Saturday 25 August 2012

Starfleet Year One - Michael Jan Friedman



Title: Starfleet Year One
Author: Michael Jan Friedman
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2001
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

"Starfleet Year One" by Michael Jan Friedman is the latest novel in my Star Trek Reading Challenge and the first book I have read that sits outside recognized canon. It really should be appreciated that this book was written prior to the launch of the Enterprise TV series and takes an alternative look at the formative years of the Federation. Therefore, I tried to read and review this book on its own merits rather than trying to compare it to continuity developments that occurred later.

The plot is focused around the formation of the United Federation of Planets and the direction that its newly formed Starfleet will take. The reader gets to follows the actions of two distinct groups, the first group wants Starfleet to be dedicated to military strength whilst the other groups is pushing for exploration and science to be the prime focus. The first six captains exemplify one side or the other of this debate or the other which pushes them into competing against each other to try and ensure that Starfleet evolves along the lines they want it too.

The story itself is actually quite interesting and has a style and pacing that makes it nice and easy to read. I also enjoyed seeing an alternative look at the foundation of Star Trek and it was good to see Friedman cleverly utilize what he knew about from the TV episode "Balance of Terror" to create what was a perfectly plausible origin story of the Federation and Starfleet.

However, there are quite a few issues as well with the novel, some of this is actually linked to how light and easy the story is to read. There is no real complexity or depth to what goes on throughout many of the plotlines. For example, the formation of the Federation is conducted over a couple of pages as a few ambassadors approach various species and then some other diplomats get together in a room. I just found things like this incredibly weak and lacking in any tension or interesting development.

The other main issue resulted from the decision to focus on the six separate captains. This resulted in every one of them getting only a little bit of coverage in the novel so that there was no real characterization, development or back story generated. There were all so bland and thinly constructed beyond a basic premise such as a loner captain, an alien captain, a scientific captain and three military captains.

Overall, this is a very middle of the road Star Trek novel that I think was more focused on trying to introduce a new franchise than to actually provide an enjoyable standalone story with interesting characters. It is a shame really as Friedman's writing is not bad per say, I just think he took on way to much to cover in one novel. However, it is still a nice and easy read for anyone interested in seeing a different take on the formation of the Federation.

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Waiting For Daybreak - Amanda McNeil (Review & Interview)



I have taken part in a blog tour this month for Post Apocalyptic Zombie novel, "Waiting For Daybreak". This tour is being hosted by the author herself, Amanda McNeil from her blog Opinions of a Wolf. My post on this tour includes a review and intereview but I hope you all visit some of the other sites in the tour for further guest posts, intereviews, reviews and giveaways.

Review


Title: Waiting For Daybreak
Author:  Amanda McNeil
Genre: Horror
Published: 2012
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

I had originally assumed that "Waiting for Daybreak" by Amanda McNeil would be just another Zombie apocalypse novel, which seem to be all the rage at the moment. However, there is a little bit more to the novel that this as McNeil has chosen to concentrate the story on a character that had a personality disorder long before the apocalypse occurred. I found this to be quite an original and refreshingly different viewpoint which ensured I was willing to read this ahead of the many other run of the mill zombie novels that are sitting on my bookshelf.

The story itself is broken up into two distinct sections, the first focuses on the day to day life of Freida, a young woman with a troublesome past who is trying to survive a zombie apocalypse alongside her pet cat, Snuggles. This section of the novel almost reads like a diary, which explores some of the actions she has taken to ensure her survival such as the fortification of her apartment. In addition, we get to follow Freida's musings as she recalls the various events that occurred just before the zombie outbreak and over the first few weeks.

The second half of the novel however morphs into a sort of love story between Freida and another uninfected man named Mike that she discovers in the city. However, when it is revealed that Mike has his very own personality issues, the awkward and desperate romance they have undertaken looks certain to end in some form of disaster.

