Beth Tabler's Blog, page 154

Review – The Last Hunter by J.N. Chaney and Terry Mixon

I’m a big fan of JN Chaney and I’ve made it a point to plan to read Terry Mixon’s big space opera books. I’m a space opera writer myself and I’ve heard nothing but good things about both writers. Still, there’s always the question of where to begin with an author who has an extensive library. In both authors’ case, they have quite a few series out. So, in the end, I decided to try THE LAST HUNTER based on the laziest of all methods: I really like the cover. I love the fancy uniform of the protagonist with its big shoulder epaulets.

The premise is Jack Romanoff is being forcibly retired by the military due to the fact, well, he accidentally hit a luxury liner during one of his missions. That’s the official story. The unofficial (and true) story is that he is hated by most of the upper brass because his father is their former Grand Admiral and made a bunch of enemies on his way out. Oh and Jack hasn’t been making the expected bribes necessary for a promotion to Commodore.

Romanoff probably would have done well in the private sector but gets a somewhat idiosyncratic rescue from his father who uses backdated orders and favors to get him assigned to a museum ship from the Locust War. In what is probably an homage to the rebooted Battlestar Galactica, Romanoff is put in charge of the mothballed (but still reserved) Delta Orionus that is the most powerful battleship in the galaxy but expensive as hell to maintain.

Much to my surprise and enjoyment, the majority of the book is devoted to the logistics of the protagonist trying to get the ship back into fighting shape. The casual embezzlement, corruption, black marketeering, and general apathy he faces are more interesting to me than a thousand battles with alien hordes. It’s a nice change of pace that the most dangerous enemy are the people funneling project budgets into their accounts ala the Russian Federation (though we saw how that worked out for them in their current conflict).

The book has some flaws. This is a pretty black and white setting where the good guys are incredibly good and the bad guys are almost cartoonishly bad. This is something I’ve found a lot in space opera and it’s a personal bugbear. The human bad guys in these things tend to be a combination of smug, incompetent, and evil that I wish they’d just pick two of. Still, it does make it very satisfying to see our heroes defeat them through the power of logistics.

Indeed, the fact the book takes a significantly long time to get to the issue of the robot insect invasion is something that causes me to recommend it so highly. Our hero has to deal with things like supply chains, JAG offices, and even going down to military memorabilia collector swap meets in order to try to get the necessary parts for his ship to run. It’s something I haven’t seen much of in space opera and helps elevate the material. There’s also no tacked on romance, which I felt was a nice omission.

In conclusion, I recommend THE LAST HUNTER for fans of space opera looking for an easy read that isn’t just battling Space Nazis or evil alien insect hordes. The evil alien hordes are here but it’s not the focus of the book. Instead, we have a logistics-focused book about trying to navigate corruption and widespread logistics issues for repairing a necessary vessel.

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Review: Ledge by Stacey McEwan

“…but I will not sift through her choices and dispose of the ones that make me afraid. They are not mine.”


What is Ledge About:

Ledge is the heart-stopping beginning to the Glacian Trilogy from TikTok sensation Stacey McEwan.
In a place known as the Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where the Glacians reside – mystical and vicious winged creatures who bring meagre rations in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice.
Dawsyn, ax wielder and only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is chosen and ripped from her icy home, the only world she knows. No one knows what will happen to her on the other side, least of all Dawsyn. Murdered? Enslaved? Worse?
Fortunately, a half-Glacian called Ryon offers to help them both escape, but how can she trust one of the very creatures that plagued her life? Dawsyn is a survivor, and she is not afraid to cut anyone down to live.

Review:

A thank you to Ms. Lambe at Angry Robot Books for granting my request for an eArc copy of this novel. Receiving it did in no way impact my opinion and final thoughts.

Hello again dear reader or listener, today’s review is about antithesis because while the world is melting under this delightful summer heat, I enjoyed reading about biting and unforgiving cold landscapes. Not gonna lie it was a little hard to picture. Cool air? Does such a thing really exist anymore?

Right so, let’s get a little more serious, first of all, you know I love my disclaimers so here’s today’s. I pursued getting this ARC like never before because I first found out about Ledge coming out through McEwan’s Instagram/TikTok hilarious shenanigans. Then, FanFiAddict was chosen to be among the cover reveal party and I jumped at the opportunity because it is absolutely beautiful! Long story short I landed a review copy and I was over the moon. Until I saw it was in present tense that is. If you’ve been around yours truly in any form, you’ll know my brain won’t have it. I don’t know why I struggle this much but it is what it is, and that also meant that it took me almost two weeks to read a book that I would’ve flown through in an afternoon. Pun very much intended because this story has winged creatures heh. I put on my big girl pants however and stubborned my way through it because I really, really, wanted to read this book!
I am glad I did, despite my misgivings about the tense, because ultimately this was a great debut novel introducing us to some amazing characters, fun and snarky banter, and really cool action sequences.

As usual with my 8s I also had a few things that I might’ve enjoyed more if done differently but let’s start with all the good stuff!

Stacey McEwan joins the ranks among the new gen of authors who are modern and inclusive in all the right ways without being on the nose nor performative for the sake of it. There is seamless diversity and LGBTQ+ rep, as well as a satisfying dose of equality. Our main man Ryon is also a healthy drinker of respecting women juice and he knows better than to try and make any sort of alpha male decisions for main protag Dawsyn, our resident badass axe wielder extraordinaire. The cast of side characters is small but utterly delightful and I instantly grew fond of every single one of them for different reasons each. I need an Esra in my life and I’ll leave it there. There is more than one kind of villain, that I am interested in seeing more of, with a good ole helping of history written by the victors trope. McEwan pulls no punches in showing what fighting tooth and nail for survival all your life will turn you into, and Dawsyn is unapologetically rough around the edges. I appreciated that there’s no attempt to smoothen her out either. We always need more female characters that aren’t pressured to change to fit the nice and likeable mold.

