We Are The Destroyers by D. K. Lindler

Posted First to Blog Critics as Book Review:'We Are The Destroyers' a Science Fiction Romance by D. K. Lindler.

There are times throughout history where many of the same situations occur. We often hear how history repeats itself, as it seems that mankind does not always learn from their past mistakes.

In We are the Destroyers by D. K. Lindler, we are taken on a journey into the stars. Bel’lar is a military man in charge of an important fact finding mission. The abuse of his home planet over the centuries has begun to pile up and there is fear of where they are headed.  His companion Ry Sing began years ago to learn to focus within where she learned of things as they would happen.  She is troubled at the news she brings, but the information is important. A space ship like no other has come to the attention of his group, and the brotherhood of the Syn is ready to overtake them.

Food had become difficult to find and many have become addicted to the synthetic foods now being offered. The danger of eating synthetic foods has caused mutations and there is a marked difference between those who are unable to get real food and those who call themselves organs because of the organic foods they consume. Yet even those options are just about gone.  There is something about Bel’lar though that speaks to the ship and vice versa. As they find themselves about to be attacked by the Brotherhood, they make their escape to search for a new home for their people, to save them from their dying planet.

Bel’lar has no idea of what is in store for him and his group of travelers. The ship itself it a part of the problem, and the ghosts of those long departed have their own agenda.

Ry Sing is able to communicate at a level far above the norm, and the information she shares is quite unwelcome.  Between the ghosts and Ry Sings visions he is informed that in the past he destroyed a planet when he was known as the Great One. Even now it is written that a man with the same birthmark he carries will destroy another planet.  He is not a believer, and will do everything in his power to make sure this never happens.  Yet fate often has its own agenda. Their only chance to save his home is to find the mythical blue-white planet.  Does such a planet exist and is it truly inhabitable?  Only time will tell.

Lindler has given us an interesting story within the story, one that traces it roots to the past, which then also moves us to the future. His characters are both interesting and unique and the cultures he has developed could be very real in the future. There is a dream like aura that drifts around the entire story and you find yourself drawn in.

As Lindler moves us back to the home planet we find a changed world, and yet there is still hope. You are moved by the situation and the living conditions. The governing body hides a great deal from the people and encourage the continued consumption of synthetics.  You find yourself horrified by the differing agendas.

If you enjoy Science fiction, fantasy and romance you will want this book for your library. The individuals expand and grow as we move forward and there is a sense of renewal that is in the making. Fate seems to play a part and you will enjoy the interplay.

Rating 3/5

This work was received free through the Cadence Group and all opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

The Eyes Behold Tomorrow by Ken Hart

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review:'The Eyes Behold Tomorrow' by Ken Hart.

As a child and even on into adulthood we look at the night sky to marvel and wonder at the stars. Bright specks of brilliance, these pinpricks of light draw us, and yet is there even a chance of ever making it there.

In The Eyes Behold Tomorrow by Ken Hart, we are given a story that takes us into the heart of the great frontier known as space. There are many examples of imagination on the market and each strives to find its niche in the market of science fiction. Hart brings us a possibility where the earth can be of use to save another world from extinction. When called upon many of the locals are tested for the strength and fortitude needed to move forward and become part of the Feletian Queen’s army.

 One of those selected is Edward Robert Teach. He is a throw back of the old world, and barbaric in nature with an opinion on everything which he is more than willing to share. Yet for some reason he is drawn to the Feletians, and they, especially their women are drawn to him. Can he find his place in this new political arena, and help to keep Galactic war from destroying such a peaceful planet. And can he tame the woman who has chosen him as her mate. The two become intertwined as the danger heats up, and Edward must rely in his instincts to save the day. Will it be enough to both save the galaxy as well as his new marriage to a unique and dangerous woman?

Hart has given us a fun and adventurous story that takes us into the stars and beyond. He introduces us to several new races with a unique flair. The characters of his work are just slightly of beat, and exceptionally honest, a sometimes rare quality. The strengths are offset by the flaws and at times the flaws are what save the day. With the pace you feel like you are traveling at light speed and involved within some of the decisions.

