Tag: science fiction

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

The Vanished Birds: A Novel by [Jimenez, Simon]

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Ray

Date of publication: January 14th 2020

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Where you can find The Vanished Birds: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

A mysterious child lands in the care of a solitary woman, changing both of their lives forever in this captivating debut of connection across space and time.

“This is when your life begins.”

Nia Imani is a woman out of place and outside of time. Decades of travel through the stars are condensed into mere months for her, though the years continue to march steadily onward for everyone she has ever known. Her friends and lovers have aged past her; all she has left is work. Alone and adrift, she lives only for the next paycheck, until the day she meets a mysterious boy, fallen from the sky.

A boy, broken by his past.

The scarred child does not speak, his only form of communication the beautiful and haunting music he plays on an old wooden flute. Captured by his songs and their strange, immediate connection, Nia decides to take the boy in. And over years of starlit travel, these two outsiders discover in each other the things they lack. For him, a home, a place of love and safety. For her, an anchor to the world outside of herself.

For both of them, a family.

But Nia is not the only one who wants the boy. The past hungers for him, and when it catches up, it threatens to tear this makeshift family apart.

First Line:

He was born with an eleventh finger.

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

My Review:

I was on the fence about reviewing The Vanished Birds. To make up my mind, I read the first four reviews on Goodreads. That is something I never do, but I was conflicted. The reviews were evenly conflicted about the book. So, I decided to take a chance on it. For the most part, it was a good book. But some parts made me wonder why they were written, even after finishing the book.

The Vanished Birds had a slow to a medium-paced plotline. When the book focused on Nia and her relationship with Ahro/their travels until he was 16, the book moved at a medium-paced. But, when the book focused on Fumiko Nakajima (past and present) and her travels, it slowed to a crawl. I will be honest; I skimmed over a large part of her story. I started paying attention when she was on the secret base and the events afterward.

I enjoyed reading about the type of space travel that Nia used to go between planets. It fascinated me. I couldn’t imagine being in space for what I would have thought would be a few months and to find out that 15 years have passed.

Nia was a tough cookie to like during the book. She made some questionable decisions that affected the people around her. Nia kept people are arm’s length. She did unbend, slightly, when she met Ahro. She unbent, even more, when Fumiko asked her to keep him safe for 15 years. But, I couldn’t quite bring myself to like her.

When Fumiko was introduced in The Vanished Birds, I didn’t understand what her role was. I mean, it was explained relatively early on that she was the founder of the colonies in space, and she invented the engine that allowed space travel. But I didn’t know why her backstory was being told. It didn’t go with the flow of Nia’s story. Even when her story was brought to the present, I still wondered: “Why?” I also wondered why she was so invested in Ahro. It was explained, and it didn’t show her in a good light.

I loved Ahro. I loved seeing his character growth throughout the book. I wasn’t prepared for what his secret was, though. I honestly thought that it had something to do with music and his affinity for it. So, when it was revealed, I was shocked. I loved watching his relationship with Nia and her crew grow, which made what happened and who caused it such a shock.

I do wish that more time had been spent on the times they visited the planets. There were so many locations!!! All exotic and all made me want more. But that didn’t happen.

I wasn’t a fan of the last half of the book. I had questions about what was going to happen to Nia and Ahro once the dust settles. I also had questions about Fumiko. I can only assume what happened to her. And then there is the question about where Ahro originally came from and who The Kind One was.

I would give The Vanished Birds an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread The Vanished Birds. I am also on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Fever (Dark Kings: Book 16) by Donna Grant

Fever: A Dark Kings Novel by [Grant, Donna]

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: October 29th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Series: Dark Kings

Dark Craving—Book 0.1

Night’s Awakening—Book 0.2

Dawn’s Desire—Book 0.3

Passion’s Claim—Book 0.4

Darkest Flame—Book 1

Fire Rising—Book 2

Burning Desire—Book 3

Hot Blooded—Book 4

Night’s Blaze—Book 5

Soul Scorched—Book 6

Dragon King—Book 6.5

Passion Ignites—Book 7

Smoldering Hunger—Book 8

Smoke and Fire—Book 9

Dragon Fever—Book 9.5

Firestorm—Book 10

Blaze—Book 11

Dragon Burn—Book 11.5

Constantine: A History—Book 11.6

Heat—Book 12 (Review Here)

Torched—Book 13

Dragon Night—Book 13.5

Dragonfire—Book 14 (Review Here)

Dragon Claimed—Book 14.5

Ignite—Book 15 (Review Here)

Fever—Book 16

Where you can find Fever: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

His kiss was fire and passion. She shivered, wondering how he knew just how to touch her, to send her spiraling into an abyss of pleasure…

For centuries, the Dragon Kings have lived among mortals, forsaking their true selves. But for Kelton, hiding in the realm of shadows—and existing only in the world of dreams—is no longer an option. A human woman claims to know that he, like other dark warriors of his kind, is real. That the legends about these powerful, seductive men with hearts ablaze are true. And that, with just one embrace, Kelton could destroy her…or love her until the end of time.

