Galloping Around the Cosmos

 

Galloping Around the Cosmos: Memories of TV's Wagon Train to the Stars from Today's Grown-Up Kids by Jim Beard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Where were you when... such and such happened is often a question but do we remember the first time we watched what would become our favourite show or the media that would become a defining aspect of a maturing personality. It's that question that is posed to various "Grown-Up Kids" in terms of Star Trek, a few of these people I know from having read their writing within the franchise, others I know from other aspects of their work and a few well I've never heard of but they we all share that experience of Star Trek making a difference and leaving a mark on who we would become.

I found all the essays to be enlightening, some certainly resonated more than others but each had that personal aspect that makes this sort of collection both entertaining and most satisfying to read.

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Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

 

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was a little late to this party having only heard of the novel a couple of weeks ago over on twitter (see still good for something). I read the post and immediately bought the novel for my kindle and started reading a few days later and I was immediately sucked into the world where an Orc adventurer can have a midlife career change leaving the questing and bounty hunting behind to open a coffee shop in a distant city. The story itself is pretty straight forward as Viv our erstwhile Orc recovers a mysterious "stone" from the body of a fallen foe, using it as a guide she is led to a run down livery stable and using her life savings she begins to transform the building into a coffee house sometime no one has see outside of the Gnome regions. Various people (human and otherwise) gravitate to her offering friendship and services but all it not easy for the wood be entrepreneur, dealing with local gangs and corrupt "police" when you've made a choice to not use your highly efficient sword to cut through the bull***t makes things more difficult. Overall we are offered a very entertaining story full of wonderful characters and with humour and drama aplenty, well worth checking out if you have a taste for fantasy or looking for something that is a little different.

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Faulty Prophet by Karl Beecher

 

Faulty Prophet by Karl Beecher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the second book of the Interstellar Caveman series our "hero" Colin fresh from his time at Saint Barflet’s hospital on the planet Abrama is learning that most if not everyone is out to use him for their own purposes. Waking up from an enforced sleep he finds himself once again captive on a starship insearch of a mysterious item spoken of in prophecy. His "friends" Doctor Tyresa Jak and her android "Ade" are in pursuit with both ships flying directly towards Solo III within the tightly controlled region of space owned by the Transhumanist Collective. The collective was a human offshoot who embraced cybernetic enhancements and have a collective worldview (thank Borg but not quite so intense). There are answers to be found on Solo III and some of them are to questions no one has ever thought to ask, once again Colin thanks to his unique status in the galaxy is the focus of some extreme interest, he's not a fan of this.
Faulty Prophet continues to the tale of Colin who survives more to luck and goodwill than is sustainable yet things do seem to work out for him but not in an outlandish way, the narrative continues to work within the universe that Karl has created making the events entertaining and easy to follow and enjoy. The expansion of the core story also works well and gives us to main focal points the events can revolve around. The second novel is as strong as the first, lots of fun to read and once again making full use of pop culture we can recognise thanks to Colin being well one of us.

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Interstellar Caveman by Karl Beecher

 

Interstellar Caveman by Karl Beecher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well it was one of those days for the mild mannered Colin Douglass, his car was broken into, he lost his job and was informed of the terminal condition he was suffering from. The solution, sell everything and buy a place in a cryogenic facility in the hopes that in due time a cure would be found and he could be unfrozen. Colin survives but awakes to find that things have changed and well it's been a little longer than he imagined, welcome to the future Colin...
Interstellar Caveman was an impulse buy, the blurb sounded interesting and the collection was not expensive, the series comprises of three books and in this first one we learn about Colin as he adjusts to galaxy full of humanity and how as an Earthman he has a target painted on his back from the biggest and most powerful entertainment venue ever conceived. There are plenty of laughs and references to other scifi and pop culture media which I found entertaining and there was a good use of footnotes as well.

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Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes: The Official Biography by Rob Wilkins

 

Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes: The Official Biography by Rob Wilkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This hardback had been sitting on my shelf since it was released, pre-ordered as soon as it was announced and delivered promptly by Amazon. However unlike Shepherd's Crown which I devoured straight away this felt like the end and well we always want to put things off as long as possible. Naturally after reading this incredibly moving, insightful and educational endeavour by Rob Wilkins with the aid of copious notes from Terry and his many friends and family I wish I had opened the book straight away. There is consolation in seeing someone you consider a legend be nothing more than a human being with a few gifts and a drive which can set them apart. The look at Terry as a boy and then a young man laying the groundwork for what was to come was inspirational yet it was all so normal. That doesn't mean anyone could do it, no there was something special about Terry and by extension all those that do wonderful things to benefit themselves and the world and in this book we see aspects of the man's character known only to those closest to him. I was never one to rush to get an autograph and subscribed to the never meet your heroes mindset but Terry was a man who if you caught him at the right time would make things all good and worthwhile if only for those moments you shared while he signed a book.


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Hair Raising by Kevin J. Anderson

 

Hair Raising by Kevin J. Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Trouble is brewing from within the Werewolf community, who knew that those that transform under the full moon would would have issues with those that are werewolves all year around and vice versa but they do and combined with a spate of scalping it looks like the hair will certainly fly. Meanwhile Body Building can now be taken quite literally especially with the 24 hour body part emporium and online stores that will for a price supply whatever you need (documentation and proof of donation supplied). It is the fall out from this new enterprise that is Dan's central case, hired by Coroner Archibald Victor who received some dodgy body parts and is seeking redress Dan finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy with questionable funeral practices and a visit to the Zombie Godfather which is never a good thing.
This third novel in the series is perhaps the most complex so far, lots of plot threads and character storylines which weave amongst themselves before all being wrapped up to a given level of satisfaction for those involved. For the ready, well this was a very entertaining read and lots adventures with the Zombie PI and associates.

