Monthly Archives: January 2017

Review

Pantheon

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I met Scott Beckman in person last weekend at COSine. He’s a new member of our group at Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and a struck me as a pretty savvy guy. Interesting sense of humor, open to suggestion. He seemed eager to share and to learn. I picked up one of his books last week and liked it enough to bring it here.

Pantheon is a classic journey fantasy. When his mother dies, her last request was for Lars to track down his family in a far-away city on another continent. When he gets there, he discovers that gods are real and participate in the daily lives of their followers. The title – Pantheon – isn’t just an allegory. It’s an apt and literal description. Lars manages to meet more than his share of them in his travels and few of them have his best interests at heart, which I found intriguing.

The story flowed nicely. I cared about Lars even as he left the burning pyre consuming his mother’s remains. He carried enough mystery – revealed slowly – to keep me flipping pages and wondering where the story would lead. Honestly, I didn’t see it coming. That’s a good thing.

I believe Beckman is one to watch as he develops and puts out new work. This is his second title, published just last year, and I’m going to be looking for his next book. Maybe grab a sample and see what you think.

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

Dating A Cougar

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Okay, I’ll grant you this isn’t my normal fare. I’m generally not in favor of labels, but in this case I just rolled with it and I’m glad I did.

This is one of books I read in 2014 while I was reading a lot of romance. I think it was a freebie from one of the promo sites and I went ahead and read at least one more after this because it was just too much fun. I was drawn to it because the main character is not the typical ingenue and the whole series is about women finding love later in life.

The set up involves a retired marine, a lingerie designer, and a family complication that resolves itself – as one might expect – satisfactorily. This is sheer popcorn romance. The story giggles along nicely and kept me turning pages right into the next volume. The Amazon page says there’s seven of them now and I may have to get back in to see where I left off.

These days we can all use a laugh and a warm feeling, right? Why not grab a sample and settle in. See if you like this one as much as I did.

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

The Sculpted Ship

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Somebody over at the Space Opera FB group recommended this, I think. I grabbed it a few weeks ago and I loved it.

The plot starts with Anailu Xindar getting bumped from her job and forced to find alternate employ. She finds the ship of her dreams in the back lot of a used space ship yard — a ship she’s dreamed of her whole life. The problem? It’s dead or at least appears that way until Ana starts poking about under the hood. She manages to strike a deal … and anything else would probably be a spoiler.

The many characters are sometimes a bit cardboardy. The plot doesn’t run straight through, but takes a number of turns as it leads from first page to last. Ana seems a little Mary Sue-ish at times but none of those things diminished my enjoyment of the story. The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that the next book isn’t available yet.

If you’re looking for a feel-good read, K.M. O’Brien’s Sculpted Ship is worth sampling to see whether or not it’s something you’d like.

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

Jack Of Souls

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I met Stephen Merlino at the Colorado Gold conference last year so I could tell him in person how much I admired this book. I admit to having an ulterior motive. I want to read the sequel and I hoped by encouraging him, he’d write faster.

The story concerns Harric, an outcast who seeks to out-run death-by-curse. I’m a sucker for a good fantasy that’s not the same old elves and vampires, for magic that’s not the usual wand and swordery. This one delivers. Stephen pulled me in with the characters, spun an epic tale, and kept me flipping pages. I read it almost a year ago and it’s stuck with me.

I can’t say enough good things about this story, but don’t take my word for it. As always, grab a sample and dig in 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.]

Review

Harry Takes Off

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Steve Turnbull is one of the characters I’ve met on Google+. He’s a prolific author from the far side of the pond and runs a community called Saturday Scenes where authors publish single scenes from works-in-progress. A man of genuine wit and grace and it shows in this first book about Harriet (Harry) Edgbaston and her flying machine.

This bit of steam punky goodness set in Africa tackles issues of class, race, war, and friendships. It’s a fast paced adventure and a quick read. It’s a good introduction to Steve’s work which you’ll want to follow up with the Maliha Anderson series when you’ve finished with Harry. I was charmed by the characters, enchanted by the universe, and thrilled by the story.

You might grab a sample and see for yourself. I’ve linked to the omnibus edition so you’ll be able to get a good taste of Turnbull.

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

The Terran Privateer

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I’ve been following Glynn’s work since I got turned on by Space Carrier Avalon and Starship Mage. We were going to be in a box this month, until Amazon’s decided that wasn’t going to happen. I admire Glynn’s work and his ability to turn out great stories.

The Terran Privateer is a military sf with a good dollop of intrigue stirred into the action. When Earth is conquered, Annette Bond is left in command of the only warship left and her mission seems impossible. Glynn spins out a yarn where things are seldom what they seem and where the story changes dramatically with each new reveal. I enjoyed it so much I was disappointed when the sequel wasn’t available.

I’ve heard a rumor that book two might be coming out soon, which would make this a good time to grab a sample of The Terran Privateer and see what you think.

