Tag: science fiction

Book Review: Best of All Worlds, by Kenneth Oppel

Image belongs to Scholastic.

Title: Best of All Worlds   
Author: Kenneth Oppel         
Genre: Thriller, sci-fi  
Rating: 2.5

Xavier Oaks doesn’t particularly want to go to the cabin with his dad and his dad’s pregnant new wife, Nia. But family obligations are family obligations, and it’s only for a short time. So he leaves his mom, his brother, and his other friends behind for a week in the woods. Only… one morning he wakes up and the house isn’t where it was before. It’s like it’s been lifted and placed… somewhere else.

When Xavier, his dad, and Nia go explore, they find they are inside a dome, trapped. And there’s no one else around…

Until, three years later, another family arrives.

Is there any escape? Is there a reason they are stuck where they are? Different people have different answers — and those different answers inexorably lead to tension, strife, and sacrifice.

This was mediocre at best. The author’s political/personal bias was glaringly on display…most white people are apparently evil in his mind, not to mention narrow-minded, backwards, and prone to conspiracy theories. (As are Americans in general, apparently.) There honestly didn’t seem much point to this, and all the characters were one-dimensional. Decidedly not thrilling.

Kenneth Oppel is from Canada. Best of All Worlds is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Scholastic in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:   The Metempsychosis Collection, by Nicholas Conley

Image belongs to Nicholas Conley.

Title:  The Metempsychosis Collection  
Author: Nicholas Conley         
Genre:  Science fiction       
Rating:  5 out of 5

The Metempsychosis Collection is a puzzle of seven pieces. As metempsychosis is the transmigration of the soul after death, these snapshots of startling, wondrous, and terrifying moments show a human race perpetually weighed down by pain and loss, yet forever grasping at the stars with hope and aspiration. In each tale, lives are touched, changed, and reshaped. A woman surrounded by her loved ones is faced with a sudden crisis beyond her mortal comprehension. The dawn of real-life super-powered individuals—and the devastation they are capable of—remolds not just the shape of society, but even the most intimate of relationships. The collision of perfect cutting-edge technology against imperfect human memory brings the dead closer to us even as it pushes them further away. A trucker drives into the night with no clear destination, tormented by the mysterious, unearthly cargo that drives her. A sick man ponders his legacy as he struggles not to succumb to an ancient, incurable extraterrestrial disease. Two childhood friends, bonded by hardship, are ripped apart by the most fantastic — yet horrific — discovery of their lives. And finally, an ambitious scientist, following her passions, must escape a prehistoric miracle that threatens the life of her pregnant wife.

Every new beginning closes a book from the past, and every ending opens another. The wheel turns. The world spins. And for every death, there is an awakening.

I don’t usually read science fiction or short story collections, but Nicholas Conley’s writing always manages to pull me in, no matter what. Each of these stories captured my interest and had me eager to find out what happened next. For me, short stories make it hard for me to connect with the characters, but that wasn’t a problem here. These characters were all sympathetic and interesting enough to keep me engaged—and I read this entire collection in one sitting. I think the last story was my favorite. Who doesn’t like a good dinosaur tale?

Nicholas Conley lives in New Hampshire. The Metempsychosis Collection is his newest book.

(Galley courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Somewhere in the Deep, by Tanvi Berwah

Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

Title: Somewhere in the Deep  
Author: Tanvi Berwah     
Genre:  Scifi, YA    
Rating:  3.5 out of 5

Seventeen-year-old Krescent Dune is buried under the weight of her dead parents’ debt and the ruinous legacy they left behind. The only way she can earn enough money to escape her unforgiving island is by battling monstrous creatures in an underground fighting pit. After a fight goes terribly wrong, she’s banned from the pits. Now hopeless, she is offered a deal: in exchange for the erasure of her debts, she must join and protect a hunting party for a rescue mission deep within the mining caves beneath the island.

Krescent is determined to keep her head down and fulfill her role as the dutiful bodyguard, even though she is trapped underground with her childhood enemy and a company of people who would gladly kill her if they knew who her parents were. As they come across creatures she believed only existed in legends, it becomes clear they are in far more danger than she could have imagined. But someone doesn’t want her to make it out alive. And she’ll have to figure out who before she’s left alone… in the dark.

I enjoyed this author’s first novel, Monsters Born and Made, but this one felt quite a bit more jumbled and chaotic. I loved Kress and Rivan and their friendship/potential for more, but I felt bombarded with new characters, new cultures, new historical “facts” that hadn’t even been mentioned in passing but were new suddenly key plot elements—deus ex machina. It just didn’t feel like a cohesive story, more like the author was grasping at straws.

