Book two in Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga lives up to the promise of her excellent book 1.  Like its predecessor, Jade War flies by as Lee deftly blends Fantasy with a reasonably modern Gangster drama.  The surrogate war between No Peek (our main characters’ family) and the Mountain Clan is always fascinating and Lee allows it to play out in imaginative yet believable ways. 

But the best part of this series is the interplay within the family.  The loss of a major book one family member is ever present throughout this book as Hilo and Shae deal with the aftermath and prepare for an inevitable collision with the Mountain Clan.  The characters do some awful things, but also have their moments of triumph and moments to surprise you.  Even Anden remains connected to the main story, despite his physical separation from the family. 

There are so many great moments in this book.  I immediately bought Jade Legacy upon finishing.  I want to know what happens next.  Lee has created a unique world but blended in it dynamics that we all can connect with.  This is a triumph of a series that I cannot wait to finish.  

Felan’s Rescue is available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, Hardback, and Paperback!

The Descendants of Prontoth is available as an Ebook (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, hardback and paperback!

Seventh Contact is now available!

In 2022, I was doing a treadmill rewatch of the Star Wars movies and had some thoughts on the prequel trilogy. I’m repurposing what I wrote on my old blog for my readers here.  

I didn’t misremember, the first two are incredibly flawed, but I was once again struck by how relatively good Revenge of the Sith is, despite having to deal with the issues of the first two.  Sith manages to make Anakin and Palpatine’s relationship completely believable and his turn makes complete sense in that context.  It establishes his worrying about Padme, his resentment of the Jedi Counsel, his fondness for Palpatine and further resentment of what Counsel asks him to do.  Palpatine preys on that by creating a plausible set of alternative facts about the Jedi motives that play to Anakin’s ego and offers an aspirational plan to bring peace to the galaxy.  And the backdrop of all this, is offering Anakin hope for protecting Padme. 

                All this was done well and yet, it could have had so much more power if the prequels had been good movies that built better to this conclusion.  The Phantom Menace is a decent movie that has the bones of a very good story.  Attack of the Clones is a disastrous movie, with a meandering plot we care little about and an awkward love story that is completely unnatural in how it plays out.  It’s to me one of the biggest failures in movie history.  Here’s how I think the Prequels should have gone:

The Phantom Menace (Episode 1)

                The Phantom Menace should have been better as some of the broad structural ideas of the movie work well.  In the context of the series, this movie is about the Jedi finding Anakin and choosing to teach him.  It’s also about Palpatine emerging as a major power player on the galactic scene and to a lesser extent creating the story of how Anakin met Luke and Leia’s mother.  These are smart, reasonable, achievable goals to open a prequel trilogy.  As a result you can see the bones of a movie that works. 

                However, the problems are enormous:

1.  Jar Jar Binks and the Gungans as a whole are horribly portrayed.  Jar Jar is basically there for comic relief, but isn’t funny in the least.  The Gungans seem moderately incompetent.  The idea of this underwater civilization being part of Naboo is fine and could have worked if they’d made any effort to make that civilization believable and their participation in the story matter. 

2.  Anakin is too young.  He should be a teenager at the very least.  It would work better for the Padme/Anakin relationship and it could produce a more complicated early relationship with the Jedi, which I’ll explain in a minute. 

3.  Anakin should have more agency in the final battle.  His involvement shouldn’t be an accident. 

New story:

                Jedi are sent to Naboo to convince the Trade Federation to make peace with Queen Amidala and the Naboo.  They stumble into an invasion.  (The initial setup is fine).  The Jedi sneak down to the planet rescue Queen Amidala from the invading army (see we’re still good).  They end up on Tatooine and need a ship part to get the Queen to Coruscant. 

                Jedi discover a 16 year old Anakin, a slave (and sure podracer that was fun enough).  Qui-Gon senses his strength in the force, his instincts/the force tell him Anakin matters.  Sure get into the prophecy…don’t run his blood for midichlorians.   Have teen Anakin friendly and interested in the Jedi, but also questioning things immediately like, “if the Jedi are so powerful and just, why are my mom and I in slavery. Isn’t that something the Jedi should have eradicated?” 

