Tag Archive: reviews


YA Report: “Never” by K. D. McEntire

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May 16, 2013

by Michelle Ristuccia

The Lightbringer trilogy, by K. D. McEntire, follows Wendy, a young woman who discovers that she has the power to send the dead into the Light, and Piotr, a dead man with a long history obscured by suspicious memory loss. Together they are drawn into the life-and-death politics of the Lightbringers, Walkers, and lost souls that inhabit the Never, and these adventures lead them to the larger mystery of the nature of the Light itself and the origins of ancient souls such as Piotr. As the de facto head of the household, Wendy must juggle the needs of her younger siblings while also combating her own blind naivety and ignorance.

McEntire’s invisible realm of the Never provides the reader with unique mysteries that Wendy can only solve by learning to “ask the right questions.” The answer at the end of the series – where every thing came from, how, and why – ties into real life mythology in such a mind-bending fashion that it is as if someone has said that Middle Earth is located in Narnia.

never Never, the last in the Lightbringer trilogy by K. D. McEntire, came out May 14, 2013 from Pyr. But, first, if you haven’t already read the first book, pick up a copy of Lightbringer, because you don’t want to try to read these books out of order.

Boy, was I happy to see Never on my desk! The end of Reaper was a total tease and I couldn’t imagine that this series could wrap up in only three books. Never proves me wrong with glorious flair.

Although I’m sad to see the last of McEntire’s compelling characters, the suspense of a fourth book might have killed me. Now I finally understand who Piotr is and how the Never was created. K. D. McEntire draws from mythology that I’m barely familiar with, and yet it makes a foreign kind of sense, and I enjoyed the break from my usual fair. No complaints here, and no spoilers! I was not expecting this ending in the least.

lightbringer   The Lightbringer trilogy ends with the kind of reveal that makes you want to start the series over just to see the minor mysteries in a new light. Rereading this three book series is entirely possible, if you own them, so hop on over to K. D. McEntire’s website to purchase the trilogy and learn more about her other works:   http://www.kdmcentire.com/index.php       ________________________________________________________

Michelle Ristuccia enjoys slowing down time in the middle of the night to read and review speculative fiction, because sleeping offspring are the best motivation. You can find out more about her rabid love of SFF, podcasting, and raising future geeklings at her blog, http://wakingdreamsblog.blogspot.com , or twitter stalk her at http://twitter.com/ mrsmica

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YA Report: “Cascade Effect” by Leah Petersen

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April 15, 2013

by Michelle Ristuccia

 

Cascade Effect, the sequel to Fighting Gravity by Leah Petersen, is a deeply moving science fiction novel told from the perspective of Jacob Dawes, the Emperor’s newly wed husband, as he attempts to avoid assassins who believe that his low birth should bar him from the palace grounds and the ranks of royalty. His very existence now threatens the status quo, and Jacob, for his part, is well aware of what is at stake not only for himself but for billions of so-called unclass citizens throughout the Empire. What he doesn’t know, and desperately needs to figure out, is how to protect anything he holds dear in a universe where he can’t seem to effect any significant change at all.

Leah Petersen has captured the disillusionment that young adults face when they realize that the world is broken and its problems are not easy to identify precisely, let alone fix. The unclass in Cascade Effect face distressingly realistic conditions that mirror what the poor face every day in our own world, and Jacob and other powerful men and women encounter similar obstacles any time that they attempt to improve the slums and the legal status of the unclass. We can empathize with Jacob as he selflessly pits his all against a plethora of problems much bigger than himself, knowing that very powerful enemies will attempt to undermine his efforts. A handful of precious friends join in his projects, putting their own lives in danger for the sake of a humanitarian cause that is ripping the Empire asunder.

 

Humanity isn’t the only thing shown in its complicated and fragile form. On a more intimate level, we see how delicate Jacob can be in the face of frequent physical and emotional blows. On top of his traumatic past, he must also endure constant bombardment from antagonists determined to destroy his present and future. Leah Petersen brings us into Jacob’s painful perspective as we see him lose his temper, hyperventilate, pass out, and break down in tears under immense stress. Other characters also exhibit strong emotions, but it is Jacob Dawes who is falling apart because he keeps attempting to face Life alone, despite the fact that he has Pete, his Emperor and loving husband, to rely on, as well as a few other trustworthy friends. Yet, Jacob is not certain that even his husband can understand the psychological torture that is being purposefully perpetrated against him, and even the Emperor’s help can be constrained by the legal and political pressures that are squeezing not only Jacob and Pete’s personal life, but the stability of the entire Empire.