Bernadette Davies is an anthropologist who knows better than to fall into the arms of a Dragon King. But how can she resist Kelton when he’s so willing to share his secrets and bear his soul? He hasn’t met a beautiful, trustworthy woman like Bernadette in…forever. But once they give into their mutual desire, their worlds will never be the same. Soon Bernadette must face her dilemma: Should she expose the truth about Kelton in the name of science? Or join him in his battle with the dark forces—in the name of love?

First Line:

Dragons are real.

Fever by Donna Grant

My Review:

When I finished Ignite, I was curious about who the next book was going to be about. I knew it wasn’t Con, because Ub*tch had him, so I figured it was Kelton. As for the woman, that was left up in the air. So, I wasn’t surprised when Kelton was the first person mentioned. I was surprised at who his mate was and how he met her.

Fever was an exciting book to read. I was expecting more of a filler book, like Ignite. To my surprise, Fever ended up being so much more. Not only was it Kelton/Bernadette’s romance, but there was a progression with all the major storylines – Con/Ub*tch storyline, the storyline with Rhi, the Dark Fae storyline and the storyline with The Others.

I wasn’t too sure about Bernadette. Like the Dragon Kings, I thought that she was getting her information from someone. I figured it was a disgruntled someone. But I wasn’t expecting it to be Ub*tch. Her sudden decision to go to Dreagan also raised my red flags, as did her immediate attraction to Kelton. But after her heart to heart with him and seeing exactly how Ub*tch destroyed Bernadette’s life made any reservations I had towards her go away. What Ub*tch did to her in this book was awful. Which lead me to wonder, exactly what did Ub*tch know about Bernadette? I also wanted to know why Rhi was so drawn to her. I have a feeling I know why, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. All I will say that if I am right, that is a HUGE bombshell!!

I loved Kelton. He was willing to do whatever it took to find out who was leaking Bernadette. But when Bernadette showed up at Dreagan, he decided to be honest with her. He didn’t expect to fall in love. I loved how honest he was about his struggle with Con’s decision to send the dragons home. Once he determined that Ub*tch was using Bernadette, he was going to do anything to protect her, which included sending her back to that conniving evil witch. I did get a laugh over his complete denial of his feelings for Bernadette. Typical alpha male right there.

Bernadette and Kelton had major sexual chemistry and sexual attraction from the beginning. That translated into some seriously hot sex scenes. I did feel let down when they figured out that Ub*tch spelled Bernadette to attract a Dragon King (ie, Kelton). I had a brief moment of panic that those impressive sex scenes I read were magically induced. Thankfully, the author cleared that up fast.

I am glad that Rhi made more of an appearance in Fever. Like I said above, I have a theory of why she was so drawn to Bernadette. Also, her struggle with the dark was so much more pronounced in Fever. I felt terrible for her.

I couldn’t stand Ub*tch. What she did to Bernadette (the blood spell) was wrong. What she was doing Xanth was wrong also. That poor man. She tortured him!! What happened at the end of the book was terrific, but I wish there were closure!!!

I didn’t understand why Death and the Reapers weren’t getting involved with what was going on in Fever. I started to get irritated because Death made such a big deal about Ub*tch being taken down. But, there was a scene towards the end of the book that made me go “Hrrrmmmm.” Made me wonder what the author has in store for that storyline!!

The Dark Fae storyline (with Balladyn) surprised me. I was NOT expecting what happened to happen. I put the book down and said: “Holy crap, that just DIDN’T happen!!!”

The storyline with Con and Ub*tch had me going. I didn’t know what to think about what was going on. All I could think was that it wasn’t good.

The storyline with Henry and Melisse fascinated me. Precisely who is Melisse, and what does she want with Henry? I cannot wait to read the next book.

I would give Fever an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Fever. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Amy’s Square by Dominic Schunker

Amy's Square by [Schunker, Dominic]

4 Stars

Publisher: Off World Publishing

Date of publication: October 1st, 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Where you can find Amy’s Square: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

The world continues to let children die every day from thirst and starvation, poisoned water and disease, and the world continues to let the Earth die.

A man, destroyed by the desertion of his wife, comes out the other side and finds a mission. It’s bold. It’s crazy. He’s not totally sure what’s at the end of it but he has to follow it. It’s a terrifying leap away from his world but it ends up being a mission to rescue the very substance of life.

From the ancient Aztecs to the Moroccan desert, Spanish highways to the remote fields of Russia, clues appear, people die and someone gets ever closer to him.

