C. J. Daley

Gave this a go when I saw that all except for 2 are currently included with audible. Just in time to head into October spooky reads, and I love some scifi shark horror. Each one’s been a little less science and a bit more fiction, but parts have remained fun.

Let me just say, this dude waited SIX full length novels using the identical formula, to then hit us with a CLIFFHANGER? I’m maddddd. I had read that this was supposed to be the last one, and maybe it had just gotten too long and he had to split it, or maybe he just likes torture. Especially because he apparently hasn’t even started to write the 7th entry, and this one released in 2018…

This one reined in the story a bit, a lot of my complaints about the last one going off the rails were missing from this plot thankfully. It’s still virtually the same story for 6 books in a row, but it’s action packed with an addictive pace. There is something about the way he writes to lends itself to an enjoyable creature feature.

On a serious note, if the objectification and sexualization of every single female character wasn’t enough, the stuff the author puts Terry Taylor through has got to be pretty on the nose about how he feels about women as a whole. She nearly dies over and over, giving Jonas the opportunity to be the hero. She gets an extreme anxiety disorder, more than likely PTSD too. Then she gets Parkinson’s. This one it’s cancer then a coma. Prime example being that Terry is the main reason that Jonas agrees to the mission in this one, and Terry doesn’t even get a mention in the blurb.

If you can get past that, these are still a lot of fun. Personally a 4/5* for me, and definitely my favorite cover. Meg is not the main character anymore sadly.

I received this novella to judge for SFINCS. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.

Kilo is a Shadow. Sworn to protect the people without killing. But when he is faced with the decision to let his friend die, or take a life, he makes the only choice he could.

The story follows along with the consequences of Kilo’s life after taking a life, much of which are self inflicted. I will say, it does suffer for me because it doesn’t actually pan out within the novella. He doesn’t have a set plan for retribution, and because of that he just kind of goes back to living life while simultaneously carrying the guilt for his actions. It does end on a note of hope, but it loses the ‘why’ for me during the novella itself.

Personally a 3/5*, featuring a unique world that meshing Japan with some of its own things. The descriptions are strong and the action was fluid.

Grabbed this as a last minute read for spooky season.

This collection features a take on the vampire by each author listed above. Some are straight forward, while some of the others sought a new approach to the horror favorite. Perhaps it’s my fault, not only because of the cover, but the vampire genre at large, but I was expecting gothic. So where my mind went was more urban fantasy-ish/alternative world. Two of the first stories could have fit this, but then like 2/3rds through they just mentioned the characters in jeans and I was so thrown off.

Regardless of that, which may have been my own perception, this collection definitely went from worst to best for me. The first few stories were quite shaky, but as the collection progressed, I really liked the final few. Chizmar and Roberts both offered up some great ones.

Personally a 3.5/5*. Worth checking out!

I received this novella to judge for SFINCS. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.

This book takes place in the future. It is a science fiction based novella, and as it’s the future, there have been many shifts in the countries of the world and the major powers. This leads to an incredible amount of new names, as well as many abbreviations. This felt authentic for SF, but I was also definitely confused and flipping back and forth a bit.

The story follows the likable character of Kep, a guide to the new arrivals at the Sol system. I thought the idea of her shifting her appearance, personality, as well as her style to lighten the blow of arriving at a new place was very unique. And probably something that would genuinely happen as well. Some of these travelers have left home, never to return again, so waking up from stasis to something semi-familiar would definitely be a blessing.

The story takes on a kind of thriller vibe to it when a delegate from the (thought) long-lost Dacic has arrived. The powers of the Sol System covet their technology, so even though they intended to share them freely, no one in Sol wants to share.

This was an interesting and enjoyable novella, I do just wish the ending was a bit more definite. Personally a 3.5/5*

Started listening to this one on a ride up to Buffalo with my fiancée. There’s nothing like a long drive and a new book.

I will preface another Sager review by saying that I absolutely loved Home Before Dark. It creeped me out while reading alone at night, and that’s all it took. He’s been an auto-buy BOTM choice for me since.

This book—aside from my selecting the wrong title and updating it multiple times—doesn’t really have that many locked doors. For someone so scared, she locks the apartment door…then sleeps on the couch when she could have presumably slept in the bedroom…and also locked that door. Maybe locked the bedroom door, then slept in the tub? Locking the bathroom door too?

Joking aside, this one felt pretty meh right up until the climax for me. It wasn’t that I wasn’t enjoying it, it just felt very basic for the majority of it. Sager has a way of shaking things up though, and I did find the ending to be both a good set of twists, and satisfying.

Personally a 4/5* for me. My third Sager read.