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A Swift Kick In The Asteroids
Neurotic tech Zagarat Cole had no choice but to steal 432,985 credits from the Deus Syndicate. It was the only way to pay for his mother’s medical treatments. So, when a Deus executive called Zag into his office, he knew the jig was up. Or down. Or however it was you danced a jig. Yet to Zag’s astonishment, the executive didn’t excoriate, eviscerate, or “ate” him at all. He offered him a job.
The Deus CEO would consider it a personal favor if Zag helped privateer, ladies’ man, and all around great guy Fletcher Griffin with an easy outsource assignment. Were the fates smiling on Zag for once in his sunning life? Until then, it seemed like whoever was writing his story in the Great Cosmic Diary just plain didn’t like Zag. But here was an opportunity to curry favor from the tenth most powerful CEO in the known universe and possibly even make a few credits on the side.
However, Zag quickly learns that nothing is easy when Fletcher Griffin is involved. He soon finds himself hacking into the corporation’s database, searching for incriminating evidence linking a Deus executive to Galustay; an insidious drug that can only be derived by harvesting adrenaline from living Weiylans. Now Fletcher and Zag must find a way to stop the harvesters and free the Weiylans, all the while fighting off a case of intentionally induced food poisoning (which Fletcher could totally explain), avoiding the ire of a powerful executive (which Fletcher could totally explain), and generally running for their lives wherever they go (which Fletcher could totally explain).
And yet, something strange happens to Zag along the way. His anxieties dwindle away, subsumed by something called courage. All because of an enigmatic privateer who is more than what he seems. And he seems to be a bumbling idiot.
"Alternately fascinating and hilarious, Edward Zajac's cosmic romp A Swift Kick in the Asteroids is devious, irreverent and entertaining, a swift kick in the funny bone." –Richard Ellis Preston, Jr., author of the Chronicles of the Pneumatic Zeppelin series
The Deus CEO would consider it a personal favor if Zag helped privateer, ladies’ man, and all around great guy Fletcher Griffin with an easy outsource assignment. Were the fates smiling on Zag for once in his sunning life? Until then, it seemed like whoever was writing his story in the Great Cosmic Diary just plain didn’t like Zag. But here was an opportunity to curry favor from the tenth most powerful CEO in the known universe and possibly even make a few credits on the side.
However, Zag quickly learns that nothing is easy when Fletcher Griffin is involved. He soon finds himself hacking into the corporation’s database, searching for incriminating evidence linking a Deus executive to Galustay; an insidious drug that can only be derived by harvesting adrenaline from living Weiylans. Now Fletcher and Zag must find a way to stop the harvesters and free the Weiylans, all the while fighting off a case of intentionally induced food poisoning (which Fletcher could totally explain), avoiding the ire of a powerful executive (which Fletcher could totally explain), and generally running for their lives wherever they go (which Fletcher could totally explain).
And yet, something strange happens to Zag along the way. His anxieties dwindle away, subsumed by something called courage. All because of an enigmatic privateer who is more than what he seems. And he seems to be a bumbling idiot.
"Alternately fascinating and hilarious, Edward Zajac's cosmic romp A Swift Kick in the Asteroids is devious, irreverent and entertaining, a swift kick in the funny bone." –Richard Ellis Preston, Jr., author of the Chronicles of the Pneumatic Zeppelin series
12 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 9, 2015
9 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Edward Zajac
2 books14 followersEdward Zajac was born in Connecticut. After some encouragement from his high school English teacher, he began writing novels. Bad novels. Horrible novels. Novels that were kicked out of the bottom drawer of his desk because the dirt inside refused to share accommodations with such dross. In fact, beta readers wanted to add those novels to the Geneva Convention as examples of excessive torture. But his writing muscles strengthened with every misstep and he can now stand all on his own. When not writing, he enjoys reading, playing role playing games, board games, video games, and devouring anything written by Terry Pratchett.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 17, 2018
A huge thank you to Curiosity Quills Press for allowing me to read Dragon Redeemer, by Amy Bearce in exchange for an honest review.
Two things appealed to me when I first heard of Dragon Redeemer. The first: it was the third and final book in the World of Aluvia series. Second, Nell, who we don’t really see much of in the first two books, finally had her own stance in the story.
It has been so long (in my mind at least) since I finished reading Mer-Charmer, that I don’t really know where the story stood when I started reading Dragon Redeemer. I’m glad to say that this final instalment has a little recap here and there reminding us of what had happened in the last books. — However, since all three books in this trilogy are from different characters’ points of view, I knew I’d be okay with reading Nell’s story since she’s such a different character than all the rest.
Dragon Redeemer is an incredibly fast paced novel. I was at 41% into the story, and the action, the plot build-up was already underway. Which is something that I enjoy immensely about Bearce’s novels: Bearce doesn’t wait to get down to the action! The fast pace that this story has is a great contender for why I ended up liking Dragon Redeemer. That, and the dragons and the other mystical creatures. *heart eyes*
I also enjoyed reading about the hardships and the insecurities that Nell had, which just makes Nell’s character all that more realistic to me. In the last two books we didn’t see much of Nell, because there was just so much going on in Sierra’s, and Phoebe’s lives. However, she’s always played an important role in the novels. So I was incredibly intrigued when I found out that Nell had her own novel!