 

Cascade Effect is a beautiful novel, a worthy sequel that’s profound on multiple levels. We see terrorism, starvation, and death. We see unmitigated hate, including from Jacob. Yet we also see that goodness pushes up everywhere, like seedlings braving rocky soil. We see that even awful people often care about their children. We see Jacob’s hope that science can ameliorate the suffering of the poor when caring hearts get behind it. And even when sad things happen, there is usually a character somewhere with a mature, heartfelt response. So it is that we see that love can forgive almost any sin and therein, perhaps, shines the common hope of any human life, no matter our social strata.

 

Purchase Fighting Gravity and Cascade Effect by following the links on Leah Petersen’s website:

http://www.leahpetersen.com/

You can also read my review of Fighting Gravity and interview with Leah Petersen from 2012.

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Michelle Ristuccia writes short fiction of all speculative fiction genres in between chasing her toddler from tree to tree. The shorter the work, the better, because 200 words looks very long on her cellphone and that keypad is very, very small. You can find out more about her rabid love of spec fic, podcasting, and raising future geeklings at her blog, wakingdreamsblog.blogspot.com

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YA Report: “Earth Girl” by Janet Edwards

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April 2, 2013

by Michelle Ristuccia

 

Earth Girl by Janet Edwards brings us to Jarra’s Earth, in the year 2788, when travel between the stars is as easy as stepping through a portal. Except that, for “throwbacks” like Jara, the other side of that portal means death by anaphylactic shock due to an inherited fault in their immune system. Jara knows this first hand, because as soon as she turned of legal age, she exercised her legal right to leave Earth. She only survived because a medical team was on alert, waiting to transport her back and save her life. But there can’t always be someone waiting on the other side of her mistakes. Now she decides to join an archaelogical dig team of “norms” and pretend to be from off-world so that she can spit in the face of their prejudice against “apes.” When her lies put her life in danger, what she learns has more to do with herself than her foreign peers.

Janet Edwards gives us a book to lose ourselves in, from a well-crafted backstory of Earth’s depopulation to the coming-of-age romance of an off-kilter archaeology nerd. Before we even get to the first life-and-death-scene, we’re wowed by NYC in ruins and the future tech the team uses to excavate it, complete with environmental suits and specialized vehicles. The sparse future terminology and lingo, such as “tag points” and “amaz,” feel natural and are easy to understand. The archaeology, history, and tech are all welded together in a way that makes the exposition feel like action, because each piece of data is so closely tied to plot. There’s also a bit of kissing, offscreen sex, and many emotional moments driven by the comradery of team work and near-death experiences.

Interesting scifi setting? Check. People dying? Check. There’s also a strong underpinning of EarthGirlcoverthe softer sciences – psychology and sociology, to be precise. Jara’s self-discoveries build us a multidimensional look at social prejudice in her universe, one that eventually crushes her immature us v. them paradigm. Many of the assumptions that Jara has at the beginning of the novel, mostly regarding people that she knows nothing about, like her parents, eventually shatter under the weight of opposing fact. Through this process, we get to meet many fascinating characters and, through them, their diverse birth worlds and cultures.

Earth Girl sports a robust first-person voice that fills out Edwards’ smart female protagonist. Smart, as long as you don’t count common sense. Many of Jara’s beliefs and life decisions are unrealistic, like her determination to check that she will die if she visits another world. Some of this determination stems from her core strength, her ability to commit fully to a decision if there is even the slightest chance that something will be gained. This is part of what makes her a good tag leader and what leads to many of her heroic actions. Yet, Edwards also shows us, before Jarra even mets her intended “norm” victims, that Jarra can at times become disconnected from reality and fall prey to magical thinking. It’s great to have a risk-taker who’s willing to save your life. It’s scary to have a risk-taker basing their risk assessments on pure fantasy.