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Unnatural Acts by Kevin J. Anderson

 

Unnatural Acts by Kevin J. Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zombie PI Dan Chambeaux returns for his second adventure in the novel "Unnatural Acts" along with his lawyer partner Robin Deyer and all round girl friday Sheyenne (girlfriend and ghost) plus Officer Toby McGoohan his BHF (Best Human Friend). The plea of an escaped Golem brings to light the exploitation of Golems who have been slaving away to produce cheap knick knacks, this in turns reveals a concerted attempt to gentrify areas of the Quarter with big business and organised crime hiding in the shadows. Even worse is Senator Rupert Balfour who is quite happy to stoke up resentment and hatred for all non-humans upto the point of inciting violence and using the confusion and hysteria to get a bill past which can ultimately strip all non-humans of any rights.
Throw in the always complicated aspect of prostitution in the form of the Full Moon Brothel and the ghost of a famous bank robber not to mention the ghost of Harvey Jekyll then Dan and his friends have a lot on their plate none of it as yummy as is served in the 24 hour Ghoul’s Diner.
I'm really beginning to enjoy this series, Dan is a noir character in a setting which is very well constructed and the almost overabundant "monsters" let alone all shades of human will allow for many a tale to be told.

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Death Warmed Over by Kevin J. Anderson

 

Death Warmed Over by Kevin J. Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Welcome to the world of Dan Chambeaux Private Investigator.
After a bizarre sequence of events (The Big Uneasy) the world changed and all the classic monsters and supernatural "terrors" became real, for Dan who had recently been murdered while investigating the death of his girl friend this meant digging himself out of his grave and living his afterlife as a Zombie. Dan being Dan just meant he continued being a PI but now he had his own murder to solve. Of course paying clients are a must have so a Vampire convinced someone is out to get him, a Mummy suing the museum for his freedom, Witches suing a published for poor spell checking on a spell book and various other distractions occupy Dan's day, oh yes the original murder of his girlfriend needs to be solved, fortunately she came back as Ghost and with minor poltergeist powers now works in the office. Life is never dull in the Unnatural Quarter and being dead once doesn't mean it can't happen a second time and well wear and tear for a Zombie is a big issue.
Death Warmed Over is a very satisfying introduction to the world of Dan Chambeaux aka Dan Shamble and the world that Kevin has created to allow his character to play within is fascinating and only begun to be explored. The main characters have a Noir feel to them (Classic PI) and the humour both with the narrative and characterisation comes through strong. This and other stories within the series was part of a Kickstarter reward and it hasn't disappointed, highly recommended.


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Skeleton in the Closet by Kevin J. Anderson

 

Skeleton in the Closet: A Dragon Business Adventure by Kevin J. Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The trial and tribulations of a former Knight and his band of friends who in these hard times live off their reputation of Dragon killers (mostly thanks to well paid Minstrels) and now "con" the well to do with daring deeds to rid their kingdoms and domains of various monsters and other undesirables. After a successful con involving killing a giant water monster the band decide to expand their business and con a King out of a small fortune by creating and selling him an art masterpiece. Alas despite the con initially going well when the Kings rich friends come to the epic unveiling of his latest acquisition the intrusion of an evil Magician and an Orc army kinda spoils the mood. So it is left up to the team to be themselves and save the King and his subjects from being entrees and main courses let along desert for the invaders.
Skeleton in the Closet was a recent Kickstarter project from Kevin and I was happy to back the novel being a long term fan of his writing. While I lean towards his scifi this fantasy based comedic story was a lot of fun with a colourful cast of characters and situations with a narrative that was fast paced and never boring, give it a go.

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Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan

 

Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A plague is running rampant through the felinoid population of Eeiauo and the Federation has sent the Enterprise to aid in treatment and research along with Dr Evan Wilson to handle shipboard duties while McCoy goes planet side. The virus then jumps species and a galactic pandemic is underway but maybe there is hope as Uhura knows some old songs of the Eeiauoan people one of which tells of a disease very much like the "long death" but the final verses are missing. When the song is investigated the Eeiauo doctor rejects the notion that they hold the key to the cure and when evidence points to Eeiauo not being the homeworld of this species the same doctor loses his temper and then collapses. Uhura and Spock through the songs locate a general region of space when the homeworld could be and the Enterprise is sent to find the cure and all prime directives are rescinded.
The story really begins as the landing party make contact with the natives of a world they come to know as Sivao and try to find the cure for a disease but they are considered children in this culture and some things are not told to children.
Uhura's Song is easily one of my favourite Star Trek novels, while Uhura takes center stage as the driving character of the story the majority of the crew get decent coverage and story development. Chekov is well served as well and the inclusion of Dr Evan Wilson as a catalyst is inspired both within the crew of the Enterprise and the people of the camp they find themselves in. The Sivao natives are also well developed and offer plenty of range in character traits/types which allow for full development and thus a satisfying pay off.
Highly recommended for any fan of the original series.