The children, the generation who must eventually find the answer, silently guide him to the truth.

And it’s a truth that will change everything.

First Line:

It’s only when a mosquito lands on your balls do you learn to resolve your conflict without violence

Amy’s Square by Dominic Schunker

My Review:

When I read the blurb for Amy’s Square, my initial first impression was that this book was going to be a book like The DaVinci Code. Since I liked The DaVinci Code, I decided that I would read Amy’s Square.

Amy’s Square’s plotline took a while to get going. It crept, which I didn’t enjoy. I understood that the author was world and character building, but I wanted it to go faster. When the book finally did get moving, about halfway through the book, it flew along.

Another issue that I had with Amy’s Square is that it was filled with British slang. At first, it confused me (and my phone got a workout from Googling it), but I got used to it.

I pitied Abe for the first half of the book. I couldn’t imagine being dumped the way he was. No wonder he was a mess!! I would have been too. Then the second half of the book came around, and I loved him. When he got his diagnosis, he decided to live. That included spying on a company called xLight and refinding love.

The author didn’t get into xLight. What was explained as it was a huge corporation that had its hand in some bad things that were happening. On the one hand, I wished that he told it, but on the other hand, I loved the mystery.

The end of Amy’s Square had a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming. The first one left me with my mouth open, but the second one made me put my book down and say, “NO!!!!”.

I would give Amy’s Square an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Amy’s Square. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Letters from Angels by Dominic Schunker

Letters from Angels by [Schunker, Dominic]

3 Stars

Publisher: Offworld Publishing

Date of publication: July 7th, 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Where you can find Letters from Angels: Amazon | BookBub

Book synopsis:

There’s something very wrong with the world. A strange mist settles everywhere. It seems to be causing more than the usual horrors humans like to inflict on themselves, like an organising of those horrors into a plan to end them.

A Preacher with a past challenging his faith and a renowned Ufologist learn something evil is controlling it. They’re being shown signs to discover who it is but what is it?

Is it an alien hybrid, installed for a long-overdue alien takeover and terraforming of Planet Earth?

Or is it the Biblical antichrist, fulfilling its apocryphal destiny?

If they can figure out what it is, maybe they can learn how to defeat it.

Thing is, it’s not easy. The signs of abduction and demonic possession are the same. Descriptions of aliens and biblical demons are the same. 

There’s nothing obvious presenting itself but there’s something about the number 37 that seems to have an answer. There is hope.

Meanwhile, the rest of humanity appears to be falling right into its trap. 

One way or another, the end of the world is indeed nigh and humans are not required. 

Eventually, the only solution is the most unlikely solution.

But it’s all they’ve got.

First Line:

It really was a stupidly hot 11am in the little wooden church of St. John the Baptist, in the scrubs outside Booker.

Letters from Angels by Dominic Schunker

My Review:

When I started reading Letters from Angels, I was expecting a cut and dry book about four people thwarting the end of the world. I was looking forward to reading it. The blurb sparked my interest. But, having read the book, I can say that it wasn’t something that I would have read on my own.

The plot for Letters from Angels was interesting. A preacher and a Ufologist are brought together by a time-traveling couple to help them defeat the Antichrist. The only problem is that they need to find out how to defeat him and save the world.

The main characters were wonderfully written, and I enjoyed reading about their escapes. But I couldn’t connect with them. I didn’t feel that connection with any of the main characters. Which saddened me because I thought that they were well written and had interesting backstories.

The plotline was also well written. It did take some time to get going, but once it got up to speed, it didn’t stop. There were a few lags in the plotline, but the plot got back on track. I also liked how the foursome went about defeating the Antichrist.

The end of Letters from Angels was confusing. I ended up rereading the last few chapters because I wasn’t sure what was going on or what happened.

I would give Letters From Angels an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Letters From Angels.  I am on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Shadowverse by John-Clement Gallo

The Shadowverse: A YA Sci-Fi Superhero Adventure by [Gallo, John-Clement, Gallo, Francesca]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: November 20th, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy, Christian

Where you can find The Shadowverse: Amazon | BookBub

Book synopsis:

Regarded as “captivating” and “one-of-a-kind,” The Shadowverse is a Science-Fiction Superhero thriller with hints of the Young Adult genre. It is a story of destiny—that no matter who you are, where you are, or what your past is like, you can always achieve greatness. 

Johnny Sparks longs for a greater purpose. After an encounter with a mysterious stranger, he and his friends are imbued with incredible powers—at last giving his life meaning. 

But this dream soon disintegrates once one of the friends is taken by an alien warlord named Titan. In a rescue effort, the remaining group is sent across the galaxy in search of the only possible aid—an ancient, immortal warrior missing for centuries. 

