Without Bloodshed

without_bloodshedThis is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it to anyone. The pace is quick, it’s full of intrigue, the plot is complex, and Claire might just be my favourite female character of all time. I’m not sure if I should characterize her as a major minor character, or a minor major character, because the cast is quite large. There are a lot of heads you’ll be in throughout the course of the story, and that can get a little confusing at points. It’s interesting seeing what everyone’s thinking/doing, but I think some of them might have been better left cut out to further increase tension for the reader (I found Chapter 1 killed what could have been a great surprise at the end). Furthermore, several characters go by more than one name, and they aren’t simple names. I’m still not sure I can tease them all apart.

The one thing that made the reading experience strange was all the references to movies/music from previous decades, considering this story takes place in the 2100’s. At first I thought perhaps it was a character or two who had a weird fixation with the distant past, but as more and more characters appeared to have knowledge of our own past (but apparently not our present), it felt more and more strange. Why would people have knowledge of an obscure bit of metal history, yet there is no mention of more modern day musicians? Perhaps because, ultimately, the repetitive nature of our current music industry is forgettable. Another thought hit me, and that was perhaps more modern movements were lost in Nationfall. But I couldn’t come up with a reasonable answer for why that would have happened. In the end, the question remains. How many people in our current decade have a working memory of art from 100 years ago? Very few, I’d wager. Perhaps this will be answered in future books, or maybe not.

Either way, I eagerly await the next book for the masterful way Matthew Graybosch weaves the lives and plots of the characters together.

About the Reviewer

ToxopeusRyanmedHusband, father, and researcher, Ryan Toxopeus spends his free time working on his epic fantasy trilogy, Empire’s Foundation. He started writing the first book, A Noble’s Quest, in 2010 and fell in love with all aspects of storytelling. He focuses on fast paced, character driven plots. His motto: “If I’m bored writing it, others will be bored reading it.”

Learn more about Ryan and his work at https://prcreative.ca/ryan/

Strictly Analog

Strictly-Analog-187x300In Richard Levesque’s Strictly Analog I was pleased to find an innovative story of provocative imagination. Set in not so distant future Los Angeles and Orange County, California, the story presents itself as a noir private investigator romp. Indeed, the beginning may seem to meander a bit to show us the main character doing his strictly analog shtick before the meat of the action drops on our table. But what we have experienced during the first course provides us with a seamless all-show-very-little-tell story that introduces us into quite a world.

Our protagonist has thus far managed to survive in a society where corporations run for elective office—governor even—everyone is interconnected through a myriad of electronic to human interfaces, which in turns means those who can tap all their data streams can see what they can. Who needs surveillance cameras if you can access what each person can see? But our gumshoe has made it his brand to avoid all that connectivity. How? By staying strictly analog. He doesn’t avail himself of all those wearable and built-in devices, which means he can stay off-grid, and his clients like it that way just fine.

Things would keep going that way if not for his daughter landing in jail for the murder of her secret police boyfriend. As her father does his level best to find evidence of her innocence before she’s deported out of California—and not to Mexico—he will have to navigate obstacles and dangers that challenge his ability to stay strictly analog.

For fear of spoiling the story, I’ll leave it there, going on to say, I loved this story. Told in first person, we get to know our protagonist from the inside out. He takes us along his journey with a wonderful, evocative voice that is just right—not over the top, but commanding our attention. The narrative paints this world he lives in with lively color and gritty texture. We also come across a supporting cast of characters that are real and distinct. Above all, though, through a compelling page-turner, we explore a world with many advances, and a lot of pain. Apparently technology doesn’t solve our innermost needs. We find a lot of angst here, a lot of loneliness, perhaps even despair, all of it interconnected at the speed of light.

If you were to strip this story of all its technological elements, you would be left with a pedestrian procedural. But that’s just it. You can’t do that. The case our protagonist solves inextricably intertwines and integrates with the technology of the day. You have to really sink into this world and its tech components to get this story. And that, perhaps more than anything, is why I loved this story.

Now… will there be a sequel?

About The Reviewer

Eduardo_SuasteguiIt took Eduardo Suastegui a while to discover he was an artist trapped in an engineer’s body. With formal education in math and science, affirmed through hands-on engineering experience in designing, building, and integrating gadgets of varying complexity, he always kept daydreaming. Throughout his life, that daydreaming fed technological innovation.

More recently, that daydreaming has engendered stories about hackers, rogue AIs, and space travel, with more than a few stories about a dog trainer and her K9s sprinkled in. Eduardo loves to dive into fast-flowing, character-driven stories. With each of the books he reads or writes, he hopes to continue that adventure.

More than anything, through his writing, he hopes to connect with readers. He seeks to share a piece of himself with those who pick up and delve into his work.

Learn more about Eduardo and his work at http://eduardosuastegui.com/

Ithaka Rising

ithaka_risingIthaka Rising by LJ Cohen is the second in the Halycone Space series. It can be read and enjoyed by readers who missed the first book (Derelict), but I recommend reading both books.

Ro Maldonado, a gifted engineer, is the kind of young woman people might describe as “difficult.” Certainly, her childhood as the daughter of a complicated father with unclear loyalties hasn’t made friendships or trust easy for her. But she’s learning and, now that she has friends, she would do anything to help them, including taking on a dangerous mission in a not-quite-fully-functional ship to rescue one of them.

I admire the realism of this story in that there are no easy answers to the complex problems the characters face. A great adventure story that left me both satisfied and anxious for a third book!

About The Reviewer:

BRYANT-CroppedSamantha Bryant is a middle school Spanish teacher by day and a mom and novelist by night. That makes her a superhero all the time. Her debut novel, Going Through the Change: A Menopausal Superhero Novel is now for sale by Curiosity Quills.

Learn more about Samantha and her work at http://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/

Crooks And Straights

crooks_straightsCrooks and Straights by Masha du Toit is a young adult novel centered around a teenaged girl.

Gia always knew there was magic, but she had no idea how entrenched in the magical world she really was. In South Africa, there are two types of people: crooks (magicals) and straights (non-magicals). Gia is a Straight, and she always thought the rest of her family was, too. But with the Purist movement taking over in government, someone she cares about catches the wrong sort of attention, and Gia makes a daring deal to save the ones she loves.

Crooks and Straights thrilled me by introducing me to new kinds of magical creatures I had never heard of before. I was fascinated by the world du Toit created, with its intermix of contemporary South Africa and magical mythologies. I recommend it for readers who like to explore cultures and magic through books.

About The Reviewer:

BRYANT-CroppedSamantha Bryant is a middle school Spanish teacher by day and a mom and novelist by night. That makes her a superhero all the time. Her debut novel, Going Through the Change: A Menopausal Superhero Novel is now for sale by Curiosity Quills.

Learn more about Samantha and her work at http://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/

Past The Borders

past_the_borderI’ve known of Christopher Ruz through mutual writer friends, but this was the first time I properly sat down and read his work. And let me tell you, I cannot recommend this collection highly enough. (In fact, when I put Past the Borders side-by-side with my own collection Hungry For You, I confess to a tingle of envy.)

Past the Borders is an unsettling speculative fiction collection of six short stories plus a novella. While the length varies widely from story to story, the crisp, sharp writing and almost naked honesty of emotion remain consistent throughout, creating a truly escapist read.

The collection starts off with a bang—the first story, Black Rain, is a stunning, nail-biting piece with subtle imagery and a quiet horror. A couple is trapped in a house by ceaseless black rain that plunges them into despair. How much of the darkness is real? How much of it is paranoia?

Then there’s Unknown Hunger. What begins as a straight up detective story strays off the beaten path and into the paranormal. An alcoholic man witnesses a mysterious death and is suspected of murder. The cops are sure of his guilt, but he can barely remember his own past… and at the heart of his memory loss lies a dangerous secret.

The collection continues from strength to strength with the cyberpunk They Trade In Eyes, which is my favourite piece (tied in first place with Black Rain). Here, Ruz explores a world where people upgrade their eyes to mechanical alternatives, depicting a bleak vision of the future (pun intended!). Choice excerpt: “People aren’t buying eyes to see. They’re buying eyes to know.

Occupied is a strange, quietly sad story with excellent characters. A boy finds a note in a bathroom and decides to reply, striking up a lifelong correspondence with an unusual man. No Exit is a newspaper article set in the year 2094 in a post-apocalyptic Australia. The Aliens Came Alphabetically is a cleverly written ABC story about first contact.

The collection closes nicely with the longest piece, The Ant Tower, in which a magician leads a group of mercenary soldiers through the desert to recover a forgotten relic. I loved the world-building of this story, and the ending left me hungry for more.

What I most enjoyed about this dark collection was that each story offers a fresh take on the speculative. Christopher Ruz explores some highly original ideas whilst creating evocative settings and very believable characters.

If I had to nitpick, this collection is lacking in female perspectives, as the majority of protagonists are male. But why complain when what is on offer is so good?

What are you waiting for? Grab Past the Borders. You won’t regret it.

About The Reviewer

AMHarteA.M. Harte is a London-based speculative fiction enthusiast and chocolate addict whose work includes the dark fantasy novel “Above Ground” and the zombie love collection “Hungry For You”. She is excellent at missing deadlines, has long forgotten what ‘free time’ means, and enjoys procrastinating at http://amharte.com

The Fifth House

Fifth_HouseI loved everything about this book.

Like the first book, the pacing is excellent, but unlike the first book there are two first person points of view. It took a bit of getting used to in the first couple chapters, but once I got into the rhythm, it flowed beautifully. Every section is left on a mini-cliffhanger, making you turn the page to see what happens next.

