Councilor by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

Modesitt is a philosopher.  His books make you ponder your own reality.  I’ve read roughly eighty of his books according to my database.  Most had more action than this book but all of them have had some philosophic points to ponder.   Who knows if Modesitt is offering commentary on current events with his corporate entities and outside influencers impacting politics?  I think this is a political novel.  

In college literature, the professor and I were at odds over the interpretation of Robert Frost. I suspect there will be those who question my interpretation of Modesitt’s work. 

Dekkard and Avraal are former security aides.  Avraal is an empath and is now spending most of her time protecting Dekkard in his new occupation as one of the sixty-six councilors that govern the nation.  Dekkard needs protection due to his efforts to reform the government.

There are obvious parallels to current events.

I enjoyed the book and wonder if I am reading more into the book than Modesitt intended. 

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

Moral Code by Lois and Ross Melbourne

This is one of those rare books that is an entertaining read and thought-provoking simultaneously.  My own novels are set in the far future and AIs are ubiquitous in that context.  In this book, AIs are utilized but not self-aware.  The authors postulate an operating system that has an intrinsic moral imperative.   Their characters define morality in the context of worldwide societal samplings.   Combining the impact of artificial intelligence with self-replicating nanotechnology provides a plot framework that resonates with modern research.

The impact of corporate raiding and overwhelming greed provides the requisite villains to the story.   Roy is an Elon Musk type innovator without real-life flaws.

Keira demonstrates how good intentions can lead to skirting legal restraints and personal morality.

This review is somewhat circumspect as I wish to avoid spoilers.

I really enjoyed this book and it provided a wealth of introspection. 

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

Star Rebels by Lindsay Buroker

This is a series of short stories.  I’m not fond of short stories, I like something to sink my teeth into and short stories are not long enough to feed my scifi urge.   These are pretty good though. The three I enjoyed the most were Passage Out by Anthea Sharp, Blood Ties by Christine Pope, and Carl Sagan’s Hunt for Intelligent Life in the Universe.  A Tale of Two Ships might have made the top three but it was too short.  Just as I became invested it was over.   There are some excellent authors in this collection and it is worth reading. 

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

Death’s Bright Day by David Drake

Ever since I read the adventures of Horatio Hornblower I’ve loved books that exalt the attributes of courage and loyalty going both directions from leaders to followers and back.   Drake does this so well in his Daniel Leary series.  

Daniel and Hogg, his trusty, crusty pseudo-father/bodyguard are involved in a civil war in a sector that is in a “neutral” zone.  Adele Mundy and Tovera, the orphaned Lady, and her sociopathic sidekick/protector are, of course, part of the story.

As the norm in these stories, Daniel does a MacGyver maneuver combined with a strong dose of David Copperfield and saves the day.  In the interim, the everso proper Lady and her protector escalate the body count with a sorrowful soul on Mundy’s part and supreme indifference by Tovera.

I love these books.

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

Shadowed Souls edited by Jim Butcher

This is a series of short stories that are more from the gray to dark side of fantasy. There are a couple of recognizable Butcher characters but for the most part they are new to me.

I enjoyed listening to the book. 

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