Another thing that I liked was that of the two predictions I had made, only one of them came true. An unpredictable book is a good book!
I was actually surprised that Dragon Redeemer was a quick read. There’s a lot that happens in Dragon Redeemer, which makes the story seem even faster than it already was.
Overall, I ended up enjoying Dragon Redeemer. I went into this novel with my head clear, and not expecting much. So I’m glad that I ended up liking the story.
Two things appealed to me when I first heard of Dragon Redeemer. The first: it was the third and final book in the World of Aluvia series. Second, Nell, who we don’t really see much of in the first two books, finally had her own stance in the story.
It has been so long (in my mind at least) since I finished reading Mer-Charmer, that I don’t really know where the story stood when I started reading Dragon Redeemer. I’m glad to say that this final instalment has a little recap here and there reminding us of what had happened in the last books. — However, since all three books in this trilogy are from different characters’ points of view, I knew I’d be okay with reading Nell’s story since she’s such a different character than all the rest.
Dragon Redeemer is an incredibly fast paced novel. I was at 41% into the story, and the action, the plot build-up was already underway. Which is something that I enjoy immensely about Bearce’s novels: Bearce doesn’t wait to get down to the action! The fast pace that this story has is a great contender for why I ended up liking Dragon Redeemer. That, and the dragons and the other mystical creatures. *heart eyes*
I also enjoyed reading about the hardships and the insecurities that Nell had, which just makes Nell’s character all that more realistic to me. In the last two books we didn’t see much of Nell, because there was just so much going on in Sierra’s, and Phoebe’s lives. However, she’s always played an important role in the novels. So I was incredibly intrigued when I found out that Nell had her own novel!
Another thing that I liked was that of the two predictions I had made, only one of them came true. An unpredictable book is a good book!
I was actually surprised that Dragon Redeemer was a quick read. There’s a lot that happens in Dragon Redeemer, which makes the story seem even faster than it already was.
Overall, I ended up enjoying Dragon Redeemer. I went into this novel with my head clear, and not expecting much. So I’m glad that I ended up liking the story.
February 22, 2016
When I saw Convergence on NetGalley, it had been a while since I read any absurdist humor. ASKITA appeals to nerds and fans of HHGTTG. (I’m not going to spell it out, die-hard fans will know the acronym, and others can use Google.)
Here and there long explanations slowed down the pace, but I had no problems following the story. I did have to use the Kindle’s dictionary feature to figure out more than one word in the story, but I’ve been guilty of using a thesaurus in my writing, so I wasn’t put out. More than one joke had a long lead, and fell flat with me, but that’s just how absurdist humor is.
All three main characters are lovable is a sometimes frustrating way, and I cared about all three of them. I saw that ASKITA was labeled as the first in a series, and I’d be eager to read the second installment. A solid four stars.
Here and there long explanations slowed down the pace, but I had no problems following the story. I did have to use the Kindle’s dictionary feature to figure out more than one word in the story, but I’ve been guilty of using a thesaurus in my writing, so I wasn’t put out. More than one joke had a long lead, and fell flat with me, but that’s just how absurdist humor is.
All three main characters are lovable is a sometimes frustrating way, and I cared about all three of them. I saw that ASKITA was labeled as the first in a series, and I’d be eager to read the second installment. A solid four stars.
July 18, 2017
Zagarat cole è un informatico molto esperto, un nerd, appassionato di tecnologia e videogiochi. Ma la sua più grande preoccupazione è sua mamma, che ha una malattia rara e difficile da curare. Bisogna portarla in una clinica specializzata, ma ovviamente ci vogliono molti soldi, o crediti, come si usa nel suo universo. Ha deciso di “rubare” o meglio prendere in prestito, perché lui ha seriamente l’intenzione di restituirli, i crediti necessari, più di 400.000 all’azienda dove lavora, tramite un lavoro da hacker.
Ma zagarat, detto Zag, è anche piuttosto nevrotico e ansioso, e dopo questo furto ha paura di essere arrestato, o meglio ha paura di non riuscire a portare sua mamma alla clinica. Non vuole perderla.
Quindi quando Fletcher Griffin si interessa a lui per un lavoro, lui rifiuta. Non vuole essere immischiato in niente, vuole prendersi le ferie per far curare sua madre e cercare il modo di restituire i crediti.
Ma Fletcher è un tipo carismatico, bello e con una somma di crediti che gli darà per il lavoro, quindi Zagarat lo segue, in quella che sarà l’avventura trascinante di tutto il libro.
A swift kick in the asteroids è ambientato in un futuro dove si viaggia senza problemi tra i vari pianeti, ma dove saremo comunque obbligati a vedere i messaggi pubblicitari prima per esempio di accendere un’astronave, dove convivono varie razze aliene più o meno simili agli esseri umani, con un’astronave Aurora, che è in realtà una ragazza immersa nell’intelligel, che la connette a tutta la nave e che litiga continuamente con il suo comandante, Fletcher appunto. Ma c’è poi qualcuno che non alza almeno gli occhi al cielo per quello che dice Fletcher?
