CLYDE WISHAM
[b:On the Razor's Edge 16059450 On the Razor's Edge (Spiral Arm, #4) Michael Flynn https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360343179s/16059450.jpg 21846212] is the fourth book in Flynn's Spiral Arm series. It picks up right where [b:In the Lion's Mouth 12160824 In the Lion's Mouth (January Dancer, #3) Michael Flynn https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317794427s/12160824.jpg 17131879] ended.Bridget ban's daughter, Mearana the Harper, has left with the Shadow Ravn Olafsdottr and headed into the Confederacy. It is unclear whether she was kidnapped or went willingly. Bridget and a team of Hounds that she persuades to join her head into the Confederacy (and toward Old Earth) in pursuit. They all know that they are being lured into a war between the “Shadows of Name” and that some of their number may not return. However, Mearana must be rescued and there is rumored treasure in the form of ancient artifacts/information – it must be done.Meanwhile Mearan's father, Donovan buigh the scarred man, is being held in wily old Gidula's stronghold on old Earth. Donovan has his own tight path to walk. He fears that if he gives Gidula the knowledge of how to enter the Secret City he will not survive long; so, he has to play Gidula along while he gathers his own resources.From that start intrigues pile upon each other. Donovan goes on a journey of discovery on Old Earth. The conflict widens into a full war between the Names and their Shadows, with Bridget ban and her Hounds, Donovan, and Mearana adding extra random factors. The conflict becomes something I can only describe as a Ninja war with high-tech weapons.This is a satisfying end to the series. Although you could read this story on its on, I would recommend reading the first three books first.
This short work is the story of a chance encounter with an alien race in deep space. It tells some of the backstory for Kingswood's novel [b:The Pericles Conspiracy 18427543 The Pericles Conspiracy Michael Kingswood https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1378138838s/18427543.jpg 26065458]. I suppose it is also intended to entice the reader into buying the longer work, and that certainly worked with me. (I love a good first-contact story.)
[b:ConVent 13483392 ConVent (The Vampire Con Series) Kate Paulk https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1351026806s/13483392.jpg 19017742] is a humorous and fairly interesting urban fantasy. However, all that convention and “fen” stuff just sort of went over my head. I doubt that I will continue the series.
In short, [b:Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction 15798335 Scatter, Adapt, and Remember How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction Annalee Newitz https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344370745s/15798335.jpg 21521261] describes how some species survived the five great extinctions in earth's history, tells how the human race survived choke points, how certain human groups survived hard times, and finally goes on to speculate on how humanity (or at least our decedents) can survive and flourish in the future. The bad news: the universe is a very dangerous place, and there are many ways humanity could become extinct. The good news: we are very good at surviving.
What a good book is [b:In the Lion's Mouth 12160824 In the Lion's Mouth (January Dancer, #3) Michael Flynn https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317794427s/12160824.jpg 17131879]. Michael Flynn has become one of my favorite writers.This is the third volume in Flynn's Spiral Arm series. It is interesting how, though the books do form a series and some characters repeat, the stories are individually very different from each other in plot and style.This book takes up the adventures of Donavan (who is also known of as the Fudir and the scared man) when he is abducted shortly after the events of [b:Up Jim River 7063585 Up Jim River (January Dancer, #2) Michael Flynn https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316129442s/7063585.jpg 7315893]. Donavan soon finds himself caught up in a rebellion and dealing with some very dangerous characters indeed. It is a good continuation of the series, providing some very good battle scenes and no little intrigue.
I was somewhat disappointed by [b:The Pericles Conspiracy 18427543 The Pericles Conspiracy Michael Kingswood https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1378138838s/18427543.jpg 26065458]. After reading Kingswood's short story [b:Passing In The Night 18285302 Passing In The Night Michael Kingswood https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1378274610s/18285302.jpg 17454535] I was expecting a good first contact story. What I got instead is a complex caper story. Also, I think the story could have been improved by another pass through by a good content editor (substantive editing). I became irritated by the overuse of the word smirk. It started dropping me out of the story every time I read it..
Lightning Fall isn't the first novel to speculate about the probable effects of an electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States. The two earlier ones that I have read, [b:One Second After 4922079 One Second After William R. Forstchen https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316728333s/4922079.jpg 4987669] and [b:Lights Out 6845861 Lights Out David Crawford https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1252612238s/6845861.jpg 7057843], tell stories of smallish communities trying to survive in the aftermath. Bill Quick is more ambitious. He tries to tell a wider story by following individuals at various points around the country as the United States begins to die.It isn't a pretty story. It is a story of death and despair, a story of destruction, and a story of venal politicians looking after their own interests at all costs. But it is also a story of courage in the face of violence and downright evil. Though tens of millions have died by the end of the book there is some hope.It is a big story. I expect a sequel.