The plot unfolds steadily throughout and, most of the time, the reader only comes to big revelations along with the protagonist herself, making for impactful plot twists and reveals, that shake things up any time you’d expect a lull. Betrayals and evil plotting abound, keeping the reader on their toes. Moreover, McEwan’s fight scenes are really well choreographed and her evocative writing made for some riveting action sequences. It was really cool to see a protag whose primary weapon is an axe/hatchet as well, as the mechanics of it are different! Also, the magic system is simple and with inklings about it being semi sentient magic which is always really fascinating to me as it feels like another character to enjoy.

Another thing I really quite enjoyed was the amount of times the reader sees a lot of what we take for granted, through Dawsyn’s eyes when she encounters things that she hadn’t encountered outside of her harsh life on the Ledge. Those were some really beautiful moments in the midst of action or worry or fear and tension.

This first book ends on a horrendous (in a “good” way) cliffhanger by the way, and to add insult to injury, my Kindle was actually glitching last night so it wasn’t showing me how much reading I had left. Which meant that I finished the chapter mildly perturbed about the last paragraph’s events, safe in the illusory knowledge that I would see them resolved in the next chapters. Only to turn the page and see the boldlettered ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS mocking me cruelly. Just rude. Needless to say, I am really eager to see what happens next! I need answers and maybe some consoling.

On another side note, this novel is an adult fantasy romance, so there is explicit sexual content, not too much of it however and toeing the line of the fairly euphemistic variety. I’d tentatively put it on a 2.5 out of 5 spice scale if you like, but those are quite subjective.

As for what didn’t completely land with me, well, these are mostly personal peeves, so take them with a grain of salt. McEwan’s dialogues have a tendency towards the more archaic or fanciful, which might fall into a bit of a melodramatic turn if taken too seriously. But it also works towards her setting’s tone so I don’t overly mind the dramatic flair. Secondly, I am always a little thrown out of the plot when a story has a mix of common real-world character names in between fantastical ones, because it mostly makes me giggle. It lowkey feels like the hydra meme where the two fierce heads are the cool fantasy names and on the dorky head you have a Steve or a Bob. My only real peeve however was the speed of the relationship turnaround in the story. This is supposedly a slow-burn enemies to lovers, which creates amazing banter – McEwan has that one down to a T and I expected nothing less of her – but the time lapsed feels too short for the strength of feelings etc. That’s me being a lil crotchety maybe, because regardless of it being really fast, the relationship does evolve naturally and doesn’t feel forced. So there’s that.

if you’re a fan of Sarah J. Maas (I tread lightly going from what I generally know of her books and characters because I’ve not read any of her work), Hannah Whitten, or, more in general, gritty fantasy with a badass heroine, a side of romance, and lots of snark, this is a book for you dear reader or listener!

Until next time,
Eleni A.E.

Check Out the Original Review Here

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Interview with Author C.M. Caplan

“Being a quadruplet definitely helped there, I think. I don’t think being a quadruplet is necessarily unique from being any other kind of sibling, but there are moments when the world treats you different and denies you a full sense of personhood.”

Thanks for joining us! Can you start with the pitch for The Fall Is All There Is?
The black sheep in a family of royal quadruplets is called back home to help resolve tension revolving around the line of succession. It’s set in a world that’s had both a magical and scientific apocalypse before. It’s got court intrigue, there are castles made from the skeletons of giant animals, there are cyborg horses, science-swords with human thyroid batteries, sonic guns that run on vocal cords, and this is getting a bit long for an elevator pitch, isn’t it?

Can you tell me about the title you ended up with? Why a quote from The Lion in Winter?

I called this book A Trim Reckoning up until a couple months before the book launched, when I realized it was too vague, and I needed something better. The Lion in Winter was basically the inception for this book–if I ever write anything even half as good as that play, I can die happy. It’s one of my favorite pieces of anything to ever exist. Ever since I first watched it I wanted to explore the space it plays in–where it’s equal parts court intrigue, politicking, and family drama. Like how does having that much power and privilege fuck with your head–especially when your political enemies are often your direct relatives, y’know? So when I needed a new title I went back to the original source of inspiration. That quote stuck with me, and I thought it would be especially reflective for this book, since this book opens with Petre having to choose between two options–both of which will fuck him over, and he has to essentially figure out the best way to absolutely blow up his own life, and I thought that quote was especially indicative of the bind he often finds himself in.

Who are your biggest literary influences?

Outside of The Lion in Winter, I think Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin I think are the two authors who, for me, most redefined what you could do with SFF. Both from a character perspective and making the larger world into a reflection of a character’s inner life, or chewing over larger sociopolitical structures, or systems. I dunno if I wrote anything thatmind-blowingly fantastic, but it’s definitely what I shoot for.

This is your second book, after your debut The Sword in the Street. If someone’s read The Sword in the Street and comes to this, what similarities will they find? And what differences?

I’ve had a few people comment on some flairs in my prose they find especially poetic, and I think there’s a lot more of that here. Petre, the POV character, has autism, like Edwin, and they’re both navigating a complex political web full of hard choices. Though The Fall is All There Is I think is much more of a head trip, in terms of how bizarre the world is, with people living in houses with walls of thatched baleen, or a forest of granite trees with chalcedony leaves. And I while I wouldn’t go so far as to call it epic fantasy, I think the world is a bit bigger than the one presented in The Sword in the Street, and the stakes are much higher.

