Steven Allen > Recent Status Updates

Our hero's ex-wife has chased him down at a reception and wants to be "friends." The ex-wife lives in a polyamorous commune, dumping Prim as soon as she was healed from her stroke. Prim is off fighting the evil aliens again, but now his ex-wife has messed up his head.

Been wanting to read this series for a while now. Starts well; good hooks into the story. Rich, titled woman strikes out on her own from influential family. Embarrassing older sib. Similar to Dietz's Andromeda series, and Drake's Honor Harrington. Andromeda was born into nobility, while Dame Honor was knighted for her heroic actions. Honor and Andromeda started at the lowest ranks; we meet Kat as captain already.

A sentient lizard would be a scary thing, as lizards appear about as cold, merciless, and totally lacking of any empathy.

Fawkes has dropped the first nuke, be interesting to see what else happens.

So the lizard shape-shifter is still loose, the resistance leadership is shaken, and the poor surviving Cato is still trying to catch his man (er ... lizard).

So Faye has broken free of Fawkes, and the undead terrorist has released all of the Revivors on the city and taken over a nuclear-armed satellite.

This has been a fairly good story so far. I understand the author only wrote two stories in this world - I wonder if he will return to this world again?

Started slow but the story is starting to pick up a bit. Finally getting into the more kinky sex, and more fantasy than reality.

I have enjoyed all of this author's works so far. I really like the Legion of the Damned series and hope that he writes more in that world. This book is the first in a duology. Cato is as flawed a hero as they come which the author does a great job in a few chapters of setting the scene. Very Roman-esq setting, so I wonder if Jak Cato is somewhat based on the ancient Roman of the same name?

Another book recommended by Amazon based upon my purchase profile. Glad I checked it out from my library rather than purchasing the book. I enjoy well-written erotica, but this story has failed to either arouse me or captivate me. So far a solid meh - hooker with gold heart trope. Writing is good with concise dialog, but I have no empathy for the protagonist. Supposed to be fantasy, who wants condoms in fantasy sex?

The action is starting to pick up as the clock is winding down to the final minute. Be interesting to see how this one ends - how will Nico, Faye, et al end up?

I enjoy a well-written cop story - occasionally. The detective story is not something that I read often, unless I find an author with some real talent. After CSI on TV, some of these cop stories are too procedure heavy. These stories are all set in the mid-80s to the early 90s before computers, cell phones and other electronic gadgets which are so common today. I've read most of this author's work as I can find it.

I have read the first two novels in this series, and intend to read the author's other works. I like his SciFi blend with zombies in these books.

Amazon recommended this book based on some of my other reading. A reviewer said that this book was "sex positive" so let's see. Written by a woman originally from France (immigrated at age 21) so she does not have the usual American Puritan-influenced f'd up view of sex.

So I was completely wrong for whom would be Honor's first lover. I like how the author handled it staying in line with the character's traits. I also like how slow the author took, outlying the seduction without it being tawdry or it getting boring for someone with a Y chromosome.

This book is quite darker than the author's previous books. So far other than slavers, there is a rape of a dead woman's body (yuck!), use of the "n" word to describe black people, and a general callousness towards life. Granted these traits cement the fact that the characters are the worse scum of the earth - but some readers might not appreciate reading such subject matter. Dark PA reading for sure.

I am glad to see Dame Harrington return to space with most of her injuries healed. Of course the psychological injuries are going to take longer. I notice that there are no warrant officer ranks in the Manticore Navy - I wonder why? I also wonder how long does a Treecat live? Honor mentions that Nimitz adopted her when she was a child, and she is in her 30s now. Did Nimitz receive longevity treatment as well?

Cassie's shit-bird half-brother was short-lived. Now a stupid redzone merc who let the job get personal is after Cassie. Be interesting to see if anything happens with Cassie's step father, especially after her mother dies of the plague he gave her.

This book jumps right in where the last one left off. I had hoped that Omo would appear in this book in more than a mention, but so far no luck. I liked the Omo character. Looks as if Cassie's half-brother is a shit bird of magnificent proportions. Be interesting to see what Cassie's reaction is going to be when she realizes that her runaway mother remarried and had a child with a mutant.

So far nothing different from the usual revenge PA story. Sounds like a huge solar flare devastated a good portion of the US. Not breaking any new ground - slavers, forced prostitution of young girls, lack of food and water, etc. I do like the fact that most modern weapons are exceedingly rare, so most rely on muzzleloaders, black powder and melee weapons. Truly a strong eats the weak world.

So monogamy is not even a concept the soldiers consider. Heterosexuality is considered deviant, and homosexuality normal. No wonder most of the religious nutjobs hate this book. I do like the quotes from Chuck Clausewitz though. If you study military history and are unfamiliar with Clausewitz - your education is lacking.

Story is getting better now that WIlliam and Marygay are back in the service. I expect Marygay to die, but her getting assigned to another unit with the time dilation problem, she is as good as dead to William.

The first part of this book was pretty good. But now that the first assault group survivors returned to earth, the book is not as interesting. You would think that the soldier's contracts might have stipulated since the time dilation problem was known, that the taxes on their pay should have remained at what they were when they left. 92% income tax would make me want to jump back on the ship.

On my TRL for many years, I finally started this book. As a fan of classic SF, I should have read it sooner. I know the detractors of this novel pan it as a SF Vietnam story, but so far I have found it enjoyable. The dope use, and free love is definitely straight from the 1960's.

Finished the first tale - an ending I did not expect, and not one that I would have imagined. Into the second story now. The familial strife is something that I imagine would happen in my family too. Most of the arguments between my wife and I have been over money - usually me wanting to spend it and her wanting to save it. Of modest means, I cannot imagine our arguments if we suddenly found ourselves stupidly rich.

I get tired of the maid Abby referring to Kris as "baby cakes." It feels more like I am reading YA SciFI rather than something aimed at adults. I keep checking the spine to make sure I haven't accidentally drifted into YA fiction.

I had forgotten about the Hawaiian like islands in this book. It will be interesting to see what trouble Kris gets into this time.