Turnabout - Carmen Webster Buxton

Title: Turnabout
Author: Carmen Webster Buxton
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 2017
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
If anyone reads through my reviews they will find quite a few for novels written by Carmen Webster Buxton. She was one of the first Indie Authors I ever read and I have consistently found her books to be well written, enjoyable and entertaining. So when she offered me the chance to read her latest novel, a young adult Sci-Fi adventure called "Turnabout" I couldn't say no.

The story follows Jason, a young teenager who discovers that he can teleport himself, although it seems to only happen under very specific circumstances. Luckily for Jason, it turns out that one of his teachers also has this ability and explains to him how the process works. What Jason is basically doing is travelling to a parallel Universe and then travelling back to our own but in a different location. His teacher explains however that if he is not thinking clearly when he makes a jump then the process will not work completely and he could find himself stranded in this other Universe. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens which results in Jason trying to survive in a place where men are outnumbered by women to such an extent that they have no rights and are treated almost like stud bulls. Whilst his teenage brain thinks that a constant supply of sex must be a good thing, he soon realises that this comes at a price of his own freedom and he then embarks on an adventure with the aim of getting home.

I was glad that the novel was mainly based about surviving in the alternate universe as I was worried initially that the novel was going to end up being another standard teenager teleport story. Luckily this wasn't the case and I found the book thoroughly enjoyable to the point that I pretty much read it all in one day. Buxton's writing was also excellent as always, with the action and adventure being well supplemented by the exploration of the matriarchal culture which exists in the other Universe. The various well developed characters helped to enhance this cultural exploration and assisted the reader in understanding what it would be like to live there as a local rather than just as someone new to the society like Jason.

I suppose my only issue was with the ending as Jason's return home was a little bit to easy and neatly tidied up for my liking. Basically, Jason returns to his own Universe and manages to get back to his family in the space of only one chapter even though he has been missing for quite a while. This is only a minor problem but I do wish that there had been a few more chapters used to extend his return and create a more structured ending.

Overall, this was an entertaining read with a creative and engrossing story which had me hooked very early on. Don't be fooled by the initial chapters on teleportation, this novel is much more than that and I think it would specifically appeal to those who like Sci-Fi novels which explore dystopian alternative societies. Personally, I really hope that there is a sequel in the future as I want to know more about the interaction between our own world and the alternative one.

Shaman (Behind The Walls of Sleep Book 2) - Scott Rhine

Title: Shaman (Behind The Walls of Sleep Book 2)
Author: Scott Rhine
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2014
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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Review:
“Shaman” by Scott Rhine is the 2nd novel in his YA fantasy series, “Behind the Walls of Sleep”. The story picks up directly on from the ending of the previous novel “Messenger”, although the majority of the plot this time takes place in the real world. Whilst staying with his Native American family, Daniel must learn to become a shaman with all the responsibilities required of that role. However, he discovers that a teenage girl is being held in New Orleans by a coven and soon embarks on an adventure with his cousins to rescue her.

I really appreciated that the majority of this book took place in the real world as it was those sections which really shown in the first novel. In that book, Rhine used the real world to really grow the characters and he has once again done it here. We get to see some real development of Daniel’s and I loved witnessing how his own interpretation of events changes as he matures. Those earlier viewpoints were quite fundamental in affecting his behaviour, so it was easy for the reader to follow and appreciate his changing characteristics. In addition, it was also good to learn about the culture and history of his Native American family alongside him; I think that it is always easier to appreciate a character and their reactions when it feels like you are learning something at the same time as them.

In regards to pacing, this book continues on from the “Messenger” in that it is slower that what I am used to from Rhine. In fact, I think this one may have been even slower and more deliberate as Rhine tries to develop both Daniel’s character and some of the secondary characters. Whilst this slower pace may be a little surprising to regular readers of Rhine’s work, I enjoyed the more measured pacing which helps sell the character driven aspects of the novel.

Overall, this is an entertaining YA Fantasy novel that kept me fully engaged from start to finish. I really enjoyed following Daniel on his adventure and appreciated that Rhine tried to showcase his growth.

Grail Mysterium: An Adventure on the Heights - Thomas Kaplan-maxfield

Title: Grail Mysterium: An Adventure on the Heights
Author: Thomas Kaplan-maxfield
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2012
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
“Grail Mysterium, An Adventure on the Heights” by Thomas Kaplan-Mansfield is a rather intriguing fantasy/mystery novel. The story follows a group of friends at Boston College who begin to notice strange things occurring such as high performing students just dropping out, ghost sightings and a rather virulent illness. When one of the group, Jack Knecht, a huge fan of Harry Potter begins to investigate he soon finds himself involved in uncovering the ancient secrets of the mythical Holy Grail.

Kaplan-Maxfield has created a very interesting story by mixing elements of fantasy and magic with religion and science alongside a mystery plotline which is full of twists and turns. I found myself completely unsure which characters I should believe or trust as the story progressed which was a credit to the mystery being told. Unfortunately I did find that the plot was little bit too convoluted at times. The amount of twists, red herrings, philosophical musings and characters were actually a little bit too much for me. It was quite a slow read as I worked through the novel trying to ensure I understood everything that was going on.

