Amatka by Karin Tidbeck

Paperback, 216 pages
Published June 27th 2017 by Vintage (first published January 1st 2012)
Sci.fi
Library

This is one of those can not be explained books. I have read reviews calling it dystopia, but, no, not really. It is a world shaped by things they can not control, it controls them.

I assume people went through a portal, or took a ship to another planet. A planet that is alive somehow. But nothing lives there. The first people established 5 cities and tried to survive. This has turned into a strange "communist" state because that is the only way to survive.

Everything has its name written on it. Because if you loose the name then the chair, house, whatever disappears. It is a world that can not hold on to its things. And because of that the communes rule and dictate what people should do. And everyone have housemates so that no one disappears. Children grow up in "orphanages" so that they can learn the way. 

It is really life and death made into a surreal fallen communist looking world. It is grey, all grey, no color at all.

And it is strangely good, because it is so effed up. I could not put it down.

Vanja, a government worker, leaves her home city of Essre for the austere, wintry colony of Amatka on a research assignment. It takes some adjusting: people act differently in Amatka, and citizens are monitored for signs of subversion.

Intending to stay just a short while, Vanja finds herself falling in love with her housemate, Nina, and decides to stick around. But when she stumbles on evidence of a growing threat to the colony and a cover-up by its administration, she begins an investigation that puts her at tremendous risk.

The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson

Kindle Edition, 128 pages

Published October 3rd 2017 by Tor.com

Series: Molly Southbourne #1

Sci fi

Own

This was weird, short and so good!

Molly is attacked, again and again, all through out her childhood. All by kids that look like her, and as she age, they age. Which of course was so very interesting and I needed to know why. Yes this novella was so strange.

All through out good, well written and intriguing. The end did loose some steam, but endings are hard, and this one was very open too.

The rule is simple: don't bleed.

For as long as Molly Southbourne can remember, she's been watching herself die. Whenever she bleeds, another molly is born, identical to her in every way and intent on her destruction.

Molly knows every way to kill herself, but she also knows that as long as she survives she'll be hunted. No matter how well she follows the rules, eventually the mollys will find her. Can Molly find a way to stop the tide of blood, or will she meet her end at the hand of a girl who looks just like her?

Carole's Monday Review: The Christmas Eve Secret by Elyse Douglas

Author:  Elyse Douglas 

Title: The Christmas Eve Secret (Book 3)

Genre: SciFi, Romance, Historical, Mystery

Pages: ebook

Published: September 16th, 2019

Where I Got It: My shelf (given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)

Despite their happiness, Eve is having premonitions that something dreadful is about to occur. Concerned about the future and the safety of their child, she insists that they destroy the time travel lantern. Patrick is more cautious.

One afternoon when Patrick is out, a sinister man breaks into the apartment and forces Eve to give him the lantern. In many ways, Eve is relieved the lantern is gone. She hopes they can now live a more normal life.

A day later, Patrick shadows a woman who has been staking out the Gantly’s brownstone apartment, and he confronts her. To his and Eve’s utter shock, they learn that Lucy Rose is from 1924 and that she time-traveled with the man who took the lantern. He returned to 1924, but she chose to stay behind. She offers to sell the lantern back to Eve and Patrick, and they reluctantly agree, hoping to keep it out of unscrupulous hands.

Convinced that the lantern is a threat to their future happiness, Eve and Patrick decide to destroy it.

But the lantern has more power than they could have ever imagined. Once the lantern is destroyed, Eve’s life is completely changed. She must set off on an adventure, in a struggle that will return her to the past, where she will learn the secret of the lantern’s origin and delve into the farthest reaches of her heart.

Book 3! So exciting! I really enjoyed the last one quite a bit!

The story continues with Eve and Patrick. Despite everything seeming to be perfect, Even cannot brush off this fear and premonition something bad is on the horizon. In order to protect her and Patrick and their unborn baby, they decided to destroy the time travel lantern once and for all. And of course....this does not end well.

Even though I wanted book 3 and more of their stories, I also didn't. I want Eve and Patrick to be happy!! They really deserve it! Time travel is not all rainbows and kittens. Even though it brought them together, it keeps messing things up. 

