Category Archives: Review

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.]

Review

The Fuller’s Apprentice

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fullers-apprenticeAs far as I know, I’ve never met Angela Holder. After the last few reviews, I thought I better get that out of the way right off the bat. I started the Chronicles of Tevenar in January, 2016, and devoured them as fast as I could get them.

I’m a sucker for different magic systems. Tevenar’s magic is different. The source of the magic is ineffable, of course, but the implications of the magic and the way it plays out in the lives of Josiah, Elkin, and the familiar, Sar, add a richness to what might otherwise be another traveling mage story. Trust me on this. While there’s a lot of traveling, this is not a traveling mage story.

The politics of the guilds, the difficulties that having magic and mundane living side-by-side, and even the nature of the magic itself led me along the path with nary a bump or jostle. I enjoyed each of the (so far) four book series. I’m probably being optimistic in hoping there’ll be a fifth, but hope springs eternal and this rich universe certainly has room for another.

As always, don’t take my word for it. Why don’t you 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

Rider’s Revenge

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riders-revengeI read this book last winter and it’s stuck with me–partly for the character, partly for the plot, but mostly for the world building.

Clarke has created a rich and tasty world of gods, goddesses, legends, and tales. The view through K’Irsa’s heart and eyes took my breath as I watched her making one horrible mistake after another. With each step, I watched a woman driven by her personal demons to pursue what she believes is her honor, only to watch each step mire her deeper and deeper. Through it all, in the end, she–well, you’ll have to read it to find out what. It’s a trilogy and the second book is now available, so let that be your guide.

I thoroughly enjoyed Rider’s Revenge, but don’t take my word for it. Why not grab a sample, fill you waterskin, and grab a sample to see for yourself?

[Transparency: I met Clarke online and recently have met her in person. She’s local here in Colorado and just as delightful in person as she is behind the pen.]

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

A Deadly Blessing

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deadly-blessingEvery so often I go off the leash and wander around in other genres. I don’t see it as being unfaithful. More like taking a look around to see that else is out there. That’s how I found Kathy Bennett and Maddy Divine.

A Deadly Blessing is the first in a four book series and I ripped through the first three in a matter of days. I don’t know if it was the way Bennett nailed the characters down in a terse, almost noir style, or maybe the truthfulness on the page. Each book has a mystery to be solved and if finding the bad guys wasn’t hard enough, the cops are all human, too. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody who thinks about it for a moment. Bennett made sure I thought about it.

Detective stories aren’t on my normal bill of fare these days. This book reminded me of why I needed to add more mystery to my diet. Why not grab a sample and see how it works for you?

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

MindTouch

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mindtouchI “met” Maggie Hogarth when I joined SFWA. I’ve followed her on twitter for years and find her quirky, sometimes off-beat, sense of humor quite intriguing. She’s an artist in many media–including words.

After talking with Maggie online for a while, I wanted to try some of her fiction and I picked this one. When I first saw this book, I dismissed it as “cute.” The cover has these furry, anthropomorphic critters, you see. I found them to be tragic and daring, wondrous and wondering. But they’re not cute. Not even.

Maggie has a gift. She can take humanity out of people and show it to us through different lenses. In the Dream Healer series (MindTouch is book 1), she takes empathy and compassion, fear and foible and blends them into a breath-taking froth that hooked me from the first few paragraphs through this series and across space-time into a very different universe ruled by – for lack of a better term – dragons. Not cute. Bloody, clawed, sadistic dragons who were just as human as the guy in line at the coffee shop.

But my journey with Maggie Hogarth started here. With MindTouch and the Dream Healers. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Why not 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

Dark Horse

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dark-horseMichelle Diener has combined alien abduction, rogue AI, intergalactic civilization, and a love story all in one tight package with Dark Horse. I read this some time ago and I still find myself pondering the story, the collection of seemingly disparate entities bound together in a tapestry that just works.

Part of the charm for me is that the aliens doing the abducting are the bad guys and much of the story is told from the perspective of a completely different set of aliens. The rogue AI is just icing on the cake which lets the good-guy aliens “capture” – sort of – one of the most closely guarded secret warships in space.

Rather than spoiler the heck out of a nicely told tale of derring-do set in the farthest reaches of space, let me just suggest you grab a sample and see what you think. I enjoyed the heck ouf of this one and grabbed book two in the series as soon as it dropped. In writing this review I just noticed book three is out there as well, so if you like a series, this one might be the next one on your TBR pile.

