Re-posting from October 13th. 🙂

YA sci-fi, a vibrant universe, a coming of age story. Mason Elliott spins a wonderful tale of a teen girl, who wants nothing more than to live up to her parent’s legacy. Like all good stories, what Naero wants and what she needs are two different things. There’s a secret living inside her. An alien database that holds vast knowledge. Is it a boon, or a curse?

An action packed start to a good series. I enjoyed reading it and readily gobbled up the rest of the series. There’s a lot of mystery and intrigue. Many times you don’t know who the good guys and bad guys are. Everyone has their own agenda, which always makes for good fiction. An excellent read.

#spaceopera #spacepirates #masonelliott #bookreview #scifi

In this continuing saga, Mitchell Williams is faced with a difficult choice. They AIs are systematically exterminating the human race, and their next target is Earth. Mitch can either find a helpful but unknown secret left by a deceased ally, or find the AIs creator by hacking an impenetrable database. He only has time to do one.

Reeling from the loss of many friends, betrayed by trusted allies, Mitch tries to make the best choices he can to save the human race. Unknown to him, a little girl has stowed away on an enemy ship. If she can stop the nefarious Watson, she could greatly improve the odds. She alone controls a secret weapon that could disrupt the balance of power. It would give humanity the edge they need to come back from the brink of extinction.

MR Forbes continues his grand space opera in The Point of Origin.  It has all the action and space battles we’ve come to expect from him. There’s a lot of back and forth in this book as friends reveal hidden talents and supposed allies turn against Mitch and the Riggers. One thing I didn’t like was that the book ends on a cliff hanger. Thankfully, MR Forbes writes quickly, but like many readers, I’m not a fan of books ending at the climax unresolved. Otherwise, a good read. Objectives turn out not to be what you expect, and heroes and villains have secrets.

#spaceopera #alienmenace #mrforbes #bookreview #scifi

Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are on assignment in the Mediterranean when they get a distress call from a nearby island. They arrive to find the everyone dead. A ship grounded ashore and some sort of biological or nerve agent was released. They rescue a doctor with disturbing information. The islanders are not dead but in a deep coma. It is now a race against time to find the cure before the near death becomes permanent.

Kurt and Joe come face to face with assassins and fanatics at every turn. What does the cure have to do with Napoleonic Era artifacts? How does it tie in with the recent unrest in the north African countries? The answer may kill them, but to fail will plunge millions under the control of a vicious despot.

The Pharaoh’s Secret is another great novel by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown. This one has a nice tie in with The Emperor’s Revenge. Lots of action and even some scenes in caves. This book has everything we love about Clive Cussler: Action, Adventure, and  Diving.

#actionadventure #clivecussler #bookreview

Harry’s birthday is coming, which obviously means the world is about to go to hell in a hand basket. This year is no different. A powerful vampire has issued a devastating ultimatum: find the Word of Kimmler or I’ll destroy Murphy’s life. Seeing no alternative, Harry reluctantly agrees. But, what is the Word of Kimmler, and what does it do?

The search for answers pits Harry against a number of powerful enemy wizards. Necromancers that can summon all manner of ghost and zombies to do their bidding. Harry’s magic skills are not enough this time. He’ll need as many allies as he can muster as he calls on friends mundane and magical to help him. Harry discovers it may not be enough, because the Word of Kimmler isn’t just an arcane spell. It’s a secret that could give the possessor near infinite power.

Jim Butcher immerses us deep into Harry’s wizarding world once again. The usual cast of friends and allies are here, plus a few more. So many, that I was left wondering if Jim Butcher was trying to shoehorn in as many as possible. It doesn’t detract from the story, though. Be prepared for another action packed adventure in the gritty magic and monster filled world of the Dresden Files.

#bookreview #fantasy #urbanfantasy #jimbutcher

Harry Dresden is back and taking on the most important cases to save humanity. His latest case? Saving a bunch of puppies from demons. Okay, so you take what you can get sometimes, as long as it pays. Fortunately, it leads into another case. A White Court vampire that has helped Harry out a few times wants a favor. Protect a friend. Setting aside that vampires and wizards are supposed to be at war, Harry takes the case. After all, he’s not a fan of the council of wizards anyway.

Oh and this friend, he’s an adult film producer. Wait, what? But when starlets start dying and nasty spells are the cause, Harry adjusts his pants and dives right in. Our fearless wizard comes up with no shortage of suspects, from vapid actresses, vindictive ex-wives, to, oh yeah, more vampires. It will take all of Harry’s skills to find the culprit. Even worse, The vampire friend is hiding something from him. A secret that will shake the Harry’s world to the core. Non-stop danger from the moment the director cries ‘action’.

