"Dark Waters" by Shannon Mayer

File Size: 377 KB (Kindle Edition)
Language: English
ASIN: B006R03B6C
Purchase: Kindle
Website: ShannonMayer.blogspot.com


This story intrigued me from the start. Especially the part about the two sisters. I loved the relationship between Quinn and Ashling, reminding me of my own sister as I read the book. I definitely related to Quinn, being the older sibling - the urge to protect and watch out for her younger sister.

The world building into the Fomorii and the Tuatha was developed well by the author. I'm sure we will learn more about each in the coming books of the series, but for the first book, Ms. Mayer did well bringing me into the hidden world of these creatures. She definitely set up the mystery and danger surrounding the sisters as they discover their new paranormal powers and how they fit into a prophecy. I hope to learn more - and get the mysteries solved - as the series progresses.

A lot of unanswered questions were left at the end - a great set up for the next book in the series. I was surprised when I reached the ending, still expecting there to be more. The book is a bit shorter than I'm used to and I wish it was a bit longer. It doesn't need more in the way of world building or character development, I just feel like it, suddenly stopped mid-story. I know many authors use this as a set up for book 2, to make readers hungry to read the next one (which obviously works for this book as I really want to know how it all ends) but I still felt a little disappointed by the abrupt ending of this one.

I look forward to reading the second book in the series, Emerald Isle, when it releases this spring.

Reviewed by: Anastasia V. Pergakis

A free copy of this book was furnished by the author for review, but providing a copy did not guarantee a review. This information is provided per the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission.

"First Chosen" by M. Todd Gallowglas

"Peace Warrior: Peace Warrior Trilogy 1" by Steven L. Hawk

File Size: 376 KB (Kindle)
Paperback: 262 pages

Language: English
ASIN: B003UHVYQE

ISBN-13: 978-1452891668

Purchase: Kindle, Paperback, Nook

I was hooked into this book from the very beginning. Being a huge fan of military fiction and sci-fi, I was not disappointed by this book. The blurb posted on Amazon drew me into the story and I had to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did.

The story begins with the awful death of SFC Grant Justice. Then it shoots ahead hundreds of years in the future to where Earth has rid itself of war and all violence. Even cursing is seens a major offense that landed one in prison. As I said, that concept pulled me immediately into the story. Advancement in science allowed Grant Justice to be revived to help the Peaceful people of earth to fight against the Minith, an alien race that had enslaved the entire planet. But, Grant's revivial poses problems for the veteran soldier, as his very nature offends the very people he is trying to save.

I found Mr. Hawk's new Earth to be very interesting. I especially loved the new names for countries and cultures as well as the world government he built for this story. It was a great idea that fit perfectly with the "No Violence" world Earth had become. I don't want to give away too much of the story, but the world building in this book is very deep and I felt, completely realisitic due to the way Hawk presents the new world to the reader.

I was also impressed with the character of Grant Justice himself. He is a fully developed character, three dimensional. As a girl and Army Brat, I was completely entranced by Grant's sense of duty, honor, and loyalty to humankind. And yes, I admit, I found the character rather sexy too.

I can't wait to read more of this series. I couldn't put this one down. I can't wait to read Peace Army, the second book in the series, that already awaits me on my Kindle. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves military fiction and sci-fi.

Reviewed by: Anastasia V. Pergakis

"Plato's Gateway" by Brian Jeffreys

Publisher: GrandMobius Press
Pages: 346 pages
File Size: 273K (Kindle)
Language: English
ASIN: B004MDLJG0
Purchase: Paperback, Kindle, Nook, Other E-Readers
Website: http://www.brianjeffreys.com/

I purchased the Kindle Edition of this book in December 2011. What attracted me to it involved the book's description of the lead character having an autistic brother who would come to play a pivotal role. While the idea of people with disabilities in SF isn't new - the late Anne McCaffrey's THE SHIP WHO SANG and PARTNERSHIP come to mind, along with the later THE SHIP WHO SEARCHED she wrote with Mercedes Lackey - the idea of mentaldisabilities and in particular autism has not been handled as frequently. My expectations were set of how a man struggled with his autistic brother in a futurstic time, and as implied by the description, how people with differences could make a difference.