What does your day to day writing and editing process look like?
I do not write every day. Usually I do more of a slow ramp up. I get distracted easily so I like to have a really comprehensive plan. I’ll start with writing down a paragraph summary of a bunch of stuff I think would be cool, usually they’re more like a short story collection than an actual book. And then over the course of a week I outline each paragraph, blocking out the contents of each chapter with basic movement and rudimentary dialogue. I’ll add memes or make jokes too so it doesn’t feel formal. Usually that outline is about 30K. Then usually in another two weeks I’ve actually written the outline out to a full 60K. Then I go back to the start and figure out where the missing pieces are, or if anything needs to be changed, and I outline the missing pieces using the same process. I keep doing that until I have a whole book. Usually by the end very little of what I actually put into draft one has actually survived. I think 30% of Sword in the Street made it to the final draft. Fall probably has even less. At best like 5-10% of the initial draft survived to the end. Most of that is in the third act.

A series about royal quadruplets is going to involve plenty of interfamilial conflict. How did you sort out the interlocked personalities, histories, loyalties, and so on?

Being a quadruplet definitely helped there, I think. I don’t think being a quadruplet is necessarily unique from being any other kind of sibling, but there are moments when the world treats you different and denies you a full sense of personhood. Where you’re like a fraction of a whole. You see that a lot with twins, too. So I started there, knowing everyone was going to be chafing against being compared to the other four. A lot of the rest of it arrived as I wrote. I don’t think I had a clue where I was going with any of this until around February of this year. The original 208K draft of this book was completely different from the final draft. Only about 40K of that survived, and the rest was a lot of trial and error and archeology of what survived to figure out what I actually had to do with what was left. It was like I left clues for my future self. So I’d catch myself going “oh there’s this one family who wants control over this trading outpost? What can I do with that?” And applying that to the new vision as I stitched together what I had left.

Why was Petre Mercy the right point of view for this story, and why first-person?

Petre has actually been in my head since I think July 2013, when I was 17. He’s narrated a ton of different stories since then, so he’s the guy I turn to when I want a voice I’m really familiar with. And going into this I already knew he was really good at family dramas, because he’d volunteered to narrate a few of those before. He’s always been first person, because he has a very casual style, like he’s talking directly to a reader. There are times when writing it felt like   he was making a big 120K confession.

And as far as how he plugs into this story–I think he worked because Petre was the one actively attempting to divest himself of his own power and privilege, to a degree. So I figured it would hurt more to have the people and the system you actively don’t want to be a part of dragging you back in. Plus, the tension over succession is a matter that required a subtle approach. Petre is a lot of things, but subtle has never been one of them. So I figured it would be really interesting to throw him into the exact situation he’s least prepared to handle.

Are there themes you find yourself mining again and again, whether intentionally or not?

I dunno if autism counts as a theme but that’s definitely been a constant. And I really enjoy writing stories about people who are in a weird bind with their own power and privilege. A lot of the stuff I write ends up being an interrogation of what the responsibility of people with power is, and should be.

How are you finding the difference between a stand-alone and an ongoing series?
I am not used to leaving this many threads dangling!! I have a few ideas on how to progress things, a couple key beats down the line. I think it’s so far been a bit more stressful to work on the series, because I think it forces me to be more on top of where I’m going with everything, and make sure I’m not throwing in anything that I can’t resolve. There were times where I thought there would be a really cool detail I could add, but I held back on it because I knew if I introduced an element I wouldn’t have room to wrap it up in a satisfying way, which was a new challenge to consider.

You’ve mentioned putting lots of weird stuff into this book. As a huge fan of Weird Stuff, I’d like to hear a few examples, and some of your thought process on integrating Weird Stuff into this particular book.

There’s ghostfog, which is a mist of people whose lives have ended, now reduced to a gaseous state. And since they’re a gas you can actually breathe them in, and get infected with another person’s ended life, and their unfinished business becomes the only thing you can focus on forever, which is called going Gaunt.

There’s swords with thyroid batteries stuffed through a wirework that control the temperature of the blade to heat it up, as well as sonic guns powered by vocal cords. The thyroid and vocal cords are actually grown out of the ground, too. Farmed by the scientists in this world, called labcoats.

There’s cyborg horses, one of which peels apart in a mess of accordion shapes and pencil-shaving patterns at one point. One lady with a cyborg eye has a horned boxcar made of iron, sinew, black scales, and buffalo fur.

There’s a castle of steel and concrete built inside a massive lizard skeleton, and another inside a gigantic mastodon. One of them has a curtain wall made out of turtle shell. It’s great. I love it.

Other than the typical read a lot and write a lot, what is your best writing advice?

FINISH YOUR SHIT!! FINISH IT!!! Even if it sucks, get in the habit of getting it done. Also please do something other than writing. Exercise or go outside or whatever. Find skills you can use, even if you just think of all of it as research.

What are you working on currently?

I am planning out book two, and also trying to figure out an Avram novella for my newsletter.

Avram is the best, so my final bonus question: I’m going to ask you: when Avram’s not on the page, why aren’t the other characters asking ‘Where’s Avram?’

Avram got a bit of a black mark on his record after being kicked out of the capital a few years back as punishment for [TRUCK DRIVES BY, HORN BLARING], which is tragic because these people don’t know what they’re missing. He’s great!

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Review: The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

“In the morning, you can forget it. You can go back to pretending you don’t like me, and I can pretend that I don’t care. But for tonight, let me pretend you’re mine.”


What is The Ballad of Never After About?

The fiercely-anticipated sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Once Upon a Broken Heart, starring Evangeline Fox and the Prince of Hearts on a new journey of magic, mystery, and heartbreak.
Not every love is meant to be.
After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she’ll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.
But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.
Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can. . . .

Review

A thank you to Ms. Kenney at Flat Iron Books for sending me an eARC copy of this book to review. As always, this does not affect my thoughts and my commentary remains honest.

Hello again dear reader or listener, I wish you a happy start to this week and today I offer up some ramblings on the sequel to Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After. I’m gonna say this first, Ms. Garber sure knows how to pick her titles!