Without doubt the utilisation of a main character with some form of disorder leads to a rather interesting story. Particularly when Mike is thrown into the mix and the novel explores some aspects of what it really means to be normal when the world itself is anything but. In addition, Freida herself is an incredibly complex person and I was impressed by McNeil's ability to develop such a unique character to the point that I could actually relate to her on some level, despite the way she would think. She really does come across as quirky and likeable despite her issues and I particularly appreciated how it becomes clear that the very personality traits that caused her problems in the past that has probably led to her survival now.

The one thing that I was a bit disappointed with was the rather short length. Don't get me wrong, the pacing has been used really well to make sure that the story is entertaining and self contained but the ending felt slightly abrupt to me and I think a few elements could have been expanded upon. Basically, I would have liked to discover more about the world and Freida herself and am now hoping that McNeil will decide to expand on the story via future novels.

Overall, this was an entertaining post apocalyptic zombie novel that also makes the reader think about how the normalcy of life is relative. It isn't always a light and easy novel to read due the characters McNeil has utilised but these characters are what make it unique. I think any fan of post apocalyptic survival horror that is after something a little bit different and thought provoking will enjoy this.

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

Interview

Hi Amanda, please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

I grew up in Vermont and moved to Boston about 7 years ago.  My interest in everything and anything naturally led me into librarianship, and a late-blooming passion for healthcare and science funneled me into medical librarianship.  When I’m not working or writing, I’m working out, playing videogames, cooking, or exploring Boston.  Ok, ok, and snuggling my kitty.

I don’t think anyone “becomes” a writer.  I think you’re born a writer.  Whether or not you choose to do anything with the stories inside you is the key.  When I decided to crack down on myself and get serious about my writing was when I graduated from my masters program.  I realized I was in my mid 20s, I no longer had the excuse of all my free, non-work time being eaten up by grad school, so it was now or never. Obviously I chose now.

Where did the inspiration for Waiting For Daybreak's plot, characters and setting come from?
I had been reading at work about fMRI scans of people with Borderline Personality Disorder showing that their amygdalas are a different size from those of people without a mental illness.  I was thinking about that while I was walking home from the bus stop (I take public transit).  It happened to be Thanksgiving weekend, and Boston empties almost completely out as most of the population goes someplace else for the holiday.  The empty streets combined with the fMRI studies made me think: what if there was a zombie virus to which the mentally ill were immune?  It just flowed from there.

The writing process differs from author to author. What’s YOUR writing process?

Usually I get the spark of an idea--a hypothetical situation or a scene.  Then I can’t get that out of my head, so I sit down and write.  After a few scenes, more of the story comes to me, so I make a few bare-bones notes (names, key situations or scenes) and just go from there.  After that it’s editing and inserting chapter breaks.  Then cover design and formatting!

There are lots of people out there who dream of being a writer, what do you think is the most important piece of advice you could give?

First, stop saying that you “dream of being a writer.” You either are a writer or you aren’t.  Second, stop stalling and just do it.  Everyone procrastinates.  Procrastination and hesitation aren’t signs you can’t write.  They’re signs you’re nervous and hesitant. Stop being nervous, sit down, and write. No excuses.

What’s next? What projects are you currently working on and what do we all have to look forward to?
I’m working on a dark fantasy novel in which the dark gods of Lovecraft fame have taken over the world and humanity has divided into groups that have vastly different ideas on how to deal with the problem.  I’m extremely excited about it because it’s my first book that will be written from multiple perspectives.

There also will be a sequel to Waiting For Daybreak.  I’m aiming for it to come out in the summer of 2014, but we’ll see how quickly I can get the research done.  Plus the dark gods are demanding attention first.

And finally, what books have had the greatest influence on you?

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale changed my entire life.  Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club is permanently on my kindle.  Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.  And of course Jack London’s The Call of the Wild.

Thank you so much Amanda for your time and good luck with this promotion and your future novels.

