Steve Gibson
A very different space adventure. The action takes place on a medical space station. The doctors treat human-animal hybrids that were created for war and exploration. These patients include those that are part of panthers, monkeys, polar bears, or seals. The station is run by an obnoxious surgeon director with a god complex with assistants including an almost human android and the heroine of the previous book, Grace Lord.
A fly in the already complex ointment is an evil criminal doctor who seeks death and torment on the android, Bud, and Dr. Grace Lord. This book has two competing genres, one is the humorous side that is played for laughs. I found humor on almost every page. The other is a dark and bloody violence and realistic gore. I suspect since the author is a real doctor it was easy for her to slip blood and guts into the story. I joke that the book brings to mind a mash-up of Game of Thrones and Monty Python. But, in a good way.
I enjoyed this read. I had not read the previous book in the series, but don't think I lost much by jumping into the second story cold. I would recommend this for science fiction lovers who can handle humor and gore in a fun story. I would say the book is suitable for high-school and up. Give it a try!
Before You Leap is a fun, light-hearted book. Readers will have laughs and enjoy themselves. This is a great story for science fiction lovers.
There are some gender bending twists to the story that challenge the characters and the plot. The book keeps you guessing with future directions. It gives you a lot to think about relating to time travel and our reactions to gender.
I think most readers would enjoy this read, especially if they would like explanations and theorizing about time travel science. I think the level is suitable for middle grade on up. Give it a try.
These two stories about Dai and Julia are set before the event in the first book. These two investigators are in a modern Britain where the Roman Empire never ended. These both are short mystery stories, with the Roman feel. I am fascinated by the mix of old tech and modern ways. It is handled in an interesting way in these stories. Some people live in primitive ways, while tech is available for some phone communication and limited air travel.
This book gives a view into the background of Dai and Julia. Both stories are well written, leading us on the mysteries and giving a sense of danger and strangeness. In one, the Briton, Dai, begins his job by uncovering a dangerous game, where victims are chosen by the rich. In the other, the Roman soldier, Julia, uncovers corruption and finds allies she needs.
I enjoyed both stories. I am anxious to read more. I would say these stories are suitable for middle grade readers on up. Give them a try, you will probably love them too.
Jade is a mysterious being who has traits of shifter, vampire, witch, and fae at different times. She serves as an agent for the police force in Winston, in a world in which supernatural beings are every where, but face discrimination. She must solve a mystery and fight will all she has to protect herself and her friends. I enjoyed this fun, light read. You will too.
This book relates two stories that run separately and together. Roxal lives in strict and structured society. She is afraid to fight the system, but eventually must take sides. Lauren tries to do her job and fit into society, with a big secret. The two must change their loyalties to try to save their worlds. After time has passed, they help each other to achieve two better worlds. This was a very unusual story for me. I enjoyed it, and recommend it to readers who might enjoy stories about alien worlds.
Fun read. Enjoyed the running, fighting, and trying to survive the zombie turkey attacks. I think every Holiday should have a reading of this book. It is past time for the turkey to turn the dining table on the ravenous humans. Check out this book, it is a funny, irreverent journey into the end times.
This story is a new take on futuristic science fiction. The 942 Series presents a corporate controlled world, where individuals like Nash are controlled and limited in their life choices.
This book reminds me of older style storytelling, with a long narrative arc, following several characters, and their family members, over years. The epic scope of the story carries us along as we try to understand the past and future of Nash Korpes. He must struggle to survive political intrigue, corporate assassins, and mass killings. Nash is a very imperfect person. He is a scientific genius, who invents technology beyond what others can match. Yet, he has trouble controlling his emotions and actions.
In the course of Nash's oppression by his corporate overlords, he will lose everything, his loved one, his children, his family. Alone, with only a friend or two, he will struggle to gain control of his life, and throw off the chains encasing him. The decades that pass are filled with an unending conflict against the forces seeking to contain, and silence him.
