BLOOD OF THE MANTIS

Few authors can manage Anthropomorphizing and make it believable, efficient, and amenable as does Adrian Tchaikovsky. (If you differ, please go read his CHILDREN OF TIME Trilogy!) He demonstrates this as well in the SHADOWS OF THE APT Fantasy Series, of which BLOOD OF THE MANTIS is the magical third in the Series. I read it without having read the Series ' first two novels, and though there is a catch-up explanation in the beginning, for continuity's sake, I intend to read the Series in order. Expect exciting, adventurous, and twisted.

Review: REDEMPTION'S BLADE (AFTER THE WAR BOOK 1)

I confess to not being a lifelong aficionado of Fantasy, as I am of Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Horror, and Mystery. However, reading Adrian Tchaikovsky's Fantasy is changing that, and thankfully he is as prolific in Fantasy as in Science Fiction.

REDEMPTION'S BLADE is Book 1 in the AFTER THE WAR Series. "After the War" refers to the era of change and clean-up after the slaying by Heroes of one of the most evil villains ever, "Kinslayer," who even murdered demigods. One of the Heroes who triumphed over him is Celestaine, literally a fierce and noble warrior, a woman of righteousness, who embraces as friends former sworn enemies and who pledges all that is in her power to right Kinslayer's wrongs.

TBR PILE CHALLENGE #9

Review: TRIDENT'S FORGE

TRIDENT'S FORGE is Book 2 of the engrossing Far Future Science Fiction Trilogy CHILDREN OF A DEAD EARTH. In Book 1, THE ARK, the Generation Ship flying to Tau Ceti star system over the duration of 2.5 centuries, prepares for imminent orbit over their chosen planet, and landing to found a new Colony. (I guess Colonization is intrinsic in human evolution, and apparently Manifest Destiny too.) In TRIDENT'S FORGE, the Tau Ceti Colony has been in existence now for 3 years; the Unbound, the group of independents on the Ark who concealed themselves on the lower levels, eschewing the prenatal brain implants the Ark's test-tube generations all received, have formed their own Village, then 6 months earlier migrated to a Village of a native tribe (yes, Virginia, a sentient species on a planet in Tau Ceti's system, called by the human colonists "Atlantians").

Our Feckless Hero, Bryan Benson, formerly Chief Constable on The Ark, is now Director of Recreation; his wife Theresa is now Chief Constable. A diplomatic mission from the humans' Colony to an Atlantian village (where the Unbound have emigrated) and a meeting with emissaries from other villages suddenly erupts in violence from without, fatalities, and the beginning of unraveling a conspiracy which reaches back in Ark's history and intends to permanently affect this entire planet.

This Trilogy is exciting, adventurous, and highly suspenseful, filled with creatively designed world-building, intriguing aliens, fauna, and flora; and plenty of satisfyingly constructed conspiracies to keep enthralled readers alert and guessing.

Review: THE ARK (CHILDREN OF A DEAD EARTH BOOK 1)

Exploration of Space and Colonization are two of my most cherished aspects of Science Fiction. So a novel that mostly is set on a Generation Ship two and a half centuries old, headed for a star system twelve light years distant, where there awaits a tremendous surprise....how could I not adore it? Plus: there's a significant cult whose leader is way charismatic but justifiably more insane than either Jim Jones or David Koresh or the Heaven's Gate cult? The suspense is tremendous, a fair-sized cast of characters is handled quite skillfully, and in first place stands a genuine Feckless Hero [who could model for The Fool card in Tarot], but he's really admirable because he just-won't-stop. (He is, also, the habitat Chief Constable.) A really Champion novel!

Review: FEVER HOUSE by Keith Rosson.

Release August 15, 2023

At times I am stunned by a novel; at other times I'm metaphorically head-scratching and mouthing, "Whattttt?" I've read a huge number of Weird books over many decades--but this one? I don't know what to say! These two days as I read, I've commented a couple times on social media as to how off-the-wall is Fever House. Reading this novel induced fever in me [as in its characters], thankfully not the same nor to the massive Apocalyptic extent that occurs in the Novel. I feel like I need to go read some simple, mundane, implacable Creature Feature in order to cleanse my stunned and speechless palate.

So here's what I think:

I am constantly shaking my head, because this book is SO bizarre, it's flat-out Weird, it's hard-core Splattery, and it's just so OUT THERE, because the geographical settings are realistic, the cultural background is in tune, Societal stuff resonates, yet beyond,below, and above all that is all-fired Occult Weird! Not that I necessarily think anything Occult is weird, I've been reading such all my life, but this? I think even Aleister Crowley might pale.

I certainly have. Beware before you even open this book: you, and these characters, will NOT emerge the same as you went in. Not at all, and not where.

Review: INTERSTELLAR by Avi Loeb

INTERSTELLAR is a tremendously inspirational, exciting, adventurous, forward-thinking work of Science nonfiction . Dr. Avi Loeb is a genius scientist, in my opinion, and even more importantly, his mind is open. Much of his convictions closely resonate with and encourage my own. (My only point of exception is his thought that Science Fiction as a genre has tended to be utilized as a backdrop to play familiar tropes. I think not, as there are a number of writers, past and present, who diligently explore "the big questions," which creates the most exciting kind of SF, I think.) In all other respects I have intense respect for INTERSTELLAR and I am eager to read his earlier work, EXTRATERRESTRIAL [speaking of mainstream publications rather than Scientific and Academic publications].

Review: RUSTED SYNAPSE by Elwood Stevens

Wow! Packed to the brim with exciting mecha-laden adventure, Near-Future Science Fiction, globetrotting (Future Phoenix, to a tech enclave community in Mexico, to Shanghai, to rural abandoned Japan, and back to Phoenix), this Cyberpunk Thriller is heart-in-throat engrossing! We have "full on borgs," AI, "Sentient Daemons," (basically, the Super-Advanced Supreme AI "everybody" seems to fear, sort of like HAL), partially cybernetic individuals, groups of humans who full-on embrace Cybernetics and prostheses [remember the latter 20th century craze for teeth filed into vampire fangs and drinking blood?]. I learned a lot about Quantum Computers, AI, combat synchronization, and geography and culture. But also I think I have seldom been as heart-touched as I was by Vivi, and her lifelong struggle to be deemed worthy by those who mattered most to her: my heart ❤ broke. What a sad existence in her perception, and yet she is so accomplished. It's amazing how deeply author Elwood Stevens delved into Vivi's character to reach "the heart of the matter," and also engrossing are the arcs and evolution of the other characters (and certain tricky, sneaky, characters I won't spoil by naming, who have a heap of nasty tricks up their sleeve). I could reread again and again. (And since AI and Quantum subjects are a fascination, I probably will.)