Learn more about Waiting For Daybreak and Amanda McNeil at…
Goodreads | Author Blog


Next stop on the blog tour: Book Stacks on Deck

Saturday 18 August 2012

Discontents - James Wallace Birch


Title: Discontents
Author: James Wallace Birch
Genre: General Fiction
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Kobo
Amazon UK

It has been quite a while since I read any form of political thriller so I was looking forward to reading "Discontents" by James Wallace Birch. What I discovered was a slow burner of a novel that explores the various ideologies that our societies are currently based around. It really did make me think about things such as the roles of governments and corporations in our lives, which I suspect are the main purpose of a novel such as this.

The story itself follows the life of Emory Walden, an infamous blogger who has been sharing his dissatisfaction with the government and society in general. Upon his return to the US after travelling around Europe, he is approached by a wealthy man named Fletcher Spivey who wants to help Emory spread the word about the ails of society. Fletcher uses his money to create an alternative identity for Emory to ensure he remains safe and free. However soon paranoia beings to influence Emory and he begins to question various incidents and the relationships he has formed with people who know his true name.

I found the story to be quite dry and slow at first as it revels in the various issues and opinions of those who are unhappy with what society currently offers. After the first few chapters I really wasn't sure if I would enjoy it as I can't say that I follow similar views to what we see in the novel. However I am glad that I stuck with it as even though it isn't the fastest paced novels Birch still manages to take this political view point and integrates it into a rather interesting political thriller full of intrigue, paranoia, subterfuge, a few plot twists and even a little bit of romance.

Whilst I didn't really relate to Emory's overall viewpoints, it was still quite enjoyable to follow the viewpoint of an outsider like him, someone with no real prospects who was quite simply dissatisfied with what society could offer. In addition I found Emory to be a believable character, full of the hypocrisy, ego and flaws prevalent in most personalities. There was no attempt by Birch to make him perfect and this was a welcome change to the standard thriller novel that would usually follow the antics of a super spy or highly intellectual analyst.

There were a few issues with the novel however; the first is that there is a plot twist regarding a homeless man called Renton which I won't say much about beyond the fact that it just seemed thoroughly incredulous to me. There were also a few logical issues that had me feeling the same way such as one about Emory's face being plastered around the place yet no one seemed able to identify him even when he was in the police station or wandering around the streets all because he was using a different name.

Overall, this was a thought provoking and interesting read that I think most political minded readers should enjoy. This is definitely not a book for people expecting a light or easy read and I think the slow pace could prove a challenge for some. However, if you do want your ideas and thoughts challenged by what is at its heart an entertaining story then go ahead and pick it up.

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

Thursday 16 August 2012

Mirror Shards: Volume One - Edited by Thomas K. Carpenter



Title: Mirror Shards - Volume One
Author: Various (Edited by Thomas K. Carpenter)
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

"Mirror Shards: Volume 1" is an anthology of thirteen short science fiction stories, edited by Thomas K. Carpenter who also contributed one of the stories. The stories themselves have been written by a variety of authors and all of them included some aspect of Augmented Reality. For those of you that don't know, Augmented Reality is the process of utilising technology to enhance and expand upon what we see in the real world.

Whilst this common element is present in each story, the way in which the individual authors have used it does vary quite substantially. This means that the stories themselves are all very different in style and substance. For example, whilst one story may be a fast paced thrill ride, the next would be poignant and thoughtful. I felt that this ensured the reader would not get bored as they read through the stories. Quite simply, the collection really does provide an enjoyable taste of what Augmented Reality could be used for in the future, both the positive and negative.

The positive sides of Augmented Reality are specifically shown in the story, "Of Bone and Steel and Other Soft Materials" which is an exciting and action packed look at a woman utilising the technology to try and survive an encounter with a Russian crime syndicate. Another story that touched on the more positive aspects is "Gift Horses" is an enjoyable journey that follows the attempts to overthrow a corporate dictatorship.

"Bellow the Bollocks Line" however really highlights some of the more negative aspects with a short but amusing look at advertisers hurtling constant commercials at people who are given no real way to avoid them. This is then supported by "The Sun is Real" which is one of my favourites in the collection and follows a prisoner of war who is subjected to unusual forms of torture and subterfuge that Augmented Reality could be used to inflict.

