K.N. Salustro's Blog, page 19

Star Federation Database: Mezora

[image error]

For more information on the dominant native species, see: Mezorans.

A large, rocky planet located within Star Federation-controlled space, Mezora is one of the few planets within this territory that does not recognize the galactic military’s authority. Mezora declared its independence at the beginning of the Andromedan War, choosing to abstain from fighting as well as any diplomatic ties. The planet has a history of extreme isolation that has only recently been broken by newly established t...

Review – Age of Myth

[image error]This was a weird one for me. It had all the major things going for it that I usually enjoy in fantasy, but ultimately, it fell short.

I went back and forth between really liking this book and not being totally enthralled. It took a while for me to get into the characters and the pace of the plot, but once the threads started to intertwine, the story became much, much stronger, and the characters began to come into focus. Suri in particular is a fantastic character, and I loved following her a...

Review – The Delphi Effect

[image error]3 stars on Goodreads, 2.5 in my mind.

I had this on my kindle for a few months before I read it. It’s by the same author who wrote the Chronos Files series, which I enjoyed but had some hang ups with. This book I didn’t like as much.

I really liked the first couple of chapters, and thought that I was getting a story about a girl who communicates with the dead and ends up solving a murder mystery with the grandfather of the victim. I was ready for this oddball buddy cop story. I did not get th...

Review – And Then There Were None

[image error]This is the first book by Agatha Christie that I’ve ever read. I didn’t fully know what to expect, but once I got into this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now, I admit, I did not initially like the twist, but as I read further into the final chapter and thought about things, I came to appreciate it. There’s also an early clue that might, MIGHT, tip off a savvy reader, but it’s cleverly hidden. Eventually, I should reread the book and see what other signs are scattered throughout, but to talk...

Review – The Jewel and Her Lapidary

[image error]4 stars on Goodreads, 3.5 in my mind.

This is a short read, though not necessarily a quick one. Fran Wilde is very, very good at creating dense, rich worlds in small spaces, so you will want to take your time to digest all the details. This novella maybe could have used a bit more breathing room as some of the details can feel a bit overwhelming, but if you take your time with it, the world comes into focus, and it is a great character study.

There’s a lot of character growth in this short pi...

Review – Saga, Vol. 7

[image error]Ahh, Saga. Easily one of my favorite reads. An amazing story with a huge cast of wonderful characters, and art that just keeps getting better and better with each new issue.

Which brings us to the most current release, Volume 7. Or, as I like to call it, the Rip-Your-Heart-Out-and-Dropkick-It-to-Jupiter Volume.

I read this volume in one sitting. Normally, Saga takes me two or three sessions to get through, but not this one. Nope, this one was cover-to-cover in a little over an hour. Not becau...

Arkin plushies now up for sale!!

All of my leftover arkin plushies from BookCon 2017 are ! If you missed out at the event or weren’t able to attend, now is your chance to bring one home!

You don’t need to have read my science fiction books to love your new companion, but if you’re curious about where these creatures came from, check out Chasing Shadows and Unbroken Light. You’ll find two of the characters from those books have been brought to life in plush form: Orion the gray arkin with the black mask,...

Review – Rosemary and Rue

[image error]What a beautiful, brutal book.

This is Seanan McGuire’s first novel, and it’s the first thing I’ve read by her. I fell in love with it very quickly, fascinated by the world building and rules of magic and diplomacy that the characters live by. It’s an intricate, dangerous world coexisting alongside the human one, always in danger of discovery but surviving nonetheless.

The Fae come in a wide range of bloodlines, pulling from fantasies from all over. As such, there’s a big cast of characters,...

BookCon is over! Now what??

[image error]

Whew!

BookCon 2017 ended Sunday evening, but it feels like I should still be getting ready for it! Crazy how quickly it went by…

It was a lot of fun, though, and I got to meet a ton of awesome people. My only regret is not taking photos while I was there. I wish I had some to share! That’s by bad, all. Next time!!

So, now that BookCon is over… what’s next?

Well, I’m back to work on Book #3 in the Star Hunters series. I’m fiddling around with titles but at this stage, still haven’t settled on...

The Arkin Plush Army

After countless hours embroidering, tracing, cutting, sewing, stuffing, and finishing by hand, they have finally arrived in all their glory. And with watermarks on their photos this time, too.

You remember the first batch of arkin plushies, right? They were all beanies and came in mostly neutral hues. Gold, red, and blue were the exceptions.

This time around, there are a few more outlandish colors in the mix. Hey, they’re highly adaptable aliens, right? No reason they can’t develop lilac,...