There has been a ton going on since the Spring, and I’ve found myself with more time and inclination to read than to write reviews (or write anything else, for that matter.) So now at Labor Day weekend, I’m playing a bit of catch-up. These are listed in roughly the order in which I finished them. I haven’t gone into the books which were abandoned or are hanging fire for now. These’ll come in the next update or two, along with dedicated posts on Tade Thompson and J.S. Morin stuff which I’ve read over the last several months to a year.
The Thousand Eyes, A.K. Larkwood, 2022
Picking up where The Unspoken Name leaves off (see review from 2021), this takes us on the next step in the adventures of Csorwe, Shuthmili and Tal. Larkwood has constructed an extraordinarily complex plot and a detailed world here, and the story careens from event to event as the plot builds. Despite this, the characters really shine here as they grow and evolve, struggling to balance the demands of past, present and, perhaps, the future. Strongly written, densely-plotted, and lavish, this wraps up the two-book series in a satisfying set of flourishes.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (1 notional smirk in 432 pages)
Immersion factor: Chest high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts (a bit baroque in places)
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 7.5/10
The Smell of War, Roland Bartetzko, 2018
Bartetzko is a former soldier in the German military who went on to fight in Bosnia and Kosovo. Subtitled as “Lessons from the Battlefield” Bartetzko intersperses anecdotes with “observations” in which he offers advice on surviving common situations. The anecdotes are all at least mildly interesting, but on the whole not particularly insightful about the book’s most interesting potential subject: the author. Bartetzko comes across as type who might have been a roving pikeman-for-hire centuries ago, but we never really learn who he is, or what motivated him to pick up his gun and fight these wars.
Smirk factor: Acceptable: 1 pt (No smirks given, but the translation work here is rough.)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1pt
Character/plot development: Below-average: 0.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 4.5/10
Dropnauts (A Liminal Sky Novel: The Redemption Cycle Book 1), J. Scott Coatsworth, 2021.
Liminal Sky: The Redemption Cycle is apparently only one book to date, but it starts from an interesting place. Earth has fallen, as far as anyone knows the population is dead or has fled. Above, a colony of what are possibly the last humans live in a lunar colony called Redemption, but they face a cataclysm which forces them to send scouts back to Earth. Naturally, not all is as they expected. Good pacing, and an interesting premise. The characters are a bit under-done and come across as a bit flat and immature. Overall, I had no problems finishing but wasn’t excited by the book. Not the book per se but I noticed and appreciated that this had high quality cover art. This is something I increasingly appreciate with indie/self-published authors, largely because so many don’t have it.
Smirk factor: Not quite all clear: 1.5 pts (5 smirks in 418 pages, but mostly in lieu of more descriptive words.)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 5.5/10
Reign & Ruin, Mages of the Wheel Book 1, J.D. Evans, 2019.
He’s chaos and violence, she’s order and intellect -- they’re both infused with magic, but can they make magic together? Sure, maybe? Labeled as Book 1, this is actually the second in a four book series (there’s a Book Zero.) The writing isn’t bad, the characters are very interesting and flesh out nicely as the story goes long, but I found the story line and process of world-building over-engineered. The result is detailed, but getting there was a ponderous, repetitious process. This contributed to my feeling like the book took just short of forever to get through. This came a hair’s breadth from becoming one I took the plates off and left by the side of the road. While I was ultimately happy I pushed through, my bar for fantasy is pretty high and I’m not feeling a compelling reason to put time or money into the rest of the series.
Smirk factor: All clear : 2pts (2 smirks in 420 pages -- both used correctly. Bravo!)
Immersion factor: Damp: 0.5 pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Below-average: 0.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 5/10
Now More Grimm Than Ever!
