Saturday 28 July 2012

Robopocalypse - Daniel H. Wilson



Title: Robopocalypse
Author: Daniel H. Wilson
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

"Robopocalypse" by Daniel H. Wilson has actually been in my TBR pile for quite a few months but I never got around to reading it. However, as part of a Sci-Fi Reader Challenge I had to read a book about robots and so I finally decided to read it. What I found was an action packed spectacle that I really think will work incredibly well on the movie screen which is where it is destined to appear.

The story is set in the near future and is based around a single AI entity that manages to take control of the masses of robots used by humans in their day to day lives. The AI then uses these robots which include such things as cleaning droids and intelligent cars to attack humanity on a global scale with apocalyptic results. This is all presented to the reader in an episodic format that covers various events and people from just prior to the robotic uprising to several years after.

In all honesty it isn't the most original of storylines and I am sure many people will quickly draw parallels to the Terminator franchise. However, I still found this book to be an enjoyable and entertaining read with lots of fun action sequences. There is also a bit more to the book than just action and destruction and I found that it does a good job in highlighting bravery in the face of horror and seemingly hopeless situations. This ranged from soldiers themselves, to regular people just trying to survive in the devastated streets of their home towns.

I found the episodic format to be quite well written and it enabled the author to quickly present the various characters to the reader in addition to enabling the author to present the bigger picture of the overall war with the robots. I also enjoyed the way that the pace of each chapter varied quite considerably. Some were slow, creepy and methodical whilst others had a lightning pace and were full of frantic, desperate action. The only issue with the format is that it did feel at times like there were pieces of the story missing and I do thing some of the character development did suffer a little.

There was one aspect of the novel that also left me a little bit perplexed and that is around the premise that the book has been written by a soldier who finds a collection of video records of various events and starts to write them down. I just don't understand why someone who had trekked across the Alaskan wastes and fought robots would suddenly decide at the end to write about some events that were a recorded in a visual format that people could just actually see. It didn't really affect my enjoyment of the novel but it just felt to me like Wilson was trying to create an excuse within the novel for the way he wanted to portray the story.

Overall, this was a fun, action packed adventure that is sure to be a future blockbuster on the big screen. Wilson does however still attempt to capture more than just brainless action in some of the chapters and I appreciated that. If you are a fan of action packed and relatively light science fiction then you should probably go and give this a read.

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Sci-Fi Reader Challenge

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Foundation For The Lost - Scott Rhine



Title: Foundation For The Lost
Author: Scott Rhine
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

"Foundation for the Lost" is the second Scott Rhine book I have read and whilst I enjoyed the other novel entitled "The Scarab" I think this one trumps it in every possible way. It is an urban fantasy novel that embraces a little romance but still manages to avoid morphing into a paranormal romance. I quite simply loved the novel from start to finish and it is a brilliant advertisement for the quality that is out there in regards to self published authors.

The story follows Aaron Walker, a form of magician who is over 100 years old and has devoted his life to his Foundation, a charity that helps the lost. The lost are young witches, both male and female who for various reasons have no parents to train them in the magical acts. However, his rather rigid life is turned upside down when an attempt is made on his life for reasons he does not understand. Now with the help of a varied group of former students and a rather untrustworthy demon, he embarks on an adventure to save both his own life and the world itself.

Whilst the plot does sounds like standard Urban Fantasy fare, it is actually quite an intricate, ambitious and complex story that Rhine skilfully brings to life in a manner that doesn't confuse or confound the reader. The length of the novel is testament to its complexity as this is probably one of the longest self published books I have actually read. However, don't let that length put you off as the story flows at a quick and steady pace from the first page to the last.

One thing I really enjoyed about the book was the range of elements Rhine has used in constructing the story. There is something here for everyone; action, drama, romance, suspense, mystery, political intrigue and a large amount of humour expertly fill the pages. This all helped to create a novel that had me was fully entertained throughout and I was actually a little disappointed when I finished it and realised there was nothing else to come.

I also found the characters to be developed to the point that they were all interesting and enjoyable to follow, you can't help but respect and feel for Aaron as he tries to follow the moral path and do the right thing no matter that cost to himself. However, the best character to me was Wynn, a young man that Aaron discovers during an escape from an attempt on his life. His innocence and youth are quite endearing and he provides a large amount of the comic relief as the story progresses.