Un’avventura spaziale in tutti i sensi, divertente e con vari riferimenti alla cultura nerd, da uno scrittore che ha letto e legge qualsiasi cosa Pratchett abbia scritto, e si nota. Non è assurdo e un po’ senza senso come Guida galattica per autostoppisti, ha un ritmo molto incalzante e con dialoghi intelligenti e spiritosi.
Ci presenta vari alieni e vari pianeti, vari strumenti tecnologici e “upgrade” di cose terrestri, come i ristoranti a stelle michelin che diventano a stelle di neutroni, mantenendo ovviamente altissimi i prezzi dei piatti, cosa che Zag non accetta in alcun modo.
C’è stato qualche problema nella formattazione dell’ebook, e questo ancora si vede. Non sono errori grammaticali o di punteggiatura, sono solo caratteri strani ogni tanto o malfatti, ma sono sicura che verranno sistemati al più presto.
E’ stato davvero un piacere leggere questa storia, grazie alla Curiosity quills per avermelo mandato.
Ma zagarat, detto Zag, è anche piuttosto nevrotico e ansioso, e dopo questo furto ha paura di essere arrestato, o meglio ha paura di non riuscire a portare sua mamma alla clinica. Non vuole perderla.
Quindi quando Fletcher Griffin si interessa a lui per un lavoro, lui rifiuta. Non vuole essere immischiato in niente, vuole prendersi le ferie per far curare sua madre e cercare il modo di restituire i crediti.
Ma Fletcher è un tipo carismatico, bello e con una somma di crediti che gli darà per il lavoro, quindi Zagarat lo segue, in quella che sarà l’avventura trascinante di tutto il libro.
A swift kick in the asteroids è ambientato in un futuro dove si viaggia senza problemi tra i vari pianeti, ma dove saremo comunque obbligati a vedere i messaggi pubblicitari prima per esempio di accendere un’astronave, dove convivono varie razze aliene più o meno simili agli esseri umani, con un’astronave Aurora, che è in realtà una ragazza immersa nell’intelligel, che la connette a tutta la nave e che litiga continuamente con il suo comandante, Fletcher appunto. Ma c’è poi qualcuno che non alza almeno gli occhi al cielo per quello che dice Fletcher?
Un’avventura spaziale in tutti i sensi, divertente e con vari riferimenti alla cultura nerd, da uno scrittore che ha letto e legge qualsiasi cosa Pratchett abbia scritto, e si nota. Non è assurdo e un po’ senza senso come Guida galattica per autostoppisti, ha un ritmo molto incalzante e con dialoghi intelligenti e spiritosi.
Ci presenta vari alieni e vari pianeti, vari strumenti tecnologici e “upgrade” di cose terrestri, come i ristoranti a stelle michelin che diventano a stelle di neutroni, mantenendo ovviamente altissimi i prezzi dei piatti, cosa che Zag non accetta in alcun modo.
C’è stato qualche problema nella formattazione dell’ebook, e questo ancora si vede. Non sono errori grammaticali o di punteggiatura, sono solo caratteri strani ogni tanto o malfatti, ma sono sicura che verranno sistemati al più presto.
E’ stato davvero un piacere leggere questa storia, grazie alla Curiosity quills per avermelo mandato.
February 16, 2016
I really enjoyed this novel. I thought that the ideas in the piece were well thought out and really resonated well with the intended audience of sci-fi and techie nerds. I laughed at much of the crazy adventures that Zagarat & Fletcher get into, and really enjoyed watching the characters develop as the story went on. I think that as a debut piece this book really had strong qualities that would appeal to a sci-fi audience but I just think the length of the book slows down, and may hinder some potential readers. But, It's completed worth it to read the book to the end, because you will spend countless moments laughing with this characters, and by the time you finish, you will be excited for more!
This book is definitely a sci-fi piece. It's on the long side, and has very advanced dialog, or long explanations that sometimes slow down the pace of the reading, but the characters shine through and make for a very humorous adventure in the vein of Douglas Adams, and I can understand why the author chose to compare it to that. It's a bit touge in cheek, and a bit of dry humor, but it's really well thought out.
All in all, I wasn't sure what to expect when I accepted this book, because when book's tend to compare themselves to something very well known & loved in the Sci-Fi realm, it's often hard to read the book without large amounts of comparing between the two, but I felt that this book could stand on it's own without the attachment to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as a reference point. It's funny, it's well organized, and it's got really endearing quirky characters that I'd like to revisit again!
*This review was done in conjunction with NerdGirl. For more information, please visit their website. I received a copy of this book in exchange for honest review. All opinions are my own, and not influenced in any way.*
This book is definitely a sci-fi piece. It's on the long side, and has very advanced dialog, or long explanations that sometimes slow down the pace of the reading, but the characters shine through and make for a very humorous adventure in the vein of Douglas Adams, and I can understand why the author chose to compare it to that. It's a bit touge in cheek, and a bit of dry humor, but it's really well thought out.