Grimm’s War, Jeffrey H. Haskell
With Grimm Resolve (Book 2), 2022
One Decisive Victory (Book 3), 2022
I got the first volume in this trilogy, Against All Odds, as an ARC earlier this year. (Review here.) I thought it was rocking good space opera, but too many details lifted from the present. That holds true with the follow-on volumes to a great extent, although, damn, they’re still good stories. Book 2 sees Grimm back in action on the Interceptor, unraveling more perfidy threatening the Zuckabar system. Book 3 sees Grimm take on an enormous challenge in the form of a not-quite-totally-deranged plot twist. He and his crew handle it in style, though, keeping the story going strong until the end. I preordered Book 4, A Grimm Sacrifice, which is scheduled to drop...tomorrow. Excellent, if not quite spectacular, entertainment.
Smirk factor: Mostly acceptable: 1.5 pts (9 smirks, although over around 900 pages)
Immersion factor: Chest-deep: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 6.5/10
Masonic Werewolves, James Livingood,
Sleeper hit of the summer? Certainly up there with Cold As Hell for an unexpected and only slightly-guilty pleasure. It’s about exactly what it says on the tin. Brandon joins the local Masons, expecting brotherhood and good clean masculine company. What he gets is a little more...lupine. Short but enjoyable, it started crisp and went down smoothly.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (No, zero, nada smirks)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 7/10
Gunn and Salvo Box Set: Books 1-4, Joshua James, 2021.
Galaxy Run
Friendly Fire
Calypso End
Bygone Star
Another series from a prolific series author, this sees a pair of bounty hunters suddenly thrust out of their comfort zones (and any semblance of normal life) into the path of a murderous force sweeping through the darkness of space. James has crafted interesting characters and lets them grow a little amidst all the action. The plot twists and turns, staying fresh even as the mayhem accelerates and the page count soars. Good entertainment, easy to stick with even if it was a little short of compelling, but let down a bit by cliched language. Reading the next three depends on how pricey the individual books are.
Smirk factor: 0verdone: 0 pts (25 smirks in 846 pages -- these are people who probably do smirk a lot, but there are other words for most of the things ‘smirk’ is used for here, the reviewer wrote, his words leaching weariness into the computer screen as he typed.)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5pts
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: High: 2pts
Total: 6.5/10
Pulp Reality #1, Stormgate Press, 2020.
This is a seven story collection edited by Charles F. Millhouse. These take a different turn than the grimdark collection, turning back to an age of adventures and adventurers with a 1930s and 40s aura. The first story sets the tone: Lance Star (that’s Sky Ranger Lance Star to you, bub) goes to Scavangers Quay to solve a mystery and confronts the evil Maximilian Odenthal in daring duels on land, sea and air! (I couldn’t help that exclamation point there. This stuff grows on you.) Clyde Hall’s Reel One for the B-Man stood out for a clever and supernatural noir-infused plot in a dying movie theater. The rest, by and large, are well-written odes to adventure from a day long past. Nothing here will be mistaken for classic literature, but if you’re looking for that you’re in the wrong book (and blog). These are stories from a very specific niche genre but if you’re up for that, these are good entertainment--and since there are two more volumes in the series, clearly there’s demand for this!
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (No smirks given!)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 6/10
Knee-Deep In Grit: Two Bloody Years Of Grimdark Fiction, Adrian Collins, Ed. 2018
Twenty five stories drawn from Australian magazine Grimdark -- this is a treat! The collection includes several big names, and each story was a treat in its own inevitably dark way. It’s hard to point out favorites when all were good. Some that stood out: Michael R. Fletcher’s At the Walls of Sinnlos and T. R. Napper’s The Line both explore what happens when dystopias push people too far. David Annandale of W40K renown and Adrian Tchaikovsky both have excellent contributions, but there is such a variety of shades and blending of grimdark that there’s something here for just about any fan of the SF or fantasy genres. None of the stories are bad (my least favorites were just ‘average’) and some are excellent. The careful curation though is what sets this collection apart.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (4 smirks across 25 stories. Well done!)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 7.5/10
Time Breaker (Interstellar Gunrunner Book 2), James Wolanyk 2021
Cosmic Savior (Interstellar Gunrunner Book 3), James Wolanyk 2021
I read the first of this series, the originally-titled Interstellar Gunrunner, more than a year ago (review here) and enjoyed it. I caught up with books 2 and 3 this summer. Bodhi, the conman arms dealer, and his crew are thrust further and further into a race to save the cosmos -- thus the title of the third book, natch -- and by and large they do it well. Wolanyk’s plot is ambitious, but these felt a bit less funny and a bit more contrived than the original. His world-building is occasionally a bit baroque but generally up to the challenge of a three book series. Critically, the villains are suitably villainous -- and have great titles. (I want business cards proclaiming me “Anointed Redeemer” although I’m not sure how many people would find that quite as funny as I would.) These stories don’t take themselves particularly seriously, and are still solid, light entertainment.