In regards to the characters, they are all well-crafted in a manner which ensures that they all seem like specific individuals. I easily found myself caring about what happened to them although I have to admit I found most of them quite juvenile in behaviour. Maybe I am just a grumpy old man with false memories of my own youth but I am sure that as a University student I had a bit more maturity than what we see in this book. If the story was based around High School seniors then I could understand their behaviour but these students are older than this and it just didn’t fit with me.

Overall, this is an entertaining enough book but at times the plot could be a bit over complex which slows down the pace. I also think the characters were a bit more juvenile than they needed to be but in a way I suspect this will ensure the book appeals more to teenagers.

Light (Gone Book 6) - Michael Grant

Title: Light (Gone Book 6)
Author: Michael Grant
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 2013
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
“Light” by Michael Grant is the 6th and final Book in the Gone series. As it is in the final book in the series, I suspect that if you have been read the other books you are going to read this book no matter what I say here. However, I will put down at least some of my thoughts as it may persuade the odd curious reader to give the series a try.

The story picks up from the enjoyable events the concluded the previous novel, “Fear”. The evil gaiaphage has been reborn into human form and is slowly doing all she can to destroy the children who are left inside the FAYZ. Her aim is to kill everyone there and then escape uncontested into the wider world which she can bring under her control. So, begins a final battle begins between her and the final few survivors who must stand together against her.

Closing a long series such as this is no easy task but I feel that Grant has done a great job with “Light”. The adrenaline packed adventure we have been following throughout the series doesn’t let up for one moment, the fast pacing grabs the reader from the first page right to the last. In addition, Grant uses the characters he has wonderfully crafted over the past few novels to expertly showcase a finale that is full of loss, horror, sacrifice, heroism and triumph.

The characters are something I do really want to go into with this book as it is the final one. I have thoroughly enjoyed following what is a very diverse and varied cast, many of whom have their own development arcs that were interesting and at times could be classed as quite risqué in what is essentially a YA novel. For example, he wasn’t scared to show two teenagers having sex as it fitted perfectly with the story he was telling and he wasn’t worried about delving into religious aspects with characters questioning their faith and begin to doubt things. All these type of things helped to ensure that characters actually felt real and were people that I wanted to know more about.

If I have to give you all one minor niggle it is that whilst Grant did a great job delving into quite a wide range of characters, a couple of them do seem to fall by the wayside such as Bug and Computer Jack who were developing along nicely before Grant just seemingly decided to abandon their arcs beyond the interactions needed in regards to the main plot. Not a major problem but it is disappointing when you see the side-lining of characters you were enjoying following.

A final thing I will also note is that this book and the others in the series as a whole do contain a fair amount of gore and violence which may not appeal to everyone. Grant is more than happy to try and shock the reader in a new and more extreme way for each book, so by the 6th book I am sure you can imagine how inventive the deaths and horror can be.

Overall, this was an excellent final chapter in an engrossing and enjoyable series. It is a credit to Grant’s work that I do believe this is one of the best YA series I have read in recent years and highly recommend it to anyone who may be looking for a dark, dystopian story with strong characters and thrills aplenty.

Fear (Gone Book 5) - Michael Grant

Title: Fear (Gone Book 5)
Author: Michael Grant
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 2012
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
“Fear” by Michael Grant is the 5th and penultimate Book in the Gone series. I was looking forward to reading this book as the Gone series has been some of the best dark, dystopian novels I have encountered in recent years. The book follows on from the event of “Plague” with Sam now working with others to run a settlement out by the lake whilst Caine rules over his own settlement in Perdido Beach as a King. The tenuous peace that now endures is threatened when the dome around them begins to blacken cutting out all light which threatens to finally finish off everyone within the FAYZ.

As with the other novels in the series, the book is a wonderfully well written, adrenaline packed adventure that had me hooked from the first page to the last. The story structure is very similar to what we have seen before, with Sam being central to the plot and the teenagers having to face off against each other in addition to some form of enemy sent by the gaiaphage. However, the main driving force behind this novel to me was character development. Grant really begins to delve into the psyche of the surviving characters who all appear to be suffering from various forms of post-traumatic stress. As we move towards the final novel it appears that Grant is determined to ensure the reader really knows each character and understands who they are, even those without special powers.

A really interesting addition to this novel is that Grant decides to finally let the readers glimpse a view from outside the FAYZ. The reader gets to follow things from an adult’s viewpoint which is a nice counterpoint to that of the teenage centric story we have had so far. This adds an enjoyable and fresh feeling to the novel as we get to see how the various parents and the military have been responding to the situation as it has unfolded.

In summary, this is another enjoyable novel in this exciting series. With this novel I specifically appreciated that Grant has tried to give us something new with the view of outside in addition to the further development of the characters. There is not much more to say other that next up in the series is “Light” which is the finale and I really can’t wait!

