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.]

Review

A Chronetic Memory

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chronetic_memoryGenerally I’m not that much of a fan of time travel stories. Too often the stories treat time travel as a bridge from some arbitrary now to another arbitrary then so that the story can happen then instead of now. In short, they become an unnecessary appendage to the beginning of the story. They add a frame where the countdown ticker consists of “how long the window will be open so we can return” instead of being integral to the story.

Kim O’Hara doesn’t fall into this plot hole. Her main character, Intern Dani Adams, finds herself trying to make sense of a world that only she remembers. Her struggles lead her to a show down with shadowed figures operating at the highest level of the research institute where she works, while she tries to find a way to restore the river of time to its rightful banks.

If anybody can actually say which are the rightful banks to begin with.

It’s a clever story told well. O’Hara is one to watch and this book is just the first in what I hope will be a long and storied career. 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

The Minus Faction: Episode 2 – Crossfire

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minus_faction_2This story was a slow build with a big pay off. After enjoying the first episode, I was hooked. When it started out, I noticed straight away that the writing style felt different from the first episode. The writing was in short, simple sentences. It felt a bit broken. But the reason for that became clear as we got to know Xana, the protagonist in this episode. She’s a hulking woman who can’t stop growing. She’s immensely powerful, but pretty simple-minded. So when we see the story from (mostly) her POV, it makes sense that it’s broken into smaller chunks.

The story itself is packed with emotion, as Xana looks for her son who has disappeared. There are layers to this story, and like a master storyteller, Wayne reveals them slowly, teasing the reader with bits of knowledge so you think you know what’s happening, and then another layer is peeled back. The character might think of herself as stupid and ugly, but I felt highly sympathetic to her plight. So far in these two episodes, Wayne has managed to take damaged characters and make them interesting and lovable – quite the feat for short segments.

I will definitely be picking up the third installment soon. The situations and characters that Wayne creates are too interesting for me to walk away. I need to know what happens next!

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

Retread Shop

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retread_shopT. Jackson King is old school – literally. He’s been doing this writing thing for a very long time. His first books were mainstream press and he’s making a come back with self publishing. Everything I’ve read has been stellar.

A couple of years ago I stumbled on Retread Shop and thought it read like something much older. It has the style and sensibility of something written in the 70s or 80s. Imagine my lack of surprise to find out it was.

The story recounts the adventures of the only human inhabitant of an intergalactic junk shop. It’s a huge station filled with all manner of aliens — all of whom involved in trading in recycled tech and lost information. There’s intrigue and danger. The inhabitants aren’t above a bit of skulduggery and backstabbing in order to secure their positions – and profits – in the station’s hierarchy. Our hero gets caught up in it and the outcome is sometimes hilarious, sometimes terrifying.

If you’re looking for something a little off-beat and a legit blast from the past, grab a sample of Retread Shop and see what you think.

[Disclaimer: I met T. Jackson King once at MileHiCon a couple of years ago and hope to meet him again. He’s a fascinating guy and really getting into this process of republishing his reverted titles.]

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

Earthrise

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earthriseEarthrise is an interstellar cargo ship, captained by Theresa Eddings (aka Reese), and crewed by an assortment of human-variation species and some true aliens. They’re just scraping by, always hoping that the next run is finally going to give them breathing room, but it never seems to. In fact, they wouldn’t even be out there but for the long-ago help of a mysterious stranger, and now that stranger has called in the favor.

The request seems simple: Go to a backwater world, find a man named Hirianthial, and break him out of the local jail. With a few bumps along the way, they manage it, but then it gets dicey. Hirianthal is no ordinary man. In fact, he is an Eldritch, a race whose telepathic abilities have forced them into isolation,
and beyond that, his own history with the Eldritch is clouded in mystery. And the locals who put him in jail aren’t happy that Reese took him.

Reese and Hirianthial clash, but they also work well together, with both of them rising to the occasion when the other needs help. I’ll say I was caught by surprise when a romance subplot began, mostly because I wasn’t expecting it, and I generally don’t enjoy that kind of plot. However, this one was good, and it did not make me want to smack the two of them for their foibles. In fact, I’m feeling drawn to the sequels to see how this plays out.

But as I said, the romance is a subplot. In the foreground we have pirates with a mind towards revenge and naval officers who only seem to help enough to get Reese and her crew into even more danger. Don’t come looking for huge space battles, but expect the occasional explosion and plenty of tension as Reese and her crew look for any way to keep the Earthrise flying.

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

Review

Silent Clarion

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silent_clarionThe story follows Adversary Naomi Bradleigh. If you’ve read Matthew Graybosch’s first novel, Without Bloodshed, then you’ll be familiar with this character already. Born with CPMD, a condition that gives people cat-like features, Naomi is as tough as they come. Using her position to whip police officers into line and keep the peace, she’s a force of nature.

But even officers of the law need some down time, and the majority of this story takes place during her “vacation” which is anything but. A hint of trouble presents itself, and she follows the trail, uncovering twist after twist, always finding more questions than answers. The pace is fast, and I never had any idea what was going to happen next. I loved this story, and look forward to more!

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

Metal Boxes

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metal_boxesI’m not sure who recommended Alan Black to me sometime last year. Probably somebody in the Galaxy Rangers group on Facebook. I snagged a copy of Metal Boxes and immediately found a new author.

The plot of this first-in-the-series feels like it could have come from Heinlein – young person adrift in space facing mortal danger. Black steps back from the edge of cliche over and over and in ways that delighted me. The main character – Blackmon Perry Stone, scion of a rich and powerful trading family – bends over backwards in trying not to take advantage of his family’s position, yet he continually finds himself in situations where his background contributes to his success.

I won’t spoiler the stories by trying to describe them or the difficulties he faces along the way. In doing this review I just discovered a new title in the series so I’m off to grab it myself. If you like your space opera with a little silly, a little swashbuckling, and the occasional clever world building, you might grab a sample of Metal Boxes and give it a try.

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.]