This book reads like a paranormal romance, except that it is bursting with creative beings and superpowers. I think Walker has done an excellent job oThis book reads like a paranormal romance, except that it is bursting with creative beings and superpowers. I think Walker has done an excellent job of creating two warring species and displaying their strengths and weaknesses compared to humanity. Then there is Ari. An almost normal high school girl whose emotional sensitivity is actually a superpower that can move the herds of humanity in her presence. What an awesome and original concept!
Like I mentioned before, I felt like I was reading one of Cassandra Clare’s awesome stories, a paranormal romance with enough action and intrigue to keep macho guy reader types (me) around too. However Walker has done her pregame work and created new nonhumans! I think it puts We the Reader some place new. Genre fiction is the best. Books that take elves down a Tolkien-esk road, or a Stoker-ish monster hunt, or boldy go on a Trek are right up my alley. What makes one even better is if the author can also show us new non-human people. Seethers and Sentinals are great. One group loves humans and just wants to get along. The other group feeds their super powered rage with humanity’s pain and suffering. I can’t even think of any fictional species that has played on emotions becoming a parasitic baddie’s food. Truly impressive show of creativity. There was a part I won’t ruin where the heroic hunk meets a woman in front of our hero, Ari and she is mortified that ALL women are turned on around him! The context and delivery were hilarious. My wife asked me what was so funny because I was LOL-ing, but really, not some pathetic cliché for the under-funny…
I received a free ebook copy and was so pleased that I gave it a chance! As anyone who follows my reviews knows, I mostly read stuff I get for free or from the library. Am I cheap? Yeah. Also reviews are tremendously important! You don’t have to be a long-winded blow hard like me to help out, either. If you really liked a book, do the author a favor and write a few sentences describing why it was cool. Book retailers display indie authors according to the number of reviews their title receives. Your VOICED opinion matters. I write and sell books too, and I can safely say that if you review you are the best reader out of fifty or a hundred.
I hope Walker continues this story into a series, there is certainly room for it.
Merged review:
This book reads like a paranormal romance, except that it is bursting with creative beings and superpowers. I think Walker has done an excellent job of creating two warring species and displaying their strengths and weaknesses compared to humanity. Then there is Ari. An almost normal high school girl whose emotional sensitivity is actually a superpower that can move the herds of humanity in her presence. What an awesome and original concept!
Like I mentioned before, I felt like I was reading one of Cassandra Clare’s awesome stories, a paranormal romance with enough action and intrigue to keep macho guy reader types (me) around too. However Walker has done her pregame work and created new nonhumans! I think it puts We the Reader some place new. Genre fiction is the best. Books that take elves down a Tolkien-esk road, or a Stoker-ish monster hunt, or boldy go on a Trek are right up my alley. What makes one even better is if the author can also show us new non-human people. Seethers and Sentinals are great. One group loves humans and just wants to get along. The other group feeds their super powered rage with humanity’s pain and suffering. I can’t even think of any fictional species that has played on emotions becoming a parasitic baddie’s food. Truly impressive show of creativity. There was a part I won’t ruin where the heroic hunk meets a woman in front of our hero, Ari and she is mortified that ALL women are turned on around him! The context and delivery were hilarious. My wife asked me what was so funny because I was LOL-ing, but really, not some pathetic cliché for the under-funny…
I received a free ebook copy and was so pleased that I gave it a chance! As anyone who follows my reviews knows, I mostly read stuff I get for free or from the library. Am I cheap? Yeah. Also reviews are tremendously important! You don’t have to be a long-winded blow hard like me to help out, either. If you really liked a book, do the author a favor and write a few sentences describing why it was cool. Book retailers display indie authors according to the number of reviews their title receives. Your VOICED opinion matters. I write and sell books too, and I can safely say that if you review you are the best reader out of fifty or a hundred.