To succeed, the team must join forces to reclaim their friend and stop a sinister scheme devised against humanity by Titan and his empire. The conflict for the soul of the universe is set in motion, but even if the group prevails, they risk losing what it means to be human.

First Line:

There was only darkness.

The Shadowverse by John-Clement Gallo

My Review

While I like science fiction, I have been moving away reading it. They all seemed to follow the same plotline, and I was getting bored reading them. So, when the author of The Shadowverse approached me to review his book, I almost didn’t accept it. But there was something about the blurb that made me think twice. I am glad that I did because this was a fantastic read!!

The Shadowverse was an interesting combination of science fiction, fantasy, and Christian literature. I have read this combination before, and it fell flat. But not The Shadowverse. The author was able to meld all three genres’ together wonderfully. I loved it.

I did like the plotline of The Shadowverse, but there were times where I found that it got choppy. Like when the author went into Rose/Adira’s background. Her backstory didn’t meld well into the main story. There were other, smaller instances, but Rose’s stood out the most in the book. Other than that, I did like the plotline. It was fast paced and well written.

The characters in The Shadowverse was some of the more unique ones that I have read in a book. What I liked the most about these characters was that the author was able to make me feel pity and sympathy for the main bad guys (Titan and Solis). Of course, that sympathy waned throughout the book. But still.

The main plotline was interesting. I enjoyed seeing the kids learning about their powers. They did everything that I expected kids that age to do if they found out that they had powers. I enjoyed seeing the different planets that the kids visited as they tracked down Titan. I also enjoyed seeing their interactions with Sonovan. And the training. I know that I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with that!!

The last battle, between The Shadowforce and Titan, was epic. The aftermath of the fight was heartbreaking. My heart was in my throat when during those scenes. The aftermath of the fight was heartbreaking. I cried right along with Johnny and Sam. I also needed to know who Z was. The clue given at the end of the book makes me wonder if the answer was right under my nose!!!

I would give The Shadowverse an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread The Shadowverse.  I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Darwin’s Cipher by M.A. Rothman

Darwin's Cipher by [Rothman, M.A.]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: February 18th, 2019

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

Where you can find Darwin’s Cipher: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

Juan Gutierrez, a cancer researcher, has spent years studying the genome of animals that exhibit immunity to some types of cancer. Over the course of his study, Juan discovers a pattern that allows him to predict the course of a species’ evolution across thousands of generations.

Using the algorithm he’s developed from the pattern, Juan uncovers what he believes to be the key to conquering humanity’s susceptibility to cancer.

Others are interested in using what Juan has dubbed “Darwin’s Cipher,” however, instead of cancer research, they see very different applications for the new genetic algorithm.

Nate Carrington, an FBI forensic analyst has been struggling with several cold cases when he’s alerted to an incident at a nearby ranch. It’s a case of a newborn calf who is found in the middle of a herd of dead cattle. It provides a single link to Nate’s other cold cases: the DNA analysis of the calf doesn’t match anything in the FBI’s database.

Somewhere in a rural hospital in West Virginia, four hospital workers are dead and a newborn child has been transported to the NIH’s level-4 bio-containment unit.

It’s only when the NIH sends out an alert to all hospitals and law enforcement agencies that the world realizes the danger that faces them.

My review:

I am not a medical thriller fan. I haven’t read a book in this genre that I liked. So when I was approached with an invite to review Darwin’s Cipher, I was hesitant. But then I read the blurb, and my interest was caught. So I accepted. I am happy I did because this book was fantastic.

The plot with Juan made me both angry and sad at the same time. I was sad because he poured his life into researching a cure for cancer. I was mad because people were using his research in the wrong ways. I was interested in seeing what went on behind the scenes in a research lab. The author was able to capture the sacrifices researches make in their quest to find a cure.

The plotline involving Nate and his investigation was interesting. It was interesting to see what he was going up against in his investigation. The scene where the evidence disappeared from the locker was huge. Like he said, how does evidence disappear from a protected federal agency?

Frank and Katie’s plotline showed a 3rd side to what was going on. It was refreshing to see everything happen from a regular person’s point of view. Every thing that Frank, and then Katie went through, horrified me. Even now, I get shivers thinking about it.

All the main characters in Darwin’s Cipher were well written. I was able to form a connection to them. They were 3d. Everytime I thought I had a character figured out, another layer would be revealed. Loved it.

Out of the three main characters, I’d have to say that I liked Katie the best. She was an ordinary woman caught up in something that bigger than her. Her actions and reactions would be close to what I would do. I also liked how her character developed throughout the book. She started as an immature girl and ended up as a mature woman.

Juan was a force of nature in this book. He was passionate about his research. The author did a fantastic job of portraying that. He sacrificed so much to get where he was. My only fault with him was that he had tunnel vision about his career. But, that passion came in handy at the end of the book.

