New from Scott Rhine: "Clean and Floss"

New from Scott Rhine (and edited by me), Clean and Floss, a comedy-horror/urban fantasy set in the same world as Foundation for the Lost (review here) and The Redemption of Mata Hari (review here) but featuring different characters.  This is a high-octane, non-stop, thrill-a-minute story featuring zombies, energy vampires, dwarfs, Sidhe, a Rennaisance Festival, aliens and much more!  We learn more about the Secret Branch, and meet some great characters along the way.  You won't want to miss it!  Check out Scott Rhine's other books here.  I've loved them all!

It appears a new book in the Jezebel series will be coming out in the late summer.  I'll keep you up-to-date on that!  Meanwhile, be sure to grab this one as soon as you can!

Book Review: "Year Zero" by Rob Reid

Year Zero review
Author: Rob Reid
5 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of humorous stories, science fiction, people who like music.

Disclosure: I received an ARC paperback copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Low-level entertainment lawyer Nick Carter thinks it’s a prank, not an alien encounter, when a redheaded mullah and a curvaceous nun show up at his office. But Frampton and Carly are highly advanced (if bumbling) extraterrestrials. And boy, do they have news.

The entire cosmos, they tell him, has been hopelessly hooked on humanity’s music ever since “Year Zero” (1977 to us), when American pop songs first reached alien ears. This addiction has driven a vast intergalactic society to commit the biggest copyright violation since the Big Bang. The resulting fines and penalties have bankrupted the whole universe. We humans suddenly own everything—and the aliens are not amused.

Nick Carter has just been tapped to clean up this mess before things get ugly, and he’s an unlikely galaxy-hopping hero: He’s scared of heights. He’s also about to be fired. And he happens to have the same name as a Backstreet Boy. But he does know a thing or two about copyright law. And he’s packing a couple of other pencil-pushing superpowers that could come in handy.

Soon he’s on the run from a sinister parrot and a highly combustible vacuum cleaner. With Carly and Frampton as his guides, Nick now has forty-eight hours to save humanity, while hopefully wowing the hot girl who lives down the hall from him.

My Thoughts: “An alien advance party was suddenly nosing around my planet. Worse, they were lawyering up. . . .” This book is hilarious. Seriously, if I started throwing in quotes, this review could end up going on to pages – I ended up reading huge sections of it to my husband wherever we happened to be, because it was so funny I couldn’t stand to keep it to myself and wanted to share it with whomever around me would listen. It’s amazing I didn’t end up going downtown, standing on the street, and starting a performance as I read it, truly.

A good example is a scene a bit past the halfway point in which Nick and his neighbor Manda are in a cab and are mistaken for top-secret government agents.

”America Good!” the driver said obsequiously, apparently confusing us for government operatives... As we started to roll, the driver muttered into his cellphone in a language that had a spectacular density of consonants. After listening intently for a few seconds, he turned to me. “North Vietnam?” He shook his head derisively. “Very, very bad.” He listened some more, then denounced Brezhnev. Apparently someone on the other end was now mining an old history book for statements that he could use to prove his loyalty to the secret agents in his cab. After sitting through heated condemnations of Kaiser Wilhelm, the Mexican troops at the Alamo, and King George III, I pulled up a picture of Pugwash... As I opened the taxi door, a loud, shattering sound came from the top floor... and [I] saw something large and Pugwash-shaped accelerating toward the ground... The driver was denouncing the Algonquian tribe to me (they apparently fought against us in the French and Indian War), so he was facing my way and saw everything. Already plenty rattled, that was it for him, and he took off.

You see? A single quote and it doubled the amount of rambling I had already done! Imagine that times about 100 and you’ll figure out how much of this I was tempted to quote at you. And maybe that would be a more effective review than my excessive fangirling... but I don’t want to spoil things, you know? Anyway, no one would have time to read that review, so you’ll just have to trust me – this book is absolutely filled with hilarious stuff. And it also effectively explains exactly how Windows has saved the world, which you won’t want to miss. That bit is right at the end, though, so I can’t tell you more of that. There are also individual playlists for several of the characters at the end of the book which reminded me of several songs that I want to add to my own collection.

So, highly recommended for fans of humorous books, science fiction, and music. Definitely check this book out!

Book Review: "Further: Beyond the Threshold" by Chris Roberson

Further: Beyond the Threshold review
Author: Chris Roberson
5 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera Reading Level: Adult

Disclosure: I received a free paperback ARC/uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review from the Amazon Vine program.