                When Qui-Gon reveals he has freed Anakin from bondage it shouldn’t just be a question about whether his mom is going or not.  Anakin should be arguing with the Jedi to take her.  He should be questioning why they can’t just free her, take her without consent of the slave owner.  He should be forceful that is what is right.  And his mom should convince him to go without her.  Also Padme should comfort him on the way to Coruscant and she should also say she doesn’t understand why the Jedi can’t save his mother, but the Jedi have their own way. 

All of that is important because we are setting up Anakin early on to be both in awe of the Jedi and wanting to be a Jedi, but also to question why the Jedi do things the way they do.  We’re giving Anakin a reason to blame the Jedi when his mother dies in the next movie (though not fully and not turn on them yet).  We are giving Anakin and Padme an important, tender moment when he can see her on his side (it should not be romantic at this point).   And using their unwillingness to free slaves, we’re giving him a reason to think his being powerful can do more good than the Jedi down the road. 

                Going to Coruscant, most of what happens there is fine.  How Palpatine becomes Chancellor is probably the biggest thing episode one got right.  Nobody had to explain each of his maneuvers but you could see how all the conflict had been put in place to benefit him and you could see how nobody would have discovered him yet (this is a problem in episode 2 that I’ll get into).  Everything is set up for Padme to go back and save the Naboo people. 

                Padme reveals herself to the Gungans (who again in the new movie would be portrayed as competent, different kind of society, separate but a part of that world) and negotiates their assistance.  The end battle scene plays out similarly but with 1.  Less comic relief in the Gungan battle and 2. More agency from Anakin.  The Qui-Gon / Obi-Wan Darth Maul fight is kind of perfect.  Leave it the way it is. 

Prior to the fight Qui-Gon tells Anakin to get the empty fighter and stay there.  Anakin gets in but stubbornly decides he can help more by flying the damn thing.  He fires it up, takes out some battle droids in the hanger, then flies out to battle.  Anakin senses what must be done to destroy the ship and stop the droid army then executes it. 

Now we have a movie that has:

1.        Introduced us to Anakin, our tragic protagonist who we know will turn.

2.       Introduced Anakin to the Jedi, who take him under their wing.

3.       Created a basis for resentment and shown that Anakin already has reason to question how the Jedi operate. 

4.       Adjusted the age to create a more compelling relationship between Padme and Anakin. 

5.       Kept the circumstances that work regarding Palpatine and his first big steps toward becoming emperor. 

We ditched the flaws and brought forth the strengths and in doing so made The Phantom Menace a very compelling movie. 

Attack of the Clones (Episode 2)

                Unlike The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones is just an utter disaster from beginning to end, with little redeeming about it. 

1. Its love story feels forced and contrived. 

2. The general plot doesn’t do enough to advance Anakin’s turn / relationship with Palpatine.

3.  The story makes the Jedi look completely incompetent because they still are failing to recognize or even really suspect that Palpatine could be a threat. 

4.  Dooku feels extraneous, like a villain added to buy time for the Palpatine confrontation in the final movie. 

5.  The need to shoehorn in Janga/Boba Fett felt like fan service to the fullest extent. 

About the only important development in Attack of the Clones is the creation of the clone army and putting it in control of the senate / Palpatine.  Anyways, I have a thin outline of a movie I think addresses these issues and properly builds toward Revenge of the Sith.

