Revamp - Beck Sherman

Title: Revamp
Author: Beck Sherman
Genre: Horror
Published: 2012
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

"Revamp" by Beck Sherman is a novel that explore vampires in the way there were originally envisioned, evil killing machines. There are absolutely no friendly, cuddly vampires that sparkle in the sun which I was thoroughly pleased to see. But the best thing about this story is that there was no attempt to make a love triangle out of vampires, humans and werewolves. In fact there are no werewolves in the story at all; this is purely about vampires and the horror that surrounds them.

The story itself follows Emma Spade, a young college student whose visit to LA for an interview soon descends into chaos as she stumbles into an attempt by vampires to overthrow humanity and take control of the United States for themselves. Very soon Emma finds herself fighting for her life alongside a small group of human resistance fighters who are determined to find a way to survive and gain freedom and safety for themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book; Sherman has managed to make vampires into something to fear again alongside a well paced plot that was quite engaging as it revealed the overall story to the reader and Emma at the same time. Whilst it was quite dark at times, the horror is well tempered with some rather wry humour which really helps to enhance the enjoyment factor.

The premise about Vampires conducting a blitzkrieg style attack on the United States and take over was superb and it resulted in some rather interesting political implications and satirical events. In particular I enjoyed seeing how Vampire society ended up being exactly like human society with the rich enjoying a lavish lifestyle whilst he poor, worked away with very little in terms of material objects and also blood itself.

Another aspect of the novel I was impressed with was the realism of some elements. For example it takes a full third of the novel before Emma will actually admit to the possibility that vampires exist. It was so nice to see a character really struggle with this in a novel rather than just accept it after a couple of pages. This sense of realism spread to other aspects of the story such as the logical way in which the humans trained to fight the vampires and the budding romance between Emma and Cooper that worked well considering the situation they found themselves in.

The characters were also superb, each one of them strong individuals in their own right with different foibles, abilities and fears. The various flashbacks that are interspersed throughout the novel also do a great job in teasing out the various back stories and ensures the reader is just bombarded with violence right from the start.

If I had to pick an issue with the book then it is actually about the synopsis which mentions the blackout, implying that it would take up an important part of the story. However, the blackout is barely mentioned and whilst it is actually important to the plot the reader is just told of its importance in a paragraph. It doesn't detract from the story; I just think it would have been nice to really follow what went on during it as an enhancement to the story.

Overall, this is a dark, witty, intelligent and entertaining horror story that really explores the violence of vampires. This book worked for me on many levels, the action, horror, characters were all brilliant and I now hope that Sherman decides to write more books set in this world and around these characters. I highly recommend it to any fan of horror, especially those who like the more in your face story of fear, grime, violence and danger.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)

Tribes - Carmen Webster Buxton

Title: Tribes
Author: Carmen Webster Buxton
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Kobo
Amazon UK

I have previously read two books by Carmen Webster Buxton and loved them both so I was really looking forward to picking up "Tribes". The story follows a young man named Hob who was abandoned as a baby to grow up as a slave with no hope of freedom. This because on the world of Mariposa various tribes dominate the political and cultural scene to the point that any boy born without a father and therefore without a tribe to welcome him has no rights and will usually become enslaved.

However, Hob manages to escape one day and is rescued from the desert by a woman named Jahnse whose family disagrees with slavery and therefore invites him to take refuge at her father's house. Hob begins to see what a normal life would be like and soon becomes friends with Jahnsi and her family who try to think up a way to ensure that Hob can keep his freedom.

His ex-owner however has not given up the hunt and is determined to find him at all costs. Things get even more complex when a woman from off-world arrives to hunt down a specific child that was abandoned at birth. So when she identifies Hob as a potential candidate a race begins as both try to find him and ensure that the future they have planned for him comes to pass.

I found this book to be a fun and easy read with a brilliant narrative that feels so natural and draws the reader in. I was hooked from the beginning and the plot moved at a comfortable pace that kept you wanting more but didn't leave you behind. In addition, I loved the world and society that has been created, the various tribal structures, roles and regulations were quite simply fascinating to follow.