Would a character and his culture, who had lived underground for generations in the dark and previously thought of as myth, really be able to speak coherently to surface dwellers able to use technology? I highly doubt it. But an inability to communicate didn’t work for the story, so they could—perfectly, no less—and there was no explanation for that bit of nonsense.

Tanvi Berwah graduated from the University of Delhi. Somewhere in the Deep is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Starter Villain, by John Scalzi   

Image belongs to Tor.

Title: Starter Villain   
Author: John Scalzi    
Genre: Scifi    
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Charlie’s life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.

Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.

But becoming a supervillain isn’t all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they’re coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.

It’s up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.

In a dog-eat-dog world…be a cat.

The snark and sarcasm in this made me laugh. And, of course, the cats. Because who doesn’t love super intelligent cats? This was a solid read, if you’re looking for pure entertainment in a not-believable premise. It was entertaining and creative and an easy, quick read. Pure fun, but not a lot of depth. And the dolphins were…underwhelming to me.

John Scalzi isa bestselling author. Starter Villian is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Tor in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  Upgrade, by Blake Crouch

Image belongs to Random House.

Title: Upgrade  
Author: Blake Crouch
Genre:   Sci-fi
Rating:  4 out of 5

“You are the next step in human evolution.”

At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep.

But before long, he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain. To his body. He’s starting to see the world, and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways.

The truth is, Logan’s genome has been hacked. And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy.

Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost.

Because of his new abilities, Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he’ll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human.

And even as he’s fighting, he can’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution?

Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, Upgrade is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential.

Like Crouch’s other books, this one was way over my head, but I enjoyed it. The author did a good job of capturing the sheer overwhelming nature of Logan’s transformation—good enough for those of us who are still regular humans and can’t process things like a computer. There’s a lot of action in this near-future story, and the book flew by.

Blake Crouch is a bestselling author who lives in Colorado. Upgrade is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  Ending Forever, by Nicholas Conley

Image belongs to the author.

Title:    Ending Forever
Author:  Nicholas Conley
Genre:   Science Fiction
Rating:  4 out of 5

Axel Rivers can’t get his head above water. Throughout his life, he’s worn many hats — orphan, musician, veteran, husband, father—but a year ago, a horrific event he now calls The Bad Day tore down everything he’d built. Grief-stricken, unemployed, and drowning in debt, Axel needs cash, however he can find it.

Enter Kindred Eternal Solutions. Founded by the world’s six wealthiest trillionaires and billionaires, Kindred promises to create eternal life through mastering the science of human resurrection. With the technology still being developed, Kindred seeks paid volunteers to undergo tests that will kill and resurrect their body—again and again—in exchange for a check.

Axel signs up willingly, but when he undergoes the procedure—and comes back, over and over—what will he find on the other side of death?

I can’t imagine agreeing to being killed and brought back…especially ten times. Sounds horrific, even without all the things Axel encounters. This was an intriguing read. Vivid descriptions and an intriguing premise, which are the norm for Conley’s writing. I enjoyed how Axel grew and changed throughout the story, finding his own strength and the will to go on. If you’re looking for something fresh to read, give this a try.

Nicholas Conley lives in New Hampshire. Ending Forever is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  Savage City, by L. Penelope

Image belongs to Heartspell Media.

Title:  Savage City
Author:  L. Penelope
Genre:   Fantasy
Rating:  3.8 out of 5

For Talia, death is only the beginning of survival…

 When a tragic accident cuts my lonely life short, instead of heaven or hell, I’m stolen away to a terrifying city of warring shifter clans—the Nimali and the Fai. The Nimali mistake me for their missing princess. Her father, the dragon king, is identical to my own. But in this world, he dotes on me with the love and affection I always craved. And in a land with no tolerance for outsiders, feigning amnesia and impersonating shifter royalty may be the only way to survive.

 For Ryin, falling in love is the worst kind of betrayal…

 As a Fai warrior in captivity, I’m forced to serve my enemy even as I plot their destruction. The lost princess returned much changed, now the heat between us crackles irresistibly. While helping her heal using my magical talents, I begin to question what I thought I knew about the Nimali. She remains as forbidden as ever, but she also might be the key to freedom for me and my people.

 Caught between two enemy factions balancing on the knife-blade of annihilation, our lies are the only thing keeping us alive, but they just might be our undoing.