Messenger (Behind The Walls of Sleep Book 1) - Scott Rhine

Title: Messenger (Behind The Walls of Sleep Book 1)
Author: Scott Rhine
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2014
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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Review:
“Messenger” by Scott Rhine is the first book in his YA fantasy series entitled “Behind the Walls of Sleep”. It is Rhine’s first attempt at writing for the YA market and I can easily see how it could tap into the mind-set of online game playing teens the world over. The story follows Daniel, a young teenager who has suffered a terrible accident in his past which led to his mother going to prison and his movement between foster families before his unknown relatives took him in. Whilst living with them, Daniel soon discovers that whilst he dreams he can pass through into another world reminiscent of a roleplaying video game where wizards and barbarians roam. However, before long it becomes clear that what he is doing in one world is upsetting people in the other and Daniel’s life is far from being safe in either place.

My first impressions of the book was that the sections in the dreaming world really did feel like I was following someone’s adventure in a game such as World of Warcraft with respawn points, loot, NPC style characters and quests clearly evident throughout. All you would have needed to was switch the going to sleep for powering on the PC and it would have easily fit. The interesting bit here is that I found most of the charters in this world to be rather flat and uninspiring but I actually found that this enhanced that online game feel and made it all feel very familiar.

The real meat of the story to me however was in the real world; it was here that I found some more development in the characters which contrasted wonderfully with the dream world. It is also here that Rhine really tries to tap into the YA writing elements of showing Daniel’s attempts at discovering who he is and what he wants to truly wants become.

It was actually nice to see Rhine slowdown his pacing with this book as many times in the past I have found his work to quickly launch the reader from one fast paced section to the other which can be fun to follow but does sometimes leave the reader feeling dizzy. Yes, the dream world still seems a bit madcap and fast but this worked due to the nature of the world itself and was again wonderfully contrasted by a slower and further developed real world story.

My biggest issue with the story is the ending which left me feeling rather disappointed as it is all rather sudden without any real resolutions. I know it is setting up for the sequel but I do still like to see some sort of reasoned ending to a book in any series and I felt that this was missing from this novel.

Overall, this was a very different book from what I have seen before from Rhine which was actually nice to see. I think he has done a great job in trying to reach the YA audience, especially those who enjoy online gaming and fantasy adventures. Personally, whilst I am not the target audience I still appreciated the story, helped along I am sure by my own love of gaming so I know that I will be picking up the sequel when it is released.

The Farthest Shore (Earthsea Book 3) - Ursula K. Le Guin

Title: The Farthest Shore (Earthsea Book 3)
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1972
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
“The Farthest Shore” by Ursula K. Le Guin is the third book in the Earthsea fantasy series and was the final book in the original trilogy although the series has of course been expanded since then. I think that this was my favourite novel in the series, and captivated me in ways that the other novels hadn’t. The scope was grand and the story felt like an epic adventure rather than being a collection of interlinked plot points which was an issue I had with the first novel.

The plot itself follows Ged, the Earthsea series’ most central figure who is now Archmage on the Isle of Roke. When, a young prince named Arren arrives with news that magic is disappearing from the more distant lands in Earthsea, Ged realises that he must head out and seek the cause. So, along with Arren he heads out away from Roke hunting out the cause of this magical loss in the hope that they can reverse it before it encroaches upon Roke itself.

As touched on in my first paragraph, this is a grand adventure that contains all the traditional elements of a fantasy epic; a threat to the entire world, an old and aged hero and a young and untested apprentice. It is exciting and fun in a manner that I hadn’t experienced with the other two books in the series but yet still manages to retain the ability to try and explore complex issues. For example, a prime thread is the novel is an interesting look at the almost universal fear of death in which humanity struggles to come to grips with the idea of future non-existence.

In regards to the writing, well the overall flow of the plot isn’t perfect and can meander a bit into detailed exposition as I have come to expect with Le Guin but there was still enough forward momentum to keep me hooked. The upside of this meandering plot is that once again we really get to visualise and understand both the world and its characters as Le Guin colourfully details everything. It is quite clear to me Le Guin has grown as a writer throughout the original trilogy learning and has managed to keep me both entertained with the plot in addition to enjoyed the world she had created.

One slightly negative observation I had is that there was no real continuation of the story of Tenar, from the previous book “The Tombs of Atuan”. Yes elements of what occurred in that book were touched upon but Tenar was reduced to being mentioned in the odd comment. After getting a real feeling for her in the last book it was disappointing not to see anything about how she moved on in life etc. After doing such a U-turn in the previous book to introduce the reader to her, it was disappointing to see her abandoned.

Overall, this has been my favourite book in the series so far and Le Guin has done a good job in mixing an epic adventure story with her love for exposition and world building. Yes, it doesn’t have the best narrative flow in the world but this isn’t anything new from Le Guin so I think that anyone who has enjoyed the previous books is in for a real treat with this one.

