Liberator's Ruin - P.J. Johns

Title: Liberator's Ruin
Author: P.J. Johns
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

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“Liberator's Ruin” by P.J. Johns is a book that I found difficult to classify; it initially comes across as a steampunk styled science fiction novel although the feeling is much more twentieth century as petrol, diesel and other forms of locomotion are used in abundance. However, the story is set on an alternate world where a form of alchemy takes place that is more like magic that science and it gives the story a feel more like fantasy than science fiction. Either way, I found the story and the world it was set in to be both intriguing and enjoyable.

The story follows several different storylines with the central plot being based around the country of Illum which has been invaded and conquered by the Rhivellian Empire. The deposed princess of Illum however is determined to take it back with her small collection of insurgents, even if the might of the Empire and its High Inquisitor are standing in her way. At the same time we follow the escapades of Nathaniel, an airship captain who is more loveable rogue than honest trader. Whilst he and his crew try to avoid being drawn into any conflict, his choices soon send him into a collision course with both the Princess of Illum and the Rhivellian High Inquisitor.

I have to admit that I had assumed that the plot would focus around some plucky rebels and their brave and good princess as they try to defeat the mighty and evil empires. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see there was much more to the plot than this and I was never happier to realise that I really didn’t like the princess and her rather brutal ways. This isn’t a story with a simple form of good and evil, the lines are blurred and it is up to the reader to really decide who is in the right and who is in the wrong. I can’t really say much more without spoiling it, but simply put the plot is clever, complex and goes in a direction that I never expected

The various different plots lines were at times both a blessing and a curse. The moving between narratives was used well to ensure that the pace of the story was kept high and that actions and thrills could occur throughout the novel to try and keep the reader hooked. However, at times this jumping around could interrupt part of the story that I was enjoying which was a shame. For example, there is one plot line regarding a fighter in the coliseum that didn’t really interest me much so when we would leave an enjoyable escapade of Nathaniel to follow this I found it rather easy to put the book down.

The characters are a real high point of the novel as I found them all to be interesting, varied and well-drawn out. In addition, the blurring of the lines between good and evil has ensured that there are no real out and out heroes in the book. Every character has their own with various associated strengths and weaknesses so at times the various betrayals that occur can catch the reader completely unaware. The interactions between the crew of Nathaniel’s airship were also thoroughly entertaining, the camaraderie, friendship and loyalty was there for everyone to follow.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable story that has an interesting and complex plot alongside some very entertaining characters. There is also a clever mix of science fiction and fantasy aspects which should ensure it will appeal to most fans of those genres. Personally, I am hoping that there are future stories set in this universe as I think there are still some unanswered questions and I would love to see what adventures await Nathaniel and his crew in the future.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Speculative Fiction Challenge

Gabriel's Return (Evan Gabriel Book 2) - Steve Umstead

 
Title: Gabriel's Return (Evan Gabriel Book 2)
Author: Steve Umstead
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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"Gabriel's Revenge" is the sequel to the superb Science Fiction novel, "Gabriel's Redemption" which I previously reviewed here. As with all my reviews on sequels, there could be some elements contained here which may spoil the earlier novel so my advice as always would be to read that novel before continuing with this review.

The story picks up several month's after the events of the previous novel with Commander Evan Gabriel and the remainder of his team working to help the government on Mars. However, Gabriel and his team are asked to go on an off-world mission when the son of a high-ranking Mars politician is kidnapped by terrorists on the distant planet of Eden. This is already an incredibly difficult and dangerous mission due to Eden's rather deadly native wildlife and the terrorists themselves, but things are complicated even further by Gabriel's own memories of a failed mission 5 years previously.

Steve Umstead had a difficult job in trying to follow "Gabriel's Redemption" which was a novel I thoroughly enjoyed. However, he hasn't missed a beat here as "Gabriel's Return" has an entertaining storyline that fits in well with the world he has crafted. The story picks up at a high pace due to the reader already being familiar with the basis of the characters and Universe already which enables the action to get underway as quickly as possible.

