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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.


View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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