Alien Hostiles: Solar Warden Book Two by Ian Douglas

This is second book of  a series.  Mark Hunter, a Navy SEAL, finds himself directing a mixed band of special ops troops.   Said troops are to provide security for a starship.   The ship travels through both space and time.  Earth is being manipulated by aliens but primarily our own ancestors and our reptilian predecessors.   The manipulation is intended to guarantee the existence of the manipulators.  Confused yet?

Hunter’s ethics are at odds with the chain of command that seeks to appease the groups by ignoring human exploitation and suffering.

 The plot centers on a trip to a distant planet that is the home of space faring Nazis. 

 The book explains the plausibility of such a ludicrous notion.

Space travel and time travel are adroitly merged by Douglas.

 Overall, the book was very good and I look forward to the next volume.

 As an aside, considering the number of potentially inhabitable planets in just our galaxy, it is the height of arrogance to assume we are the only intelligent (often questionable) life to be found. 

 This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart

Stick with this, it starts confusing and well, ends a bit confusing but is still worth reading.   The Paradox Hotel is where the time travelers stay before going through the Einstein time portal.  January Cole is the hotel detective.   Her interaction with the rest of the characters is really the core of the plot.

There is a plan to use the time portal to change history to benefit someone.  I am not clear as to whom but there are speculations or possibly inferences.  

January is of the school that tampering with history can be catastrophic.   The villains all feel that as long as the historic tampering benefits them, all is well.

The book had some interesting premises.

  This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Isolate by L.E. Modesitt

Modesitt can get wordy and is a social scientist in his writing.  His social commentary is often subtle and occasionally less than subtle.  In a fictional land government is in need of a change.  The major characters are a councilor, one of sixty-six and his two security aides. How they go about making change is the plot.

Avrall, an empath, and Dekkard an isolate are security specialists guarding Obreduur a Craft Councilor.   Avrall’s ability to sense others thoughts and Dekkard’s exceptional reflexes do an admirable job of protecting Obreduur. 

The three find themselves dealing with assassins, political chicanery and the tedium of politicking.

Once again those who avidly read Modesitt are aware that his books carry a load of societal insights.  There is some action.

I really enjoyed the book and I always lament there isn’t more on the last page. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

the Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark

Onsi and Hamed are agents for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. They are based in Cairo, and they are sent to the tram station to get a ghost out of Tram Car 015. 

The Trams are run by djinns.  The djinns are accepted as members of Cairo society.

The agents can’t afford a major djinn to get rid of the alleged ghost.   They seek help from different groups which doesn’t fare well.

They discover their ghost is not a ghost but something else altogether.

An entertaining novella, it looks at the Mideast in a new manner. 

Oh, as a backdrop the suffragette movement is featured. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Never Forget 9/11

Never Forget

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Anna was an Omega.  Trapped in a pack led by a psychotic.   She is rescued by Charles who takes her home with him.

That sets up the werewolf story.  Briggs sets the stage and then runs action across it in an unpredictable manner.   Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves,  finds his pack and his own safety threatened.

Charles the pack enforcer is sent to track down a rogue who is leaving corpses that threaten the security of the pack.

A witch and centuries old vendetta round out the intricate plot line .

I like Briggs and her books, I recommend reading them all. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

World Breakers edited by Tony Daniel

 The book purports to be about sentient tanks.  Well, some of the stories are but others are more like AIs with weapons.

As in any short story collection it is hard to review without going over every story.  There wasn’t a story in this I didn’t like.   Weber’s might have been my favorite but not by any more than a nose.

If you like sentient tanks, really who doesn’t, I highly recommend the book.

Honor is not reserved for mere organic beings. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned