Jennifer Foehner Wells's Blog, page 4

Xenophobia by Peter Cawdron--Unique First Contact Story

Xenophobia by Peter Cawdron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book unfolded in an entirely new way. It was completely unexpected and kept me guessing. This is not your average first contact story.. It's about character, the best and worst of humanity, and has the most unique depiction of an alien species I've seen for a long time, which was exceedingly refreshing. I was completely wrapped up in these characters and their struggle in believable situations in war-torn Africa. This author must have done insane amounts of research and it shows. I need to read more by Peter Cawdron!

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Rysa Walker Knocks It Out of the Park With Timebound

Timebound by Rysa Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a well-written, clean YA time travel book. I listened to the audio book, and aside from a propensity to over-articulate the word "to," the narrator was way above average--doing a teenage girl, a teenaged boy, several adult males and, most impressively, an aging grandmother--seamlessly and with ease. I was impressed! The storyline was enthralling. I was swept up in the narrative and was sad when it was over. Lucky for me, the sequel just came out! I'm looking forward to reading it.

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Atlantis Gene by A.G. Riddle, a Stellar Read

The Atlantis Gene by A.G. Riddle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. This book was fast paced and full of stuff I love: conspiracy theories, science fiction, alternate history, spies, nazis, mysterious artifacts, ancient astronauts...I could go on and on. The story centers on a woman who studies autism and a man who works for a secret spy agency. Nothing is what it seems. There are unexpected twists and turns around every corner and throughout the entire book these two protagonists are racing to stay one step ahead of the bad guys--which are an ever evolving cast of characters. I normally have a lot of trouble keeping big casts of characters straight, but this author made it simple, giving you small touchstones to bring you up to speed every time a character we hadn't seen for a while came back into play.

I loved the way a reinterpretation of past events was woven into the story. Everything from the Spanish flu of the early 20th century to the rise of the Third Reich. Science facts were treated much the same way.

Toward the end I got a bit impatient with the lengthy story found in the journal, but as that story wove into the others, I was surprised by how much I changed my mind about it needing to be there.

Overall a fantastic read. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the Atlantis series by this author.

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The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell is a Game Changer

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was jaw-droppingly-stunning. It's been recommended to me for years. I should have picked it up sooner.

As I listened to this audio book (I'm a frequent audio listener and this narrator was among the very best I've ever heard) I thought to myself that this story would be heavily edited if published in today's market--neatly pared down--and while that may be true to a small degree, by the time I reached the climax of the story I knew that every tidbit of information had been there for a reason, building to that moment. Each essential nugget of information informed the apex and the denouement.

Emilio Sandoz, a Roman Catholic Priest in the order of the Society of Jesus, is a modern Job, tested to the brink of insanity. Except that Emilio isn't complacent. He questions a God that could fill him with such a feeling of spiritual grace and then push him to his limits and beyond. This isn't a spoiler, by the way. It's very clear from the beginning of the book that something terrible has happened to him.

This book was plotted by a literary genius. This book has weight. It will change you. Because the reveal at the end is so shatteringly unexpected...Russell has created a biological system and alien culture that are so plausible and yet so different from our own as to be casually inconceivable.

This story will linger with you. I believe it to be a modern classic.





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The Architect's Apprentice Interviews Me About FLUENCY

Spencer Wightman interviews me on his podcast called the Architect's Apprentice. There are tons of great interviews there. If you read or write in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy, these are must-listen-podcasts!

Five Stars for Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a great indie book. It really rises above the rest in terms of quality of writing and storytelling. This is the kind of book I can hand over to my 11-year-old son and know he'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Kira is a really likable character. She's an underdog from the start, full of dry humor and wit. I instantly liked her and was pulling for her. The story was engaging. The plot moved along quickly without lagging.

I had just one tiny niggling problem--the first time Kira discovers that she's unique, she instantly seems to know what happened and is freaked out by it. It would have been more believable for me if she'd been a little more confused about what actually happened for a little while. Once I got past that point, it was smooth sailing for me. Nothing else threw me out of the story.

The characterizations were compelling and spot-on for teens. The descriptions were well-written. I was completely immersed in this story. I'll be coming back to look for more of Susan Kaye Quinn's work very soon! I want to read the rest of the trilogy.

A note about the audio version of this book. The young narrator started off a bit wobbly but soon found her footing and her dry delivery was perfect for Kira. So, if you've picked up the audio book, give it a few minutes. It gets better quickly.

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My Review of Legacy Code by Autumn Kalquist

Legacy Code by Autumn Kalquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an extremely well-written book--exactly the kind of book I frequently look for. I enjoyed the audio version immensely. The narrator was a very talented woman with an English accent. The world had a very dark and gritty atmosphere, with just a hint of a Battlestar Galactica vibe--and though it has one story element in common with BSG (a fleet of ships humans call home while they search for a new world), the protagonist herself and main plot couldn't be further from that.