One of the best elements of this novel in particular though had to be the world of Eden itself. Umstead's descriptions are vivid and detailed which made it easy to visualise what he was describing, and what I saw in my mind was a wonderfully original and varied world. Overall, Eden just came alive as a place which felt real to me and I think this is a sure sign of a well written and believable story.

The characters in the novel continued to impress me as they all came across as being basically human, with the faults and perks that this entails. Yes, the protagonists were noble, dedicated and brave, whilst the antagonists were cruel, dangerous and ruthless but you could still see that every one of them was being driven by their own emotions and fears.

The only minor niggle I would mention is that none of the twists surprised me to be honest and I could see the main one coming from miles away. It wasn't really an issue though because the actions and thrills are more than enough to keep the reader hooked from the beginning to the end.

Overall, I think that Steve Umstead continues to be a shining example of what a self-published author can do and this is a worthy sequel to "Gabriel's Redemption". I really can't help but continue to recommend this well written and entertaining trilogy highly enough. To be honest, if you have read the previous novel then I suspect you will be picking this one up anyway, but just make sure you do it sooner rather than later as you won't be disappointed.

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

Gabriel's Redemption (Evan Gabriel Book 1) - Steve Umstead

Title: Gabriel's Redemption (Evan Gabriel Book 1)
Author: Steve Umstead
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

I actually won "Gabriel's Redemption" alongside the 2nd novel in the "Evan Gabriel Trilogy" in an online competition and it had always stayed quite low on my reading priorities. However, I am very happy that I did finally put it onto my kindle as it is a thoroughly enjoyable near future Science Fiction novel that had me entertained from start to finish.

The novel follows Evan Gabriel, a future commander in the North American Federation Navy who has fallen from grace due to a previous mission that had gone bad on a planet called Eden. However, when a new dangerous drug is traced to the far-distant world of Poliahu, Gabriel is asked to help by the very man who had previously let him take the full blame for what occurred on Eden. Gabriel knows there is more behind the mission than he's been told but he takes up the offer anyway as a chance to restore some faith in himself. When he arrives on the frozen planet of Poliahu he soon discovers that not all his allies are what they at first appeared and so he must rely on his instincts and skills to enable him to bring his team back alive.

Umstead really has created a convincing, well developed world that had me completely believing that what I was reading about could actually be possible. The novel was also a superb example of what military sci-fi can actually be as it wasn't just a war story where the guns have been swapped guns; it shows the reader some of the impact of new technology on strategy and combat. I also enjoyed how it used the well defined, varied and dynamic characters to delve into aspects of a soldier's life such as honour, teamwork, responsibility and guilt.

In addition I found myself struggling to the put the book down as it is full of twists, suspense, action and moves along at a quick pace once you pass the first few chapters. In fact, the only real flaw in the book that I found is that it was rather short, I would have loved to see Umstead really develop some of the plot points more as I don't think the overall pace would have actually suffered that much. The first few chapters highlight this point really well in my opinion, as they are slower paced and quite in-depth so that the reader can explore the inter-relationships of the characters and the world they currently inhabit so that the later portions of the story could be fully appreciated.

The biggest surprise I found with the book was the high quality of the editing; I hardly noticed any issue with the grammar, spelling or sentence structure which was quite an eye opener. To be honest, I never usually let this type of thing bother me unless it is terrible and therefore never usually comment on it but I wanted to highlight with this review how well written this book was when I compare it against other books, both self-published and traditionally published.

Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable book that has been written to a high standard and does a great job at entertaining the reader with a believable and interesting future society. I have actually already rocketed through the next book in the trilogy and will definitely be picking up the 3rd book at some point in the near future.

