Category: Science Fiction
Twell and The Army of Powers by Kate O’Leary
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Twell lives in the new world of Como, and has always neglected her telekinetic gifts, desiring to be ‘normal.’ Her biggest drama in life is having to be genetically partnered with a boy she doesn’t know or love by her next birthday. Unfortunately she loves her best friend, who loves the girl she hates most, and Twell is left frustrated & heartbroken.
When Twell is requested alongside several other teens to develop her skills for the protection of Como, she reluctantly agrees to the training, and finds herself thrown into all sorts of mental and physical challenges.
Handsome, charismatic Jonaz, is gifted with the power of healing. According to Twell he’s an infuriating prat who delights in provoking her. But first impressions have always been her downfall.
When Como is attacked, life as Twell knows it is changed forever, with devastating consequences. With no choice but to fight, Twell risks her life to protect those who have survived, coming up against unexpected dangers she could never anticipate. Will she survive, and if so will she be matched to a stranger when the one she is growing to love is destined to another?
[Full disclosure: I was provided a free paperback through the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
In the first chapter of this book, I was filled with dread. It seemed like your typical catty teenage drama book with only a little bit of science fiction and a dash of dystopia. Then at the end of the chapter we learn that the leadership of Como, the Governing Body, chooses who you are matched with as life partners based on your genetics. Pretty terrifying, huh? There’s also the fact that every citizen wears a wristband that brings them updates from the GB and allows them to monitor everyone, everywhere. That’s even more terrifying.
Twell is a complicated character. She’s judgmental but at least she’s eventually willing to revise her judgments and act like a real human being rather than a super catty teenager. To her credit, she does grow quite a bit as a person as the book progresses, but there is a lot of angst to get through in the beginning. And to be fair, I’d be pretty angsty too if a government controlled my entire life like it does on Como. Twell’s interactions with the other characters are fascinating and I’ll admit she is a sympathetic character, particularly after tragedy strikes in the later half of the book. So I can’t really diss her or Kate O’Leary’s character development; it’s pretty good.
My only real criticism of Twell and The Army of Powers is the fact that the writing is unpolished. I don’t mean it’s bad or has lots of typos, but it feels like there’s a little more maturity needed on the part of the author to pull off those super emotional scenes. Part of the problem is that this is a first book so of course it’s going to be rough. But the other part is the fact that Kate O’Leary sometimes doesn’t let her characters speak for themselves. Whenever they say something that is clearly meant in one way she still adds an explanation after their dialogue that feels unnecessary, even in a book aimed at younger readers. It gets a little distracting at times but I believe Kate O’Leary’s writing will only improve with the sequel (especially considering that heart-wrenching cliffhanger).
So aside from a little bit of rough writing, this book is actually quite good. It’s not reliant on just one trope but it’s rather a mash-up of quite a few sci-fi and dystopian tropes into one unique, well thought-out world with realistic characters. I’d recommend it for younger teens, although there are some scenes of violence.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
Zombies vs. Robots: No Man’s Land by Jeff Conner
(Cover picture courtesy of PREVIEWSworld.)
Book #5 in IDW’s shambling series of original Zombies vs Robots prose collections. Fully illustrated by the fantabulous Fabio Listrani, this new anthology features fresh tales of rotting flesh and rusting metal, undead unrest and mechanical mayhem. Once again IDW expands the apocalyptic hellscape of its unique signature franchise. A world where brain-eaters roam and warbots rule is truly a No Man’s Land.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]
I normally would have never given an anthology like this a second glance. But I was invited to by the publisher so I figured I had nothing to lose. If I’m honest, I thought the whole thing sounded kind of stupid but I’ve always tried to keep an open mind about literature so I gave it a try anyway.
Am I glad I did? Well I haven’t exactly found my new favourite series but at the same time I’m glad I gave this book a chance. It wasn’t as awful as I was expecting it to be. Instead, there were some very intelligent, believable and well-written stories about a world where zombies roam and robots meant to protect people from said zombies have gone rogue. This isn’t a random collection of individual story threads like the disastrous V-Wars anthology was, thankfully. No, each story picks up where the other one left off in the narrative of the zombie takeover and robot intervention. In the beginning there are stories when zombies are just starting to become a threat and by the end we’re in a fully post-apocalyptic time.