I adore Eve and Patrick. I like Joni too even though I wanted to shake her sometimes! No one forced you to go woman!

OooOOOooo what to say without spoilers? 

Honestly, I was hooked from page one. I think I liked this book better even though it ripped my heart out! Ugh! SOBS! So good, so good. 

The middle dragged a touch there, but after some events, the ball got rolling again. I was so anxious and I wanted Eve and Patrick to be happy. 

Oh, that ending! Melted my cold heart! I love it. 

And that big reveal of how the lantern(s) got created??????? WOAH! I did not see that coming. Such a good twist! A fun twist! But made me want to shake somebody!

All-in-all, this was really good. I liked it just a touch more than the last one I think. The story was good and I loved the reveal! Didn't see that coming. The ending was good too! I for sure recommend this series. I'll stamp this one with 5 stars. 

The High Ground by Melinda Snodgrass

Paperback, 421 pages

Published July 5th 2016 by Titan Books

Series: Imperials #1

Sci.fi

Own

It started well enough, though it was so YA. Nothing wrong with that, but I really feel like this should not be marked adult. Nothing makes it so. They act like 14 year olds. We see them at school, soccer game, bullying. Make them 20, make it adult, or make them actually 14. I felt that the book was conflicted.

And then it just got depressing, and I started skimming, I checked book 2 how her life will be and it will suck, and still suck in book 3. Rather depressing.

I guess she could not make it YA, cos they are older in the next one. But an adult book can still be about kids, just make the writing less YA then.

Emperor's daughter Mercedes is the first woman ever admitted to the High Ground, the elite training academy of the Solar League's Star Command, and she must graduate if she is to have any hope of taking the throne. Her classmate Tracy has more modest goals--to rise to the rank of captain, and win fame and honor. But a civil war is coming and the political machinations of those who yearn for power threatens the young cadets. In a time of intrigue and alien invasion, they will be tested as they never thought possible.

Audio: Queen's Gambit - Jessie Mihalik

Narrated by: Rachel Dulude

Series: Rogue Queen Series, Book 1

Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 05-31-19

Language: English

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Sci.fi

I received this book free of charge in exchange for a review

This was a sci.fi novella so things had to happen fast.

Samara is a queen (of course why no one just crushed her world in a day I do not know, it would be so easy). There are those who do not want to fight for the two other empires, and those who just want to escape.

Samara is tough as nails, dubious past, and was elected queen. And now she will save the emperor to get some money out of it, her people need food.

Valentin was, oh I liked him, I am sure he will be a good emperor if he can just get rid of the snakes around him.

Get him out, get him safe, get money. Baddies after them. Friendship blossoming (I hope for more one day too).

It was short and fully fleshed out it would have been even better. But it does work as a novella and there are more to come.

Narration

I did have to up the speed of the narrator to 2.0 cos I felt she was speaking too slowly. I did like her voice, but yes higher speed was needed for me. It might have to do with that this was built as a serial. So there are many moments in it for action and danger.

When the Quint Confederacy and the Kos Empire went to war - again - Queen Samara wisely kept her Rogue Coalition out of the conflict. But staying neutral in a galactic war doesn't pay the bills, not when both sides refuse to trade with neutral sectors.  

With her people on the brink of starvation, Samara hatches a daring plan to snatch the kidnapped Kos Emperor from the Quint mercenaries holding him. The Kos Empire will pay a fortune for their emperor's return, enough to feed the Coalition's citizens while they wait for the return to a begrudging peace.  

But when her plan goes sideways, Samara finds herself evading Quint mercenaries with the very man she intends to capture. And the more time she spends with Valentin Kos, the more she realizes that he's not the coldly indifferent villain she imagined. Torn between duty and desire, Samara must decide if saving her people is worth giving up the one thing she's always wanted.

Audio: A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

Narrated by: Rachel Dulude

Series: Wayfarers, Book 2

Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 05-21-19

Publisher: HarperAudio

Sci-fi

To review

I did like this one a lot more than book 1, but then I also listened to this, while I read book 1, and what can I say, audiobooks rock.

