I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
An earth-born man from the 80s joins a woman from an extinct race of bounty hunters to stop an armada of ruthless warriors led by two war-monger brothers and the god-like being who is hell-bent on preventing a prophecy that spells their doom in author Dee Rose’s “Hut-Yo Cull: The Hunt Begins”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
In the year 2345 on the planet Kazar, a young woman, Hut-Yo Cull, grows into adulthood and learns of her parent’s origins, which are a race of bounty Hunters, who were made extinct and enslaved by an intergalactic armada known as the Merciless. They are led by two brothers, Admiral Gloomis, and General Vrane. They only concern themselves with two things, a god-like creature known as MInister Milos, who also wants to rule the Universe, and a prophecy he created known as the Gunn Prophecy. In an effort to prevent the prophecy from occurring, General Gloomis travels to Earth in 1985 to stop the birth of the Jake Gunn, the prophecy’s namesake. This starts an adventure that spans to several planets throughout the universe and unites Jake, Hut-yo Cull, and their allies to do battle with the Merciless and Milos
The Review
This was a profoundly entertaining and captivating sci-fi read. The author did an amazing job of world-building for this novel. The mythology and wealth of backstory built over the course of the novel made the universe feel so alive and vibrant on the page. This was doubly felt with the author’s use of imagery and heavy atmosphere that made these settings feel as massive and compelling as the cosmos truly is.
Yet to me, it was the amazing balance of theme and character development that made this story shine. The themes played well into the character arcs of this story, as both protagonists find themselves on a mission of revenge and justice against this alien threat of the Merciless, and yet the story plays with the idea of how thin the line between destiny and revenge a hero’s journey can take and how our personal histories can often blur that line in life, just as it does for the protagonists here. The chemistry that forms between these two people as they face this cosmic threat was great to see come to life on the page.
The Verdict
With a haunting story, rich character growth, and an entertaining mythos to get lost in, author Dee Roses’s “Hut-Yo Cull: The Hunt Begins” is a must-read sci-fi epic you won’t be able to put down. The twists and turns in this narrative are not only plentiful but so shocking that by the book’s end, readers will be shocked and eager for the author to return to this universe immediately. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
Dee Rose was born on July 5th and resides in Denver, CO, where he studied Political Science at Metropolitan State University. He has two children, Nadia and Nicole. He started writing when he entered a writing contest at William A. Wirt high school in Gary, IN. “My goal is to blow people’s minds.” He says. “But sound cool doing it.”
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
In a world where mega-corporations begin to conspire together as brain augmentations replace smartphones, a young man who was one of the first to gain such an implant years before it became popular may be humanity’s only hope to raise a rebellion against these corporations in author Scott Overton’s “Augment Nation”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
Since the age of fourteen Damon Leiter has had a brain-computer interface implanted beneath his skull to correct a neurological disorder. As a teenager, it branded him as an outcast—as an adult it endows him with extraordinary abilities. He may represent the next step in human evolution.
When computerized brain augments replace smartphones as the must-have status item, mega-corporations and governments conspire together and marketing becomes mind control. Damon is uniquely equipped to lead a worldwide resistance. But Damon can’t be sure he isn’t playing into the hands of the rich and powerful.
They might even be right:
Maybe the real threat to humanity is Damon himself.
The Review
This was an absolutely captivating, near-future sci-fi thriller! The author did an incredible job of really layering this world with vivid imagery that brought this near-futuristic world to life. The juxtaposition of the coldness of the corporations and their machinations against the warmth and beauty of the character’s perseverance really highlighted the theme of technology and its influence on humanity overall.
The harmonious way the author brought together the character dynamics with the gripping thriller atmosphere of the narrative. The complex story behind the protagonist and his connections to both sides of this “war” was so enthralling to get lost in, as it really made his arc so much more thought-provoking. The earnestness with which he pursues his goals and the more extensive overarching nature of the antagonists and their goals kept the murky, shadowy nature of the genre alive as the story continued to evolve. Having the protagonist develop a connection with Valerie also gave him a human connection.