All in all, I wasn't sure what to expect when I accepted this book, because when book's tend to compare themselves to something very well known & loved in the Sci-Fi realm, it's often hard to read the book without large amounts of comparing between the two, but I felt that this book could stand on it's own without the attachment to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as a reference point. It's funny, it's well organized, and it's got really endearing quirky characters that I'd like to revisit again!
*This review was done in conjunction with NerdGirl. For more information, please visit their website. I received a copy of this book in exchange for honest review. All opinions are my own, and not influenced in any way.*
September 5, 2018
3rd book in the series and it did not disappoint! I've been waiting for Nell's story and yay we get it! She took some getting used to in the first book but she grew into a favorite fairly quickly. She resents this new gift she has because she's always been a warrior and its difficult for her to deal with. Especially something of this magnitude. She's got a friend in Corbin but its also a romance and I kind felt like it was off a little. Seemed to me that Corbin wanted to change her in some way. She is a warrior at heart and has this power and he wanted her to be more healer than warrior. Thats not who she is for one thing. I understand him wanting her safe but you cant change someone like that and its not going to work as a relationship. Maybe I am the only one who felt this way about that situation I dont know. Its been 4 years since Fairy Keeper and now Nell is 19. Nell has a huge job in this book...I think more balance than anything. She's got to balance everything or its just going to fall apart for her and their enemy will prevail. Should she embrace this voice she keeps hearing and learn more in order to defeat him? Will she be able to pull this off by the end before its too late?
I enjoyed the book and I love how everyone's stories get wrapped up so we can focus on Nell's story. Loved it!
I enjoyed the book and I love how everyone's stories get wrapped up so we can focus on Nell's story. Loved it!
January 31, 2016
Full review to come, as this was a NetGalley read.
This was fun -- a somewhat madcap adventure with an unlikely protagonist who learns not to be scared of everything. I wished he'd also learn that he was totally gay for Fletcher, the oddball who dragged him on the aforementioned adventure, but we can't have everything. In places there was a little too much explanation of invented devices and ideas (or jokes), which slowed the story down and seemed to be trying a little too hard, but on the whole I enjoyed it.
This was fun -- a somewhat madcap adventure with an unlikely protagonist who learns not to be scared of everything. I wished he'd also learn that he was totally gay for Fletcher, the oddball who dragged him on the aforementioned adventure, but we can't have everything. In places there was a little too much explanation of invented devices and ideas (or jokes), which slowed the story down and seemed to be trying a little too hard, but on the whole I enjoyed it.
September 18, 2024
Brilliantly funny, an action packed romp that made me laugh out loud on a number of occasions.
Reminded me of Adams and Pratchett in many ways - all of them good!
Really hoping that this gets a UK release and that there is a follow-up; I still have questions.....
Reminded me of Adams and Pratchett in many ways - all of them good!
Really hoping that this gets a UK release and that there is a follow-up; I still have questions.....
Read
June 25, 2021I enjoyed this book. It was a good story with adventure, action, coming of age, friendship all told via quirky humour. The blurb tells enough of the story to get you interested, and want to read a comic tale.
Recommend.
Recommend.
April 5, 2025
This is a fun,quick read. I don't usually like to compare authors to one another, but I will do so just because this appears to be this author's only work. This is a fun, humor filled story that is in the same vein as something that John Scalzi would write. I also like to think that this draws inspiration to something like Hitchhiker's Guide (Douglas Adams) with the reference-like information that is sprinkled throughout the story.
The story is pretty much about an office nerd (Zag) that is pretty much recruited to help out a stranger space outlaw (more in the vein of a Space James Bond) on a mission. This is very much a contained story that does bring a lot of lore into this universe but does focus on the mission being the main driving point. It does have a lot of the cliche tropes associated with nerdy, sidekick-like man learning to see he too can be a badass. The story is humor filled, but like I said, it's the sort of humor one may find in a John Scalzi story. If that isn't your cup of tea, you may not like this story all that much. I personally love Scalzi,so I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
The story is pretty much about an office nerd (Zag) that is pretty much recruited to help out a stranger space outlaw (more in the vein of a Space James Bond) on a mission. This is very much a contained story that does bring a lot of lore into this universe but does focus on the mission being the main driving point. It does have a lot of the cliche tropes associated with nerdy, sidekick-like man learning to see he too can be a badass. The story is humor filled, but like I said, it's the sort of humor one may find in a John Scalzi story. If that isn't your cup of tea, you may not like this story all that much. I personally love Scalzi,so I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
November 30, 2015
Close Enough to "The Hitchhiker's Guide"
I've been around the block enough times to be very, very leery of books that are described as "Lovecraftian", books that are "in the tradition of..." anyone I like, and any books that are the "new Hitchhiker's Guide". What Adams did was, for me, the supreme example of comedy sci-fi space opera, and even he had trouble matching the achievement in his later books. So, where do we put this effort, which unabashedly seeks the Hitchhiker's mantel?
