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.

View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.



View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.



View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews