Beth Tabler's Blog, page 192

Review – Destiny of The Dead by Kel Kade

Destiny of the Dead was one of the books I was looking forward to for 2022, and it didn’t let me down

 

Destiny for the Dead, Kel Kade’s newest addition to the Shroud of the Prophecy series, aims to beat the hero’s journey trope with a hammer. For the most part, this series, and specifically this story, Destiny for the Dead, is very successful in that aim. But I think as the story progresses, it is settling into some more of the common writing patterns we see in fantasy.

“Aaslo rubbed his chest as he led the odd group of horses and undead toward the chamber where he was most likely going to meet his own death.”

The story picks up directly where we left off in the first book, Fate of the Fallen. Aaslo and his merry band of thieves, prophets, drop-out wizards, and the undead are on the march from one spectacular fight to the next. This chapter is much more violent, and Aaslo starts to come into his powers a bit more thoroughly.

Fate of the Fallen aimed to subvert the chosen one trope, which it did well. However, now in book two, it feels like the story is moving towards a found-family quest-type fantasy. The subversion of the chosen one trope feels much less important than it did in Fate of the Fallen. I like how the story is progressing and maturing; I think if Kade kept hammering home how Shroud of the Prophecy was smashing the chosen one trope, it would feel hackneyed. Instead, it balances well.

Plot-wise, much of this story covers the political machinations of various gods and their minions. It is a bubbling brew of characters with different aims working against each other. My only slight qualm with this book is that it can be challenging to follow. There is so much going on that it is hard to latch onto any of the essential side characters. And there is no fluff; all side characters are purposeful to the driving narrative. But there are quite a few, and I got lost in them a few times. However, Aaslo’s group, a found family, if you will, is fantastic. His group is peppered with distinctive voices that I knew and understood and followed.

For instance, Dolt, the weird horse who is more than just a ride, is hilarious. I am convinced that he is the reincarnation of Mathias; that is the sort of energy Dolt brings to the story. Teza is great, as is Mory, Peck, Myra the Reaper, and Ijen the not-so-helpful- Prophet. Ijen gets more fleshed out in this story, as does Myra. We have so much to learn about the two of them. Kade drops some profound tidbits that will be important in the third novel.

Aaslo, our protagonist, is such a refreshing character. Instead of an asshole, the antihero is philosophically an 80-year-old man yelling at folks to get off his lawn. I can picture Aaslo hitting some poor unsuspecting ten-year-old in the ass with a stick for stepping on his begonias. He wants none of this nonsense, but he will put up with it out of duty and love of humanity.

The actual chosen one, Mathias, who was preordained for greatness, resides in a bag that swings from Aslos hip. I love this little bit of macabre that Kade wrote into the story. Not only is the hero dead, but his head hangs from the hip of his best friend, and he talks to Aaslo. Mathias is super dead and an excellent comedic foil for Aaslo so that he might relax a little bit. It doesn’t work, but Mathias tries.

Destiny of the Dead was one of the books I was looking forward to for 2022, and it didn’t let me down. Unique voices, a moving plot, a bit of the macabre, and a unique narrative made this series a lot of fun. I can’t wait for book 3.

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#SPFBO7 – We Men of Ash and Shadow by H.L. Tinsley

Tinsley clearly has a brilliant imagination.

 

We Men of Ash and Shadow is a book that I’ve seen plenty of amazing reviews for. A gritty assassin slash detective with a bitter and hard past: check. A villain you can understand with a brutal method of achieving their own dreams: check. A cast of characters both diverse and shadowy enough for somebody like me to enjoy them: check. A cool AF magic system set to be abused: check. Most of the ingredients I love in a book we’re there, but this book just did not land for me.

Let’s start with the positive. We Men of Ash and Shadown is brilliantly imaginative in character, world, and story. Vanguard, a hitman with a conscience and a dark past, is working for the vicious Captain Sanquain running the city of D’Orsee by driving the separation of the rich and the poor. Does Vanguard like it? Not really. But he needs a paycheck and a direction in life, and he has a lot of making good to do for his past life as a soldier. Henriette runs a brothel, where she consistently straddles the line of running a business and looking after the women in her employ. The hulking Kosic mans her door with Vince, keeping people safe, while seeking more in life. Sanderson, a Red Badge (essentially a policeman) is a gruff kind of counterpoint to Vanguard, the boiling water to Vanguard’s oil. And finally, Tarryn is a noble son of a house fallen on hard times. The patriarch dead, the matriarch suffering from dementia, and Tarryn struggling to keep some form of his world together. All of the stories and people are about to slam together in the melting pot of violence that is the city of D’Orsee as Sanquain give Vaguard a job he definitely does not want.

Tinsley clearly has a brilliant imagination. The overarching world, idea, and story are excellent and you can see the passion for a nice turn of phrase, action, and a damned good yarn on every page. However, in my opinion, this book did not land the execution.

The key thing that I really struggled with was the author’s habit of head / POV hopping for a sentence or two mid-scene consistently had me thinking a new character was being introduced, only to jump back into the scene’s POV’s head. And the movement amongst POVs of consequence within scenes meant I was consistently stopping amongst the action to backtrack and make sure I understood whose perspective I was reading from. At one point we even jumped into the head of an imaginary ghost friend of a character’s past for a couple of sentences. Third-person omniscient narration just doesn’t work well for me as it breaks my reading flow.

My second main issue was one of the lead character’s progression. One moment they are a bumbling and fallen gentleperson with an inner rage problem, the next moment they are John Wick without a moral compass. The mental progression made sense to me, but the physical progression did not—and anybody who has played any sort of sport, let alone a combat sport, will tell you that shit does not land overnight just because you remove some shackles that would normally prevent you from hurting somebody. It’s like it needed a cheesy training montage or something.

We Men of Ash and Shadow was an amazing concept and had a lot of the things I love to read in a fantasy, but while the story overall was cool, it lacked in the execution for my tastes. Plenty of other more qualified reviewers have said otherwise, so reader, take this as the personal opinion it’s intended to be.

Score: 4/10

Check Out We Men of Ash and Shadow

Adrian Collins

Adrian Collins runs Grimdark Magazine and loves anything to do with telling darker stories. Doesn’t matter the format, or when it was published or produced–just give him a grim story told in a dark world by a morally grey protagonist and this bloke’s in his happy place. Add in a barrel aged stout to sip on after a cheeky body surf under the Australian sun, and that’s his heaven.

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Interview with Duckett & Dyer Creator G.M. Nair by Edpool from Hatboy.blog

Below is the interview with G.M. Nair and Edpool found here. I am reposting it with permission because this interview is hilarious much like Nair’s books. Nair is releasing his third book in the series today!

If you haven’t read them, please do with a quickness.

[Edpool:] I think the question everyone wants to ask, and I’m sorry for going in such a formulaic direction right off the bat, is how much variation between realities is required for sex with an alternate version of oneself to no longer count as masturbation, and how much variation between realities is required for sex with an alternate version of one’s spouse to begin to count as cheating? And as a follow-up question, how many versions of oneself and / or one’s spouse is it considered “fine” to accidentally explode due to one’s dampening unit coming off as a result of excessive lubricant use or insertion in orifi and / or crevice?