Well, I don't think it's unfair to say - "not bad". Even more, putting aside the Hitchhiker's comparison, the book is entertaining in its own right. Instead of Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect, we have Zag Cole and Fletcher Griffin. Zag is the tentative and anxious one who grows up during the course of the book. Fletcher is the charismatic loose cannon. This book is less "spacey" than most. Sure, we zip around in spaceships and visit other planets, but that's mostly for changes in the scenery. Sure, there's some sort of plot about finding stuff, and saving people, and surviving bad guys, but who reads these books for the plot? Again, it's just a way to get Zag out of the office and mixed up with Fletcher Griffin's antic nuttiness. And to have aliens, robots and smarmy AI's. You can't have a hero without a quest and a journey, so the journey might as well be galactic.
The book is a little more nerd/geek oriented. Arthur Dent was a befuddled everyman, while Zag is more of a befuddled tech guy who's been brought up into the sunlight out of the techie bowels of the Deus Sundicate. That allows for a lot of nerdy/geek/techie humor, most of which I got and all of which I appreciated. And there are a lot of throwaway references and one-off lines that work very well. If something doesn't work, well there's another bit right around the corner. It sometimes feels a little improvised, but you sort of root for the characters, (and by extension the author), and if you can just go with the flow without be overly critical then the book is fun.
That's not to say it doesn't have its weaknesses. Sometimes the author goes for the thesaurus when a simpler word would read better. (I don't really need "effulgent" white walls.) A little editorial trimming here and there would tighten up the book. Sometimes a joke runs up against a dead end, or is too obvious, or goes on a little too long, and you wonder how it survived the final cut. But, these are minor quibbles. Every arrow doesn't have to hit the bullseye for a read to be fun and entertaining, especially when the whole project is buoyed up by a generally bemused and winking good humor.
So, all in all an amusing and enjoyable read, and a nice find. (Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
I've been around the block enough times to be very, very leery of books that are described as "Lovecraftian", books that are "in the tradition of..." anyone I like, and any books that are the "new Hitchhiker's Guide". What Adams did was, for me, the supreme example of comedy sci-fi space opera, and even he had trouble matching the achievement in his later books. So, where do we put this effort, which unabashedly seeks the Hitchhiker's mantel?
Well, I don't think it's unfair to say - "not bad". Even more, putting aside the Hitchhiker's comparison, the book is entertaining in its own right. Instead of Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect, we have Zag Cole and Fletcher Griffin. Zag is the tentative and anxious one who grows up during the course of the book. Fletcher is the charismatic loose cannon. This book is less "spacey" than most. Sure, we zip around in spaceships and visit other planets, but that's mostly for changes in the scenery. Sure, there's some sort of plot about finding stuff, and saving people, and surviving bad guys, but who reads these books for the plot? Again, it's just a way to get Zag out of the office and mixed up with Fletcher Griffin's antic nuttiness. And to have aliens, robots and smarmy AI's. You can't have a hero without a quest and a journey, so the journey might as well be galactic.
The book is a little more nerd/geek oriented. Arthur Dent was a befuddled everyman, while Zag is more of a befuddled tech guy who's been brought up into the sunlight out of the techie bowels of the Deus Sundicate. That allows for a lot of nerdy/geek/techie humor, most of which I got and all of which I appreciated. And there are a lot of throwaway references and one-off lines that work very well. If something doesn't work, well there's another bit right around the corner. It sometimes feels a little improvised, but you sort of root for the characters, (and by extension the author), and if you can just go with the flow without be overly critical then the book is fun.
That's not to say it doesn't have its weaknesses. Sometimes the author goes for the thesaurus when a simpler word would read better. (I don't really need "effulgent" white walls.) A little editorial trimming here and there would tighten up the book. Sometimes a joke runs up against a dead end, or is too obvious, or goes on a little too long, and you wonder how it survived the final cut. But, these are minor quibbles. Every arrow doesn't have to hit the bullseye for a read to be fun and entertaining, especially when the whole project is buoyed up by a generally bemused and winking good humor.
So, all in all an amusing and enjoyable read, and a nice find. (Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
May 18, 2016
Disclaimer: Review originally posted at www.audiobookreviewer.com
Zagarat works as a technician in a big corporation called DEUS Syndicate. His mother is terribly ill and the only medical treatment that can give them hope is very expensive. Zagarat is always neurotic, and usually cautious, but desperate about his mother's health he decides to "borrow" the money from the DEUS Syndicate. The next day a big executive calls Zagarat to his office, and he fears the worst, but this will just be the beginning of Zagarat's adventures and his transformation into a new person.
This humoristic science fiction novel deserves a place beside 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Gateway' by Frederik Pohl. It made me laugh hard several times and I really enjoyed Zagarat and Fletcher's personalities. This book is aimed at the techy nerd many of us carry inside, and we could very well have reacted in the same way as Zagarat did, who suffered the collateral effects of Fletcher's wild plans. We have here a characteristic duo: Fletcher, the charming and full of confidence, but with poor ideas, privateer; and Zagarat, socially awkward, and much more resourceful than he wants to believe. Apart from being a humoristic novel, this book has a decent amount of geeky mentions, but it is not really overloaded with them so I think it could be enjoyed by a vast public.
