Richard Draven is a scientist interested in the healing properties of primates and transferring them to humans. When he discovers a new species of monkey with amazing regenerative powers, he has no idea that his report will set off a chain of events with dire consequences. Six years later, and Draven’s research has been put into practice. The government has engineered a virus which has begun human trials. It’s job – to make the armed forces of the world better, stronger, faster in their numerous conflicts across the globe. Something, however is not right. Disturbing reports about the behaviour of those modified by the virus are growing in number raising concerns amongst those in charge that something has gone wrong. As the Apex teams go dark and stop responding to orders, the government discover that there is a much more sinister force at work. Joshua Cook is the alpha male, the first man to be administered the virus and bond with it successfully. Joshua is tired of the human race, tired of their self-destructive nature. He has a plan, one which involves wiping the slate clean of the ‘lesser’ edition of the human machine and repopulating the earth with his own kind. As the full and devastating scale of Joshua’s plan begins to unfold before the eyes of the world, the government are forced to turn back to Richard Draven in an effort to find a way to stop Joshua and his growing army before he can eradicate humanity from the planet. A tense, global thriller taking place across multiple countries, from the government-centric streets of Washington to the slums of Mumbai and the burning heat of the Iraq desert, Project Apex features a rich and varied cast of characters each with their own motivations and sub plots through the main narrative as they tell the very human story of a disaster on an unprecedented global scale where people are forced to do things they never imagined possible, and in some cases revert back to the instinctive savagery long repressed by our species as society starts to crumble the world over.
Review
A potentially good story but let down by heavy use of tropes such as fowl-mouthed SAS operatives and southern evangelizing preachers. Worth moving on with the series to see how it's going to turn out, but one would imagine ant-man will discover some fatal flaw allowing a glorious comeback in a later book.