[Nair:] Yeah, this is a pretty boilerplate question, but what can I expect from such a hack journalist?

But I signed up for this, so fuck me, I guess?

Anyway, the answer is simple. As long as there’s genetic variation between the two alternate selves, it no longer counts as masturbation and, conversely, sex with an alternate, genetically distinct spouse counts as cheating. If the alternate universe merely changes circumstances/events and not the participants’ genes, it is masturbation. But, on the other hand, sex with the alternate spouse DOES still count as cheating, because while the genes of the spouse may not have changed, the circumstances (no matter how small) may have altered the spouse(s)’s personality, effectively making them a different person. This, of course, changes with respect to those couples who are in polyamorous or open relationships.

As for the explosion question, probably only one is acceptable, because afterwards the rest of the variants will avoid you because they know you don’t practice safe sex.

Next question.

[Edpool:] Your bio says you have degrees in Aerospace Engineering and that you work as an Aviation and Aerospace Consultant, but I’ve read enough text produced by engineers to know you are clearly an impostor. What’s with that?

 

 

 

 

[Nair:] I never said I was a GOOD engineer. Next question!

 

 

 

 

 

[Edpool:] On your website you have a standing offer to answer crazy questions using science (send mail to NairForceOne@gmail.com , put “[BACK OF THE ENVELOPE]” in your subject line). Have you ever encountered a question that was either too crazy, or too difficult, to publish? Or can “multiverse” basically cover every conceivable base and are you as amazed as I am that the scientific consensus hasn’t adopted it as the explanation for everything yet? It would, for example, have greatly simplified the recent pandemic.

[Nair:] To my great chagrin, I haven’t received very many questions for that column! So I’ve pretty much put out every single question that’s been posed to me. But, yes, ‘because multiverse’ could be an explanation for a great many things, if I were a HACK.

Next question.

 

 

 

 

[Edpool:] You’ve been working on an epic space opera for a couple of decades. As someone who’s loved your Duckett & Dyer worldbuilding so far, “The Centre of All Things” sounded immediately exciting and tantalising. Care to tell us a little more? Have your recent triumphs inspired you and are we any closer to seeing your magnum opus in print? Or if you’ve already talked about this a whole bunch because we’re quite a long way down the tour list, can you tell us which performing artist should have been the fourth Beatle (YOU ALL KNOW WHICH ONE I’M REPLACING)?

 

[Nair:] The Centre of All Things? Oh man, you really did your homework. I guess you’re not as much of a hack as I’ve been telling everyone you are.

[Edpool:] Wait, what-

[Nair:] But, you can actually see some of the first parts of The Centre of All Things out on the internet already. I cleaned up some of my older drafts and put the first few chapters of it up on Kindle’s serialized platform Vella. But I’ve since realized my laziness production schedule doesn’t really allow for frequent serialized updates, and I’m much better when I have a longer timeframe to put together a full book. I’m not sure when I’ll have the confidence to finalize my mrhollands opus, but hopefully before I die?

You can find Centre here, if you don’t mind working with the semi-beta Kindle Vella platform, along with Birds of a Feather Flock Forever, which is the beginnings of an urban fantasy with big Duckett & Dyer energy.

Also, Fatty Arbuckle.

Next. Question.

[Edpool:] You’re part of a sketch group based in New York City and some of your comedy scripts are hilariously reminiscent and clearly inspired Duckett & Dyer. Have you had many opportunities to see your writing performed on stage, and how great would it be to see “Duckett & Dyer: Dirty Rotten Lyres: A Renaissance Faire Murder Mystery: The Musical!” on Broadway?

(Ben Brantley said it was basically “Galavant” meets “Bill & Ted.” And not in a good way. Caitlin Huston called it “the greatest atrocity ever put to Corvus Corax music.” Although I think she did mean that in a good way.)

[Nair:] I’ve had a good number of opportunities to see my work performed on stage. It’s always a mix of ‘thrilled to see actors performing my work’ and ‘upset that I think some of my dialogue could always be better’.

I’ve never been much of a Broadway guy, so a Duckett & Dyer Musical might be a hard sell. But a normal stage play, you might have my attention.

Next question?

 

 

[Edpool:]  Stephanie Dyer’s evolution from hilarious, infuriating agent of chaos to heart-wrenching best friend (still with quite a lot of chaos) is something I compared to a John Candy character arc. Since I don’t have a question about that and just wanted to congratulate you again on making me cry a bit while reading such a silly book, what’s your favourite John Candy movie and why is it “Cool Runnings”?

[Nair:] “Cool Runnings” is the quintessential heroes journey with an already lovable cast of misfits that the presence of the big JC just elevates into sports movie greatness.

I don’t usually like sports movies, but I like THAT sports movie.

Proxima Pregunta.

 

 

[Edpool:] This week’s leg of the blog tour has brought you to Hatboy’s Hatstand up in Finland, and The Nerdy Nook which, I did some snooping and they’re based in Minnesota. Ignoring the fact that this is all happening electronically and none of us actually got off our butts and went anywhere and this is all utterly nonsensical and everything is futile, I think we’d all like to know what you packed in your a) imaginary steamer trunk and b) make-believe cabin baggage for the seventeen trips back and forth between the two locations that you pretend-completed in the course of this tour stop?

[Nair:] a) My trunk would be filled with stuffed animals, eggs, and letters from my sweetie.

b) My cabin baggage would be filled with a laptop, an e-reader (for books), a tablet (for comic books), and about 3 more eggs.

c) Next Question.

 

 

 

[Edpool:] You have clearly decided to lean into the joyous existential preposterousness of Twitter rather than its potential for misinformation and anonymous mean-spiritedness. Would you care to justify that decision, or has this question just answered itself for you?

 

 

[Nair:] Honestly, I think I should be meaner.

Next fucking question.

 

 

 

 

 

[Edpool:] Remember how people used to go places and meet other people? How much of that do / did you generally do in the before times, and aside from Finland (where you would stay in my garage with a word processor and no connection to the outside world of your own free will), where would you most like to travel if you’re into that sort of thing?

 

[Nair:] After I finished my Master’s in the before time, in the long long ago, I did the stereotypical American post college Eurotrip, and I enjoyed every minute of it. If I could live in a different city every day, I really would. And although my travelling was curtailed by work – aside from some pretty decent work trips – I really do miss the freedom of it.

But New Zealand is definitely at the top of my list for once this whole disease/war/political strife at home and abroad thing blows over.

Next question!

[Edpool:] We see a lot of independent writers chipping away at their “WIP”s in the author community, as well as traditionally-published authors and folks who go for a blend of the two. Given that the preferred business model for most writers I’ve talked to is “who cares as long as each person on Earth buys at least three copies of my book and also Amazon makes a hundred-million-dollar adaptation out of it and everyone shouts about what a betrayal of the source material it is but I still get paid anyway,” what were your dreams going in vs. your dreams now, and do you have any words of wisdom for writers just starting out?