In case you’re not familiar with the author’s debut trilogy, Caraval, you should know that this new series is a spin-off of sorts dedicated to an antihero from that trilogy. While I am familiar with that series, I’m yet to read it, and, when I first read book one, I was told that you do not need to have read Caraval in order to understand the events of this new series. While this is mostly true, my main feeling throughout the whole of Once Upon a Broken Heart was that I was missing things and that I would’ve appreciated and understood way more of it had I read Caraval first. That said, the plot did stand on its own two feet and while I still had some reservations, I was looking forward to the sequel hoping to get answers to so many of the questions that came up.

I’m happy to say that The Ballad Never After was a way more satisfying read as it picks up all the threads that had been left loose by the end of book one and the recaps within were excellently done so as to not feel repetitive nor a waste of time. I felt less of that sense that I was missing something and got to enjoy what was happening way more because of it.

Now dear reader, here’s the thing. As I just mentioned, when I read book one I had a lot of misgivings, but I also quite liked the whimsical nature of the worldbuilding and the simplicity of the plot. Garber brings fairy tales to life, weaving so many of them together in wonderful and magical ways but giving them darker twists, something she continues to do in this book as well. So, I’m gonna be a little harsh at first to speed through what didn’t work for me and then tell you all the saving graces that kept me going.

Protagonist Evangeline, put bluntly, annoyed the hell out of me. She’s not a complete lost cause, as she is determined and brave and does try her best, all qualities that I appreciate, but let’s just say this is one of those times I could enjoy a read but continuously have to roll my eyes at a character. Perhaps because, aside from those redeeming aspects, Eva is the kind of gal I could never be, nor ever want to, frankly. She is naïve to a fault, stubbornly obtuse in her hope of making her life a living fairytale, pretty whiny at times and annoyingly hypocritical. Also, a bit of a Mary Sue, in her innocence and willingness to forgive and forget every damn thing. They literally tried to kill you, repeatedly, with curses!! But they apologized every time in between so that’s ok! Whereas the one character who does one wrong thing but with good intentions gets villainized into oblivion and you hate them. *Proceeds to facepalm into eternity*. Sadly, this all gets worse with book two and Eva is even more unlikable to me. For example, her back and forth between seeing Jacks act as her only protector, while continuously reminding herself that he is actually a villain that cannot be trusted (which, debatable tbh, but that requires spoilers) and even worse cared for, was after the nth time, irksome. However, I am also very aware that this is in fact a YA novel so this kind of angst is to be expected… Now I feel old.

Ok this turned into a bit of a rant. I’m sorry Evangeline, I just can’t deal with you being that much of a lovesick damsel in distress, or rather a distressing damsel, to quote the timeless Captain Jack Sparrow. Still, you try your best with the crap that you’re dealt, and that counts for something!
Let’s get back on track then.

Another aspect of this novel overall, that I didn’t entirely appreciate was its speed. Garber’s prose is easy to read as much as it is lyrical and evocative, and her metaphors, even when a little over the top, still render her imagery amazingly; after all, their flair does fit in with the overall vibe of this story. However, there were often times when events were skimmed over or the author would jump from one plot point to the next in the bat of an eye without much follow through for some aspects of the story where I would’ve appreciated some more context or fodder.

The main reason I kept at it though, was because of Jacks, our resident broody antihero, sometimes villain, who is too taken by his own drama to be anything other than a little shit with hidden depths and truck loads of past pain. In other words, one of my favorite type of characters. My drive to learn more about him and his secrets was what kept me reading because, let’s face it, Loki type characters are my jam. Also by this point, even if I don’t get any other answers at all, I just really need to know what the deal is with the damn apples he is always eating!

Garber’s worldbuilding and scene setting is indeed quite magical and I really quite enjoy when fairy tales are made darker. You could say the vibes are immaculate in that regard. Moreover, while the author may have been in a hurry to get to where she wanted to go at times, she did weave and unfold her main mystery that spans both books, quite well and in a way that kept me turning the page wanting to know more in the hopes of figuring the whole thing out. As for the general plot in this sequel, it is the standard quest to collect magical items all the while avoiding curses and barely trustworthy allies, while also delivering on many a beloved trope, like genuine convo while caring for wounds – what a classic.

Ultimately though the ending was a bit of a whirlwind, with some things coming out of nowhere while others giving me feels and with yet some more unexpected outcomes that I am still pondering. Now, I can’t really say more on the matter because Ms. Garber doesn’t want to reveal whether this is going to be a series or a duology yet, wanting to keep the mystery for a while longer, so I’ll respect that. It does become quite obvious once you reach the end of the story of course, but I’ll leave that for you to figure out dear reader or listener.

Until next time,
Eleni A. E.

Check Out The Original Review Here

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Television Review – Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3

Beckett Mariner: Yeah, no, we’re not really elite. We’re more like the cool, scrappy underdogs of the ship. You know, we don’t wash our hands, we’re doing kick flips all the time.

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS is my favorite of the Nu Trek installments. I’m including the Abrams movies, Discovery, Picard, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds in that list. It’s a pretty impressive array because I really did enjoy Star Trek: Picard and Strange New Worlds. I’m also very fond of the early seasons of Discovery as well as two out of the three films. However, if you do notice some caveats, that’s because there are some caveats. Still, Lower Decks is by far my favorite and that’s because it is squarely within my wheelhouse or warp core if you will.

I’ve always loved comedic mash-ups of genre fiction with it being my bread and butter as an author. I’m especially fond of continuity-heavy humor like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While references is the lowest form of humor aside from pun, that doesn’t mean it’s not funny. Fans loving having their knowledge of a franchise rewarded and it sends a little signal to their brain that triggers our happiness glands.

Season three of Lower Decks followed my favorite of the franchise so far with Season Two’s fantastic Pakled arc (which is itself a funny thing to say). Captain Freeman was put on trial for reason against the Federation and genocide, someone having blown up Pakled planet. It proceeds to follow a mostly loosely connected series of low-key events before an exciting finish to the season.