This was a Dual narrative. First we have Lovelace, yes we did meet her in book 1, but this is a stand alone, and I did also feel that I would not have needed to read book 1. In that one she had to be reset, and now she is in a body instead of a ship (being an AI and all). So she has to try to live as a human, and there is also the possibility of getting caught as it is illegal. And it was so fascinating as this AI is experiencing the world, getting friends and wondering what make her her. We also get different alien cultures thrown in as she lives in a place settled by many. And they are all so fascinating!

Then there is Jane, this was actually the POV I liked the most. She lives in a factory with other Janes. They are clones made for the purpose of sorting through trash. A horrible world and she gets away and works for years to get away. And we know she gets away as she meets Lovelace as Pepper. 

Does a lot happen? No not really. Jane's story is the story of a struggle to survive and grow up.

Lovelace's story is about finding yourself.

It is again a talking book, a character driven book, but it works wonderfully through audio. It is the perfect format.

Narrator
I liked her voice. At first I wondered about one of her alien voices, but it was meant to be that way since they do not really speak, then I realised how great it was. Considering all alien races, humans and AI she does a great job with them all

Lovelace was once merely a ship’s artificial intelligence. When she wakes up in a new body, following a total system shutdown and reboot, she has no memory of what came before. As Lovelace learns to negotiate the universe and discover who she is, she makes friends with Pepper, an excitable engineer, who’s determined to help her learn and grow. 

Together, Pepper and Lovey will discover that no matter how vast space is, two people can fill it together. 

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet introduced listeners to the incredible world of Rosemary Harper, a young woman with a restless soul and secrets to keep. When she joined the crew of the Wayfarer, an intergalactic ship, she got more than she bargained for - and learned to live with, and love, her ragtag collection of crewmates. 

The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers

Paperback, 404 pages

Published August 13th 2015 by Hodder & Stoughton (first published July 29th 2014)

Series: Wayfarers #1

Sci fi

own

May 2019: This is just so boring

June 2019: Started again...still reading.

As you can see, I dnfed once, because it was just so slow. I was on p100 and nothing had happened. For some reason I picked up up a few weeks later and then the slow pace fitted so I finished. Though was it good? Honestly I do not know. I realise the strength in her writing, she is good, but this is really a character driven book, and you truly have to be in the mood for it. It is slow, there is a lot of talking, and even though I now finished I do not know if I can give it more than an ok rating..

It does have good parts, it is just really slow.

I only finished cos I have book 2 to read, otherwise I could have let it be. But I will listen to book 2 and see if that works better

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.
Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe. 

Morhelion - Dominic Dulley

Paperback

Expected publication: April 4th 2019 by Jo Fletcher Books

Series: The Long Game #2

Sci fi

Thank you Jo Fletcher for this review copy

My Thoughts

I was pleasantly surprised to see that I enjoyed book 2 even more than book 1! SO many do suffer from 2nd book syndrome, but this one upped its game.

In the last book Orry saved the Fleet from destruction. But she is back at her game now, conning people out of their money. And I like Orry, she takes no BS, she is a good person, but she is no hero.

This book has her more on her own as things go south. Suddenly there is a conspiracy. A secret agent. Something that can change the war started in book 1, and she is in the middle of it. And she is to set foot on the most horrid planet. Trust me, this is one creepy place. And I liked the adventure, I liked her more on her own. I also liked hearing a bit more about these worlds.

So yes there is action, there are power hungry people, there are whales in the sky. Creepy inbred weirdos and lots more to quench your thirst. It is quite the space opera.

And again it ends with a all is well for now, and I like that. I like having a bit of peace and quiet and not wringing my hands in torment. But there is obviously still that urge to read more. Something is coming, but what? I do wonder, and I need to know.

Final thoughts

Great continuation to this sorry. I can't wait for more.

Blurb

Orry Kent may not have stopped the war between the Ascendancy and the alien Kadiran, but at least she saved the Grand Fleet from immediate annihilation. Now she just wants to get on with her own life.

The conflict feels a long way away - until a con turns sour and she finds herself drawn into the very heart of the war.

When a dying agent of the emperor's shadowy Seventh Secretariat tells Orry there's a traitor at the highest levels of the Ascendancy, she has little choice but to take on the mission.

Which is why she finds herself stranded among the floating bubble habitats of Morhelion, where pollution-spewing smokers ply their trade in the beautiful but toxic atmosphere.

The hunt is on . . .