The story I enjoyed the most however in the collection has to be "The Cageless Zoo" by Carpenter himself which was very reminiscent of Jurassic Park. The story is based around a woman and her two children visiting a zoo which has utilised Augmented Reality in a rather novel way to ensure the various predators living there don't see the people and therefore won't try to attack them. Of course things quickly go wrong and a thrilling adventure unfolds as the family tries to escape the zoo.

Overall, Carpenter has pulled together an enjoyable and satisfying collection of science fiction stories that look at Augmented Reality from many different perspectives. The entertaining mix of styles, ideas and pacing kept me hooked and I am looking forward to further instalments in the series and reading other literature by the authors included. I highly recommend this to fans of speculative fiction and those interested in the future of Augmented Reality.

Available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Amazon UK

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

Saturday 11 August 2012

The World Before (The Wess'har Wars Book 3) - Karen Traviss


Title: The World Before (The Wess'har Wars Book 3)
Author: Karen Traviss
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2005
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

"The World Before" by Karen Traviss is the third book in the thoroughly enjoyable Wess'har series. Due to the highly integrated nature of this series of novels it is very hard to review this book without including some spoilers in relation to previous books so I would advise you to make sure you have read those books prior to reading this review.

The story itself picks up directly from the conclusion of the previous novel, "Crossing The Line". Due to actions of a small human contingent, the peaceful Bezeri species are dieing out which forces their Wess'har protectors to look at finding a way to redress this outrage. However, when they decide to contact their home world for help they unleash a force that threatens to make all of Earth answer for the genocide.

Without doubt this novel really does have that "middle of the series" feeling in that it is more about development and setting up the characters for future events. However, I marveled at the way in which Traviss kept me hooked to the point that I devoured this book in no time at all even though it felt like nothing much was happening in regards to the progression of the overall story. I just enjoyed the way that the book really explores the different characters and various alien species to see how they react to the events of the previous novel.

The high level of complexity that Traviss has created in regards to the characters and alien species really did shine through in this novel. In particular I liked how Traviss used what had occurred at the end of the previous book to ensure she could concentrate on some of the minor characters. All the characters are becoming that little bit deeper and the reader can see the gradual changes in how they act as they review and think about what has occurred in their lives.

The only real issue I had was that Traviss once again devotes a fair amount of the novel to denigrating humanity. Don't get me wrong, I am more than happy to follow a novel that doesn't use the rather predictable heroic humans to the rescue scenario but I do think that Traviss really does go a little bit too far the other way. The alien species also have some faults which come to the fore in this novel but the focus still seems to be on explaining why humanity basically sucks.

One good thing that this focus on the actions of humanity resulted in was some really interesting and entertaining debates between humans and aliens over issues such as morality, culpability, relationships and punishment. They were thoroughly enjoyable although they did get a little bit repetitive by the end of the novel as the same arguments would occur multiple times with the same feelings and information being utilized.

Overall, this was another enjoyable installment in the Wess'har series with this novel really coming across as being a transition piece. Whilst some people may dislike the lack of real action, the real power behind this novel and series as a whole are the excellent and varied characters that grow and change as the story progresses. I am really looking forward to picking up the next novel and am still happy to highly recommend this series to people looking for a different view point of humanity in the future.

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

Wednesday 8 August 2012

Star Trek Enterprise: The Romulan War: To Brave The Storm - Michael A. Martin



Title: The Romulan War - To Brave The Storm
Author: Michael A. Martin
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

"To Brave The Storm" by Michael A. Martin is the latest book in my Star Trek Reading Challenge and is the concluding book in the Romulan War series which started with "Beneath The Raptor's Wing". After my enjoyment of the first book in the series I was really looking forward to reading this one. This was enhanced by my knowledge that there are no new Enterprise novels expected for the foreseeable future so this could be the last new story in that franchise that I read for quite a while.