Honestly, I’m going to say this season lacked most of the standout episodes of previous seasons like “Crisis Point”, “Where Pleasant Fountains Lie”, “wej Duj”, and more. The closest it came to a really classic episode was “The Stars at Night” and the very base-breaking “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption.” I didn’t dislike any of the episodes, with the possible exception of “Mining the Mind’s Mines” and “Room for Growth” but the humor seemed pretty hit and miss this season. Also, the wacky yet serious Star Trek stories the show has been known to do were less noticeable this time around.

I believe Season Three was interested in doing a “reset” of the show’s stakes. Gradually, our Lower Deckers have started to become more competent and less bungling in their handling of the galaxy’s weirdness. This has occassionally run into the Harry Kim problem of why they remain Ensigns despite this but has been satisfying in terms of character growth. However, the show mostly dealt with almost trivial issues throughout and the difference between Billups needing to avoid having sex in order to be king versus getting a better set of rooms on Deck 1 are pretty apparent in their comic potential.

The character who most benefited from this season is undoubtedly Rutherford as we finally give him some much needed character development. “Reflections” gives him a past as a delinquent and rebel that contrasts nicely against his vanilla nice guy present persona. Unfortunately, that side of him chooses to die and leaves Rutherford without much character development. 

The next character to benefit most would be Beckett Mariner who finally is forced to behave as a proper Starfleet officer by being put under someone other than her mother. This wildly sensible idea turns out to be a good one but I think a lot of fans expected another shoe to drop. Her actually shaping up ends up being something of a surprise by episode “Trusted Sources.” 

Tendi and Boimler get less interesting development with little coming from Tendi’s assignment to become a science officer. She seems to be largely doing the same thing as she’s always done. We do find out she wants to eventually become a captain, though. I also was interested in “Bold Boimler” but he was already showing alot of improvement after his return from the USS Titan. I’m not sure we’ve seen some real improvement there and he also makes some strange out of character decisions like ignoring fawning fangirls as well as wanting to travel in a sidecar.

It feels like much of this season was just running in place. “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” may be primarily about bit-character Peanut Hamper but I really enjoyed it for the fact that it had such a mean-spirited twist. That’s why I liked it and yet suspect many other people won’t. “The Stars at Night” is also the best episode of the season by far, fully playing straight what was normally done for laughs.  I liked the DS9 homages of “Hear All, Trust Nothing” but it didn’t go very deep into it and I wanted to see more Mariner explore the station.

“Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus” is the episode I have the most mixed feelings about because it does some genuinely on-point and fascinating parody of the “other” kind of Star Trek movie. There’s two basic Star Trek movies, IMO, with room for hyperbole. There’s the Khan clones that the original Crisis Point parodied and then there’s TMP clones that amount to a search for God/Heaven. Which is The Final Frontier and Generations but three times is a lot.

In conclusion, I feel like this season was certainly okay but is roughly on par with the first season in terms of both humor as well as writing. There’s just not enough “meat” to the bone here.

8/10

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Review – The Dark Between the Trees by Fiona Barnett

“The Dark Between the Trees comes is the perfect spooky and eerie read for anyone looking for a gothic folk story with incredible ambiance, creatures that prowl in the dark and an enemy that isn’t quite what you’d expect.”


What is The Dark Between the Trees About?

An unforgettable, surrealist gothic folk-thriller with commercial crossover appeal from a brilliant new voice. 

1643: A small group of Parliamentarian soldiers are ambushed in an isolated part of Northern England. Their only hope for survival is to flee into the nearby Moresby Wood… unwise though that may seem. For Moresby Wood is known to be an unnatural place, the realm of witchcraft and shadows, where the devil is said to go walking by moonlight…

Seventeen men enter the wood. Only two are ever seen again, and the stories they tell of what happened make no sense. Stories of shifting landscapes, of trees that appear and disappear at will… and of something else. Something dark. Something hungry.

Today, five women are headed into Moresby Wood to discover, once and for all, what happened to that unfortunate group of soldiers. Led by Dr Alice Christopher, an historian who has devoted her entire academic career to uncovering the secrets of Moresby Wood. Armed with metal detectors, GPS units, mobile phones and the most recent map of the area (which is nearly 50 years old), Dr Christopher’s group enters the wood ready for anything.

Or so they think.

Review

Thank you to Rebellion Publishing for accepting my eArc request on Netgalley for this book. As always this doesn’t affect the honesty of my review!

Hello again dear reader, it is October and spooky season is on [image error]. So how about a review for a surrealist gothic folk-thriller?? That sounds like a bit of a mouthful but broken down in other terms this is the kind of book that is 80% just supernatural vibes surrounding a very simple plot that will have you coming out of it more than a little confused but satisfied nonetheless.

Barnett employs one of the story telling devices I enjoy the most which is unfolding parallel plots, one in the past and one in the present.

I love the way these two storylines always complement each other, as well as how one can foreshadow what might happen to the other or alternatively become a red herring rather so that you never quite know what to expect.

Moreover the author knows how to create ambiance so that even while I was reading this under the summer sun and at the beach, I felt that little tendril of fog crawl up my spine. I also loved how much the author worked the forest’s sounds into the narrative, going further that just mentioning bird song or the wind among the branches. Moresby Wood felt like more of a living breathing character than any of the protagonists and honestly? I wasn’t even too mad about it.

As I said at the start, this was more about the vibes than anything to me and I reveled in it.

This did mean however that I had a bit of a hard time singling out characters or needing a while to figure out that the pov had actually changed until I got more familiar with all the individual names. Some stood out more than others of course but even then I occasionally lost a beat in needing to figure out whose eyes I was seeing through exactly. (Side note this only happened within either of the two timelines of course, as past and present were clearly divided.)