The author has brought an epic story to the page that contains an multitude of characters, who we care about, and want to succeed. I finished the story, and wanted to read more, so I could find what happened to each character I had been introduced to, even the villains. I would say this story is suitable for readers of high school and up. If you are ready to read an epic science fiction story, check this book out. As someone else mentioned, sometimes, to overcome impossible challenges, you must be both hero and villain.
The Aonise people must abandon their sun. In spaceships, they flee solar explosion and the enemy Zefron. The Aonise king, Kedro, leads the people amid deep class divisions and conspiracies against the royal family.
After the excitement of the planet-wide evacuation, is much learning about the characters and interconnections between them. As other reviews have mentioned, keeping track of the names is challenging, at first. The action is well paced and leads to important conflicts and resolutions. This story reminds me of Battlestar Galactica. There is a setup of a complex world, and the space fleet is fleeing to a distant destination. There are clearly many adventures ahead for these characters. I would recommend this tale for middle grade and up.
Entertaining tale of Jo finding her place in the worlds beyond our own. She discovers she is more than a mere mortal. As her heritage and connection to the other worlds is unveiled she will find the role she has to play in a story thousands of years in the making.
Jo learns she is part angel, and more. Becoming a reaper, she travels between the worlds and begins unraveling her true story.
You will enjoy this YA fantasy that combines angels, demons, reapers, guardians, and other denizens of the heavens and hells. Give it a try.
Very entertaining story of young innocent romance amid home
adversity. The characters are optimistic and hopeful while dealing with pretty serious life issues. Alex and Maura grow close under the pressures of families falling apart. The side characters are well developed and interesting. The young sister and grandfather were great additions to the story. There is a powerful buildup and tension with the father's condition. An enjoyable read about young love. I recommend this story to Middle Grade on up.
Souls Asunder is the second book in the keeper's Way series. This story was an intense action romance combination. Autumn is faced with several difficult choices this time. Jason versus Ronan, killing or sparing, whether to confront impossible odds or run away. Each decision brings heartache. While she achieves many victories on the road, she, and the readers must take a roll-a-coaster ride on this journey. It ends on a mild cliffhanger. Probably best to read the first in the series before this one. This story will entertain middle grades, on up.
This story tells an entangled tale that moves between Earth and an alien world. We travel to a different world with Amanda and take part in her struggle to survive with the strange customs, people, and circumstances that she finds. We follow the twists and turns of her life as she and we learn the myriad ways this alternate world differs from ours. The story leaves us with a cliffhanger, as we wonder will she be on the planet she wants to be on, and will her loved ones be with her. Recommended for middle grade and up readers.
Fascinating story of falling into the middle of a vampire war. We immediately are pulled into the life of Deimos Black, mortal. He tries taking out vampires, but soon has changed sides. The story of vampire society and their enemies, the hunters, are fleshed out, before we focus on an internal conflict among the undead. How Deimos relates to these blood drinkers leads to complications.
This story follows the genre, just enough, in some recognizable ways, while still offering unusual twists. It's good that some conventions are observed and others are thrown out. The likely audience will be those who are interested in violent small-unit conflict with swords and guns. There are several romances and conflict around vampire relations and hierarchy. This was an entertaining read. I look forward to the next chapter in Deimos Black's experiences among the Order.
Intriguing mystery story in space. We follow the story of a police officer, on the space station, and a politician she hates. As they try to survive and solve the case, their lives become entwined, and we get deeper and deeper levels of understanding of their characters and motivations. This well-crafted mystery made me want to discover each new revelation. I was pulled along by the story and had to know what would come next. Give this novella a try, I promise you will be glad you did.
The Selection is a fast paced story. Interesting characters. Violent, but with a purpose. This dystopian work reminds me of the Hunger Games.
Told from the boy's POV we follow his journey to survive the Selection. All boys must undertake a survival course, at a certain age, on their colonial planet. The rugged, dangerous, backstabbing trip is familiar. In addition, his eyes will be open to the extreme cruelty of this test, and he must decide how he will react to this new knowledge.
As others have said, it is a hard book to put down, and a quick read. I recommend it to all who are interested in primitive survival and dystopian societies. I think middle grade on up will enjoy this. It is an interesting question of where the character will go, what he will do in a sequel.