The only minor failing I found in the novel was to do some minor localisation issues with the parts of the novel set in the UK. The first of these was to do with Aaron and his colleagues managing to get 150 Euros off visitors at Stonehenge. The UK still uses Pound Sterling and therefore I would have thought it would have better to try and beg £150 instead. The next issue is regarding a visit to the town of South Hampton near Salisbury, the town name is actually all one word so it should be written as Southampton. The third thing I noticed was regarding CNN being on a TV whilst there were in the town. Whilst this is possible, it is very unlikely and it would more likely have been BBC News or Sky News on any public TV in the UK. Finally, the use of a hovercraft to get from Dover to Calais is not possible as the hovercrafts that travelled this route went out of service years and years ago. In all honesty, none of this caused any real issues with the story and if I didn’t live in the UK then I may never have noticed them, but it did call into question some of the research put in by Rhine.

Overall, this is a clever and brilliantly written urban fantasy novel full of interesting and complex characters that had me hooked right from the first page. The only flaw I can think of was the silly issues regarding the section in the UK but that was pretty minor and didn't affect my enjoyment of the novel. I think that anyone who enjoys Urban Fantasy will love this book and I therefore highly recommend that you go and give it a read.

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge

Saturday 21 July 2012

Beloved of the Fallen - Savannah Kline



Title: Beloved of the Fallen
Author: Savannah Kline
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: 2010
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

To be honest, "Beloved of the Fallen" isn't a book I would normally read as I try to keep as far away from Paranormal Romance as possible. However, as I won this book in a giveaway I decided to give it a read anyway and see if I could finally find something to really enjoy within this genre. Now that I have finished reading it, I am sorry to say that I was left disappointed and underwhelmed.

The story is based around the actions of Valentin, a former angel who was ejected from heaven due to disobeying one of God's decrees. Now working for Satan, he is tasked with steering a young woman named Kira Castlemain towards becoming a member of congress prior to voting in legislation that could lead to a Nuclear War. And so, Kira and Valentin hold the key to either redemption or Armageddon.

The first comment I need to make is that the book is a really quick read. I couldn't believe how quickly I completed it even when I wasn't that engrossed. I suspect the quick speed is due to the author's lack of exposition in her storytelling, the reader is pretty much given the facts required to move the plot on and nothing more. Sometimes I quite enjoy that type of thing in a novel, but I don't think it worked that well in this case due to the plot itself being rather weak.

The weakest part of the plot in my opinion was around Kira's vote being important in deciding the future of the world. It just seemed silly to me as I couldn't understand why her one vote would matter more than anyone else's. Surely, if Satan and his followers wanted to ensure the vote went in their favour they would have been working on other targets as well? The entire thing just felt ridiculous and I just felt sad that the chance to create a good mix of political intrigue and paranormal influence had been missed.

The ending wasn't any better either, despite the build up to the crucial vote, it is over in a few pages and suddenly the reader is faced with finales for both characters that just seemed like a rushed afterthought. It really did feel like Kline had run out of steam and just threw together a positive outcome that lacked any real depth. It quite simply epitomised the entire plot as being one that was lacking in substance and exposition.

Sometimes, novels can be saved by interesting and dynamic characters that pull the reader in despite issues with the plot. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those cases as I found both Valentin and Kira to be rather juvenile in how their relationship works and in the decisions they take. I found it really hard to treat either of them seriously when they seemed to act and rationalise as I imagine a 10 year old child would.

Overall, I think that this novel has missed out on the opportunity to develop what was a really intriguing plot line. The entire story is played out in a rather weak and shallow manner by some rather childish characters. In all honesty, unless you are really interested in seeing an attempt at mixing politics and angels then you are probably as well just skipping this book.

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Star Trek Enterprise: The Romulan War: Beneath The Raptor's Wing - Michael A. Martin



Title: The Romulan War - Beneath The Raptor's Wing
Author: Michael A. Martin
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2009
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

"The Romulan War: Beneath The Raptors Wing" is the latest book in my Star Trek Reading Challenge and it follows on directly from another Star Trek novel, "Kobayashi Maru" which I previously reviewed here. I have been looking forward to getting to this book for quite a while now as The Romulan War is a period of Star Trek lore that has never actually been shown on the TV screen.

The story follows the earlier parts of The Romulan War, with humanity and its allies within the coalition of planets trying to stand against the relentless progress of their Romulan foes. It covers many different aspects of the war such as the various battles themselves, the political intrigue, espionage attempts, media reporting and the lives of regular civilians. There is probably little more I can really say about the story beyond that which won't ruin some of the surprises and events that occur so I won't even try.