New Story:

The scroll discusses the ongoing war and toll it is taking on the Republic’s resources.  Many in the senate are looking to end the war and are introducing a truce with the trade federation for the Senate’s consideration (that has favorable terms for the trade federation).  Chancellor Palpatine has suggested the purchase of a Clone army to lessen the toll on republic soldiers and not give into the demands of the trade federation, but the Jedi Council has grown concerned about Palpatine’s power and what this purchase might mean…

This centers the story around Palpatine vs. the Jedi counsel, while introducing the idea of the Clone Army from the jump.  I’d start out with a scene between Anakin and Palpatine where Palpatine is discussing the dangers of giving into the Trade Federation demands.  Maybe some points that this will expand slavery in the fringes of the galaxy.  Anakin discussing how master Obi-Wan is worried about more bloodshed and Palpatine stressing Jedi have their purpose, but are often too indecisive to bring true peace to the galaxy.  Palpatine asks for Anakin’s help bringing Padme on board with rejecting the truce, stressing she could be the key, and pointing out that Padme and Anakin have been friends since Naboo and she trusts him.  Anakin makes no promises, says he must discuss it with Obi-Won.

I envision a scene where Obi-Won and Anakin are discussing this and there is an attack on Obi-Won’s life which we later find out was Palpatine trying to get rid of the only Jedi Anakin fully and absolutely trusts.  Anakin saves him, as he has done many times and they banter about how he always saves him. Obi-Won speaks to the counsel about what Anakin told him, the counsel pushes Obi-Won to have Anakin spy on Palpatine but Obi-Won knows Anakin and for this movie convinces them they cannot ask that of him.  Jedi Counsel sends Obi-Won to investigate the Clone Army believing Palpatine could be hiding something.  Anakin wants to go, but Obi-Won tells him to be patient, await his return.  He asks if Anakin will be seeing Padme.  Anakin says yes, Obi-Won tells Anakin he senses issues that could arise from that and to be careful, says the counsel does not want him to take sides between Palpatine and the representatives wanting a Truce. 

Padme and Anakin’s relationship in this movie isn’t built on them hiding away on Naboo but on their interactions regarding the Truce and real political discussions that spark Padme’s curiosity.  She confides in him about her concerns for the republic and the consolidation of power under Palpatine.  He makes arguments on Palpatine’s behalf, stressing he knows he shouldn’t disagree with the counsel that wants him to take no side.  His arguments sound reasonable, Padme appreciates his openness with her.  He eventually confides in her about his dreams about his mother.  She convinces him to go to Tatooine to find her.    

We get a scene with Count Dooku and the Emperor where Palpatine reveals the Jedi are getting too close and too suspicious of him.  He tells Count Dooku it is time to reveal himself and draw their attention.  He also reveals he believes Anakin is the key to their destroying the jedi.  He tells Dooku his attempt to take out Obi-Won failed, but that Obi-Won is going to investigate the Clone Army and Dooku should reveal himself there and kill him. 

These changes specifically make the Jedi seem more competent in that they suspect Palpatine earlier, but also show Palpatine’s cunning in using Dooku as their false enemy to distract from himself.  I think this is better use of Dooku.  It creates an early confrontation between Obi-Won and Dooku.  In the meantime Anakin arrives on Tatooine and there is a similar scene from AofC where he discovery her death and kills everyone.  He comes back and again confides in Padme.  She comforts him. 

We get a confrontation between Obi-Won and Dooku, but Dooku escapes…  Obi-Won tracks him back to a huge droid army and notifies the counsel that he believes he has found the Sith behind everything.  He says they need to send the biggest army they have and some Jedi for assistance in taking out the Droid army and apprehending Dooku.  When Anakin finds out he notifies Palpatine who uses it to convince the Senate to authorize the Clone army’s approval.  There’s a huge battle, Anakin and others confront Dooku who again escapes, but it is a victory for the Clone Army. 

This story makes more narrative sense, it solves many problems of episode 2, it makes the Jedi look more competent, it creates a more natural opportunity for Padme and Anakin’s love to blossom (and the changes from Episode one don’t make that seem so creepy).  It shows Palpatine’s focus on Anakin in more depth and develops Anakin’s relationship with Palpatine.  It also shows the conflict between Anakin and the counsel, but the connection and trust between Obi-Won and Anakin. 