One thing is for sure – you could never accuse [a:Philip José Farmer 10089 Philip José Farmer https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1234714074p2/10089.jpg] of thinking small. In [b:The Unreasoning Mask 968888 The Unreasoning Mask Philip José Farmer https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1286080989s/968888.jpg 953784] Farmer brings an intelligent shape changing starship that is emotionally attached to its captain. Add to that an artifact called the Glyfa, which is itself sentient and apparently older than the universe. Then toss in a danger to all intelligent life in the multiverse that Captain Ramstan must stop and you have the seeds to a damn good story.Good story – fast paced and complex.
[b:Wall, Stone, Craft 22916356 Wall, Stone, Craft (short novel) Walter Jon Williams https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-6121bf4c1f669098041843ec9650ca19.png 42482551] is one of [a:Walter Jon Williams 48960 Walter Jon Williams https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1275489992p2/48960.jpg] Dead Romantics stories. This short novel ... well, let's just say the main characters are Mary Godwin (AKA, Mary Shelley) and a young Lord Byron along with several other notables (some fictional and some not). They have an adventure both rollicking and sad in a past not so different from our own. How could you not read it? I did so in one sitting.WJW never fails to tell a good story.
This is pretty good SF. Some folks have downrated this book because Stabenow spends a lot of time on world building. To me, that is one of its strong points. That, along with strong characters, and a story line with a nice twist make it a good book.
I quite enjoyed Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, the 15th book in Bujold's long running Vorkosigan saga. Can you successfully mix humor, intrigue, and romance in a science-fiction tale? Well you can if your name is Lois McMaster Bujold.
The main characters are happily unmarried Captain Ivan Vorpatril and a refugee from Jackson's Whole called Tej. The story begins with Ivan temporarily on Komarr, assigned as aide-de-camp to Admiral Desplaines. His plans are interrupted when Imperial Security agent Byerly Vorrutyer shows up at his flat late one night and asks him to help out with Byerly's current investigation. Ivan has misgivings, but reluctantly agrees to help. Byerly stresses that all he needs to do is get find out what he can about an attractive young woman who might be in danger. (Obviously he knows Ivan's hot buttons.)
From that point, nothing goes as Ivan expected. He soon finds himself sheltering two young women on the run, dodging kidnappers, and caught up in the intersecting machinations of Jackson's Whole plotters and ImpSec. His life will be forever changed.
Good book.
The Red: First Light is a military techno-thriller placed in the near future. The main protagonist, Lt. James Shelley, leads a squad of soldiers tasked with interdicting and killing terrorists in the Sahel. These are enhanced soldiers. They have received implants for communication and sensing and have exoskeletons that give extra strength and mobility. (Think something part way between present-day boots-on-the-ground grunts and Robert Heinlein's mechanized infantry in Starship Troopers.) Lt. Shelley also has something extra. He seems to have a precognitive gift. He sometimes “knows” when something is about to happen. Some of his team whisper that god talks to him. (Call it the King David connection.) But, is it god or something else?
This book is violent and fast moving. It explores technologies that are evolving now and their impact on warfare and politics. It also has some romance and sex (integral to the story), and there some very strange forces at play. (Can't say much more without spoilers.) This is a good and exciting book. Recommended for those who like military SF.
(Side note:
The Red: First Light marks Linda Nagata's return to SF fiction. She is a wonderful writer and I can only say yeah! Over on Charlie Stross's blog, she explained why there was a lengthy hiatus in her writing and why she has returned. If you are interested, please read that for yourself.
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2013/04/why-i-do-self-publish.html )
Three and a half stars. I rounded up.[b:Out of the Black 18692689 Out of the Black (Odyssey One, #4) Evan C. Currie https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405288872s/18692689.jpg 26540819] is the fourth volume in Currie's Odyssey One series. It brings the story of the war with the Drasin to a close. However, it leaves some questions unanswered; so, I expect there will be more books in this universe. This book begins exactly where the previous book, [b:Homeworld 18043147 Homeworld (Odyssey One, #3) Evan C. Currie https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1370523301s/18043147.jpg 25319833], ends. The two books form one continuous story; so, you need to read them both together. In fact, I recommend reading all the preceding books first.This is pure military SF. All of the books in the series are full of combat – on the ground, in the air, and in space. If that is what you like, this series could be good for you.
