SciFi/Fantasy Readers Are Reliable

                                    I write three blogs.  

Pick of the Literate  http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/

Money Saving Tech Tips and Philosophic Musings

http://money-saving-tech-tips.blogspot.com/

Azure Dwarf’s Horde of SciFi & Fantasy http://azuredwarf.blogspot.com/

I get weekly stat reports on number of visitors, frequency of visitation and returning.   I have the fewest number of visitors at Dwarf.   Keeping in mind that it is my newest blog by several years, I am not overly concerned and certainly intend to keep plugging away to get more readers.   What is interesting though is that, in spite of the smaller overall numbers, Dwarf has the most returning visitors.   From that stat I have jumped to the following, possibly erroneous, conclusions.  

SciFi and Fantasy readers are more reliable.   They tend to revel in their genre and don’t wonder (pun intended) far from its borders.   They are loyal, if they find something they like, they return again and again.   I know I love Jim Butcher’s books and buy everyone that comes out.  

One of the joys of reviewing books is receiving so many advanced reading copies from publicists and authors.   Oddly, the genre’s that are my favorite, scifi and fantasy, I get the least number of ARCs.   In fact it is rare when I get any science fiction or fantasy with the exception of books from Seventh Star Press.   For the most part, the reviews I write on SciFi and Fantasy are from books I have purchased myself.   Since I have done that for over 50 years, it isn’t a hardship.  What is mystifying is why there is such a dearth of my favorite genre being offered to bloggers.   The obvious possibility is that my blog lacks significant numbers and thusly does not attract the “main stream” SciFi and Fantasy publishers.   The flip side of that is that the readers I have are loyal and return frequently which should off set their smaller numbers. 

I digress which is one of my less favorite quirks.   Whether I get books to review by my own purchases or from publicists, I will continue to let you know what I think about books in my favorite genres.

My thanks to those of you who are here for the first time and to that core of returning readers, a huge thanks for your loyalty.  

Star Soldiers by Andre Norton

Humanity’s aggressive nature causes them to be galactic mercenaries when they burst out of Sol’s gravity well. Molded into a strict regime by Galactic Central Control, man’s creative aspects are ignored as they bleed off their most courageous warriors.

ANDRE NORTON needs to be capitalized for her impact on the entire genre. This book was first printed in 1953 and loses nothing in the ensuing decades. It is a great space opera with extremely humane characters.

Norton does a wonderful job examining motivation and behavior. She paints honorable protagonists and sinister villains. She shows the evils of intolerance and the benefits of integration when racial inequities were still common place in our own nation.


This book follows the initial deployment of Kana Karr an Arch Swordsman. Earth’s mercenaries are divided into Mechs and Archs. Mechs use near state of the art technology while Archs are limited to Roman era weapons with the exception of very basic firearms.

Kana Karr is well characterized as a shiny, new, well trained novice. For military fans, think shiny new 2nd Lt. His growth into a veteran facing not only what he was trained to do but facing Central Control treachery forms the basis of the plot.

Norton always provides wonderful verbal scenery and characterizations. I have read her books for more than 50 years. Arrgghh! I’m old! Gasp!

I strongly recommend the book!

Body of work of Andre Norton

Web site: http://www.andre-norton.org/

Firemask by Chris Bunch

“Firemask” is number two in the four book series The Last Legion. I found “Firemask” more enjoyable than the first book. I thought the detailing was better done and the story line was more inspiring. The characters are fleshed out better which was one of my complaints about the first book, “The Last Legion”. Interestingly the review below felt that the first book was better. Goes to show how subjective this stuff is. I enjoyed the book and recommend both books I have read.

Body of work of Chris Bunch

Web Site:  Chris Bunch is deceased so no web site.

The Hero (Posleen War Series #5) by John Ringo and Michael Z. Williamson

We met the Darhel earlier in this series. An alien race that played a huge part in the Posleen War. This story places Tirdal, a Darhel, in a deep reconnaissance team with humans. They are sent on a mission to determine if the new foe has established a beachhead on their target world. The interplay between the humans and their alien teammate provides the tension for the story.

This is not the typical action dominated Ringo story. In that, it was a disappointment. However as a study of interspecies relations it was excellent. An understanding of the Darhel fills some gaps in the background of the Posleen series. The implacable Dagger, a sniper, faces the immutable Tirdal in a contest of wills. Ferret provides the positive human role model that offsets the despicable Dagger. This was an excellent character study that fleshed out parts of the Posleen series. I am sure it is disappointing to the adrenalin junkies who revel in the mad mayhem that often is a hallmark of John Ringo but I liked the book. At the end, you will find yourself wondering, who was the hero?