Episode I and II were huge lost opportunities.  Episode III holds up remarkably well despite those missed opportunities, but these changes would strengthen that movie even more as we’d better believe Padme/Anakin’s bond.  We’d understand how Palpatine continued to deceive the Jedi as he gained power.  We’d also see more of Palpatine’s attempts to corrupt Anakin from early on.  Obviously this is a skeleton story.  There are plenty of other scenes that could be added that fit within these parameters but I think this would have told a better story that fit better into the story of the Emperor’s rise and Anakin’s corruption. 

Felan’s Rescue is available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, Hardback, and Paperback!

The Descendants of Prontoth is available as an Ebook (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, hardback and paperback!

Seventh Contact is now available!

My Author Goals this Year:

Authors and Book reviewers are putting out their 2024 ambitions for all to see, so I thought I’d join the party.  This year I’m working on book 4 in my Galactic Civilizations series.  The book is titled, Across the Unending Ocean, and continues the story of Dash, Felan, Sandra, Shira and the entire crew of the Prometheus. 

The one sentence pitch:  2 species have developed separately on 1 planet, an ocean apart…  When 1 is subjugated by the other the Galactic Community must contemplate its moral obligations to both.

I’m about 25,000 words into the novel that right now I’m estimating will be between 90,000 and 100,000 words. 

Another major goal this year is to revamp the Felan’s Rescue and Descendants of Prontoth covers.  I like both, but I love the cover to Seventh Contact and hope to add a little more cohesion to the covers.  But before I do that I’d love get some additional blurbs from authors/reviewers.  If any are interested in reading these novels or listening to the audiobooks (narrated by the exceptional Kyle Snyder, who narrated T.A. Bruno’s Down Below Beyond) I’m happy to send you a copy or an audiobook code.  No pressure to review it or send a blurb, but if you like it and want to… you may make the cover!

My Reading Goals This Year:

Between my full time job running my solo law practice, my two young children, and trying to find writing time, I’ve managed to only read about 1.5 books a month the last couple of years.  I’d love to get that back over 2.  So this year’s goal is 25 books.   Some of the books I hope to read this year:

Currently Reading: Eclipse, by Herman Steuernagel.  I’ve had it on the TBR for a while, but @monteroauthor’s recently moved it to the top.  I’m flying through this one.

Near Future Reads:

The Will of the Many, by James Islington.  I’ve been seeing this book pop up everywhere, but it was @craigbookwyrm’s strong recommendation that moved it up the list. 

Battle Mage, by Peter Flannery.  Excited for this one as @Undertheradarb2 has been adamant about it.

Empire of Silence, by Christopher Ruocchio.  The great @PetrikReads said “Empire of Silence is the best sci-fi debut I have ever read.”  I don’t need anything more than that to get fully on board. 

A Radical Act of Free Magic, by H.G. Parry.  I read the first book in the series a couple of years ago.  My delving into a lot more indie stuff the last couple of years (and not really reading any sequels) has pushed this one back though I’m anxious to finish as I loved the first book.

No Heart for a Thief, by James Lloyd Dulin.  Added this one to the list early last year after a review from @In2theHeartwyld, but mainly read science fiction this past year.  Going to read a little more fantasy again this year and this one is high up the list.

Jade War, by Fonda Lee.  Another sequel I haven’t gotten around to yet…mainly because I normally read at bedtime when my wife is sleeping…which typically means kindle reading (and I have this book in paperback). 

Barrayar, by Lois McMaster Bujold.  I really enjoyed my first foray into Vorkosigan with Shards of Honor, but this is the one I know many swear by. 

Those Once Forgotten / Those Who Resist, by N.C. Scrimgeour.  Decided to read the first based on countless SPSFC reviews.  I loved it.  My favorite indie novel I’ve read to date.  It’s a spiritual successor to Mass Effect and The Expanse.  Can’t wait to finish the series. 