I hope Walker continues this story into a series, there is certainly room for it....more
Brenden was raised by his single mom. His dude is a super villain with an uncanny ability to make and control drones. Brenden gets a mysterious grant Brenden was raised by his single mom. His dude is a super villain with an uncanny ability to make and control drones. Brenden gets a mysterious grant to attend a private high school that just might be more than it seems. Can he keep the embarrassing truth about his father a secret? Can he figure what weird things happen at night? Read it and find out!
This is my third Gehrke novel and each has had a different tone and feel. Each was in a totally different universe. What can’t this guy write?
I got a reviewer copy. There were no obligations. No one threatened to send their drones to Science Fantasy Hub’s real-world HQ aka the little room in my basement where I write, edit, podcast, review stuff, and do other geeky things. No coercion was necessary because this book was a heap of fun! ...more
After all Nikola went through in the first two Runespells books, she is seeing a psychologist who advises some rest and relaxation out of town. Our heAfter all Nikola went through in the first two Runespells books, she is seeing a psychologist who advises some rest and relaxation out of town. Our heroine sets out with her pal Joseph to hike part of the Appalachian trail. Aside for normal, if rattled, emotions, Nikola must also come to terms with her inner Berserker.
There’re baddies too! As if she didn’t have enough going on already. Sheesh!
Did I mention there’s camping? I love camping. Every time I go shopping I consider buying survival stuff I’ll never actually use. My latest fascination is this Rambo-ish shovel/ machete.
Buhrman came through again! This series is a lot of fun. I got a reviewer copy because the author has done a few interviews with me on the Science Fantasy Hub. I’m under no obligation to review, but the fact of the matter is I just blurt them out to passers by in the city if I don’t write them down. It can be quite embarrassing… ...more
McCray is captain of an experimental ship in the space navy. It looks like normal vessel but it is packed to the gills with smart torpedoes and lasersMcCray is captain of an experimental ship in the space navy. It looks like normal vessel but it is packed to the gills with smart torpedoes and lasers. The goal is to go undercover near the border of space shared with one of the seven groups of human federations, the Mallouk, the only one of the seven who didn’t take part in a war with the only alien species humanity has encountered.
Aja is an analyst and a super powered secret agent of sorts that his been assigned to McCray’s crew. She’s also the girl that won his heart. Or has she?
As their mission unfolds, McCray begins to wonder about her true intentions. Plus, there’s all the actual battles to worry about!
I got a chance to beta read this novel before it came out because the author submitted a very funny flash fiction called Wonderful Wolfen to Land of LOL on Science Fantasy Hub and then I flattered my way into being an early reader. Yeah, another score for Shane, woot! You should pay full price though, go on.
The tech descriptions and Naval terminology seemed really authentic to me. It made falling into the story pretty easy. I also enjoyed that the bad guys’ society was complex with pampered power mongers on top and nervous people stuck in a bad situation under them. After all, it only takes bad leadership to make a whole nation look bad. ...more
Bristow plies has talent on another genre! I really liked his urban fantasy thriller Hunting Darkness, so I was happy to read this near future scifi. Bristow plies has talent on another genre! I really liked his urban fantasy thriller Hunting Darkness, so I was happy to read this near future scifi. I was impressed.
The world is on the brink of environmental collapse and the federation has found a new planet. It is already populated by intelligent life, so they will send a team to initiate contact with the natives. What could possibly go wrong? Explorers in Western culture have traditionally handled this situation very well. Just kidding. At last go we subjugated and enslaved anything our diseases left behind!
In all seriousness, the tension is great. Bristow’s got a good sense of building up a likeable character and keeping them in a bind.
Even before the ship reaches it’s destination, things start going wrong. Is the mission doomed? I had the good fortune of beta reading this book. It’s a privilege pinned to running the Science Fantasy Hub. While I didn’t pay, I recommend you do. This book is great! If you liked Avatar, Battlestar Galactica (reboot), mysteries, or Star Trek, then you’re bound to enjoy this book. ...more
What the world is the wholly pale? That’s what young Emrys Lailoken wants to know. He’s been cursed to quest for it. Whatever it is! He lives in a spaWhat the world is the wholly pale? That’s what young Emrys Lailoken wants to know. He’s been cursed to quest for it. Whatever it is! He lives in a space faring society where magic thrives alongside high tech convenience and Merlin is a fond memory of society’s founding. Emrys must face his own mysterious past in order to learn clues about the pale, but he’s got help. A buddy named Diedre who lives in a pocket dimension located in Emrys’s cloak.