The interaction between the Feletian women and the earth men is another story, as the women of this planet are the dominant species, and each of them has their own agenda. Yet this too is a part of the excitement, as the heat of the sexual experiences and romance add another layer to the already dangerous reality the Edward finds himself in. The problems are age old and yet picked up and dusted off and served to us in a new mold of thought.

The sense of wonder comes through with charming intensity, and yet the grittiness also bears witness to the danger and intoxication of being on the brink of war.

If you enjoy science fiction, romance, adventure, sex and interpersonal connections you will find this a nice addition to your library. Hart is an author to watch. You will enjoy the interactions and bantering of personalities. Edward Teach seems very much like a comic book hero, with all the problems associated.  

Rating 4/5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material .

The Love of My Other Life by Traci L. Slatton

Posted first on Blog Critics as Book Review:'The Love of My Other Life' by Traci L. Slatton.

The possibility of a parallel universe is an interesting phenomenon. If such a reality existed, could you cross over and if so would you take such a chance?

In The Love of my Other Life by Traci L. Slatton, we meet painter, Tessa Barnum. Never easy, her life has just become a struggle. Her husband left her, she is about to be evicted, and she has all but stalled her career. Now suddenly she has a stalker. A scruffy, yet good looking man seems to be following her. When she finally confronts him, she realizes that he could be just a bit touched. He claims he was married to her in an alternate universe. There, their love was the stuff legends were made of. When his wife of that world died he built the machine that allowed him to cross dimensions, just to find her.  Shaking him off, allowing for his mental instability, she continues on with her life. Yet he is only a step away. Unable to shake him, she soon finds that while he is a mess, she is comfortable around him.

So begins a strange friendship. Yet she is still trying to make her mark, and in doing so puts herself at risk of the law. Brian, her stalker, becomes her conscience. As his own story unfolds she finds her own world turned upside down as she learns the truth behind love and loss, and second chances.

This is a fun and romantic take on the power of soul mates.  As Slatton creates her characters, she imbues them with warmth and recklessness. There is a boldness and vulnerability attached to Brian that draw you to his character. Tessa is also a fun character, but a bit more ambitious and not quite so forgiving.  As you follow these characters you are drawn to the possibility of their connection. It creates a warmth and yearning as you find yourself encouraging Tessa to choose love over logic.

If you enjoy romance and science fiction you will find this a surprisingly lighthearted dose of both. I was charmed by the story although the surprise ending rattled me in a strange way. This would be a great book for the romance reader, take it along on a trip. An easy read, you may find yourself chuckling over the antics as they unfold. The comedy and romance keep you entertained, with just that small bit of satisfaction.  

Rating 4\5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Review and Giveaway: Untimed by Andy Gavin

Article first published as Book Review: Untimed by Andy Gavin on Blogcritics.

Have you ever felt alone? Possibly even invisible to others, while the world goes on around you? Does your name elude those who you have just been introduced to, followed by blank stares of puzzlement?

In Untimed by Andy Gavin, we find such occurrences that seem out of place and time. When a young boy sees a curious figure, mechanical in nature, he decides to follow.  Charlie has been one of those that seemed to be invisible all of his young life. Even his mother had difficulty remembering his name. His father was never home, his work kept him occupied, so Charlie felt like an odd outcast.  When he sees this strange anomaly, he is fascinated but also very scared. Looking much like a living clock, he begins to refer to it as the Tick-Tock man.

As Charlie follows him, he finds himself in another dimension, a different time. What he has just accomplished is impossible, or is it? Immediately upon arriving in this new past, he is robbed by a pickpocket, a young girl who appears more vivid than anything else in the entire landscape. He must follow her for his belongings, but the vibrancy also calls to him. When he finally finds her, he realizes she is very much like him. Only she knows more about time travel, and the entire traveler’s history than he could even dream about. The Tick-Tock men are dangerous to those like them, and as they escape through time, they set off a chain of events that threaten the ruin of the world as they know it. His father has found a way to leave him a message, he has been captured, and it is up to Charlie and his new friend to make things right.  Can they pull off a feat that not even the most seasoned and knowledgeable time travelers have been able to accomplish?

Gavin has given us a fun and energetic romp through time, littered with history, unforgettable characters and charm. He draws different scenarios as history is changed in blundering fashion by this young duo, as they attempt to undo the damage they began.  The characters are engaging and the clock men become a strange enemy. The interesting retakes on re-made history are fun, and the emergence of the shadow selves adds interest.