I recommend it.

Body of work of John Ringo

Body of work of Michael Z. Williamson

Ringo Site:

Williamson Site:

The Sunrise Lands by S. M. Stirling

This book can be considered a sequel to Meeting at Corvallis or the beginning of a new Change trilogy. Whatever the category, the book is excellent. Set in a post Apocalyptic world where technology has been truncated by some unknown source. This story focuses on the children of the initial survivors featured in the Dies the Fire, the first three books. The kids or young adults are on a quest demanded by the powers speaking through Juniper who is the Chief of the Mackenzies and Rudi’s Mom.

Rudi and Mathilda, the heirs to the Mackenzie lands and the Association territory explore more interpersonal action in this book. Rudi’s two younger, twin sisters are highly entertaining. New allies and new villains are introduced in this book. There is action and treachery abounding. Stories are told over campfires that backfill information that would enable this book to be read without reading the preceding trilogy. I enjoy the character interaction, none are super heroes, they all demonstrate human fragility and are thusly more believable.

Once again, I highly enjoyed a Stirling book and recommend it and the preceding trilogy.

Body of work of S. M. Stirling

Review         Website

Hell’s Gate by David Weber and Linda Evans

Book one of the Multiverse series is a most engrossing 1200 pages. Evan’s and Weber portray two unique civilizations on a road to conflict. Arcana bases their technology on magic. Sharona has psychic talents but bases their technology on science. The multi-universal aspect is that both civilizations have discovered portal to alternate earths that have no populations until they confront each other.

David Weber and Linda Evans do a superb job in describing two dissimilar cultures and those cultures’ idiosyncrasies. As they alternate back and forth from culture to culture you find your sympathies vacillating as well. The beauty of their work is that you truly find things that are both laudable and stimulating for each culture. They are being drawn into conflict by serendipitous contacts and malicious behavior in spite of their root similarities. I can not wait to read the next volume, “Hell Hath No Fury”.

I highly recommend it and all of David Weber’s Work.

Body of work of David Weber

Body of work of Linda Evans


Review:

Web site http://davidweber.net/
Linda Evans keeps a very low profile. I could find no website, no info or no photos.

Captain Bonny Morgan, The Cassandra Prophesy by Robert “Doc” Gowdy.

I expected more and I got less. This should be billed as erotic scifi. The plot was ok but there was way too much effort spent on titillating. (pun intended). I think it would be a better book with more plot and character development and less sex. If it was billed as an erotic novel I would have probably liked it better but when I expect a rousing space opera and instead just get arousing erotica, I am disappointed.

Captain Morgan was a butt kicking female and I like that type of characterization. The butt kicking could have been done without the intense descriptive account of her lack of attire. I just felt that detracted from the story.

I did like the cover art.

I recommend the book if you are into erotic scifi.

Body of work of Robert “Doc” Gowdy

Web site: http://www.robertdocgowdy.com/

Earth Is Not Alone by John Knapp II

This is a bit of a strange book. It purports to be science fiction but it appears to be proselytizing rather than story telling. Parables come to mind after reading it. I’m just not sure.
I still am confused as to the message of the book. It seems to be stating that there is one God for aliens and earthlings alike. I didn’t find any of the characters particularly appealing. The structure of the book was disjointed. It divides itself into a story telling about two other stories and the two other stories are related in the book. I’m guessing there is a message but I’m just not sure what it might have been. It purports to be promoting Christianity and I guess it does that.

I’m guessing this would be a good book for a reading group that wants to analyze religion. It wasn’t a particularly good book for recreational reading.

Body of work of John Knapp II

Site:

Fireships by David Drake

Fireships is the third book in the Reaches series. This book deals with Sarah Blythe, a starship captain, and her need for revenge. An attempt to hijack her ship by federation minions results in several crew members dying. Her righteous indignations propel her into the chaos of the Venus rebellion.

While mildly entertaining, I didn’t like this series nearly as much as many other Drake books. The battles and action Drake portrays are always exciting. The implacable presence of Stephen Gregg and his search for a personal soul gives a strong character to ponder. The Venus rebellion and it’s “privateers” are by Drakes admission, modeled on Sir Francis Drake’s exploits. Drake also notes that Sir Francis was not a relative. I liked the character interplay between Gregg, Piet and Sarah. The anguish Gregg demonstrates seemed very real. Even though I don’t feel this is as good as some of the other Drake work, the worst of David Drake is generally better than most other authors. I recommend the book but you really want to read “Igniting the Reaches” and “Through the Breach” before reading this.