That said, Barnett also did a great job at showing characters slowly devolving at their worst, emotionally and psychologically breaking them down, each in the different ways that come with wildly different personalities! Be it a group of tired academics or scared and wounded soldiers, each trying to figure out an ancient curse or myth that cannot be unraveled, in order to leave the place that has become their ever changing and predatory prison.

I also really liked Dr Alice Christopher’s monomania over uncovering the secrets of what happened to the soldiers that got lost in the wood, having dedicated her entire academic career to it. Our very own modern Captain Ahab! I feel like any academic can relate to her when it comes to struggling for funding their research. Whereas Nuria, a student at the end of her dissertation, was the character I could relate to more and ultimately felt the most for.

Monomaniacal characters are extremely fascinating to me, especially when the author can show that devolution or character decay in a gradual but inexorable manner that really hooks the reader. Barnett, I think, did pretty well in that regard here!

As for the overall plot it’s fairly straightforward and when you come right down to it not much actually happens rather than is witnessed by the characters, and, by the very end, the story definitely doesn’t resolve itself in any way that I would’ve expected. I feel like that was the point though all along. Sometimes you don’t find the answers and there’s nothing you can do about it. Or the ones that you do find are not what you wanted.

The very end of the book even left me quite impressed as I found it quite a gutsy move to wrap things up the way that Barnett did. To me it fit within the whole theme and vibe of the story but to others it may seem completely different if not downright contentious! I’m actually looking forward to more people reading this so that I can discuss it with someone!

The Dark Between the Trees comes is the perfect spooky and eerie read for anyone looking for a gothic folk story with incredible ambiance, creatures that prowl in the dark and an enemy that isn’t quite what you’d expect. Also, if you’re in any way involved in academia this book will speak to your deepest peeves and you’ll feel understood hahah.

Until next time,

Eleni A. E.

Check Out the Original Review Here

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Review – Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

“There are many, many things at play. You will never understand every single one.”


What is Station Eternity About?

From idyllic small towns to claustrophobic urban landscapes, Mallory Viridian is constantly embroiled in murder cases that only she has the insight to solve. But outside of a classic mystery novel, being surrounded by death doesn’t make you a charming amateur detective, it makes you a suspect and a social pariah. So when Mallory gets the opportunity to take refuge on a sentient space station, she thinks she has the solution. Surely the murders will stop if her only company is alien beings. At first her new existence is peacefully quiet…and markedly devoid of homicide.

But when the station agrees to allow additional human guests, Mallory knows the break from her peculiar reality is over. After the first Earth shuttle arrives, and aliens and humans alike begin to die, the station is thrown into peril. Stuck smack-dab in the middle of an extraterrestrial whodunit, and wondering how in the world this keeps happening to her anyway, Mallory has to solve the crime—and fast—or the list of victims could grow to include everyone on board….

Review

A big thank you to Ms Stephanie Felty at Penguin Random House for sending me this eArc. As always, my thoughts are unaffected and honest.

Hello again dear reader, this is going to be the first of a few sci-fi reviews I have in store for you in the coming weeks, and what an entertaining ride it was!

Mur Lafferty’s latest novel is marketed as Agatha Christie meets Doctor Who so, as any good Whovian, I didn’t walk towards it, I ran. And I’m very pleased to say it most definitely paid off!

This is my first time reading anything from this author and I found her prose fast flowing and witty as hell. (Not to mention her digs at real world stuff – curtesy of being written during the pandemic – were *sharp*). Lafferty’s world building is immersive without being info dumpy, with a wide variety of diverse characters and creatures, all coming together to render what life on the sentient Station Eternity would be like. It reminded me a lot of Sakaar from Thor: Ragnarok actually. Moreover, if when watching that movie, you thought what if Korg had more character depth other than being simple comedic relief? Lafferty’s Gneiss aliens would be the answer.

In proper murder mystery fashion there is no easy way to solve all questions and protagonist Mallory is an engaging character whose generally done with life attitude and reluctant hero energy, on top of dealing with some chaotic side characters, make for a truly amusing read.

The way that Lafferty weaves her tale moreover, gradually adding each perspective into the narrative to eventually reach a 360 view of what truly happened, not only pays homage to our beloved Dame Christie, but it cleverly hooks the reader oh so well. It was nearly impossible for me to put this book down and if I hadn’t been busy with life stuff I very likely would’ve read this one in one go.

I also appreciated that even though she touched on some really dark/harsh topics, Lafferty did so with tact and without sensationalism- in other words avoiding misery porn.

Overall this was an intriguing and entertaining ride, with a solid found family dynamic, delectable banter, cleverly woven plot twists and solid characters arcs, and finally, optimally placed flashbacks to catch the reader up on each new point of view that was needed in the moment.

I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a wild ride with different kinds of comedy (be it absurdist, clever, dark, or self aware) and a high stakes investigation.

Until next time,

Eleni A. E.

Check Out the Original Review Here

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The Immortality Thief by Taran Hunt

“Now then, what we have here is an action adventure with high stakes that manage to become higher and higher as the story goes on. But more than anything this is one of those times that I can say it was character driven plot at its finest. I couldn’t put this book down!”


What is The Immortality Thief About?

Far off the edge of human existence, beside a dying star lies a nameless ship abandoned and hidden, lost for a millennium. But there are secrets there, terrible secrets that would change the fate of humanity, and eventually someone will come looking.

Refugee, criminal and linguist Sean Wren is made an offer he knows he can’t refuse: life in prison, “voluntary” military service – or salvaging data in a long-dead language from an abandoned ship filled with traps and monsters, just days before it’s destroyed in a supernova. Data connected to the Philosopher’s Stone experiments, into unlocking the secrets of immortality.

And he’s not the only one looking for the derelict ship. The Ministers, mysterious undying aliens that have ruled over humanity for centuries, want the data – as does The Republic, humanity’s last free government. And time is running out.

