sci-fi – The Spine View

To Each This World by Julie E. Czerneda

To Each This World is a hard Sci-Fi novel. A great story filled with political intrigue, mystery, adventure and imaginative world building. A great find and glad I read it.

The main character Henry, is the Arbiter, the most important individual on New World. His main responsibility is being the go between Humans and the Alien species called the Kmet. Humans have entered into a pact or Duality, as it is called, between the two species.

The Kmet have given some technology to humans and the use of Portals that allow space ships to transit long distances in the blink of an eye. However, everything could be in jeopardy when a probe reaches New Earth with a message that a seed ship, sent centuries earlier, has arrived at its destinations and the humans there are prospering.

The Kmet on the Portal is beside itself. It insists that the other humans be rounded up and returned to New Earth before the Divider finds them and destroys them. As the Arbiter, Henry must assist with this task. Yet, he has many questions, and foremost is who is the Divider and why are they dangerous.

This book is one of the most original I have read in a while. I loved that the author presented Aliens as Alien. Nothing like humans and hard to understand, not only in speech but in motive. It felt plausible and the pacing was perfect. Yet, in the end it was the characters and the world building that made it such a good book.

There is just one negative for me, the writing style, which made the story hard to follow at times. I also struggled at first to get invested in the story. However, the characters of Henry and Killian were just so well developed and I fell in love with them and it made it up for so much.

Despite my one grip, if you are a Sci-Fi fan and like a more traditional story then this is a book for you. It is well worth being at the top of your TBR list.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz

If you are tired of the same old drab Rom-Com stories, be sure to check out The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz. It is quirky, fun and a breath of fresh air in a tried-and-true genre.

Neither Nick nor Bee considers themselves good at relationships. Bee was involved in a disastrous relationship years ago and now prefers only one-night stands. However, recently that also has not been the best experience and she is thinking that it is time to swear off men altogether. Then there is Nick, the self-proclaimed failed writer who appears stuck in a marriage that is unfulfilling and disappointing for both himself and his wife.

Then it all changes when a misdirected email sent by Nick ends up in Bee’s Inbox. They start a lively back and forth banter that they both look forward to because they know they will never have to meet. However, they did not plan for the ease in which they can “talk”. It is like they have known each other all their lives and they just get each other. Maybe they are the perfect match.

Putting their doubts aside, they decide to meet at the train station. Call it a twist of fate but they never meet up because it is “impossible”. IKR!?! How can it be impossible??? I hate spoilers and I refuse to do them. Therefore, you will need to read the book to find out the impossible. BTW, don’t read the book blurb because that has the spoiler I am trying to avoid.

Obviously, I loved the originality of the story. Just when I thought there could be nothing all that new and fresh in this genre, someone comes along and just blows it out of the water. For this reason alone, you should read this book!

Another reason to read this book is the great characters. They were both so very imperfect, yet that endeared them to me. Yeap, I totally fell in love with them and wanted everything to work out. So much so, that I kept imagining ways that their relationship would work.

Throw in a fast-moving plot and a few twists and you have the reasons for my five-star rating. This story took me be surprise, not only in the inventiveness, but in the quality of plot and character development. I need to add this author to my must-read list.

I loved this book and am looking forward to reading more by this author. Great pick for Rom-Com and Contemporary Fiction readers. Be sure to check out this little gem!

I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my book blog at www.TheSpineView.com.

Galaxy Bound by Vidar Hokstad

This second installment, Galaxy Bound, in the Sovereign Earth series was just as good as the first. The author, Vidar Hokstad, really knows how to tell a story and it was a pleasure to read more about the crew of the Black Rain. This series is full of adventure and one you don’t want to miss out.

This book picks up where book one left off. Captain Zara and the crew of the Black Rain have accepted a mission. There have been attacks on Earth ships by the Kriii’nai Empire, aka the Centauri as humans call them. However, the Centauri insist that they have not been involved. This is where the crew of the Black Rain (recently upgraded courtesy of the government with all the latest and greatest tech) come in. They are sent to investigate and in addition to their crew they have one diplomat from Earth and one from the Kriii’nai Empire. Of course things are not as they first appear and they must discover the truth before hostilities break out between them.

I loved the continued world building and the introduction of alien characters. The attention to detail about Kriii’nai society was a real boon to the story and the character of Soka, the Centauri diplomat, was so well done. The character fit the plot and was well thought out. I have this image of what he looks like and how he dresses (literally wears dresses) all from the vivid descriptions. I hope we will see more of him in the future.

As in the first book, there is lot of action. However, it was never detrimental to the characters or world building. This a sure sign of a well thought through and executed plot. In addition, the author left us with somewhere to go after this installment and I am excited to see where Captain Zo and her crew are headed next.

This book is a great marriage of action Sci-Fi and Space Opera and the perfect pick for lovers of both. I highly recommend.

I received a free copy, from the author, in exchange for my honest review.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

Prior to reading To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, I had not read any of the books by Paolini. Though I had been meaning to for a long time. As a lover of Sci-Fi, when this book came out I felt it was the perfect opportunity to finally read one of his books. Glad I did because it is a great story.