Told through Jara’s unreliable perspective, Earth Girl is a fascinating blend of delusion and reality. But most of all, Edwards captures the wonderful feeling of discovery, both of the physical world and of the self. Find out more about the amaz Earth Girl and upcoming sequels at:

 http://janetedwards.com/

Visit the publisher’s page at: http://www.pyrsf.com/earthgirl.html

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Michelle Ristuccia writes short fiction of all speculative fiction genres in between chasing her toddler from tree to tree. The shorter the work, the better, because 200 words looks very long on her cellphone and that keypad is very, very small. You can find out more about her rabid love of spec fic, podcasting, and raising future geeklings at her blog, wakingdreamsblog.blogspot.com

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YA Report: “Apollo’s Outcasts” by Allen Steele

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December 12, 2012

by Michelle Ristuccia


Apollo’s Outcasts by Allen Steele is a near-future YA following Jamey, a ‘looney’ who is crippled on Earth because of his lunar birth, as he and five other political refugees flee to the moon to escape a suddenly hostile US government. As Jamey and the other teenagers struggle to control their new trajectories, they learn that even the moon is not far enough away to escape Earth politics.

Jamey finds new freedom in lunar gravity, where he can finally walk unassisted, and where he is already old enough to vote. Yet with these rights come the responsibility of formalized Colony Service, as well as an advanced school curriculum in a no-nonsense school. The constant demands of a harsh environment plus the cost of importing items from Earth mean that living on the moon is no cake walk. (It’s, you guessed it… a moon walk). This lends a seriousness to the tone of the novel and tests the characters’ courage. Add in the explosive politics surrounding the characters, and you have a rare book that actually makes you fear for the good guys. Allen Steele’s moon is a harsh place made habitable only through extraordinary cooperative efforts of the human race, and even a magnificent space dome can be decimated by the proverbial thrown rock. In Apollo’s Outcasts, there is a politician somewhere out there willing to throw that rock with fanatical glee.

The believable political and military developments in Apollo’s Outcasts solidifies my respect for and enjoyment of the book. Allan Steele brings us to a near future where the US President has just died, leaving in charge a Vice President who is morally corrupt. Earth soon finds itself in turmoil when the former Vice President starts putting out false press reports and Apollo sets up an embargo against the US. The duplicity of the US government reminds the reader of government’s power to deceive  while also spelling out the limits of such efforts. Meanwhile, the lunar colony ups its defenses by militarizing the Rangers, an elite search and rescue team. By that time, the reader knows that Alan Steele means to put those laser guns to work. When Jamey joins the Rangers, where his life is in danger even during training, it feels less like watching an escapist fantasy where you know the hero is going to survive, and more like watching a soldier write a letter home, knowing that it might be his last.

Not surprisingly, Apollo’s Outcasts is serious on politics and light on romance. Character development has a strong presence in the book as the teens must redefine what is important in their lives. Existential angst, such as wondering what kind of clothes to wear, rapidly fades from their concerns as they come up against bigger problems. Jamey’s older sister, in particular, begins the book as a whiny teen reluctant to listen to good advice, but by the end of the book her perspective is realistically matured. Jamey starts out as comparatively more mature, yet he too must reevaluate his priorities when he finds himself attracted to his best friend’s almost-girlfriend. Because of the teens’ packed school and community service days, there is very little time for dating and the characters find themselves preoccupied by the imminent danger to the lunar colony.

All in all it’s easy for me to say to whom I would recommend this book: Apollo’s Outcasts is perfect for any reader who has ever dreamed of going to the moon, because Allen Steele takes you there with detailed, accurate science and believable military and political developments  Every little detail, from the refugee’s first low-G experience to Jamey’s luckless paragliding adventure, conveys the wonder of science and human ingenuity.

Visit Steele’s website at http://www.allensteele.com to listen to a podcast reading of “The Emperor of Mars” and buy Apollo’s Outcasts.