 

[Nair:] Honestly, I started out trying for trad pub, but had no qualms about going the indie pub route when it became clear that D&D was too niche for the standard market. I get it. All I’m really looking for is for people to read and enjoy my writing – as many or as few as that may be. Would I like to see D&D optioned for a streaming series? Absolutely. I think it really belongs there, but do I have any delusions of that actually happening? Absolutely. Why wouldn’t I?

But at the end of the day, I think I just want to have a cult fandom spring up for Duckett & Dyer: Dicks For Hire. And for that fandom to call themselves ‘Dickheads’.

As for advice to writers just starting out, it’s to really do it for the love of the game, because that’s what’s going to keep you going. I would also advise them to ask for the next question.

[Edpool:] The phenomenon of books, plots or themes “not aging well” is something a lot of authors struggle with. Do you consider your stories to be a product of their time, or is the sheer scope and surreal nature of the science a bit of a coat of armour when it comes to creating something hopefully timeless?

 

 

[Nair:] Yes and no. The weird out there stuff will always remain weird out there stuff (hopefully), and I hope those parts of the stories give them an evergreen quality, but there’s certainly going to be pop-culture references and jokes that ‘date’ Duckett & Dyer: Dicks For Hire and its sequels.

But in an effort to counteract that, Duckett & Dyer was already dated when it came out in 2019. It dates itself – because all the events in the book (and subsequent sequels) are stated to all take place between 2013 and 2016. I did that on purpose for two reasons:

This way, all the pop-culture references and jokes are couched in a specific, now historical time, effectively making D&D a ‘period piece’ – and thus evergreen by the nature of depicting the past purposefully.A bunch of shit happened in 2016 and has been happening since that’s basically ruined the world, and I didn’t want the hopeful, fun world of Duckett & Dyer to be tarnished by the terribleness of our present reality.

Last question.

[Edpool:] I’d like to finish on a question open-ended enough that you can basically say anything else that still happens to be on your mind. What do you think such a question would look like?

 

 

 

[Nair:] What?

 

 

 

 

 

Check Out G.M. Nair’s Books

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Review – Hearth Magic by M.A. Phillips

A unique blend of romance, Pagan mysticism, and fabulism with gorgeous prose and complex relationships.Book description

After the events of RIVER MAGIC, Cian O’Connor and Anthony Russo must grapple with their relationship to the land, the spirit realm, and each other. One man wants to support Lacey and protect her from another otherworldly maelstrom. The other needs her help as he confronts an angry presence in his home so he can move on with a new lover.

Are Cian and Anthony’s lives more entwined than they ever imagined?

“The medium, the conservationist, and the poacher, all drawn together by a cord of fate.”

A new Rituals of Rock Bay tale featuring kitchen magic, romance, redemption, and the spiritual bonds that link us.

https://www.amazon.com/Hearth-Magic-Rituals-Rock-Book-ebook/dp/B08RRMB1LF

 

 

 

I read River Magic, the first book in Phillips’ Rituals of Rock Bay trilogy, a couple of years ago, and it was early in my venture into romance territory, where I now hold permanent resident status. I really enjoyed the mix of contemporary romance, Pagan mysticism, and fabulism, and it was a delight to return to this world and see some of the same characters, along with some new ones, in this unique crossover series. If you’re a romance reader, it hits the right beats, but the fabulist and Pagan elements carry equal weight, so I don’t think it can be called a pure romance. It’s this perfect mix that makes Phillips’ books such magical reads.

Whereas River Magic has a classic friends-to-lovers romance arc, Hearth Magic is more complex, with an established couple (Lacey and Cian) from the first book, along with a major side couple (Anthony and Margaret). The romance aspects are cozy and just a little spicy, without getting too specific about parts and the like. But the most interesting part of the book for me, besides the totally unique fabulist element, was the relationships between Lacey, Anthony, and Cian. It’s messy, since Anthony had a thing for Lacey in the previous book, and Cian’s jealousy about the developing friendship between Lacey and Anthony makes for some angsty moments. To be honest, I hated Cian at a few points in the book, but that was by design—his struggle to accept Anthony’s role in Lacey’s life, and in his own, is very realistic, and his reactions are totally understandable. True to the Pagan romance roots of the book, you can rest assured the problems will be solved with a little help from the spirit world, but the struggle is real, and the solution feels earned. We need more of this in books—overcoming jealousy is hard work, and Phillips shows that work on the page, with satisfying results.

Another satisfying aspect of the book is the depiction of Pagan beliefs, which are lovingly detailed and integral to the plot. Lacey’s spiritual practice was highlighted in the first book, and we saw Cian developing an interest as well, and in this book, we learn along with Cian and Anthony as their understanding of and engagement with Lacey’s community grow. Lacey follows a spiritual figure known as Brigid, and the small moments of her and Cian’s daily practice are a gift of warmth, as are the larger gatherings of the book’s Pagan community. There are moments of tension with some of the characters’ Christian upbringings, but everyone makes strides toward being more understanding and appreciative of the diversity of experience, which is a delight to read.

Speaking of delight, Phillips’ prose is gorgeous. I was frequently drawn to individual sentences or passages of lyrical beauty, which enriched the reading experience without slowing me down. Phillips has a way with description of both the physical and the emotional/spiritual landscapes that pull you forward in your reading but linger when you’re away from the book.

Here are a few passages of physical description that stuck with me:

 

“The small meadow was already an undulating pond of vegetation.”

“Wild grain, giddy after several days of sun, reached and danced in the breeze.”

And the emotional bits hit just as hard:

“She wore her grief like a poorly-cared-for tattoo.”

“Their plan had fallen through so hard, it left scars.”

“Now they were both gone. Mom was a wraith of her old self, and Bella was angry at the world. Anthony existed in between.”

 

Perhaps the best moments in the book are where the physical and the emotional collide:

 

“She reminded Cian of a sheltered section of the river alive with lily pads and cattails.”

“She hadn’t seen him blush so fiercely in a while, and Lacey wished she could bottle that vision. She’d keep the pigment in her tea cabinet and add a drop whenever she needed a dose of warmth.”

 

The last detail that needs mentioning is Phillips’ use of fabulist elements. On the off chance you aren’t familiar with the term, it’s a bit like magical realism—fantastical elements seamlessly woven into the real world so that they seem to be natural extensions of it. Magical realism is most properly applied to postcolonial literature with these characteristics, especially from Latin America, so I use the term fabulism here.

In River Magic, we saw a mermaid unlike any other I have read about, which is not a spoiler since Phillips talks about it in social media posts. The spoilery aspects of the mermaid are truly memorable, and the fabulist elements of Hearth Magic are equally innovative. You may have encountered beings in literature similar to the ones shown or hinted at in the book, but you have never encountered them like this. Phillips’ books have a way of making the natural world seem just a trifle more magical, and the magical world just a smidge more natural, and the result is something I haven’t read anywhere else. I spent way too long between reading the first and the second book, and I won’t make that mistake with Forest Magic, the third book in the series, which is available now.