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Aftershock by Joshua Dalzelle

 

Aftershock by Joshua Dalzelle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Team Obsidian return and are tasked with uncovering the specifics behind the trafficking of aliens and a significant amount of humans from worlds across our part of the galaxy. Information provided by Omega Force as well as various government and underworld contacts led them towards a high level well organised operation under the auspices of the Cridal Cooperative. Investigating a private human owned mining facility in a far off solar system Obsidian find all the workers missing as well as two bodies, this leads to the team chasing down threads and fully understanding that with the fall of the Confed the galaxy is going to get more dangerous as the rule of law and the enforcement of treaties wanes.
Aftershock picked up the plot threads from previous novels in the series and from recent Omega Force novels and we are thrown into a cat and mouse chase with known and unknown entities from Earth and beyond. We follow the team as once again they throw themselves into a very entertaining adventure with mystery and action requiring some resourceful solutions all against the big picture that has been evolving from when we were first introduced to this "universe" by Joshua. A top notch addition to the Terran Scout Fleet series which does stand alone from the Omega Force novels but both series certainly benefit from each other. Highly recommend military scifi.

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The Final Reflection by John M. Ford

 

The Final Reflection by John M. Ford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Returning once again to a favoured TOS paperback from way back in the day when things like continuity and canon were secondary to telling a good tale.

The Final Reflection for the most part takes place before the original series at the time of the first diplomatic exchange with the Klingons and the Federations first Babel conference. It pretty much deals with events from the Klingon point of view and the main character we follow from a boy to a starship commander is Vreen aka Kreen. In the time of Kirk the final reflection refers to a book recently published which is reported by Starfleet and vested interests to be inaccurate and features information declassified and from unconfirmed sources many of whom have passed away.
I'm not sure how much of the plot I can go into without ruining the story even though canon wise it's very wide of the mark but I have to admit I do like this interpretation of the early Klingon / Federation interaction and the fact that as with the best of Trek the "enemies" of the UFP are very much cut from the same cloth. There are no real manic/sociopathic bad guys in this story, there are only those who see events a little differently and are in their own story doing what is necessary and that works so well for this novel.
You will forget you are following a Klingons story and become invested in his failures and successors of Kreen and the people that orbit him but as with Kirk after he reads the book you have to wonder just how much of the "official" history is accurate, after all no one better than Kirk knows how one person can change the course of a civilsation.

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All for All by Christopher G. Nuttall

 

All for All by Christopher G. Nuttall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third novel is the Cast Adrift series (All for All) continues the story of Earth and its people after being thrown to the metaphorical galactic wolves when the Alphans surprisingly granted Earth its freedom. It turned out that while being under the thumb of the preeminent power in the galaxy may have limited freedom and opportunity it also prevented some very nasty races from looking at Earth as an easy prize. An unexpected victory over the Pashtali within the solar system cost Earth much of its space faring hulls and trained personnel but the Pashtali has resources that rival any of the Galactic Powers and to win this war will take more the firepower. Humanity if nothing else is versatile and imaginative, proving the Pashtali could be beaten may be enough to swing support from fellow "lesser powers" be it in ships or economic support and with that intent targets are selected to maintain the pressure on the Pashtali and swing Galactic opinion in the favour of Earth.
All for All is a strong third novel in the series, Earth is well into the fire and clawing its way around in hopes of gaining traction and we see how our main characters handle the pressure be it from the newly appointed First Admiral Naomi Yagam to the Captain of a spy ship who worries for his children one of which has chosen his own path in the Solar Marines. There is more than enough space combat as well as a look into some of the political issues both within the Earth government and with the ambassadors of both Greater and Lesser powers. Overall a very enjoyable read which is paced well and never lets the readers interest wander.

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The Funny Business by Kevin J. Anderson

 

The Funny Business by Kevin J. Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once again my reading list is expanded thanks to authors kickstarting projects with previous work as perks. The Funny Business book was a perk of the recent Dan Shamble kickstarter and it was exactly what I expected in that it's cover to cover short storytelling across a wide range of subjects including the aforementioned Dan Shamble as well as some skewed looks at classic cinema tropes and themes. Recommended if you are new to Kevins work or like me you have read his scifi epic The Saga of the Seven Suns or his significant contribution to Dune.


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Redshirts by John Scalzi

 

Redshirts by John Scalzi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is there a kiss of death for lowly officers or crewman assigned to the UU Intrepid?
Well the ship under the command of Captain Lucius Abernathy does have a regrettable reputation of losing officers and crewmen in spectacular ways yet somehow the main bridge crew and command staff always seem to survive. If this sounds familiar then yes in this Universe there was a show called Star Trek where the joke became anyone in a red shirt and on a landing party (away mission) probably wouldn't last long, often making sure the command staff (aka stars of the tv show) could make it home. Could a tv show from centuries ago being influencing events in the real world, is it possible that if an extra dies on the show before the first ad break then his or her doppelganger is destined for the same fate....
Redshirts is a novel I have long enjoyed reading, a few years back there were strong rumours of a television production but nothing came of it yet you read this novel you have got to think it would fit in with "new" Trek and The Orville mindsets. The novel is very funny and has an edge that John brings to all of his work, being a scifi fan and specifically Trek will certainly help which may dent its appeal to the general audience, if that is you then give it a go, you will enjoy it.