In the bowels of the derelict ship, surrounded by horrors and dead men, Sean slowly uncovers the truth of what happened on the ship, in its final days… and the terrible secret it’s hiding.

Review

Thank you to Rebellion Publishing for approving my eArc request of this title on Netgalley. My (very pleased) thoughts remain honest regardless.

Hello again dear reader, guess today is double feature day!! I promised you another sci-fi read soon and here I am, happy to deliver a most delightfully awesome book I had the pleasure of reading over the last few days.

Stuff in my life is being hard on me rn but Taran Hunt’s The Immortality Thief was the escape I needed, giving me one hell of a distraction, several good laughs as well as lots of feels. It was the kind of book I’d love at any other time regardless, but I needed the most now. Hence the ten.

So let the raving begin!

Quick note on the cover art first, this thing is *freaking gorgeous*. So kudos to the artist, you did a magnificent job!

Now then, what we have here is an action adventure with high stakes that manage to become higher and higher as the story goes on. But more than anything this is one of those times that I can say it was character driven plot at its finest. I couldn’t put this book down!

Hunt weaves comedy, action, and horror/thriller elements to create a fast paced romp through an abandoned spaceship floating nearby a sun that is days away from going supernova. Talk about hitting the ground running. The very beginning is also your typical gathering a team for a heist with a bit of a Suicide Squad spin.

Main protagonist Sean Wren is the lovable and charming rogue who is fully aware of his limitations and is an absolute nerd when it comes to linguistics and sociology. He very much has cap Jack Sparrow energy too and no I won’t elaborate there because I don’t want to spoil it more and I wouldn’t really do it justice. Moreover the initial dynamic between him and the other characters, is very much on par with The Guardians of the Galaxy, just add more horrifying monsters to the mix. Is there a better trope than enemies to found family?

I. think. not.

Furthermore, I loved that they each were entirely self aware and also had a major fear to contend with, but I also adored how they each got strength from the other in times of need even though they weren’t friends but simply out of that mutual respect that is born through forced proximity with characters you can admire even though in a different occasion you might end up having to fight against.

Sorry about that sentence… I know.

Moving on.

If you know me you also know I am the biggest sucker for an immortal character and even more so when that character is made to reveal that history is not always as it has been carried down! Add to all this well intentioned experiments gone wrong and I’m a goner.

Hunt’s humor was also excellent and if I wasn’t chuckling at her chapter titles I was snorting or downright belly laughing at some of the antics that occur. And that banter, chef’s kiss. However there was never I moment I thought it was misplaced or it ruined the effect of the overall drama. If anything, it made the somber moments all the better.

But the biggest cherry on top of this absolutely delicious literary cake, was the realistic interpretation and translation of languages. It was no surprise to see Hunt’s bio on Twitter say she dabbles in them, to say the least. Interpretation and translation is never seamless and the way that Sean would break down words and passages and give out synonyms or different versions of how something might be understood or ought to be fit for context was just so dang satisfying to me as the opposite is a bit of a pet peeve of mine (curtesy of my own nerdy and multilingual background and schooling).

Maybe this was one of the reasons I loved Wren so much. But, linguistics aside, I loved the others not putting up with his shit even more.

This was just one facet of what made Hunt’s world building incredible and extensive without being dense or heavy in any way, so I am utterly *delighted* that this is only the first in a series that I hope will be long and prosperous!! These characters and this world deserve more pages to develop and unfold!

Also did I mention swords in space? It’s very necessary for me to mention there are swords in space with this one!!

Fans of Miles Cameron’s Artifact Space and Tom Lloyd’s novella Falling Dark will love this new addition to the ranks of sci-fi!

Ms Hunt you’ve written one hell of a debut and I tip my hat to you, looking forward to reading more from you soon!

The Immortality Thief will be available in ebook tomorrow October 11th and it comes out in hardcover on the 13th – you won’t want to miss it dear reader.

Until next time,

Eleni A. E.

 

Original review found here

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Review – 22 DUTCH ROAD by T.C. Schueler

This book has racked up quite a few awards, including a Literary Titan Book Award, a Gold Reviewers’ Choice Award from Reader Views, and a Finalist with Independent Author Network. With all the recognition I anticipated a great book, and that’s exactly what I read.

In “22 Dutch Road” Schueler presents the story of Billy Buchanan, a troubled young man from Arkansas, who comes from a disadvantaged background. Billy is poor, but proud, and not unintelligent, good-looking, and some things are going well in his life. He has a wonderful girlfriend, Mandy, and a slightly controlling and dotting yet loving mother, Sarah, from whom Billy’s father is long-divorced. Billy and that partly-estranged father, Richard, had a tumultuous relationship.

Now, Richard has died. An arrogant, widowed lawyer – Deacon Bates – with an agenda, secrets, and major issues of his own including a young daughter who is terminally ill – who is in charge of Richard’s estates, is there to enforce Richard’s last wishes that Billy attend Richard’s mansion in South Carolina. With the promise of inheritance money coming as a result of Richard’s last will and testament, Billy spends his last dime to get to his father’s house.

But deceased Richard has some very peculiar conditions set in order for Billy to receive the money he so desperately needs. And Billy must spend five horrific nights at the mansion in order to get paid, even though that might cost him his job back home in Arkansas. The callous lawyer Bates seems completely insensitive to Billy’s predicament, and moreover, Bates has his own designs for Billy.

A nosy but caring neighbour, Stan, though a stranger, seems to be the only person Billy can rely on to help. Billy increasingly worries about his girlfriend’s fidelity and if she’s attracted to his best friend, his financial situation, but most of all his own sanity, as he is forced to stay in his dad’s deserted home.

Because Billy is hearing voices, Richard’s spirit seems to be haunting him, and the samurai statues on his dad’s front lawn seem to be slowly coming alive.