Shattermoon - Dominic Dulley

Paperback, 368 pages

Published June 14th 2018 by Jo Fletcher Books

Series: The Long Game #1

Sci.fi

Thank you Jo Fletcher for this review copy

My Thoughts

I must say, I think this one would work so well in audio (yes yes you all know I love audio these days ;) But seriously, the action kept coming so I am sure I would have enjoyed it a lot in audio for that reason.  But back to the actual book now!

Space, new worlds. One ruler, and some aliens on the fringe. Orry is a con artist together with her dad and brother. She is smart and good at it.

Also there are some secrets we learn at the end that made me go all whaaat! Intriguing.

But before that she has to go on the run when accused of a crime. There is a mysterious pendant that many want and will kill to get. Which takes us to other planets, space and the underbelly of society.

Other characters are Mender, this old grumpy captain. And you know what I shall say no more. There are good guys, bad guys. People I want to hit in the face and people that step up.

The book has an ending, yay. More books are to come, but I was happy where I left her at the moment. Of course things are about to get bad, for sure, but for now all is good.

I shall read more and see what she gets up to. I want her to confront X...

Nice beginning.

Blurb

An inexperienced grifter. An obsolete spaceship. And against them, the might of the Grand Fleet. Orry might just be in over her head.

Orry's father is the best conman in the quadrant, targeting the decadent ruling families of the Ascendancy, running elaborate heists with Orry and her brother Ethan before disappearing without a trace. This time should be no different.

But then Orry goes off-script and everything falls apart. Less than an hour later the Count's spoiled grandson is dead and Orry's on the run, accused of a murder she didn't commit.

Turns out, the pendant Orry stole was crafted by the Departed, the ancient civilisation who left this universe aeons ago, taking most of their secrets with them. But she's not the only one who wants it. It doesn't take ruthless space pirate Morven Dyas long to track her down, or to threaten her with her worst fear, and when she's unexpectedly rescued by loner Jurgen Mender and his ageing spaceship, the Dainty Jane, Orry knows there's only one thing left to do.

It will take all of Orry's powers of persuasion to get Mender to agree to her plan, especially when even she can see the madness of pitting an inexperienced young grifter, a space-dog long past his best and an obsolete spaceship against the Imperial Fleet, the worst of the space-pirates - and the alien Kadiran, who are getting bored with the long, uneasy truce with humankind . . .

But what other choice does she have? 

Audio: The Wrong Stars - Tim Pratt

The shady crew of the White Raven run freight and salvage at the fringes of our solar system. They discover the wreck of a centuries-old exploration vessel floating light years away from its intended destination and revive its sole occupant, who wakes with news of First Alien Contact. When the crew break it to her that humanity has alien allies already, she reveals that these are very different extra-terrestrials... and the gifts they bestowed on her could kill all humanity, or take it out to the most distant stars. 

My thoughts:

Sci-fi on audio! Have I done that before? Is this really my first? I believe so, and I am happy to announce that it worked out wonderfully!

It did come off to a rocky start. I was all, I can not do this. But that was the narration. It felt choppy. so I slept on it and gave it another go the next day. And suddenly there was no problem at all, so always sleep on it ;)

We have reached the stars thanks to aliens, weird aliens called Liars. And in this new world we meet the crew. A captain not afraid of a new job, the "religious" doctor, the backstage crew I shall not talk too much about. And the engineer who loves loves anything tech. I liked them all, but I guess the captain could have had a few flaws to make her more human. Oh oh! I forgot one crew member! The ship, I liked him the most.

To this world Elena wakes after 500 years in cryo. But she adjusts fairly easily and hooks up with the crew of The White Raven to save the world.

Because there are more aliens out there. And secrets. And weird tech. All for the finding.

I liked the book cos it kept a nice pace and there was always something new to discover. I am so sad that there is no blurb for book 2 cos I need to know things. I need to know what comes next! I am glad that it ended on a good note. No cliffie. But obviously there will be more, but the dust has settled for now.

If I have to remark on something it's that Elena and the Kelliana, the Captain, becomes involved. And it was just weird how E thinks about smex at one time when no normal person would think about it. I get it, they are women, good for you. But he tried a bit too hard there.