The Fractured Dark, by Megan E. O’Keefe.  My favorite book I read in 2023 was book one in this series, The Blighted Stars.  It was based on the adamant recommendations of @dshaggyshepherd.  It’s loaded with things I like in science fiction: great action, compelling characters, complicated worldbuilding that isn’t spoon fed to the reader, and a mystery where the stakes just get bigger and bigger.  It’s a five star and will undoubtedly find a place in my 100 favorite SFF novels list when I revisit the rankings. There is no book I’m looking forward to more in 2024.

Duckett and Dyer: Dicks for Hire, by G.M. Nair.  Another book from the initial SPSFC that caught my interest, but this one moved up the list because I heard T.A. Bruno talk about it on a podcast.    

Titan Hoppers, by Rob J. Hayes.  Rob is huge in the indie world, and this one grabbed my attention.  A review from @wolfmantula moved it up the list. 

Felan’s Rescue is available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, Hardback, and Paperback!

The Descendants of Prontoth is available as an Ebook (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, hardback and paperback!

Seventh Contact is now available!

I’ve read a lot of Indie Science Fiction over the last couple of years, but Curse of the Fallen was really my first foray into Indie Fantasy.  When deciding where to start in the Indie Fantasy world, H.C. Newell’s name was one that kept coming up.  She has a large social media presence and following, and her books are very well regarded.  It was a great start, as Curse of the Fallen did not disappoint.

If you are into quest fantasy in particular this is a book for you.  We follow a relatively small group of characters as they attempt to evade their pursuers and find a way to reverse the curse on our main character, who is incredibly powerful in her magic, but who tries not to use it as the curse allows Order of Saro to track her down.  It’s a relatively simple premise that immediately gets the reader invested in the story.  Plenty more is going on in the world, as Newell deftly drops hints and foreshadows the issues that we know will eventually need to be dealt with, if not in this book than the next ones, but the simple plot gives this story strong momentum as it chugs along toward its exciting conclusion. 

Quest Fantasy is actually one of my least favorite Fantasy tropes, but that doesn’t mean it cannot be engaging when done well.  Newell does it very well.  My biggest critique is I found the footnotes mostly unsatisfying and unnecessary.  The writing was strong enough on its own, bringing us into the world and revealing things gradually would have been fine.  We didn’t need all the background nuggets outside the context of the story (though maybe that’s just the way I like to read…to each their own). 

Newell makes you care about Neer and her traveling companions.  There is real emotional weight to the events as the story unfolds.  Book 1 of the Fallen Light Series was a lot of fun.  I look forward to continuing with Neer and her story in the not-so-distant future. 

Felan’s Rescue is available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, Hardback, and Paperback!

The Descendants of Prontoth is available as an Ebook (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, hardback and paperback!

Seventh Contact is now available!

There are many…many bigger superhero fans than me.  And I certainly never believed I needed a superhero novel.  But Wistful Ascending kept coming up on book twitter, with praise from many I trust, and when there was an excellent deal on the novel on amazon I jumped at the opportunity to purchase it.  The praise is well warranted.  This book was just a joy to read.

Rohan is a Hybrid from Earth.  What does that mean?  He is half human, half some other alien species that rules a significant portion of the Galaxy and passes on super powers to its offspring.  So Rohan is a Superhero who fought wars for the il’Drach Empire.  But now he is done fighting wars and lives on an Ancient space station hauling spaceships into port (by flying to them with his super powers and pulling them in himself).  It’s a simple life, and throughout the novel we come to understand why it’s the life he has chosen for himself.

The book doesn’t so much have an ongoing plot, as a series of events that Rohan must deal with (This aspect of the novel reminds me of Becky Chambers’ The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet).  These events allow us to meet many interesting characters and species, and provide some incredible action set pieces.  But the charm of the book comes from Rohan and his sarcastic, witty, never taking himself too seriously outlook on life.  Rohan is a joy to be around, and a wonderful character to explore the world (or system as it were) through. 

I’ve already added book 2 to my Kindle Library and will be continuing the series in the not too distant future. 

Felan’s Rescue is available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, Hardback, and Paperback!