The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Book 2) - Ursula K. Le Guin

Title: The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Book 2)
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1970
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
“The Tombs of Atuan” is the second novel in Ursula K. Le Guin's classic YA fantasy series known as the Earthsea cycle. As with the first book in the series I found this novel to be okay but there was nothing that really wowed me within its pages. It did attempt to remedy one of the major issues I had with the first book in regards to trying to cram too much story into too few pages. However, this was done by cutting back the overall scope and adventure of the story rather than by trying to increase the page count which is a bit of a shame.

In regards to the story, it is based around a young priestess who was taken from her family as a child and brought up to serve the nameless ones as head priestess at the Tombs of Atuan. However, when an interloper breaks into the tombs, she finds herself unable to order his death as she should have. Instead, she speaks to the man, discovering he is a wizard from foreign lands and slowly but surely he helps her release the truth about the nameless ones she serves.

As mentioned earlier, the scope of this story is nothing like the epic tale told in the first novel and this has some positives and negatives. For example, it enables Le Guin to really delve into the characters and the world more, I really appreciated the way in which she spent time detailing and describing the places, people and culture around the tombs. However, the feeling of action and adventure was missing, it was much more claustrophobic and cerebral a story which was entertaining enough but it just wasn’t as much fun to read.

Another thing that I am also unsure about is the decision that Le Guin took to move the overall Earthsea story to a different place and viewpoint. Yes, it was an interesting and enjoyable attempt to further explore the world but I would also have enjoyed seeing more development in the life of Sparrowhawk himself. I felt that the relegation of him to a side character who appears in the latter half of the book made it a little bit more difficult to get into the novel than it needed to be.

Overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable enough story that really helped to build a more detailed picture of some aspects of Earthsea. What I would really love to see Le Guin do in in the future is merge this detailed look at characters and world alongside the epic and enjoyable adventure she showed us in the first Earthsea novel. I am going to keep working through the series because either way I am curious to know what type of novel she decided to create next.

Starfleet Academy: The Assassination Game - Alan Gratz

Title: The Assassination Game
Author: Alan Gratz
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2012
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“The Assassination Game” by Alan Gratz is the fourth book in the Young Adult Starfleet Academy series set in the continuity of the JJ Abrams Star Trek movie. The novel’s title is a reference to a game played by some of the cadets in which they try and “assassinate” various other cadets via the use of Starfleet sporks. However, the game soon takes a backseat when someone attempts to assassinate various dignitaries for real during a medical conference. All evidence points to a hated alien species known as the Varkolak but Kirk who is acting as an escort to the leader of the Varkolak delegation doesn’t believe it and begins to investigate himself.

As with the other books in the series the story is rather predictable and I worked out who the “bad guy” was very quickly. This is made even worse due to the fact that out of the four books released so far in the series, some of the people involved in the various troubles that occur during the novels have been women that either Kirk or McCoy are interested in. Despite this I still found myself entertained as the story is fast paced, action packed and at times quite funny.

What I really do appreciate in this series is that they do try and provide some type of continuation between them even though there are different authors involved. It is nice to see some of the various minor characters popping up here and there to show at least a little bit of linkage between the novels in the series. In addition, Gratz has continued the good work seen in the previous novels in regards to the characters. They are all well-written and I could once again easily envision these characters being the same ones as seen in the Abrams movie.

One aspect to the story that made me either smile or groan was in regards to the various homages to other aspects of the Trek universe. Some of them were used brilliantly but others just irritated me and there is even one part of the novel that seems to be a blatant word for word copy of events that happened in the TOS episode, “The Trouble with Tribbles”. Sometimes I think the elements of homage within a Star Trek novel can be too much and this was definitely a prime example of this.

Overall this is an enjoyable novel that has been written by a fan of Star Trek who really knows his stuff. It isn’t the most complex of plots but this seems to quite standard for Young Adult Star Trek novels and seems to have been competently written.

Starfleet Academy: The Gemini Agent - Rick Barba

Title: The Gemini Agent
Author: Rick Barba
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“The Gemini Agent” is Rick Barba’s 2nd novel set within JJ Abrams’ alternative version of Star Trek. The plot once again is mainly set within Starfleet Academy itself as the cadets begin their preparations for the Zeta mission, an opportunity for them to go out into space on a starship and take on various officer roles in a fictional assignment. Kirk, as expected is hoping to take on a captain’s role, but his chances are dealt a blow when he suffers from a health scare involving blacking out for several hours. Before long Kirk is accused of committing various inappropriate and illegal acts during the blackout period and his very place at the Academy becomes under threat. So together with McCoy, Uhura and the usual gang of friends he tries to find a way to prove his innocence.

As with the other Starfleet Academy novels this book is aimed at the Young Adult market so the plot does move along at quite a fast pace and isn’t the most complex of plot lines. It was very obvious who the “villain” is and therefore there wasn’t any real sense of surprise or curiosity as I read the book. I still found it to be a fun and enjoyable adventure but it was probably the most simplistic mystery story out of all the books in this series so far.

The characters came across in a manner that did tie in with how they appeared within the movie which is one of the continually good aspects of this series. In addition, I appreciated how Barba has tried to use the book to further develop the characters beyond what we have seen on the screen and in other books. For example, whilst the interactions between Spock and Uhura weren’t critical to the plotline they did enable Barba to show the way in which their relationship was continuing to grow and develop.