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

What Came After - Sam Winston

Title: What Came After
Author: Sam Winston
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

"What Came After" by Sam Winston is an enjoyable dystopian novel that explores a world that has been contaminated by genetically engineered crops. If people eat these crops then it can result in death or mutation. Therefore, a large proportion of society has died and Pharm-Agra, the very company who created the poisonous crops in the first place are the only ones that can de-engineer the crops so that they are safe to consume.

The story itself follows Henry Weller, a regular guy who embarks on an adventure across the United States in the hope of finding a way to heal his daughter's failing sight. This adventure enables both Weller and the reader to see more the world, the people living they and how they are interlinked.

Sam Winston has done a great job in painting a world where our technology and greed has resulted in a world that we can barely survive as a species. However, he also manages to show us that the human spirit still endures as people try their best to get through in any way they can and provide some sort of future for their children. One thing to note is that there is definitely an anti GM food feeling to the novel and I don't think large powerful capitalistic organisations are well loved either here. So if you politically lean strongly to the environmental left then you are probably going to nod your head in agreement as you witness the bleak future that appears in the book.

This utilisation of corporate control within the dystopian world as part of the plot reminded me a little bit of the Jack London classic "The Iron Heel" which I have previously reviewed here. The only real issue I had with the plot was that it seemed to be lacking any real suspense. As I read the book I never felt like there was a chance that Weller would actually die and fail to complete his task. It was still an enjoyable enough adventure story but the lack of suspense just ensured that I only really found it be just okay in terms of keeping me hooked and entertained.

Overall, it was an enjoyable and entertaining book that had me following Weller's journey across the wastelands with a form of curiosity as I wondered what type of person or society he was going to discover next. I think most fans of dystopian literature will find something here to enjoy as it has been well constructed and tells a story that is different from some of the more supernatural style dystopias we usually get subjected to these days.

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

Star Trek Starfleet Academy: Crisis on Vulcan - Brad & Barbara Strickland

Title: Crisis on Vulcan
Author: Brad & Barbara Strickland
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1996
Formats: Paperback

Available at:
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Amazon UK

I read "Crisis on Vulcan" as part of my Star Trek Reading Challenge and realised that it was the first Young Adult Star Trek book I have actually ever read. I think I skipped them when I was a teenager myself and just went straight onto the adult books. This was probably a shame because whilst I did enjoy it I think I would have been even more impressed had I read it when I was younger.

The plot follows a young Spock who accompanies his father, Sarek on a diplomatic mission to the planet Maranth on a diplomatic mission. However, when the pair begin their journey home aboard the USS Enterprise, the ship is attacked by a faction from Maranth who are not happy with the peace deal just brokered by Sarek. Spock happens to be on the bridge at the time and manages to help the crew facilitate an escape for the Enterprise, but in doing so he plants a seed of doubt in his own mind about his own future. Therefore we follow Spock as he tries to decide if he should continue with his plans to go the Vulcan Science Academy or if he should abandon them and actually join Starfleet Academy.

To be honest the plot itself was rather standard and full of quick fix solutions but I still found it surprisingly fascinating and enjoyable. This was because I loved seeing Spock's interactions with both his parents and the way in which Vulcan society dealt with his half-human nature. There were also some rather insightful elements for the intended YA audience as the narrative tried to highlight the internal struggles of a character growing up and seeing how their choices could radically affect their life.

I do have one little niggle with the book and that is in regards to the sub-title which is a little bit misleading. Whilst this is part of the Starfleet Academy grouping of novels there isn't actually any time spent at the academy. The story covers Spock's life prior to joining the Academy which I had no issue with but people should be aware of this before they pick up the novel.

Overall, this is a quick and easy read that uncovers a little bit about both Spock's family life and Vulcan society. I have defiantly read more complex Star Trek novels before, but it was definitely entertaining enough to please any young fan of Star Trek and I think many adults would enjoy following some of Spock's youth.