The real power though behind this novel are the characters, each one has a distinct and individual personality that fits in perfectly with the story. Hob in particular is very easy to like and the reader is really made to feel for the mistreatment he has suffered. I couldn't help but enjoy sharing his journey through the novel with him and hope that his future would offer him something wonderful.

Overall, this was another thoroughly enjoyable novel from Buxton that I would happily recommend to anyone who enjoys reading. The characters are well crafted, the world and society are fascinating and the plot itself is entertaining. Even if you don't normally read Science Fiction you should probably give this book a try as the engaging characters and interesting society are the real driving force behind the story even if it is a Science Fiction setting.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge

The Postman - David Brin

Title: The Postman
Author: David Brin
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1985
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

"The Postman" by David Brin tells the story of Gordon, a man who is trying to survive alone in a post-apocalyptic United States. Over the last 16 years war, disease and famine has left the planet with little hint of a civilization beyond some tiny isolated communities that are trying to hold there own against gangs of savage outlaws known as "survivalists".

Whilst trying to recover some stolen belongings, Gordon stumbles upon the remains of a long-dead mailman and utilises the dead man's uniform to keep warm, and takes the un-delivered letters to use as paper for a journal. As he progresses across the country he begins to create the fiction of being a mailman in the "Restored United States" in order to make it easier to approach communities and trade. Soon though, his lie takes on a life of its own and communities, long without hope begin to believe in something again. So, when this new beginning he has helped to create is threatened, Gordon is forced to either finally admit the lie or become the leader he never wanted to be.

I have read some David Brin books before and enjoyed them all so I was looking forward to reading this, especially as one of my guilty pleasures is the Kevin Costner film that is based on the novel. For those of you have seen the movie and didn't really rate it you shouldn't be too worried as the film only really concentrates on the first 50-100 pages of the book. The book expands well on what was shown on the screen and it doesn't limit itself to just trying to tell some sort of epic in scope action story.

In fact, the level of action throughout the story is actually quite limited and the story itself wasn't technically epic in scale either. It was more about looking at the life of one man trying to survive and discover some form hope in a bleak and dangerous world. It may have been slow paced at times and did feel a little dated but I found myself thoroughly engrossed and entertained as I followed the story as it highlighted the struggle of the weak against the strong, the one against the many and the desire to build something grand out of the ashes of the past. The slow pace at the beginning of the story could potentially put some people off, but I believe it helps build a picture of both the world and Gordon's life within it and would advise everyone to stick with it.

Brin has captured some of the emotional moments quite well and the novel does leaves a strong impression. This is helped by the various characters in the novel that are both believable and interesting even though many of them are just normal people trying to deal with the life they have been given. A minor point in regards to the characters is that we don't actually get to spend much time with any of them; Brin has included so many that there is only enough time for a brief glimpse at their lives. In addition, the survivalists did seem a little bit two-dimensional and the later portion of the book suffered during their involvement in the story.

Overall, this was an interesting post-apocalyptic story that allows the reader to take a look at the lives of regular people in a bleak world and follow their choices, struggles and hopes. It really is an enjoyable novel that should have any fan of dystopian post-apocalyptic style novels entertained and rooting for the underdog and his dream of a better future.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Sci-Fi Reader Challenge

War of the Witch (Legacies of Talimura Book 1) - Angel Haze

Title: War of the Witch
Author: Angel Haze
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Amazon UK

"War of the Witch" by Angel Haze is a standard fantasy novel that follows the adventures of a young common lad known as Astanyx. He returns home one day from a hunting expedition with his friends to find their village in ruins. When they find Astanyx's dying father, he provides some information on what happened and asks them to go and warn the king. So begins an adventure across the kingdoms of humans, dwarves and elves to try and build an army that could stand against the greatest threat in centuries.