Naidoo delivered episode after episode in this Wizards in Space serial. Since I’m already a fan, I couldn’t wait for season one’s publication! Then it came and read it with fervor. If your new to Naidoo’s work, this is a great place to start. There’s action, romance, intrigue, and plot twists galore.
I received a free reviewer copy from the publisher. In hindsight, I would pay dearly for my copy and I recommend that you do exactly that. I’m under no obligation to review. It’s more like a personal compulsion. Why else would I build the Science Fantasy Hub? If anyone actually expected a review, they probably gave up hope because I finished the book a while ago but got super busy on an anthology. Surprise! Better late than never, right?
People who should read this book like some of the following: wizards, space, Douglas Adams, those orange popsicles with cream inside, quests, coming of age adventures, serial fiction, sugary cereal, Anne McCaffrey, or Max and the Multiverse books. ...more
In a near-future possible Earth, humanity has ruined the environment and our last hope as a species is an intelligent seedling planet, one we’ll live In a near-future possible Earth, humanity has ruined the environment and our last hope as a species is an intelligent seedling planet, one we’ll live within while traveling through space to its permanent orbital home, or perhaps as a rogue drifting planet. The story was too captivating, so I’ve forgotten or overlooked that detail! A small ensemble of characters guides us through the new world’s infancy and childhood and into humanity’s future.
I really liked that technology relied upon bioengineering as well as mechanical engineering. Is it likely that these two technologies will soon merge? I’d say yes.
I scored a free copy to review by being friendly with my fellow authors on the Facebook. I’m not obligated to review, you can’t MAKE me do anything. Naner naner naner! Perhaps my authorly fanboy site, the Science Fantasy Hub, is growing so quickly it is also attracting stuff to it? Books though, not asteroids. Attracting asteroids would be terrifying…
Another nice thing about this story is that in Coatsworth’s future humanity has set aside its urge to figure out what makes us different and instead embraced the things we have in common. I’d recommend this book to anyone who would prefer to explore space rather than whither on the vine of a polluted planet. ...more
Brian is the new kid on the virtual block. He’s just started a virtual reality game and his skills as the team’s sniper are lacking. The game is one oBrian is the new kid on the virtual block. He’s just started a virtual reality game and his skills as the team’s sniper are lacking. The game is one of the first fully immersive VR games and what Brian enjoys most about it is something other players take for granted. Brian has lost his sight in the real world and only sees in VR. Will his aim improve? Will a certain girl he meets in reality change his mind about his blindness? Will the plot thicken? Find out for yourself! It’s a fun read.
Especially if you’ve just had a long chat with the author about Body Machine Interfaces and the company Neuralink! Cronshaw and I discussed it on the Scifi Roundtable Podcast and I read chapter nine of this book as our lead in excerpt episode. Then I couldn’t set it down! And yes, I started from the beginning and reread chapter nine in order.
Yeah, so I got the book for free, but you should pay. Full price. Double price if possible! Support this author, his stuff is great! Gamelit fans, people facing frightening challenges, and young-adult readers who like action and a splash romance will love this story. ...more
In a fantasy world very different from ours, people in the cities Reisa and Graedel are not born, they float down a river as babies into the care of eIn a fantasy world very different from ours, people in the cities Reisa and Graedel are not born, they float down a river as babies into the care of either very different culture. Both cities have guardians with special powers to protect their city and to wage war with the other. After the eighth great war, nearly all of Reisa’s guardians went missing and seem to have missed their chance for rebirth. The people from Graedel rule the Reisa with little or no compassion. Until three kids begin an amazing adventure.