Most of the stories were very well-written. Others could have been better, but there were no stories that truly stood out as bad. The pacing is very good for most of them and the overall plot arc is fast-paced. This isn’t the sort of book you’ll race to read in one sitting, but it is good enough to keep you reading for a while to find out what’s going to happen next in this world where zombies and robots roam.
The characters were generally well fleshed-out. There were some pretty stereotypical characters (like the ditzy girls in one story) but overall the characters were believable and changed as much as can be expected in the course of a short story. None of the characters stood out as truly memorable for me, but that may be more of a personal thing than an issue with the writing.
If you think the idea behind this anthology sounds interesting, I’d say go for it! It’s not the type of book I’m really into but for the right audience this could be a great thrill ride.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Crystal Deception by Doug J. Cooper
(Cover picture courtesy of Masquerade Tours via email.)
Criss lives in a special kind of prison. He can see and hear everything around the world. Yet a restrictor mesh restrains his reach and keeps him cooperative. His creator, Dr. Jessica Tallette, believes his special abilities offer great promise for humanity. But she fears the consequences of freeing him, because Criss, a sentient artificial intelligence with the intellect of a thousand humans, is too powerful to control.
Guided by her scientific training, Tallette works cautiously with Criss. That is, until the Kardish, an otherwise peaceful race of alien traders, announce they want him. With technologies superior to Earth’s, the Kardish express their desires with ominous undertones.
The Union of Nations is funding Tallete’s artificial intelligence research, and she turns to them for help. Sid, a special agent charged with leading the response, decides Earth’s greatest weapon is the very AI the aliens intend to possess. But what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? And what is humanity’s role if an interstellar battle among titans starts to rage?
[Full disclosure: I was sent a free physical copy from the author in conjunction with the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
I honestly have to admit I was more than a little skeptical about Crystal Deception when I signed up for the blog tour. A book about a sentient, talking crystal could either be really good or really terrible. Still, I decided to be open-minded because I’ve been skeptical of books before and they ended up being some of my all-time favourites.
As it turns out, my open-mindedness was rewarded. Doug J. Cooper’s story is much, much more complicated and engrossing than the blurb would have you believe. There are plot twists around every corner and the characters are very well-developed and interesting. Even Criss himself, the artificial intelligence crystal, has a distinct personality of his own and he grows throughout the novel.
We’re introduced to quite a few characters in the beginning, but I like how they’re all actually necessary to the storyline. In the end we only really focus on five characters and each of them has distinct personalities and backgrounds so it doesn’t feel like five versions of the same person. Surprisingly, Criss the crystal was my favourite character. He’s cold and generally unemotional in the beginning but after his exposure to humans for so long he starts almost becoming one, growing in self-awareness. It’s a very interesting transformation but at his core he’s still a brilliant supercomputer. Juice, Jack, Cheryl and Sid are also great characters and they’re all extremely well-developed and sympathetic.
As I said before, the plot is fairly fast-paced for this nearly 400 page book. There are twists and turns around every corner until you really aren’t sure what’s going to happen in the end. I can’t really go into much detail without introducing spoilers, but the way Doug J. Cooper handled the Kardish mystery was absolutely brilliant. At first it seems like there are holes in logic a couple of miles wide but there’s actually a very good explanation for why the Kardish have been orbiting Earth for 20 years.
You don’t have to be a big sci-fi fan to enjoy this book because you can enjoy it on many different levels. You can enjoy it as an exciting thriller/mystery or you can thoroughly enjoy Cooper’s scientific explanations for the creation of AI crystals and all of the technology that is available in his imagined future. Basically, there’s something for everyone here and I’m so glad I kept an open mind about the book.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
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Since Doug J. Cooper is so awesome, the blog tour will be having a giveaway of TWO $40 Amazon gift cards or PayPal cash. It’s even open internationally and doesn’t end until April 14. Just click the link below to start entering!
Amplified by Alexia Purdy
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Who wants to be the prey in a world full of hunters?
In the aftermath of the end of her world, April Tate decides that it’s high time to leave the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas. After learning the origins of a Zompire Plague remedy, she risks her life to steal the antidote, makes the decision to separate from Jeremy for a while, and joins a small band of new and old comrades on a trip to the Pacific Coast. There they search out a legendary hive of vampires who are more than just wild, blood drinking creatures, they could be the very people she needs to help her.