The plot does make it sound like this book is an epic fantasy novel but I found that it was just a little bit too lacking in deeper substance to qualify it as such. Simply put it is fantasy light with limited political intrigue, character development and little sub-plotting. However, this simpler format has led to a fast paced novel that is full of action and gets straight to the point of a good versus evil battle.

One of the nice elements about the novel is that Angel Haze has created a varied and interesting world and back story. The history is revealed slowly as the novel progressed and I found it all to be quite enjoyable and would actually like to know more about it. In addition, the large and colourful mix of creatures that are used keeps the reader guessing about what Astanyx may encounter next during his adventures. There are the usual staples of fantasy literature such as orcs, dwarves and elves, yet we also get to encounter talking wolves, birdmen and the undead.

However, there are some issues beyond the rather barebones main plot line, the first of which is in regards to how people treat Astanyx. I found it completely ridiculous that a young commoner could just arrive at a castle, suddenly meet the King without any real checking and then be treated as a equal, or even a better to other more seasoned soldiers. I almost gave up altogether when Astanyx ends up going to a meeting between various heads of state where his opinions seemed to actually be listened to and given equal weight with others. I understand that the reader has to sometimes suspend disbelief, especially in regards to the fantasy genre but I think this novel pushes it a little bit too far.

The characters themselves were also severely under developed. Astanyx seems to act like a 16 year old common boy from start to finish which is why I find it even harder to understand why he gets VIP treatment as the story progresses. In addition, the other characters appear to be little more than cardboard cut outs. The young princess is stubborn and smart, the elven king is arrogant and the witch herself is just evil. That is the type of development we see in the novel and that is it.

Overall, I really wanted to like this story as it did have an interesting premise and I did find the back story to be quite enjoyable. However, when I read fantasy novels I prefer them to have a little bit more depth than what is on show here. Therefore, I was a little bit disappointed and suspect that the book is really only going to appeal to people who are after a quick light fantasy read to pass the time.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge

Star Trek: Final Frontier - Diane Carey

Title: Final Frontier
Author: Diane Carey
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1988
Formats: Hardback/Paperback

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

"Final Frontier" by Diane Carey is the latest book in my Star Trek Reading Challenge and I have to admit that it has been my favourite one so far. The novel focuses on James T. Kirk's father, George Kirk and his early involvement with the Enterprise under the command of Captain Robert April. April, is an explorer and diplomat but he realises there are times when he will need someone with the mind of a warrior who will fight when needed and so he asks George Kirk to be his XO even if he does it via a rather unusual method.

The Enterprise itself is the first of the Constitution class of starships and is being rushed into service prior to complete testing as it is the only ship capable of reaching a stranded transport ship in time to save the passengers. Of course, the rescue mission doesn't go as plan and soon the Enterprise and her crew find themselves stranded in enemy territory.

As mentioned at the beginning of this review, this is by far my favourite Star Trek novel so far. It is an enjoyable and engaging story that was easy to read and had me hooked right from the beginning even if some of the plot points seemed a little bit contrived. I felt that it really captured the feeling of the original series in that this was a fun space adventure with no real moral ambiguity, basically the good guys always tried to do the right thing and the bad guys were easy to hate.

The feeling of fun in the story is also captured in the interaction between the various characters. There was some thoroughly enjoyable banter between these quite distinct personalities in which Carey utilised irony and the odd references to canon incredibly well. The only negative I can think of in regards to the characters is maybe in relation to the villains in the story who came across as being very simplistic in their development but there was enough there to make sure I was more than happy to see them fail.

An issue I did have was actually in regards to the framing story which follows Kirk, Spock and McCoy discussing some of the events that occurred in the TV episode "The Guardian of Forever". I think it got in the way of the main story; I basically got a little frustrated as I had to keep taking a break from the enjoyable adventure going on in the past to read a rather slow debate on what had happened in "The Guardian of Forever". In addition, if you haven't seen this episode before or can't remember much about it then this entire section will mean very little to you anyway.