Jim Butcher builds on his already rich world with this latest installment. Wizardry and wonton destruction abound. I especially liked this novel, because it introduces two new characters that become formidable allies in later books. The gritty world of the Dresden Files continues to engross urban fantasy readers as the monsters and wizards do battle in modern day Chicago.

#bookreview #fantasy #urbanfantasy #jimbutcher

Two-thirds the way through the first draft of Marque of the Son. Hit over 55,000 words today. I’m finding more time to write, so I should be editing by the end of the month. Then it’s off to the beta readers, artwork, then copy edit. Still on track to have the book out early this summer.

The war that started in Off Armageddon Reef is drawing to a close. The Church of God Awaiting’s attempt to destroy the tiny island nation of Charis has proven to be a disaster. Along the way Charis has defeated mighty foes against impossible odds. Along the way, they’ve acquired new allies and new technologies. As the church has lost more and more ground, they’ve become more brutal. People long loyal to the church have died under the direction of the very church they’ve supported.

As the war winds down, it becomes a bitter battle of numbers. Massive armies using civil war level technology grind each other into a bloody pulp. Unknown to the evil church, the enemy has a powerful ally. The cybernetic avatar of a long dead hero. Inside her electric brain, she carries knowledge that could destroy the church. Everything they believe is a lie. Humans once lived among the stars and the anti-technology holy commandments are meant to protect their last colony from a vicious alien enemy.

David Weber continues his epic saga. A enthralling mix of science fiction and fantasy. A technologically depressed world in the far future. Merlin Athrawes and his quest to bring humanity back from the brink of extinction. David tells an involved and politically savvy story about medieval kingdoms. Some will say that he gets too into the minutia, but he keeps readers involved and coming back for more.

#bookreview #fantasy #epicfantasy #sciencefiction #scifi #davidweber

When Remy picks up a book for Sam at a rare books store, she is unprepared for what follows. The book store owner dies the next day and their hotel room is ransacked. Questions arise. What’s so special about a cheap copy of a hard to find book on pirates? As the bodies start piling up, Sam and Remy are determined to get to the bottom of it.

Unfortunately, gunmen beat our favorite husband and wife team to every clue. That leads Sam and Remy to a hard to stomach conclusion. Someone on their team is leaking information to the enemy. Who is it? Why are they doing it? The answers lead them on a globetrotting adventure. One step behind a desperate millionaire with a billion reasons to want Sam and Remy dead.

Those who have read my reviews know that I am a big fan of Clive Cussler. Clive and Robin Burcell weave a pretty good story here, but there are some glaring plot holes in the early chapters. It goes against the tight style that I have come to expect of Clive Cussler collaborations, and took me out of the story. Um, wait, the Sam and Remy Fargo you’ve built up in prior adventures would never fall for so something so obvious. Fortunately, if you can get past the early plot holes, the rest of the book is well put together.

#bookreview #clivecussler #actionadventure

A wonderful collection of short stories, including one set in the Dresden Files universe. The theme is monsters. Every story has a monster as the main character. In true Jim Butcher fashion, every monster is the hero of his own story. A wonderful collection of tortured souls, each in search of some goal to make them whole.

As with any collection, some are good, some are just okay. Most of these stories fall into the great to better than average categories. A worthwhile read for any fan of gritty urban fantasy. And hey, A Jim Butcher short story. You can’t beat that for a fun read.

#bookreview #fantasy #urbanfantasy #jimbutcher

Sam and Remy Fargo are taking a break from treasure hunting. Sort of. A friend of theirs has made an archeological find and has come to them for assistance. The locals won’t go near the site. They believe it’s cursed. With crocodile attacks, civil unrest, and missing children, they may be right.

Things heat up when Sam and Remy start digging into the island’s past. What happened in the remote bay on the other side of the island? Is there any truth to the rumors of giants and monsters? What did the Japanese army do while they controlled Guadalcanal? The search will expose secrets long hidden and a vicious modern day power grab. A plot to seize billions in natural resources, paid with the blood of innocents.

Clive Cussler and Russell Blake do a good job of weaving an excellent adventure novel. Unlike many of Clive Cussler’s novels, where you see things from the villian’s point of view, that is not the case here. There are brief snippets, but the main bad guy remains a mystery until the very end.  A good read for any action adventure fan.

#bookreview #clivecussler #actionadventure