Doodling - Jonathan Gould

Title: Doodling
Author: Jonathan Gould
Genre: Humour
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

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"Doodling" is a fun little novella by Jonathan Gould that has been influenced by the works of Douglas Adams and Lewis Carroll. It is a madcap, surreal adventure full of nonsense and rather insane characters that had me smiling multiple times. However, Gould also manages to make some deep reflections on our society in amongst this comedy which helped give the novella a sense of purpose.

The story itself follows Neville Lansdowne who one day discovers that he can’t keep up with the fast pace of the world and is flung into space. Luckily he lands in an asteroid belt where he begins to create his own world completely designed based on his ideas and dreams. Of course, he soon discovers that a life alone like this just wasn't for him and journeys to other asteroids where he meets many other travellers, with many of them being completely and utterly barking mad.

As mentioned earlier, there are a fair few wacky moments that should provide giggles and smiles aplenty alongside a sense of purpose that helps to drive the narrative along. Gould does a good job in making sure the story doesn't get lost in surreal mayhem and balances the need for contemplation and humour well.

An issue I did have with the novella though was the characters as whilst they were initially quite amusing and varied they could be a little bit cartoon like. Within two of three pages of a character being introduced I found that they got a little bit boring as there was no real depth to their strange behaviours and choices. As for Neville himself, whilst he does have a little bit of development as the story progresses I found that I didn't really know much about him so found it hard to empathise or relate to him fully.

Overall, this is an amusing novella full of imagination and fun that should keep most people entertained on some level. I actually think that it is the type of story that could be read to children who may really enjoy the short length, basic silly characters and the downright crazy almost illogical adventure.

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

Bowl of Heaven (Bowl of Heaven Book 1) - Gregory Benford & Larry Niven

Title: Bowl of Heaven
Author: Gregory Benford & Larry Niven
Genre: Sci-Fi
Expected Publish Date: October 16th 2012
Formats: Hardback/Ebook

Available at:
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The Book Depository
Amazon UK

"Bowl of Heaven" is a science fiction novel created collaboratively between Gregory Benford & Larry Niven. As both these authors are known as masters of the genre I was looking forward to reading it even though I have never actually read a novel by either of them before. What I found, was a hard science fiction novel, full of exposition and mystery that I found both interesting and intriguing.

The story itself follows the Sunseeker, a new starship that is aiming to traverse the cosmos to colonise a new world in a journey that will take centuries. All the crew except those needed to pilot the ship will be put into hibernation with these piloting teams being rotated every few years. However, during the journey two issues occur that force the on duty crew to wake up additional people from their hibernation chambers.

The first of these issues is related to the ship's speed which appeared to be slowing to the point that the food supply on board the ship may be unable to sustain the crew that are awake during the rest of the journey. However, the second issue is the most amazing; they have discovered a massive structure in the shape of a bowl that is heading in the same direction as them. It is therefore decided that the only hope for the crew is to land on this structure and try to find enough food and water to ensure they can complete their journey. Of course, when they finally manage to land on the bowl they soon discover other creatures living there, some of which don't appear to appreciate the intrusion.

The quality of the writing in novel is superb, with the reader feeling truly immersed in the strange new world that has been created. The descriptions were excellent considering the scale of what was being described and I had no issue visualizing the various structures, creatures and environments. This is all helped by some close and in depth attention to the science which ensured there was a realistic feel to the entire adventure. I really enjoyed how the authors used many aspects of science from Biology to Geology to help stretch out the mystery so that the reader was putting the puzzle together alongside the characters.

The biggest let down in the book was probably the characters though who really did play second fiddle to the environment itself and the various alien creatures. There was a severe lack of complicated personalities and the interactions themselves were all very soap operatic. This didn't really fit with me as the people were meant be highly trained scientists and professionals. I could have understood the authors making the characters into more simple caricatures had this been a pulp light science fiction novel but it is meant to be hard science fiction and therefore I had expected interesting and intelligent characters.