Synopsis: Captain RJ Stone just awoke from a cryogenic suspension after disappearing twelve thousand years ago on Earth's first unified interstellar space mission. He finds himself in a place known as the Human Entelechy, a myriad of worlds and habitats spread across three thousand light years that is linked by a network of wormholes with Earth at its center. Quickly caught in the middle of politics and intrigue he knows little about, Stone becomes the captain of the FTL Further, the first spacecraft to travel faster than the speed of light. The crew's first mission: investigate a distant pulsar for the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence. What they find, however, may be their undoing.

My Thoughts: From the additional information I have been able to find, this looks like it may be the beginning of a series. If so, I definitely want to keep track of it, because I got a real kick out of this book, which is fun, engaging, and exciting in equal measure – and unremittingly hilarious!

The Anachronists, especially, really amused me – I spent several minutes laughing my head off at the descriptions and actions of the first three Stone met. I wonder if modern SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) recreationists would amuse “authentic” people of the days they strive to emulate in a similar manner?  I was also very interested in the people who recreated Hindu deities and their world, Thousand-petal Lotus. The two who kept worshiping him as Sri Rama made me laugh a lot, too. I wish we had spent more time with these people, but Stone’s discomfort kept him from spending much time around them.

Admittedly this is an ARC and uncorrected proof, so hopefully the author will have noticed and fixed the many spelling and grammar errors, as well as the fact that Stone was using his ear translator with the Anachronists a day before the escort gave it to him. I had contacted the author to ask about this, but as of the posting of my review I had no response; not that I blame him, as I only contacted him a few hours ago. Again, I want to stress that I have an ARC, specifically listed as an uncorrected proof, so likely most of these issues will be cleared up in the final copy of the book.

I was really interested in Roberson’s idea for gender-neutral pronouns, developed for Xerxes: “...ey, em, eir, eirs, and eirself, rather than he, him, his, theirs, and himself.” I had previously be aware of an attempt to use “sie, hir, hirself, and sei” for “he/she, him/her, him/herself, and they”, but that apparently hasn’t taken off, since it was the 1990s when I learned them and hardly anyone I ever mention it to has heard of it. Likewise I was very interested in the attitude toward religion and belief systems that were sprinkled throughout the book. The Iron Mass was a frightening example of what religious dogmatism can turn into if allowed to spread out of control.

Science is not my background, so I can’t really comment on how realistic the scientific aspects of this book are; what I can comment on is how incredibly fun the book is. If you enjoy your science fiction with a human touch, and a lot of humor, do not miss this wonderful new book by Chris Roberson; I highly recommend it!

Book Review: "The Heart of the Matter" Odyssey One book 2 by Evan C. Currie

The Heart of the Matter: Odyssey One review
Author: Evan Currie
5 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Space Opera (per publisher); Military Science Fiction (per me) Reading Level: Adult Book Available: Book will be released in paperback and ebook format on September 25, 2012.

Disclosure: I received a free paperback ARC (uncorrected proof) from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: After an epic maiden voyage that introduced Earth to a larger universe—and a cosmos full of terrifying new enemies—Captain Eric Weston and the crew of the NAC spacecraft Odyssey have spent months cooling their heels under their admiral’s watchful eye. But when Earth’s newest ally, the Priminae, strike a defense deal with the North American Confederacy, the Odyssey finally receives her orders: return to Ranquil, the Priminae’s war-ravaged homeworld, and lend badly needed support against the invading Drasin.

Weston and his crew are hungry for action, yet once back on Ranquil, they realize not all is as it seems. Yes, the Drasin are a formidable foe, but Weston suspects a powerful unseen force is waging the war that could alter forever the face of the universe. Determined to unmask the mysterious puppet masters, Weston and his motley crew defy NAC protocol and venture into deep space…where they will discover an enemy unlike any they have ever faced. The long-awaited follow-up to the spectacular Into the Black: Odyssey One combines old-school space opera with modern storytelling to create an exhilarating new sci-fi adventure.

My Thoughts: This is the second book in the Odyssey One series of space operas. I reviewed the first book in the series, Into the Black in May of this year; you can see that review by clicking on the link here (the link on the book name goes to the Amazon page to buy it).