The Descendants of Prontoth is available as an Ebook (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, hardback and paperback!

Seventh Contact is now available!

I picked up this book almost entirely because of this review from JamReads, which is excellent, and you should read if you are thinking about picking up this book. I was honestly kind of lost at times with what was happening. Living stars threw me and at times I had a hard time picturing the action, the characters and the general setting. Maybe that’s just the way I read.

But here the thing… it didn’t matter that much. This is so much a story about identity, discovering yourself, and loyalty to others. The character work, particularly with Astra Idari and CR-UX, is magnificent. There are layers to what is going on and the author does a great job building on them. I predicted one of those character twists pretty early, but I’d say that’s because it made sense it the way the author was writing the book. It’s not so much a “twist” as a character complication that is well set up and defines the novel.

The minor character work is also good, with complicated antagonists (and side characters) Idari must interact with and deal with. This a story of love and self-discovery and it’s very well told. This is very different from many stories I’ve read, but a worthy choice if you’re looking for great descriptive writing, and exemplary character work.

Felan’s Rescue is available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, Hardback, and Paperback!

The Descendants of Prontoth is available as an Ebook (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, hardback and paperback!

Preorders for Seventh Contact are now available!

These are the full on, work for it novels and series that if you really love science fiction or fantasy I will tell you to try.  These novels/series are quite the commitment, but the reward is immense. They range from long series that don’t hold your hand explaining how things work or infodumping background information, to shorter series with unreliable narration, to stories with unique structures that aren’t easy to follow. I’m sure I’m missing plenty, but here are four that stand out.

                Gardens of the Moon-  This is quite the commitment for anyone who wants to try it. Gardens of the Moon is the first in a 10 book Fantasy Series.  There is truly nothing like it. The scope of what the author is doing is unbelievable, but he manages to combine it with intriguing characters and completely unique stories. Gardens of the Moon was good, but a lot to process as Erikson just throws you into the world and expects you to slowly get what is going on (really the whole series does this).  Every novel in the series seemingly gives you something you’ve never seen before: the Chain of Dogs (from Deadhouse Gates), the incredible siege of Capustan (Memories of Ice), Karza’s intro (House of Chains), a plot centered around economic ruin (Midnight Tides), the creation of the Bonehunters in Y’ghatan (The Bonehunters) and the Malazan march across Latharis (Reeper’s Gale) are all great examples.  I’ve just found nothing else like this series. 

                Shadow of the Torturer- Truth be told I gave up on this series (The Book of the New Sun) of which this is the first novel.  It just wasn’t for me (at least not yet, I promise I’ll revisit as too many I trust swear by it).  And… I get it.  It’s dense and there is so much going on.  They stress the brilliance of its construction and hidden layers, its unreliable narrator demanding the attention of the reader at every moment to really comprehend what is going on.  I read 2 and half books in the series. I think I’ll try again someday, but it was too much of a chore for me.  Honestly, it’s probably the series that I am not into that I regret not being into.  I feel like I am missing out on something great.

                Use of Weapons-  My all time favorite novel.  The book is riveting. It’s style takes a bit of getting use to as alternating chapters take you from a present tense story that goes chronologically to flashbacks which by in large go in reverse order. It is in these reverse order chapters where much of the depth is added to our protagonist Cheradenine Zakalwe. The added knowledge to the Zakalwe’s background and motives that you have by the end of the book invites you to scroll back and re-read certain parts. In the end events that happened early on take on significantly more meaning once you fully understand everything going on.  I find new things on every reread and I feel like certain chapters are even more perfect than I remember on reread. 

Pandora’s Star-  This is an incredibly ambitious books with disparate plots all over the place.  There are a ton of characters and there is extensive story to tell. Hamilton creates a uniquely developed universe and does a great job of setting up what is ultimately a very interesting plot. The mystery surrounding “the barrier” is unique and fascinating. The alien races he develops are completely original and in the case of the Primes one of the cooler, well thought out alien races I have ever read. It’s big, ambitious, and demanding of the reader. Not one I’d recommend to someone new the genre, but for someone who loves space opera already, it’s a great option.