This is a very interesting first in series! Schivley has created an Epic Fantasy world and his story reads like a Young Adult Distopian novel. Epic Fantasy can often delve deep into description and backstory whose relevance to the story is somewhere between relevant and trivial. This book reveals only when need and allows the world to unveil its mysteries only as our heroes encounter new obstacles.
Aside from the adventure story, the method of babies coming down in a basket on the river is intriguing. The people of this world know the river starts in the land of the gods, which is high up in a mountain range so steep, that no one has made it and returned to tell the tale. It’s hopefully a mystery that is resolved in later installments, which I look forward to. It is tempting to assume that a world would not function with the mechanics laid out in this story, but I think the inconsistencies are really clues of what lies deeper within the series.
As a Reedsy reviewer, I got a free copy of this book to review. I’m under no obligation to write reviews, but like Billie Eilish says, it’s my strange addiction. That’s why I built the Science Fantasy Hub! Now, go and pick up your copy. ...more
Sam and Sarah are teens in a quiet town. Up until the beginning of this story, they thought they were perfectly ordinary teens. Well except that when Sam and Sarah are teens in a quiet town. Up until the beginning of this story, they thought they were perfectly ordinary teens. Well except that when Sarah get angry inexplicable accidents happen! Then one evening, Sam notices a strange man watching his house. This short adventure reads in one sitting and sets the stage for a much bigger story.
The writing was good, as was the pace. While the story does end in a satisfying place, I’d say that you should give this a read to decide if the series is right for you, rather than for something to occupy a single rainy afternoon.
I have no idea how I got this book. Normally I keep careful notes of what I bought and what was given to me in case I’d like to review on Science Fantasy Hub, but here I’m drawing a blank. That isn’t so important though, because you know where to find your copy! ...more
When our five tween heroes see Ezrin in a dream once again, they agree once again to adventure into other worlds to save the day. This time, Billy’s gWhen our five tween heroes see Ezrin in a dream once again, they agree once again to adventure into other worlds to save the day. This time, Billy’s grandma Daisy joins in the adventure! Billy’s the bold one, Chrissy is the skittish one, Anne is the brains of the outfit, Ben is the underdog, Davey is the leader, and now grandma Daisey brings some life experience to the crew. There are also a few otherworldly adventurers. The stakes are higher than ever before because now the threat is an invasion into our world.
This is a great story to listen to on Audible with the whole family. I enjoyed my reviewer copy on a journey to far-away lands with little ones in tow, a perfect summer road trip book!
I’d recommend this series to families who enjoyed the Oz books and Chronicles of Narnia. I’ve reviewed a few of Powell’s other works, check them out at the Science Fantasy Hub. Gone or The Star Realm may be the best place to begin the adventure. ...more
First Craig showed us how the world could end in his debut Atlas in the Winds books, now he reveals what humanity is doing after Earth! What faction oFirst Craig showed us how the world could end in his debut Atlas in the Winds books, now he reveals what humanity is doing after Earth! What faction of humanity is building a ghost fleet? Will it be to start a civil war across the solar system? Will a small ice mining ship unlock the mystery of a gravity well they are stuck in?
Let a guy who developed equipment for aerospace take you on the hunt for answers. As I’ve come to expect, there is a satisfying amount of hard scifi balanced with action and intrigue. I loved the end reveal as well!
One of my favorite hard scifi elements that was addressed in this book was bone density and musculature differences based on the gravity of the colony where people grew up. Some characters needed exosuits to endure higher gravities. This is something you don’t normally see in fiction but that is a real problem with astronauts after their short terms on the ISS.