The Verdict
Thoughtful, engaging, and adrenaline-fueled, author Scott Overton’s “Augment Nation” is a must-read sci-fi novel. The twists and turns in the narrative and the complex nature of these characters and the mythos of this world the author has created built up the emotionally charged and shocking final chapters and the revelations of this narrative, making this story readers won’t be able to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
With a long career as a radio morning show host, Scott’s always had a way with words. But his lifelong devotion to science fiction was destined to lead to a second career as a writer. Although his first novel, the mystery/thriller Dead Air was set in the radio world (and shortlisted for a Northern Lit Award in Ontario, Canada) all of his writing since has taken the reader to even stranger places, including the human bloodstream in his SF novel debut The Primus Labyrinth, a science fiction thriller that readers compare to Michael Crichton and Dan Brown. His most recent novel Naïda chronicles a reluctant hero with an alien being living inside him. Scott strongly believes that science fiction should involve compelling themes and important issues, along with memorable characters.
His short fiction has been published in magazines such as On Spec, AEscifi, Neo-opsis, Penumbra and anthologies including Future Visions 3, Casserole Diplomacy: The On Spec 25th Anniversary Anthology, Canadian Tales of the Fantastic, In Poe’s Shadow, and Tesseracts Sixteen: Parnassus Unbound. Fifteen of his SF/fantasy short stories have been gathered in the collection BEYOND: Stories Beyond Time, Technology, and the Stars. Many more SF novels are on the way. Scott’s distractions from writing include scuba diving, music, and collector cars. He lives with his wife on a private island in Northern Ontario.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
After discovering a conspiracy involving the increased speed of rotation for humanity’s last remaining colonial planet, a woman must seek help from her father, who never knew he had a daughter, and stop the geological effects on their planet before it plunged into darkness forever in author Mark Everglade’s “Inertia”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
Gliese 581g is the last remaining colony of the human race, located twenty light years from Earth. The planet was once tidal locked to its sun, with one side draped in darkness and the other half always bright. This changed after a radical group called O.A.K. increased the planet’s rotation to bring daylight cycles to all in the name of equality. All was not well, however, as decades passed, and new generations dealt with continual floods as the newfound sunlight melted the icecaps. Entire neighborhoods went aquatic from rising sea levels.
Soon, the planet was spinning out of control, with sunrises occurring every few hours.
Ash Rivenshear works as a geophysicist at Geosturm, a company contracted by the New Order to monitor the geological crisis. As she investigates the planet’s increasing rotation, she uncovers classified data indicating that someone is intentionally manipulating it to their own ends. An attack on her life is made to cover up the intel. After surviving, she contacts her estranged father for help, Severum Rivenshear. Having no idea he had a daughter, Severum agrees to help, but the tension of his absence throughout her life builds as he works to build a relationship with her.
Ash and her father discover a research lab where Severum uncovers a connection between Geosturm and the Old Guard, a scion of the now defunct Government of Evig Natt led by Eduardo Culptos. The Old Guard seek to restore their power over the hemisphere by accelerating the planet’s rotation at breakneck speed, exacerbating the negative ecological effects, as they convince the public that the planet was better off in darkness. They’re motivated by the wealth they obtained back when light was scarce and commodified, and seek a restoration of their influence. Severum catches glimpse of a scientist being held captive at the lab during his reconnaissance, but he’s forced to back down due to being outnumbered, and unable at the age of sixty-nine to fight efficiently due to his war injuries.
Severum approaches K.O.A., an offshoot of O.A.K., for help at their commune where he obtains equipment, and cybernetic upgrades to offset the effects of aging. Eventually, he learns that most of those effects were in his mind and not actual limitations.
The Review
This was such a thoughtful and captivating sci-fi read. The author does an incredible job of balancing the larger-than-life climate and the geological crisis of this fictional planet with the much more intimate personal crisis between a father and his daughter. The imagery the author conjures up in this book really emphasizes the crisis itself, as the opening pages highlight the damage done to this world with a mixture of flood and trash hitting the protagonist as she makes her way to work. The atmosphere and tension continuously ratchet up as the mixture of atmospheric suspense and action thriller bleed into this epic sci-fi narrative.
Yet to me, this was a narrative that was only as engaging as it was thanks to the infusion of such a profoundly meaningful character direction for both protagonists. The heartbreak as Ash struggles to connect with her absentee father while Severum tries to be there for the daughter he never knew existed was incredible to read, as it added the human element that sci-fi reads of this caliber need. The themes of family, our own mortality, and how parents are compelled to protect their children are felt so profoundly in this novel.