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Awakened by Joshua James

 

Awakened by Joshua James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The fourth novel in this series "Awakened" takes a bit of a departure in format from the first three. We learn that the cooperation between nations to fight off the Alien threat has not been maintained and alas scientific research using a portal to explore worlds has gone spectacularly wrong and threatens Earth and numerous other worlds. The Photosynthians arrange a number of teams comprised of two individuals each and they are sent off world to reclaim the deadly canisters that could destroy the biosphere of any world they are opened upon and the clock is ticking.
We then follow each team on their chosen world from start to finish, for example Mission One follows Vasko and a new character Corporal Queens who encounter giant crab like creatures while other missions/teams have to handle time manipulation, alien beings with robots and the dangers of the asteroid belt plus much more. I really did like following each team as they handled their tasks, I suspect the complexity of weaving six elements would have been chaotic and confusing if merged into a single narrative so thumbs up from this reader.

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Codex Alera by Jim Butcher

Codex Alera

by Jim Butcher

Furies of Calderon

Academ's Fury

Cursor's Fury

Captain's Fury

Princeps' Fury

First Lord's Fury

The Codex Alera is a six novel series set in a world not of our own which is dominated by what we would consider to be a mirror or the Roman Empire but in this case with added "powers" in terms of Furies. It is said that a few thousand years ago a Legion of Romans (along with camp followers and logistics) appeared in this realm, their knowledge of war allowed them to survive in a very dangerous world and ultimately to become the dominant species. The Furies were elemental manifestations of almost all things in the realm (think The Force) but in many cases made physical, why throw someone through the air when you can manifest a giant bear to do the same for you, this "crafting" gave some incredible powers but all Alerans' could access these forces, well all but one. It is during the final few years of the reign of First Lord Gaius Sextus and after the death of his only heir that rivals rise to contest his control of the realm, the first major attack is by the Marat who in a joint venture with an Aleran Lord strike at the Calderon valley, its destruction would signal weakness in the First Lord and perhaps allow an opening to depose him.

As it turns out the Calderon valley is saved by the bravery and maybe foolishness of a young shepherd (apprentice at that) named Tavi who well let's say has some spectacular good luck to go hand in hand with his courage.

The following five novels follow Tavi and his associates through his schooling, military service and his rise to become the fulcrum that the Alerans survival and many other races in this world. 

The Codex Alera is a wonderful series, I make a point to read these novels at least once a year and while The Dresden Files is right up there is terms of entertainment it is this series I rate just that little bit higher, maybe because it is self contained with it's strong beginning and steady growth through out. Highly recommended 

The Creed by Andrew Maclure

 

The Creed: Book 4 in the Unwilling From Earth series by Andrew Maclure
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The fourth novel in the Unwilling From Earth series focuses on the increased, brutal and murderous activity of the Outcasts and the strange correlation between them and the movements of the Creed who are very much anti Outcast. Mark (Friend of the People) and Sah Lee (Sally) who commands the pre-eminent independent army send an undercover trio of people to investigate the Creed in an attempt to identify the link and then to take action.
The basic plot of this novel is pretty straight forward as Mark and Mike go undercover as soulmates whose relationship needs some polish which they hope to attain from within the Creed with guidance from its spiritual leader Den T’an. Along with them goes a sort of galactic youtuber called Renny Hilmar Bev (The Explorer) who has a travel type documentary show and provides a known presence the mission can be hung upon. What the find is acceptance and on the surface the Creed seems to be as advertised, there is a strong spiritual unity amongst those who travel on the Creed ship but also some areas that are sealed with little or no camera/security coverage which begs the question is the Creed all that it appears.
If you have read any of the previous novels then you know Mike and Mark are best friends but to people that don't know them their relationship is volatile to say the least, going undercover as soulmates certainly puts a strain on them especially Mike who doesn't have the usual outlets to vent her need for expressive and violent outbursts (again after spending a lot of time with Mark). However the mystery of the Creed and Outcasts provides plenty of good solid storytelling and the introduction of more intelligent races and individuals from races we've met before adds significantly to the whole world building. I enjoyed this novel a lot more than the last one perhaps because of the smaller more focused narrative but don't worry there is plenty of conflict in the story both on the ground in space which adds a more frantic pace and flavour to the whole.



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Phoenix Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido

 

Phoenix Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The native population of Cliff's End continue to adjust to the new social dynamic after the significant influx of people from Barlin, the new Phoenix Precinct is open and attempting to counter both small and large crimes within the communities but an underlying unease continues to grow fuelled by criminal and racially motivated interests. Tuchera who once owned and operated a landscape business in Barling with 15 employees is now desperate enough to take any job offered to help feed his family, this leads him to a dark corner of the city one night and his death at the hands of 4 masked individuals sprouting racial slurs. Lieutenant Torin ban Wyvald and Lieutenant Danthres Tresyllione are on the case and find a disturbing amount of casual hatred of the refugees and a corresponding distrust of authority from the Barlins which makes the investigation even more complex. However Torin and Danthres are not the two best detectives in the city state for nothing and together they will solve the crime and uncover levels of conspiracy that will shock everyone.
Phoenix Precinct was once again a Kickstarter born novel (now sold retail) and continues the excellent narrative of Cliff's End and its police force. The main protagonists continue to entertain and the procedural elements of the story provide a compelling story and backdrop to the character building and interaction. A recommended novel within a must read series.

