the past couple of weeks. And it feels like I just read a 1600-page book, as it definitely appears like it was carefully crafted and planned that way. So, although the review focuses on Catalyst Gate I’m providing an overall review of the series, as the final book delivers on all the promises and questions raised throughout the trilogy and I can’t review the conclusion book without considering the previous tomes. Overall, there were a few slower moments in the second book—definitely on purpose—but in the end, I loved it through and through.
Science Fiction
Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
It’s a blockbuster of a book, a space epic, a race against time, and a novel about cooperation, friendship, and the greatest sacrifice of them all. I cannot recommend this book enough!
Review: When the Sparrow Falls by Neil Sharpson
When the Sparrow falls is a literary scifi spy thriller in the vein of Altered Carbon meets the Iron Curtain – set in a future where people can have their consciousness digitized. The Triumvirate are, George, Athena and Confucius, three Super AI who rule the world apart from Caspian, a state that rejects all the Machine would offer and places strict law and harsh judgement on anyone using said tech from within their territory; it’s a place which finds comfort in state executions, and the only real escape is a bullet through the head or a needle in the back of the neck … if you can find Yoshik.
Review: Catalyst Gate (The Protectorate #3) by Megan E. O’Keefe
Catalyst Gate is the third and final installment in Megan E. O’Keefe’s The Protectorate series. This is a highly-anticipated release for many, and that is especially true for fans of the space opera trilogy who are looking for the story to end with a bang. If you read no more of this review, know this: to say it went out with a bang would be an understatement.
Review: Infomocracy (The Centenal Cycle #1) by Malka Older
It’s rare that I get fully engrossed in a fictional political narrative anymore. Sure, the vast number of Tom Clancy novels and movies deliver compelling, high-octane thrill rides, and The Manchurian Candidate (both the 1959 novel as well as the 1962 and 2004 films) still stands as one of the best election stories out there. But, when it comes down to it, the real world of politics (in the United States and elsewhere) is already rife with enough drama, deceit and decadence. Sometimes it’s just so damn tiring—and all of this coming from me, a genuine political junky. (On top of it all, most political stories just aren’t that good.) So, it came as a wonderful surprise when I read Malka Older’s debut novel, Infomocracy, that I found myself invested in a story so distinctly political again.
Review: Ten Low by Stark Holborn
This is a Sci-Fi set on a moon at the edge of the universe, where the reach of The Accord barely exists and lawlessness abounds. I loved reading a story about a backwater moon where the rest of the universe is clearly populated, if not entirely cared for. It gives the characters who live there a lot to fight for and not a lot to lose. The race across the landscape means you see farms where crops can’t grow, towns built like prison hulks, and shining fancy transport that is at odds with its surroundings. Somehow Holborn has taken this space-desert moon and filled it with life and with threats.
Review: Day Zero by Robert C. Cargill
(Terminator anyone?), you’re left alone to take care of an eight-year-old kid as his parents were both executed by a robot-nanny-turned-evil. But wait, there’s one more thing, you are a robot too. That is the premise of Day One by Robert C. Cargill. A dystopian story of survival and the relationship between an eight-year-old kid and his best friend who turns out to be a cyber-plush-tiger.
Guest Post: Cover Reveal – Mirror in Time, by D. Ellis Overttun
Hey, everyone! Author D. Ellis Overttun is back with another guest post. This time we are celebrating the cover reveal of the author’s soon-to-be-released 4th book, Mirror in Time. And with that I am handing the mic off. Enjoy!
Review: Gone (Gone #1) by Michael Grant
Gone was one of those books where the premise, the buzz (I mean Stephen King on the cover—it must be good right!) and the book itself was exciting, engaging and stress-inducing until the last chapters. It literally was 10 stars until it got to the climax of the story where my rating deflated to an 8 like an untied balloon left flying.
Mini-Review: Hard Reboot by Django Wexler
Hard Reboot is a lot of fun, and I think it is really well-rounded for a novella. I was impressed at how author Django Wexler was able to incorporate so many different aspects of a story into only 150 pages.
Review: Velocity Weapon (The Protectorate #1) by Megan O’Keefe
Primes and Icarions—going on in the background. I loved it, and will read the next two books pronto.
Review: Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill
Day Zero is a prequel to Cargill’s 2017 release Sea of Rust (which I did not know until my cohort Justin pointed it out in his review). Though not a perfect read, I found this to be worthwhile: definitely entertaining and a little thought-provoking.