Steve Gibson
Interesting historical fiction about one of the most fascinating figures involved in 19th century technology. If you don't know the facts, rumors, and speculations about N. Tesla, give the Google machine a whirl. You might be lost for hours. This book pulls in facts and speculation into a rousing action story about alien invasion and the real historical characters who engaged in science, technology, and industrial capitalism at the time.
It is a relief to read “steampunk” fiction that deals with real science. I have not had much reading success with fantasy steampunk. However, this hard science take on the steampunk age was refreshing. This book was very much styled like the greats of Golden Age science fiction, like Heinlein or Asimov. I felt like I was reading a story by A. E. van Vogt, one of my favorites.
Let me talk about Miss Clara. This major supporting character steals the book, for me. I enjoyed reading about a Victorian woman who could take care of herself and did not wait for a man to rescue her. Clara kicks butt, charges into danger, and rescues her man, when necessary. It was fun to see how she would deal with each challenge that was thrown at her.
I would recommend this book to readers interested in a fantastic tale of historical fiction. This book is suitable for middle school and up. There are some sexual activities described in flowery Victorian terms that most parents will probably find acceptable. There are scenes of violence and loss in the story, but it serves healthy plot development and is not gratuitous. My biggest warning would be about the hard science nature of the story. Any reader who cannot get through Golden Age science fiction stories may have difficulty with Tesla's Signal. The book is filled with real science, real history, and real characters. Otherwise, give it a try. You may find an exciting new author to follow.
Excellent old school space opera. It is a wonderful expression of aliens as central characters. The humans are rare, unusual and not the main characters. I am embarrassed to say I was on page 50 before I realized all the title implied.
This will be an entertaining read for anyone who likes spaceships and intercultural conflict. Suitable for middle-school and up. There is no sex, and some violence, betrayal and heavy conflict.
Old fashioned space opera. The big ideas made the read more enjoyable to me. The idea of entities which can maneuver their space craft on the horizon of a black hole is intriguing. I would have liked to know more about those creatures whose story is so important to the book.
It was an interesting idea that most people live over 100, so people who are in their 20s are considered irresponsible kids. The only criticism I have for the book is the romances. All the romantic relationships seemed to mirror each other. Next time the author should write variety into his romances.
This book is suitable for anyone high school and older. Very hard science oriented, so beware.
Very well written and crafted story of anti-aging technology in the future. We travel through space with realistic people with an difficult challenge. A huge corporation wants the secret to longevity that the Captain has flowing in her veins.
How the crew deal with the problems that come up in space and on land is an interesting story to follow.
This book is suitable for reading from middle school and up. There is mention of sex and some deaths, but little direct violence. It is an enjoyable read.
Fun read. Old style military/space opera. Think Heinlein or Andre Norton. Had the most unusual final battle I have ever read. The story follows a bad luck company of space marines on what is supposed to be a cake walk of a mission. It, of course, turns into a memorable crazy fight in an unusual setting, with unusual weapons, tactics and allies.
The narrative is set in past tense with 3rd person limited, and mostly from the new company commander's perspective. I think any readers of military fiction from middle school on up would enjoy this. Be aware that the style of writing is old school, like the golden age of science fiction.
Very fun read. Light hearted without being silly. Serious in the right places. Teenage girl who is a semi-mad scientist has wild adventures when sentenced to work for a top-secret government agency with other teen geniuses. What could possibly go wrong. Read and find out. You will enjoy the crazy ride!
Another great book in the series. Rose Point is number 2, continuing the story of Captain Reese and her crew. I enjoyed this book even more than the first in the series. It has a very different setting. The entire book is set on the planet of the Eldritch and the crewmember Hirianthial.
The planet of the Eldritch is a stubbornly primitive and feudal society. The crew must step carefully in this xenophobic world. This book is more fantasy romance than space opera.
This is a very well written story. I had a hard time putting the book down. The characters were clearly drawn and their relationships drove the story. Who cares about who, and who can and will help who. We meet the Queen and those loyal to her.
My only criticism is what we hear about the villains. The villains seem one dimensional. They are pure evil, with no explanation or moderation. Fortunately the other characters are so well drawn that I could overlook this one weakness.
I recommend this story for any readers of fantasy and even people like me who lean more toward science fiction. The book should be suitable for readers as young as low middle school. There is only gentle mention of sexual matters and some moderate violence.
I enjoyed this space opera with a strong female lead. And I like Reese the captain because she makes mistakes, pushes friends away, and is not a very dangerous fighter. But she is loyal and does the best she can to do good and keep her promises. I immediately got the next book, so I can continue the story!
Interesting story in need of strong editing work. I was interested in the tension between the different type of people. I was curious in the storyline of the invasion. It was tantalizing to hear teases about a coup in the leadership. Oh well, not a very good book, but a great deal of potential. Perhaps a re-edit could transform it into a good book?