I got a reviewer copy of this book because Craig and his editor have done interviews for the Science Fantasy Hub before, but I would pay. I love buying books, even though I’ve got about forty piled up to be read already. It’s a problem… ...more
I jumped into book three without reading the first two in the series and thought Coleman did a fine job with the amount of backstory. I was able to piI jumped into book three without reading the first two in the series and thought Coleman did a fine job with the amount of backstory. I was able to pick up all the major characters, a bit of their interpersonal relationships, and even make a few theories about what the first two books covered. Evie is a mortal goddess for the immortal god Obetala and her little son Victor is missing. Her goddess powers might help her find the kid, but that part of her is like a demon. When it gets unleashed, people die. Will the tribe of Obetalla’s worshipers survive the search? Will a twenty-year secret tear Evie’s community apart? Will Evie’s curse always plague her descendants?
Find out for yourself and give this book a read! Unless you are a kid. This one’s definitely not a family time read there’s a very long sex scene, among other parts, that I don’t think are kid/ tween friendly. But you’re grown, right? Go ahead, treat yourself, you can never have too many books.
I got a free reviewer copy of this book because I’ve agreed to post some of my reviews with Reedsy Discovery. They must like what I’ve got going on at Science Fantasy Hub! Those are both great places to discover new books.
Harry is a cop and Evie’s ex-boyfriend. Evie erased his memory about being Victor’s father and dating the goddess. He remembers stuff again. That’s my first theory about a plot point from an earlier book. Evie was trying to save him from being entangled into her cult, and danger, so she felt like it was for his best interests. Who would want to break up with a goddess, after all? Harry isn’t completely cool with the situation, but also wants to find the boy, and figure out why bodies keep appearing on the periphery of the search.
This book is a good read for people who enjoy cop drama urban fantasies, the film Seven, strong female protagonists, steamy scenes, and interesting world building. Parts of the worldbuilding reminded me of Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed. ...more
An axe wielding murder is hacking his way through the immortal society we all came to love in Wheeler’s first novel, Transient. A couple years after tAn axe wielding murder is hacking his way through the immortal society we all came to love in Wheeler’s first novel, Transient. A couple years after the Transient incident, Nexus agent Korovin is called onto the murder scene. He and most of immortal law enforcement have had very little to do as the only threat to their utopian society had been eliminated. Or so they thought.
Jonas has spent the time attempting to sway public opinion of mortal humans peacefully. Right when his efforts gain traction, surprising news of the murder’s origin gives Jonas a reason to peek out of his hidey hole.
I read this book for free. That’s one of the benefits of cobbling together the Science Fantasy Hub and using that platform to shout praise for Wheeler’s other books! You should pay though. His works are so good, I’ve gone back and bought most of them on paperback (the others are on the way).
While we are still in the same immortal society, this new issue is the opposite sort of problem. Rather than secret agents blending in and enacting hidden agendas, the axe murderer wants the whole world to be aware of what he’s doing, and eventually of who he is! We really get to see immortal society in a new light.
When I finished Transient, I wasn’t sure if the story would roll out into a series. Now that I’m done with Thursday Midnight, I NEED to read part three! ...more
Normally the stuff I read and review for Science Fantasy Hub is the latest up-and-coming indie and small press scifi and fantasy, but my wife sometimeNormally the stuff I read and review for Science Fantasy Hub is the latest up-and-coming indie and small press scifi and fantasy, but my wife sometimes lets her Audible credits pile up. That’s when I use them on Malazan Book of the Fallen!
I like to talk about my progress in this series in a Facebook group and some folks there think that the second installment was a bit of a slump in the series. I disagree.
There are a whole new set of point-of-view characters: Fiddler and Kalarm from the Bridge Burners, Dikah the Emperial Historian, and Felisan the sister of the Empress’s new mouthpiece (as well as a certain deserter’s sister). I was happy that a good part of the action was on the Bridge Burner’s side-mission. I’m definitely in the series for them.
This one’s pretty brutal, and once again, not everyone you like will make it out unscathed. Go figure, with a name like Deadhouse Gates!
I’ve already got books three, four, and five through excess credits, now the hard part is going to be finding the time to listen! Each book is read over the course of forty hours give or take. Plus, I’ve got twenty others in my to-be-read pile. It’s a good problem for a book lover, though. ...more
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