The Verdict
Harrowing, thought-provoking, and entertaining, author Mark Everglade’s “Inertia” is a brilliant sci-fi novel and a great followup to the author’s book “Hemispheres”. The twists and turns that this narrative takes to mirror the life or death stakes perfectly of this global dilemma, and the personal story of this father and daughter duo will have readers invested until the book’s final pages. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
I was born a simple boy, simpler than the complex people around me. I studied them to reduce all that complexity, becoming more complex myself in the process, but I didn’t so much as gain a sense of myself, as lose my own nature. Today I know myself by what I am not. I blend idea and form, the negative and the positive, the conceptual and the real, as a master spice blender creates a hot curry, grinding and grinding in proper order, always looking for balance between volatile ingredients.
Philosophers say meaning is just consistency and agreement. But I am not consistent. I am not agreeable. I reach out. My arms draw lines extending into space. Everything that extends is composed of smaller parts that also extend. At the end of all that extension there is still more extension. When I reach the end of all I reach for, I will still reach, I will still desire, because I am a fool. But I know that fool is to savant as zero is to one, each meaningless without the other, each undeserving of reverence or criticism. I accept myself, even as this paper pushes back at my pen with equal force, even as the environment pushes back at the force of my thoughts. For I can push much, much harder.
As a child, I loved sci-fi, but felt that many books had no great impact on the world. At the age of 11 I began writing alternate endings to everything from The Legend of Zelda to X-Men episodes, tiny fingers flurrying over an ancient typewriter while blaring Bach on synth. Now I have published 13 short stories in competitive arenas, including one to be published in an anthology alongside cyberpunk legends Cory Doctorow and Walter Jon Williams, and have contracted three novels with traditional-model publishers.
Today I do not create characters. I do not tell stories nor am I an author. I never even outline books; if I knew how it was going to end I wouldn’t want to write it. I create realistic characters with realistic motivations and place them into environments rife with conflict. Then I sit back and watch as the characters come alive, as they tell me their stories. Cut their words and they will bleed. The best books let you escape reality for awhile — the best writing experiences should be the same way. All great art is psychosis.
I hold a Master’s of Science in Sociological Conflict Theory, and my ancestor invented psychology in the 19th century.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A veteran must enter a virtual world called Warspace to find the woman he loves before her psyche can be lost to the warped reality of the world’s creator in author Jay Rodan’s “Warspace”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
James Ward, a haunted veteran of the Last War, ekes out a living as a wrestler in the flooded remains of Miami, fighting cybernetic human-insect hybrids on rooftops for cash. There, he meets and falls in love with the artist and thief, Ana dos Santos, amid the post-war debris littering the lagoon. Their happiness is short-lived. When Miami is invaded by a fanatical foreign power, Ana refuses to be forced back to a life she has left behind, and downloads her mind into a digital replica of reality, a secretive online war-game environment called Warspace. Vowing to find her, Ward volunteers for Warspace as a soldier, hoping to locate Ana’s psyche before she is lost forever in the simulation. As Ward goes deeper into this mind-bending mirror-world, he learns that it’s begun to behave according to the eccentric whims of its unstable creator, and that finding Ana – already a daunting task – has become a matter of personal, possibly global, survival.
The Review
The author did an incredible job of crafting a futuristic sci-fi noir thriller that will have readers’ hearts pumping from the outset. The imagery and atmosphere the author used in their writing allowed the reader to feel transported to both the dystopian Miami of the “real world” and the Warspace digital setting that brought the chaos and tension the author’s world needed to further the narrative.
The rich character dynamics and world-building the author captured in this narrative felt vibrant and cinematic in its delivery. The emotional connection Ward makes with Ana keeps readers invested in the narrative, and the visceral atmosphere this tech-fueled sci-fi story brings to life highlights the powerful themes of the rise of technology such as the Metaverse that both highlights the infinite possibilities that reality has to offer while also showing the dangers that follow.