The protagonist's motivations and experiences rang true to me. This book has a feeling of realism (in a world built quite different from ours) that allows you to immerse yourself. I tore through it in just a few days, eager to find out what happened. The ending was a complete surprise to me and shocking. I was warned it was controversial, but I didn't think so. I thought the author was brave, but I won't say any more than that for fear of spoiling it for anyone else.

Without a doubt I will be reading more by Autumn Kalquist--a very talented new SF author.

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My Review of I Am Legend By Richard Matheson

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm embarrassed to say that I dragged my feet about this book. But I wanted to read some classic scifi and try to catch up on all the good stuff I'd missed out on. I was IMMEDIATELY gripped by this story. Thought it was written in the 1950's, that just washes away, becomes trivial.

The story is about a man surviving against all odds. Just a factory worker, he struggles with his humanity and becomes a scientist and a scholar--he elevates himself.

So many parts of this book held me in thrall, but the section about the dog brought tears to my eyes. Even the science, though rooted in early concepts of bacteriology, still rings as plausible.

This was a masterfully written tale and ended perfectly. It is, in my mind, the standard by which zombie and vampire books should be held. Don't even compare the movies--they are just bastardizations of this brilliant work. All my thumbs up. A must-read! Visceral, compelling...this story will stay with you.

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Ticking Things Off the To-Do List--Check! ✔️

There's so much going on lately, my head is spinning.

I have a to-do list a mile long and every time I check something off, I think of two more things to add.

(Every accomplishment earns me a sip of my favorite cocktail after my kiddos are abed, so let's get started!)

I updated FLUENCY's Kindle file over the weekend. There were two typos and a grammatical error that my proofreader missed. (She's an amazing grammar nazi, but she's also human!). 

I grew up using drug as the past tense of drag (instead of dragged). I must tell you, dragged just sounds wrong to me! It's a regional usage apparently, that grates on some peoples' nerves--especially, but not limited to, those who speak the Queen's English. However, I've been told many times that 'drug' is wrong and thus I have painstakingly (and quite cheerfully) gone through all my files and corrected the mistake within the manuscript. Check!  ✔️
So, if you would like the more perfect version, please go to Amazon and click on "your account" in the upper right corner. Then, "Manage your content and devices." Once that page is open, you have three headings to choose from.

If you click on "Settings," and scroll down, you will have the option of "Automatic Book Update." If you have clicked that on, then you'll get updates to all of the books in your library when Amazon deems that improvements have been made. 

That's all I can do from my end. If Amazon doesn't deem the change I made to the document as an "improvement" then there's not much I can do. All new copies going out now are proper. ✔️

The paperback version is a smidge more difficult to wrangle. I'm still working on that one. It should be available in updated form soon.  ALERT: BOOK SIGNING COMING UPRobots and Rogues New and Used Books I'll be doing another book signing at an amazing SFF bookstore in my state called Robots and Rogues New and Used Books on September 13 from 11 am to 1 pm. 

Here's the event's page on Facebook. Let us know if you're planning to attend! 

If you're in the area, stop in and check it out. I'll sign your book and you can explore this amazing shop dedicated to all things Science Fiction and Fantasy. There are very few independent bookstores in existence that are quite like this place. Let's keep it open by buying lots of books! It's worth a trip! Check! ✔️


WANT A SIGNED COPY OF FLUENCY? HERE'S HOW: In addition, the owner of this shop has graciously agreed to stock signed books for me and ship them. If you would like a signed copy of FLUENCY, send an email to Tricia at: robotsandrogues@gmail.com and she will send you an invoice. 

It will be a flat fee of $19 for a signed book in the US ($13 for the book and $6 for priority shipping with tracking and insurance). International shipping is available. Just ask Tricia for a quote and she will invoice you. I'll go in from time to time and sign her stock so they will always be available. 

Please don't ask her for other shipping options. I'm grateful that she's doing this for me and don't want to create extra headaches for her or her co-owner, KEvin. ✔️
That's all for now! The website is giving me fits. More soon!

My GoodReads review of The Forever War by Joe Haldemon

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm reading this after finishing Scalzi's Old Man's War. There are obvious parallels, but I much prefer Scalzi's work, as it is a more character-driven tale.

This book is a clear commentary on the Vietnam war and the effect that war had on career soldiers, how their world changed while they're away. How it has changed them into something they don't recognize.

I loved the conclusion. I loved all the commentary about social mores, gender, language, and sexuality.

Haldeman clearly expected technology to evolve even faster than it has. That adds to the book's charm for me. It's amusing to hear him refer to years I have lived through with accounts of technology that is far beyond us, but still using some very analog ideas--ie, he thought microfiche would still be around hundreds of years later. When he wrote the book, credit cards must not have been in use yet, because he imagined a small device taking the place of a wallet. A fascinating read in that way, inside the mind of a 1975 futurist.

I really enjoyed this. It's a classic I should have read long ago. And the narration on the audio book was IMPECCABLY good!

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