Monthly Archives: December 2016

Review

Princess Of Wonders

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princess-wondersI have a warm spot in my heart for alternate universe stories. Princess Of Wonders punched all the right buttons for me. Granted she’s an exiled half-breed who gets shanghaied back to the homeworld. Sure there’s steampunk airships there, but the story of the princess is what kept me turning the pages.

Daniel has this title listed as “Galactic Empire” but I think it’s definitely more in the line of “Alternate Universe” or even “Family Saga” as Kathy Pennington unravels a mysterious family secret and earns the respect of those whom she never knew existed. If Daniel leans a little too much on cliffy endings (and still hasn’t written the last unit), I had to forgive him because – even in my fit of pique – I had to go back to the well and get the next book.

Yeah, I’m a sap for this kind of story, but don’t take my word for it. There’s a sample waiting with your name on it.

About the reviewer:

NathanLowell_150x150Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]

Review

Into The Dark

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into-the-darkPeople have been recommending the Alexis Carew stories to me for a very long time. I think the combination of sailing spaceships and a young main character helped forge that link. I’ve tried samples a couple of times but – like many books – I just needed to be in a better head space to enjoy them.

J.A. Sutherland and I – along with six other authors – will be appearing together in a “first in the series” promotional anthology later this month (shameles plug: Rogue Stars now available for pre-order). Because I got a copy to make sure that Quarter Share merged nicely with the other players, I had the chance to revisit Alexis Carew. I’m very glad I did.

This is a space opera, swashbuckling tale featuring a precocious 15-year-old who finds herself plucked from the comfort of her family’s estate and plunked down as a midshipman in the Queen’s Royal Navy. The story owes much to the classic tales of sailing ships and war – from the shipboard organization to the questionable food, from the class struggle to the politics and on to the actual fighting with smugglers and pirates. Into The Dark pays back that debt to bygone ages with interest. Carew is entirely sympathetic, not overly glamorized, and prone to the self-doubt and failure anyone in her position might have. The universe is well thought out with a delicate balance between science and fiction. I’m looking forward to the next book – Mutineer – with a great deal of anticipation.

As always, don’t take my word for it. See for yourself by grabbing a sample.

About the reviewer:

NathanLowell_150x150Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]

Review

Ambassador 1: Seeing Red

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seeing-redI can’t believe nobody’s reviewed this series from Patty Jansen yet. This first in the series title sets up an amazing universe, rich in intrigue and politics.

The main character – Cory Wilson – escapes Earth only to find that the fire he’s hopped into might be a tad more dangerous than the frying pan he was in. Newly minted ambassador to an interstellar entity, he must find his way through the physical, emotional, and political dangers to save Earth. His struggles take him deep into the alien psyche as he tries to reconcile what he knows with what he finds out.

I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series. Cory is satisfactorily clever and only occasionally does dumb things. What I liked most was that the dumb things – while serving the plot – weren’t dumb because the plot needed it. Jansen does a great job in keeping Cory grounded, believable, and just likable enough to keep the pages turning. But, as always, never take my word for it. Grab a sample and see for yourself.

About the reviewer:

NathanLowell_150x150Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]