Nate was the only character in the book that I felt I could have gotten to know better. Still, I liked him.

The secondary characters in Darwin’s Cipher added depth to the book. I will include the dog in with the secondary characters. Not saying why. Need to read the book to find out.

The bad guys gave me chills. While I understood why one of the bad guys did what he did, I couldn’t get past it. The other bad guys were evil. There were surprises about them, though. A couple of people who I thought were in on it wasn’t. And a person who I thought was on Juan’s side wasn’t.

Darwin’s Cipher does get technical. I don’t even begin to understand lab procedures. There was also technical jargon that made me go “huh.” I was able to google/use my Kindle dictionary to look that stuff up.

I wasn’t a fan of the Juan/Katie romance in the book. It did make sense at the end of the book. It fueled Juan to do what he did. But, I didn’t like it.

The end of Darwin’s Cipher was a nail biter for me. The author had everything happening so quickly that I almost couldn’t keep up reading. I had to reread pages so I could process what was happening. The way the book ended had me wondering if there was going to be another book.

I would give Darwin’s Cipher an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Darwin’s Cipher. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Darwin’s Cipher.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Have you read Darwin’s Cipher?

What are your thoughts on it?

Let me know!!

If, Then by Kate Hope Day

If, Then

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Random House, Random House

Date of publication: March 12th, 2019

Genre: General Fiction, Science Fiction

Where you can find If, Then: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The residents of a sleepy mountain town are rocked by troubling visions of an alternate reality in this dazzling debut that combines the family-driven suspense of Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere with the inventive storytelling of The Immortalists.

In the quiet haven of Clearing, Oregon, four neighbors find their lives upended when they begin to see themselves in parallel realities. Ginny, a devoted surgeon whose work often takes precedence over her family, has a baffling vision of a beautiful co-worker in Ginny’s own bed and begins to doubt the solidity of her marriage. Ginny’s husband, Mark, a wildlife scientist, sees a vision that suggests impending devastation and grows increasingly paranoid, threatening the safety of his wife and son. Samara, a young woman desperately mourning the recent death of her mother and questioning why her father seems to be coping with such ease, witnesses an apparition of her mother healthy and vibrant and wonders about the secrets her parents may have kept from her. Cass, a brilliant scholar struggling with the demands of new motherhood, catches a glimpse of herself pregnant again, just as she’s on the brink of returning to the project that could define her career.

At first the visions are relatively benign, but they grow increasingly disturbing—and, in some cases, frightening. When a natural disaster threatens Clearing, it becomes obvious that the visions were not what they first seemed and that the town will never be the same.

Startling, deeply imagined, and compulsively readable, Kate Hope Day’s debut novel is about the choices we make that shape our lives and determine our destinies—the moments that alter us so profoundly that it feels as if we’ve entered another reality.

My review

If, Then is the story of 4 neighbors in the town of Clearing, Oregon. Mark is a wildlife scientist. Ginny is a successful surgeon. Samara is still grieving over the death of her mother. Cass is a scholar who is struggling to adjust to being a mother. Each of them has a vision. Mark’s vision, which consists of him living in a tent in the woods, makes him paranoid. Ginny sees herself in a relationship with a coworker. Samara sees her mother alive. Cass sees herself pregnant…again. The visions start coming more until the people affected start questioning their sanity. Why are they having these visions?

I started off liking If, Then. The author did a great job at setting the groundwork for a great book. Each character (and secondary characters) was relatable in their own way. I was fine with the book until halfway through. Then the book went a different direction. It was that sudden change in the plotline that made me go “Eh?“. I actually had to reread several chapters to understand what I was reading. I do not like when I have to do that.

Like I mentioned above, I liked the characters at the beginning of the book. Each character was relatable and likable. Even when things started to get weird (and man, did they), I still liked them. If I had to pick one who wasn’t a favorite, it was Ginny. She couldn’t make up her mind who she wanted to be with. I wanted to shake her.

I got lost reading the plotline during the 2nd half of the book. What made me lost was Cass’s storyline and the storyline with Other Mark. I had questions about both storylines there were not answered. I can’t get into what they were here but they were legitimate. I also found the main storyline a bit much.

The end of the book seemed rushed. While I am glad that everything worked out, it seemed too pat and a little rushed. I was almost hoping for someone not to have a happy ending. That would have changed things up a little bit.

I gave If, Then a 3-star rating. The book had a great start. It had a great plotline and characters that I could connect with. But, I found the book couldn’t hold my attention after the middle of the book. I got lost reading it and had to reread chapters to make sure I understood what was going on. The characters, for the most part, did stay relatable and likable. I thought that the end of the book was rushed.