Kira Navarez is a xenobiologist working with a group of scientists to survey an uninhabited planet. By chance she discovers an ancient alien artifact. When the artifact bonds with her everything changes. Humans make first contact with an alien species, a war erupts, and the fate of all humanity seems to rest with her.

That is a lot for any person to take in and I loved that the author gave us this strong and tenacious main character who happens to be female. Kira for sure endured a lot and most people would have given up and thrown the towel in. Despite her personal doubts and blaming herself for the events that happened, she worked through them.

Her internal dialogue with herself hit home for me. It felt real and made her character not only believable but gave her a lot of depth. For me, character development is critical to a successful story and especially one that is a sweeping drama. Paolini really delivered here.

As much as I loved the character development and world building, there were places that the book dragged a bit. However, I was so invested in the story that I soldiered on because I wanted to know what fate had in store for Kira. If the story had been just a little tighter I would have given it five stars instead of four.

Despite my one complaint, this is a fabulous story and I highly recommend it to all lovers of Sci-Fi. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Worlds of Light & Darkness edited by Angela Yuriko Smith and Scot Noel

Worlds of Light and Darkness is a collection (Volume One) of short stories curated from DreamForge and SpaceTime. As with most anthologies of this type, it is a mixed bag of stuff. There are twenty stories in all, way too many to list individually. They run the gambit in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres. If you love both genres this is a collection you need to own.

One of the things I loved about the collection is the variety of stories. There were light hearted and quirky stories, such as The Feline, The Witch and the Universe about a feline familiar that goes missing. Smudge is the consummate cat personality and the reason I liked this story so much. In my mind, I can just see his smug little cat face.

A more speculative story, is The Spiral Ranch, in which cattle rustling is not a thing of the past but still very much alive in this version of the future. I liked the author’s vision of the future. Realistic and the plot was believable. Concise but well written short.

I enjoyed all of the stories. If I had to pick my favorite it would be Hands of a Toolmaker. It reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode. The MC, Silas, must decide if he wants to get “Tooled”. All children must make this decision when they turn fifteen years old. Tooling modifies the brain in order for it to be receptive to be programed for a specific job at a later date. To Silas, tooled individuals tended to talk like they are part of a “hive mind” and it makes him angry that it seems expected that he will get Tooled. He does not want this, instead he “wants to shake things up”. Liked that about this character.

This is a notable collection of short stories. They are thought provoking and highly entertaining. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Fantasy and/or Science Fiction.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

I have been waiting on the edge of my seat ever since I found out there would be a sequel to Ready Player One. All that waiting for nothing, just terribly disappointed with Ready Player Two. I am so disappointed I almost don’t know where to start because almost nothing worked for me in this story. Ugh!

Let’s talk about Wade first. His character totally changed in the second book. All he did was whine until something like the last 10 pages. He was also rather shallow and self-absorbed in this story. I get that the author wanted to “grow” the character, but it felt like Wade actually regressed. He was no longer the poor kid from the ghetto that everyone could root for. Instead, he acted like the spoiled rich kid that was not getting his way. The result was I was not able to connect to his character any longer.

I really loved the 80s cultural references in the first book. However, in the second book I hated them. I felt like Cline just went through all the 80s and picked as many as he could and haphazardly put them onto the page and wove the story around them. What was he thinking? This is a classic example of the saying, “less is more”. I especially felt this way when the story reached Prince’s (the pop singer) world. It was way overdone.

Then we get to the plot. Why, oh why could we have not explored some new territory here? But no, we had to have another egg hunt. You would think at least Cline could get that part right. Wrong… so very wrong. Not only where there way too many 80s references, there was also the idea that no one could solve the first riddle, including Wade, for several years then all of a sudden he can solve all of them in just a few hours. Granted he got help with all of them, especially the first. What happened the genius riddle solver from book one?

There is some good news here. I read a couple of five star reviews; therefore, some people loved it. Unfortunately, I was not one of them. In fact, it appears that I am in the majority. In summary, I found this one to be a hot mess.

The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler is one of the masters of Science Fiction and this book is a great representation of her work. It is a dystopian story, set in the near future, about a girl that is just nineteen when her world is turned on end by the destruction of her home and family.

Lauren has grown up in a world in which climate change, poverty, drugs, and racial divides are magnified and the result is a society that is crumbling. Crime is rampant and a new drug called Pyro is the drug of choice. The drug is called pyro because addicts set fires just to watch them burn and the high they get from the drug is reported to be better than sex.

Despite Lauren’s community being walled and patrolled, it is broken into by these addicts and they set fire to the entire neighborhood. Lauren is forced to flee and becomes separated from her family. She manages to meet up with two neighbors who inform her that her family was killed in the attack. The three of them strike off to the north to what they hope will be a better life.

Really great story! The world building and characters are well done. The plot is very well thought out and moves along nicely. This is Science Fiction as its best.

The only negative thing I have to say is that the character was a little too prophetic for her years. I think Butler was trying to show that in this type of society children grow up fast. That might be true to some degree but it just didn’t work that great for me.

Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis

I adore a good Sci-Fi book and I was not disappointed with Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis. It is a look at what first contact with an alien race might be like. It was an entertaining, fascinating read and it made me stop and think about how first contact might really go. A total pleasure to read and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.

Caro Sabino is a young college dropout. She is just trying to find her footing in the real world. Her estranged father is the CEO of the equivalent of WikiLeaks and he has just released the leak of a lifetime. The evidence he presents purports that the US government has made first contact with an alien race. However, the facts suggests they have not been able to communicate with them. That is until Caro unwittingly steps into the picture.

The story was outstanding. It is creative, well thought through and has a great cast of characters with just enough suspense and twists to keep you engaged. The plot moved quickly and I was engaged throughout the entire book. However, the relationship between Ampersand and Caro is what really made me enjoy this so much. The connection and eventually trust that developed between the two was well done and I loved the path it took in the book.

I also liked how the author handles the government cover ups. It explored some interesting ideas and made me think about the lengths government will go to keep people in the dark. Also the reoccurring theme of truth being a human right brings up whole host of ideas on that topic. In short, besides being a good story (which it is) it raises some interesting questions about morality, compassion and what it means to be human.

This is a great book for those true lovers of the Science Fiction genre. I would like to be able to recommend it to others but I doubt, for example, a person who is a Historical Fiction fan would like it. Yet, for you Sci-Fi people like me, you have to read this one!

I received an ARC, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal

I am in love with the Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal and have been waiting eagerly for the third installment, The Relentless Moon. It is scheduled to hit the shelves on July 14^th and I was very fortunate to get an advanced copy from the publisher. Be sure to get your copy ASAP because the author did not disappoint with this gripping tale of sabotage and intrigue in the first lunar colony.

The focus of this book is on Nicole Wargin, a very minor character in the previous books, instead of Elma York. Though the plot does run in parallel to book two of the series, The Fated Sky. Because Nicole is the wife of a powerful politician, this has enabled her to secure a space on the rocket that will take the first team of civilian colonists to the moon.

The trouble begins before they even land on the moon. It appears that the lunar landing craft has been sabotaged and it is only because of the intense training that no lives are lost. Of course, the trouble does not end there. Mysterious power outages plague the colony among other things. It has everyone on edge waiting for the next disaster to happen. The one that result in lives lost. Nicole puts the skills she learned in WWII as a spy to good use as she works on figuring out who is friend and who is foe before it is too late.

What I loved most about this book is that it is both plot and character driven. Let’s start with the plot. First it was believable. I can easily see how the extremists would stop at nothing to achieve their goals including murder. Secondly, the twists that the plot took are ingenious and the action keeps you on the edge of your seat through most of the book.

I also fell in love with Nicole. She, like Elma, is flawed yet strong in ways that are unforeseen. As in the other two books, the author presents these flaws and shows how the character struggles with them. Nicole is also an ambitious and tenacious person and those traits have served her well. Yet, despite a very successful career and a husband that loves her, she struggles with anorexia. She sometimes feels out of control and food is one thing she can control. The author examines this in depth along with the various relationships Nicole has with coworkers and her spouse. This made for a powerful story and one I know I will read again.

This book is in my top five of the year so far and I doubt that will change as the year progresses. I believe it will appeal to readers of Science Fiction in addition to other readers. For example, if you enjoy Nora Roberts works, this is one you should add to your reading list. It would also make a good book club pick because there is a lot to talk about. Gender, and race issues among other topics are highlighted in the book.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Fated Sky is the second book in The Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal. It is as great an adventure as the first book. It cemented my respect for the author as a great writer and I am most definitely a fan.

The International Aerospace Coalition (IAC) is now making regular trips to an established colony on the moon. The Lady Astronaut, Elma York, now regularly pilots these shuttles between the colony and earth. It has become almost routine. For Elma, she has realized her dream of getting to space and now she dreams bigger. She wants to go to Mars!

The IAC is now planning that all important first mission to Mars. Unfortunately for Elma, the mission is deemed too dangerous for women. Yet, if you want a colony on Mars there will have to be women. After all, the whole point of going is to insure the survival of the human race. Then the IAC also has the problem of needing a human computer during the trip to Mars. The question is, Will Elma get her wish?

I loved how the author handled real questions and problems that would arise if this was the reality we lived in. The continuing prejudice against people of color and women, especially women of color, that was a central theme in the first book, and I might add is spot on, is still present in book two. In addition, how the author imagined the zealous religious factions would react to the need to move humanity to the stars was also realistic and grounded in facts. In short, she convinces the reader, for the time they are reading, that it is a real history and not just an alternate they are reading. Many kudos for that!

Then her characters were just so human, flawed but done flawlessly. By that, I mean flawed but never in a way that it felt forced. For example, Elma grappled with her desire for getting to Mars with her desire to have a family. Also, I noted that her reactions to the various situations presented were not always elegant and that is exactly how humans react at times. What I am sure took the author many hours to develop seemed to be effortless and authentic. So, so well done.

This is one of those books that is, and will continue to be, loved by fans of various genres. The science parts are not heavy handed in a way that would turn off readers of say historical fiction, women’s fiction, etc. Therefore, I am comfortable in recommending this book to everyone.