Be prepared to leap into adventure with Charlie and his friends, working against the clock and the Tick-tock men to save the world though the ability they are born with, of traveling through time. Meet the most interesting of people throughout the past, as history is changed in an effort to divert disaster.

If you enjoy mystery, adventure, time travel and science fiction you will enjoy this work. A young adult novel, it will also cater to those that are young at heart and history buffs.

This is a fun and unique take on time travel and you will enjoy the trip.

Untimed Book Summary:

Charlie’s the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, even his own mother can’t remember his name. And girls? The invisible man gets more dates.

As if that weren’t enough, when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don’t take him seriously.

Still, this isn’t all bad. In fact, there’s this girl, another time traveler, who not only remembers his name, but might even like him! Unfortunately, Yvaine carries more than her share of baggage: like a baby boy and at least two ex-boyfriends! One’s famous, the other’s murderous, and Charlie doesn’t know who is the bigger problem.

When one kills the other — and the other is nineteen year-old Ben Franklin — things get really crazy. Can their relationship survive? Can the future? Charlie and Yvaine are time travelers, they can fix this — theoretically — but the rules are complicated and the stakes are history as we know it. And there's one more wrinkle: he can only travel into the past, and she can only travel into the future!

Link to excerpts from Untimed:
http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/untimed/sample/

Andy Gavin's Bio:

Andy Gavin is a serial creative, polymath, novelist, entrepreneur, computer programmer, author, foodie, and video game creator. He co-founded video game developer Naughty Dog and co-created Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter. He started numerous companies, has been lead programmer on video games that have sold more than forty million copies, and has written two novels.

His first book, The Darkening Dream, has been well-received by fans and critics alike. Publisher’s Weekly called it “gorgeously creepy, strangely humorous, and sincerely terrifying.” Untimed is an even more ambitious follow-up. It is a lavish production with a cover by acclaimed fantasy artist Cliff Nielsen and twenty-one full page interior illustrations by Dave Phillips.

Prices/Formats: $5.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $24.00 hardcover
Publisher: Mascherato Publishing
ISBN: 9781937945053 ebook, 9781937945046 paperback, 9781937945039 hardcover
Pages: 325
Release: December 19, 2012

Amazon paperback buy link ($14.99):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1937945049?tag=tributebooks-20Kindle buy link ($5.99):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AQN4OZS?tag=tributebooks-20

Please enter for a chance to Win a copy of Untimed by Andy Gavin. Sign up using the rafflecopter below. This givaway is sponsered by Tribute Books.

Enter for your chance to win.

Rafflecopter GIVEAWAY HTML embed code:a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Moon is not for Sale by Wallace Provost

The race to the moon has been a topic of interest for many years. Is it habitable and if so how do we address the concerns with the actual colonizing of such a place?

In The Moon is not for Sale by Wallace Provost, we are taken into the future where not only has the moon begun to fill up with inhabitants, it becomes a place of natural resources necessary to keep Earth afloat, but also a dream for some of finding a different home. What begins with Helium spreads out into gold and other precious metals.

Beginning with an accident that throws together two young people, we are taken on a journey into the very beginning of an interesting colonization, and the family that has made it happen.  Annie is only there with a group a students, but the accident strands her on Clint’s family farm until another shuttle can get her back to Earth. Living on the surface of the moon is impossible, and the farm is underground in a tunnel that keeps the family free of all the damages that occur on the surface. With gravity being so different from Earth, there is only a short time span that one can spend on the moon before they must leave, or stay to become a resident. Those that stay are known as Luneys.

Annie has no intention of staying regardless of her developing feelings for Clint. She is on her way to becoming an attorney, and she is bound and determined to follow it through. It is with sadness and internal pain that she finds the hiatus over and she is on her way back to Earth to continue with her own plans.

Little does she know that as she pursues her own destiny, it will swing in a fashion unintended from the beginning? This change will bring her back to the moon and the man she now understands that she loves. Will she be able to follow her dreams and reap the rewards from both ends?