I would give If, Then an Adult rating. There is sex (nothing graphic but you knew when the characters were going at it). There is mild violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be the death of a parent, cheating and divorce. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review If, Then.

All opinions stated in this review of If, Then are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read If, Then?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

An Unfortunate Dimension by Dominic Schunker

An Unfortunate Dimension by [Schunker, Dominic]

4 Stars

Publisher: Offworld Publishing

Date of publication: December 7th, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia

Where you can find An Unfortunate Dimension: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Synopsis:

An Unfortunate Dimension is a psychological thriller with a twist you’ll never see coming. 

Salvador is thrown into battle and intense laser fire. He doesn’t know how he got here or why, and that’s just one of his problems. He’s been experiencing a sort of dimensional schizophrenia, jumping into bizarre scenes past, present and future. Is the universe messing with him, interfering with his only goal, to bring his wife Jemma out of her coma? 

He grows sure Jemma is trying to communicate a solution from her dimension, trying to tell him how to save her, to bring her back round. She tells him to look for signs, find a pattern, and soon he does. His dad’s old car, a song, a demon, and Camille, his lost best friend from school. 

He learns Jemma was the teacher on going-home-duty when a little girl, Ashlen, vanished a few months ago. Why didn’t she tell him about Ashlen? He becomes convinced it’s a clue. The school is quizzed, the police are quizzed but still no answers. His mission races on when he learns they’ll turn off Jemma’s life support in seven days. 

What if Jemma’s goal is not to save herself, but something else? Eventually, he realizes it’s to save Ashlen, to ease her guilt, allow her to recover. That’s the link, here is the reason for the pattern: save Ashen and that will bring Jemma round. 

Between dimensions and interactions with Jemma and Camille, from a VR game, space travel and a distant planet awaiting its foretold enlightenment, Salvador knows what he must do. Nothing is as it seems, and the invasive truth is coming.

My review:

I like science fiction but I haven’t been reading a lot of it. To be honest, I got burned out by it. When I saw the blurb for An Unfortunate Dimension, I decided to read it. I am glad that I did because this book was good.

An Unfortunate Dimension is the story of Salvador. Salvador has been having a rough time lately. His wife, Jemma, is in a coma, on life support. Salvador has been experiencing weird occurrences. Like being dropped into an intense laser fight, naked. Or seeing his best friend who disappeared when he was 13 year old. Or seeing a young kidnapping victim alive. Salvador makes the connection between Jemma and the kidnapping victim the same day he is told that he has 7 days before they shut off life support. Convinced that saving Ashlen will save Jemma, Salvador does everything in his power to find her. But things aren’t what they seem. Can Salvador lead the police to Ashlen and save Jemma? Or will he fail?

I had a hard time getting into An Unfortunate Dimension. The beginning was confusing. There was so much going on that I had an issue keeping everything straight. There was a point during the first couple of chapters where I almost DNF’d. But I decided to keep on plugging along. By the 4th chapter, the book smoothed itself out. It turned into the book that I enjoyed reading.

Salvador: I liked Salvador. His grief over losing Jemma came off the pages. Once he realized who Ashlen was to Jemma, he was determined to find her. He was determined to help Jemma so she could be restored to him. He did have his faults. He drank way too much. His choice in friends made me question him on more than one occasion in the book. But what I liked the most about him was that he didn’t question anything that was happening to him. Even when he saw the demon (which would have freaked me out).

The kidnapping storyline was heartbreaking. I liked how the author foreshadowed what was going to happen. I also liked the connection to Camille. I thought it was interesting and I didn’t put two and two together.

The author did a fantastic job with the science fiction storyline. I liked how he included VR in this book. The whole scene with the shaman was creepy but informative. The revelation of the alien planet was creepy too. Knowing what I know now, I understand what that planet was too Salvador.

The plot twist in An Unfortunate Dimension was one that I didn’t see coming. I was taken aback by it. I did a no way. I can’t say too much more about it because I will be giving away spoilers. This is the second book in as many weeks with a plot twist that took my by surprise.

The end of An Unfortunate Dimension is tied into the plot twist. So, I am not going to say anything about it. Only that I was shaking my head and saying “No way” up until the last sentence.

I would give An Unfortunate Dimension an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no on under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread An Unfortunate Dimension. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review An Unfortunate Dimension.

All opinions stated in this review of An Unfortunate Dimension are mine.

Have you read An Unfortunate Dimension?

What are your thoughts on it?

Do you like it when there is a huge plot twist right at the end of the book?

Why or why not?

Let me know!!

Zero by Jacob Whaler

Zero (The Fringe Collection Book 1) by [Whaler, Jacob]

5 Stars

Publisher: Self-published

Date of publication: December 2nd, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Where you can find Zero: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

He won the election. He ended democracy. He built a wall of glass 1,000 meters high. Now, 150 years later, his descendants have infinite wealth and control the Sanctuary, a high-tech paradise for the rich where money equals rank.