A final issue I had with the novel though was in regards to the ending which left nearly everything unresolved and unexplained. Personally, I was disappointed when I realised I wasn't going to get anything answered by the final pages as I didn't see anything in the synopsis or cover to highlight the fact that I would need to read two novels to get a complete story. It won't have been a major issue to some people, but it did spoil the final 50-60 pages of the book for me as I made a futile attempt to try and work out how the story could be neatly tied up.

Overall, this was a enjoyable hard science fiction novel that whilst not being that original, was well put together with some great elements of exposition and head scratching intrigue. The characters are the novel's weakest point, but the way in which Benford and Niven have created this wonderful and mysterious world more than makes up for it. On a personal level, whilst I am a little bit annoyed that I have to wait for a 2nd book I wasn't expecting, I will still be picking up the sequel so that I can receive some answers to the many mysteries that remain.

Matriarch (The Wess'har Wars Book 4) - Karen Traviss

Title: Matriarch (The Wess'har Wars Book 4)
Author: Karen Traviss
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2006
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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Kobo
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"Matriarch" is the 4th book in Traviss' Science Fiction epic, The Wess'har War Series. As it is the 4th book I would advise people to stay away from this review unless you have already read the previous books. For anyone interested in the series then you can find my review of the first book in the series here.

The story picks up right where the previous novel, "The World Before" left off, with the the Eqbas preparing to take a break from their planned journey to Earth so that they can ecologically rebalance the overpopulated world of the Isenj. This leads to disagreement and conflict between both the different Wess'har & Isenj factions. At the same time, Shan Frankland learns that Rayat and Neville have both been kept alive and infected with the C'naatat parasite, the one thing she wanted to avoid at all costs. So the story follows both the various inter species interactions at the top level and Shan's obsession with hunting down Rayat and Neville to ensure the C'naatat parasite can not spread any further.

As with the previous novels in the series, the story continues to highlight the different cultures that could exist between different species and the various moral conflicts that can result from trying to accept these differences. I specifically enjoyed the closer look that Traviss took here in regards the family unit and how the Wess'har view on family was very different to ours yet Shan and Ade were willing to accept and embrace it. I do think that his book more than any in the series seems dedicated to exploring the consequences that can result from your choices, principles and hopes.

There is however an issue that results from this concentration on the various consequences that each character must face. The issue is that the book focuses on the characters, their interaction and development to the point that the plot of the overall story grinds to a halt. Whilst I found the added complexity to be interesting, I am a little disappointed that a reader could probably skip most of the book and still understand the direction of the plot and narrative. I just felt that it was missing some of the drive present in the previous books and really does feel like a middle series book.

In summary, whilst the book does little to progress the overall plot there is still enough here to ensure I enjoyed the book and continue to highly recommend this series to people. The continued development of the characters and exploration of their actions was entertaining and I appreciated some of the moral ambiguity that was present. One thing to note is that the book really does not work in a stand alone sense and therefore you really do need to have read the previous novels in order to appreciate it. Personally, I am now looking forward to reading the next novel and hope that Traviss uses it to move the plot along in a much more meaningful way.

A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Book 1) - Ursula K. Le Guin

Title: A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Book 1)
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1968
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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The Book Depository
Amazon UK

"A Wizard of Earthsea" is the first novel in Ursula K. Le Guin's classic YA fantasy series. This is actually a book I never managed to read as a youngster, in fact until there was a TV show made about the story of Earthsea I had never actually heard about it. Then again in those days I mainly limited myself to reading books that were recommended to me by peers or ones that caught my attention in the library or bookstore which tended to be new releases. Perhaps, I missed out by not reading the book then, because as an adult reading it I am not sure I truly understand the high praise that this book seems to get in various circles.