Smirk factor: Borderline Acceptable: 0.5 pts (15 smirks in 548 pages is just too many.)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5pts
Total: 6.5/10
All These Shiny Worlds: The 2016 Immerse or Die Anthology, Jefferson Smith, ed.
I swear I read and reviewed this before, but possibly only the first one of those is true. Either way, this is something of an ur-work for me since I love Smith’s “treadmill” yardstick. This volume collects some of the survivors from his workout immersion test technique. None are terrible, a few a great, but it’s a treat to read through and see all of the genres and styles represented -- united by all being solid pieces of writing.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (5 smirks in 34 stories)
Immersion factor: Shallows: 1 pt
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5pts
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 7/10
Arc City Stories: A Cyberpunk Anthology, Various, 2019
Set in “Arc City”, a more than vaguely dystopian future city where the rich live in unfathomable luxury and everyone else gets ground down, this is a mixed bag. Some of the stories are very good (thinking specifically of the very first, Todd Cianani’s Scarlet, and Ava Silurian’s Regret Me Not) and some are just okay. For me, they lacked coherent connective tissue -- I wasn’t familiar with Arc City before reading this, and to some extent, I’m still not now. This, along with overuse of “smirk” made me think this needed more and better editing.
Smirk factor: Barely Acceptable: 0.5 pts (9 smirks in 283 pages -- edit, for the love of God, edit!)
Immersion factor: Damp: 0.5 pts
Writing quality: Needs (some) work: 0.75 pts
Character/plot development: Needs (some) work: 0.75 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pt
Total: 4/10
The Best of Jim Baen’s Universe, Eric Flint, ed., 2007.
Flint is the author/curator of the successful alt-history series Ring of Fire published, curiously enough, by Baen. All are good, although the among the favorites are the first, Garth Nix’s Dog Soldier, in which a cranky NCO rediscovers man’s best friend. Katherine Sanger’s whimsical story of aliens in Starbucks drive-through, Decaf and Spaceship, To Go is at the other end of the SF spectrum but equally enjoyable. And Giving It Fourteen Percent by A. S. Fox mixes an ode to deadening corporate life, space travel and what we’ll just call regional mythology to great effect. All enjoyable, and it makes me want to spring for #2.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (1 smirk, used right)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5pts
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5pts
Total: 8/10
There’s A Lot of “E” Going On Here
The Belt - The Complete Series: Books 1-6 Of The Highly Entertaining Hard Sci-Fi Space Adventure, Gerald M. Kilby, 2022.
Entanglement (Book 1) 2018
Entropy (Book 2) 2018
Evolution (Book 3) 2018
Enigma (Book 4) 2020
Exodus (Book 5) 2021
Emergence (Book 6) 2022
This was indeed “hard” in the science- and physics-aware sense, but a relatively easy read. And while it take self-confidence to proclaim your books “highly entertaining” and “adventure” in the title, in this case it’s mostly justified. Humans, AIs, quantum communications and quantum intelligence, space battles, evil corporations, drama -- this has it all. Decent attention to the characters’ development, way above-average attention to science and physics, and a super-ambitious, wide-ranging and mostly well-done plot made this a worthwhile and entertaining read.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts. (1 smirk, referring to a facial expression!)
Immersion factor: Damp: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above average: 1.5pts
Total: 7/10
Cold As Hell (Black Badge #1), Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle, 2022.