Conclusion:

I do want more. Suspense and intrigues in space. What more is there to ask for.

Narration.

Like I said, I got off to a rocky start, but then I had no issues. I enjoyed his voices and how he narrated the story. The Ship and Alien were the best ones.

Publication date Jun 12, 2018 by Tantor AudioAudiobook, Running time 11 hrsNarrated by John GlouchevitchSeries: Axiom #1Genre: Sci-fi

Audio: Of Beast and Beauty- Stacey Jay

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love. 

Audible Audio
Published July 14th 2015 by Tantor Audio (first published July 23rd 2013)
Sci.fi Ya
Own audiosync

My thoughts

I am going to try to make it short, I have  a cold and do not feel like writing a review.

I guess you can say that this was a fairytale re-telling, but at the same time it was not. There was no beauty, there was no beast.

Isra has spent her whole life locked in a tower. Her people live in a dome and monsters roam the wastelands. But just cos those outside look like monsters do not make them so. And now she is queen and all queens must die.

Gem is a monster who wants to save his people. He hates these perfect humans and he has every right too.

They meet under bloody circumstances. They become prisoner and jailer and we learn more about humans, monsters and life on this planet. Oh and it is sci.fi, but not much scifi around these days. The planet took its toll. Oh that makes me wonder why no one else came, maybe this was the last survivors of earth...

Sigh, short is hard!

Anyway. She must marry this other dude, no it is not a triangle when she does not like him and he only thinks he can like her cos hey who wants a miserable marriage. 

There are evil things going on.

Blah blah, oh I am tired. I can not write today.

So, anyway, it was a good one. Interesting story and I did not think it could end happily. It did have some plotholes at the end though, but eh, still worked

Narrator Julia Wheelan

I felt that she did really well with male and female voices. And especially Gem since he was a monster and did not speak like humans.

Insurgency - Michelle Diener

The tiny moon of Cepi is on a countdown to destruction, and while Nyha Bartali has been persuaded to take her four wards for a final look at the archaeological wonder, now she's eager to leave. The only problem is, someone has other plans--plans to exploit Nyha and her girls' status as the betrayed orphans of the Verdant String in order to give them time to steal Cepi's secrets.

Nyha and her wards' value as survivors of the destruction of Halatia means it would be political suicide for any leader of the Verdant String to endanger them again--something the hostage-takers know very well. What the hostage-takers don't know is that Nyha and her girls have more help than they realize.

Mak Carep knows his team's presence on Cepi is the last flex of Arkhor's muscle before the moon is blown to bits. Arkhor has interfered on Cepi since it discovered the ruins four hundred years ago, but sometimes, interference can have unexpected consequences. When Nyha and her girls are taken hostage, Mak and the rest of his special forces team are the only ones who have any hope of rescuing them, and they're ready and willing to do what Arkhor does best . . . Interfere.

Insurgency (Insurgency is a 45,000 word short novel set in the Verdant String series)

The Parnian city of Var is under siege. Buildings are being targeted by insurgents whose only aim seems to be destruction. Nick Bartega is part of the Protection Unit team investigating the explosions, but with no discernible pattern, and no one taking responsibility, he and his colleagues have hit a blank wall.

That is until his neighbor, Tila, is caught up in the first real mistake the insurgents have made. Cornered, forced to take Tila's whole office hostage, the insurgents are surrounded and out of options, until they use Tila as their shield.

Tila sees herself as Parnian first, Halatian second, but her dark blue hair, and the strong emotions her very existence provokes in others means the insurgents see her as the perfect hostage. No one on Par wants to give the order that might catch her in the crossfire. They'd rather let the insurgents get away.

But Nick, and his commander, Drake, see the first glimpse of a pattern in the insurgents behavior. Not that long ago, Halatians were used as hostages in another incident on the tiny moon of Cepi, and the parallels are hard to ignore. So is this attack on Var an isolated incident, or is there a bigger conspiracy at play?

Whatever the truth, Nick isn't prepared to leave Tila in the insurgents hands. And he's prepared to break any rule, and disregard any order to do it. 