Fun story about Snow, the girl/bunny who shifts between the two. I enjoyed this quick read.
The characters were strong, Snow, her Vampire dad, John, Edgar, and the others. There were some real scares as we follow her childhood.
Ended with the best rabbit against human battle scenes ever written. Hop on over and give this book at try!
In this review of Tesla's Frequency, I'll explore why this book is a fun contribution to science fiction. I'll do this by listing some points to help you see whether you might want to step into this book's world.
The writing takes you to another world.
The author's storytelling forges a world, based on the past, but creating a different time, place and reality. The world of the early 20th century, in which we follow Tesla and the other, is filled with history we recognize, as well as changes to the past. We follow several characters, central to the plot, who have different traits, roles and loyalties in the story. The author weaves fascinating characters, with different backgrounds, born in different countries, and in one case, another world, with their own motivations, into a consistent story. The story pulls you to think about truth, fiction, fantasy, and imagination. A strange alternate history is brought to life in this book. The world in the story can intrigue readers and introduce characters and an overarching goal.
This is a story with major conflict.
The first book in the series involved battle between Testa, with the help of his allies, against an alien race. This book continues the feel of that story, while adding Hitler, Nazis and human greed and lust for power, as enemies to be confronted. Readers follow along the journey to find out who is orchestrating the evil, and what Tesla can do about it. Each builds conflict and tension that lead to battles that must be won. This type of writing allows us to become immersed inside the story, and affects our feelings and opinions about the characters. If you like space warfare, you will probably appreciate the conflict between the forces of good and evil here. The main villain is implacable and won't allow any setback to change his course.
There are several interesting characters.
We know Tesla from the first book. It is interesting to have a main character who was an actual historical person, in our story as hero. He has greater and lesser qualities than before. He has aged a great deal from the previous story, so he is a very old man, who must lead his friends and family into battle. Clara is in the story again, but in a different form. Tesla has several allies who enable him to accomplish his miracles. We meet new villains, and a harking back to the main villain from the previous story. Then there is Zoe. This child is very unusual in appearance, behavior, and background. She takes on an increasingly more important role, as the story progresses.
There is a special and surprising individual in the story.
One central mystery takes on more and more importance in the story. One character is more and less than she seems. This character turns out to be a pan-dimensional being that can inhabit a human body, as well as travel into another reality. The descriptions of this character intrigued me. I couldn't get enough of how such a person would perceive the world, and act in encounters with others. I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction of this character, and hope to learn more in the future. This story does a good job of showing relationships between the friends and enemies. Some Individuals grow and develop, some enemies becoming partners, and some who should be friends can't help being enemies.
I look forward to a future book.
This is a well-developed story that held my attention. While we find closure with many characters, I'm curious where some characters are going in their lives. Like the first book, this one reminded me of Golden Age Science Fiction. Stories of heroes, villains, science, wonder, and danger. I would say the most likely audience is people who might enjoy historical science fiction with combat between good and evil. I would recommend reading the first book in the series first, but this one could probably be read separately. The back of the book has some background on historical Tesla, and useful history information. Give it a try, you might like it, or love it.
Dragon's Fire: Beating Back the Darkness, Book One tells an epic, mythic story of war in a world of orcs, elves, dwarves, centaurs, and humans. The story tells of a darkness moving across the land that must be opposed by all the races in unified armed might. We read of betrayal, while humans and others are seduced by the dark side. We see our heroes training and preparing for the final battle. We are introduced to several heroes and villains. The leader of evil is an all-powerful dragon that spits fire and steals the minds of weak people.
This tale reminded me of Lord of the Rings. If you're familiar with the Bible, you will be reminded of aspects of the story of the King of Kings. The strongest theme through the story was battles between the light and the dark. This story is a very entertaining one for fans of mythical combat and epic warfare. I recommend it for readers, high school and up, who want a fantastical story with dragons and war.