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 Watchmaker’s Daughter

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watchmakers-daughterI’m a sucker for a good steampunk novel. A lot of people try to write it but not all of them succeed. C. J. Archer nails it.

From the opening scenes to the denouement, I followed the plucky heroine – India Steele – through the streets of a not-quite-familiar London as she tries to aid her new employer find a mysterious watchmaker. She wrestles with her new circumstances, fights with the guild, and nearly gets caught up in a dangerous gambling hell. The ending gave just enough of a well-constructed twist that I felt both vindicated (I saw that coming) and surprised (but not that).

I can’t say much about the plot or the characters without spoilers so I’ll just say, I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Glass, his crew, and even his slightly off-center aunt. India Steele proved herself up to the challenge and left me looking for the sequel – which just came out last month.

I liked it a lot. If you like good steampunk – with just a taste of je ne sais quoi – grab a sample of The Watchmaker’s Daughter and see what you think 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

Fade To Black

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fade_to_blackI’ll confess right up front. I didn’t read this book until Sue and I were both finalists for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Independent Writer of the Year award last spring. That’s the way this artist business works, though. Stuff happens, you learn about people and you think “That sounds interesting.”

I found Sue’s Weir universe fascinating. The main character – Ian Black – is a stage magician with a secret. Well, several secrets, actually. As the story unfolds, more and more secrets leak out and the universe gains depth and richness. I can’t say too much about the plot without getting into the weeds on spoilerage.

I can say that I loved this book and I need to get on with the series to find out what happens next. Why don’t you grab a sample and see for yourself?

Note: I’m flat out of submitted reviews and nearly forgot to post one of my own today. If you’re an author and you’re reading some good indie works – and why wouldn’t you be – see the Submissions link at the top of the page and join the fun.

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

Review

The Minus Faction: Episode 3 – Meltdown

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minus_faction_3Once again, I was swept along in the story Wayne has created. This one is big on intrigue, as the new protagonist Ian finds himself on a terrorist watch list for no reason that he can fathom. He’s a sort of “every man” character, who’s devastated by his recent breakup when his life gets further complicated by the FBI and secret organizations. And then a foul-mouthed, super-intelligent 11 (and a half) year old girl comes into the picture – and, well, I think Ian was swept up in the story, too.

There are a lot of fantastic events along the way, and the characters from all three stories come together at the end of this one.

And here’s where this story fell down to 4 stars. I got confused when the POV hopped from one character to another without scene breaks. You’re in Ian’s head, then John without warning. I think it happened a couple times at the end where I wasn’t sure where I was in terms of head-space. I’d noticed very minor cases of this in previous stories, where something would be seen from a minor character’s viewpoint for one line, but it wasn’t a problem to follow. Don’t get me wrong, the story is still excellent, and I’m going to be continuing on with this series. I just hope future stories are clearer about whose POV we’re seeing through, and don’t become jumbled now that all the stories have come 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/

Review

Lonen’s War

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lonens_moonI’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for a good magic system. Jeffe Kennedy has created one of the more interesting systems I’ve seen in a long while. It doesn’t hurt that it’s a key element in this romantic fantasy.

This is a beautifully executed clash of cultures. The refined princess and the barbarian prince who must find common ground to save both their peoples. This first book of Sorcerous Moons kept me rambling right along trying to figure out how all the court intrigue and magic and masks and – well – everything would work out. I loved this book and dove headfirst into book two when I finished and cursed her when book three wasn’t ready.

A word of warning: There are some adult themes. Seriously adult themes. Book one is pretty safe. There are some references, oblique and passing. Book two gets into it. If you’re not looking for that, just be warned. Verb. Sap.

I’m devouring book three as I write this. I don’t know how it turns out. I may be staying up late tonight. It’s that good.

If you’re fan of good fantasy that doesn’t tread the Elven/Orchen/Dwarven paths, this might be something you’d like. Why not grab a sample and see what you think.

Disclaimer: I’ve met Jeffe Kennedy in person at MileHighCon and online through the SFWA. I’ve no vested interest in this book nor do I expect to gain anything from reviewing it here. She’s a traditionally published author who’s trying her wings in self-pub land.

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.]