This incredible book features some outstanding character work. The tortured protagonist Billy has daddy issues, is medicated, and is an unreliable narrator. The reader will be unsure about what Billy is seeing and experiencing – is it real or hallucinatory. As the horrors of Richard’s house come to life, Billy’s best character attributes come to the fore. He is brave, resourceful, and determined to protect those he cares about.

The neighbour Stan is a wonderful character as well: kind, clever, and devoted husband, battling dementia, but determined to make a difference.

Auxiliary characters Mandy, Dwayne, Deacon, Emily, were also extremely well-drawn. Characters in the book suffer all the human imperfections and make some downright bad decisions. They have their individual challenges and / or disabilities. They frequently let each other down, but then come through in the clutch. Overall, they are very believable, flawed people, whom the reader will find compelling.

The themes Schueler explores kept me very engaged in the story. Found family, psychological abuse, estrangement, poverty, racism, bigotry, mental and physical illness and distress, dementia, infidelity, separation, loss, desperation, and more are all touched on in “22 Dutch Road”, and handled in with aplomb.

The horror element of the book was fabulous. With multiple POVs, the aforementioned unreliability of Billy’s perspective, the creeping sense of dread as the statues become more and more animated, foreboding, and aggressive, and stranger things start to happen overall, heightens the tension.

Throw in some sinister workers potentially tied to organized crime who are linked to the statues, some inept but dangerous bullies and troublemakers, intrepid policemen in the mix, and it’s a recipe for some great thrills, violence, and a shattering climax to the story.

What I loved the most is that it’s difficult to discern what’s real, and what’s imagined, making the vibe even more menacing. The reader’s emotions will be in for a ride as we laugh, are terrified, saddened, and wait with anticipation for the next shoe to drop. We will feel like Billy, that we are being manipulated somehow by Richard, from beyond the grave.

Schueler’s writing style is wonderful. It’s polished, sharp, and darkly witty. Like many of my favourite horror authors, Schueler has a knack for getting to the heart of the human condition, our darkest fears, and our sense of morality: dare I say in King-esque or Koontz-esque fashion.

Five stars for “22 Dutch Road”, definitely a recommended read, and Schueler is a very impressive horror writer to watch.

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Review – SOMEONE’S STORY by B.A. Bellec

“For a few seconds, a thought creeps in. He could pull his GPS and end it. He could hit that button, and they would come to find him within an hour. That’s the easy way out. While looking down, a tattoo slips out from under his sleeve. Not Done.”

A sometimes heart-breaking, hope-filled, stunningly brilliant novel of teen angst, coming-of-age, mental illness, loss, and survival, B.A. Bellec’s “Someone’s Story” is a Young Adult novel extremely well-deserving of the many accolades it has received. Among the awards and recognition for this novel, the author has accrued a Next Generation Indie Book Awards YA 17+ Finalist (May 2021), and the Reader Views Young Adult Book of the Year (March 2021).

Written with the spoken dialogues in screenplay style (an interesting choice), and first person perspective, the eponymous “Someone”, the book’s protagonist, is an average seventeen-year old, who undergoes some extraordinary circumstances. While Someone’s name is never revealed to the reader, his name isn’t what’s important: his story is what is.

Thrust into a new school after his father’s work transfers him to a new city, Someone endeavours to find his tribe – other misfits at school whom he can fit in with – pines over unrequited love, and struggles at times to understand and connect his austere but loving single father, who raises Someone alone after his mother abandons the family.

On the fringes of Someone’s main story lurks the parallel story of another unnamed and unidentified runner, who is in the midst of undergoing some sort of extreme marathon race. This person is obviously highly determined, and enduring a severe physical and mental challenge, that he is resolved to overcome.

Someone eventually finds his misfit tribe, and they are an eclectic collection of the popular and unpopular amongst the student-body. With his father, devoted friends, a kind, supportive, and empathetic adult counsellor named Kevin in his life, Someone seems poised to be able to capitalize on his natural physical and mental abilities, and make the most of his life, including his high school experience.

But insecurities, emotional and mental issues, illness, and the rough evolution from teenager to adulthood loom to throw Someone’s world into chaos, and put his very life in danger.

The fabulous characterization in the book left me unable to put the novel down for any length of time. I burned through this book. Someone, and his compatriots, Erica, Samantha, Geoffrey, Caleb, Ashley, are so incredibly well-drawn, full of the quirks, awkwardness, intelligence, humour, aspirations, complexities, immaturity, and perturbations of teenage life. Impeccably done!

I loved Someone as an unreliable narrator, and a complicated main character, who has his share of issues, but overall is a decent fellow. He’s far from perfect, and makes some highly questionable decisions, can be at times insensitive and somewhat petty. Yet ultimately the reader will root for Someone, as he struggles to fit in alongside his fellow “weirdos” with the greater student body, and even within his own small group of friends.

The themes explored in “Someone’s Story” are extremely compelling, thought-provoking, and occasionally difficult to read. Challenging topics such as drug use, attempted suicide, bullying, addiction, teen pregnancy and abortion, terminal illness, juxtaposed alongside more positive elements such as love, friendship, family, perseverance, motivation, created a dark mood to the story, and a very poignant, and captivating read.

There is a lovely, slice-of-life element to the book, replete with lots of pop culture references of the period. This includes the emergent, ubiquitous “cell-phone” culture of the day, which Someone embraces, while at the same time strives against, hoping to establish deeper personal bonds, through personal meetings with his friends over his favourite blonde coffee blend, rather than just texting them.

The writing is crisp, tight, outstanding. Bellec perfectly captures the perspective of a witty, capable, but troubled teen, who has enormous potential, and whose trials, tribulations, and triumphs made for a fascinating novel.

Five glowing stars for “Someone’s Story”! An amazing book by B.A. Bellec, a fantastic author!

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