Tag Archives: Novel

Review

Outlaw

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Transparency: I’ve known Ed Robertson virtually for a long time. In spite of that, I still like him and his books. This book – Outlaw – is the first of a trilogy that kept me flipping pages like a madman.

Ed has a way of spinning his characters and plots that keeps me guessing but still satisfies my “A-ha!” bump. Even his robots came off so well-rounded, I grieved for them in the end. According to my Amazon list, I zipped through all three of these books in a matter of days and I don’t do that unless there’s something there to pull me along. Something more than knowing the author virtually.

This action filled space opera worked for me, right from the start. Why not grab a sample and see if 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

Lost And Found

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Willow Summers has created a nice little series of edgy romances. This first one deals with a woman fleeing an abusive relationship and landing on her feet.

I really enjoyed the interplay between the characters and the struggle that Krista dealt with while trying to recover from her ex. I thought Summers did a great job walking the line between pathos and pathetic, between fear and maudlin.

As always – don’t take my word for it. Why not grab a sample and see what you think?

Note: Yes. This is posted late. Somehow I lost Sunday.

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

Perilous Waif

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Somebody on my Facebook group recommended this book a few weeks ago and I grabbed it. The cover sold me. Her magenta handgun and the “what ever” expression made me snort.

Brown did a great job with the hook on this one. Clearly Alice Long is not your average orphan. She’s got a secret and a careful reader will know what it is long before Alice does. Not that she’s an unreliable narrator or anything. She’s just more concerned with other things. Like staying alive in a universe that appears to want her dead. Like wondering if she’s actually alive to begin with. Sure, there are some tropes in here that I think get overdone, but Brown executes them with aplomb.

I’m looking forward to the sequel but in the meantime, 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

Omega Rising

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Joshua Dalzelle doesn’t need my help in selling books. He’s got a whole cadre of people to help him and he’s doing great. If you haven’t heard of Dalzelle by now, you’re probably not trying.

Omega Rising is the first book of the series and it captured me from the start. From the strange ship in the night to the helpful robot sidekick to an adventure in deep space, Dalzelle creates a rollicking adventure story featuring Jason Burke, ex-pat Earthling. This is military sf in the grand tradition of shoot now and sort out the wreckage later. According to my Amazon content list, I waded through the first four books in this series in about eight days.

Yeah, I liked it a lot, but why not climb aboard a sample and see what happens when you push that button over there?

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

Fish Perfume

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Sammie Grace knocked this one out of the park for me. Yeah, it’s a bit silly, probably overly predictable, but I loved it anyway. Maybe it’s the setting – a marina on the ocean – or maybe it’s the adorable characters. Any way you look at it, this was a fun read.

Maggie’s burnt out and ready for a break when she heads out to take care of her Grandmother’s marina for the summer. Little does she know that she’s in for way more than a summer’s worth of struggle, most of which is with herself. The cast of characters are all just as salty as you might imagine. Together they’re a whole school of crazy.

But don’t take my word for it. Why not catch a sample and see what you pull in?

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

Starhold

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I read this book a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. I liked the set up with an abandoned Earth being colonized by somebody else. Field does that irritating thing of putting a prologue on, naming it chapter 1, and then ignoring it for the rest of the book. Once you get that bit behind you, it’s a ripping yarn.

Again, it’s the characters — Frank Carr and Etta Sanchez — that kept me going. The plot unfolds nicely and the war-fleet adds just enough tension. Can they finish their mission in time?

I just noticed that there are two more books in the series and I’ve grabbed a sample of book 2 because I want to see what happens next. Perhaps you might grab a sample of book 1 to see what happened first.

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 Merchant Adventurer

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I met Patrick McLean years ago and miles away at BaltiCon. Somewhere there’s a picture of Patrick, the late PG Holyfield, and me doing the “Charlies Angels” pose at a joint book release party we did at BaltiCon one year. He’s a good guy and somebody I’d like to collaborate with more. This review isn’t one of those collaborations. It’s more like “fan mail from some flounder.”

The Merchant Adventurer is the kind of story that makes me grin. Just the concept alone – where most fantasy adventures feature adventurers, this one is a shopkeeper. By and large he’s a pretty pragmatic individual. His core values carry him through – sometimes with hilarious results. I only wish Patrick would write a sequel. I think there’s enough thread left at the end of this tale to start a new one.

But – as always – don’t take my word for it. Why not grab a sample – and settle back in a comfy chair – to 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

Beyond Repair

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Susie Tate has written a moving, sometimes funny, sometimes dark, series of contemporary romances about some deeply flawed characters. Beyond Repair is the gateway drug. The books took me on a trip like I’ve not seen. Tate is an actual physician and her background shows in the meticulous way her characters present their afflictions – both to the reader and to each other.

As with most of my favorite books, the characters carry me along. Katie is all bright and bubbly with a scarred and damaged core. Sam is a wounded warrior who hides his pain behind a gruff exterior. They drive each other bonkers. So, of course, you know they’re bound to get together. It’s a romance, after all.

You can read the blurb yourself. I’ll leave my description of the story at that, but suggest – as always – you might grab a sample 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

London Falling

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Here’s another one from the wayback machine. Emma Carr’s charming story doesn’t fall into the usual “If they’d only talk to one another” trap I see a lot of. Yes, there’s a little of it but Aimee and Simon are such cute characters, I was able to over look it.

As with so many of the titles I recommend here, it’s the characters that keep me reading. This pair made me smile and smile. It’s one of those books where the characters each work toward their own goals to the detriment of themselves. Obviously, it’s no spoiler that they come to their senses before the end of the book. It’s a romance, after all.

But – as always – my opinion is just my opinion. 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

Imhotep

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The jury’s out on this one, for me. Is it time-travel? Is it historical fiction? Ultimately, I’m not sure it really matters because this one’s a heck of a lot of fun.

When Tim Hope passes through a portal to ancient Egypt he becomes Imhotep. It’s a rollicking tale of death, treachery, and magic all set in the time of the pharaohs. Dubs managed to drag me into this world and keep me enthralled as the American tourist struggles with the difficulties of becoming somebody he only knows through legend – but whose life he finds himself living. Kinda made me wish I had paid attention in history class a bit more. The people feel real. The places are – probably – real. The story is absolutely real.

But don’t take my word for it. Why not grab a sample and head down into the pyramid 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.]