Overall, this was another solidly enjoyable Star Trek novel aimed at the teenage fans of the JJ Abrams movie. Whilst it was rather an obvious plot, fans of the series will probably appreciate the way in which the book focused on developing the characters and their various relationships.

Starfleet Academy: The Delta Anomaly - Rick Barba

Title: The Delta Anomaly
Author: Rick Barba
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2010
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“The Delta Anomaly” by Rick Barba was the first novel released in the Starfleet Academy series of novels which are set in the JJ Abrams’ alternative version of Star Trek. However, it actually takes place after the events that occurred in the 2nd novel to be released which was entitled “The Edge” and therefore I read that book first.

The main plotline is based around the investigation of a rather strange serial killer who seems able to kill people without leaving a single mark on the bodies. Kirk, McCoy and Uhura get dragged into the investigation when one of Uhura’s friends is attacked and Kirk manages to step in an save her. Of course, before long the cadet’s themselves are at risk when the killer appears to make a move on them.

In addition, the book also delves into some of activities and tests that the cadets are undertaking as well as taking an interesting look at the growing relationship between Uhura and Spock. If you think this all sounds a little bit busy for such a short book, I can confirm that you would be right. Barba has crammed a lot into the book which results in a breakneck pace with actions and thrills aplenty. However, I did find that this attempt to include a lot in the book meant that at times both the details were lacking and it could feel a little bit rushed.

I am happy to say that the main characters did feel correct compared to how they have been portrayed recently on the screen. What I really liked though was seeing how beneath Kirk’s youthful and rebellious exterior lies a good man with the potential to be a great leader. This was visible in the other characters as well to an extent, but it was Kirk whose potential you could really see.

One thing I would like to note is that whilst this book is set after “The Edge” there isn’t any particular advantage in reading that book first as the stories are pretty much self-contained so don’t worry if you read this one first. However, there are a few inconsistencies I noticed when reading this book that may have occurred due to the books being written out of order. For example, in “The Delta Anomaly” there is a Doctor present at the Academy as an instructor who I believe would have been thrown out following certain events that occurred during “The Edge”. There are few other little niggles like this that didn’t affect my enjoyment of the novel but were noticeable.

Overall, this was a solidly enjoyable Star Trek novel that shoul appeal to any teens out there who enjoyed the JJ Abrams movie. It could be a little bit light on details and rushed at times, but the fast pace and thrill packed storyline should more than appeal to the books intended audience.

Starfleet Academy: The Edge - Rudy Josephs

Title: The Edge
Author: Rudy Josephs
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2010
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“The Edge” by Rudy Josephs is actually the first Star Trek novel I have read that is set in Star Trek’s “Abramaverse”. As this is a Starfleet Academy book it is targeted at the Young Adult audience just like the earlier Academy novels that were set in the Prime universe. However, I do feel that this book was of a higher standard than the Prime Universe series of novels. I suspect that this is because YA novels have come on quite a way in recent years and there is a huge variety in terms of content to the point that the quality of both plot and style needs to be at a level that people are willing to actually pick up a book out of the large selection available.

The story itself follows the first few months of Kirk, McCoy & Uhura’s time at the Academy which doesn’t start off to well when a fellow cadet is found dead in his dorm room. Before long, other Cadet’s begin to show strange symptoms and it becomes clear that someone has been offering gene therapy and micro surgery to give cadet’s an extra edge during their time at the Academy. Whilst Star Fleet conducts its own investigation with the assistance of Commander Spock, Kirk and McCoy get dragged in themselves as they attempt to ensure that no one else suffers or turns up dead.

As I said earlier, I actually found this book to be of a higher standard that the other YA Star Trek novels I have read. The plot itself has a decent level of complexity and intrigue that will ensure most people are entertained even if it still isn’t as deep as an experience adult reader would have preferred. An interesting element of this novel is that it was actually quite slow paced, which was quite surprising to me when I compared it to the action packed fast paced movie that it is based around. Personally, I wasn’t bothered to much by this though as Josephs used the slower pace to actually explore the characters and the way they interact with each other and the academy life itself.

In regards to the characters, I found that I could easily envisage them as being the same to those I saw on the movie screen. Uhura is the best example of this as she comes across strongly like the Zoe Saldana version rather than Nichelle Nichols’s take on the character. For a big fan of Star Trek I really appreciated being able to read the book and feel like I was specifically reading about the alternate Universe.

One minor comment I do have with the book is in regards to my own knowledge of Star Trek canon. In a lot of the other books and TV episodes I have seen, people from Earth tend to show a real fear and hatred of genetic engineering due to events that occurred in the past such as the Eugenics Wars. However, in this book I felt that many people were very nonchalant and glib about the gene therapy that was going on. This isn’t a major issue and it probably won’t matter to someone who isn’t a big fan of Star Trek but it insured that the book felt a little bit wrong to me.