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A Warship Named Sky 2: The Last Hero by Saxon Andrew

 

A Warship Named Sky 2: The Last Hero by Saxon Andrew
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A galaxy at peace with itself, some would call that a miracle but hundreds of worlds and billions of beings lost their lives in the conflicts which were the brutal learning curve required before three unique and heroic beings changed how things were done. Now a threat from outside the galaxy is revealed, the birth of mistrust, paranoia and the easy access to planet killing weaponry could kick start the cycle again but thankfully one of the three heroes is still "alive" and seeks out companions to once again look for solutions and more importantly ask the right questions to the right people.
The sequel to A Warship Named Sky is like the original a very easy read, a nice mix of characters who don't differ too greatly from those of the first novel but it has to be said they continue to be of interest and while I could say it's just more of the same in this case that isn't a bad thing.


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Mermaid Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido

 

Mermaid Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Catching up with the characters prior to reading the latest novel in the series.

I've had the pleasure of reading the Precinct novels by Keith R.A. DeCandido for many years so when this latest novel was launched via kickstarter way back when it was an easy sell to contribute and patiently wait for the results, it was worth the wait.
The demise of the city state of Barlin has drastically increased the number of people living in Cliff's End and pushing the city guard beyond their limits. The Lord and Lady of the city have allowed the creation of new precincts and an increase in manpower although not enough and the pressure to keep the peace only increases when the undercurrent of tension explodes and leaves a man murdered. To complicate matters the Pirate Queen is also dead, believed murdered and Lieutenant Danthres Tresyllione and her partner Torin ban Wyvald investigate.
Mermaid Precinct builds successfully on the novels that preceded it taking the well constructed locations within Cliff's End and the people there in and adding the complexities as the native population have to absorb a significant influx of refugees which bring about shortages in all areas including jobs and a clash of cultures even over as something as trivial as beverage choice. The Pirate Queen plot is a more traditional who done it as we learn about the delicate balance this woman did her work including risking her ship and crew to save the half breed children destined to die simply for existing. This also allows us to learn more about Danthres but even here we see the clash of expectations and prejudice rise to colour the investigation.
A very worthy addition to the Precinct novels and while you do not have to read them in any order to enjoy them there is certainly a benefit in picking up the first novel (Dragon Precinct) and going from there, not forgetting the short stories that bridge the gaps between the novels.

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Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

While it was on offer from Zavvi I decided to buy myself a 4K copy of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

While nothing compares to the Errol Flynn version of the take this was not a bad effort and the boxset is certainly worth the price I paid.

 

Heroic: The Golden Age by Evan Currie

 

Heroic: The Golden Age by Evan Currie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Heroic: The Golden Age is in actuality the fourth novel in the Superhuman series which began back in 2018. In this novel five years have passed since the alien probe "infected" humanity and brought about the rise of super powered individuals. Alas the effects are biased towards those with violent and aggressive tendencies meaning the war between "Hero" and "Villians" to put it in comic book terms is woefully one sided. Nevertheless the man who was known as The Marine fought valiantly but has not been seen publicly for five years and things have only gotten worse despite government backed enhanced law enforcement (LEO's) and huge leaps in technology to fight those that use their gifts for criminal and antisocial purposes. The main narrative of this novel is the siege of New York as a mob war between the Mafia and Russian groups explodes as enhanced goons come into play and the victors strengthen their hold on the city thanks to being able to "create" on demand their enhanced "soldiers" some of which have talents well beyond being able to fly or throw a car across the street.
Against this background we focus on two young people, Novah Isabella Islay who is new to the area and very intelligent especially in the sciences and Devin Meeran who has a gift for coding and an obsession with Superhumans and his streaming channel. Not an obvious couple but fate has things in store for them as the war for possession of New York raws around them and super powered fall one by one along with hundreds of police, national guard and civilians.
I was delighted when this fourth novel came out, I'd enjoyed the first three but upon reading I was sceptical if a novel without the main character from the first three would keep my interest. Without any doubt it did, I really did not want this novel to finish as the characters across the spectrum were all well written and interesting to follow with some creative events going on as the world watch New York once again come under the pressure of historic and tragic events.

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A Warship Named Sky: A Hero's Story by Saxon Andrew

 

A Warship Named Sky: A Hero's Story by Saxon Andrew
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed this low key scifi story set well into the future of humanity after two aggressive nations took their wars to the stars and were promptly stomped on by the galactic community. The result an Earth united under a world government with trading ties to other worlds. We meet Angle Barrett soon after he loses the love of his wife (Sunny) and two years later he opens the last gift she bought him, a small model spaceship which was to signify their desire to travel to the stars together. Angle decides to search for a real spaceship matching this model and after jumping through some hoops the "unflyable" ship is sitting in his backyard. He dives into research and believes the ship which is hundreds of years old may have been from the almost mythical race known as the Sorjourn and that is where his adventure really begins.
I found the novel a very easy read, it flows quickly and smoothly and the narrative builds in a very well written manner as Angle is exposed to greater threats and circumstances that would have been the death of him without his interaction with significant others. I was surprised how invested I become in Angle and the other two characters the are part of the "Hero Story" and truth be told the ups and downs hit me dead center, I was wiping my eyes far more times than even with media that sets out to tug out the heart strings. Overall a very comfortable read with an engrossing story and likeable characters and at spine that has an old Trek feel about it in which looking for answers is often more rewarding that using force to remove an obstacle.