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

Suave Rob’s Double-X Derring Do

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Dan’s a friend and colleague. He does my covers and we’re negotiating on having him produce some audio for me. In spite of that, I’m going to review this book. He’ll laugh because he knows I hate it.

Yeah. You read that correctly. I hate this book. More precisely I hate Rob. Rob’s a jerk. Ego-centric. Stupidly self-absorbed. Dan calls Rob a magnificent bastard. I just call him aggravating. Complete and total schmuck.

To be clear, I read the whole book – not just because Dan’s a friend – but because I wanted to see what stupidity would result from this twerp’s efforts at being a post modern, deep-space Evil Knieval. I read it all the way through, detesting this character and the problems he brought on himself. I still think about this book, years later.

And that’s why I’m reviewing it. Dan’s a master. He set out to make a thoroughly unlikable character as protagonist of an engaging story. He succeeded. There’s a lesson there and maybe I’m just not the right audience for this kind of anti-hero. Maybe there’s an audience for something this aggravating.

So, grab a sample and see if you hate it as much as I do.

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

Vick’s Vultures

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I don’t know where I got this book. It was a recent purchase and, while I like a good military sf, I wasn’t prepared for this universe.

Captain Victoria Marin finds herself trying to keep her privateer flying by scavenging the wrecks of the power players in the galaxy. Humans aren’t one of the power players, but rather find themselves as the pre-historic shrews among galactic dinosaurs. When a distress call takes her to a “hot wreck,” she finds herself being hunted among the stars by the alpha predator. She’s left to fend for herself to keep her people alive and fulfill her mission. Pretty normal pew-pew stuff really.

But it’s the characters. It’s always the characters. From the captain to the pilot, from the crazed engineer to the xeno prince, they’re all compelling. The plot unfolded with precision but the characters – and an interesting universe – kept me turning the pages.

That’s the good news. The bad news is book two isn’t available.

I’ll be watching Scott Warren’s releases for the next volume, but in the meantime, maybe grab a sample and see what you think.

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

Sense Memory

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I’ve known Brion for a few years now. He’s local to me and a great fan as well as an amazing teacher. He was a founding co-pilot of the Writer’s Round Table with Dave Robison and does great analysis. When I first learned that he had a novel, I insisted on doing a beta read for it. I wasn’t disappointed.

The story plays with the idea of memory and how – sometimes – memory plays with us. Brion does a masterful job of constructing the story, line by line. He dragged me into a place where I’m not usually prone to play. I’m not much for psychological thrillers. It’s not my basic read so this book took me outside of my comfort zone and made me glad I took the trip.

This is book one of a series that has no book two yet. Brion tells me it’s in the word processor, but he’s got a full life outside of writing. It’s understandable that it’s taking him some time to get the next book out there.

If you’re looking for something “a little different” in your Kindle, you might grab a sample and see what you think.

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

Hell’s Children

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Hell’s Children is a fun post-apocalyptic novel that’s essentially Lord of the Flies meets The Martian. So, let’s unpack that a bit. First of all, it’s a nice non-preachy apocalypse that doesn’t harp on any particular geopolitical issues. It’s simply an unspecified plague with a 100% mortality rate for adults and an 80% mortality rate for kids under age 15 or so. It happens over the course of several months, so the world is spared any of the usual cataclysms of nuclear meltdowns or crashing planes. It just slowly empties.

While some of the surviving kids clearly go into Lord of the Flies territory, our main protagonist is a smart kid named Jack whose parents unwittingly prepared him for this. They mostly wanted him to know how the world really worked, but in doing so, they imparted a lot of survival skills as well as the kind of self-reliance and leadership qualities he’d need in the chaos that was to come.

And what does Jack do in that chaos? That’s where I liken it to The Martian. What do you do if you’re alone in the suburbs with limited foot and weapons? How to you avoid the roving gangs? How do you feed yourself not just for tonight but for the coming years? How do you stay warm to survive the coming Virginia winter? While he doesn’t dive into the same level of rocket-fuel chemistry that The Martian does, he does get down into the nitty gritty of things, from how to sharpen a knife, how to butcher and cure meat, and what to do about essential vitamins and medicine once the drug stores are gone. It’s a fascinating exploration of “ok, but what then” questions.

And of course, while building a self-sustaining community, Jack also has to deal with the various Lord of the Flies factions, so it’s not all food prep. It has definite conflict and plenty of supporting characters to both help and hinder Jack’s hopes for survival.

About the reviewer:

dan_thompsonDan Thompson started writing fiction at the age of ten. Luckily for the world, all copies of that early Star Wars rip-off have been lost to time and Sith retaliation. Moving on from that six-page handwritten epic, he has self-published two books with more on the way – honest!

He lives near Austin with his wife and three children, drives old police cars, wears kilts when the weather permits, and is generally considered to be the weirdo next door. Fortunately, the neighbors don’t know how weird he really is.

Find out more about Dan at http://www.danthompsonwrites.com