As I theorized in my review of the first book in the series, we do indeed learn a bit more about the Drasin in this book – just enough for me, personally, to find the idea of them absolutely terrifying. We also learn more about Central, the Priminae information archive, which is in itself also rather of concern. I’m fascinated by what Currie is building here in this series. This book is again over 600 pages, but it moves fast, with lots of action and events.

Again, while the publisher is calling this space opera, I would classify it more as military science fiction, mostly based upon the amount of combat we see in this book. I can’t really comment on the hard science aspects of the book, as that’s really not my field, but it feels right and is certainly interally consistent.

This is an uncorrected proof, advanced reader’s copy, so I wouldn’t have been surprised to find some editing errors, but it appears that not even a basic spelling check was run on this thing. There is also a long section where the gender of a character changes every couple of sentences. I hope that these things will be fixed in the final copy when it is released.

This is a series I will continue to monitor. At this time I cannot find any information as to when the next book in the series is scheduled. However, if you like Currie’s style, he has a number of other books out there, including another military sci-fi series called the Hayden War cycle, so don’t despair! I am finding his style very engaging and fun, so I’ll definitely be not only watching for additional entries in the Odyssey One series, but looking at his additional books as well. I recommend that, if you also enjoy military science fiction, you take the time to check out Evan C. Currie.

Book Review: "Cobra Gamble": Cobra War Book 3 by Timothy Zahn

Cobra Gamble: Book 3 of the Cobra War trilogy review
Author: Timothy Zahn
5 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Military Science Fiction Reading Level: Adult
Book Available: Audible Edition available now. Mass Market Paperback to be released Dec. 25, 2012. Hardcover edition is now out of print, but copies are still available through Amazon Marketplace.

Disclosure: I received a free paperback galley edition of this book from the Amazon.com Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Cobras warriors, technologically enhanced and implanted with an arsenal of covert weaponry, are the most dangerous guerrilla fighters humanity has ever produced. For Jin Moreau Broom, the war is the culmination of a lifetime of Cobra service. But it is also the height of danger for herself and her family as they struggle to survive a war that none of them ever expected to see. 

The Troft invasions of Qasama and the Cobra Worlds has had at least one result: it has turned long-time antagonists into uneasy and unwilling allies. As the aliens battle to consolidate their conquered territories, a small group of Cobras and Qasaman Djinn work together to create a victory that will rock the invaders to the core, a victory designed to bring other Troft demesnes into the conflict on the humans' side. Now one young Cobra must forge a new political order as a devastating alien enemy strikes — an enemy more deadly than any humanity has ever faced

My Thoughts: This is the third book in the Cobra War series. This book is listed as being the third book in a trilogy, but based upon the ending of the book, I have a feeling this series is going to continue. While the overall plot of the book wraps up, there are plenty of threads left dangling, leaving the story wide-open for continuation.

We finally see in this book some more of the humor that made many of Zahn’s Star Wars books so incredibly popular; not a lot, of course – this is military science fiction, after all – but there were definitely a few moments that reminded me that Zahn can be incredibly funny.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the Cobra books over this past week, and I definitely recommend them to anyone who enjoys military science fiction and/or Timothy Zahn’s writing. I will also be keeping a watchful eye for the expected continuation of this story. Be sure to check these books out.

Book review: "Foreign Identity" by Becca J. Campbell

See also blog tour information here and my separate post today with details on how to win a copy of this book, as well as how to get a free copy of Ms. Campbell's other book, Not the Norm.

Foreign Identity review
Author: Becca J. Campbell
5 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Psychological Suspense/Science Fantasy Reading Level: Adult

Disclosure: I received a free ebook ARC edition of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I have been asked to take part in a blog tour to promote this book, but none of this has not affected my opinion regarding this book.

Synopsis: Cold. Confusion. Fear. This is how it all begins.

Waking up without your memory in a cell and bound by chains is terrifying.

Two nameless strangers, a man and a woman, find themselves imprisoned together. With no memories of their own identities, let alone their captor and tormentor, escape is the only option. The pair faces a bizarre labyrinth of rooms and clues that confuse more than they explain. Every discovery only brings more questions.

Who captured them? Why were they taken? What does their captor want from them? What can the riddles mean?

Who are they?

Lacking allies and options, the duo must learn to trust one another. Mazes, puzzles, and even strange, lurking creatures force them to rely on their wits – and each other – for survival. But survival isn’t enough. They need answers.