Provost has written a gem of science, littered it with fiction, and twisted the two together to make a story of hardship and love. Alternating between storytelling and scientific fact, as well as a bit of fiction, you are on a journey into the unknown. Somewhat like the pull of the gold rush, the availability of finding a home on the moon, or just becoming a miner, makes the moon a place of interest. When it is declared that  homesteading and mining are allowed but that the moon is not for sale, there are those that will do whatever it takes to change that law.

If you enjoy science fiction, and stories of adventure you will find this work to be interesting. For me the back and forth between fiction and science was a bit difficult, and some things I found to be tedious, but often science seems that way.

Provost has an interesting voice, new to the writing world. The Moon is Not for Sale is an interesting take on politics and greed, which often leads to disaster. But he has found a way through, keeping the moon pristine for generations to come.

Rating 3/5

This book was received from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Isadora DayStar by Loni Emmert & P.I. Barrington

Article first published as Book Review: Isadora DayStar by Loni Emmert & P.I. Barrington on Blogcritics.

The promise of youth and the possibilities to come are realized as often as not. But when things to not happen as planned and the choices made change the direction of that promise, can we ever get that first flush, that first possibility of life back?

In Isadora DayStar by Loni Emmert & P.I Barrington we are given the opportunity to follow the life of Isadora, a young woman with a shot at being great. Yet in one fell swoop, her life changes when under unforeseen circumstances she freezes in her duties, and those she is closest too are destroyed. Unable to bare the outcome and to live with her memories she cuts herself off from everyone and everything she knows. When she has an opportunity to try an illegal drug to wipe some memories clear, she is initially elated to find that it works.

However, soon she no longer controls her use, the drug controls her. In an effort to find the money to continue her curse, she becomes an assassin. The problems lies in her drug use, the drug takes her control, and when she does find work, she is the very worst at the game. There are those still willing to hire her though, she has made herself expendable. Little does she know that her new employer is sending her on a mission that will change her life? She will have to face her demons and pull herself together, or she will risk losing it all, including her own life. As she begins to see the shadows of who she once was, can she control her cravings and reach back to the promise that was hers from the beginning?

Emmert and Barrington have written a fantastic story, futuristic in scope and yet with many of the same trappings and problems of the world we live in today. Isadora is both a character of ridicule, and yet a possible hero as well. I found her character to have a bit of the Bruce Willis affect that appears in some of his Science Fiction movies. The bad guy–good guy effect. There is something in all that badness that you cannot help but admire, and it draws you to the character. Isadora is so human, and so full of self-remorse and bravado, there has to be more.

The worlds are very interesting and unique, and they hold that dangerous feel that adds a touch of excitement. The trappings of weaponry and travel in the future hold true to most of what is available in the genre today, and the story of a life close to ruin is found in tabloids everywhere. Add a young character into the fray who is much like Isadora was in her youth, Renan is a youth that is very believable. The aliens are well thought out, and the interaction and problems are just creepy enough to make you shiver.

There is a great deal of the here and now in this futuristic novel, the homelessness, the drugs, the idea of doing whatever it takes to get a hit, and the degradations that people are will to experience to stay high. There is something so raw that the story keeps you turning the pages.

I would recommend this work for those who enjoy Science Fiction, action and just anything a little out of the ordinary. The flow is easy to follow and the story is good. This is not a book for the young adult, and the themes are dark and often dangerous, but the glimmer of hope shows though.

Rating 4/5

This book was received as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Blood for Love by Chris M. Finkelstein

Article first published as Book Review: Blood For Love by Chris M. Finkelstein on Blogcritics.

If love were like a form of religion, and persecuted as many religions have been throughout history, what would the world be like? Would we have small pockets of dissenters, those who continue to allow love into their lives and the lives of their friends and family?

In Blood For Love by Chris M. Finkelstein, this question is not abstract. In his fantasy world, built on a violent planet and peopled with lizard like beings known as D’olian we follow the differences of discipline vs. love. This is an interesting and thought provoking story that follows a world where war has destroyed all but one species. Love has been outlawed and if discovered is punished by DeathBT, or Death by Torture.

Rigorous study on the subject has found that procreation and the young have a stronger survival rate when surrounded by a loving environment. In order to maintain the growth of their race, love is allowed for the first 5 years of life. After 5 years, the children attend a brutal deprograming camp with dire consequences for those that cannot be turned. The brutality and mind control leave many so disturbed they will never be the same, and suicide and murder often follow. The percentages of those that do survive make the program successful--so it continues.