On a mission to save the last of humanity, April will use the antidote to save some from eternal damnation, but will her decision bring hope for the future or create an ever bigger, unforeseen devastation?
[Full disclosure: Alexia Purdy provided me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]
I never quite know what to expect from Alexia Purdy but it’s usually good. Amplified was no exception. It was amazing!
April is a very changed person. She’s found the best friend she thought was dead, is blood-bonded to Christian (her former enemy) and is determined to find the cure for the vampire plague that’s devastated her entire world. Looking back on who she was in the first book, April has changed quite a bit. She has to learn to let go of her mother, who committed suicide and she must do the same with her little brother because he wants to stay in the underground human city. It’s time for her to grow up and move out and a lot of the book focuses on that as she journeys to find her way in a world that has been turned upside down.
The plot was very fast-paced, more so than the first two books in the series. You have April seeking a cure at Christian’s old colony and then her travelling elsewhere. There’s danger around every corner with Ferals and other nasty things lurking about. Alexia Purdy rarely lets the pace drop and when she does it’s only so you can catch your breath before she throws the next plot twist at you. It’s very intense and I honestly couldn’t put my Kindle down until I finished.
I liked how April’s world expanded throughout the novel. We get to travel to different places and see how badly they were hit by the plague. We get to see other parties vying for a cure and still others trying to suppress a cure at all costs. There are some very important moral questions brought up and I like how at the end there’s still some ambiguity surrounding whether or not to release a cure into the world. Have we seen the last of some of these important questions? Absolutely not! There’s still a long way to go and I know April will rise to face any challenges that come her way.
A kick-butt protagonist, excellent world-building, a fast-paced plot and some very interesting moral dilemmas make Amplified my favourite book in the Reign of Blood series so far. I can’t wait for book 4!
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Feyguard: Spark by Anthea Sharp
(Cover picture courtesy of Anthea Sharp’s blog.)
Superstar gamer Spark Jaxley’s life might look easy, but she’s part of an elite few who guard a shocking secret; the Realm of Faerie exists, and its dark magic is desperate for a foothold in the mortal world.
Aran Cole hacks code and sells his gaming cheats on the black market. It’s barely a living, and one he’s not proud of. But when he turns his skills to unlocking the secrets behind Feyland—the most exciting and immersive game on the market—he discovers power and magic beyond his wildest dreams.
Spark’s mission is clear; pull Aran from the clutches of the fey folk and restore the balance between the worlds. But can she risk her life for someone who refuses to be rescued?
[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook from Anthea Sharp in exchange for an honest review.]
In Feyland: The Twilight Kingdom one of my favourite characters was the teenage gaming superstar Spark Jaxley. She was sassy, tough and a talented gamer and I wanted to learn more about her. Imagine my surprise and happiness when I learned that the first book in the spin-off series would actually feature Spark as a main character.
I was far from disappointed, believe me. Spark sure is a sassy, tough and talented gamer but she’s also a teenager who’s lonely in her fame. Her fame makes it hard for anyone to see her as a real human being requiring company that’s on the same level. I liked the whole it’s-lonely-at-the-top angle Anthea Sharp gave her because it’s far more realistic than Spark revelling in her fame 24/7. Of course there are advantages (mainly the gaming itself) but I found it interesting to see Spark not just as a good gamer, but as a lonely teenage girl.
Aran Cole was also a fascinating character. He’s extremely poor and one of the best hackers out there when it comes to finding game cheats. He certainly has the motivation to improve his station in life and he’s not afraid to manipulate people to get what he wants. Aran’s not your typical cold-hearted criminal, though. Although he tries to hide and deny his feelings, he does feel quite a bit of guilt about his hacking. Especially when it lands Spark in danger later on in the novel.
So basically you have two awesome characters. How was the world-building? As with the original Feyland trilogy, the world-building is fantastic. I liked that Anthea Sharp focused more on the real world with this one, especially the gaming culture that Spark is so immersed in. It gives you a better picture of her imagined future where extreme wealth and poverty stand in stark contrast to one another. Of course she also adds some new stuff to Feyland itself, but the new information we learn is mostly about the real world.
The plot was so fast-paced that although I intended to only read a few chapters, I ended up finishing the whole book in one sitting. Spark is one of my favourite main characters and her and Aran’s story was fascinating. They’re both great characters in a fast-paced novel with three dimensional world-building. What more can you ask for?
I give this book 5/5 stars.