Body of work of David Drake


Web Site: http://www.david-drake.com/


Review: none found

For the Love of Mother-NOt by Alan Dean Foster

This is the first of the Pip and Flinx stories. Pip is an Alaspinian mini-dragon. Flinx is an orphan with interesting talents. Flinx is the unwitting target of both law enforcement and an underground outlaw group. Avoiding entrapment by either group is the gist of the story.

I have enjoyed the Pip and Flinx stories over the years and have carefully kept them for my grandson. I was delighted to find this first volume to set the scene for the later books.

Flinx and Pip have a relationship that is beyond the boy and his pet type. They are interdependent, more so than Flinx realizes. The story is the beginning of a coming of age saga. It is classic, old school scifi and I really liked it.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Alan Dean Foster

Web Site:

Wolf Star by R. M. Meluch

The U.S.S. Merrimack battle class starship continues her journey battling the forces of evil. The Roman Empire’s strange behavior is explained by a new and ominous development. The book has lots of great battles and epic heroics.

I’m an admitted space opera addict. I love the action and the charismatic leaders. I enjoy the hard bitten marines and the no holds barred Captain. The political aspects of combat are not ignored. The knee jerk reaction to intrigue and politics by the line troops was one of the few clearly predictable behaviors.

The Farragut and Hamster and Steele and Blue relationships remain unrequited with a realistic look at the difficulty of interpersonal behavior between ranks. This is my second Merrimack book and I have purchased two more.

I highly recommend the book and the series.

Body of work of R. M. Meluch

Web Site: http://www.rmmeluch.com/

Trading In Danger By Elizabeth Moon

Once again Moon has captivated me with her characters and her plots. This author has the ability to create a character that is like the girl next door but with super powers. Kylara Vatta is no super hero but she has grit and determination that overpowers all obstacles. Her dismissal from her life’s dream and her resultant resurrection in another direction provides the focus of the story. The trials, tribulations and action are icing on a delicious cake.

Kylara’s introspection into her own motivations and her questioning attitude flesh out her character with reality. Kylara’s character becomes real and you keep paging because you begin to care for her and want to see what she is facing next. The book is the first in a series and I have refrained from reading it until I could acquire all the books or at least all that have been announced and published at this point. This looks like the beginning of a terrific series with some similarities to David Weber’s Honor Harrington and as far as I am concerned that is a very good thing.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Elizabeth Moon

Site

Bio of a Space Tyrant Refugee Vol.1 and Mercenary Vol. 2 by Pierce Anthony

Volume 1 details how Hope Hubris reaches Jupiter and the horrific conditions he faced on getting there. Volume 2 details the rise of Hope Hubris in the Jupiter Navy and his campaign against the asteroid belt pirates. The books purpose to be the biography of the tyrant of Jupiter. It is written in almost a text book style.

I have mixed feelings about the book. Anthony seemed intent on providing a sense of normalcy for all manner of abnormal actions. It seemed like he wrote some sections to blatantly provoke emotions. This was done with a baseball bat style as opposed to his more smooth style seen in his later books.

The overt ethnic prejudice in the book dismayed me but that could be Anthony’s intent. My hopes when reading about proposed futures is that racism is a thing of the past and sadly the present but that we as a society will out grow it. This future illustrates a continued commitment to despicable practices.

The characterizations are somewhat superficial on any but the main characters. Spirit, who is Hope’s sister, plays a huge part in his growth. Helese his first love preyed on his mind throughout both books.

One of the things I did like about the book was Hope’s realization that he was not the center of the universe. He showed an understanding that great men become great due to surrounding themselves with an outstanding staff. It provided a more realistic protagonist.

The books both had pedantic moments. The author often described situations or explained things ad nausem. I have read a great deal of Piers Anthony’s work and this series is not a stellar example. It is worth reading but take a look at his Xanth series to see what he can really do.


Body of work of Piers Anthony

Web Site:

Victory Conditions By Elizabeth Moon

Arrgghh, the series is over. I loved this series. My only complaint is there doesn’t appear to be any sequels scheduled. Ky Vatta and Rafe wrap up the action in this book.

Things come together in a big way in this book. Ky gets her ships, Rafe discovers unplumbed depths to a family member and Aunt Grace stops making fruitcakes. The character interaction is what allows Elizabeth Moon’s books to excel. You find yourself captivated by characters and immersed in their action. The pirate commander was almost a caricature of evil. Justice is served both cheerfully and ruthlessly. Young love is supported and life is rosy. Moon doesn’t hesitate to terminate characters with prejudice so you are always a bit uneasy at the conclusion of a series wondering if your favorite will survive.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Elizabeth Moon

Web site:

Command Decision By Elizabeth Moon

Kylara Vatta returns in another heart pounding adventure. This book expands on the characters Rafe, Aunt Grace and Toby. Kylara’s desire to form an alliance to battle the pirates who murdered her family is fraught with peril. Rafe discovers emotions he thought were lost forever and Toby exhibits previously unsuspected talents.