The mothers must also attend a camp. Torture and other brutal and nefarious methods are used to create the angry, frustrated and cowed women that are preferred by the government of this planet. In extreme cases, rape, in brutal and extreme measures, is used to get the compliancy that is expected.

This is the story of a young man and his family and friends as he makes his way through life, belonging to the underground Lern (Love’s Epiphany Requirement Network) and also known by the epithet of Love-lovers. The ruling party is known as NOV or Nation of Vengeance. Now a part of the Governments rule for hundreds of years, the NOV were instrumental in destroying the other races and poisoning the planet.

There is a bigger reason for the birth of Jan, he is slated for bigger and brighter things, but only if he can overcome the deprograming and find a way to beat the NOV. He is just an odd young man on his own; can he turn the tide and save those who believe in love? Can this group of reptilian humanoids overcome their violent nature and rebuild their world?
Jan does not fit of mold of the common D’otain. He is kind and considerate. He is as tall as the usual D’otain, but he is long and lean. His crest is also very unusual and a figure of fun for years as a youngster. Very slow to anger, he is the opposite of his race, and as such, he is often beat up and injured. This is a story of a family in crisis. We are along for the ride to learn if and how they escape the binds.

Finkelstein has created some interesting and unique characters. They are both brutal and yet civilized, capable of running a government and at the same time capable of murdering those like them, whose beliefs of love go against the ordinance. Intermixed with the brutality and violence, there is a peace loving faction of Love-lovers that will stop at nothing to prove their rights.
The story is interesting and yet extreme. The sequences leading up to the end keeps you turning the pages in disbelief. It gives us an understanding of being in a different world where normal is not the culture, and anger and brutality rule the planet. It is strange and yet fascinating, and Finkelstein’s race of humanoids are quite distinct.

If you like adventure and love, twisted and weaved with brutality, rape, cruelty, fanaticism, and torture, you will find this book is up your alley. Even after reading it, I am sure it will stay with me. It is both disturbing and yet full of heroics, an emotional roller coaster that will have you wondering where it will all end.

Rating 3/5
Blood For Love

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

The shifters of 2040 by Ami Rebecca Blackwelder

Article first published as Book Review:The Shifters of 2040 by Ami Rebecca Blackwelder on Blogcritics.

In an interesting futuristic Science Fiction novel set in the beautiful backdrop of Alaska, a species of alien that had infiltrated the earth have now begun hybridization. While throughout most of the states these aliens have allegedly been eradicated, the pockets found in Alaska appear to be some of the last of the species. Known as shifters for their ability to change form, they are hunted exhaustedly by the Shifter Counterinsurgency Military, known as SCM. The SCM have set up a scientific community to study the changes and stay abreast of the possibilities. Dr.’s Melissa Marn and Bruce Wilder are the scientists in charge of the DNA investigation. Colonel Raul is the military voice behind the scenes pushing for the information.

There is something unhealthy about his excitement in the investigation; he enjoys the pain exhibited by the shifter during experimentation. Melissa believes he is trying to find a way to use their abilities for himself. She finds him distasteful and vindictive. He is not someone she finds she can trust. Her other problem with the whole situation is her father is also a part of the SCM, and his expectations for her are very clear. Her mother died while she was still quite young and she is in thrall to her father and his machinations of her.

In The Shifters of 2040, Ami Rebecca Blackwelder has brought us a new species of alien and given us a remarkable wilderness in which to place them. In Ami’s rendition, we find the aliens to be a very non confrontational and peaceful group, and yet they are pursued and persecuted for science. While there have been some incidents where humans were killed, in every incident it appeared as though the killing happened in self-defense. Yet Colonel Raul has twisted the facts to keep hysteria high, and to be able to continue into his own nefarious schemes. The hybridization however really is happening, the Shifters are looking for a way to survive the hostility, and find that if they can alter their DNA they will have a better chance to live. Mating with human women seems to be one of the most likely possibilities.