She’s from the slum. She has no money or rank. She vows to tear down the wall and end the nightmare.

Her weapon? Zero.

My review:

Alix has spent her entire life in The Fringe. She has spent her entire life looking in at the rich while struggling to survive. With the help of her friends and spurred on by the injustices done to her people, Alix is going to start a revolution. But, the question is, can she pull it off? Or will she become another of President Quinn’s casualties?

Link is the best of the best. He is the youngest Patrol Commander in the history of The Sanctuary. In a society where money equals rank, Link is fast approaching the top. He is dating President Quinn’s daughter. He is happy. That is until Alix arrives with her talk of injustice and suppression. Ordered by President Quinn to find and kill Alix, Link has to go to The Fringe to find her. Will, what he sees and experiences while there change his mind? Or is he still focused on being at the top?

Zero caught my attention when I first saw it. What intrigued me about this book was that I could see it happening. The middle class is fast disappearing. There is a huge gap between the rich and the poor. We are becoming more and more dependent on technology. I had no problem imaging the series of events that went down 150 years earlier actually happening in the world today.

I felt Alix’s frustration at what was going on in The Fringe. She was seeing children dying from a disease that has no cure. She has seen friends damaged from doing time in the brain lab. She has seen the effects of working in the chem labs. She was sick of it and she was going to do something about it. I enjoyed reading her character. I connected with her and rooted for her.

I didn’t like Link at first. He was too focused on his rank and money to be likable. Also, I thought he was almost to gung-ho. But then he met President Quinn and a lightbulb went off. I understood why he was the way he was. For a lack of better words, he drank the Kool-Aid like the rest of the people in The Sanctuary. The talk he had with President Quinn rocked his world. It also made him want to wipe Alix off the face of the Earth. I started to like him when he was in The Fringe and saw what was being done with to the people. He saw the brain labs, the chem plants, the pits of toxic waste. He couldn’t deny it.

The secondary characters made this book. From the Presidents daughter to Merf, they added an extra depth to the book. My favorite character was Merf. He lived in the Mesh and was able to do things with it that no one else was able to do. He made me smile every time he showed up in the book. Plus, he created Zero. Which was pretty awesome unto itself.

Zero is a fast read. What I liked about that is that the author wasted no time in getting the book going. The first chapter is Link being woken up to alarms and Alix making her speech. It didn’t slow down until the last chapter. I loved it!!

President Quinn creeped me out. The more he appeared in the book, the more he creeped me out. He was also unhinged and that became more and more clear as the book went on. Knowing all that, I was still surprised by what he did. And on live TV too!!

The end of the book was fulfilling. Fulfilling isn’t a term that I use much when describing the end of the book. I liked seeing how everything turned out. I liked seeing that Zero was able to do what it was programmed to do. I liked seeing the healing that went on also. It made me happy and I was left with no questions about anything.

I gave Zero a 5-star rating. This is a fast-paced, well-written science fiction book. I was able to connect with the main characters. I got involved with the plotlines. I had nothing to complain about (which is amazing).

I would give Zero an Adult rating. There is language. There is violence. There is no sex. There are no triggers. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Zero. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Zero.

All opinions stated in this review of Zero are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read Zero?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Spirit of Prophecy: Paranormal and Sci-Fi Crime by J.J. Hughes

Spirit of Prophecy: Paranormal and Sci-Fi Crime

4 Stars

Publisher: 

Date of publication: April 14th, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Where you can find Spirit of Prophecy: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

What if your past came back to haunt you and stalked the present until it became your worst nightmare? What would you do if you discovered you’re engaged to a murderous psychopath about to go serial?

J.J. Hughes explores the lengths to which we will go, to keep the past from overshadowing the present and destroying the future. Spirit of Prophecy is a highly original, cutting-edge, metaphysical crime mystery with a breathtaking paranormal twist.

Years ago, a terrible atrocity occurred in Apache Indian territory in New Mexico, and now the players take up their positions to execute an act of horrific revenge. If you liked A.G. Riddle’s The Atlantis Gene you’ll love this.

Evil awakens, and Rosetta Barrett, a psychic detective, must settle old scores and heal ancient wounds. She has the highest international security clearance with the Elite Paranormal Intelligence Services [EPIS], but she can’t tell her family or the courts what she really does. Divorce was hell. She lost custody of her children because of her paranormal beliefs, and now she’s fighting to get them back.

Prominent American event rider, Juliet Jermaine, loses her Olympic horse, Gothic, and his rider, Isabella, also dies in a horrific unprovoked road rage attack. Barrett is investigating Isabella’s murder. She has a suspect but gathering sufficient evidence to nail a conviction is proving elusive.