The Verdict
Captivating, haunting, and entertaining, author Jay Rodan’s “Warspace” is a must-read sci-fi thriller! The twists and turns the narrative takes and the action-fueled world the characters are thrust into highlight the dangers and enemies lurking within this technological world, and the emotional bond between the protagonists will have readers invested as the final pages leave them breathless and eager for more from this talented author. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
Jay Rodan is a screenwriter, producer, novelist, and actor. He was born in Durban, South Africa to a Scottish father and South African mother. Their nomadic lifestyle meant he was raised in London, Edinburgh, Vancouver, including a stint in an ashram in India while following a guru. In 2006 he moved to Los Angeles, where he now lives with his wife Kayt Jones and their three daughters. He has appeared in multiple independent films with directors Kasi Lemmons, Franco Zeffirelli, Bernardo Bertolucci, and others. He starred as Marc Anthony in TNT’s Julius Ceasar opposite Christopher Walken, and on ITV’s hit soap Footballer’s Wives opposite Joan Collins. As a writer-producer he has sold TV shows to ABC, AMC, and NBC, and has written feature films for LucasFilm, Filmnation, Thunder Road, and others. He performed an uncredited rewrite of the Ghost in the Shell reboot starring Scarlett Johansson (Universal, 2017). He was nominated by the Writer’s Guild of America in 2013 and 2014 for creating and writing the multi-award-winning web series Lauren. He owns and oversees a production company that has produced extensive commercial work for a wide variety of clients, including the 2019 Webby-nominated Moncler digital campaign featuring Sophia the Robot of Hanson Robotics, the first robot given legal personhood anywhere in the world.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A young woman finds herself thrown into a maelstrom when an accidental invention of the time machine sends her hurdling backward in time to the 4th Crusades, living in the body of an ancient ancestor in medieval Constantinople in author Deborah Kaminski’s “Damian’s Workshop”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
Brooke didn’t expect to invent a time machine. But when she is cast into the body of a distant ancestor, she sees every scene, hears every sound, and feels every pleasure…. and pain. She should be finishing her college degree, but the distant past calls to her. Bit by bit, she learns about medieval life, until she realizes her new family is directly in the path of the Fourth Crusade. Set alternately in a modern day university and medieval Constantinople, Brooke’s struggle is filled with adventure, romance, science, history, and a touch of deception. It all comes together in the finale, where past and present collide.
The Review
This was a brilliant display of multi-genre mashups coming together in the most natural and exciting way possible. The blend of historical fiction and sci-fi brought similar feelings and emotions that fans of Assassin’s Creed feel, getting the rich culture and history of the past with the more modern science fiction and cutting-edge tech that brings our ancestors to the contemporary world in a unique way.
The author’s use of imagery and atmosphere really drove the narrative forward. The rich settings and unique displays of both past and present cultures and behaviors amongst the cast of characters really highlighted the evolution of this family line and the human race overall. Yet at the end of the day, the narrative shined best when the character development was focused on. Between Brooke’s modern-day outlook on life clashing with her exploration of the past and Damian’s struggles in the past, the intimacy, and heart of this narrative were found in human relationships more than anything else, allowing the more spectacular elements of the story to shine brightly.
The Verdict
Thrilling, engaging, and heartfelt, author Deborah Kaminski’s “Damian’s Workshop” is a must-read sci-fi and historical fiction thriller novel. The historical accuracy and settings did a great job of balancing the rich character dynamics and relationships that made the story feel relatable and entertaining. The twists and turns will keep readers hooked on this developing narrative until the book’s final page. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
I am a traveler, an explorer, and a dreamer. My fiction takes you to exotic places that I love and treats you to new ideas to chew on. Before my writing career, I was immersed in scientific research, working at General Electric, RPI, and the National Science Foundation, so it may not surprise you that my science fiction is of the hard variety – striving for internal consistency and (more or less) realistic possibilities. You can count on me for an adventure with a satisfying ending.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
The fate of mankind years after the Earth’s destruction rests in the hands of a select few as they venture back to the Earth’s surface and discover a hidden truth that can rock humanity to the core in author J. Scott Coatsworth’s “Dropnauts”, the first book in the Liminal Sky: Redemption Cycle series.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
Over a century after the end of the Earth, life goes on in Redemption, the sole remaining lunar colony, and possibly the last outpost of humankind in the Solar System. But with an existential threat burrowing its way to the Moon’s core, humanity must recolonize the homeworld.
Twenty brave dropnauts set off on a mission to explore the empty planet. After training for two and a half years, four of them—Rai, Hera, Ghost and Tien—are bound for Martinez Base, just outside the Old Earth city of San Francisco.
But what awaits them there will turn their assumptions upside down—and in the process, either save or destroy what’s left of humanity.