Bclackwelder has built a race of aliens that tug at you and capture your imagination. They are interesting and yet just different enough to cause a bit of caution. As usual when differences of the nature that are described in her story, the human race react with either welcome or in this case with caution, fear, and hostility. The few that take the time to know them are enthralled, but it is such a small faction as to be nonexistent.

In Melissa, Ami has given us a protagonist that certainly creates feeling. I at times liked her but many times did not. She has excuses for every nefarious thing she does that is requested, and does not stand up for what she actually believes to be right. She refuses to change the status quo, although she does not agree with the experimentation and basic murder of a species. The perfect foil for her own demons is Bruce Wilder. Bruce finds himself in love with Melissa. He is working hard at separating her from the job that is creating such a burden. He does not understand how she can continue what is asked of her in good conscious, and continuously works at her to understand the wrongness of the orders.

Children of the Shifters are not immune to the treatment, they are also poked and prodded, looking for more answers, and when Melissa finds an answer to some of the questions of DNA, she finally reacts in a more human way. What has she found that she is now hiding? Will she be able to separate herself from the military faction, or will she continue and damage her own psyche with the experimentation that continues?

If you love science fiction, you will enjoy this book. It is the second of a series and yet written to stand on its own. The series looks interesting and I am looking forward to what comes next with this small group of Shifters, the few left that are struggling for life. This is a thought provoking book and makes you think about differences and how others are often treated based off fear and lack of understanding.

The Shifters of 2040 is a fast-paced read, full of action and characters you can care about. Blackwelder has done a great job on her characters and world.

Rating 4/5
The Shifters of 2040

This book was received as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

Shard Mountain by Joseph Mitchell

Article first published as Book Review:Shard Mountain by Joseph Mitchell on Blogcritics.

On his way to prison for a crime as simple as excess parking tickets created a nightmare for Charles Rogers. A computer geek to his bones he still does not understand the process that put him in this place at this time. Along with a few other prisoners and guards his life is about to take a turn into the ‘Twilight Zone.’

The accident came out of nowhere, as the prison van moved to pass a military convoy, a tanker lost control veering into the bus. The last thing Charles remembered was the jarring feeling and a sudden burst of some form of silver liquid covering everything. Hitting his head, he did not remember anything else, never dreaming he slept, unaware of time passing.

Charles first burst of conscious thought came with a painful light. Blinking against the sudden pain, he felt uncomfortable. Hearing a voice, but not understanding the message, he hears that he would be very stiff from the amount of time that passed. Finding a voice that sounds familiar, he finally opens his eyes, only to realize that he is in a nightmare. Some sort of giant pink humanoid creature was looking at him. As he backed up against the bed quickly, a human reminded him to take it easy. Moosh was a friend and had helped to rescue him and his friends. But who or what is Moosh?

The surroundings were unreal, all metal pieces and parts domed off, with wires and technology everywhere. Although is all seemed surreal, he could see the damage to the equipment and lab, which is what they appeared to be in. As he began to get a grip, he saw there were two others with him from the prison van. A young man named Jake and one of the prison guards, Parker Boll. The human rescuer said his name was Brother Kevin and reminded them they must get away. Apparently, Moosh had found this bunker and killed the two mutants that were intent on killing them.

Hurriedly pulling themselves together, this ragtag group of humans with their mutant rescuer prepares to leave the area. Not prepared for the devastation he finds outside the dome, Charles is horrified. The world is not as he remembered it. It is barren and hostile, with one definitive wonder that stood above it all, a mountain of glass. Known as Shard Mountain, it contained secrets sill not known after hundreds of years. Looking again in surprise at Brother Kevin, he finds out that he and his friends have been sleeping for 500 years. The world as they knew it is not the same, it is a dangerous world and they will have to make their place in it.

In Shard Mountain, Joseph Mitchell has fabricated an apocalyptic world. It is full of danger and surprise. Both human and mutants inhabit the earth, but there is more––much more. Charles, Jake and Parker must find a place in this world; most of the cryotes (the awakened) are not so adaptable. Waking in the year 2581 has both its advantages and disadvantages, weapons are few, drugs are easily accessible, transportation is with stagles, and a mind speak exists that only a few are capable of. Having been asleep for all these years our heroes find their minds have been experimented with, but have no idea how.