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Michelle Ristuccia writes short fiction of all speculative fiction genres in between chasing her toddler from tree to tree. The shorter the work, the better, because 200 words looks very long on her cellphone and that keypad is very, very small. You can find out more about her rabid love of spec fic, podcasting, and raising future geeklings at her blog, wakingdreamsblog.blogspot.com

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Call For Reviewers: Paid In Free New Books

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September 20, 2012

SFFWRTCHT: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chat needs help. We are graciously blessed with constant packages from TOR, Ace, ROC, PYR, Orbit, Angry Robot, Baen and more. But I am only one man. And I read 1 book a week just for chat interviews on Twitter. Plus I do additional email interviews at least 1 or 2 a month and read for that. Then, as an author, I get asked to blurb. As you might imagine, I am way behind. Because publishers so graciously send me free books, I think they deserve something in return. And I’d like to have more of these reviewed.

So I am looking for people to pick up the slack. I can’t pay you. I am barely getting by and right now all expenses for the chat, on which, with reading, I easily spend 15-20 hours a week, are coming from my wallet. But I can mail you free books. Some are arcs, many are final and brand new.  I pay shipping. You pay me back with a solid review.

If I know you, then comment here and we’ll make arrangements. If not, then please send a copy of a review so I can be sure you write decent analysis (we are about craft and business of writing so we want more than “I liked it, you’ll like it, read this book.” A lot more. Examples can be found on this site.

If I am satisfied, you can request specific books, 1 at a time for now (unless it’s a trilogy which there’s only 1 at the moment), and we’ll see how it goes.  Yes, I have multiple copies of many books so you can choose final or arc. I only need 1 review of each, so if I send one out, I won’t send the other unless you fail to deliver a review. Deadline: 6 weeks. Wordcount: 400-1k

So here’s the available books as of now. I will be updating this every month or couple weeks. I appreciate your support of both me and SFFWRTCHT and look forward to more sharing in the future.

Thanks for your help!

Bryan

SFFWRTCHT Books Needing Review:

Apocalpyse Codex by Charles Stross (arc)
The Night Sessions by Ken MacLeod (arc)
Clean by Alex Hughes (mmpb, final)
The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight by Jack Campbell (arc)
Ghost Key by Trish MacGregor (final, hb) View full article »

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YA Report: “Wicked Passage” by N. M. Singel

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April 9, 2012

by Michelle Ristuccia

“Wicked Passage” by N. M. Singel is a trippy science fiction following thirteen year old Blake Wyatt as he attempts to preserve the timeline while taking directions from a talking book and two dogs who live in a field of blue grass. With the help of an uncle who likes to nap at the most inopportune times and a sister who manages to get herself locked in a trunk, Blake must save Christopher Columbus from a mutiny started by a Tolucan, an evil being determined to destroy not only Blake but the universe’s entire timeline.

Wicked Passage is a wonderful gateway book to bizarre fiction, and Blake is the perfect young man to drop into the chaos. Persistent and single minded, Blake says things that make my inner teenager squeal with glee, like, “take that, Barbeque Man!” He also makes some big mistakes, which you would expect of any one lacking the proper hero training and fighting the tide of their own incredulity. It isn’t until Blake locks eyes with Christopher Columbus himself that he takes the plunge of acceptance that allows him to surge forward, and you can hardly blame him. First he is confronted by an uncle who can stop time, then a flying, talking book, and then Dagunblud, the evil overlord of the Tolucan who can shoot fireballs.  Truly, in a universe where dark matter is literally evil, anything is possible.

The wonderful thing about bizarre fiction, Wicked Passage included, is that you have to lean back and accept the amazingly odd details. The only thing that interrupted my suspension of disbelief was the fact that Blake speaks English, yet has no trouble conversing with the Spanish-speaking Christopher Columbus and crew. I’m perfectly willing to accept the idea that the Wyatts gain the ability to speak any language they need to as they travel through time, but I would have appreciated some mention of this. Translation issues would have needlessly complicated the book, so it’s a good thing that Singel did not go that route and instead successfully created a fun rollercoaster of an adventure that is worth your consideration.

N. M. Singel has written a book for any reader with a sense of humor and a hankering for something unique. Wicked Passage is like what would happen if I were asked to save Columbus from a time traveling maniac – instead of sending Columbo, who can escape anything with a paperclip and a pencil, I would botch it up and send two kids who don’t like history. Luckily, Blake and Ricki can magically blast the bad guys using rocks from the eleventh dimension. Totally ‘Wicked’ cool.