Check Out Hearth Magic by M.A. Phillips

About the author

A. Phillips lives in Northern NY with her husband, daughter, and two cats. She is a writer, English teacher, and practicing Druid. Some of her short stories have been published in Stone, Root, and Bone magazine. Her books feature magical realism, contemporary Pagans, and romance.

Her Rituals of Rock Bay trilogy includes River Magic, Hearth Magic, and Forest Magic, all published by Shadow Spark Publishing.

When she isn’t writing, you can find her in the garden, sewing, or enjoying a book with a side of tea. You can read more about her spiritual and creative journey on her blog ditzydruid.com, or on Twitter & Instagram @ditzydruid

 

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Review – The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell

This is a highly imaginative novel

The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell touts itself as a Lord of the Flies and Phillip K. Dick type story. For the most part, it does hit those marks without straying too far into either one to be uncomfortable for readers. Which I think is this story’s most significant flaw. The subject matter should be uncomfortable. However, even with me wishing that Breakfield took a much bigger leap to the dark side, this is a great novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Chosen Twelve starts with, “God lived in the coffee maker on deck four. Only Gamma Knew.” Gamma, one of humankind’s last organic beings, is standing before a door that may or may not be trying to kill him. On the other side of this door might be God. If only he could make it through this door.

You see, in Gamma’s world, most of the machines are trying to kill the organics. Their programming has fizzled and popped and, in many cases, gained sentience. The machines have learned that humans should die. If Gamma steps through this door, he could be crushed to death. But on the other side, there might be answers. Gamma’s life has been long, and he has been kept in the proverbial dark by the machines that control his survival. But like a man searching for water in the desert, Gamma believes that he can get answers if he can just make it through this door.

Gamma runs through the door, but the door is too quick and catches his arm and almost severs it. He begins to scream, but the ship is so big and full of so many things trying to kill him; the odds are that he will die with his arm trapped like a bear caught in a bear trap.

The “children” of the story, all 22 of them, are the last humans in the universe. The artificial intelligence that controls their ship grew them from embryonic form with the help of another machine designated, Edubot. The 22 fledgling humans were raised and educated according to the machine’s ultimate goals. The humans would survive and help repopulate a planet and serve the machines. Thus helping create new computers from the raw materials on the colonized planet, they found. The children also live exceptionally long lives, with the help of technology, but are kept at the physical maturation age of 12.

They are 12 years old, but not really.

The machines waited until the right moment to send the children to the planet and begin reconstruction, and that time is now.
Conflicts arise with the AI that controls the humans and with each other. We get our Lord of the Flies moments with that many different personalities and skill levels and only 12 seats to go to the planet. Humans can be real bastards to each other when there are scarce resources.

I enjoyed the characters of Gamma and Delta quite a bit. They stood in stark contrast to some of their classmates—especially Delta, who raised herself above her classmates in both skill and desire for a better world. The cast of characters is very long, named for the Greek alphabet, and they drop like flies. You care a great deal about some characters, while others pass by like a ship in the night.

Even with the level of deceit and violence the characters display, it doesn’t venture near enough into the darkness of the human psyche for me to honestly believe in the predicament they face. These aren’t children; their bodies belie the minds encased within, and I would expect them to act as such. Delta comes close, though. She starts to understand the necessity of some of her choices and feels the moral burden they entail.

There are certainly some very dark moments and bloodshed in The Chosen Twelve. The fight scenes are frenetic and well-written. It was hard for me to imagine swords in space like this, but Breakwell makes it work.

This is a highly imaginative novel. The predicaments the characters face are just shy of excessive and ridiculous, but if anything is possible, the highly imaginative and crazy can become plausible. Almost cherry-flavored food rations that you have to beg machines for, check. A robot that thinks of itself as a king, check. A metallurgist making swords that can cut through anything, check. Breakwell makes the scenarios work. And while I couldn’t entirely shed disbelief, I was highly entertained by the dark comedy, fight scenes, and narrative.

I think The Chosen Twelve story will engage readers who like their science fiction and fantasy on the darker side, but not so dark that it is pitch black. Breakwell makes this highly imaginative story work and it is worth reading.

Check Out The Chosen Twelve

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Review – Skald’s Black Verse by Jordan Loyal Short

The book touches on things like the politics of oppression, the destruction of local culture, generational divide, and the suffering of people born between occupiers and the occupied.

THE SKALD’S BLACK VERSE by Jordan Loyal Short is a grimdark space opera setting that has all the appeal of Warhammer 40K but more in-depth characters as well as a deeper dive into the lore. I think if you happen to like black as midnight settings and well-written characters with a juxtaposition of the sci-fi with Medieval then this is definitely the book for you. If you’re not, you should still read it because it’s damn good.

In the far future, the Federation is an empire that stretches across the stars with a theocratic dictatorship that is enforced with its legions. However, while space travel and magic exists, the Federation has been crumbling for millennia. Most of the worlds inhabited by humans are barely above Medieval technology levels, living in filth and struggling for survival.

The planet Skolja is one of those planets, with its population living in a handful of villages that were conquered by the Federation three generations ago. The local culture was suppressed, the religion banned, and puppet rulers were established that have to play middleman. It’s a bad situation, particularly as the local cybernetically-enhanced legionaires despises where they’re stationed and the locals despise them right back in turn. It’s a bad situation about to get much worse.

Unfortunately, for the planet Skoja, there’s a comet that’s about to hit their planet. It might hit their moon but if it does, then the resulting debris will still destroy their world. The only difference will be a few more hours of life before everyone dies. There’s no chance to evacuate even a fraction of the people and barely any to get the legionaires off. That’s assuming they can get anyone to believe the disaster is coming in the next few days.

The protagonists are an interesting mixture of archetypes. Hennik is the son of a local collaborator mayor and more interested in magic than running their village. He dreams of the stars and his creation has the potential to take him there. Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize the danger he’s in as a symbol of the oppression his people are suffering. Lyssa is a young innkeeper’s daughter that wants to be more but is stuck with traditional gender roles in a society that doesn’t understand she wants more. She’s also girlfriend to Bohr, who is a half-breed of the invaders and locals as well as tortured by his insane grandfather. He’s also someone who carries a dreadful curse that may bring his people revenge. These are all fascinating characters and just a sample of ones that Jordan Loyal Short brings to life.

The book touches on things like the politics of oppression, the destruction of local culture, generational divide, and the suffering of people born between occupiers and the occupied. However, it’s mostly a science fiction fantasy and that carries the story well beyond any of its politics. The characters are rich, the atmosphere is dark, and the ending exceptionally well done. It is only the start of a trilogy exploring the Federation and I am eager to explore where the characters go next.

 

Check Out Skald’s Black Verse by Jordan Loyal Short

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Review – The Best Thing You Can Steal by Simon R. Green

This book is pure fun.

 

The Best Thing You Can Steal, by Simon R. Green, is the start of a new series starring a group of thieves and scoundrels set in an urban fantasy world where magic is real. Each group member has a unique set of skills that make them invaluable for the planned heist. Think Ocean’s 11 meets Nightside with a bit of Dresden Files, and you have this new series. It is such fun.