Felan’s Rescue is available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, Hardback, and Paperback!

The Descendants of Prontoth is available as an Ebook (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, hardback and paperback!

Preorders for Seventh Contact are now available!

In Part 5 of my Levels of Science Fiction series we look at Level 4, the more involved Science Ficiton and Fantasy Reads. The first three levels I would feel good about suggesting to someone looking to break into the genre, though I may warn them about Level 3 books being an investment. For Level 4 and beyond, these are books I would be thrilled to recommend, but I want the reader to have already decided they are invested in the genre. These are the kind of novels that make you work, but the reward is wonderful. Some of my favorite examples are:

                A Fire Upon the Deep-  The “Zones of Thought” grouping used by Vinge is an interesting idea that allows for a novel of incredible scope.  The prologue is so brilliantly written and immerses you immediately, making you very aware of the incredible stakes.  Vinge creates a universe that requires you to work to understand everything, but the story is so fun and exciting.  Science fiction of a grand scope at its finest. 

Consider Phlebas- Iain M. Banks is my overall favorite author.  I love the Culture Series and this is where it starts.  Each Culture book is its own story, so you don’t have to start here, but there is something compelling in starting with a story where the main character is hostile to the Culture.  The Culture is such a unique idea a post-scarcity society where everyone is equal, and machines are prevalent enough that nobody is forced to work or wants for anything.  Banks anticipates that readers may be hostile to parts of this idea, and he voices those hostilities through his main character early in the book when he addresses why he is fighting for the oppressive, religiously driven alien civilization, “”they are on the side of life… boring, old-fashioned, biological life; smell, fallible and short-sighted, God knows, but REAL life.”  The ideas of this story are magnificent, but it’s the visual sequences that take it to another level.  Few scenes in science fiction have been as engaging as the escape flight through a Giant Orbital.  It’s a lot to take in, but if you love science fiction this is a book I would push any reader to dive into. 

Perdido Street Station-  Mieville offers a completely different type of fantasy novel.  I’ve not read any author who brings a city to life quite like Mieville does with New Crobuzon.  There are so many compelling, memorable characters and ideas, but New Crobuzon is the star of this book.  The prose are high level and beautiful, but not the kind you can take in without careful reading.  With his writing you want to focus on every word because he chooses the words so perfectly.  The Slake Moths are absolutely terrifying and the introductory ride into New Crobuzon is breathtaking. 

The Blade Itself-  I love Abercrombie’s writing and enjoyed the First Law Series so much my first time through it.  He develops memorable characters and combines it with great action scenes.  There are elements of traditional fantasy to this story, but he takes them in a completely different direction.  I always debate whether to recommend starting with First Law or his stand alone novels, because while I love The Blade Itself and its two direct sequels, I love Best Served Cold and The Heroes (two stand alone novels in the same universe) even more.  Ultimately, I am glad I started with First Law because of the background to the world it gave me that enhances my appreciation for those stand alone novels (and the exception Age of Madness trilogy) and I usually recommend readers go that way.  However, I sometimes worry that the other two would draw them in more and I should just be telling them to read Best Served Cold. 

                The Fifth Season – The Fifth Season is unique in so many ways and utterly magnificent in how it all fits together.  The story takes time to adjust to as we follow three different plots, one of which is written in 2nd person point of view, but they fit together beautifully and as you get 1/3 of the way through the book you keep wanting to press on.  There is so much to say about this book, but I don’t want to give too much away. Undoubtedly N.K. Jemisin has created one of the best science fiction / fantasy novels of all time. I cannot recommend The Fifth Season enough.

Felan’s Rescue is available in Ebook form (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, Hardback, and Paperback!

The Descendants of Prontoth is available as an Ebook (and Kindle Unlimited), Audiobook, hardback and paperback!

Preorders for Seventh Contact are now available!