Overall, this is an incredibly enjoyable journey into a time period of Star Trek that has rarely been explored. The story is fun and entertaining; the characters are interesting enough to keep you cheering them on and the various references to canon should keep many Star Trek fans happy. I highly recommend this book to any avid fan of Star Trek will love this story but will highlight the lack of familiar character that may be off putting to the more casual fan.

The God Virus - J.E. Murphy

Title: The God Virus
Author: J.E. Murphy
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Smashwords
Kobo
Amazon UK

"The God Virus" by JE Murphy is an incredibly interesting and rather surreal science fiction/fantasy novel that explores a world turned upside down due to a very miraculous virus. The story begins with a man named Judeus finding a strange woman washed up on the beach who he later finds out is called Miranda. When he attempts to use mouth to mouth to revive her he becomes infected with a virus which in the future would become known as the Miranda Virus. This virus is unlike any other and it begins to affect every living creature on Earth, including humans, animals and even plants. As the virus encounters different creatures it takes elements of their DNA and begins to infect other creatures with the DNA it has previously taken. Before long, there are people with bird's beaks, dogs that can talk and Miranda herself who appears to be able to change her entire body shape like some sort of sea sponge.

When the highly religious Judeus persuades Miranda to journey to Rome to meet the Pope in the hope of getting a marriage blessing, a madcap adventure beings which really explores the insanity that has embraced the planet. However, during their journey they discover that a cure has been created in Rome that could kill everything on the planet and they realise there is more at risk than their own wedded bliss. Therefore together with an army of mutated humans and animals they march upon the last bastion of the supposedly uninfected, Vatican City itself.

The synopsis of the book I have detailed above probably doesn't do the surreal elements enough justice. To put it simply, I think that Murphy is giving Terry Pratchett a run for his money in the insanity stakes with this story. I really did smile throughout as I watched the virus create what at times was some quite humorous havoc across the planet. The rather surreal environment did result in a world that seems a little bit too basic and simple for me but I just suspended my disbelief and tried to enjoy the adventure.

The book isn't all about surreal humour and strange events however and I found there was a good mix hidden within the meat of the story. The elements of adventure and action are well supported by some rather interesting theological discussions between the characters. This is mainly due to Judeus and Miranda come from opposing view points: one is a scientist whilst the other is highly religious. The book uses this to explore the clash between religion and science and highlights that sometimes these two are not as mutually exclusive as some people believe.

The biggest weakness in the story for me was in regards to the way in which the virus affected Judeus and Miranda. It more or less enabled them to become superhuman which made it a little bit too easy for them to overcome some of the various problems they faced. It doesn't really detract from the story but it would have been nicer to see some difficulty in the way they had to face adversity.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable novel that is full of humour adventure, philosophy and action aplenty which should keep most people entertained. I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good post-apocalyptic read, especially those who are after something a little bit different to what you normally see in that genre.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge

Saving JFK - W. Green

Title: Saving JFK
Author: W. Green
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Aamzon UK

"Saving JKF" by W. Green really appealed to me when I read the synopsis as I do enjoy a good time travel yarn and I have always been interested in some of the conspiracy theories around the Kennedy assassination. The story itself follows two twins, Emma and Ethan, their friend Zak and the slightly eccentric Dr Currant who are living in the year 2028. In their time, everything is monitored and controlled with little real freedom available. History itself is only portrayed in a manner which is acceptable to the government without variation.

However, some people question this history although this is done in private as the government does not tolerate such heresy and has even banned time travel to ensure no one could ever alter what has been written. However, when Dr Currant illegally builds a time machine, he is joined by the twins and their friend on a trip into the 1960's.

Whilst Dr Currant appears to have his own secret reasons for traveling into the past, Ethan, his sister and their friend believe that the root of their loss of rights emanates from one point, the assassination of President Kennedy. Therefore, they set out on a mission to alter time and prevent the assassination in the hope that a better future is created.