Overall, this was an enjoyable Star Trek YA novel that does a good job in capturing the feeling of the characters people witnessed in the “Abramaverse” version of Star Trek. The plot itself is a little slow paced at times but there should be enough there to keep most fans entertained.

Xannu: The Healing (The Southern Lands Book 2) - Paul Dorset

Title: Xannu - The Healing (The Southern Lands Book 2)
Author: Paul Dorset
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2005
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“Xannu – The Healing” is the 2nd novel in the Southern Land Saga and it follows directly on from the events that occurred in “Xannu – The Prophecy” which I previously reviewed here. This review therefore will contain some spoilers about “Xannu – The Prophecy” and I would therefore advise people to read my review of the first novel and then decide if they wish to give the series a try.

As said above, this novel picks up directly after the events of the first novel with the cast of characters remaining pretty much unchanged. In our own world, Terry is suffering guilt due to his friend Joe seemingly vanishing into an epic fantasy styled world known as the Southern Lands. He also is trying to survive the other regular aspects of being a young teenager as he tries to understand his feelings for Susan who has begun to take a much more active role in his life. In the Southern Lands themselves however the of Tern, Joe, Maria, Matthius and Selene are splitting up in an attempt to heal certain members of the group who have become ill. Tern, Matthius and Selene must travel to The Unforgiving, a desolate place where it is hoped that Matthius’ battle injuries can be treated. Meanwhile Joe and Maria must travel to the island of Tane where it is hoped that the Sorceresses may be able to help Joe so that he can return home.

Once again Dorset had created a rather fast paced and entertaining fantasy novel that was fundamentally entertaining. I think the best elements of the novel were in regards to the sections which were set in our own world. I loved getting to see how Terry really begins to grow into a teenager with all the relevant levels of emotional change and associated struggles. His fledgling relationship with Susan is at times quite amusing and I enjoyed following his struggles to understand his feelings whilst Susan herself seemed to know exactly what she wanted. In addition, it was really interesting getting to discover that several other people in Terry’s life have had experience of the Southern Lands and it really piqued by curiosity about why and how this was happening.

The fantasy sections of the novel however were probably missing a little bit of the excitement and thrills that I witnessed in the previous novel. It was still enjoyable to follow what was going on but these sections of the novel did suffer the most from middle book syndrome as it felt like the author was trying to set up the events of future novels. The characters however continued to be both believable and easy to emphasize with which ensured that I never wanted to skip sections even with rather limited overall progression in the fantasy elements of the story.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable follow up novel that offers up a huge amount of promise for future books in the series. Whilst the overall story progression in the Southern Lands specifically was limited, I felt that this was more than made up for by the development we see in the characters in our own world. Personally, I am looking forward to picking up the 3rd book in the series so I can see where the story is going next.

Star Trek Starfleet Academy: Cadet Kirk - Diane Carey

Title: Cadet Kirk
Author: Diane Carey
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1996
Formats: Paperback

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

"Cadet Kirk" by Diane Cary is the 3rd and final book in the 1996 Star Trek Starfleet Academy series of novels that charted the earlier escapades of Kirk, Spock and McCoy in the prime Trek Universe. The plot is based around a shuttle flight in which Kirk had been expecting to fly the famous scientist, Richard Daystrom to another planet. However, due to a change in plans he is left transporting two rather unknown young officers named Spock & McCoy. During their journey, they are caught in a tractor beam and pulled down into a small outpost by pirates who had been hoping to capture Daystrom. So Kirk, Spock and McCoy must work together so that they can escape the pirates and ensure that Daystrom doesn’t fall into the same trap.

As seems to be the norm with this series of young adult Trek lit, the plot is very basic with little in the way complications or surprises. The beginning of the book was also rather slow which did make we wonder how easily a young reader would stick with it. However, once you get past the initial section of the book the pace picks up and there are some fun and entertaining action scenes. By the end of the book I found that I had rather enjoyed the overall experience even if it all was a little bit predictable. My enjoyment was probably helped by the story being told from McCoy’s point of view as I do like getting to witness his rather bleak and sarcastic views.

The real positive in the novel though was in getting to watch Kirk, Spock and McCoy gradually grow to respect each other. Initially, they were very formal and unsure of each other, but by the end they were working together as a team that showed the first hints of what they would become in the future.

One aspect that had me a little unsure about the novel was the way in which McCoy and Kirk didn’t appear to know each other initially as this was at odds with what occurred in the previous book, “Aftershock”. It is explained later on in the story that they just didn’t recognise each other but based on what had previously happened, I was surprised that McCoy at least didn’t remember Kirk much more easily. It felt to me that Carey wanted her book to be based around Kirk not knowing either Spock or McCoy and she just through in the failure to remember each other as a way to ensure the books in the series would still technically be linked to each other.

Overall, I was a little bit split in regards to this book as whilst I enjoyed the fact that this book was more action orientated compared to the other books in the series, I also felt that the start was rather slow and I didn’t like the cheap feeling plot point regarding McCoy and Kirk not remembering each other. In the end this is really just an average novel, but if you are interested in trying to read a little bit more about how these three starfleet officers met then you will probably get some enjoyment out of it.