The Review
This was such a brilliant and emotionally-driven sci-fi read. The author did such an amazing job of connecting readers to the larger narrative through dynamic character development. Not only was the emotional core of all four protagonists felt intensely as the story progressed, but the way their story intersected with the survivors on Earth was so great to read. The tensions and stakes that this created for the survivors both on Earth and the lunar colony of Redemption were amazing to read and watch unfold on the page. The inclusion of LGBTQ characters and relationships made the story feel more well-rounded, and the emphasis on AI-driven character developments was a great sci-fi element to include in this discussion.
The world-building and setting really became the heart of this narrative. So many sci-fi stories involve space exploration and focus on the colonies primarily, whether it be on the moon, Mars, or outside our solar system, but the whole concept of “Returning” to Earth to find a means of survival was a brilliant creative decision on the author’s part. The imagery and atmosphere this helped create really showed in the author’s writing style.
The Verdict
Captivating, entertaining, and thrilling, author J. Scott Coatsworth’s “Dropnauts” is a must-read sci-fi novel and the perfect start to the author’s Liminal Sky: Redemption Cycle series. The vivid and detailed settings were perfectly paired with the gritty narrative that was being told and balanced out the heartfelt and emotional character beats that made readers fall in love with this cast of characters. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
J. Scott Coatsworth’s diverse hopepunk space opera Dropnauts Is out in audio, narrated by Kevin Earlywine. And there’s a giveaway!
Life after the Crash.
Over a century after the end of the Earth, life goes on in Redemption, the sole remaining Lunar colony, and possibly the last outpost of humankind in the Solar System. But with an existential threat burrowing its way into the Moon’s core, humanity must recolonize the homeworld.
Twenty brave dropnauts set off on a mission to explore the empty planet. Four of them—Rai, Hera, Ghost and Tien—have trained for two-and-a-half years for the Return. They’re bound for Martinez Base, just outside the Old Earth city of San Francisco.
But what awaits them there will turn their assumptions upside down—and in the process, either save or destroy what’s left of humanity.
Rai sweated inside his suit, white-knuckling the arms of the retrofitted launch chair under his suit gloves. He watched the Zhenyi’slaunch countdown clock.
Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight…
Outside he was calm, but inside he vibrated like an erhu string, his stomach doing acrobatics in his chest. I’m not ready.
Five teams of dropnauts had strapped themselves into their jumper ships, prepared for the ascent from Redemption on the lunar surface to Launchpad station. Outside his porthole, the blue-green marble of Earth beckoned.
Forty-five, forty-four…
Rai cast a nervous glance at his three teammates. Hera was doing her preflight check, her back to him, sweat dripping down the umber skin of her neck from her short-cropped, curly black hair.
Behind him on his right, Tien’s eyes were closed, and she was still as a golden statue. Zen.
He turned to find Ghost looking at him from behind. His ex grinned, running his hand through his lanky, dirty blond hair, his green eyes twinkling. His skin was as white as Rai’s own, but with a dusting of freckles over the bridge of his nose.
Rai managed a pale imitation of a smile back. –It’s totally safe.– Ghost’s voice pinged in his head, em to em.
–Easy for you to say.- Ghost had never feared a thing in his life.
Rai sighed. If he had to, he could take the small ship apart and put it back together with his bare hands, a skill learned under Sam’s supervision—the mech was as harsh a taskmaster as any human Rai had ever worked for. Still, he felt like puking. The speeches and adulation of the farewell celebration were over, and now his doubts circled like vultures. I’m not ready.
Thirty-two, thirty-one…
-You’ll be ok.- Hera’s determined voice this time. She turned to squeeze his knee, and then fired up the Zhenyi’shydro-fuel engine. He flashed her a sheepish grin.
A hundred meters away, the Bristol’s takeoff shook the landing pad. Rai watched it rise, carrying Dax, Jess, Ola, and Xiu Ying, the London team, toward the bright stars above. The jumper’s expelled water froze almost instantly, falling as snow over the snaking lava tube that held the city of Redemption. A lunar blizzard whipped by them and shimmered into nothing.
Rai closed his eyes, remembering the night before. Jess, laughing and dancing with him at Heaven, the clear dome of the lunar sky sparkling above them, the heavy beat of the thromb club pulsing through his chest. Dancing like no one was watching.
He rubbed his jaw. It still ached from the fist he’d taken to the face. Wild party. And a wilder night with Ayvin, the jack he’d picked up at the club.