Moon has the enviable ability to elicit strong emotions for her characters. She paints human beings, not cardboard cutouts. The characters have flaws, are introspective and highly likeable. There is an excellent contrast between the aged predator and the new predator discovering her fangs. Family ties and bonds are emphasized as well as loyalty and perseverance. Once again Moon has caused me to stay up beyond my self imposed bed time reading until my eyes blur.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Elizabeth Moon


Web site:

Spaceheadz by Jon Sciezka and Francesco Sedita

Michael K. found his first day in his new school even worse than he anticipated. He found himself adopted by three space aliens, the leader in the body of a hamster.

This book seems like it worked too diligently to be cool. The authors have a wealth of credentials and I expected to like it, I didn’t. The premise is fine but the book is bizarrely incoherent. Although that may be ok with the middle school kids this book is targeting. Aliens who take our commercials literally should have been more entertaining. I suspect this will be a hit with the marketing that is planned. I’m going to pass it on to my in-house middle school kid and see what he thinks.

Body of work of Jon Sciezka

Body of work of Francesco Sedita

Web Site: none found

Engaging the Enemy By Elizabeth Moon

Kylara Vatta acquires some allies and starts her climb to revenge. She discovers unknown depths to relatives that were strangers. She finds in herself characteristics she isn’t sure she likes. She is on a mission of vengeance and nothing will stand in her way.

The series keeps on rolling. Kylara discovers some personal characteristics she isn’t necessarily happy with. Auntie Grace goes to show that age and experience can trump many adversities. Slowly allies come creeping out of the shadow of despair and Kylara doesn’t feel quite so alone. Stella is forced to look at herself and determine who she is and who she will stand behind. The interstellar conspiracy is acquiring names, faces and goals and Kylara is taking names and kicking butt.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Elizabeth Moon

Web site:

Pittsburgh Storm by David O’Keffee

This is a post apocalypse story centered in Pittsburgh. I suspect it hit home a little harder than it might due to the fact I am so familiar with the setting. Matt Cahill finds himself alone in a city of death. The plot centers around his survival.

O’Keefee set the stage quite nicely. He painted a grim picture of life after civilization’s end. There were enough twists and turns to make a good story. I prefer a clearer closure but that is just me. O’Keefee wraps up the story with a tiny glimmer of hope. I found the book well done but depressing. It is in essence a story of survival and what you need to do to survive. The protagonist agonizes over both events and what he might be become. Agonized introspection characterizes Matt Cahill.

The book is available for free download or a donation at the author’s website.

I recommend the book.

Web Site:

Marque and Reprisal By Elizabeth Moon

Kylara Vatta thought her she left her troubles behind her when she finished up at Sabine. Little did she know that her life was not destined to be honchoing a stellar delivery service. Actions and events change her life drastically and she has to stand and deliver.

Elizabeth Moon is one of those special authors that forces you to stay up late and push off chores to keep on reading. Her characters are so well painted that you feel you may have met them. She keeps you on the edge of your seat with her cliff hanging action. She doesn’t hesitate to kill off a likeable character to further the story. Kylara is changing, morphing into a new and different person as she deals with mind numbing grief.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Elizabeth Moon

Web site:

We Few by David Weber and John Ringo

The grand finale of the four book series until they decide to write another one. Weber and Ringo are still unbeatable in my book. They do not spare your emotions in that characters you really like often don’t reach the end of the book alive. I’m 6’2” tall, 220 pounds of weight lifting, manly man old guy who on occasion, tears up during the Star Spangled Banner and the loss of a well loved character in a series that has encompassed around 1600 pages. These bozos seduce you into caring about the characterizations then take them out in an exploding plasma rifle. Needless to say the book is action packed, adrenaline pumped with occasional interludes of civics instruction. An intoxicating if sometimes head scratching mix, I can only hope they decide to do another in the same venue. I highly recommend it.

Body of work of David Weber
Body of work of John Ringo


Review: http://en.risingshadow.net/index.php?option=com_library&Itemid=67&action=book&book_id=7231

Web Site http://www.davidweber.net/
David Weber’s web site is under construction.

Web Site: http://www.johnringo.com/