Book Review: “A Hero”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – Author Stephen Arseneault (https://www.arsenex.com) published the novel “A Hero” in 2019. Mr. Arseneault has published more than 50 novels. This is the first of his “Corporation Wars” series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of violence. The story is set in the far future. The primary character is Rayford Tyvos Jackson.

Jackson has recently graduated from college with an engineering degree. Work is hard to find and he needs to find a way to support his wife and daughter. The Jackson family decide to travel to the remote mining colony of Echelon. The job with the Arlis Corporation is the only one he can find. He is expecting a good position with Arlis. His best friend at college is running the Echelon mining facility. He hopes this will be a good career move, but the corporation imposes strict rules. Soon, he and his family are fed up and are ready to leave.

Aliens are sited in human space, but they avoid all contact. Without warning, they begin to mercilessly attack human settlements. Humanity has not had a war in decades. The military is ill-equipped and the politicians are unwilling to make hard decisions. As Jackson has feared, there is an attack on the mining facilities on Echelon. Casualties are widespread and include Jackson’s wife and daughter. Seeking revenge Jackson enlists in the Marines.

Human forces struggle against the aliens. They call themselves the Togmal but little is known about them. Even after years of war, there has been no communication. While they win a few battles, humanity is losing the war. Major corporations, including Arlis, step up and offer to take over the war. They claim that their organization and efficiency will enable humans to win. The corporations take over the military. They also take over most functions of the government. The result is that newer and better weapons begin to flow to the troops. Slowly the tide begins to turn.

I enjoyed the 7+ hours I spent reading this 330-page science-fiction thriller. The story is full of action as well as subtle intrigue. I am looking forward to the next novel in the series. This is the second novel I have read from Arseneault (ARMS War for Eden was the other). I have enjoyed them both. I like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Mozari Arrival”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – Author Jack Colrain published the novel “ Mozari Arrival” in 2019. Mr. Colrain has published 6 novels. This is the first of his “Hammond’s Hardcases” series. 

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set in the far future. The primary character is Daniel West.

An unexpected arrival has Earth on edge. A massive spacecraft from the Mozari has entered Earth orbit. Without warning, it drops projectiles on Houston, Sydney, and Shenzhen with massive destruction. A count-down timer appears along with the warning to train or die.

The Mozari spacecraft drops mysterious pods of equipment across the globe. The operation of the equipment is limited to a select few humans who have the right blood components. To the surprise of many, some of the included equipment are weapons.

The drafting of West’s best friend drives him to take action. He does not want to see his friend separated from his daughter. West chooses to take his friend’s place. The subterfuge does not last long. Being a lawyer, he expects to be court-martialed and imprisoned. Instead, he is offered a promotion to 2nd Lieutenant if he is willing to join a special unit. Once there he finds out about the pods and that he has the required blood to operate the alien equipment.

West and a handful of others train as a special operations team. He has some problems with his teammates. After months of training, the team is deployed in the US to counter terrorists. West becomes romantically involved with a teammate. She is their only pilot and is from China. They are finally sent to the Mozari ship to confront the aliens. What they find surprises them.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 393-page Science Fiction novel. I liked the plot. It is a little different from most Science Fiction novels. I look forward to reading more books in this series. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Einstein’s Compass”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – Authors Grace Blair and Laren Bright published the novel “Einstein’s Compass” in 2019. This is Ms. Blair’s first novel. Mr. Bright has two other novels to his credit besides this one.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Situations. The story is set in German and Switzerland. It begins in the late 19th century. The primary character is young Albert Einstein.

The young Einstein is given a compass that does more than point to magnetic North. He becomes involved in a struggle between light and dark. Between angels and fallen angels. He finds himself often in danger. He learns to use his compass to travel through time and learn physics from the great physicists of history.