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
We continue to follow the story of Jonah and the 11th percenters. I enjoyed this follow-up story. Again Jonah is living in the world where some people know about the supernatural realities and most people don't know.
This mystery story contained many clues and misdirections. We gather the clues as the characters in the story come across them. We can speculate on the identity of the villains as the story moves forward.
Another element in the story is the uncertainty and potential for growth among the characters. As in the first book Jonah is not always sure and confident in his actions and ideas. He must learn to trust himself and rise to the challenges that he will face.
As in the first book, this story also presents a large cast of supporters and opponents. Jonah has a reliable team who have his back and attempt to support him. Jonah also has some detractors who work against him.
The story is told in 3rd person limited in past tense. We follow the one character's POV the entire story. The world is almost identical to our world, with the addition of a supernatural structure hidden from view, that is only visible to a select few.
I think the biggest fans of this new book will be mystery fans. We are led on a chase to unravel a deeply hidden danger. I would recommend reading the first book first. This second book directly follows that book in time and much background knowledge gained from reading that book will be very useful for this new book.
Please give this book some “time”, I think you will get sucked in.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from (LoP or Lovers of Paranormal)
This is a ghost story and supernatural adventure. I enjoyed the battle between our heroes and the enemy.
I have not read many ghost stories, but I imagine this is somewhat different than is traditional. The story begins as many fiction books do. There is a main character whom we follow through the entire book. He is not happy at his job. Suddenly his life begins to change.
What I assume might be different from some ghost stories is the movement into a full war that slowly develops for our hero. From incident to incident, he begins to see he must join with his new allies and engage the enemy who is doing some bad things on a massive supernatural scale. He acquires powers and is central to the battle against evil. This is a hero's journey story with a team of heroes taking on a very impressively powerfully enemy.
Some of the things I liked were the dialog between characters, character change through the story, and the strong description of locations. A good job was done giving each character different personalities. Each character changed through the story. The hero is a different person by the end. Some of his allies are not whom they seem at first. Some become better, some not so much.
I did not enjoy the information dumps. There is a great deal of information about the supernatural rules in this story. Sometimes, it goes on for pages and pages. I suppose it is hard to avoid when the author is presenting such an unusual world with a different set of realities than we are used to. Perhaps in followup books that particular exposition will not be necessary.
The story is told in 3rd person limited in past tense. We follow the one character's POV the entire story. He grows through the book but is very naive at the beginning of the story.
This story should be fun for people who would be interested in a battle on the supernatural plane. Our hero starts out weak and ignorant and becomes a powerful fighter physically and psychically. I would think the story would be appropriate for children as young as 8 years old. There is no sex, and while people and spirits are destroyed, supposedly there is “no such thing as death.”
I enjoyed this read. I would try another offering from this author. Give it a try, you might like it. Thank you https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/72929-lovers-of-paranormal
I enjoyed this story immensely this week. Although Andre Norton is one of the authors that got me into science fiction, I don't remember this one from my childhood. This story is one that puts her in the top level of the great writers of the genre.
Breed to Come does what science fiction rightly is known for. The what if of the story combines with human interest to lead you to suspend disbelief and go with the wild ideas until you get to the end.
I was riveted by the story of Furtig and the people he finds in the lairs. I admire his spirit. He is not a great fighter and suffers a defeat near the beginning of the book. His defeat is accepted as a step on his journey to uncover the secrets of his world and grow as an individual.
Breed to Come is superior to many science fiction books written in the same years. There are several strong characters who carry out important tasks separately from Furtig. We care about those other characters and look forward to finding out the results of their endeavors when Furtig meets up with them.
This book is written in 3rd person, mostly from Furtig's POV. The story is told in past tense. It took me 3 days of several hours each day to finish. I recommend to all ages. I think kids as young as 8 years old would probably be OK with it. No sex and moderate violence. The ideal audience will be made up of cat lovers. I would classify this story as a futuristic post-apocalyptic adventure. Thanks, Andre Norton.
A House of Light and Stone is an engrossing and captivating tale of a child's experiences in Los Angeles. Duffy is almost eleven, and we follow her daily life as she moves into a house in Boyle Heights. While the story feels real, I found it an exciting adventure story. Our heroine faces the challenges that confront her in her life each day. I will describe some aspects of the story, to try to explain why I enjoyed it.
The story brought me into another world. The story is in a moment in the past and brought me into that different time, place and reality. The tale is told in chronological order. The story is told from a first person POV in past tense. The protagonist struggles in a family with an unstable mother. We are introduced to her siblings, Chance, Barbie, Justine and Artie. Rennie, the family's mother tries to fill her role in the family, without the psychological or material tools to do a good job. The author weaves these characters, who each have their own motivations, into a unified story. This book leads you on a journey through a difficult life with humor, and comical twists. Duffy's different world is brought to life in the story. The environment, people and shenanigans in this story intrigued me and entwined me into the character's experiences.