Kindle Edition, 264 pages
Published January 14th 2018 by Eclipse
Sci.fi, romance
Review

My thoughts:
This is just a review of Insurgency, Interference was not for me at this time. I could not get into it

Bad guys are blowing things up and taking hostages. And honestly when I learned why, well, yes I understood, even if it was the wrong way doing it.

Tila is from a planet that is no more (now that seems like quite the story, and a sad one.) Also the whole origin of everyone, I totally want that too.

But, I was talking about Tila...ok blue hair, Halatian of birth, now like everyone else. Presently in danger.

Nick, "cop", then one who will deal with the danger she is in

Neighbors, falling in love. The end. Interesting beginning

Starflight - Melissa Landers

Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe... 

My thoughts:

It started good enough, ok who am I kidding. It was a decent start filled with plotholes, crappy worldbuilding and more. But it was cheesy light and so YA. So I read on. But then the next day all those annoying things got to be too much. But then I had already read half the book and was all fffff! So I finished it, or more or less skimmed since it got to be more silly. The romance grew between the bully and the one he had bullied and I was all, how are these suddenly in love? Also their personalities suddenly sure change. 

The ending was fast and srsly...srsly...*snorts* No.

I guess the author tried to go for a cool firefly vibe. That did not work for me, I could see none of these people on the ship, well except for the captain and that thief I guess.

It just went bad fast for me. It would have been a dnf, but when I have read too much of a book it's just too hard to go back and admit defeat. 

Conclusion:
Yeah, I would not recommend it. But if you want silly YA with a bit of fighting and romance, then go ahead.

Cover
This one was actually nice

Hardcover, 369 pages
Published February 2nd 2016 by Disney-Hyperion
Starflight #1
YA sci-fi romance

Star Trek Prometheus Fire with Fire - Perplies and Humberg

The Federation races to discover the culprits of several terrorist attacks, sending their flagship, the USS Prometheus, to stop war breaking out in the galaxy.

A mysterious terrorist organization has carried out several attacks against the Federation and Klingon Empire. Tensions are running high in a region already crippled by conflict. The perpetrators are tracked to the Lembatta Cluster, a mysterious region of space whose inhabitants, the Renao, regard the the Alpha Quadrant’s powers as little more than conquering tyrants. The Federation are desperate to prevent more bloodshed, and have sent their flagship, the U.S.S. Prometheus, into the Cluster to investigate the threat before all-consuming war breaks out.

Kindle Edition, 382 pages
Published November 28th 2017 by Titan Books
Star Trek - Prometheus #1
Sci-fi
For review

My thoughts:

So this was like watching a Star Trek ep, no, I take that back, I mean lots happened, so maybe more like a movie. But then more is to come so maybe a 3 part movie then ;) You get the point. Have you seen a ST movie or tv series then this is what you are getting.

Terrorists are blowing stuff up. But who are they and what do they want? I am not good with timelines when it comes to Star Trek. But Spock is 150 years or old something (he shows up), so that is when it takes place. There is peace with the Klingons. The Borg are defeated. Other races has build a new pact and tensions run high and now this. There will never be peace in this universe.

The characters include  a descendant of Kirk's brother. There is a young Renao who is wondering what his people are up to. The Captain of the ship who is trying to solve this mystery without the Klingons going all kill them all. 

I do prefer the show or movies cos they are always so visually awesome. But it was fun reading a book for once too.

Ancillary mercy - Ann Leckie

For a moment, things seemed to be under control for Breq, the soldier who used to be a warship. Then a search of Athoek Station's slums turns up someone who shouldn't exist, and a messenger from the mysterious Presger empire arrives, as does Breq's enemy, the divided and quite possibly insane Anaander Mianaai - ruler of an empire at war with itself.

Breq refuses to flee with her ship and crew, because that would leave the people of Athoek in terrible danger. The odds aren't good, but that's never stopped her before. 

Paperback, 330 pagesPublished October 6th 2015 by OrbitImperial Radch #3ScifiLibrary

My thoughts:

One really should not read sci-fi a year apart..well at least not me. I do have problems with sci.fi in a way, not bad problems, just that I forget things, and the tech stuff and...yes I was all wait wait? How was she a AI again? I had forgotten the most important things, not that the main POV is AI, but how...