Once again, I find that Martin has created an enjoyable story that really mixes up the action, drama, suspense and thrills. I also really appreciated the way in which he used multiple plot lines, events and characters to really capture the scope of the war and how it was affecting different people and society as a whole. The only downside with this was that all the jumping around did affect the pace of the novel but it was all interesting enough to ensure that it didn't really cause me any issues.

There were a few nice little plot points that Martin introduced to try and explain some of the differences seen between Enterprise and The Original Series. For example, due to the Romulan weapon that enabled them to take control of other ships, Starfleet downgraded their control systems and created something much more analogue with buttons and switches rather than the digital touch screen style systems they had previously been using. There are a few other instances such as this throughout the novel and I did enjoy following his attempts to reconcile canon.

An aspect of the novel I really liked though was in regards to the development of the characters and how Martin has created repercussions for their actions. Archer, for example really appears to suffer because of what he had been forced to do in the previous novel to the point that he struggles to find a real desire to stop some his crew transferring away. In addition, Martin wasn't scared to really move the main characters on from what we saw in the TV series to the point that Travis Mayweather actually leaves the Enterprise and tries to continue his career elsewhere in Starfleet.

The biggest flaw in the novel is Martin's continued use of alien words; it probably didn't annoy me as much as it did in the previous novel but that is maybe because I have just become resigned to it. Honestly, the pace of this novel can get slow enough without also causing the reader to stumble over some alien word that means nothing to them. To be honest, I am almost dreading reading the next novel in The Romulan War series as I just know I am going to be faced with more of this.

The only other issue is in regards to the ending; as this is the first book in a two book series I just found the ending to be rather unsatisfying. I just found that whilst the plot has been developed quite nicely, nothing really gets resolved. To be honest, I am probably lucky that I read the book after its sequel is already available to read so I could pick it up quite soon after. I do feel sorry though for people who bought it at release date and then had to wait for the sequel to come along and finally provide some conclusion.

Overall, this is another enjoyable Star Trek novel that had me hooked throughout despite its length and pace. I think anyone interested in Star Trek lore and pre-federation history will love this book as it covers a period that we haven't yet seen on our TV screens.

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)

Saturday 14 July 2012

The Dragon and The George (Dragon Knight Book 1) - Gordon R. Dickson




Title: The Dragon and The George (Dragon Knight Book 1)
Author: Gordon R. Dickson
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1976
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

When I was looking for books to read as part of the Year of Fantasy Classic Challenge I discovered the "The Dragon & The George". At first I wasn't sure about reading but as I was looking over the synopsis on Wikipedia I noticed that "The Flight of Dragons" which is one of my all time favourite movies as a child was actually based on the book. At that point there was no stopping me and I was off the mark to track down a copy.

The story is based around Jim Eckert, a regular guy living in the modern world who has become rather discontent with the life that he and his girlfriend, Angie are being forced to live in. However, when an experiment in astral projection goes wrong and Angie vanishes. Jim makes a quick decision and uses the same experimental machine to send himself after her into the unknown. What he discovers is that both he and Angie have been sent to an alternative medieval earth where magic abounds. Unfortunately for him, his transfer went slightly askew and he is trapped in the body of a dragon named Gorbash. When Angie is then kidnapped by the Dark Powers, Jim is forced to join forces with a range of characters including a wizard, wolf and knight in an attempt to rescue her and find a way to return them both home.

Now, those who have watched "The Flight of Dragons" you may have noticed that the above synopsis only sounds loosely similar to what occurred in the film and you would be right. About the only thing similar is that a 20th century man is sent to a historic fantasy novel and trapped in a dragon's body. Other than this, the only other similarities are in regards to the use of various character names and in regards to some of the evil creatures they are forced to fight. Don't get me wrong, it is still an enjoyable fantasy novel even if the story is fairly standard and at times I think Dickson is more creating a parody than a serious fantasy novel. But personally I prefer the more epic and serious feeling story that is told in the movie.

One nice little novelty in the story though was in regards to the use of magic. There was no mysticism or unlimited powers in this book, the magic system followed very strict laws with every act of magic requiring some sort of payment for its utilisation. I enjoyed seeing this as all too often magic is used in fantasy novels as the quick and easy weapon to solve any problem.

I was in two minds about the characters; Jim Eckert is rather annoying for large sections of the book and is anything but likeable. He is selfish, rude and stubborn throughout the entire novel and it is actually his companions that solve his problems for him. However, I found the supporting characters to be quite nicely developed and quite complex. I particularly loved the antics of Aragh the wolf whose independence and gruffness were there for all to see, but underneath it all there was a loyal and decent creature that we see more of as the story progressed.