I thought that this was an interesting 6.5+ hour read. This 400-page young adult science fiction novel was a little disappointing. I came close to calling a ‘Rule of 50‘ on it and setting it aside. I think that the selected cover art is interesting. I give this novel a 3.7 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Starship Repo”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – Author Patrick S. Tomlinson (https://www.patrickstomlinson.com) published the novel “Starship Repo” in 2019. This is his sixth novel.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’. The story is set in the far future. The primary character is ‘First’ aka Evelyn.

First is 17 and has run away from home. She is living on her own and is one of the only humans on an alien space station. First has been stealing and running small-time scams.

She steals a vehicle but instead of making a little cash, she is drawn into a team that repos spacecraft. She and her team have one close call after another.

I enjoyed the 8.5 hours I spent reading this 326-page young adult science fiction novel. I liked the plot of the novel, but I am not a fan of the tongue-in-cheek approach. The book is more a collection of short stories than one major plot. This is the fourth novel authored by Mr. Tomlinson that I have read and I have enjoyed them all. I give this novel a 3.7 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Do you read Science Fiction or Fantasy?

Updated 4/17/20

(See my other Reading related posts) – I have been following Baen Books for a few years. I first posted about them several months back. With the current ‘shelter-in-place’ policy I thought it deserved another look.

Not only does Baen Books offer more than 70 eBooks for free download, but they also have dozens of short stories. And of course, you can buy ebooks through them as well at a low cost. There are more than 2200 books currently available from them. They also offer several different 7-book bundles for only $18 per bundle.

Some of the recent short stories are:

1. “Waiting for the Talisman” by P.C. Hodgell https://www.baen.com/talisman 
2. “Voodoo Magic” by Robert Buettner https://www.baen.com/voodoomagic
3. “Burners” by Matt McHugh https://www.baen.com/burners 
4. “Treason Properly” by J.J. Cragun https://www.baen.com/treason 
5. “Talk Girl” by Wil McCarthy https://www.baen.com/talkgirl 
6. “A Visit to the Galaxy Ballroom” by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller https://www.baen.com/galaxyballroom 
7. “Next Giant Leap” by Patrick Chiles https://www.baen.com/nextgiantleap 
8. “The Red Sea” by Mercedes Lackey & Cody Martin https://www.baen.com/redsea 
9. “Adrift” by Frank Chadwick  https://www.baen.com/adriftfc 
10. “The Policeman’s Daughter” by Wil McCarthy https://www.baen.com/policemansdaughter 
11. “Peregoy’s Wolves” by Nancy Kress https://www.baen.com/peregoyswolves 

If you are looking for more eBooks to help pass the time at home, Baen is a good source!

Book Review: “Three Remain”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – Author R. A. Andrade (https://www.raandrade.com) published the novel “Three Remain” in 2019. This is Mr. Andrade’s second novel. 

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story takes place in the contemporary US. There are three principal characters. Sara, Traci, and Glen. 

Glen wakes up at his rural home to find himself without power or communications. Sara wakes to find herself in a wrecked car and without any memory. Traci, a 13-year-old, falls asleep in the movie theater and awake to silence. 

The three come together and find that they are alone. Before long they discover themselves faced with one obstacle after another. Then they realize that these are not random occurrences. They are being tested.

I enjoyed the 6+ hours I spent reading this 261-page young adult science fiction novel. While not labeled young adult, it has that feel to it. I do like the plot, though it seems to be simply implemented. I give this novel a 3 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Shrouded Loyalties”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – Author Reese Hogan (http://www.reesehogan.com) published the novel “Shrouded Loyalties” in 2019. Mr. Hogan has published three novels. 

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in a different Universe set on the world of Mirrix. The primary character is Naval officer Mila Blackwood.

Blackwood’s country, Belzen, is at war with Dhavnakir. She is serving aboard a submarine equipped with the super-secret ‘shrouding’ technology. The ‘shrouding’ lets a vessel or vehicle pass through the solid ground of planet Mirrix. Dhavnakir spies are everywhere searching for the ‘shrouding’ tech.

While shrouded, unknown creatures attack Blackwood’s submarine. The damaged submarine manages to limp home. Injuries result to both Blackwood and Deckman Holland during the attack. Their commander orders them back to the city of Ellemko. The scientists there will attempt to learn more about the attack. They also hope to understand the marks left on both Blackwood and Holland from the attack.

Holland is a Dhavnakir spy under deep cover. She is trying to get the information she has learned about shrouding to her superiors. Blackwood’s weak, 17-year-old brother, Andrew, gets drawn into the spy intrigue. A childhood friend from Dhavnakir approaches and seduces him. Holland and Blackwood are troubled by what they learn about their respective governments. Simpy surviving turns out to be a challenge.

I enjoyed the 9.5+ hours I spent reading this 313-page science fiction novel. I liked the general plot, but the story is on the dark side. The selected cover art is OK but rather plain. I give this novel a 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Velocity Weapon”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – “Velocity Weapon” eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Megan E. O’Keefe (http://meganokeefe.com). This is Ms. O’Keefe’s fifth novel and the first in her “The Protectorate” series. 

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of violence and Mature Language. The story is set in 3541 and 3771. The primary characters are the siblings Sanda and Biran Greeve. 

Sanda commands a gunship and is attacked while on patrol in space. She wakes up 230 years later the only human aboard a sentient enemy spacecraft.  Biran has been identified as special and has been in training to be a Keeper. He quickly rises through the ranks of the Keepers. 

Sanda learns that her home of Ada Prime and their enemies the Icarions have destroyed one another and she is alone. The AI ship seems to be her friend, but she is suspicious. That suspicion is increased when they find another survivor in the wreckage. 

Biran uses his political position to keep the war from escalating beyond control. He also is using every avenue possible to look for his missing sister. He soon finds that the government he has always wanted to be a part of is not what he expected. 

I enjoyed the 14.5+ hours I spent reading this 545-page science fiction novel. I liked the plot and thought it was a little different. I do think that the story ended a little abruptly. Certainly, the saga of Biran and Sanda is far from over. I am not a fan of the selected cover art. I don’t see how that relates much to the story (is it supposed to be the sentient ship Bero?). I give this novel a 4  out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Clemhorn: Nightfall”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – “Clemhorn: Nightfall” eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Andrew J. Harvey (https://www.andrewjharvey.com). This is Mr. Harvey’s third publication.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of violence. The story is set on several Earth’s in different universes.

In this alternate history/universe story. There are established lines of transport between the various Earths. This story follows three siblings, Donald, Ivy, and Conrad, as their world comes under attack. The level of technology is more “Steam Punk” than modern.

I enjoyed the 6.5+ hours I spent reading this 325-page science fiction novel.  The story deals with a very large family in leadership positions on one Earth. It did have a slow start. I was 32% of the way into the book before there was a real conflict. I liked the plot, but the book ended abruptly with many unresolved threads to the story. I will be looking for the follow up novel(s) that take the story to a conclusion. I do like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 3.9 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Star Matters II: Edge of Revelation”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – “Star Matters II: Edge of Revelation” eBook was published in 2019 and was written by David John West.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Situations. The story is set in contemporary times and centers in the UK.

The British Prime Minister is contacted by representatives of a human race from another world, the Gayans. She is surprised to discover that contact with aliens is one of the many things that have been planned for. The appropriate agency in the British government is contacted and soon he is in discussions with the Gayans.

The Gayans want to formalize the ‘first contact’. They also reveal that there are other human alien forces, the Spargar Empire, that they are at odds with. The Spargar Empire wants Earth to be incorporated to their Empire. Their governments and philosophies are very different. It appears that Earth would be better aligned with the Gayans.

I thought that the 10.5 hours I spent reading this 309-page science fiction novel was interesting.  I thought that this novel was a little on the strange side and felt more like an old science fiction novel than one written in this day and age. While there are opposing forces, there is really little in the way of open conflict. I was disappointed with the plot and execution of the novel. While this is the second novel in his series, this one reads pretty well on its own. The cover art is OK, but does not motivate me much to read the novel. I give this novel a 3.4 (rounded down to a 3) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).