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Spock's World by Diane Duane

 

Spock's World by Diane Duane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Spock's World is easily one of my top five Star Trek novels, I own a rather battered hardback copy of the novel and as an ebook and have read it more times than I probably should but it is really that good. In this novel we get the main storyline which deals with the Vulcan population considering pulling out of the Federation, a global debate is imminent and people from all walks are invited to debate the proposition in front of the Vulcan people. As you would expect all our favourite characters get their time under the spotlight and we get many secondary characters playing major roles as the story unfolds. In addition to this main story we get a number of secondary elements dealing with aspects of Vulcan from the birth of their star system, their evolution into sentience, Surak, Sarek and many other aspects which add so much more to the Vulcan that we knew so little about from the tv series.
Personally I simply love reading about the birth of the first Vulcan language and the experience of wonder as the world is opened to a single vulcan who looks beyond what he can see and is determined to face the unknown. The "Forge" a huge desert where life is forever lived on the edge provides the backdrop to a chilling story of passion and anger and underlines how known Vulcan physical traits played their part in the history of its people. The story of the political/economic and eugenic aspects of the vulcan society seen through the interaction of two of the main "houses" on the verge of a major space exploitation project is beautiful and sorrowful to read but reveals so much of what Vulcan was before Surak. As for Surak his story is wondrous and inspiring and his revelation after seeing an antimatter weapon used on Vulcan's sister planet shows how near the edge these people were before Surak brought sanity to his people. Finally Sarek a master of computer tech posted to the Vulcan embassy on Earth and his rise as an attache finally as ambassador and his meeting to one Amanda Grayson. There is a lot more in the novel, some of which has been expanded upon in other works by Diane but overall the structure of this book is perfection giving you a great core story with to coin a phrase "fascinating" looks into Vulcan society. Spock's World is a must read for any original series Star Trek fan but sits apart as Vulcan and its people have been portrayed significantly different in recent tv and film and for me at least those recent stories and insights failed to love upto what Diane created for her readers.

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First Strike by Christopher G. Nuttall

 

First Strike by Christopher G. Nuttall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Earth was alone or so they thought until they were visited by a member of the most advanced race in the galaxy and provided with technology and materials along with a warning, their existence would soon become known and to survive humanity would have to unite or suffer the consequences. Years later the Earth once again faces a very real threat, the race known as the Hegemony can expand in only one direction and they have already occupied one human colony world and humanities status as a minor race could see the Hegemony being allowed to simply take Earth and its colonies with the full support of the major races in the galaxy. Faced with ever shrinking options the leaders of Earth opt for a military first strike to retake their lost colony, the goal is to drive the aliens back to gain status and recognition maybe even allies amongst the major races. A daring roll of the dice for if the very small Federation Military fail, Earth will at best become a colony at worst removed from the stars.
First Strike was a very entertaining military scifi novel, I liked the galaxy as painted by Christopher with a very organised number of races under the umbrella of the a race which helped to raise them to their place amongst the stars. We get some political aspects in play both from humanity and the alien races, lots of space pew pew and ground missions with some pirate action thrown in. Overall a very satisfying standalone scifi novel.

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Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2022 - Robert Greenberger

 

Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2022 by Robert Greenberger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just finished the latest Thrilling Adventures Yarns (2022 Edition) once again funded through Kickstarter and edited by Robert Greenberger (also contributes a story) and again came away thoroughly entertained. Granted I liked some of the stories more than others but I enjoyed all of them especially that moment before starting each one when you are not sure what you are going to get more so from authors who you are very familiar with. The stories span across a number of well used genres so there is literally something for everyone but again it's difficult not to like the stories on offer from detective dramas within the "real" world or with a supernatural leaning or something out of the myth/legend given a spin you wouldn't see coming, also, some great artwork. As usual you will have one or two that resonate and for me that would be The Ghosts of War by Steven Savile and Riding in Cars with Girls by Geoffrey Thorne. Highly recommended anthology, infact why not pick up all the editions of the series, I won't lead you wrong.



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Limited Edition Kobayashi Maru Medallion

Limited Edition Kobayashi Maru Medallion

I picked up this little beauty from Fanattik the other day, it wasn't overly expensive and while not that big it is heavy and feels like you are getting a lot of value. 

 

From Beyond by Jasper T. Scott & Nathan Hystad

 

From Beyond by Jasper T. Scott & Nathan Hystad
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Are we alone, well the answer could be the non-human craft that is drifting through the solar system on a trajectory towards the sun. Its existence is a very closely kept secret which includes repurposing an upcoming Mars supply mission led by Commander David Bryce. The potential future of the human race is put into his and his crews hands (after signing a very one sided NDA) and along for the ride is a covert assassin known as Dark Three. Meanwhile on Earth a desperate and lethal search for evidence of a some sort of crashed object has a man known as Atlas travelling across Asia chased by killers and maybe some US military associated elements, could the Mars mission and this trail of evidence be linked...
From Beyond is from authors I've read before and while overall the novel (first in a series) entertained it lacked a little something which for me precludes reading book two. The Earth based narrative couldn't hold my interest when compared to the space based one and the second novel "Signal" looks like it will lean towards the former. This is certainly not a poor novel by any means, some good characters and like I said the space based aspect was very good, it still gets a solid mark but this series isn't for me.

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Three Time Travelers Walk Into... by Ian Randal Strock & Michael A. Ventrella

 

Three Time Travelers Walk Into... by Michael A. Ventrella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Three Time Travelers Walk Into... was a successful Kickstarter funded project created by Ian Randal Strock and edited by Michael A. Ventrella and offers up a multitude of stories which have to simply build upon a seed idea of three well known individuals from different time frames interacting. From that simple premise we get eighteen tales of mystery, humour, adventure and well many other genres and hand on heart I enjoyed them all. As a Trek fan I really liked "The Man Who Broke Time" by David Gerrold but my favourite was probably "The Adventure of the Confounded Writer" by Jonathan Maberry.
I can not recommend this anthology enough, some very clever and imaginative writing and well I want them to sell lots of copies so maybe we can get more.