Star Trek Starfleet Academy: Aftershock - John Vornholt

Title: Aftershock
Author: John Vornholt
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1996
Formats: Paperback

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

"Aftershock" by John Vornholt is the 2nd book in the 1996 Star Trek Starfleet Academy series of novels that charted the earlier escapades of Kirk, Spock and McCoy in the prime Trek Universe. The plot follows McCoy as he ends up doing a form of community service after an unofficial football game with some freshman cadets leads to McCoy and a young cadet named Kirk having an accident with a security shield. McCoy is more or less forced into volunteering for the Disaster Relief Service Club when he teams up with a Vulcan named Spock and a young woman named Lisa. Together they travel to the planet Playamar which has suffered a massive earthquake and attempt to rescue and save the lives of colonists there. Very soon though, Spock begins to suspect that something is not quite right in regards to the earthquake and aftershocks that follow and very soon the team begin to investigate.

As with the previous Starfleet Academy book I read, this novel is heavily geared towards the younger reader with a simple plot that is easy to follow and fairly standard for a Star Trek story. It was still interesting enough for me to enjoy as an adult but it didn’t keep me riveted as some other Star Trek novels have. The aspect of the novel I really enjoyed however was the portrayal of McCoy which Vornholt seems to have captured quite well. His sarcastic and bickering nature is still there for all to see, but there is also an undercurrent of youthful inexperience and insecurity which was interesting to observe.

There are some illustrations throughout the novel created by Todd Cameron Hamilton that didn’t really impress me much. Don’t get me wrong, several of them seemed to capture a young McCoy and Spock quite well but some of them looked didn’t look great. I even asked my wife about one of them and her initial comment was simply that it looked quite poor. However, ultimately these illustrations don’t really affect the enjoyment of the novel and I just started to ignore them as I progressed through the story.

Overall, this is an incredibly quick and easy read that explores a little bit about McCoy’s experiences as a younger man. It probably isn’t complex or deep enough for most adults to thoroughly enjoy but I think it should please any young fan of Star Trek. Therefore, unless you are a Trek novel completionist or you want to try and introduce a child to the world of Trek literature I can’t say there is any real reason you should go out of your way to try and track down this out of print novel.

The Last Days (The Tree of Life Book 3) - Steven Smith

Title: The Last Days (The Tree of Life Book 3)
Author: Steven Smith
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2012
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Lulu (Ebook Here)

“The Last Days” by Steven Smith is the third book in his “The Tree of Life” fantasy trilogy that started with the novel “The Map of the Known World” which I previously reviewed here. As with most reviews on sequels I need to warn people that this review is likely to obtain minor spoilers to what occurred in the other novels. Therefore I would advise anyone new to the trilogy should read my review of the first book and then decide if they want to give it a try.

This book continues the adventures of Elowen Aubyn, who is still on a quest to discover the three remaining artefacts that will help her finally locate the Tree of Life and defeat the dictatorial Prester John. She continues her journey across land and sea, meeting new people and creatures, all the time trying to ensure she does not become corrupted by her own magical abilities. In addition, the young prince Bo must step up to the plate and lead an army of both men and Eldar against Prester John in the hope that alongside Elowen, they can finally end the tyranny that has befallen the world.

I enjoyed the return to this rather dark fantasy world and found myself hooked as I followed the story to its satisfying conclusion. Smith continues to use his setting well to create an adventure story that is full of action and intrigue, but also tries to show the power of hope and friendship. In regards to the characters, Prince Bo continued to be a character I found interesting and couldn’t help but cheer on as he tried to do the right thing whilst facing his own doubts and fears.

Whilst I did enjoy the book I have to say that it is probably the weakest in the whole series. The reason I say this is that Smith has tried to pack so much into this novel in an attempt to complete the trilogy that some of the overall detail has been lost. It felt like we were just jumping from one event to another without any real exposition or further development of the characters.

I want to add that one element of the novel I also appreciated was the inclusion of a brief synopsis of what occurred in the previous books in the series. There have been many times in the past that I have read multi book series and by the time a book would come out my memory of what had was fading and I struggled to remember everything that had occurred. So it was nice being able to pick up a book and reading a few pages at the beginning to help refresh my memory.

Overall, it was a nice conclusion to the series with everything tied up in a manner that any follower of the series should be able to appreciate. Whilst I think it may have been better to see this story spread across two novels in greater depth, there was still enough there to keep me interested and I always struggled to put it down at the end of the day. So if you have read the other novels I would go out and pick this one up as soon as possible. If you haven’t even started the trilogy then I advise you go and try it out because it is an enjoyable experience and unlike many Fantasy series out there this one has an ending!

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:
Amazon
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.

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:
Amazon
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

Chameleon (Ripple Book 2) - Cidney Swanson

Title: Chameleon (Ripple Book 2)
Author: Cidney Swanson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

"Chameleon" is a Young Adult Urban Fantasy novel that follows on from "Rippler" which I previously reviewed here. As a little warning, I want to mention that whilst I have tried to remove spoilers, due to this being a sequel there are still some present in this review that are related to the previous novel, "Rippler".