I was doing a final proof-read for the book, and told Andy I would have it back to him in three weeks. It only took me one.

The way themes re-emerged from the first book to be bigger and badder than before was excellent. The voices of the two main characters were distinct. I found myself liking Allin’s humour more than Tyena’s straight shooting attitude, but both were well written.

The action was well done, with enough description to paint a picture in my mind without it being laborious and slow.

The villains are excellent. At one point I was actually sympathetic to their cause, but I got over it. They do have my new favourite creature on their side, though – the weresquid. I don’t know where Andy gets the ideas for some of his mad creations, but they’re amazing!

This book is a “must read,” and I’m looking forward to the next one!

About the Reviewer

ToxopeusRyanmedHusband, father, and researcher, Ryan Toxopeus spends his free time working on his epic fantasy trilogy, Empire’s Foundation. He started writing the first book, A Noble’s Quest, in 2010 and fell in love with all aspects of storytelling. He focuses on fast paced, character driven plots. His motto: “If I’m bored writing it, others will be bored reading it.”

Learn more about Ryan and his work at https://prcreative.ca/ryan/

Hush Money

hush_moneyHush Money is the promising debut of Susan Bischoff‘s Talent Chronicles series, a YA urban fantasy series that — rather refreshingly — avoids any mention of vampires or sparkling (because teens are interested in more than just blood-sucking).

High school girl Joss has done everything in her power to go unnoticed. She eats alone, carefully controls her grades, and doesn’t even think about talking to her crush. Because Joss has a terrible secret: she’s has a Talent… and kids with psychic abilities tend to mysteriously disappear. Then new girl Kat joins the school, and puts herself into harm’s way whilst rescuing Joss from the school bully. In a world in which psychic abilities are punishable by imprisonment, Joss must choose between keeping her secret and doing what’s right to save a friend.

Susan Bischoff has played her cards right: she has managed to write a captivating, engaging tale perfect for teens as well as all of us who… errr… aren’t quite teens any more. In a YA market over-saturated with the same old stories,Hush Money is a breath of fresh air and more besides: it is a fast-paced, engaging introduction to the Talent Chronicles series which will leave you hungry for the sequel.

What truly sets Hush Money apart from its contemporaries are the characters. You’ve got the high school loneliness and angst of early Smallville, the large crew of cool X-men like-powers, but most importantly you have teenagers who are three-dimensional believable people. Joss and her crush Dylan are the protagonists, with the story alternating between their points of view, but the strong character depth extends beyond the main players, creating a fully-fleshed setting which you’ll enjoy sinking into. Furthermore, there is none of this “we were destined to be together” malarkey — in true awkward teen style, the romance is light-hearted, bumbling, and achingly sweet.

The plot had a good mixture of high school drama and larger overpowering (governmental) threat, and while the issue is partially resolved, Susan Bischoff has planted many small seeds which will lead to a gripping, addictive series. After all, while Hush Money is dedicated to introducing the characters, world and dangers, the novel hints that there will be far more at stake in times to come.

My only nitpick? While I enjoyed the alternating points of view — particularly because they were so distinct, and true to each character — the initial few pages felt a little forced. Joss’ use of ‘like’ felt a little contrived, a little “trying too hard to be a teenager”… but either the voice improved, or the story sucked me in soon after, because it didn’t bother me throughout the rest of the novel.

Overall, Hush Money is just the tip of what might become a very huge iceberg. Be careful if you skim past this novel, because even with the smallest scratch you might find yourself sinking right in.

About The Reviewer

AMHarteA.M. Harte is a London-based speculative fiction enthusiast and chocolate addict whose work includes the dark fantasy novel “Above Ground” and the zombie love collection “Hungry For You”. She is excellent at missing deadlines, has long forgotten what ‘free time’ means, and enjoys procrastinating at http://amharte.com

The Minus Faction – Episode 1: Breakout

breakoutThe Minus Faction-Episode 1: Breakout by Rick Wayne is a perfectly paced thriller-adventure with superheroic elements.

Captain John Regent is a paraplegic veteran, a favorite patient at the hospital where he now lives, the kind of guy everyone wants to talk to. Some might feel sorry for him, since his service cost him his mobility, but he’s not as limited as it might, at first, appear. He’s got an usual ability (which I won’t spoil for you in this review).

When his secret talents attract the attention of the government, he has some choices to make. Wayne’s main character is a fascinating hero, one of those men who has hidden depths and is truly willing to go to extremes for what he feels is right. It’s an action packed beginning to a series, a real page-turner with no fat or filler.

I recommend it for readers who enjoy a fast and exciting read.  