Overall, I do think that this is very much a by the numbers fantasy novel, but it has been written competently enough to ensure there is some enjoyment for the reader. Whilst I don't think it is anywhere near the quality of the story told in the movie I loved as a child, it was still fun to read and full of rather interesting characters who kept me entertained. Personally, I am going to try a few more in the series to see if I enjoy them more or less when I am no longer biased by a movie I loved as a child.

Available at:
Amazon
Kobo
Amazon UK

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne



Title: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Author: Jules Verne
Genre: Sci-Fi/Adventure
Published: 1870
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

"Twenty Thousand League Under The Sea" is a story that I had seen told via the medium of film many times in the past but had never actually read the novel itself. So as part of the Sci-Fi Reader Challenge, I decided that I would read it as my entry in the Steampunk category. I just felt that there is nothing more Steampunk than the Science Fiction actually created in the 19th century.

I believe most people should be aware of the general premise of the story but I shall give a brief description anyway. It follows the adventure of Professor Aronnax who has joined the crew of the US ship, the Abraham Lincoln to try and capture a mysterious creature that has been sinking ships. However, when the ship is attacked by the very creature they are hunting, Aronnax, his servant Conseil and a master harpooner named Ned Land are thrown overboard. These three men find themselves stranded on top of the creature, only to discover that is actually a submersible vessel. They are taken on board where they meet Captain Nemo, captain of the vessel, known as the Nautilus. The men are treated well, but from the first are told they will never be able to leave the submarine for the rest of their lives. Therefore they are taken on a tour of the world where they witness and learn about many of the ocean's wonders.

The first observation I made about the book was that Verne appears to have made the decision to try and ensure that the readers are fully versed in the science and detail of marine life. The book is full of scientific analysis and lists of marine creatures to the point that by mid way through the novel I found myself just skipping these rather exhaustive and rather boring sections. I am sure some people may find it interesting, but all filling an entire page about algae did for me was slow the book down to the point that it became a bit of a slog to get through. In all honesty I think some of my physics text books from University were less dry than some of this novel.

However, there is no denying that some elements of this novel are fun and full of adventure to the point that I was really getting drawn into the individual events. In particular, I really loved the journey into the Antarctic which was one of the few events that covered multiple chapters in the novel and was full of thrills, action and suspense. In addition it was enjoyable to witness the dreams and visions of someone from the 19th century looking to the future and there is no denying that Verne has a superb ability to describe and paint fantastic pictures with his words, from the beauty of the ocean to the complex and interesting Nautilus itself.

In regards to the characters, I also feel that most of them were very limited in scope and development. Annorax is basically the thoughtful scientist, Conseil is the loyal manservant and Ned is a brash and down to earth Canadian. I don't really think there was much more to their characteristics beyond that. Only Captain Nemo appears to have any real depth to his character with his idealism, temper and bravery all competing to make a rather complex person that I found to be both interesting and enjoyable to follow.

Overall, there is no denying that this is a great historical work that has inspired many of today's Science Fiction work. For that reason alone I would probably recommend this book to fans of Science Fiction, Adventure or Steampunk novels. However, whilst I found the novel enjoyable enough to read I did feel that the novel was let down by Verne's obsession with describing fish.

Available at:
Project Gutenberg (Free Ebook)
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Sci-Fi Reader Challenge

Saturday 7 July 2012

Chameleon (Ripple Book 2) - Cidney Swanson



Title: Chameleon (Ripple Book 2)
Author: Cidney Swanson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

"Chameleon" is a Young Adult Urban Fantasy novel that follows on from "Rippler" which I previously reviewed here. As a little warning, I want to mention that whilst I have tried to remove spoilers, due to this being a sequel there are still some present in this review that are related to the previous novel, "Rippler".

The story continues to follows the life of Sam, the girl from the previous novel who discovered she had the ability to turn invisible, or ripple as it is called in the book. However, her life has been made even more complicated by her discovery of a secretive group of rather sinister people who are interested in tracking her down. Therefore, under the cover of a school trip to France, Sam, her friend Will, and his sister travel together to meet the mysterious Sir Walter who has been sending them information for an as yet unknown reason. Whilst in France they discover the true secret of rippling and face even more dangers that they were expecting.

I found that the story builds really well on the plot introduced in the previous novel. I really enjoyed the way in which Swanson has interspersed the novel with exerts from a journal that Sam has uncovered, which enables the reader to learn more about the villains in the series. In addition, I was engrossed as the novel delved into rippling to enable the reader to understand more about its history and the range of abilities it actually covers.