The story continues to follows the life of Sam, the girl from the previous novel who discovered she had the ability to turn invisible, or ripple as it is called in the book. However, her life has been made even more complicated by her discovery of a secretive group of rather sinister people who are interested in tracking her down. Therefore, under the cover of a school trip to France, Sam, her friend Will, and his sister travel together to meet the mysterious Sir Walter who has been sending them information for an as yet unknown reason. Whilst in France they discover the true secret of rippling and face even more dangers that they were expecting.

I found that the story builds really well on the plot introduced in the previous novel. I really enjoyed the way in which Swanson has interspersed the novel with exerts from a journal that Sam has uncovered, which enables the reader to learn more about the villains in the series. In addition, I was engrossed as the novel delved into rippling to enable the reader to understand more about its history and the range of abilities it actually covers.

One other thing I noted was that this story moves along at a much faster pace than its predecessor. After the initial elements to recap the previous novel, the novel quickly delves into the action, mystery and suspense to the point that I found it very difficult to put the novel down once I had started reading. The way that the stakes have been raised in the story has really benefited this novel.

I don't think there was much growth within the characters but they did at least act in line with how Swanson had developed them in the previous novel. This meant that the novel could concentrate on story progression and the reader would still be able to understand the actions and thoughts of the characters without any real issue. I do have to admit that I still find Will to be a little bit bland and I still can't understand why Sam seems to be so much in love with him, but then again they are teenagers so maybe as a man in his thirties, I am just not meant to understand.

Overall, I feel that Swanson has created a book here that is more entertaining, enjoyable and faster paced that its predecessor. The character development carried out in the first novel enables the author to get straight into the meat of the story which she develops very well. If you have read the first novel and enjoyed that then I really have to recommend that you go out and pick this one up as well as you won't be disappointed.

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Running Wide Open (Full Throttle Book 1) - Lisa Nowak

Title: Running Wide Open (Full Throttle Book 1)
Author: Lisa Nowak
Genre: General Fiction
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

"Running Wide Open" by Lisa Nowak is a YA novel that for once doesn't involve paranormal events, love triangles or female protagonists. I know that some of you are probably dumb struck that a YA novel like that could actually exist but this book honestly is different to the norm. Instead the book involves stock car racing, a troubled male protagonist and an emotional plot about overcoming the challenges of the past. I found the entire novel to be a refreshing change in addition to being an enjoyable and interesting read.

The story follows a 15 year old boy named Cody who does not have the healthiest of family lives. When, his rebellious ways leads to minor brush with the law he is sent away by his father to live with his uncle name Race, in order to avoid being sent to a military school. Cody is initially unable to take his uncle seriously as he eats Twinkies for breakfast, is dedicated to racing cars around in circles every weekend and has the most ridiculous name ever. Over time though, Cody learns to understand and respect his uncle and allows him to become the mentor and friend that he has been missing most of his life. However, when his uncle is involved in a terrible accident, Cody is suddenly forced to choose between reverting to his old ways or stepping up and showing loyalty and support to his uncle who faces the possibility that he may never race a car again.

In all honesty I am not a big stock car racing fan, I have never really seen the enjoyment in watching cars drive in circles. The only racing I really do follow is Formula 1 and it is pretty much in a different world to the racing portrayed in this book. However, Lisa Nowak has done a superb job in ensuring the reader is brought up to speed on the racing world as you get to discover the racing rules, car types and parts alongside Cody. I had no issue understanding what was going on and it was easy to get caught up in the thrill of the race.

The actual racing and car elements of the novel however aren't actually the main aspects of the book. There is a much deeper story here with the second half of the book really delving into Cody's growth as a person. It can at times be quite emotionally draining as Cody strives to accept both his past and current challenges and tries to become a better and wiser person. I felt that it was quite a complex area for a YA novel to enter, but I enjoyed the fact that the book did explore these elements amongst the backdrop of the racing world.

As this type of novel is based primarily around its characters, it was therefore not surprising to note that the characters were all quite vivid and memorable. I was able to gain a good understanding of most of them and could actually see things from their individual points of view which meant I was really able to get into the book. I think Cody himself was an interesting enigma, the regular bad boy aspects were all present but there was also an intellect and creativity that came out well. I did find it a little bit difficult to like him though due to his obnoxious streak but he did have an enjoyable sense of humour present and it was nice to see a deeper side present in this type of character.

One strange aspect of the novel though was in regards to it being set in the 1980s. I didn't really understand the need to utilise this period as all the issues that Cody faces are just as common today as they would have been in then. I had no real issue with this time period but I just found it to be an odd choice for a YA novel as I can't see many teens relating to the novel as much as they would have done had a current period been utilised.

Overall, I found "Running Wide Open" to be an admirable book that contained a complex and deep drama that many young adults should be able to relate to. Lisa Nowak has quite simply written an enjoyable and interesting story within a racing environment that has been depicted wonderfully so that anyone should be able to enjoy the book no matter their knowledge of stock car racing.

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Smashwords
Amazon UK

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