About The Reviewer:

BRYANT-CroppedSamantha Bryant is a middle school Spanish teacher by day and a mom and novelist by night. That makes her a superhero all the time. Her debut novel, Going Through the Change: A Menopausal Superhero Novel is now for sale by Curiosity Quills.

Learn more about Samantha and her work at http://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/

The Only City Left

 

Only_City_Left

Generally speaking, I don’t like first person point-of-view (POV). I find it constricting in an uncomfortable sort of way because a lot of authors do it poorly. It’s a delicate balance of keeping things interesting around the main character, while also giving the reader the impression that there are still important things going on in the larger world.

That said, Andy Goldman pulled it off beautifully. The only point I had difficulty with was Allin’s ceaseless and unflappable desire to see the Roof of the World. I knew he wanted to, and it was important to him, but it never came across clearly in the book why this one particular goal was such a strong driving force for him that he would put his life in jeopardy. But then, he doesn’t sound like he had much to live for at the start, anyway.

The scenery was described with just enough information to paint a picture in the reader’s mind without going overboard. Some of the places in the City were downright creepy and one left me feeling uncomfortable. I still feel a knot in my stomach thinking about it!

The cast of characters is interesting and different from anything I’ve read before, and I loved the cats. I kind of want to dress up my cat Bob in a poncho and rename him Tumble. Except my lazy beast has little in common with the adventurous cat depicted in this book.

Without getting into spoilers, the ending is satisfying. That’s a big one for me with books lately, because I’ve been finding endings that are either half-assed or just dropped right in the middle of things in an attempt to get me to buy the next book to see how it continues. Those types of tactics don’t work with me. I hate that, and will often refuse to get the second book on principle.

About the Reviewer

ToxopeusRyanmedHusband, father, and researcher, Ryan Toxopeus spends his free time working on his epic fantasy trilogy, Empire’s Foundation. He started writing the first book, A Noble’s Quest, in 2010 and fell in love with all aspects of storytelling. He focuses on fast paced, character driven plots. His motto: “If I’m bored writing it, others will be bored reading it.”

Learn more about Ryan and his work at https://prcreative.ca/ryan/

Erelia

ereliaI picked this up at Starfest 2016 this year – the cover really drew me in. It was both simple and evocative.  This fantasy novel dives right into the story, beginning with Gavyn recounting a near miss of the life or death variety. You quickly realize that you are watching a number of threads that are loosely woven being drawn in more and more to create something.

But what? Initially, I couldn’t tell what the problem was, in the initial sections that introduced Gavyn, Kiril, and Rek. While other characters get stage time, these are the three main stories that we follow. We discover that their individual concerns are bringing them all together, and I couldn’t tell whether or not that would be a positive meeting. It certainly suggests that the meeting will cause change and problems for more than just these three.

I love Gavyn. I love the idea that someone gives up a pretty swanky life for a life of the unknown, and then, as events unfold, has cause to question his decision, and even bitterly regret it. It usually happened when Gavyn was in fairly dire straits, but I have to be honest – I snickered at his bemoaning his lost life. It’s very believable, and something most of us can relate to. I thought the characterization of him by Odo was rather harsh, but again, it was believable. We see Gavyn through his eyes; seeing him through the eyes of another is a wake-up call to not only Gavyn, but the reader (or at least, this reader).

Kiril is equally interesting. He wants to do the right thing, he knows what the expected thing is, but he no longer believes, or likes it. There are many things in his world, in the structure he’s a part of, that are done in the name of “for the good” and it’s interesting and rather sad discovering that the only good these actions help are the good of those in charge. Sounds real life, doesn’t it? He also has a lost love interest that is not completely in the past, and following his meandering over that is something I like to read.

Finally, we are with Rek, one of the three children featured in this work. I really like him, as well as Laria, one of the other children. The third child, Elsu, drove me mad, and I just wanted him to get a serious grounding. In Kiril and Rek’s world, however, there’s no gray area of “just being kids”. Everyone, even from a young age, understands the societal expectations, and if you don’t follow them, there are consequences. They are far more intense than grounding.

At the end of Book 1, all the threads of these various people are just on the verge of being drawn tight. It ended in a way that suggests there has to be another book. There needs to. I started this unsure of whether or not I would enjoy it. I read it in one sitting, and couldn’t put it down. Lee draws you along in such a manner that you’re turning each new page as fast as you can read it, and before you know it, you’re ready to pull an all-nighter.

If you enjoy fantasy, this is a great book. I am looking forward to Book 2!

About The Reviewer:

LisaHeadshotLisa Manifold is fortunate to live in the amazing state of Colorado with her husband, two kids, two dogs, and one offended cat.

She enjoys skiing and carting kids and dogs to wherever they need to go, and she adores “treasure hunting” at local thrift stores. Her other hobbies include costuming within her favorite fandoms and periods

Learn more about Lisa and her work at http://www.lmmanifold.wordpress.com/