The biggest reality though is that this really isn't Jerry's story, who is the autistic brother, but on the brother Phillip. Not only do we see Phillip's life affected by having to become Jerry's guardian, but when an unexpected event changes things for Jerry how he deals with that after.

It also focuses on his unexpected love relationship with Space Marshall Amanda Hayes, with whom he's had more than a few run-ins while trying to own his own ship after dropping out of school to take care of Jerry. Yet the stresses of the sales piece, while they do mention Phillip and Amanda, place primary emphasis on Jerry becoming the hero against the evil Dr. Plato, who has some secret plans of his own. I really wanted to see more of Jerry, and at times raced through chapters hoping the next one I'd see him, only to find more about Phillip.

One thing I did like was the use of a generation ship as a plot device, they rarely show up in SF anymore and present all kinds of cutural and other issues than can be explored. Jeffreys does deal with a couple of them to small degrees. A lot of the book though action, and not a lot of character or culture exploration, so we never spent too much time on any of this.

Generally the book is well written with good use of language, description, and action. The book has a few glaring typographical errors, including getting the brothers' names switched on a couple of occasions which is critical. Another really odd thing about my copy (the Kindle version) is that one of the chapters about three-fourths of the way through (17, to be specific) is about a batallion fighting plant-like space aliens that has nothing to do with the rest of the book or even feel like a sequel setup. I frankly don't know why it's there, and perhaps I missed something.

PLATO'S GATEWAY offered what felt like a groundbreaking premise, but failed to deliver. I think the key may lie in the first sentence of the author's preface, where he says, "I struggled with whether or not to introduce a character with autism into this story" and I think the discomfort shows. Researching the author, he does have a lot of personal experience with autism and I felt I could have learned a lot more about the struggles and promise of autism based on his knowledge, but it never really came through in the characters, which is a shame.




Reviewed by: Shannon Muir

"Epsilon: Book 1: Broken Stars" by Erin M Klitzke

"Excelsior" by George Sirois

Paperback: 207 pages
File Size: 287 KB (Kindle Edition)
Publisher: Infinity Publishing (July 30, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0741460882 (Paperback)
ASIN: B003TXRYAY (Kindle Edition)
Purchase: Kindle, Paperback, Nook.
Website: www.GeorgeSirois.com

Excelsior tells the story of Matthew Peters, a somewhat lonely teen drudging through high school. He lives in a world he created from vivid dreams about Excelsior and the epic adventures that befall him. At least, he thought he created it. When one of his comic characters shows up, live and in person, Matthew soon realizes that his dreams were really memories – and Excelsior is a real person from Denab IV!

I was immediately drawn into this story from the first line and it kept me hooked until the very end! With action and more action in this story, it’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, just like it did me. I read it in one shot, fearing that if I put it down, I would miss a vital piece of information! The world of Denab IV that we visit in this story is truly magical. George put exquisite amount of work and detail into describing the new world and the culture of the Denarians and Krunations. I was sucked into the world and instantly felt a connection to the Denarians and their fight for survival.

I was most drawn to Matthew of course, because I could completely relate with him. Becoming lost in a story and almost obsessed with characters the way Matthew does with this comic, reminds me so much of myself in High School it’s not even funny! There is one moment where Matthew has his nose a few inches from the page he’s working on, not paying attention in class and I instantly remembered practically the same moment as it happened to me!

All parts of this book pulled me in and I became totally immersed into Matthew’s adventure! This is one of the best books I’ve read in many years and I highly recommend it to anyone – not just sci-fi lovers like myself. I think anyone will fall in love with this book because of it’s simple yet complex twists that just suck you right in!

Reviewed by: Anastasia V. Pergakis