This book turned out to be a technology and science filled, character driven story with strong villains that became a real page turner. I enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. This book meets the very definition of science fiction, while crossing into the territory of international thrillers.
The book put the science in science fiction. Two biological disasters lead to the post-apocalyptic world the book is set in. The author clearly knows biological science. I liked how the loss of technology was handled. The survivors lose technology a bit at a time, as machines wear out. And, we read about post-apocalyptic technological life, including how cars must be made to work without computers.
The story is filled with flawed characters. Each character has strong motivation to take the steps they do. I enjoyed that the villains saw themselves in positive ways. I believe the strongest villains are those that think they are the heroes.
After a slow start, the book became a thrilling page turner. I wanted to know what happened next. Kate was on a mission and would not let anything stop her. I think the story will work for young adult on up. A reader should be prepared to hear about science and expect characters to be in real danger. Give it a try, you might get pulled into this future fiction story.
Nine Lives is an intense adventure in discovering a new planet, while struggling with differences and conflict among the characters. We follow Laren and Darma and other teens as they work to build a society and tame a hostile land.
The mostly young people composing the two camps of newly arrived migrants maintain a shaky alliance as they learn about the land, creatures, and intelligent beings on this planet where they are stuck. The story combines supernatural powers, science, and social relations into an unusual blend. It's fascinating to experience the lives of these youngsters as they confront each new challenge.
Each day brings danger. There are diseases to confront, alien species to fight or make peace with, and the difficulties of getting along with fellow settlers. The landing party is composed of a mixed group that has difficulty working together. The individuals sometimes see themselves as separated by a division into three groups. The normal humans, bete with powers, and Prime, who have powers and can transform into animal shapes.
A major problem for the individuals we follow is the tension between the groups. Some people are so hostile to differences that they are willing to resort to violence. Laren and Darma change and grow to confront the dangers they face. As they both must rise to assume more responsibility and power, they find themselves with the added complexity of starting a relationship with each other.
I enjoyed this story. Even with supernatural powers, and an alien planet, I found the story believable. Because the characters had problems with consequences, I felt for them. When people act, they run into problems and unexpected surprises occur regularly. It was a pleasure to read a story where reality interferes at every turn. I think this story would be suitable for middle grades on up. I also appreciated the mature way some issues were handled. There are experiences with sex, scientific method, and political decisions that characters must find answers to. I read this book without reading the first book in the series. I did not have any problems following the story. I would say a reader might find it helpful to understand there are three separated types of people who shared the one ship, before crash landing on the planet. If you are interested in a fun teen fantasy with a touch of science, give this book a try. I think you'll enjoy it.
Excellent end to the story of Ty the ground force trooper and her friends and loved ones. They battle through betrayal and difficult odds to reach mostly satisfactory conclusions. I enjoyed the ride. The author has skillfully challenged each character with their deepest fears. This book should be read in order after the previous books in the series. Readers who like military fiction and space opera action will appreciate this series.
This third book in the P.A.W.S series entertains, like the first two. Miri continues to explore her strengths and weaknesses. She has lost her dearest friends, and journeys to Israel, in part to follow the trail of her lost love.
The story has several intriguing side plots. We learn the origin of werecats. We follow Miri's family members as they get caught up in the Nazi persecution of Jews in World War II. We see inside a conservative community in Israel. And, the world of Umbrae is shown to be a wondrous and scary place.
I enjoyed seeing the characters, good and evil. Finny, the cat, is fun, devoted, and willing to travel around the world and into Umbrae to help her friends. The Tegs sisters, Stella and Morgana, scare me and prove a challenge to several of our heroes. The Rabbi, Rav Shmuel, is complex. I'm not sure how I feel about him and his rules. Each character supports the story of Miri, her past, and her future.
This has been another strong entry into the story arc of the P.A.W.S. series. I can't wait to read the next. I would say the readers most likely to enjoy the story are those who want to read about young people meeting challenges, with talking cats, owls, and ancient powers. I think a person could read this book without reading the first two in the series. You would then be interested in going back and reading more about Danny and Miri's connections and the story of Alistair. Everyone rush out and read this book now.