Even though the characters are not fully developed they have a personality of their own and Nicholas Tecosky really succeeds in bringing them to life. Anytime he exclaimed the 'What now!' from Zagarat I couldn't help but laughing and seeing Zagarat desperate about the current events. He became Zagarat, Fletcher, and the other characters in a seeming effortless way. This audiobook would not have been the same without him.
But not all was perfect about this book. The event happening at the beginning, where Zagarat steals the money from DEUS has little impact on the story, and I somehow expected some consequences from it. Also, the book feels a bit long to be able to keep the humoristic tone, and after a while it is easy to get a bit tired of the cutaway stories.
This is meant to be a series, and I am sure we will know more about Fletcher's procedence and his story with Aurore. I am really looking forward to listen more about it, and I hope Edward Zajac does not keep us waiting for too long.
Zagarat works as a technician in a big corporation called DEUS Syndicate. His mother is terribly ill and the only medical treatment that can give them hope is very expensive. Zagarat is always neurotic, and usually cautious, but desperate about his mother's health he decides to "borrow" the money from the DEUS Syndicate. The next day a big executive calls Zagarat to his office, and he fears the worst, but this will just be the beginning of Zagarat's adventures and his transformation into a new person.
This humoristic science fiction novel deserves a place beside 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Gateway' by Frederik Pohl. It made me laugh hard several times and I really enjoyed Zagarat and Fletcher's personalities. This book is aimed at the techy nerd many of us carry inside, and we could very well have reacted in the same way as Zagarat did, who suffered the collateral effects of Fletcher's wild plans. We have here a characteristic duo: Fletcher, the charming and full of confidence, but with poor ideas, privateer; and Zagarat, socially awkward, and much more resourceful than he wants to believe. Apart from being a humoristic novel, this book has a decent amount of geeky mentions, but it is not really overloaded with them so I think it could be enjoyed by a vast public.
Even though the characters are not fully developed they have a personality of their own and Nicholas Tecosky really succeeds in bringing them to life. Anytime he exclaimed the 'What now!' from Zagarat I couldn't help but laughing and seeing Zagarat desperate about the current events. He became Zagarat, Fletcher, and the other characters in a seeming effortless way. This audiobook would not have been the same without him.
But not all was perfect about this book. The event happening at the beginning, where Zagarat steals the money from DEUS has little impact on the story, and I somehow expected some consequences from it. Also, the book feels a bit long to be able to keep the humoristic tone, and after a while it is easy to get a bit tired of the cutaway stories.
This is meant to be a series, and I am sure we will know more about Fletcher's procedence and his story with Aurore. I am really looking forward to listen more about it, and I hope Edward Zajac does not keep us waiting for too long.
August 11, 2016
I believe in your imagination.
Even if you're a dull-headed imbecile, I believe that whatever's kicking around in your noggin is probably more interesting to you than anything I could possibly put down on a page, or up on a screen.
The people that make good horror movies agree with me - they know that the longer they put off showing you the monster, the more terrified you'll be, because your brain, the evil bastard, has now customized that monster to fit neatly into every fear you've ever had.
Edward Zajac also agrees with me. He knows, the clever bastard, that the longer he puts off telling you all about Fletcher, while still showing him doing amazing things, the more you'll do his job for him; namely filling in Fletcher's back story in your head.
Who is he? Where's he from? How can he do all the amazing things he does? My brain spent the whole book filling in those blanks. And to me, it's amazing. To you? It'd probably be lame as hell. Doesn't matter - because if you read this book, YOU'LL know just who he is and where he's from in YOUR head, and it'll be cool as hell as far as you're concerned.
As for Zag, the other main character, he's a tech nerd. S'what he does. And usually I'd throw this into the "Twilight for Dorks" genre, except that in this instance I think it was a very well-informed and thought out decision, because we spend the majority of the book experiencing things from his perspective - and since he seems to be a fairly average person in the universe, we're tacitly informed that the things Fletcher does are NOT normal. And through Fletcher's reaction to him, we're informed that some of the things Zag can do with electronics and the old Zeroes and Ones are well above average.
The two characters form a sort of human pyramid in the narrative - informing us the reader about the other, and the universe, without verbally shitting information all over the place.
In closing:
The plot's nothing special, but the writing's good and the characters are likeable and believable in the context of the universe.
If you're a fan of Douglas Adams or smiling, I'd say give it a go.
Even if you're a dull-headed imbecile, I believe that whatever's kicking around in your noggin is probably more interesting to you than anything I could possibly put down on a page, or up on a screen.
The people that make good horror movies agree with me - they know that the longer they put off showing you the monster, the more terrified you'll be, because your brain, the evil bastard, has now customized that monster to fit neatly into every fear you've ever had.
Edward Zajac also agrees with me. He knows, the clever bastard, that the longer he puts off telling you all about Fletcher, while still showing him doing amazing things, the more you'll do his job for him; namely filling in Fletcher's back story in your head.
