Tag: science fiction

  • Review: In a Suspect Universe by Albert Wendland

    Disclaimer: Dr. Wendland was a professor at the graduate program I attended, and he is now a friend and colleague; however, I purchased an advanced-release hardcopy of this novel for full price. I read Wendland’s first book in this world, The Man Who Loved Alien Landscapes, in one evening. I wish I could have done the…

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  • Steel Time Cover Reveal!

    I’m thrilled to announce two things today! The first, as indicated by the title of this post, is the final cover to book 4 of the Steel Empires series, Steel Time! The second is the official release date of my fourth novel: Thursday, September 6, 2018! Make sure to follow my blog for more information about…

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  • Review: Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tales

    Written by Justin Richards Illustrated by David Wardle As part of an amazing Doctor Who-themed raffle basket I won recently, I acquired this amazing boxed set of “Time Lord Fairy Tales.” These sixteen short stories are told in the fashion of the fairy tales they are based on, but just like the television show they are…

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  • Review: “The Steam Pump Jump” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short) by Jodi Taylor

    This short story very much needs the context of pretty much all of the novels in the Chronicles of St. Mary’s series so far to understand the detail of what’s going on. But otherwise, it’s a “typical” St. Mary’s lark, full of the usual shenanigans and mayhem (#disastermagnets). And as an added bonus, it’s from…

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  • Review: Invincible Volumes 7-9

    It’s getting more and more tempting to binge-read the whole series (and my husband is actively supporting this plan, which is NO HELP). But I’m holding steady to a trade paperback at a time to really appreciate the intricate story line and excellent artwork.

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  • Review: “Wild Type” by J.K. Ullrich

    Disclaimer: I received an electronic copy of this short story as part of the full novel Syzygy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This short story acts as a great supplemental material to the novel Syzygy. I enjoyed the insight into the character of Lily’s life in her youth, especially through effective use…

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  • Review: “The Battersea Barricades” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story) by Jodi Taylor

    Finally, some “history” of the world of St. Mary’s! Taylor’s authorial voice makes pages and pages of expository narrative delightful rather than boring. Even more fascinating, this time she’s not talking about something “real” — this time the historical events are all from her imagination. I loved every intricate detail of it. The more specific…

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  • Review: Invincible Volumes 4-6

    My husband has been reading over my shoulder so that I fully appreciate what I’m absorbing. It’s fun to point out cool panels and discuss things with him.

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  • Review: Syzygy by J.K. Ullrich

    Disclaimer: I received an electronic version of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. Even though the majority of the characters, including the two point of view characters, in this book are teenagers, this never feels like a young adult novel. Instead, it’s an intriguing look at two opposed post-apocalyptic societies…

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  • Review: An Argumentation of Historians (Chronicles of St. Mary’s #9) by Jodi Taylor

    Call me blasphemous, because I am a huge fan of this series…but I’m getting a bit bored with fighting Clive Ronan. I still enjoyed the hell out of this book, despite the slow start. One thing I did appreciate about it is seeing the evolution of St. Mary’s relationship with the Time Police. They’ll never…

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  • Review: Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles #2) by Frank Herbert

    Read as part of Comic Book Girl 19‘s online Dune book club. Picking up a sequel 13 years after reading the first book should have made the book completely inaccessible. However, a quick trip through the Dune Wikipedia entry and I was ready to go. So ready, in fact, that I devoured this book in 2…

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  • Review: Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs Aliens edited by Patricia Bray & Joshua Palmatier

    This was a fun anthology that I easily read over the course of a weekend of airplane flights. The stories were dissimilar enough that they were easily distinguishable, despite the thematic elements that tied them all together. I especially enjoyed that the stories did not all take place in England or even Europe, and that…

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  • Author Interview with Nicholas Conley

    I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing two projects by Nicholas Conley, so I jumped at the chance to pick his brain about his latest novel. Intraterrestrial was a wild ride, and you can find my review of it here. ABOUT THE BOOK Adam Helios is a bully magnet without many friends. When he starts hearing a…

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  • Review: A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1) by Madeleine L’Engle

    I read this novel for my 2018 Resolution Project over at Speculative Chic, the other blog I contribute to. This year, I resolved to fill a gap in my knowledge of the science-fiction classics and read the book before the film comes out in March. I succeeded! You can find my full review at Speculative…

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  • Cleveland ConCoction Schedule

     This weekend, I will be attending Cleveland ConCoction for the third year! This is one of my favorite conventions in terms of how authors are treated and the variety of events. I made some great friends last year that I can’t wait to reunite with. The convention is a new hotel this year, farther from…

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  • Review: City Ash and Desert Bones by Laurel Myler

    Disclaimer: This book was produced by the publishing company that also publishes my current series of novels; however, I purchased a hardcopy version of this novel for full price. The mystery about Reesa, one of the narrators and main characters of this novel, hooks you from the very first line of the book. As reminders…

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  • Review: ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End Times by Andrew MacLean

    A post-apocalyptic story starring a strong female character and her adorable pet cat? This should have been right up my alley. But despite the art being streamlined and stunning, the story never quite grabbed me. Though the internal narration conceit was very cool, it seems the author erred on the side of “less is more”…

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  • Con Report: Farpoint 2018

    Last weekend, I attended my first Farpoint convention! You could say that I got my start in speculative fiction as a Star Trek fan, so it was nice to get back to my roots, as it were. FRIDAY Since this is a “local” convention for me, I commuted from home rather than staying at the…

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  • Review: Intraterrestrial by Nicholas Conley

    Disclaimer: I received a free electronic version of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. This is one of those speculative fiction books whose actually genre is hard to pin down. Though the medical issues lend a realistic air to the story, the adventure Adam embarks on feels more like science-fantasy…

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  • Review: Before the Awakening (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens) by Greg Rucka

    Finn’s story: This story, while well-written in the technical sense, was by far the weakest of this trio. If not for my husband encouraging me onward, I might have put the entire book down. I understand that the book was released before the film, and that the authors don’t necessarily get all the information they’d…

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