This was a decent read, but I felt like the characters were pretty generic. I liked the prince better than the two main characters, so I might read more about him. I was interested enough to keep reading the story, but not so much I’m eager to read the sequel. I found the court intrigues in the midst of a world slightly skewed from our own to be a bit not realistic, but my main problem was I just didn’t really care about the characters that much.

L. Penelope was born in the Bronx and lives in Maryland. Savage City is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Heartspell Media in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Book Review:   The Kaiju Preservation Society, by John Scalzi

Image belongs to Macmillan-Tor/Forge.

Title:    The Kaiju Preservation Society
Author:    John Scalzi
Genre:    SciFi
Rating:  4 out of 5

When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.

 What Tom doesn’t tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They’re the universe’s largest and most dangerous panda and they’re in trouble.

 It’s not just the Kaiju Preservation Society that’s found its way to the alternate world. Others have, too–and their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.

I don’t delve into science fiction too often these days, but this was a fun, quick read. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and even in serious moments, I enjoyed the characters. The idea itself is so far beyond my comprehension that I just went along with it without question, but Scalzi made me believe in it.

John Scalzi is a bestselling author. The Kaiju Preservation Society is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  The Paradox Hotel, by Rob Hart

Image belongs to Random House/Ballantine.

Title:   The Paradox Hotel
Author:   Rob Hart
Genre:   Fantasy
Rating:  3.0 out of 5

 January Cole’s job just got a whole lot harder.

 Not that running security at the Paradox was ever really easy. Nothing’s simple at a hotel where the ultra-wealthy tourists arrive costumed for a dozen different time periods, all eagerly waiting to catch their “flights” to the past.

 Or where proximity to the timeport makes the clocks run backward on occasion—and, rumor has it, allows ghosts to stroll the halls.

 None of that compares to the corpse in room 526. The one that seems to be both there and not there. The one that somehow only January can see.

 On top of that, some very important new guests have just checked in. Because the U.S. government is about to privatize time-travel technology—and the world’s most powerful people are on hand to stake their claims.

 January is sure the timing isn’t a coincidence. Neither are those “accidents” that start stalking their bidders.

 There’s a reason January can glimpse what others can’t. A reason why she’s the only one who can catch a killer who’s operating invisibly and in plain sight, all at once.

 But her ability is also destroying her grip on reality—and as her past, present, and future collide, she finds herself confronting not just the hotel’s dark secrets but her own.

 I kind of wish I hadn’t bothered to finish reading this. I think the only reason I did was for the velociraptors. (Yes, really.) January was a horrible person. Seriously terrible to everyone she interacted with. Every single time she opened her mouth, I knew something ugly was going to come out (and she knew it but did it anyway.). She was the worst, so I felt basically no sympathy for her. I didn’t care about anything going on in this story—except the dinosaurs—and the ending felt like…no resolution was reached, things just stopped.

Rob Hart lives in Staten Island. The Paradox Hotel is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House/Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour:  Light Years from Home, by Mike Chen

Image belongs to Harlequin/MIRA.

Title:   Light Years from Home
Author:   Mike Chen
Genre:  SciFi
Rating: DNF

Every family has issues. Most can’t blame them on extraterrestrials.

 Fifteen years ago while on a family camping trip, Jakob Shao and his father vanished. His father turned up a few days later, dehydrated and confused, but convinced that they’d been abducted by aliens. Jakob remained missing.

 The Shao sisters, Kass and Evie, dealt with the disappearance end ensuing fallout in very different ways. Kass over the years stepped up to be the rock of the family: carving a successful path for herself, looking after the family home, and becoming her mother’s caregiver when she starts to suffer from dementia. Evie took her father’s side, going all in on UFO conspiracy theories, and giving up her other passions to pursue the possible truth of life outside our planet. And always looking for Jakob.

 When atmospheric readings from Evie’s network of contacts indicate a disturbance event just like the night of the abduction, she heads back home. Because Jakob is back. He’s changed, and the sisters aren’t sure what to think. But one thing is certain — the tensions between the siblings haven’t changed at all. Jakob, Kass and Evie are going to have to grow up and sort out their differences, and fast. Because the FBI is after Jakob, and possibly an entire alien armada, too.

I liked the premise of this story, but the writing style and characters just weren’t for me. I read about 10% and didn’t feel any sort of connection to any of the characters, so I stopped reading. This isn’t a reflection on the story itself or the quality of the writing, it just wasn’t a good fit for me.

Mike Chen lives in the Bay Area. Light Years from Home is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)