Will the answers be enough? Will the truth bring them closer together, or drive them forever apart? Will discovering their identities finally bring them home?

My Thoughts: Wow! I had no idea what to expect when I read this book, having never read anything by Ms. Campbell before, and I was just … blown away!
I literally could not stop reading this book until I finished it – to the point where I even had my husband grab my medication for me to take so I wouldn’t have to get up. When I first started reading this, I was thinking to myself that the basic premise has been done – waking up in a room, no memories, no idea who you are; I even played a D&D game like that once. But after that, it’s like stepping through the looking glass – or flying over the rainbow, a more apt metaphor, considering the frequent references to Oz throughout the book.


I can’t tell you more about the plot, because I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but it does wander off into a sort of science/fantasy world. But don’t worry, it all makes sense, and it was a sheer delight to read! Underneath it all was a wonderful love story, too, about making things work even when it already seems it has all fallen apart.

Ms. Campbell is obviously quite a romantic, in addition to have a terrific imagination and writing style. I think this book will appeal to a wide variety of people – those who enjoy solving puzzles, mystery lovers, those who enjoy a bit of fantasy and/or science fiction in their stories, those who enjoy a touch of a love story... it all boils down to a wonderful story that is sure to please. Check it out, and check out my post regarding the blog tour (posted early Thursday), as well as my post regarding the giveaway of this book, and how to get a free copy of her short story, Not the Norm.

Giveaway:" Foreign Identity", and how to get a free copy of "Not the Norm"

Welcome to my stop on the Foreign Identity blog tour! (More details, including other stops, to be found here.) My review is posted separately, so please stop by that post and read my review in full, but I must tell you, I loved the book!

So, here's your chance to win a copy of the book yourself! In addition, Becca is offering a free copy of her short, Not the Norm, to everyone who buys a copy of Foreign Identity during the tour.

Details on how to claim your copy are here. Don't miss out!

Now on to the giveaway! Becca Campbell has set this up, so this is through Rafflecopter. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: "The Void" By Brett J. Talley

The Void review
Author: Brett J. Talley
5 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Dark Science Fantasy Reading Level: Adult Ebook available at Journalstone or Amazon; Paperback or Hardcover copy is available as of today, 7/13/12 on Amazon

Disclosure: I received a free eBook ARC from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. To make things even better, I just received a free paperback uncorrected proof from Journalstone in a promotion! This will not, of course, affect my opinion of the book, but it is awesome!

Synopsis: In the deepest reaches of space, on a ship that no longer exists, six travelers stare into the abyss . . . and the abyss stares back.

Man has finally mastered the art of space travel and in a few hours passengers can travel light years across the galaxy. But, there's a catch—the traveler must be asleep for the journey, and with sleep come the dreams. Only the sleeper can know what his dream entails, for each is tailored to his own mind, built from his fears, his secrets, his past . . . and sometimes his future.

That the dreams occasionally drive men mad is but the price of technological advance. But when a transport on a routine mission comes upon an abandoned ship, missing for more than a decade, six travelers—each with something to hide—discover that perhaps the dreams are more than just figments of their imagination. Indeed, they may be a window to a reality beyond their own where shadow has substance and the darkness is a thing unto itself, truly worthy of fear.

My Thoughts: Brett J. Talley burst onto the scene last year with his Bram Stoker finalist, Lovecraftian debut, That Which Should not Be, which I absolutely loved, and so did many others. To say I was anticipating this book would be seriously understating the excitement I’ve felt while anticipating the chance to finally read it.

One thing Talley does really well is to create that form of creeping suspense, that feeling that something …. terrible and terrifying waits just right around that corner up ahead. At first this is done subtly, with minor things happening around the characters that could just be their own paranoia, their imagination, but then it starts to ramp up and pretty soon the reader is hanging on the edge of their seat and ready to jump if there is an unexpected sound in the house.

I had initially figured this to be a form of horror/science fiction blend, but after finishing the book, I don’t think I could define it as horror, although it does have some horrific elements, and is very Lovecraftian. No, I have changed my definition to dark science-fantasy, and I think once you read this book you will agree this is fitting. Highly recommended for fans of Cthulhian/Lovecraftian fiction, for fans of the darker prose, for those who enjoy an element of fantasy in their science fiction. This is a really well-written book, and I think that you absolutely cannot go wrong in grabbing a copy to read.