“Zhenyi, ready for liftoff in T-Minus ten seconds.” Sam’s voice, coming from Team Five’s ship, the Liánhuā, was cool and collected. Did the mech feel emotion, like the nausea that was boiling in Rai’s guts? His teammates were strong, smart, and prepared for anything. I can do this. Besides, it was too late to back out now.
“Affirmative.” Hera shifted in her seat, her biframes stretching her paralyzed legs for her.
“You’ll do okay, tiger.” Ghost elbowed him in the ribs.
“Six, five, four…” Hera swiped the glossy white control deck, and the launch controls appeared, floating over the white surface.
“Leave him alone.” Rai could hear the icy frown in Tien’s voice.
He closed his eyes, willing his stomach to calm. Here we go. Nothing he could do about it now.
“Three, two, one… hang on.” Hera fired the engines, and the craft lifted on a cloud of steam into the star-filled skies of Luna.
Rai squeezed his armrests again as G-force pushed him hard back in his seat. He was committed now. Poppies, Chinese Houses, Fiddlenecks, Baby Blue Eyes, Yellow Pansies, Star Lilies… Reciting the flowers of the old San Francisco basin helped soothe his abraded nerves as the rumbling of the little craft rattled his bones.
He opened his eyes to see Redemption receding below them. The great lava tube was striped with sparkling bands of solar receptors that let sunlight into the city below. Rail lines snaked out from Redemption to the transit center like roping vines—to the seed launcher at Copernicus Crater, to Renewal colony, and beyond.
As the city shrank below them, his fear turned to sadness, a lump forming in his throat. He’d taken his home for granted, enthralled by the idea of joining humankind’s greatest adventure in a century. Now he might never see it again.
The hydro rocket thrust them up out of Luna’s gravity well into naked space, toward the bright blue skies of the empty Earth above. Rai stared at it, that enigmatic ball in space which no one had visited in over a century. What secrets are you hiding?
The roar cut off as quickly as it had begun, leaving the Zhenyi drifting upward in silence as they slipped out of Luna’s grasp.
Hera’s hands flew across the deck, swapping the launch controls for navigation, and nudged them onto a new course following the Bristol toward the Launchpad.
Rai let go, his breath coming out in a heavy sigh.
“See? That wasn’t so bad.” Ghost unbuckled his seatbelt and stretched, yawning as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
God, he’s beautiful. Pale as his namesake under his mop of dirty blond hair, the engineer’s thick arms were just a suggestion under the bulky suit, but Rai could still see them in his mind. Ghost’s well-toned muscles, the smell of his skin after—
“You okay, buddy?” Ghost was staring at him, one dark eyebrow raised in concern.
Rai bit his lip and looked away. “Just nervous. Wondering if we’ll ever make it back home”
“Hey, if things go well after the drop, maybe you and me could open the first Earthside bar since the Crash.” Ghost leaned over him from behind to stare at the Earth through the porthole, his cheek close to Rai’s
“That’s crazy.” But his spirits lifted. It was idiotic. And just the distraction he needed.
Ghost sank back into his own seat. “Every outpost needs a good bar where the colonists can blow off a little steam, right?”
Rai laughed in spite of himself, warming to the idea. “We could call it ‘The Frontier’.”
“Or ‘The Wild Hookup’.”
“Best beer this side of the planet.”
“Only beer!”
Rai snorted. Just like old times. He hadn’t forgiven Ghost, though. Not yet. He looked down at his gloved hands, emblazoned with the leaf-and-orb of Redemption’s space service.
Things had ended badly between them—crash and burn bad. Still, they’d be too busy the next few weeks to think about anything but the drop. The survival of Redemption and the remnants of humanity depended on them.
He could let it go. I have to. He’d managed the launch, after all. I can do this too.
Ghost squeezed his shoulder and closed his eyes, touching his temple and bobbing his head to a song only he could hear.
Rai turned away.
You’re stronger than any of us. Hera had told him that the night before. Still, he didn’t feel strong.
He looked out of the porthole again at the Earth—the same view they’d had from Heaven. And yet somehow, it looked different. More real.
Poppies, Chinese Houses, Fiddlenecks, Baby Blue Eyes, Yellow Pansies, Star Lilies…
He touched his hand to the porthole. Even through the glove, it was cold. We’re going home.
Author Bio
Scott lives with his husband Mark in a yellow bungalow in Sacramento. He was indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine. He devoured her library, but as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were.
He decided that if there weren’t queer characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.
