Tag Archives: Science Fiction and Fantasy

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Pollen

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17660771

Pollen

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I really don’t have a lot to say about this book. It was relatively enjoyable I suppose but did not really hold my attention, I found myself putting it down to read a Walking Dead comic I had read before. I never connected with any of the characters and they all just seemed a little dull to me, and if you can’t feel for the characters plight or like them. I liked the technology that was used and the concept behind the walled cities was pretty good too. The thing is it seemed to drag from scene to scene and never gave you enough of the characters or anything.

Rome Shackleton lives in New Hanoi and has managed to make something of himself after his stint as a celebrity for attempting to climb the wall and get a look at the outside world when he was a teen. Then he is given something which could not only change his life but that of everyone else in the city. Shunka resides in Little Tokyo and is a 19-year-old Farmer (not what you think) which means she has a good life and can indulge herself in her love of new mods (modifications). Things start to go crazy when her friend is accused of stealing data from the farmers and Shunka must clear her name.

What neither of them know is that their lives and world are not what it seems to be and someone wants to watch what happens when things are stirred up.

I got this because the blurb sounded so interesting and I love science fiction, but maybe it was a bit to subtle or maybe I was too dense to get it. It was alright but not anything I would read again. I would say give it a try to see what you think.

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Dust

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11327688

Dust

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a seriously short story and can be read in less than an hour, though I took longer. This was a well written short for me because I felt like a part of what was going on. I could feel things closing in as things grayed out. References to events that I had actually seen as a child made it that more personal for me. Though you may not get to know the main character as well as you like you understand him enough and get his motivations.

Clyde Jackson builds a bunker after the attack on the twin towers partly because of the loss of his daughter on that day. He was doing it for his wife and himself bu it didn’t work out. When our return to the moon brings back more than just samples the world is not prepared for the devastation, but Clyde is.

This is a story about how even though you may crave isolation, it is never as good as it would seem to be. A really good look at how we handle being truly alone.

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Rosetta

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Rosetta

I am giving this 3.5 stars and wishing to read another in order to get more background on the central character. This was an interesting concept with some good characters who make it worth reading again to make sure I got all the details. The story runs a bit slowly until you finally arrive at the destination and then things pick up a bit and continues to build. The characters are both fleshed out and not fleshed out depending on how long they are in the book, the main character has a lot more personality and background than any of the others but you still feel that he is lacking somewhat. I like the world that has been created, it has the ring of authenticity mainly because of its resemblance to the world we now find ourselves living in. The technology is real enough that you would have no problem believing in its existence or at least the possibility that it could be created.

James Meade is a runabout who was born on Mars, this means that he does not bother himself with the politics of either power running things. In this case there is the Consortium, a fascist society that uses its citizens as virtual slaves based on whether they are born into wealth or not, and it is impossible to gain wealth if you are not born to it. The other side is the Coalition who claim to be better and allow for a democratic society, while you can pull yourself up to a higher standard before you can get there you must pay off the crushing debt you have been forced into. This is the world Jim lives in and still is unable to get away from.

When a Consortium engineer is found dead on Rosetta it is decided that Jim will do the investigation because of his neutrality. He is not given much of a choice in the matter and decides that if he has to do it he might as well get paid as much as possible. He figures it will be a simple job with little work involved and a good payday, but he has no idea of what is going on that asteroid far out in the belt. And what he does not know will likely get him killed.

For some reason Meade reminded me of Harry Dresden, not just because they were both P.I.’s but the way he dressed and the use of sarcasm and humor. This is a detective story in space with a noir feel. You have the female bar owner with a heart of gold, the femme fatale, the crime bosses, the crazy zealot wanting to save the world, and our detective who is less and more of hero than you expect him to be. All in all a good read but could have been even better with a more serious mystery.

Mars has two moons. One of them is Phobos and other’s name is Deimos ...
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Mistworld

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Mistworld (Twilight of the Empire #1)

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
I give this 4.5 stars for a story that was engaging and characters that made me want to root for them. Things start off a little slow but it quickly picks up as each character is introduced and you get a look into their background on Mistworld. The world he has created is at once familiar and then again alien to someone who cannot imagine living in such a place. It’s not easy to create thieves and rogues who are likable people you would not mind hanging out with, but here it is and I love it. The action is broken up in such a way as to give you maximum story as you follow each individual in their own pursuits. The language is perfect and gives more insight into the situation that everyone is in. A taut and well held together story that brings you into a conflict that has raged for generations without being fully resolved.

Mistworld is an outlaw planet, most notably because it’s inhabitants have been labeled as outlaws by the Empire which expects strict loyalty and compliance from its citizens. On this harsh world they have no way to get the technology they need to survive except through the prowess of smugglers who are willing to crash the blockade which has been set by the Empire. The inhabitants have held off the Empire for hundreds of years, but that does not stop the Empire from plotting to attack when conditions are ripe. The only thing holding back the Empire is the psionic shield which is kept in place by the Espers who reside on the planet, but are they really enough.

The women here are as strong as the men and survive on that strength and not just on their need to be taken care of. I liked that these were women who knew how to fend for themselves no matter which side of the law they were on. I would say that I liked Investigator Topaz because was a serious kick-ass female who did what needed to be done and let the rest sort itself out and then you had Cyder who was able to survive in a world that could take down the strongest man.

What you find here is a lot of intrigue, double-dealing, spies, murder, betrayal, and revenge. My type of science fiction with a world in peril and brave settlers and an evil tyrant trying to take it all away. What’s not to like. Give this a read!

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Magic Possessed

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Magic Possessed (The Hidden, #2)

Magic Possessed (The Hidden #2)

I received this book from Goodreads First Reads for free.

I totally loved this book and would give it 4.5 stars because it grabbed me and kept me engrossed until the end. I will definitely be reading the first book in the series and following up with the rest. The characters are so well written that I came to really care about them and what they were going through. Of course some were filled out better than others but the main ones and most of the side characters made this worth while. The world they inhabit is like ours but just different enough to make it interesting.

With a number of mythical characters, chief among them dragons, sorcerers, and caidos (descendants of fallen angels). These people came from a place called Luciferia, a place that no longer exists except as the Bermuda Triangle we know today. When their home is destroyed they head to Florida and make a home for themselves there among the back roads and small communities. While they do not always get along they have managed to create a place they can live and thrive until someone decides that things are going to well and starts to shake the hornet’s nest.

Violet Castanega and her family are Dragon shifters and a bit of a rowdy bunch, along with most of her neighbors. She was a brawler when she was younger but has grown into a responsible woman and then the murders start. I liked Violet because she was a strong woman who was not afraid to do whatever was needed to protect her family and those around her. She was also able to trust when she had no reason to.

Kade Kavanaugh is a Deuce (sorcerer) and he works for the Guard, they are a police force for the supernatural folks in the area. They do not have any love for the dragons who they see as completely uncivilized and therefore are unconcerned when dragon bodies start dropping. That is until Violet shows up and he is ordered to assassinate her with no explanation or proof of wrong doing. Kade is an honorable guy who would never do anything he felt was wrong, and you have to love him for it.

This was a fun and emotional ride with mystery, hot sex, conspiracies, murder, revenge, and above all Love. I laughed, cried, yelled, and thoroughly enjoyed myself! If you want something that will take you away and entertain you, then you have got to read this. You will be missing out if you don’t give it a look.

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