The novel chronicles the final years of the Earth-Romulan war with the main focus being on humanity's continued fight against the Romulans whilst their allies opt to sit out the war. The outnumbered Starfleet struggles to hold the line and the prospects for Earth become increasingly grimmer as the years pass. Meanwhile Trip Tucker continues to conduct espionage in Romulan territory hoping that somehow his work behind the lines will help Starfleet avoid seemingly inevitable defeat.

After finishing the novel I have to say that I do have some mixed feelings about it. The overall plot and direction were decent and I really did find myself hooked as I followed humanity's struggle for survival. In addition, it does wrap up the story of the Romulan war in a competent enough manner which was good to see, especially considering I am not sure when we will see a new Enterprise novel again. However, there was just something a little bit unsatisfying about the entire reading experience due to a rushed feeling that pervaded the entire book.

This can easily be seen in the way that the first book covered 1 year in the war whilst this one covered a full 6 years in fewer pages. This results in many of the plotlines being quickly closed down without any real fleshing out or enhancement. In addition, the narrative jumps months and event years in between chapter which spoils both the flow of the novel and the ability of the individual scenes to sink in emotionally with a reader.

It was also a big let down to see such a narrow focus on just the main characters and events considering the previous novel had done such a great job in giving a more panoramic view of the war and it how it affected everyone, including regular citizens. Then again, considering characters such as Mayweather, Sato, Phlox and Reed got hardly a mention either it probably isn't surprising that Martin didn't have room to fit in a more epic look at the war.

I also felt that the rushed nature of the novel had an effect on the characters that were focused on as well. Whilst I think the main characters were portrayed well, several of the character arcs were rather stunted. A prime example of this was towards the end of the novel in regards to Trip's return from his espionage mission. There was so much around this that could have been delved into yet we see none of it, all we get is a little epilogue in the future showing the reader that he is happily living with T'Pol.

In Summary, whilst this review may imply that I didn't really enjoy the book you shouldn't be fooled. It is an enjoyable and entertaining enough read but the rushed nature of the plot was a let down considering what I had read in "Beneath The Raptor's Wing". Perhaps things would have been so different had Martin been able to write the Romulan War over three novels instead of two but alas we will never know.

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

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

Saturday 4 August 2012

Ooter's Place and Other Stories of Fear, Faith and Love - Karl El-Koura



Title: Ooter's Place and Other Stories of Fear, Faith and Love
Author: Karl El-Koura
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

"Ooter's Place and Other Stories of Fear, Faith, and Love" is a collection of short stories written by Karl El-Koura that were written over a 12 year period. Whilst the title itself maybe a little bit of a mouthful, the stories themselves are all well paced, entertaining and incredibly varied. The collection really does cover a large range of genres, although the majority are speculative fiction such as Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy.

I have to admit that as I had never heard of the author prior to reading this collection and due to it being self-published I was expecting to find a fair few turkeys alongside any gems in this collection. In hindsight, this was a rather blinkered view to take as what I found was an enjoyable range of well written and engaging short stories. Every single one of them had me thoroughly entertained no matter the genre or subject.

The collection itself is split into three sections under the headings of Fear, Faith and Love with four stories appearing in each. To be honest, I found the placement of the stories rather arbitrary and I think many of the stories could easily have fit into either section. However, El-Koura himself does actually realise this himself and freely admits it in his introduction. One element I really appreciated with this collection was the forewords written by El-Koura prior to every story. It gave a decent basis for the story itself and helped to ensure that the reader had some understanding about what the story was conveying.

The first section in the collection which covers stories about fear is probably the most self explanatory portion of the collection. The stories here range from an incredibly short and quirky piece entitled "Tom's Refrigerator" about a man's rather controlling computerised fridge to an engrossing story called "How You Die" that takes a look at how the imagination of two young brothers telling ghost stories can lead to a rather dangerous outcome.