This is a story of challenges and changes, of finding your place and your courage in a world different from anything you have ever known. It is full of savage predators, mutants, living machines and just about everything you can imagine from an ‘Alfred Hitchcock’ nightmare. The characters are much as you would expect and yet they grow and expand to fit the rising needs. Love is in store as well, and we will follow this group of individuals on their journey to find their place.

This is a novel of extremes, but has a story line quite in keeping with the expectations of those that predict these very things happening. Sometimes fiction is stranger the truth and Mitchell has brought us a world of the future. Come and visit a world that is bold and crazy, but be prepared for a long journey. This book is not for the faint of heart, but is full of incredible experience.

I would recommend this book to the science fiction aficionada. Be prepared as this is a book so filled with story and challenges it is quite long. At over 400 pages, be prepared to bury yourself in time, to dig into the volume of material. It is fun and has vivid depiction; the words transport you to the very time. Mitchell has done a great job of fictional prose, with such remarkable detail as to make you find yourself in this future. Hang on for the ride.

Rating 4/5

Shard Mountain


This book was received as a free e-book from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Promise Kept by Brandy Hunt

Article first published as Book Review: Promise Kept by Brandy Hunt on Blogcritics.

In a history set in 2187, Lila Howell works as an archival historian. She works for the Security ministry, a part of the New Dawn Government also known as N. D. Her psychic abilities as well as her youth in a Crèche make her a commodity. She takes the autobiographies of those that lived through the passing. While the ministry continues to try to manipulate her, she has vowed she will never use her psychic abilities to hurt anyone. Her recent assignment leaves her concerned and confused. It is a bit unlike her previous orders, and signed by three different people, and unusual occurrence.

The woman she is to read is Susanne Newton, a woman in her nineties who worked and helped to found the New Dawn government. Someone is looking for information on the Southern Dragon. This is information suspected to be known by Susanne and is important to someone in the ministry. Lila finds herself intrigued with Susanne from the start. She is charismatic and has lived and amazing legendary life. Susanne is a farmsteader, whose best friend Larissa is with her in the home where she lives. In fact, Larissa has been involved with Susanne over the years, in both fortune and war. The stories from Susanne open her resolve and have her thinking about her own life and relation-ship with her family.

Second-guessing the quest, she finds that she herself has come under scrutiny by the very government she works for. She is being followed and her every move is being questioned. Who is the one known as the Southern Dragon and why would this very entity also aged into the nineties create such and effort at search. Lila finds herself at risk and yet as she continues her job, the more she learns the less she understands. Can she still get the information and protect Susanne, or will she have to disappear before her very life is no longer of value?

In Promise Kept by Brandy Hunt, the story is set in a world far in the future. A future that has changed and evolved over the millennium, and yet the farmer, or farmsteaders are those that maintain their freedom. Part of the change and yet able to withstand the winters and changing landscapes, even now they offer both hope and fear for the masses. Well developed, her characters are endowed with strengths as well as flaws, which draw you to them. They are likable and real, or the alternative, looking out for number one, not caring about others. This is much of what we see every day and it appears as though humanity remains much the same in this futuristic world.

Lila is a young woman with a gift that is valuable to the government. It lifts her from a life of drudgery, which is what many can only aspire too. The thing that the Ministry does not understand about her is that she has a strong sense of ethics. They can only push her so far. Susanne and her life brings out a spark in her that she did not know was missing.
Susanne herself is a wonderful and charismatic woman, a storyteller. But what interesting and amazing stories she tells. It is easy to forget her age as she brandishes her sword and battles the reevers and other dangers in the earlier times. Her friend Larissa is by her in every instance and story, both of them strong and courageous. Something we can all aspire too. The story is interesting and full of love and surprises, with an ending that will invoke envy.

I would have to recommend this book for reading and book clubs. It is both interesting and insightful, a book to grace anyone’s library, especially those that enjoy this genre.

Rating 4/5
Promise Kept

This book was recieved as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Borealis A Space Anthology (Book I) by P.I. Barrington, J. Morgan, and Gail R. Delaney

Article first published as Book Review: Borealis: A Space Anthology (Book I) by P.I. Barrington, J. Morgan & Gail R. Delaney on Blogcritics.