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Michelle Ristuccia writes short fiction of all speculative fiction genres in between chasing her toddler from tree to tree. The shorter the work, the better, because 200 words looks very long on her cellphone and that keypad is very, very small. You can find out more about her rabid love of Star Trek, podcasting, and raising future geeklings at her blog, wakingdreamsblog.blogspot.com

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The SFFWRTCHT Interview: A Chat With Book Blogger Sarah Chorn (Bookworm Blues)

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December 14, 2011

SFFWRTCHT is all about helping writer learn the business. One thing all successful authors must deal with is book reviews and that often means book bloggers. So here’s a perspective from the other side of that to help you understand book blogging, where the bloggers come from and perhaps how to deal with them when and if the time comes.

SFFWRTCHT: How’d you develop your love of reading?

My parents have never liked television. Our TV watching time was strictly regulated to two hours a week and absolutely NO TV in the summer. For fun my mom would take me to the library with this huge empty milk crate and I’d fill it with books. We’d read them together when I was falling asleep at night. I loved that tradition. That’s probably where my love of reading really starts. Then, when I was four I met my childhood best friend who also loved to read, which helped. When I moved from Delaware to Utah, I stopped reading. The move was hard on me and I think I was a bit depressed and lost my interest in books. The year after I moved I had a teacher who loved reading more than anyone I have ever met before, or since that time. I can’t remember exactly how she did it, but somehow she got my entire class reading, and loving it. She reignited the love of literature in me, and I’ve never stopped since.

SFFWRTCHT: Please tell us some of your favorite all time authors and books?

When I was a really little kid my all time favorite book was The Polar Express. My mom even got me a copy of it for Christmas one year and wrote a nice little thing inside and asked me to pass it on to my own daughter when she’s old enough to appreciate it. When I was a little older, my favorite book was James and the Giant Peach and the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. In high school I randomly foundThe Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. That is still one of my all time favorite books, probably because it’s what really got me started on fantasy. It was my first experience with a new world and I loved it. A year or two later, my brothers introduced me to George R. R. Martin, and I’ve never looked back.

Right now my favorite authors are: K.J. Parker, Steven Erikson, George R. R. Martin, C.S. Friedman and Terry Pratchett (though I haven’t read a ton by him yet).

SFFWRTCHT: When and how did you decide to become a book blogger?

I started my blog in May of 2010. I was in my last semester of college before I was going to graduate and it was a lazy semester for me. It was my first semester I didn’t have to really focus on textbooks so I went back to reading fantasy. It quickly became apparent to me that I love talking about the books I read, and no one in my life cares because no one in my life reads. I started my blog so I could have somewhere I could talk and be excited about what I read and pretend there was someone out there who enjoyed reading, and cared what I thought. I never expected Bookworm Blues to turn into anything serious that people actually read and enjoyed. Through my blog I’ve met a great community of people who love to read and talk about what they read. It’s more than I ever expected and exactly what I wanted.

SFFWRTCHT: Did you study literary theory or anything else to qualify yourself or learn how to critique literature?

Yes. I’ve taken more creative writing and literary theory classes than I care to admit. I have also been a writer my whole life, and I’ve had some short bits published, so I try to put everything I’ve learned in my classes into practice with my own writing. I think not only having studied literary theory, but also having put what I learned and what I like/don’t like into practice in my own writing has helped my reviewing quite a bit.

SFFWRTCHT: What’s the hardest part of being a book blogger?

I hate writing negative reviews. I always feel horrible when I do it. I know how hard it is to write a book and I know how vulnerable, for lack of a better word, authors can feel when their work gets published and read by strangers. I hate saying anything mean about someone’s creative effort. I always feel terrible doing it.

SFFWRTCHT: How did your blog get so popular? You get books sent from major publishers, etc. How long did it take to rise to that level?

I think a lot of the reason anyone even knows my blog exists is because I’m pretty active on Twitter and always open to a discussion with pretty much anyone. When I first started out, I commented on other review blogs all the time. That really helped me gain followers. Especially when several of the blogs I commented on frequently pointed some of their readers in my direction. I don’t consider myself popular, but I have a blast doing what I do so I don’t really mind.