If Rosetta fails to convict the criminal and end the horrific cycle of revenge and retribution, the past is set to explode into the present with dire and explosive consequences.

Time is running out…

Read Spirit of Prophecy and get onboard a metaphysical rollercoaster from the future to the past and back!

Visit the author’s website and get to know J.J. Hughes and her work.
www.moneymagnet.global/booksbyjjhughes

My review:

I was super excited to read this book. The blurb got me going. A paranormal mystery? Sign me up!! I am glad that I read this book because man, it was good.

Rosetta is a psychic detective and a witch. Used to people making assumptions about her, she tries to fly under the radar while solving her cases. The last time it got out that the police was using a psychic, Rosetta ended up losing custody of her children to her manipulative ex-husband. Rosetta is also employed by the Elite Paranormal Intelligence Services (EPIS). Her role with that organization is secret but she does tell people who her job is dealing with karma and past events. Juliet is an Olympic caliber rider who has lost her prize horse and best friend’s sister in a road rage accident. Juliet and Rosetta meet when Rosetta is put in charge of investigating her friend’s sister murder. Who wanted to kill Gothic? Can Rosetta solve the case? Can she also rectify wrongs made over 100 years ago?

Rosetta was a hot mess in this book. The author didn’t even try to cover it up. She was estranged from her children. She smoked too much. She drank too much. She was ghosted by her current boyfriend. Her ex was still trying to control her by how often she saw the children. She wasn’t respected at work because she was a psychic detective. The list could go on. I loved it!! I loved that she was so real. I loved that she was written to be as flawed. I also liked that she was honest about her abilities. That she didn’t hide what she was from people. She was very relatable to me and she became one of my favorite characters in the book.

I didn’t know what to think about Juliet. I felt bad for her because of what she saw. But, at the same time, I was annoyed with her. Her friend’s younger sister died and Juliet was more concerned about her horse dying. That was a big WTF moment for me. I also thought that she was selfish and way too reliant on Matt. She wasn’t going to screw over her best friend but Matt talked her into it. She acted like a child at times too. Like when she found the lipstick in Tommy’s bathroom. They had been together all of 2 days and she is freaking out on him. If I were Tommy, I would have run after that. But, I did like seeing that she did mature towards the end of the book. Again, it was refreshing to see.

I loved how the mystery angle of the book was written. I did figure out who was behind the death of Gothic and Juliet’s friend’s sister early in the book. But I was still able to get into the plotline because the author did a great job of keeping the hints coming. The red herrings and false leads were awesome. I did figure out why the road rage incident happened but was still surprised at how everything turned out.

The paranormal angle of the book was amazing. How Rosetta’s gifts were explained to how she became recruited to EPIS to what happened 100 years ago was fantastic. The author did a fantastic job of connecting everything together at the end of the book. I liked the past life connections that Rosetta, Tommy, and Juliet had to each other.

There was also a romance angle of the book. Of course, Rosetta’s past relationships were highlighted and explained. I felt awful that she was ghosted by Daniel. He could have at least called her and ended it. The whole quasi-triangle with Juliet, Tommy, and Rosetta was a bit weird and awkward but I got over it (as did Rosetta and Juliet). I was also skeeved out by Matt and Juliet’s relationship. Talk about toxic and dysfunctional. I did like Juliet and Tommy together. Rav and Rosetta didn’t gel well in my mind either.

I had mixed feelings about the end of Spirit of Prophecy. Mixed feelings because I was justified by how I felt about certain people in the book. I also was very satisfied with how the mystery angle of the book ended. I did a fist pump and said “Yes” when everything came together. My mixed feelings came in when Rosetta went to New Mexico to oversee something for Juliet. I felt let down. I wanted to see what happened. I wanted to see Juliet’s reaction to everything. I wanted to see Rosetta’s reaction. I also was let down over the fact that after everything, people still felt that they had to judge Rosetta. I am hoping that there will be other books with Rosetta in them. I would definitely read them.

I gave Spirit of Prophecy a 4-star rating. This was a well written paranormal mystery book. The plotlines kept my attention throughout the book. The characters were relatable and realistic. While I did solve the mystery part of the book early on, I was still able to enjoy it. The paranormal angle of the book was fantastic. The author did a great job of explaining things when they happened. I did think that the romance angle was a little much, with all the triangles going on. But, it did add some depth to the book. The end of the book was great but I felt a little letdown.

I would give Spirit of Prophecy an Adult rating. There is sex. While not graphic, it was still there. There is language. There is violence. There are triggers in this book. They would be the death of a child, parental estrangement and abuse of animals. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Spirit of Prophecy. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Spirit of Prophecy.

All opinions stated in this review of Spirit of Prophecy are mine.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Have you read Spirit of Prophecy?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!