One other thing I noted was that this story moves along at a much faster pace than its predecessor. After the initial elements to recap the previous novel, the novel quickly delves into the action, mystery and suspense to the point that I found it very difficult to put the novel down once I had started reading. The way that the stakes have been raised in the story has really benefited this novel.

I don't think there was much growth within the characters but they did at least act in line with how Swanson had developed them in the previous novel. This meant that the novel could concentrate on story progression and the reader would still be able to understand the actions and thoughts of the characters without any real issue. I do have to admit that I still find Will to be a little bit bland and I still can't understand why Sam seems to be so much in love with him, but then again they are teenagers so maybe as a man in his thirties, I am just not meant to understand.

Overall, I feel that Swanson has created a book here that is more entertaining, enjoyable and faster paced that its predecessor. The character development carried out in the first novel enables the author to get straight into the meat of the story which she develops very well. If you have read the first novel and enjoyed that then I really have to recommend that you go out and pick this one up as well as you won't be disappointed.

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Star Trek Enterprise: Kobayashi Maru - Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels



Title: Kobayashi Maru
Author: Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2008
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

"Kobayashi Maru" is the latest novel in my Star Trek Reading Challenge which is dedicated to trying to read the Star Trek novels in chronological order. This novel picks up after the events that occurred in the previous novel, "The Good That Men Do" which I have previously reviewed here. For anyone who doesn't know, the title is based upon the name of the infamous no-win scenario taken by potential Starfleet command applicants and it has been a part of Star Trek lore since 1982 when it was first mentioned in the movie, "The Wrath of Khan". Therefore, when I picked up this book I was really looking forward to seeing the authors' vision of how this scenario had actually originated.

However, the story is rather more ambitious in its scope than just covering this element and the main plotline follows the reaction of the newly formed Coalition of Planets when it begins to become under attack by what appears to be Klingon ships. However, the Enterprise and its crew soon uncover that the Romulans are the true enemy and must try and prove it before the Coalition is drawn into a war against the wrong species. Meanwhile, Trip continues his espionage role from within the Romulan Empire in the hope that he can help to ensure that any war will not consume Earth and its allies.

I found that this novel mixed action, suspense, drama and political intrigue to create a rather entertaining and enjoyable novel that should appeal to many Star Trek fans. I really enjoyed the way that the story looked at the bigger picture of the overall looming conflict. It just felt a bit more realistic to see other ships and crew being involved in important events rather that it all being focussed on the Enterprise.

However, some elements of this bigger picture focus does lead to rather slow pacing in stages. Therefore I was happy to see that the slower elements of the story were broken up by quicker paced sections devoted to Trip and his spying. As well as being interesting as they explored a little bit more about the secretive Romulan Empire they were also quite simply exciting and full of suspense. Although to be honest, I still sometimes find it hard to believe that someone who wears their heart on their sleeve to the extent Trip does could really be as good at spying as is portrayed in this novel and its predecessor.

In regards to my initial interest in reading about the origins of the Kobayashi Maru scenario, I have to admit I was a little bit underwhelmed. The novel's finale is actually based around the loss of the Kobayashi Maru transport ship but it felt like it was lacking in suspense and I found it all rather bland compared to what I had seen previously in the novel. It was still nice to see someone try and create an origins story but it just didn't work as well as I hoped it would.

There were a couple of others issues I did have with the book although I can't say they either of them had any large affect on my overall enjoyment. The first is in regards to the use of alien words throughout the novel. This type of thing can sometimes enrich a novel but in this case it just seemed a little bit excessive and annoying. It basically spoilt some of my understanding of the events that were occurring as most of the alien words were measurements of distance and time and I didn't know how these referenced to our own units of measurements

The second issue I had with the novel though was in regards to the manner in which several characters reacted to events. Some of them just seemed very slow in coming to an understanding about what was happening even when it was blindingly obvious to me and I am just a random project manager and not the captain of one of Earth's prized star ships. In particular I noticed this when Captain Hernandez of the Columbia seemed unable to conceive that the Romulan ability to capture alien ships could maybe explain the strange occurrence of Vulcan ships attacking them. I just found it hard to believe that some of our best and brightest could be that dense.

In summary, I found this to be an enjoyable Star Trek novel that I think will appeal to many fans although it really does feel like a middle book in a series and makes no real attempt at being readable in a stand alone manner. Whilst, there a few minor issues that I did find irritating, it didn't really affect my interest in the story as the mix of political manoeuvring, action and drama was good enough to keep me hooked. Personally, I can't wait to pick up the next novel and see where this looming conflict between the Coalition and the Romulans will head next.

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Speculative Fiction Challenge