Duffy faces several challenges in the story. The characteristics of the people in her life slowly unfold over time. The story has secrets, and there are things going on that Duffy does not understand. We readers must travel along on the journey to find out how she will survive her problems and what her life holds in her future. With each passing page revelations occur in her life that affect our feelings and opinions about the characters and the city. I found powerful drama and unexpected events that continue through most of the book.
There are dangerous secrets, changes and surprises. Duffy is the central character, and I was rooting for her. We can't always agree with Duffy's actions or instincts. We follow Duffy as she meets and becomes friends with neighbors and schoolmates. She has heroes who come into her life and help her. I became invested in the outcome of her childhood struggles and wanted her to win. This story builds over a one year arc.
The book leaves me wanting more. While we get closure with some aspects of Duffy's life, I still want to know where her story is headed. I liked that the story made me care about the characters. I liked learning the details of her life. This story is set in 1966 in the city of Los Angeles. I lived in that city during that time, so I had some familiarity with the world of the story. I would say the most likely audience is people who enjoy authentic stories filled with drama, love and change. While there is some violence and abuse in the story, give it a try. This is one of the best books I have ever read.
Good premise. Too much exposition getting from one point to anther in the story. You might want to read the book to see 2nd person POV used. You don't see that very often. This story has elements similar to a movie from 2008 called Eagle Eye, were people are ordered to obey orders from some unknown puppet-master. The story has an interesting start and premise but was not able to hold my attention for the 159 pages. Perhaps the author will do better in the future.
The Tower of Boran is a fun sword and sorcery tale. Or, actually I will call it a dagger and sorcery tale, you will get it when you read the story. The two heroines find each other and a trusty sidekick to battle the evil sorceress. I will describe some aspects of the story, to try to explain why I enjoyed it.
The story brings you into another world. The story is in a created world and brings you into that different time, place and reality. The protagonists struggle to overthrow the villainous priestess who rules over the land. We have to learn the secrets, roles and loyalties of Tara, Maran, and Tee. The author weaves these characters, who were born in different situations and belonging to different groups with their own motivations, into a unified story. This book leads you on a journey from normal lives to fiction and fantasy. This different world is brought to life in the story. The environment, people and magic of this story intrigues the reader and entwines the characters with their central endeavor.
There are several mysteries in the story. The identities of the characters slowly unfold over time. The story keeps secrets, and there are things going on that the characters within the story do not know. We readers must travel along on the journey to find out why things are happening and what is behind the strange conditions in the world. With each passing page there are some revelations of the mysteries that affect our feelings and opinions about the characters and the world. The reader will find many mysteries that continue through most of the book.
The characters are part of the world that is unfurled as the story proceeds. Tara and Maran know different things about nature and the magic in the world. They share information and use their knowledge to fight the evil priestess and her minions. Tee has his own talents and skills that are handy for aiding Tara, and in the coming war. We don't know, as we are reading, if there will be romance between any of the characters. We have questions about N'Dreyid, why is she the way she is. What drives her. Is she evil or are her goals merely beyond our understanding? There are communities of villages and rebels who aid the three in their quest, and we learn some of their stories, but their deepest motivations remain mysterious. I was left wanting to know what happens next with some of the characters.
There are dangerous secrets, changes and surprises. Many mysteries are untangled in the course of the story. There are surprises about Maran's origin. Members of the team must trust each other without having known each other for long. They must work with the villagers and rebels as the plans come together and they face the army of the Priestess. We follow the three as they begin to work together, and must depend on each other and meet the coming obstacles. I became invested in the outcome of the coming battle and wanted the protagonists to win. This story builds to decisive action at the end.
I am waiting for what comes next. The book leaves me wanting more. While we get closure with many mysteries revealed, I still want to know where some stories are going. I still do not know what happened to the old priestess. I don't know how the people will govern themselves. I liked that the story made me care about the characters. I liked finding the mysteries as they were revealed to the characters. I had read a prequel, Ascha, so had some familiarity with the world of the story. I am even looking forward to seeing if any of my views of the story might change, as I read additional prequels and sequels.
I would say the most likely audience is people who enjoy youth oriented hero's journey type stories. There is some violence and threat in the story. The book has a little fighting and war, but not much. I would recommend reading the prequel Ascha first, but it is not needed. This story stands on its own. There is some magic, but I think readers not interested in supernatural storylines can still enjoy it. Give it a try, I think you will like it, an entertaining adventure tale.
This is a well written story about young Ascha and Michaeyala in the school of magickal studies.
This is has a fully developed world that is different than ours. It is complete with towns, laws, plants and crafts that people use. The level of technology seems about equivalent to our middle ages.
The world in the book is supported with several appendixes. There is one for pronunciation, a glossary, and a herbal notebook. For me the names seemed natural and quickly learned.
The life for the new students is challenging. Especially for Ascha. You will see what I mean.
I think this is an excellent fantasy book for all ages. I think it is appropriate for young people as young as maybe 10 years old. There are some themes that may be advanced for younger readers. I am looking forward for the other stories set in this world.