[b:Blood Moon 17857995 Blood Moon (Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #2) Alexandra Sokoloff https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1367169128s/17857995.jpg 24999447] continues the story of FBI special agent Matthew Roarke and the mysterious huntress. The story begins with Roark and his crew completing an operation against human traffickers. (An operation that began in the closing pages of preceding book, [b:Huntress Moon 15746576 Huntress Moon (Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #1) Alexandra Sokoloff https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342011571s/15746576.jpg 21437405].)After that, Roarke and crew come up with a scheme to try and capture the huntress, who is still out there killing bad guys. However, their plan is soon disrupted by the reappearance of a mass murder called “The Reaper”. While the plot isn't as intricate as that of [b:Huntress Moon 15746576 Huntress Moon (Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #1) Alexandra Sokoloff https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342011571s/15746576.jpg 21437405], it is just as full of suspense, action, and tension. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll stop there. Good story. I hope Alexandra Sokoloff continues the series.
Three and a half stars rounded up to four. [b:Euclid's Wall 16094139 Euclid's Wall Michael McCollum https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350949985s/16094139.jpg 21900723] is a good after-the-fall story, with a really unique cause of the fall. It is also a high-seas, tall-ships adventure story with some solid science and a bit of romance thrown in. I enjoyed it.
I quite enjoyed this book. Kinsella is hyper-intelligent and driven. She doesn't seek approval or fame. She understands science and technology and their long-term implications. She has a plan to save the human race from itself.
We could certainly use a Kinsella-like person now.
PS. I do wish Ms Wylie would hire a professional to design her covers. I'll bet she would sell more books.
[a:D.S. Cahr 5989401 D.S. Cahr https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1349439681p2/5989401.jpg]'s first novel promises good reading to come. There were some things I didn't care for (for instance the future fashions just made no sense to me), but overall [b:The Secret Root 20512254 The Secret Root (The Mesh Chronicles Book 1) D.S. Cahr https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410033445s/20512254.jpg 19927373] held my interest. I am a bit of a sucker for stories about time-travel and teenagers in peril. (Three and one-half stars rounded up to four).
I was disappointed in [b:Rescue Branch 17211371 Rescue Branch (Kinsella Universe, #2) Gina Marie Wylie https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357503007s/17211371.jpg 23693291]. It just is not as good as [b:Kinsella 17211304 Kinsella (Kinsella Universe, #1) Gina Marie Wylie https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357502703s/17211304.jpg 23693314]. It isn't focused. The book actually consists of two short novels that are related but center on different characters handling different problems. Both of them wander about expounding, I think, on whatever took the writer's interest at the moment. The book would have have been improved by another round of both content and copy editing.That said, I did like some of the characters and the stories held my interest enough to finish the book. Two and one-half stars rounded up to three.
[b:Fire with Fire 15803179 Fire with Fire (Tales of the Terran Republic, #1) Charles E. Gannon https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345678629s/15803179.jpg 21526593] is pretty good space opera. The main character, Caine Riordan, seems too good. He is a polymath – good at everything (a real outlier). But, I eventually came to like him quite a lot. The story itself is fun with a nice twisty plot. However, I can only give it three stars because the story leaves a lot of strings hanging (sequel perhaps?) and there were some things that really stretched my ability to suspend disbelief. (I wish GoodReads allowed half stars. I would bump this story to 3.5 stars.)
An inspiring story of four tough never-give-up kids and some outstanding teachers.Great book.
The main character in this novel is Wu Johanna. She is none other than Marco Polo's granddaughter, born into the family he left behind in China when he returned to Italy. Johanna is an attractive character. Lively and intelligent, she is also a risk taker. When a family crisis makes her position in her home in China untenable, she and a few close companions head west on the silk road. Adventures ensue.[a:Dana Stabenow 158170 Dana Stabenow https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1309557370p2/158170.jpg] obviously did a lot of research for this book. It is well written and I found some of the characters quite interesting. This story is quite a jump from her normal crime/mystery/romance mix. Also obviously, this is only the first part of the story. It is a bit irritating how she leaves things hanging at the end. But hey, if George RR Martin can get away with it, why not?
The Safehold adventure continues in [b:A Mighty Fortress 6940561 A Mighty Fortress (Safehold, #4) David Weber https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423806268s/6940561.jpg 7173336]. It is an interesting story and I do want to know what happens in the Safehold universe. But, IMHO this book is too long and has way too many data dumps. I am sure I would have enjoyed the story more had it been sweated down to around 60% of its published length.That said, I will continue the series.But what about the story? Well, there is a lot of politics and some action. There are various bad folks whose heads we get into – some are really evil and others who are, shall we say, differentially motivated. The good guys make some costly mistakes, but recover. Also, there are David Weber's trademark big, desperate naval battles.
