C.T. Phipps's Blog, page 76

Mutineer (Alexis Carew #2) by J.A. Sutherland review

    Alexis Carew is my favorite new series and one I intend to continue reading as long as J.A. Sutherland continues to write them. I read Mutineer as soon as I finished the first novel, Into the Dark, and it was even better than the original. I think it's because this is a much darker novel and manages to deal with a nearly insurmountable problem for our heroine that reflects a real-life problem in today's military: misogyny from a higher up in a system designed to make sure y...

Cover Reveal: Lucifer's Star by C.T. Phipps

Here's the final version of it.


From the bestselling author of The Rules of Supervillainy:

Cassius Mass was the greatest star pilot of the Crius Archduchy. He fought fiercely for his cause, only to watch his nation fall to the Interstellar Commonwealth. It was only after that he realized the side he'd been fighting for was the wrong one. Now a semi-functional navigator on an interstellar freight hauler, he tries to hide who he was and escape his past. Unfortunately, some things refuse to stay b...

Gideon's Curse by David Niall Wilson review

   
    I've long been a fan of David Niall Wilson, since the days when he was a writer for Vampire: The Dark Ages. I've read many of his books and enjoyed all of them. However, I think it's fair to say while he works in a variety of genres that his deftest skill is at horror. Gideon's Curse is a pure horror novel and probably his best work yet because it's it pulls no punches and deals with a dark chapter of American history.

    It is a novel abou...

The Tower of Zhaal and The Science of Supervillainy are now available!

Hey folks,

I have great news that THE TOWER OF ZHAAL, sequel to CTHULHU ARMAGEDDON, is now available on audiobook, paperback, and Kindle format for readers. Like the original novel, it's a post-apocalypse story set in the world of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.

It has been a year since John Henry Booth's exile from New America and the fall of the Black Cathedral. Cursed with a slow transformation into a monster, he has begun a doomed relationship with fellow escapee Mercury Halsey as they se...

Exclusive Interview with J.A. Sutherland!

 Hey folks,

We've got a real treat today with J.A. Sutherland, author of the Alexis Carew series, stopping by to answer some questions about his ongoing series. For those unfamiliar with it, it is a series of books about the titular fifteen-year-old girl serving as a midshipman in the New London space navy.  A girl who, despite her age, ends up caught up in a massive interstellar war between feuding feudal powers and a system to reward the corrupt while punishing the honest. I only e...

Into the Dark (Alexis Carew 1#) by J.A. Sutherland

    I'm a huge fan of David Weber's Honor Harrington series and several other Age of Sail stories which happen to be transplanted into space. I'm also a fan of the original Horatio Hornblower novels. However, my love of the Honorverse has dimmed over the years as the focus became less and less about the titular character. David Weber has become fascinated with the labyrinthine and complex politics of his universe to the deterrent of his female protagonist. So, one can imagine m...

Paternus by Dyrk Ashton review

    So, basically it's American Gods if it was a action horror movie rather than a whimsical Gaiman-esque road rtrip. This is a compliment to the author because there's a staggering number of mythologies mixed together in this particular oddball stew of Christianity, paganism, Hinduism, and Arthurian lore. Oddly enough, I'm also reminded of Wildstorm's W.I.L.D.C.A.T.S but that's more to show what a strange person I am rather than any influence on Mr. Ashton.

    T...

LUCIFER'S STAR new cover revealed!

It's been no secret I wasn't very happy with the original cover of LUCIFER'S STAR, my "dark space opera" which chronicles the eternal question of what exactly happens to the mooks of your stereotypical evil galactic empire when they get overthrown. Well, if the story was a gritty war movie's aftermath versus a tale of good versus evil.

I think the new cover, by Alex Raspad, is much-much better, though. Light-years even *rimshot*

But you be the judge.


Cassius Mass was the greatest star pilot of t...

50 Tips for Writing Grimdark Fiction

I have some experience writing dark fantasy and space opera plus my recent cyberpunk novel. So, I thought I'd throw together all the little rules I made for myself when writing to share with you guys. Ignore them, follow them, or critique them -- they're only opinion.

1. Being good doesn't make you win and it may make you lose as well as lose badly.

2. Curse with real cuss words because real people don't say feldercard or Sithspit.

3. Villains should be terrifying and commit atrocities. Not guys...

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence review

"Friendship is, well, it’s caring for somebody more than you do yourself."
"Fool, that’s not friendship, that’s love."
-The Doctor and Zagreus, Zagreus audio drama

    Red Sister is the third series to come out by Mark Lawrence, who holds the position as the third most famous grimdark author alive after George R.R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie. Indeed, he might be the second most famous since George R.R. Martin doesn't self-identity as that sort of author.

    His fir...