“Welcome to London, but not as you know it. A place where magics and horror run free, wonders and miracles are everyday things, and the dark streets are full of very shadowy people . . .“

The story starts with introducing a gentleman scoundrel named Gideon Sable, and no, that is not his real name. He stole this identity like he steals most things, but he now wears this persona like a second skin. He has become the legendary namesake, and all it was to be the master thief, Gideon Sable. And boy, does Gideon he have a heist in mind.

Gideon is the brains of this heist, the cunning rogue who has plans inside plans. More importantly, Gideon is insanely likable. Imagine Danny Ocean but with magic items. I liked him from the first pages of the story, which is a massive credit to Green as an author.

Aside from Gideon, you have his fabulous collection of rogues and malcontents, the Damned, the Ghost, the Wild Card, and Gideon’s ex-girlfriend, Annie Anybody. The Ghost is just that, a ghost. He can move through spaces and is only visible to a select few. The Wild Card is a man who has seen some things that make him a complete wild card. Luck bends and twists in weird ways with him. You really have no idea what will happen in his presence. The Damned is a soul who is cursed. He was asked to steal something unstealable from a celestial being, and in doing so, he became something else. Even shadows slink away from him. He is not a man to be trifled with. The last is Gideon’s former flame, Annie anybody, a woman who can be anyone; luck and perception bend to her. Her powers are a bit hit and miss but interesting.

“And we set of with speed for the bright lights of London. A car full of weird with a ghost on top.”

This book is pure fun. The Best Thing You Can Steal isn’t perfect. The caper wasn’t as convincing as I wished it had been, but I think that takes a solid back seat to the fantastic characters and powers. Again likening it to Ocean’s 11, you didn’t watch Ocean’s 11 for the intricate heist. You watched Ocean’s 11 for the characters coming together in their respective elements and doing some thievery. The Best Thing You Can Steal does this exceptionally well, and it is worth checking out, as is pretty much any of Green’s books. His Welcome to the Nightside books are legend

Check Out The Best Thing You Can Steal By Simon R. Green

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Review – Behind Blue Eyes – War Games by Anna Mocikat

Anna Mocikat has a great talent for The Matrix-style scenes

 

BEHIND BLUE EYES: WAR GAMES is the third book of the BEHIND BLUE EYES series by Anna Mocikat. The series is a cyberpunk thriller story based around the decadent corporate-ruled nation of Olympias which consists of the entire Western Hemisphere.

The Olympias Corporation controls North and South America using superpowered cyborgs called Guardian Angels with the striking condition of glowing blue eyes. Each of these soldiers is brainwashed to loyally serve their leader, Metatron, except for one who has managed to free herself: Nephilim.

Anna Mocikat is one of the foremost members of a new crop of independent science fiction artists that have emerged to tackle seemingly dead genres. As ALTERED CARBON and BLADE RUNNER 2049 indicate, cyberpunk isn’t so much dead as sleeping so I was interested in seeing if she could revive it. I’ve enjoyed each of the previous novels and their ability to mix social commentary with thrilling action.

War Games continues directly from Fallen Angels and deals with the serial killing corporate executive, Cillian Stavros, killing members of the Guardian Angels in horrifying ways. Worse, Cillian is being aided by Nephilim’s former lover, Jake, with the man having no care about the lives of anyone but his ex. Even when those lives are the people Nephilim called her friends and family. It’s an ugly look but makes the character far more interesting than the one-note love interest he was seemingly before.

This book finally introduces us to the Olympias board of directors. They are a real piece of work, I’ve got to say, being every bit as decadent and corrupt as Ancient Rome’s worst leaders. It is easy to believe Metatron when he says they have to be overthrown but given he wants to replace them with a cyborg nobility that he’s already shown himself to have no hesitation to brainwash, it’s unquestionable he’d be worse.

Strangely, my favorite part of the book is the character development for Nephilim’s creepy stalker, Finwick. Having adopted an orphaned girl Nephilim rescued from human trafficking, Finwick has been trying to provide for her. Unfortunately, they come from very different worlds and his actions against the Guardian Angels are forcing them on the run again. Watching him try to care for someone else while realizing he’s way in over his head with the criminal underworld was very entertaining.

I have some issues with the fact Nephilim continues to be brainwashed by Metatron as it’s not something that’s particularly enjoyable to read about. You want her to break free and take the fight to the Olympias Corporation, but I also appreciate just how good Metatron is at selling his ideology. He’s let her have more of a loose reign than most of his minions because he wants her to join him willingly. Yet, he’s not willing to risk her actually turning him down.

There’s a lot of awesome action sequences spread throughout the book as Anna Mocikat has a great talent for The Matrix-style scenes. The biggest complaint I have is the fact the book ends on a cliffhanger. There’s quite a few unresolved plot points just like the previous book, and I was hoping the stories would be more self-contained. On the other hand, the book is just good from start to finish.

Check Out Behind Blue Eyes – War Games by Anna Mocikat

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Tour – Excerpt of Duckett & Dyer Dicks for Hire by G.M. Nair

 

PROLOGUE

So This Is How It Ends . . .

 

“Listen, it’s not the worst idea I’ve ever had. And it certainly won’t be the last,” Stephanie Dyer said, just moments away from her death. The energies of the rip in multidimensional space-time crackled behind her, silhouetting her body and casting a shuddering, uneven blue pallor across the hardwood floor. Pushing her fringe of hair out of her eyes, Stephanie surveyed the living room one last time. It was a bit different than she remembered it. It hadn’t been that long, had it? A calming sense of nostalgia warmed her chest as she took stock of the scuffed, scratched floors and the body of the old woman that lay, unmoving, by the overturned armoire.

As she turned to face the swirling blue abyss, the other conscious occupant in the room stirred. Clutching his side, Stephanie’s oldest friend Michael Duckett struggled to remain on his feet by bracing himself on the back of the armoire. Michael looked tired. Not as tired as she was — not by a country mile — but tired nonetheless. She couldn’t blame him. It had been a long road, and it would have to end here.

“Please,” he said, “We have do this together.”

“No, Michael,” she refused to meet his gaze, “I need to do this alone. I started this loop and I need to close it. And to do that, I need you to trust me.”

“Steph—”

“I know I haven’t given you any reason to, and I’m sorry. I wish I could go back and fix that. But I tried and look how that ended up,” Stephanie chuckled before composing herself. She turned to him and their eyes met for what felt like infinity, “So for once, can you just pretend that I know what I’m doing?”

The room around them stood quiet. There was no movement aside from the rotating portal that hung in the middle of room over the toppled coffee table.

“I’m sorry,” he continued, attempting to push up the glasses that had been lost long ago. “I’m sorry I called you an embarrassment.”

Stephanie felt the hint of a grin form at the corner of her mouth. “But I was an embarrassment.”

“Yeah. But you’re not supposed to say that,” Michael returned a tentative smile that left before it could fully form. He looked away. “But you’ve always been my best friend. And . . . and you were right, too.”

“About what?”

“It was kinda fun to play detective with you. Just like it used to be when we were kids.”