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Lineage by Joshua James

 

Lineage by Joshua James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unexpected alliances have been formed as humanity fights for its very survival as the balance of power tips precariously between those the seeded the universe and those that wish to use the power of the Stellar Key and Sparks to dominate and control life everywhere it is found. The conflict moves on to Titan and an "abandoned" Chinese facility but on Earth there is an almost unreal dash to gain the power the the planets spark and key offer despite the utter foolishness of that desire. Thankfully the bloodlines of the original defenders/protectors of these gifts are still active and there are those prepared to defend life and the Earth regardless of the cost to themselves.
Lineage really ramps up the threat to life across the universe in a macro form centered in the solar system as multiple vested interests fight to obtain, deny or destroy the power the Stellar Keys and Sparks present. We continue to follow the core characters but with get a major influx of Earth based people and their story rivals what we've been presented with so far and expands the narrative by leaps and bounds. Looking forward to the fourth novel in the series "The Creed" which is due out March 2023.


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Cascade by Joshua James

 

Cascade by Joshua James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The catastrophic events surrounding Saturn and on its moon Enceladus has far reaching consequences, the military conflict between factions of humanity raises tensions on Earth but the arrival of an alien starship and their own goals has really caused a rethinking of mankind's place in the cosmos. Carpenter Lowell and Peter Chang now "captive" onboard the alien ship are privy to many of the secrets humankind have been unaware of and maybe just maybe our place in the universe may finally unify us to make the right decision when dealing with the Stellar Key and the Spark that is at the core of Earth and so many other worlds.
Cascade is the second novel in the series and continues the quite impressive world building (quite literally) that is at the core of Joshua's story. Our two main protagonists continue to be entertaining and handle the dire situations they find themselves in often with a healthy amount of luck. The scope of the narrative is definitely impressive and offers up an intriguing look at alien contact with humanity. Overall a strong second novel with the third already on my kindle.

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Artifact by Joshua James

 

Artifact by Joshua James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The year is 2219 BCE in the kingdom of Ur-An in Mesopotamia. The King of all things looks to the heavens were ships from the depths of space are attacking and his calls for help from the other visitors who gave him knowledge and gifts go unanswered. Faced with the end of all things (from his point of view) the most precious object on Earth is sent away to be hidden and protected but this is not the end of the story nor the beginning.
I've read some of Joshua's work before so was more than willing to begin a new series (Saturn's Legacy which is currently three books and one due soon). Well the beginning of Artifact was different but we soon learn that humanity has had contact with alien intelligence for generations and the secrets of that contact continue to Mars and beyond. It is infact Mars where we meet the central character of Carpenter Lowell who is a member of the US Space Corp assigned to protect a science project which alas ends poorly and then some time later Lowell is assigned to Enceladus (Moon of Saturn) to babysit another science project but his past catches up to him and he finds himself in the middle of a mystery that has been hidden for thousands but will soon be revealed as various military powers race to uncover the secrets.
This was a strong start to the series of novels, as I said the beginning through me but adds the foundation the series requires to build upon as events take place in the near future. There is plenty of action, lots of well developed characters and the beginning of some solid narrative which will take us forward, highly recommended.

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A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

 

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the city of Riverbraid both the weak and powerful folk who can harness magics are welcome, the warrior wizards serve the army while hundreds of others whose talents are small and varied live perfectly normal lives under the protection of the Duchess and the Council. However wizards are now being killed and when young Mona (a wizard who has a talent for dough and bread) discovers the body of a young woman in the bakery she is thrust into the mystery that puts her life at risk as well as every soul in the city. Well I wasn't sure what this book was going to be, the blurb sounded fun and while it may be aimed at the younger reader I enjoyed the story and the characters as well as the scope of the story from smalltime street levels events to the larger political and military aspects of the city itself. Highly recommended for someone looking for something a little different or maybe a youngster who expects their stories to have a bit more meat on the bone and have consequences.

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Prodigals by Alan Dean Foster

 

Prodigals by Alan Dean Foster
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First contact is here and arrangements are made for a number for groups of people (with certain skills and capabilities) to meet the "aliens" in specific places across the globe. Devali Mukherjee is chosen to be part of the American group who meet the alien craft near Lake Surprise in Texas. The aliens make demands hand in hand with some threats but during a subsequent meeting the humans are allowed to visit the alien mothership but with no explanation the aliens declare an emergency and their ship leaves orbit and accelerates out of the solar system. Devali and his companions are now faced with understanding multiple aliens species who inhabit the ship as well as trying to understand the situation they are in with little help it seems for returning to Earth their survival may depend upon them being useful to the ship.
Prodigals is not a large and complex novel, the story is pretty compact but the scope is almost limitless. We are introduced to a good group of central characters which sets the narrative on a solid footing and offsets the fantastical nature of first contact and aliens who like humans are not all cut from the same cloth. A solid novel with a few surprising twists and revelations which are most satisfying.