So if you do read these, do not wait a year between books! ;)

Forgetting all that, I really do like Ann Leckie. I should check if she has anything new out. I like military sci-fi for some reason, I gravitate to it, no idea why, I mean seriously, I am all tech? And still I got for the AI and ships. I also like how she uses the pronoun she...for all of them. The Raadch do not care about gender and use the word she for everyone.

I am rambling, I can not concentrate today. Anyway the leader of this corner of the universe is fighting with herself ..she is many...and Breq, who was a ship and is now just one person takes a side. Breq is a good, well person, being AI and all.  But the one that steals the show in this one is a translate from an alien race, oh she was a hoot. I like that these are not heavy sci-fi, they do manage to be light, considering.

Conclusion:
Oh whatever, i can NOT write a review today. I suck. 

 Just read the series ;)

Cover

Dull

I am doing a TMST over at Carole's today :D Best horror

Dark Matter - Blake Crouch

“Are you happy with your life?” 

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.” 

In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

My thoughts:

It was not amazing, but at the same time I could not put it down. I started reading it, and then I finished it. It was just impossible to put down, I needed to know what would happen.

It's about Jason who gets knocked out and wakes up in a strange place. And I was all wtf happened? A parallel universe? Cos here he is not married, he has no son, and he spent his life following his passion in science.

And that is the whole deal, wtf happened? What is this? And when he tries to find out, well then it got even more impossible to put down. And then it got real crazy.

Conclusion:
So there was something in the story that just pulls you in. I can still not say it's amazing. BUT it's amazing in the fact how it makes you unable to stop reading....strange really.

Cover
meh

Hardcover, 352 pages
Published August 11th 2016 by Macmillan
Fiction / sci-fi /suspense
Library

Alien Nation - Gini Koch

It’s a typical day of bureaucracy and stress for President and First Lady Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini, made more stressful when alien spacecraft are spotted making a beeline for Earth, none of them from the Alpha Centauri system. Then a cryptic request from an old adversary pulls Kitty out of the White House and into an explosion—and an even more explosive situation. Not only is the Mastermind back in the game, influencing the Club 51 True Believers to find and destroy all Centaurion bases, but he’s also found a dangerous benefactor and created some frightening new cloning abilities. 

And, just to make things a little more challenging, those alien spacecraft are coming to ask Kitty for protection, and asylum on Earth. Police stations being blown up and war helicopters in play aren’t enoughto keep Kitty down, especially when she’s got some new alien friends helping out. But what these aliens share will rock the world—the other aliens on their way to Earth are fleeing an enemy so terrifying that even a Z’porrah ship is trying to get to Earth for safety and protection. And if Earth isn’t able to stop this threat, there may not be anything left of humanity. Now Kitty and Company have to figure out where the Mastermind is and stop him, before any new aliens land. And then they have to save the world from a deadly invasion. Or, as Kitty calls it, Thursday. 

My thoughts:
So obviously this review is filled with spoilers, it is book 14 after all. That is a lot of books! Kitty is now the first lady and Martini is the president. Yup, stuff happened and that came to play. She is of course the most kick.ass first lady that there ever has been. She has lots of other alien buddies, she has her animals and she has her enemies.

Earth is, well we suck. We are pretty evil and we can fight. And now lots of aliens are coming. And not at the best of times since well duh an ALIEN is the president of the USA! Everyone is now cheering, some are pretty pissed. Humans are petty things. But hey I get it, if an alien as the president is a lot to take in. We do not even like our neighbours, how can we like people from space now too?!

But I must say, there is still a lot of talking in these books. Maybe there always was, but these days I am just, get to the action! They talk, think and talk for ages, and then finally action, and that was over pretty quickly. And then we are left with...well I can not say that, cos that was a real spoiler, all these other things I have mentioned were just a reminder to read all those 13 books before this one. Oh and the music thing, it is also getting a bit too much, I do not need to know every song she is listening too. More like the highlights.

Oh and more Martini for the people! You can never go wrong with him ;)

My thoughts:
A brave new world, with hot aliens (and some not so hot *coughs*). A kick-ass series with a smart heroine that knows how to handle things, and does not need a man to save her or the day. 

 

Paperback, 534 pages
Expected publication: December 6th 2016 by DAW
Katherine "Kitty" Katt #14
Sci.fi
In exchange for a review