Who is he? Where's he from? How can he do all the amazing things he does? My brain spent the whole book filling in those blanks. And to me, it's amazing. To you? It'd probably be lame as hell. Doesn't matter - because if you read this book, YOU'LL know just who he is and where he's from in YOUR head, and it'll be cool as hell as far as you're concerned.
As for Zag, the other main character, he's a tech nerd. S'what he does. And usually I'd throw this into the "Twilight for Dorks" genre, except that in this instance I think it was a very well-informed and thought out decision, because we spend the majority of the book experiencing things from his perspective - and since he seems to be a fairly average person in the universe, we're tacitly informed that the things Fletcher does are NOT normal. And through Fletcher's reaction to him, we're informed that some of the things Zag can do with electronics and the old Zeroes and Ones are well above average.
The two characters form a sort of human pyramid in the narrative - informing us the reader about the other, and the universe, without verbally shitting information all over the place.
In closing:
The plot's nothing special, but the writing's good and the characters are likeable and believable in the context of the universe.
If you're a fan of Douglas Adams or smiling, I'd say give it a go.
November 17, 2015
Despite the fact that there were several things about this novel that I found highly annoying, it was quite a good story with some rather endearing primary characters. You feel almost immediate sympathy for Zagarat, who is quite obviously a good person who is not only stuck in a rut of a life, but also faced with a difficult decision in regards to his mother. Fletcher is more of an anomaly; you’re never seem quite sure of who or what he is, or what his motivations are. Not to mention Aurora May, and certainly Devon; we know even less about either of them, but they both seem such intriguing characters.
The author inserts a LOT of world-building, atmosphere-setting, back-story that generally has nothing to do with the story, most of which is just annoying, repetitive drivel. That got real annoying - real fast! Some of it was initiated by Zag and actually helped to somewhat establish his character as an annoying, easily distracted dweeb. But much of it was narrator initiated, and mostly just served to distract from the story and bog down the plot.
The cliché angel and devil on Zag’s shoulders were extremely annoying as well. Not to mention how often an expletive of “by the suns” or some such was used. And there were quite a few instances where things just didn’t seem to jive with prior aspects of the narrative. The story seemed to take a long, drawn out, indirect, almost boring route as we waited for more of it to unfold. And then it just wrapped up extremely quickly. Zag wasn’t the only one left feeling in a bit of a funk at the end.
But despite all of the things that I didn’t like about the book… I still wanted more! I want to know what happens to the characters and see them in action again! I definitely hope there is a sequel in the works. The story itself, underneath all of the extraneous annoying stuff was really quite good, and I would definitely recommend this book, as long as you have the patience to wade through a bunch of unrelated rambling.
I received this book free from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review.
The author inserts a LOT of world-building, atmosphere-setting, back-story that generally has nothing to do with the story, most of which is just annoying, repetitive drivel. That got real annoying - real fast! Some of it was initiated by Zag and actually helped to somewhat establish his character as an annoying, easily distracted dweeb. But much of it was narrator initiated, and mostly just served to distract from the story and bog down the plot.
The cliché angel and devil on Zag’s shoulders were extremely annoying as well. Not to mention how often an expletive of “by the suns” or some such was used. And there were quite a few instances where things just didn’t seem to jive with prior aspects of the narrative. The story seemed to take a long, drawn out, indirect, almost boring route as we waited for more of it to unfold. And then it just wrapped up extremely quickly. Zag wasn’t the only one left feeling in a bit of a funk at the end.
But despite all of the things that I didn’t like about the book… I still wanted more! I want to know what happens to the characters and see them in action again! I definitely hope there is a sequel in the works. The story itself, underneath all of the extraneous annoying stuff was really quite good, and I would definitely recommend this book, as long as you have the patience to wade through a bunch of unrelated rambling.
I received this book free from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review.
December 14, 2015
On Thin Icing is modeled after the classic manor house mystery. In Ellie Alexander’s cozy debut, Jules Capshaw is hired to cater for a weekend retreat for the directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The retreat takes place at an isolated resort a few hours from Ashland. Jules expects that her main challenge will be delighting the palates of the directors and cooking in an unfamiliar kitchen. What she gets is far different. Her estranged husband Carlos arrives intent on rekindling their romance. Power and communications are limited. If that isn't enough, Jules discovers the body of the resort’s bartender in the freezer.
With a storm cutting off access to the resort, the only police assistance comes in the form of two detectives from Ashland - one of whom is a close friend who wishes to be something more. The mystery attracts Jules, and soon she is asking questions as well as whipping up delectable dishes.
Ellie Alexander does a good job describing Jules’s thoughts and perceptions. Not every author is skilled writing in the first person. The dishes she describes are mouth-watering. It is easy to believe that cooking is Jules’s passion. Her assistant Sterling is perceptive and compassionate, willing to voice what Jules is not willing to see. I liked the premise of the novel, and feel that Alexander is a skilled writer.
While On Thin Icing is not groundbreaking, it is a solid, well written start to what promises to be an entertaining new series.
4/5
On Thin Icing is available for preorder and will be released December 29, 2015.