Stephanie could do nothing but nod, with words caught in her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to explain what this meant to her. It would be too complicated. It was always too complicated. She didn’t understand it most times.

“I . . . ” Michael sputtered a bit. “I don’t want you to die.”

“Neither do I! You think I’m doing this for my health?” Of course, trying to lighten up dour times with a joke was Stephanie’s natural instinct, and her last moments were no exception. But, to her credit, she pivoted right back into earnest sincerity. “You’re my best friend, too, Michael. I’m trying to help you, like you always did for me. Just think of this as my way of saying thank you.”

“For what?”

“For putting up with me,” Stephanie winked and let out a small sigh before turning to the portal, which had begun to emit a low, angry hum. She didn’t know what lay on the other side but, in her heart, she knew that the next jump would be her last. The story couldn’t end any other way. And it she had to try to end it. It had to be her.

So Stephanie leapt headfirst into the roiling tides of the space-time continuum, letting the blue energies wash over her body one last time. As she left this universe and this time behind, she closed her eyes, all too ready for the inevitable.

It may have been the end, but at least it was a pretty badass way to go.

 

CHAPTER ONE

Hot Date With Destiny

 

Michael Duckett was a young man with a decent head on his shoulders and a crippling anxiety that prevented him from ever using it. He had just slogged his way through another day at work, punching numbers into a computing box for no reason besides enriching his corporate overlords. It was a dreary, soul-crushing job that left his bank account only a little less than empty and his body a lot more than tired and drained every night. Tonight was no different, aside from the fact that it was Wednesday and that meant it was laundry day.

A holdover from his childhood, the “Wednesday-Laundry Day” mantra had been championed by his micromanaging mother. Despite the fact that she—now in her self-dubbed “sexy sixties”—was immersing herself in whatever horrifying bacchanalia they got up to in Boca Raton and was not around to badger him, Michael had the laundry day itch branded onto his soul. Not to mention a myriad of other more socially debilitating neuroses he had yet to work through.

Still, Laundry Day had its share of perks. That is to say, one perk in particular that went by the name of Terri Bradshaw. In a rare stroke of luck, Terri and Michael happened to have the same laundry schedules. She had introduced herself some weeks ago over the folding tables, and Michael found her very easy to talk to, which, for someone who used to suffer minor panic attacks before making phone calls, was an even rarer godsend.

“So, do you come here often?” Michael had asked.

She chuckled and turned back down to the jeans she was folding. Her auburn hair swished to cover her face and a smile. “Nice one.”

“Uh . . . yeah,” Michael wasn’t sure what joke he had made, but he leaned into it. For the first time in a long while, his innate fear of being judged unfit by the opposite sex was nowhere to be found. This was an opportunity he refused to miss, so he leapt on it. “I’m Michael. Michael Duckett.”

“Terri. Nice to meet you.” Terri placed her jeans neatly into her laundry bag. “So, Michael Michael Duckett, what do you do?”

Michael deflated a little. The mere mention of his boring job sent his stomach into an involuntary stress gurgle. He hated being asked about it almost as much as he hated the job, “Oh, I’m an Analyst . . . at The Future Group.”

“Oh, you work for The Future Group?” Terri leaned back a bit, eyebrows raised. She was still interested. “My brother works there! Do you know Jacob?”

“Jacob? I love that guy. Of course I know Jacob!” Michael did not know Jacob. In fact, as unlikely as it seemed, Michael had never met anyone named Jacob in the 24 years he had skulked about this Earth. The Future Group employed over 7,000 people. Perhaps one or more could have been named Jacob. He didn’t really know. Either way, he’d gotten himself in deep already, so he just smiled and nodded.

“He loves working there,” Terri continued. “Says it’s the best job he’s ever had!”

Michael did not share Jacob’s assessment. He fidgeted with his glasses, running his fingers along the thin frames. “Yeah, uh, it has its ups and downs.”

“Hah, well Jacob doesn’t stop raving about it.”

“Yeah, that’s ol’ Jacob. He’s always . . . always . . . raving . . . ” Michael trailed off.  He had no idea what else he could say about Jacob, besides the fact that he had good taste in sisters. Luckily enough, the conversation took a turn and Jacob was never mentioned again. And so it went with Michael and Terri sharing a good time amongst the fumes of noxious chemicals synthesized to mimic the pleasant scent of spring meadows.

As the weeks passed, they spoke more about their days (usually uneventful), their old college roommates (the worst), their favorite wines (hers rosé, his a dry pinot grigio), how Haagen-Dazs made the only good kind of chocolate ice cream (it was sweet, but not overwhelmingly sweet, and thus a delight to the palate, even when re-purposed for Rocky Road), and other topics Michael assumed normal people talked about.

Terri had a habit of good-natured ribbing, which Michael found endearing. Their rapport was fun and flirty, but Michael still possessed the underlying fear that it could turn on him at any moment, so he never asked her out, of course. Each subsequent Wednesday, he hoped it would be the day he would overcome the mental programming that had held him back since high school, but it never was. Today, though, this today would be that day.

Right?

Carting his wet clothes from the washer to the dryer, Michael thought of Terri, whom he had not yet seen today, though his time at the laundromat was half over. It broke with the tradition they had established. Well, he had established, anyway. The wet slops of seven identical powder-blue button-downs slapped against the porous metal cavern as he moved on to his unmentionables and inserted a handful of moistened boxer briefs, all gray.

After his clothes were safely spiraling into a state of dryness, Michael bussed his cart over to a set of hard plastic chairs that had been designed for maximum lumbar injury. He sat for a while, shifting his weight into increasingly painful positions, figuring the distraction would keep him from obsessing over Terri. Meanwhile, the television hanging above him spoke dire warnings of missing persons. A local doctor had mysteriously disappeared from his bedroom in the middle of the night and the police, as usual, were baffled. All that and what an upcoming spate of thunderstorms would mean for his weekend would follow after a few messages.

Michael’s attention, however, was drawn to the irritating fact that a single piece of clothing remained in his cart: another pair of underpants that had camouflaged against the side. This one, however, was conspicuously dry. The corner of his eye twitched with the impotent rage associated with the thought of having missed a single item of laundry. But perhaps it was unwarranted. Maybe it was a clean pair that had stowed away with its filthy brethren. Only one way to be sure. Michael raised the underpants to his nose and gave them a cursory sniff. He was met with the fading scent of faux mountain air. His suspicion was correct: they were quite clean.

What Michael had inconveniently forgotten was that he was in a public laundromat. Public laundromats tend to be occupied by people, and this one was no different. Michael was sucked back into the moment by a short burst of stifled laughter. Across the way, Terri leaned against the detergent vending machine, wearing a green top and a knowing smirk.

“Nice one, slick,” she shook her head.

“Yeah, well, they were clean!” Michael removed the underpants from his nose and tried to sound authoritative, but his declaration ended with a sort of yelp as he walked towards her.

Terri giggled. He could marry that giggle. “I’m sorry, did I embarrass you?”

“Um . . . no. No! Not embarrassed at all. How’re . . . you?” Michael pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“I’m alright,” she said, loading her washing machine. “Just a bit late today.”