A Rainbow Award winning author, he runs Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, and Other Worlds Ink with Mark, sites that celebrate fiction reflecting queer reality, and is a full member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).
Kevin Earlywine is an actor, director, singer/songwriter, and audiobook narrator who hails from Rockford, Illinois! His debut album DANGER was released February 28th, 2017. Kevin started writing songs for the album in 2012, and finally in November, 2015, he started recording the songs!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A desperate race to the center of the universe sends a Captain and his crew on a dangerous mission with little hope of returning in author Jayson Adams’s “Infernum”.
The Synopsis
A weapon of unimaginable power. A desperate mission to the center of the galaxy. Mankind’s fate hangs in the balance.
Captain Thomas Holbrook has wondered how he would brave being sent on a one-way mission. When he receives cryptic orders to divert his CentCom warship to the black hole at the center of the galaxy, a region from which no vessel has ever returned, he stubbornly refuses to take them at face value.
It’s the year 2330. The “aughts,” robots that won independence from their human creators, seek insurance against the ever-present human threat. An aught ship speeds to the galactic center to collect Planck Matter, a substance formed in the heart of black holes, the basis of a weapon that could destroy the Earth.
CentCom can’t allow the aughts to obtain Planck Matter. They enlist the help of Dr. Rebekah Riesen, a brilliant, beautiful, reincarnated physicist with her own reasons for joining a mission that might not return, and Tentek, an aught informant whom Holbrook’s executive officer insists is a double agent. Together, they must travel to the galactic center while keeping a mutinous crew at bay, stop the aughts from obtaining Planck Matter, and somehow find a way back home.
The Review
I absolutely loved this sci-fi read. The author was able to capture the raw emotions and world-building that Battlestar Galactica captured (the 2003 remake), without sacrificing the realistic dialogue and intensity that this narrative demands. The powerful themes that the author explores here, from philosophical debates of reincarnation and faith in a time of scientific discovery to the idea of AI gaining sentience and the dual nature of humanity between the darkest moments they exude and the hope that comes from their persistence for life all come crashing down into this layered and driven story.
It was the alternating POVs and rich character development that really drew me into the narrative. The interactions and ways in which these characters came together felt very natural in such a rich sci-fi story. Yet the way the author crafted a narrative that employed both original sci-fi elements and yet felt very grounded at the same time allowed for a more entertaining and gripping read.
The Verdict
Thought-provoking, action-packed, and engaging, author Jayson Adams’s “Infernum” is a must-read sci-fi novel of 2022! The rich character development and balance of humanity with outstanding mythos made this story shine so brightly. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
At age sixteen Jayson dreamed of starting a software company and retiring by twenty-five. He achieved his dream just before thirty, working for the likes of Steve Jobs and selling one of his start-ups along the way. Five years later he returned to computers with another start-up. He currently works at Google.
Computers were always Jayson’s creative outlet, the screen a “blank slate.” He now channels his creative energies into writing compelling science fiction.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Two men ridiculed and persecuted for their scientific pursuits yet separated by time find themselves forced to work together to stop a brutal invasion in a forgotten time in author Jackiem Joyner’s “TimeLab Episode 1: San Francisco”.
Advertisements
The Synopsis
Two Scientists. One from long ago. The other from modern day 2018.
Both on the precipice of greatness.
Both met with disdain, and in one case, branded a witch.
Sir Bernard, a seasoned and trusted scientist, living in the time of King Caesar, is lauded by many… until his invention sparks rage and fear among the people. When they brand him as a witch, practicing dark magic, he makes a daring escape via his time machine.
He finds himself in San Francisco, 2000 years in the future. There, he befriends Kyle, a young, talented physics student, whose brilliance also sparks distrust, and in some cases, maltreatment.
Together, the two scientists are a formidable force, but there are barriers that prevent them from making good use of their scientific theories.
Sir Bernard’s homeland is on the brink of war. To save his people, he must go back in time, but first he’ll need a new, more powerful time machine.
Kyle has struggles of his own. His brain puts him ahead of the class, but he has trepidation about his mother’s legacy. He wants to clear her name and prove that she didn’t intentionally detonate a scientific lab, killing everyone, including herself.
Two scientists from vastly different worlds fight to erase the past. Can they prove their theories are real and can they save lives and reputations, including their own?