I started getting books from Tor about three to four months after I started reviewing. I was blogging about a year when I started getting books from Pyr. It wasn’t until about three months ago I’ve actually had publishers contacting me, rather than me contacting them.

SFFWRTCHT: Which genres do you review? View full article »

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Edge Of The City: Urban Fantasy – The All-around Genre?

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October 18, 2011


 A New SFFWRTCHT Column by Sarah Hendrix

When you scope out the science fiction and fantasy aisles, often you find books with hot women and men, vehicles, weapons and sometimes monsters. These books attract the eyes with bright bold titles and well crafted book covers. The blurbs are intriguing; with fascinating glimpses into the lives of these heroes and mentions of the monsters they live with, fight and even love. But a lot of people get confused as to what genre Urban Fantasy really is.
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YA Report: “Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone,” by J. K. Rowling

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October 3, 2011
by Michelle Ristuccia

This review contains spoilers.

 

“Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone” by J. K. Rowling is the first of a seven book fantasy series, “Harry Potter,” named after the main character, a young wizard attending a wizard boarding school (Hogwarts) while battling Voldemort (the villain).  The series spans a six year period and as Harry ages, so do the themes, complexity, and lengths of the books.  It follows then that the first book, which begins the year that Harry turns 11, is written towards a middle grade age bracket. A quick read, the book focuses on introducing Harry Potter and the characters and setting that he must learn about and interact with for the rest of the series, with a quick sketch of the overall plot of good versus evil.
Of all the aspects that the first book in a long series must tackle, characters shine the brightest in The Philosopher’s Stone. J. K. Rowling does a fine job of not only introducing her characters, but having them act their age, which is an impressive feat considering that her characters range in age from pre-teens (the freshmen) to wizened adults (the school staff). Her strength lies in character interaction, which accurately mimics that attitudes and speech patterns of adult-to-teen and peer group relationships. In other words, her young boys act like young boys, and her teachers act like teachers. Without this core, the reader would be quick to give up on the story due to a long introduction and a plethora of new names to digest.
The length of the setup makes sense when taken into consideration as the first of a long series, but holding such a short, middle-grade book made me want to get to the real action faster. The beginning chapters follow a lot of Harry’s day-to-day life that is soon to become fairly insignificant, a fact that the reader is clued in on from the get-go. While this does help develop Harry’s character, which in turn makes his later interactions feel more realistic, it also had me glancing at the page numbers until the letters from Hogwarts set off the real action. My perspective as an adult reading a middle grade book was certainly part of this, as I also found myself comparing Harry’s abusive relatives to the abusive situations of real children that I have known, and rooting for the Dursleys to get in real trouble, which they never do. Sadly, one could argue whether or not their lack of run-ins with the law is in itself realistic. But, once I put these darker thoughts aside, I was able to thoroughly enjoy the book. If there is a lack of true action during the setup, every thing after Harry’s rescue makes up for it, for it is at this point that we are inundated with plenty of new names, phrases, and other strange facts to learn.

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YA Report: “The Hunger Games Trilogy,” by Suzanne Collins

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September 12, 2011

by Michelle Ristuccia
This is the first in what will be an ongoing column, one of several, covering Young Adult and Middle Grade authors, books, etc. from Science Fiction and Fantasy. Posts will consist of reviews, author interviews, giveaways, and more. Michelle Ristuccia is our columnist and you can learn more about her in the bio at the end of each post. She’s done a great job and I hope each of the columnists will provide content useful to you in learning about the craft and business of SFF. — Bryan Thomas Schmidt

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“The Hunger Games Trilogy,” by Suzanne Collins is YA Science Fiction set in Panem, which is future North America. The main character, Katniss, volunteers to take her younger sister’s place in the brutal Hunger Games run by the cruel Capital government and its even more sadistic dictator, President Snow. This trilogy is about bravery and doing what is right even when it is not your first instinct. It deals with themes of loss, trust, revenge, and friendship. Throw in a little confusion in the romance department and you have The Hunger Games.
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