The second section covering stories about faith was the one I wasn't looking forward to as I had visions of stories written around religious preaching etc. However, I was happy to see that there was no hidden intent behind these stories. In fact, whilst some of them did have elements on religion within them, some of them didn't and the stories were mainly focussed on faith as a concept and how it shapes our lives. These stories ranged from an enjoyable, poignant and slightly amusing look at a man who comes to believe he is a superhero that is entitled "The Man Who Mistook Himself for a Superhero" to a rather engaging journey of a man whose sub-conscious seems to give him one last adventure before his life ends in the story "Blink".

The final section includes stories about love and I was quite impressed to see that El-Koura didn't just take the easy route of concentrating only on romantic love. They also covered platonic love such as that between two friends as shown in the rather surreal alien invasion story "They Came From Ooter’s Place". These stories about love didn't just stop there however as the final story in the section entitled "The Curious Case of the Book Baron" follows the mysterious case of someone breaking into homes and leaving books and is based around the love of reading. I suspect, most people who read this collection will read that story with a big smile on my face as I did.

Overall, I found this to be a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable collection of stories, with some of them reaching me on an emotional level. I can't recommend this collection highly enough, especially if you are a fan of engaging speculative fiction in the short form. If you aren't sure then head along to smashwords and read the free sampler that includes three stories from the collection.

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Smashwords
Amazon UK

Wednesday 1 August 2012

The Broken Sword - Poul Anderson



Title: The Broken Sword
Author: Poul Anderson
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1954
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Prior to signing up for the Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge I had never actually heard about "The Broken Sword" by Poul Anderson. I feel a little bit ashamed of this since I pretend to be knowledgeable about Fantasy novels yet I had no idea that this was released at the same time as Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring" or that it is broadly regarded as a classic of the heroic fantasy genre. Either way though, I am now happy to have discovered such a complex and interesting novel that draws on Norse, Irish and English mythology.

The story takes places within a fictional England during the period of Viking incursions where the realm of faerie exists alongside that of humanity. Orm, a Viking raider has killed a Saxon family, taken their land and married an English wife through coercion. However, his pillaging actions lead to a curse being place upon him which results in dire consequences in the future for himself and his family. The curse begins when Imric, an elven earl is led to Orm's house at the moment of his first son's birth so that he can kidnap the child and replaces it with a changeling. On the day that the kidnapped child is named as Skafloc, a dark gift is presented by an Aesir messenger. This ancient and broken sword with a history of death and destruction portends a grave future for both elves and men. And so begins a saga of battles, danger and death as Skafloc is forced to try and repair the sword and fight against the very changeling who replaced him when he was born.

The first thing I need to say about the book is that it really is quite a grim and bleak tale with a tragic ending that whilst expected is pulled off very well. Readers really do need to be aware that this really is a dark fantasy full of mayhem and slaughter with the plotline containing elements of betrayal, murder, incest and rape. Whilst it was quite interesting to see this rather dark influence of Norse mythology that did help in giving the book the felling of being an epic saga, I did find it all a little bit depressing to read.

In regards to the characters, whilst they were all interesting enough I can't really say they were developed in any meaningful way. For example, it was obvious from the beginning that the changeling would turn out to be bad in some way and Skafloc would be forced to deal with him. However, I did find that the characters in this book really were firmly rooted in the 11th century as they were brutal, superstitious and were living bleak and short lives. In addition, I was quite intrigued by the elven culture shown by Anderson; these are not the perfect and honest elves who just act like nice humans with pointy ears that are regularly seen in other novels. The elves had their own set of morals which were very different to humanity and whilst still beautiful creatures they were also cruel and selfish.

The writing itself was very intricate and Anderson has used a rather poetic style that I actually found quite interesting to read as it wasn't a type of style that I read very often. However, it did sometimes feel a little bit dated and the style may put some people off but I think most people shouldn't have a problem.

Overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable experience to read a book that without doubt should be classified as a classic of fantasy literature. Whilst it isn't the best fantasy novel I have read, I think any fans of the fantasy genre should enjoy this book as long as they don't mind the rather strong Nordic tragedy influence on the story. For me, it was a pleasure to read and explore a book that had influence on so many other novels.

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

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