These stories are all based in a futuristic time where war is everywhere, with a rebellion fighting for its rights against a bullying regime called the Trans Planetary Protectorate. They are all set on an aging space station in the Sestus-3 system. The station has become a hive of debauchery where anything goes. Anything can be bought or sold, not limited to, but including drugs, sex and death. All monies from the station are being funneled away by the Trans Planetary Protectorate to help fund the effort to quell the rebellion.

Khai Zafara, the heroine in PI Barrington’s Inamorata Crossing, has every right to hate the rebellion. She was just a small child when they murdered her father. What Khai does not realize is that the Trans Planetary Protectorate may not be everything that she is led to believe. It will take the capture and transfer of Teyrnan Sajan, a leader of the rebellion, to make her search her memories of the past and to unlock the mysteries of the murder of her father.

Khai is a strong female and her strength is crafted from a hate that is based off a scattering of incomplete memories. Once she finds the truth she developes a vulnerability that takes away nothing of her strength but ads another layer to her character. Teyrnan is kind and patient, understanding her anger and leading her, though well thought questions, to find the answers that she does not realize are missing. The solitude and quiet of the spaceship has drawn them together. Where there is heat there is a strong possibility of romance. Leave it to PI Barrington to build a romantic thriller in space. This is an exciting read that keeps you off balance and wondering where the next revelation with happen.

In Kiss Me Kate by J Morgan, we meet Riannan Burton, abandoned as a child and brought up through the system. She owns a tavern on Borealis and works as a bounty hunter for the mysterious Professor. Because of her training with the professor, she is now one of the best Bounty Hunters available. No one has seen the professor for years and all information now goes through Riannan. She is extremely sarcastic and known for her sense of humor, often biting and caustic, but also her ability to make jokes in inappropriate situations.

She meets her match in K’tlyn Byllvian a Prince Regent of Pyernian. He is very large and extremely good looking but absolutely untrained in any form of fighting. K’tlyn knows that he needs to train with Riannan to become the man he expects to be. At every opportunity, Riannan fights her attraction to him with her sarcasm and her humor. She calls him Kate in an attempt to keep the distance between them. The problem is that K’tlyn just does not get it.

This is a fun and engaging story and has the tone of a fairy story of old. It is as exciting as you would expect from a science fiction set in space, and the romance warms the heart. J Morgan has created a fun and eventful story with characters that have sparkling personalities. They are so real it is like losing a friend when the story ends.

In Forgive us our Debts by Gail R Delaney, Theron Kess is a mercenary who will do almost any job for the coin he can gain. When Theron asked to find the Princess being held captive by the TTP he quickly agrees. He owes a debt for his family, which this will repay. The problem is that by the time he is able to get the communication as to where Sarina Laroux is being held, three weeks have passed. And for Sarina those three weeks are a nighmare. She is drugged and tortured repeatedly, not because she has answers, because no questions are asked. This is happening because of who she is, and during the process she is also informed of her soon to be rescue at the hands of Theron, but also informed by her sadistic captor that while her parents paid Theron’s fees to find her, the captors also paid him to take his time, which appears to have happened.

By the time Theron finds her, she is addicted to Uudon and in a very weekend state. As he struggles though her rescue as well as her health, he finds himself extremely attracted to her. She obviously hates him although he is unaware of why. She finds that although she is aware of Theron’s treachery she is also very attracted to him. During the escape and while she heals, Sarina finds that there is a depth to Theron. This does not fit what she believes him to be. She learns to trust again and learn that others are not always honest. In addition, Theron learns that he needs to change who he is to win what he wants.

Theron is a good person and due to his job as a mercenary has been pulled into some bad situations that put him on the wrong side. He knows that to win Sarina he needs to make changes and for love, he is more then willing. Sarina and Theron are both very strong and likeable characters that make you want to cheer them on. Their feelings are deep and leave a lasting tug on your heart.

This is a wonderful book, full of charm and witty repose. The characters are very well written and likeable. Each story is unique to itself but all are set in the same time and place. They are charming stories of love and space, and as each story ends you feel as though you have lost a friend. This is a fast paced and exciting book full of danger and adventure and all brought together by love.

Rating 5/5

This Book was revieved as an ARC from the Authors. All opinions are my own based off my reading of the material.