SPSFC4 First chapter reads Day 3
In a world gone mad with bloodlust, can a girl with a fragmented past use her inner monster to save a boy from undying predators?
Earth, post-Apocalypse. Prisma longs to understand herself. Two centuries after humanity died, the claustrophobic immortal is grateful she’s not driven by the thirst for blood plaguing every other enslaved survivor. But when she encounters a strange boy with a cryptic message about her origins, she fears his existence has made them both a deadly target.
As Prisma’s violently protective alter-ego gives her remarkable abilities, she and her curious companion track his mysterious origins through their decaying city and its virtual twin. But she’s horrified to learn of a vicious truth that sends her split personality into dangerous denial when a psychotic assassin and a desperate bounty hunter close in for the kill.
Can she unearth the secret that will renew their stricken planet’s hope?
A Spectre in the Stream is the edge-of-your-seat first book in The Slip Saga science fiction fantasy series. If you like gritty characters, violent action, and dark-edged humour, then you’ll love Simon Tull’s fast-paced adventure.
First ImpressionsThe Cover looked good, and reminded me of vampires and the thirst for blood mentioned in the blurb seemed to tie in to it. The blurb itself was intriguing. The first chapter was well written and reminded me of The Matrix somewhat. The tension and confusion of the character felt very real and I liked the descriptions.
If you’re looking for a sci fi with well realised characters, mysteries and adventure, you should give this a try.
What Swims on Uncharted World 550 by R.B. LovittBlurbMeet Dr. Elora Stephenson, a biologist joining a team on a small outpost on an alien world. As soon as she arrives, strange occurrences and unexplained deaths throw the outpost into chaos. Who can be trusted? Who is hiding who they are? Elora must navigate the treacherous web of suspicions and sabotage, racing against time to unmask the culprit before the outpost is completely wiped out.
The fate of the team on uncharted world 550 rests in Elora’s hands in this thrilling tale of mystery and deception.
First ImpressionsThe cover didn’t strike me as being a space mystery cover. I would have thought adventure or First Contact Sci Fi from the alien being and the astronaut with the gun. The blurb seems to be leaning towards mystery however.
The first chapter is well written and gives an intro to the characters. Nothing stands out, however, just a generic set of people in a generic sci fi environment. The only excitement comes at the end of the chapter when I assume one of the deaths mentioned in the blurb has happened. I found it weird that Elora and the people she travelled with seem slightly hostile to each other and their conversation on the shuttle doesn’t sound like the kind of conversation people who have been travelling together for some time in a space shuttle are having.
That said, it’s a personal nit pick. If you like alien worlds and mysteries, you will enjoy this book.
A Swift and Sudden Exit by Nico VincentyBlurbAn immortal, doomed to die. A time traveler, desperate to save her.
When Zera travels back in time to 2040, she aims to investigate the geomagnetic storm that scorched the earth. Instead, she finds the beautiful Katherine, who speaks of past storms and asks with her dying breath, “Is this the first time we meet?”
From WWII-era New York to early 2000s New Orleans and everywhere in between, Zera chases both storms and Katherine, thinking her immortality is the key to fixing the future. But as the immortal goes from a reluctant ally with a deadly hunter to a romantic complication, Zera wonders if the past is really set in stone, or if she can still save the world—and Katherine.
First ImpressionsI loved the cover so much, it gives me an old school comics vibe which I adored. The blurb works well, the stakes and the conflict all clearly laid down. The queer rep also makes me happy. I’m always for more queer rep since it’s so rare even now.
The first chapter was great. The post apocalyptic world that Zera is in is described well and the close call she had added to the tension. I loved the voice and the camaraderie between Zera, Kissi, and Lieb. It’s a book I want to read in full and off it goes to the wishlist.
If you like time travel, post apocalyptic worlds, and queer rep, you will love this book.
Warped State by Jo MilesBlurbStar Trek meets Leverage in a space opera that’s “refreshingly hopeful and heaps of fun” (author Megan E. O’Keefe).
Jasper Wilder is an activist, not a spy, but he’ll become one if that’s what it takes to stop Ravel Corporation from reviving the research project that devastated his home planet.
His plan is simple enough: Break into the secure facility. Steal the research data. Find a weakness and sabotage the project. But all that goes out the airlock when he meets Havoc, a passionate but politically naive labor organizer trying to reform Ravel from within.
Havoc could help Jasper, but instead, he’s fighting for a lost cause. Jasper knows that if he sticks with his own plan, Havoc will likely take the blame—and Ravel doesn’t treat activists kindly.
With an elite security operative closing in, and time running out to sabotage the deadly project before it launches, Jasper needs to find a way to team up with Havoc… before his mission hurts the person he’s coming to care about.
Full of adventure and suspense, LGBTQ+ characters, found family, a sentient spaceship with anxiety issues, and hijinks galore, Warped State is sure to delight fans of Ann Leckie, Becky Chambers, and Martha Wells.
Praise for Warped State
“Jo Miles’ Warped State is delightful in every way—smart, emotional, funny, inspiring, and brilliantly written. You’ll absolutely fall in love with Jasper and Havoc, cheering the whole way.” – Karen Osborne, author of Architects of Memory
“Refreshingly hopeful and heaps of fun, Warped State will keep you turning pages late into the night.” – Megan E. O’Keefe, author of The Blighted Stars and Velocity Weapon
“A rollicking spy story with a wonderful romance woven in… [Warped State] is a terrific ride.” – John Appel, author of Assassin’s Orbit
First ImpressionsI loved the cover and the blurb both. The cover was eye catching and the blurb is intriguing. Once again, queer rep! Yay! I’m in heaven with all the queer rep books, ngl.
The first chapter was extremely well written and intriguing. I got a real sense of Jasper as a person, and the stakes, and his barely healed trauma. The chapter has mentions of infertility and miscarriages, so a warning for those who want to avoid those themes. On the whole, it’s yet another book that I want to read in full and has gone into the wishlist.
If you love alien worlds, activism, adventure, and queer rep, you will love this book.
DISCLAIMER: I meant to do this in the last post, but got distracted and forgot. Joys of ADHD. Everything in these posts reflect my personal opinions. I am by no means an expert on anything science or science fiction and though I do dabble in writing, the posts here represent my views as a reader like everyone else out there and should not be considered as anything more. I try to be objective, but we’re all people and true objectivity is not something possible, so these represent by very subjective reading tastes. They may align with some of the readers’ and may not, but I would give all these books a try regardless of how I feel.
