Kate Kelly's Blog, page 3

Review: The Scorching: Just Press Play by Nick Snape

The Book:

On an Earth devastated by The Scorching climate event, the Drathken land their giant plantships with the promise of healing the planet. Joshua Nkosi vlogs and jokes his way through an easy life guarding a deep-sea mining operation while watching old vids. That is until, he and his modded octopus partner, Marc, get caught up in a plot to steal radiation rich materials from the seabed, fuelling the terrorists’ plan to destroy a Drathken plantship, and ultimately put an end to the alien/hu...

Review: Children of the Black by WJ III Long

 

The Book:

As humanity's bloodiest conflict ends, those left behind struggle to carve a path free of its shadow, but old hates die hard. Under the weight of this new future, a former soldier and a young psionic girl fight to scrounge up enough credits to keep their meager lives on track when a figure from the past offers them a way out. All they have to do is find the remains of a once-promising enemy research project, one whose failure still shakes the souls involved to this day.

Success would me...

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (10)

I’ve maybe made it halfway through the entries for this year’sSPSFC4 Contest (Self Published Science Fiction Competition) and the list ofbooks I want to read is getting longer by the day and now stands at 20. So thisseems a good point for the timely reminder that these choices I’m making arevery subjective and a reflection largely of my personal taste. There are plentyof books in the contest that haven’t made it onto my list simply because they’renot my thing. But they might be yours! So d...

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (9)

Another two amazing sounding books from this years batch of SPSFC4 (Self Published Science Fiction Competition) entries have just been added to the list. There are so many unique concepts being explored! So much excellent Self Published SF out in the world! I’m feeling spoilt for choice!

Mendelson’s Return by Cristovao Correia

This looks great. I particularly like that it is set in Portugal. It’s always refreshing to find a European setting for a SF book. So I read the blurb and opening with inter...

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (8)

WOW! Just WOW! I’m finding so many amazing sounding books among this years entries into SPSFC4 (Self Published Science Fiction Competition). Today’s additions both have really unique concepts and look so interesting.

The Widow’s Tithe by TR Peers

The blurb for this one is very strong. An excellent concept. I checked out the opening with high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed.  

Transference by Ian Patterson

There’s a really original idea at the heart of this one. That always attracts my attenti...

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (7)

Another two amazing sounding books have just been added to my TBR pile from my fellow contestants in SPSFC4 (Self Published Science Fiction Competition). Have you read either of these? What did you think?

Afterburn by D Andrews

This sounds like a really interesting concept. And another main character called Kara. I’ve already got one of those on my list! But this story is very different. The opening is dramatic and gripping. I felt a real empathy for Kara and look forward to reading more.

Nothing L...

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (6)

SPSFC4 (Seld Published Science Fiction Competition) is well underway and I’m really enjoying checking out the other contestants. I’ve already read a couple and I’m eagerly diving into the next on my TBR list. As for the list itself – it continues to grow. Here are the latest two to catch my eye.

Navvy Dreams by HMH Murray

This one looks like a lot of fun. What’s not to love about space smugglers. The opening is really solid and I’m looking forward to following these characters on their adventures....

Review: Turn Left at the Mooncrow skeleton by Linda Raedisch

 The Book:

"Welcome to Planet 5372, a uniquely dystopian world where the unlikely heroes include a handful of shambolic university students and their taciturn landlord. Raedisch's layered writing and photographic attention to detail make this slice-of-life archaeological adventure entirely believable." ---Clarissa Simmens, author of Parallel Universe Cafe and Other Poems
For the past two hundred years, the colonists marooned on Planet 5372 have been confined to a volcanic basin the size of New Jer...

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (5)

 

I’m working my way steadily through the SPSFC4 entries and my TBR (To be Read) pile continues to grow. There are still an awful lot of books for me to check out. Here are the latest two to catch my eye.

Kara by Peter Beard

This had me hooked from the moment I read the blurb – probably a good example of how a good blurb should be written – but the first chapter really delivers. There’s a really solid mystery and I felt an instant connection to the main character. This is one of those rare occasion...

Review: The Scorching: The World in My Hands by Nick Snape

The Book

A lonely PA, a rebellious teenager, two ordinary people on a deadly journey to save humanity.
The world is heading towards global collapse as The Scorching takes full effect. Salvation vessels orbit the Earth, waiting to transport the chosen few away from danger and to start again; ten plantships grown by an alien species for the wealthiest and most powerful, or those lucky enough to be selected by lottery. The rest remain behind, their future dependent on the Drathken finding a solution ...