The story itself follows a young boy named Sparrowhawk who begins to learn the art of magic from his aunt, a local witch. However, when the village is attacked by an invading horde he uses magic to save everyone. This of course draws the attention of a powerful mage who in the end offers the boy the chance to go to great wizard school of Roke. However, whilst there he becomes both arrogant and proud which soon leads to a magical duel against another student. When this duel unleashes an evil shadow, Sparrowhawk's future is changed forever as his life will be at risk for as long as such evil prowls the world. So Sparrowhawk must decide if he will forever try to avoid this danger or if he will try and fight it.

At its heart this is a wonderful little tale here that looks at the internal conflict & mistakes of an adolescent and how he must almost overcome himself in order to move on in life. I really enjoyed following Sparrowhawk's progress from arrogance, to guilt, to a determination to undo the damage he had done. The book really is about watching someone learn about humility, friendship and responsibility as they progress into adulthood. I was actually quite impressed that Le Guin does such a great job in keeping this the focus of the story without getting bogged down in any epic good versus evil plotline.

However, a major issue I had is that Le Guin has tried to cram an epic adventure into a rather short novel. The story is basically all about the plot with years passing by at times without any real character development or depth being added to the events and places encountered. The length of the novel and structure utilised has without doubt been driven by its target audience and I am sure many children would enjoy the plot's progression through various quick sections of action etc. However as an adult I felt there was a depth missing to the novel that could have expanded and enhanced both the story itself and my appreciation for the world being created.

Overall, I am glad that I have now read this classic of fantasy literature and whilst I did have issues with the way the story is told I did still find it to be an interesting read. I will probably continue with the series and see how Le Guin's writing develops as I am hoping that the promise in both the characters and world she has built here can really be embraced.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge

Scavengers - CD Echterling

Title: Scavengers
Author: CD Echterling
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
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Smashwords
Amazon UK

"Scavengers" is a post apocalyptic science fiction novel set in the ruins of North America. Due to some calamity in the past, many people had fled south into Latin America. As time passed people began to return to the North in an attempt to rebuild and find a place of their own. However, upon returning they encounter a form of humanity known as "dregs" who are descendents of the people who were unable or unwilling to flee.

The story itself follows Thomas Martin, a scientist who is heading up a research project to try and understand the epidemic of cancers that is slowly eroding the population. However, his main interest is around trying to prove his own controversial theory that dregs are actually just like every other human and they only act in the way they do due to environmental factors. When his research begins to show that his theory may be true an attempt is made to silence him which forces him to flee the city and join the dreg's more violent and tribal society.

It was a very interesting story that held my interest from start to finish as I got to follow the immersion of a civilized man into a more basic and violent society. Thomas' interaction with the dregs and his own conversion into a scavenger and hunter was skilfully presented in a believable and entertaining manner. It was thoroughly enthralling to actually see the more tribal and violent elements of post apocalyptic societies portrayed in a non "evil/bad guy" style manner.

Unfortunately the elements of the story around the people still living in the city weren't as well presented. Whilst the continued struggle against the progressively more controlling military was entertaining I think there were too many threads that were either left un-resolved or fleshed out. For example, there was still no resolution to why the dregs had built up an immunity to cancer and I didn't ever understand why the people in power remained so obsessed with Thomas once he had escaped into the wild. However, I will add that none of this actually detracted from my overall enjoyment of the novel.

The characters within in the story were all well written and utterly captivating. I really felt like I could relate to the both the city dwellers and the dregs even though their society was so different from our own. In addition, all the interactions and motivations seemed realistic and natural given the context of their environment. I really did fall in love with many of the people in this book.

There is one major issue with the book though that could put off many readers and this is in relation to grammatical errors. There are a few throughout the novel and whilst it didn't bother me I know there are some people who would find it distracting.

Overall, I found this to be a thoroughly entertaining post apocalyptic novel that took an interesting look at the way in which a civilized person can resort to a more savage lifestyle. For anyone interested in this genre I can't help but recommend it enough provided you are not that bothered about typos and grammatical faux pas.

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