The plot itself is a rather standard time travel affair with a group of people from the future trying to use what they know about the past to ensure a major incident is avoided. It does have a good mix of assassination, conspiracy and history and I enjoyed seeing the way in which Green tried to blend some of the real people and places into his fiction. However, I have to admit it didn't really wow me as I have seen this type of thing so many times before.

What I did really like however were the little side stories that Green managed to insert into the story. Some seemingly minor encounters in the past were then used to create some rather interesting and surprising outcomes in the future. These really did enhance the story and it was nice to see this odd bit of realistic selfishness in the characters.

One little niggle I wish to highlight is in regards to the sub-title of the book which is "Time Travel Twins". In all honesty, the twins themselves didn't seem any more important to the story than Zak or Dr Currant so I don't know why the author chose to focus on them. I suppose it may just have been an easy name to use for what could be a potential series of novels. It just makes the book sound like a rather weak young adult affair when it really isn't and it may have put me off reading the book had I actually known it which would have been a shame.

Overall this is a standard time travel novel that should appeal to fans of that sub-genre provided they aren't looking for anything that original. The book isn't lacking detail and I think some of the people who question the truth behind Kennedy's assassination may really enjoy the way in which Green has tried to embrace the possible conspiracy.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge

Challenge Complete - 2012 E-Book Reading Challenge

Objective:
To make a dent in my collection of Ebooks and see how quickly I could actually complete the challenge. Check out my pre challenge post here!

Aim:
Mega Level = 25 Books

Result:
I completed the final book of the challenge in August which has enabled me to make a dent in my reading pile.

However, in my kick off post I also targeted completing this by May which means I failed this sub challenge hugely! I blame getting distracted by other novels.

I've read-

Hide & Seek Thomas Kaplan-maxfield	Port of Errors Steve V Cypert
Gamers Thomas K. Carpenter	Enterprise: The Expanse J.M. Dillard
Containment Christian Cantrell	This Dark Magic Chryse Wymer
Enterprise: Last Full Measure Michael A. Martin	Fezariu's Epiphany David M. Brown
On Dark Shores: The Lady J.A. Clement	Enterprise: Daedalus Dave Stern
The Eyes of the Dead G.R. Yeates	The Last Man of Earth Club Paul R. Hardy
Enterprise: Daedalus's Children Dave Stern	Brave New World Aldous Huxley
Known Afterlife Trey Copeland	Enterprise: Rosetta Dave Stern
Shadowing: A Henchman's Tale Kat Zantow	An Epitaph for Coyote: A Novel Bryan R. Dennis
Runing Wide Open Lisa Nowak	Fires of  Alexandria Thomas K. Carpenter
Terminal Departure: A Cleo Matts Novel Joe Crubaugh	Enterprise: The Good That Men Do Andy Mangels & Michael Martin
Foundation for the Lost Scott Rhine	Waiting For Daybreak Amanda McNeil
Enterprise: Kobayashi Maru Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels

There is quite a range of genres included above and the challenge really highlighted how traditional published authors and self-published authors are trying to embrace the ebook marketplace.

Summary:
Even though the original blog that hosted this challenge shut down, I have continued on and am happy that I managed to read the number of books required a few months prior to the end date.

For now though my ebook reading most continue apace because I have another Ebook Reading challenge on going with an even higher target.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz Book 1) - L. Frank Baum

Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz Book 1)
Author: L. Frank Baum
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1900
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Project Gutenberg (Free Ebook)
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum is the latest book I have read as part of the Year of the Fantasy Classics Challenge I have taken part in. Like many of the other books I have read in this challenge, it is another story that I am aware of through movies and other media.

The first half of the story is actually quite close to what you could expect if you have seen the famous 1939 classic including a rather grey Kansas. Dorothy and her dog Toto get whisked away by a Tornado and land in Oz, accidentally killing the wicked witch of the East in the process. She immediately desires to find a way home and so begins an adventure along the Yellow Brick road to request the help of the great wizard that lives in the Emerald City.