“Oh, are you?” Michael pretended not to have noticed. He feared the implication that he had been keeping track of her schedule and their usual rendezvouses. He had, but still. Also, he didn’t think his joke about a “laundrez-vous” would land. His jokes rarely did.

“Hey, listen,” Terri looked away, “I’m in a bit of a rush today, so I’ll just cut to the chase and ask: do you want to get dinner sometime this week?”

Alarms went off in Michael’s brain, signaling a code blue. Never having had a code blue before, there was no plan of action in place. So all that came out of his mouth was a slow, droning “Uh . . .” followed by “. . . dinner?”

“Yeah,” Terri smiled and Michael’s heart quickened to a pace just short of a serious medical emergency. “Do you have a place you like? I could do anything.”

“I know a great Italian place down on Concord Street! Let’s go there!” He wasn’t certain how he knew of it, but, similar to the way a surfer’s life might flash before their eyes before a shark attack in an attempt to glean information that could prevent their death, Michael, in a more mundane application, recalled a slew of reviews he had seen on the internet. A restaurant on Concord Street stuck out as the only place that was infestation free after last month.

Terri smiled again and her hazel eyes sparkled. “I can meet you there at 6:30 tomorrow. Does that work for you?”

“Great. That’s great!” Michael’s grin froze on his face and began to hurt his cheeks as time passed. Had that really worked? As his mind wrapped itself up in questions, he hardly noticed as a full half-hour sped by. Still transfixed and, honestly, confused by what had happened, he folded and packed his dried clothes and slung his bag over his shoulder. He waved goodbye to Terri as he slipped out the door. The smile persisted. If it continued for four hours or more, he would have to call his physician.

*    *    *

It was dark outside by the time he left. Michael couldn’t see his watch, but it was definitely around 9:30. He walked down the street past a row of cars, neatly angle parked. At the end sat Michael’s 1982 Mercury Zephyr, a car that he lovingly referred to as “the Garbagemobile.” The otherwise red car had a canary yellow passenger’s side door that failed to function since its previous owner had opted to weld it shut for undisclosed reasons. Still, the trunk worked well enough. Michael thumped his fist on the corner and it popped open, allowing him to toss in his laundry. Or was it clothes, now? When did your laundry stop being “laundry” and become “clothes”? When you folded it? When you brought it home? Or when you put it in your dresser? Michael enjoyed this pointless line of questioning brought on by the euphoria of his potential date with a beautiful woman, as it distracted him from overthinking about said date.

Michael slammed the trunk shut and turned to find the crazed blue eyes and wild hair of an entirely different, entirely angrier woman who had definitely not been there a second ago. He jolted backwards and tumbled onto the asphalt. A jeep whizzed by his head at what felt like 50 miles per hour, but was probably more like 5.

“Oh my God! What the hell, lady?” A situation in which panic was natural. Michael almost felt at home.

“You’re Michael Duckett!” The woman declared in a voice so far from Terri’s melodic tones, it would need a GPS to get within striking distance.

“Uh . . . yeah?” was all he could muster. “How do you know my name? Who are you?”

“I need your help!” She seemed less interested in his questions than her own agenda, whatever that was.

“You need . . . my help?” Michael pulled himself to his feet by leaning on the Garbagemobile’s rear bumper, which shuddered against the rusty nails holding it on. “For what?”

“I saw your ad. I need to hire you. It’s urgent.”

“Sorry. My ad? I think you have the wrong guy. I’m not for hire.” Michael brushed himself off and, being certain his life was no longer in any significant peril, took stock of the situation. He sidled past the woman, who was wearing medical scrubs beneath the folds of a long brown coat, and onto the sidewalk. If she had escaped from a mental hospital, killed an orderly, and stolen his clothes, that would explain the scrubs. It was a bit of a reach, but not an unreasonable conclusion given the circumstances.

“I have a case for you,” she said. Her eyes had a cold fire behind them that complemented the harsh red lipstick that popped against her dark olive skin. She would have been beautiful if she hadn’t been completely off her rocker.

“Yeah, a . . . nut case,” Michael winced. Another joke that didn’t land tonight, but there really wasn’t much time to workshop it. “Lady, I can give you bus fare or . . . uh . . . whatever you need. But I’m pretty sure you have the wrong person.”

“No. I definitely don’t. You’re the detective!” Despite her manic motions, the woman’s frizzy, curly blast of bright blonde hair refused to move very much.

“Detective? What the hell are you talking about?” Michael inched toward the door of the Garbagemobile. “I’m not—”

The woman slapped her hand on the door, blocking his escape. With her other hand, she removed a smartphone from her purse and thrust it at him. “I recognized you from your photo.”

Michael left the smartphone in her hand and awkwardly scrolled down with a single finger. It was not often that Michael got to use a fancy smartphone. His own was an elderly flip affair with a creaky hinge. The screen on this one was brighter and boasted a higher resolution which allowed the bold black headline to leap out of the bright white background in all-caps, silently yelling at him:

“MICHAEL DUCKETT AND STEPHANIE DYER – PRIVATE EYES FOR HIRE – NO CASE TOO TOUGH, NO CASE TOO CRAZY – REASONABLE RATES – ANY TIME DAY OR NIGHT.”

It was a simple internet classified ad—the Hail Mary of desperate schlubs seeking used leisure suits or unlikely missed connections. Below the headline was a picture of him and his oldest friend – and roommate two years running – Stephanie Dyer, standing side by side. It was cropped to focus only on their chests and heads, so Michael couldn’t place where or when it had been taken. Stephanie was making overenthusiastic gun fingers at the camera, while Michael seemed aloof in an attempt to appear cool. It had not worked.

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About the Author

G.M. Nair is a crazy person who should never be taken seriously. Despite possessing both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering and a job as an Aviation and Aerospace Consultant, he writes comedy for the stage and screen, and maintains the blog MakeMomMarvel.Com. Now he is making the leap into the highly un-lucrative field of independent book publishing.

Duckett & Dyer: Dicks For Hire is his first novel, and in a world with a fair and loving god, it would be his last. Alas, he tends to continue.

G.M. Nair lives in New York City and in a constant state of delusion.

Twitter: @GaneshNair
Instagram: @NairforceOne

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Five Indie Cyberpunk Recommendation List

Cyberpunk is a genre that hit its peak in the Eighties but has still carried on like the little Replicant that could ever since. Really, it’s now split between present day cyberpunk (Watch_Dogs, Mr. Robot, Hackers) and far future experiences (The Expanse, Altered Carbon). However, I think the best place to find cyberpunk novels these days is the indie writing scene.

There’s something decidedly cyberpunk about going to writers not affiliated with the big corporations to get your fix about cybernetically enhanced humans, transhumanist themes, social satire, and street samurai action. Cyberpunk comes in many forms and just because we’re living in a world where everyone has a computer monitored by sinister corporate forces trying to sell us stuff doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it still.