Find out in Episode 1 of this adrenaline-rushing science fiction novel, featuring time-traveling scientists! Scroll and click Buy-with-1-click today!
The Review
This was such a fun and fast-paced sci-fi thriller! The story does a fantastic job of packing a punch and hitting readers with a large sense of world-building in such a short amount of time. The imagery and mythos that the author layers into the narrative are both unique and fascinating to behold, giving readers just enough of a hook to keep them invested while also ending the story on a cliffhanger to keep the reader captivated.
The character building was great to read. While Kyle and his tragic backstory are alluded to, it is Bernard’s story that really propels the mythology to the story’s stratosphere, infusing both sci-fi and fantasy elements into the narrative and keeping readers entertained. The episodic format of the story is also quite unique, making the story feel like a television show that keeps the reader hanging off of the author’s every word and eager to binge the next book in the series.
The Verdict
Thoughtful, fast-paced, and engaging, author Jackiem Joyner’s “TimeLab Episode 1: San Francisco” is a must-read sci-fi story! The brilliant world-building and mythology the author integrated into these two relatable and passionate protagonists and the cliffhanger of an ending will have readers eager to devour more of the author’s work. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
Jackiem Joyner has loved Science Fiction ever since he was a child, fascinated by all the stories and imaginations of futuristic worlds. But it wasn’t until later in his life, after experiencing huge success in the recording business, that he decided to put pen to paper – the result of which is his debut novel, Zarya.
Gathering from his experiences traveling the world as a recording artist, he developed a knack for good science fiction stories after reading several books a month. Having used and operated many devices from the future, he incorporated exciting equipment and imaginary scientific ideas into dramatic thrillers that are sure to keep readers on edge.
Jackiem was born in Norfolk, Virginia and spent most of his young adult life in Syracuse New York before moving to Los Angeles, California where he currently resides. In addition to writing fun stories, Jackiem Joyner has experienced huge success as a recording artist, with multiple songs peaking at number 1 on the billboard charts and 5 international records released.
A routine mining expedition turns deadly and the fight for survival turns friends into foes in author Elliot Wink’s sci-fi novel, “After Io”, the first in the Far Light series!
Advertisements
The Synopsis
Bryn Michaels is a pilot on the spaceship Persika and she has just killed her captain.
The crew of the Persika was hired to mine platinum ore on Io, but the simple job becomes complicated when their drill malfunctions. Although the crew agrees to head back to the space station with the job unfinished, they don’t make it far before something greater threatens the safety of the ship and its crew.
Bryn is determined to survive, but as she takes steps to ensure her rescue, she begins to wonder if the cost of survival is too great.
After Io is the first book in The Far Light Series by Elliott Wink.
The Review
The suspense and intrigue are felt immediately with the author’s very first sentence. The tension and haunting quality of the character development are prevalent as the opening chapter sets the stage for the direction the novel is going. The character growth was crucial to this novel’s narrative, as the closeness and emotional bond the captain has for her crew elevates the danger and sadness of the ship’s situation, while the fear and chilling nature of isolation in space and the need to survive make Bryn a tragic figure.
The way the author leaned so heavily into the sci-fi genre was not only entertaining but was well-balanced with characters that were relatable and themes of survival that readers could become invested in. Forgoing any alien themes or more heavy AI-style sci-fi for well-developed characters and a narrative that could fit in any genre actually made the setting and tone of the sci-fi-themed story feel more vibrant and engaging to the reader.
The Verdict
Emotional, haunting, and captivating, author Elliot Wink’s “After Io” is a must-read sci-fi novel! The twists and turns in the novel that bring Bryn to the breaking point of killing her captain will have readers entranced, while the heartfelt bond the captain had with the crew will keep readers invested as the final pages play out. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
Advertisements
About the Author
I’m a science fiction and fantasy writer with a day job. I’ve been teaching English for nearly a decade, so I spend my days analyzing writing with my students and my nights putting my own pen to paper.
I have a master’s in psychology and I find people fascinating, so I usually spend a lot of time in my characters’ heads. Whether that character is drifting through outer space, navigating through a dystopian future, or in another universe entirely, they are unlikely to escape the nature of the human condition when it comes to my stories. We are human, even when we are forging through the unknown.
I live with my very supportive husband and tri-color collie-pit mix in Northern California. When I’m not writing or watching movies, you might find me on the golf course or cooking elaborate, celiac-friendly meals.
Author Anthony Avina's Blog 