I received a copy of On Thin Icing from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
http://muttcafe.com/2015/12/a-swift-k...
With a storm cutting off access to the resort, the only police assistance comes in the form of two detectives from Ashland - one of whom is a close friend who wishes to be something more. The mystery attracts Jules, and soon she is asking questions as well as whipping up delectable dishes.
Ellie Alexander does a good job describing Jules’s thoughts and perceptions. Not every author is skilled writing in the first person. The dishes she describes are mouth-watering. It is easy to believe that cooking is Jules’s passion. Her assistant Sterling is perceptive and compassionate, willing to voice what Jules is not willing to see. I liked the premise of the novel, and feel that Alexander is a skilled writer.
While On Thin Icing is not groundbreaking, it is a solid, well written start to what promises to be an entertaining new series.
4/5
On Thin Icing is available for preorder and will be released December 29, 2015.
I received a copy of On Thin Icing from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
http://muttcafe.com/2015/12/a-swift-k...
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December 16, 2015*This was taken from a larger post
Now on to A Swift Kick in the Asteroids.
I actually liked ASKITA. It was very interesting and had nerd humor, which I loved. It used advanced words, which made it a slow read for an already long book. I liked it, I just don’t want to finish it. It’s really long, and I don’t have the time for it. Everytime I opened it up, I felt like I was forcing myself to read.
So I thought the best thing to do was put it down and move on.
I loved the world ASKITA created and all of the really cool products. It was funny.
Now on to A Swift Kick in the Asteroids.
I actually liked ASKITA. It was very interesting and had nerd humor, which I loved. It used advanced words, which made it a slow read for an already long book. I liked it, I just don’t want to finish it. It’s really long, and I don’t have the time for it. Everytime I opened it up, I felt like I was forcing myself to read.
So I thought the best thing to do was put it down and move on.
I loved the world ASKITA created and all of the really cool products. It was funny.
November 15, 2018
(Audiobook) A very enjoyable space adventure in the same lane of Hitchhikers Guide. The main character is a tech support nerd thrust into a dangerous mission with the smoth-talking, good-looking Fletcher Griffin - who is more than what he seems.
It was all very enjoyable and there are plenty of easy laughs here and there. I felt a little zoned out in the middle after we learned about Fletchers real mission and they head off to Galustay and the other characters they run into towards the end.
It was all very enjoyable and there are plenty of easy laughs here and there. I felt a little zoned out in the middle after we learned about Fletchers real mission and they head off to Galustay and the other characters they run into towards the end.
March 23, 2018
If you don’t like; HHGTTG, witty puns, a feel good story, likable characters, nerds, obliterating Idiots, not so happy endings and does a joke like “The sight was gruesome and then it grew some” (when seeing the privates of some specie) not even register on your humor scale. Then you might want to skip this book. If one of the above mentioned things tickle your fancy…pick it up and read it. You will thank me later
October 18, 2018
I really can not recommend this.
The writing style tries to be too clever for its own good, often leaving me feeling like I'm reading /r/IAmVerySmart. The jokes mostly miss the mark. Except for the one joke about post-post-modern dancing about 4.5 hours in, that made me chuckle.
I don't recall much of the plot - in spite of me finishing the book less than half an hour ago. It didn't really seem that interesting at all.
The writing style tries to be too clever for its own good, often leaving me feeling like I'm reading /r/IAmVerySmart. The jokes mostly miss the mark. Except for the one joke about post-post-modern dancing about 4.5 hours in, that made me chuckle.
I don't recall much of the plot - in spite of me finishing the book less than half an hour ago. It didn't really seem that interesting at all.
January 18, 2018
A silly space opera romp that constantly has its tongue in its cheek. I believe it is intended to be part of a series of novels and it certainly sets up some unexplored avenues. The characters have distinct voices and the humor is spot on. With that being said this is no literary work of art, but simply a goofy sci-fi adventure that is well written and paced.
May 22, 2018
I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt that this was written as an homage to Douglas Adams' HGttG instead of a blatant rip-off. Regardless, while the humor is initially cute, it falls short of the lovable quirkiness of HGttG and quickly becomes frustratingly annoying. I really wanted to enjoy this book but who wants to watch Deep Impact after already watching Armageddon?
August 7, 2016
Sometimes funny, always acerbic, an adventure romp. The ending seemed a little bit of let down, and I hope there's a sequel coming. But enuff "Gee, whiz"!
January 17, 2018
This was fun, but super-sexist and poorly written. Seriously, women are only (1) evil, (2) sex objects, or (3) mom. That's pretty awkward.
March 29, 2018
Not funny.
April 15, 2018
good book, fun to read. i look forward to the next book of the series
December 27, 2018
It reminds me a lot of the later Hitchhiker books. its funny but also sad. lots of jokes with dark undertones. its not a great book but it has plenty of potential.
October 9, 2021
Very good, honestly much better than I expected.
I did a re-read on this and still think that it was better than I had expected.
I did a re-read on this and still think that it was better than I had expected.
March 17, 2025
first half was much better than second.
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