Five Recommended Indie Cyberpunk Novels:
https://beforewegoblog.com/5-cyberpunk-recomendations/

Five More Recommended Indie Cyberpunk Novels:
https://beforewegoblog.com/five-more-indie-cyberpunk-novels-to-check-out/

1. Mindfracked by M.R. Forbes

Cassidy is a body-hopping assassin working for a mysterious government organization that promises they will return his original form if he completes all of his assignments. Existing as little more than an AI, he has always believed this is true. However, awakening decades after he should have been set free in a friend’s body, he has to deal with the fact that everything he knew until this point was a lie. I really enjoyed Mindfracked and its various twists and turns that combine elements from Altered Carbon as well as The Matrix.

What it is About?

In the twenty-fourth century, rising sea levels triggered by World War have forced humankind into a handful of densely populated cities surrounded by massive seawalls. Digitized consciousnesses known as Shades prowl the streets in bodies that aren’t their own, carrying out clandestine operations ordered by the artificial intelligence created to shepherd humankind through the aftermath. Civilization clings to a tenuous thread.

Cassidy is one of the most experienced Shades in the Initiative. An elite operative with an impeccable record, he’s dedicated his life to combating the rampant organized crime that threatens the new world order.

But when a beautiful stranger shows Cassidy that his entire existence is a lie, everything he’s ever known begins unraveling around him. It isn’t long before his fight for justice becomes a fight for something much bigger…

…and the stakes are higher than he ever imagined.

Follow Cassidy through the rain-soaked streets of 24th century Manhattan as he fights like John Wick against a corrupt system of repression and control where the lines between ally and enemy are always blurred and trust is a dangerous gambit.

Review

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2. Heartthreaded by James L. Graetz

Hearthreaded is a first-time novelist’s debut and I am genuinely impressed by the results. A homage to Romeo and Juliet with a number of twists and turns. Juliet’s father has created the Heart Thread technology that keeps track of everyone’s information as well as debts. Romeo is a man who hacks the previous technology to get people out of their crippling debts. It has its flaws and is a bit obvious in its parallels but I really enjoyed it from beginning to end.

What it is About?

A debut new adult, coming of age science fiction about a world where heartbeats are currency, and the debts are for life. The ideals of a young couple from opposite sides of the track want to make a change.

For those who enjoy Marie Lu and Science Fiction Fantasy.

It’s possible to extend your life, and buy upgrades for your body, but the cost is a heartbeat debt.

Juliet isn’t just anyone, her father is the powerful CEO, the man who tries to enslave everyone with the new Heart Thread technology. She seeks help from an underworld hacker. They discover the Heart Threads that track debt have other more insidious uses. Together they form an unlikely bond, but can two people from such different worlds be together?

Juliet is caught between her loyalty to her father, her desire for freedom and doing the right thing.

Separated by class and ideals to change the world, Juliet will have to risk everything.

A fast-paced New Adult or Young Adult adventure set in a dystopian science fiction future.

If you love underdogs vs corporate control; this tension-filled dystopian science fiction adventure, HEART THREADED, is inspired by Shakespeare and Cyberpunk. A gritty adventure of young rebellion against class divides and the fight for hope.

No matter how many heartbeats, you only have one death.

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3. Cerberus: Assassination Protocol by Andy Peloquin

Nolan Garrett is a soldier crippled in the line of duty, working for the corrupt Empire. However, his sense of duty and desire to free his brother from prison convinces him to come out of retirement as an assassin. Outfitted with a superior AI and cybernetics, he can take down the galaxy’s worst criminals. Unfortunately, his superiors might actually be worse than the people he’s sent to hunt.

What is it About?

Nolan Garrett is Cerberus. A government assassin, tasked with fixing the galaxy’s darkest, ugliest problems with a bullet to the brain. Armed with cutting-edge weapons and an AI-run cybernetic suit that controls his paralyzed legs, he is the fist in the shadows, the dagger to the heart of the Nyzarian Empire’s enemies.Then he found Bex on his doorstep…A junkie, high on the drug he’d fought for years to avoid, and a former elite soldier like him. So he takes her in to help her get clean-Silverguards never leave their own behind.If only he’d known his actions would put him in the crosshairs of the most powerful cartel in New Avalon.Facing an army of gangbangers, drug pushers, and thugs, Nolan must fight to not only carry out his mission, but to prevent the escalating violence from destroying everything he loves.Cerberus: Assassination Protocol is the riveting, heart-pounding first book in the epic military sci-fi Cerberus series. If you like fearless heroes, non-stop futuristic action, and neck-breaking plot twists, you’ll love Andy Peloquin’s thrilling space opera series.Buy Cerberus: Assassination Protocol now to watch an assassin fight to protect the innocent!

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4. Ten Sigma by A.W. Wang

Mary has an impossible choice: dying of cancer, she is a drain on her family’s meager finances as well as emotions (or so she thinks). When the government offers to clear her debt if she agrees to participate in a brain scan program, she reluctantly agrees. The result is a horrifying series of virtual reality simulations designed to destroy her and rebuild her as the ultimate killer. A dark and psychological tale with a lot of fantastic action.

What Is it About?

In future America, the downloaded people in the Ten Sigma Program fight endless battles. The struggles span all possibilities: face-offs with knives and clubs, skirmishes as Roman legionaries, pitched WW1 trench warfare, duels with ultra-modern hypersonic weapons, and everything in between. The combatants who live are rewarded with another battle until they reach the unreachable score of ten sigmas. Those who die are expunged from the system, gone forever. The methods, so harsh they go beyond anything possible in the real world, are necessary for the end goal: violent evolution to produce the greatest warriors in all of human history.

Who would choose such a fate?

Those with no hope.

On a wintry night, a government representative presents Mary, who is dying of incurable cancer, with the offer: a second chance at life and for those completing the requirements, a return to the real world in a fresh, healthy body. To save her family from bankrupting medical bills, she accepts.

After her consciousness is transferred into the virtual universe of the program, her essence is ripped apart and her memories shattered. She’s reassembled as the perfect killer.

As the life-and-death contests begin, she discovers the true nature of what lies ahead. But, she won’t surrender to the impossible and grimly embarks on the journey to return to her family while trying to save her soul.

Mature readers only: intense combat, graphic violence, horror elements, some sex, some language.

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5. Neon Leviathan by T.J. Napper

Neon Leviathan is a possible future classic for the cyberpunk genre. T.R. Napper shows a dystopian science fiction future that is the background for numerous short character-driven stories that feel all too believable. The aftermath of the Vietnam and Australian War in the future is full of broken veterans, broken homes, and struggling families. It’s really well-done science fiction and I liked it.

What is it about?

A collection of stories about the outsiders – the criminals, the soldiers, the addicts, the mathematicians, the gamblers and the cage fighters, the refugees and the rebels. From the battlefield to alternate realities to the mean streets of the dark city, we walk in the shoes of those who struggle to survive in a neon-saturated, tech-noir future.

Twelve hard-edged stories from the dark, often violent, sometimes strange heart of cyberpunk, this collection – as with all the best science fiction – is an exploration of who were are now. In the tradition of Dashiell Hammett, Philip K Dick, and David Mitchell, Neon Leviathan is a remarkable debut collection from a breakout new author.

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