However, the 2nd half of the book is a rather unknown and surreal affair that involves a journey across an entire land made out of porcelain china. Everything there is made of china including the people, animals and buildings and I can understand why the makers of the movie really didn't fancy trying to create this element of the story on the big screen.

This novel really is quite a surreal and quirky adventure and I did enjoy the journey it took me on. It can be quite hard to read a book like this when you have already seen the movie so many times but I found the differences between the two formats to be part of what kept me entertained. One of the little differences that really made me smile was when I found out that the Emerald City is not actually green, but the people in the city are made to wear green tinted glasses so it appears that way.

In all honesty though, I still think the movie is a slightly better form of the story. There is just a little bit more fun ingrained in that portrayal and the Wicked Witch of the West was used to a much more powerful extent. I also think the violence is toned down quite a lot in the movie which makes it a little bit more suited for children. I couldn't actually believe how many animal beheadings littered the novel.

The one specific little issue I had with the book itself though was the way in which the story was structured. The story was presented to the reader in sharp bite size chunks that felt like mini adventures within a very limited overall arc. It all just felt very piecemeal to me and spoilt the flow a little. However, I can see the advantage this provides when reading the book to a child who would happily enjoy the quick conclusions to the adventure contained in each chapter.

Overall, this was a fun little read that explored a more surreal side to the Wizard of Oz legend. I enjoyed exploring the little strands of difference between the book and the movie and it was quite an eye opener reading a children's fantasy book that didn't try and portray a moral conclusion to every action. I am probably going to try and continue my journey through Baum's Oz books just to see where the adventures in his rather quirky world could lead next.

The End of Eternity - Isaac Asimov

Title: The End of Eternity
Author: Isaac Asimov
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1955
Formats: Hardback/Paperback

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

"The End of Eternity" is actually the first Isaac Asimov novel I have ever read, I actually find this quite embarrassing as someone who likes to imply he is a big science fiction fan. However, I have just never gotten around to reading any of his books before and I therefore appreciated the chance to remedy this by taking part in the Sci-Fi Reader Challenge and using one of his novels to meet one of the requirements.

The story follows the exploits of Andrew Harlan, a member of a group of people who live outside of time known as the Eternals. This group of people observe and create reality changes across time to try and positively affect the future of humanity. Only two areas of time are unaffected by them, the age prior to the invention of time travel and the far flung future.

Harlan is a great at identifying the most efficient changes in time to affect reality and is persuaded to become one of the people who goes out and carries out the changes. However, during a trip into the 482nd century he meets a beautiful woman who he begins to fall in love with. Then when he finds out that a reality change may occur he decides to break numerous laws in an attempt to rescue her from possibly vanishing from existence. Of course, things don't go as expected and very soon his actions begin to threaten all of reality.

The main thing I observed about this book is that it is a superbly constructed hard science fiction novel that takes an interesting look at time travel and the type of society that could be built up around it. However, this book is more than just exploring the intricacies of time travel, it also utilises a clever plot full of twists and intrigue to keep most people entertained even if they aren't the biggest fans of hard science fiction.

A weak point within the novel though was probably in regards to the characters. In Eternity itself for example, whilst it was an interesting place with its own unique form of jargon and structure, the people within it seemed very bland. Beyond Harlan himself, most of them just seemed interested in doing their job and that was it. Even Harlan's development was quite limited with the reader knowing little about him beyond his job and the fact he has an interest in pre-Eternity history.

Overall, this was an intriguing and enjoyable read about time and reality that incorporates some interesting world building with a well paced and suspenseful plot. The characters themselves are not the best developed I have seen but they are used expertly to progress the story and highlight various elements of the society. I think any fans of hard Science Fiction and time travel in particular should pick this novel up as I am sure they will enjoy it. For myself, I now look forward to reading other Asimov novels and wonder at times why it has taken me so long to read one.