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Omega Force: Unleashed by Joshua Dalzelle

 

Omega Force: Unleashed by Joshua Dalzelle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Omega Force returns to its roots or getting back into Robin Hood mode as the team take on what appears to be a small time low profit job to aid in the exposure, suppression and extreme prejudice of a sentient being trafficking operation. As the existing structure of the this part of the galaxy collapses and law enforcement becomes a thing of the past the dark nature of sentients is emerging and part of this is the kidnapping and selling of being both old and young for simple labour tasks or more darker desires. This 14th novel feels a little "lighter" than those previously as it seems to be setting up a new chapter in the lives of the crew and in many ways this story is very different to the "machine" led narrative we've had for a few novels but when you get down to it we still have Omega Force kicking ass for all the right reasons. Of course not everything fits smoothly back into place, the team are out of practice dealing with threats with little back up and to put it bluntly they are not as young as they used to be. Omega Force Unleashed is a new beginning and there are a lot of situations to flesh out and explore in the next few novels, this should be a lot of fun.

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A Time for Freedom by Daniel Arenson

 

A Time for Freedom by Daniel Arenson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The warships and Marines of an united humanity along with allied sentient races who have felt the wrath of the Rah continue to defend Earth at a terrible cost but there is hope as intelligence is gathered on the Arakavish solar system. The risk of striking at the heart of the empire is high but a defence lead agenda will mean the end of humanity and thus the decision is made, the only way to save humanity and her allies is fly into the spider's web but even then that may not be enough.
The final novel in the Starship Freedom series is tasked with offering a viable narrative to conclude this intergalactic war, it doesn't really succeeded although not for the want of trying. Daniel puts an awful lot of action into this novel and while the combat is as good as always it all seemed just a little too much. Without spoiling anything the story did hit some solid emotional points which is always a good thing when you are supposed to become invested in long running characters but a few things that were happening I couldn't quite accept and a few others I think needed fleshing out a little. All said though the series as a whole was entertaining and fun to read, lots of action and some great characters to follow through out, highly recommended if light military scifi is your thing.

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Stingray

Stingray

I've been looking for a good model of Stingray for a while and the best is well too expensive so I find this little model on ebay and well it does look very nice so job done. 

The Guns of Freedom by Daniel Arenson

 

The Guns of Freedom by Daniel Arenson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A reborn Freedom has portaled back to the Solar System and to the ongoing Rah invasion led by The Atrocity along with thousands of Rah and Arachtaur warships. The combined Alliance, Desert Thorns and Red Dawn fleets along with numerous vessels from other nations are bathed in blood as they attempt to protect Earth but for the first time in its history every soul is reaching for one goal, the survival of humanity. Admiral King soon realises that a defensive stance will never protect Earth, the Rah fleet is simply too large even if spread across this part of the galaxy, it's only a matter of time before another five thousands ships could be sent to destroy Earth. The only long term solution is to hit the Arakavish Empire at its heart, they know where it is, the have stealth recon ability and now the means to portal directly there. Operation Gaia's Flame is given the green light.
The Guns Of Freedom was pretty much none stop action with theatres of war in the solar system and the Achernar system. The description of the alien star system was very well done, it made me think of what we saw in Star Trek with a Borg system but more fluid and dynamic. We are getting some good character set pieces (something Daniel has always done) but they seem more important now as life and death is figuratively at times a flip of a coin. We're nearing the end of this grand adventure, still lots to do but this novel lays down the groundwork.




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In Pursuit of Freedom by Daniel Arenson

 

In Pursuit of Freedom by Daniel Arenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The dreadnaught Freedom now the last surviving member of the human fleet sent to find allies against the Rah encounters the last of the Aeolian race. What the humans find is not exactly what they expected but first contact is certainly more positive then with the Rah's. This novel is quite easily the best of the series, the introduction of this new element takes over reducing the reliance on oft repeated space battle and ship based narrative allowing the author to stretch himself. The result is a very entertaining look at humanity meeting a new sentient race and having to deal with suspicion and caution from the other side as well as from their own. The Aeolians themselves were an inspired creation by Daniel and I kinda loved one of them embracing nicknames and calling the Admiral "Bully Dog". Overall a good addition to the series which if I am honest needed a little kick in the pants.

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Failure Mode by Craig Alanson

 

Failure Mode by Craig Alanson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Failure Mode is the final novel in the Expeditionary Force series which started so long ago with the awesome Columbus Day which for me begin my enjoyment of Skippy and the Merry Band of Pirates.
Alas we know from all forms of media closing a long running series is always difficult, you have an informed fanbase with so many expectations and opinions and rarely do you satisfy everyone.
For my sins I can not give this novel a respectable rating, it didn't fulfill my expectations but overall the series has been magnificent and this final installment has not significantly affected my willingness to recommend the Expeditionary Force novels to anyone looking for science fiction set in our current timeframe with humour and plenty of the fantastic.
Let's be honest though, if you've invested in Craig's story for so long you are going to read this book and may many indeed come away happy but more than anything I am grateful for a very enjoyable experience over the years and look forward to the spin off which will focus on the Ethics & Compliance Office and specifically Uhtavio Scorandum.


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Jaws Movie Poster 3D

JAWS

One of the my all time favourite movies is "Jaws" the original summer blockbuster that changed the way Hollywood looked at marketing and release schedules not to mention really cementing the reputation of a young Steven Spielberg. I've owned the movie on a number of formats as well as back in my youth having the movie poster on my wall thanks I recall it being part of a movie magazine I read back then. Now movie merchandising needs to grab my attention at this certainly did...

I had a little space on a shelf so what the hell, I've also added a LED backlight, alas no flickering but it kinda looks nice when lit up. I'm sure someone with some skill and technical knowledge could go to town with sound effects, music and various lighting effects.