Oh hells yes! I’ll be buying more of this. Bruno and Castle have produced an epically fun, dark, supernatural western. James Crowley is a “Black Badge”, a dead sinner brought back to serve the White Throne by hunting down supernatural baddies throughout the Old West. I gave this a five star rating for enjoyment on Goodreads, although by my scale here it rates less now that I’ve focused on the actual writing. The story’s great and Crowley has surprising depth for a demon-smiting pseudo-zombie (admittedly, that might not be the highest bar in the history of literature, but you take what you can get...) The problem is that the actual writing is just ok, as evidenced by the craptastic Smirk-O-Meter results. That’s the only real disappointment here, though, since I was generally super-happy to find something new and fun.
Smirk factor: 0verdone: 0 pts (17 smirks in 419 pages, mostly used to describe something that really needed different words)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: High: 2pts
Total: 6/10
Fantasy Magazine, Issue 79 (May 2022), Various, 2022.
Can a digital ‘zine compete with dead tree versions? I’m way late to that party, but Fantasy Magazine’s 79th issue started on a promising note. It grabbed my attention from the first story, K. Garcia Ley’s suprising and slightly disturbing How To Make Love to a Ciguapa. The issue’s other content was a bit more etherial than I’m used to, and I didn’t like all of it -- but as a way of broadening my reading, it worked well.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (No smirks given, some very good words used instead.)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt (YMMV, as did mine.)
Writing quality: Above average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Sure? 1 pt (Some very short pieces, heavy on atmosphere.)
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt (Added variety to my reading, some of it was a little out there for me.)
Total: 6.5/10
The Misfit Soldier, Michael Mammay, 2022.
“One man, no plan. What could go wrong?” Fun, solid mil SF with a sobering point from Mammay, an author who was new to me. Sergeant Gastovsky, “Gas” to his friends and customers, is a pretty terrible soldier by any measure, who prefers scheming and black-marketeering to combat. Yet as the book opens, we find him trying to stow away into a combat zone where he shouldn’t be. It turns out there’s more to Gas than meets the eye at first, and he’s on a mission that will tear open a huge secret. A quick, frothy read with enough plot twists to stay interesting, some truly cynical undertones, and surprisingly sympathetic characters emerging in unlikely places.
Smirk factor: Acceptable-plus: 1.5 pts (6 smirks in 368 pages, but Gas is smirk-iferous, so...)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 7/10
Contracts & Terminations Complete Boxed Set (Tyrus Rechs: #0.5-3), Jason Anspach and Nick Cole
Banshee’s Last Scream (Book 0.5), 2021
Requiem for Medusa (Book 1), 2018
Chasing the Dragon (Book 2), 2018
Madame Guillotine (Book 3), 2020
I’ve somehow managed to approach the Galaxy’s Edge universe from the outside in, reading this and the Order of the Centurion series without touching much of the actual core series. This isn’t an obstacle to enjoying the story of Tyrus Rechs, though, as Anspach and Cole seed the stories with enough context to make them largely stand on their own. The result was excellent for the mil SF genre, and has enough space opera overtones to appeal to a wider audience -- particularly when you factor in Rech’s mysterious origins. Tautly written, sufficiently well-plotted to be interesting without needing a scorecard to follow, and full of characters who are fleshed out enough to be interesting without being overwhelming. While not path breaking, this was great recreational reading. I’ll be back for more.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (No smirks given -- outstanding stuff)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 7/10
Acheron: Not Just The Boat In "‘Master & Commander”
Acheron: The Complete Series, Rick Partlow, 2017-2020.
The Acheron (Book 1)
Prodigal (Book 2)
Hybrid (Book 3)
Exile (Book 4)
Partlow has created an interesting series here. Book 1 is straight-up mil SF, and introduces us to Sandi and Ash, unlikely heros in a grinding interstellar war. The next three books are much more space opera-like: they show us what happens after, when the glow of the glory has faded but life continues, bills have to be paid, enemies taken care of and friends watched out for. It’s a great 90 degree turn, united by the theme of Ash’s aged war-surplus ship, the eponymous Acheron. This was an easy and fun read, full of twists and characters who are flawed but still show some growth from adventure to adventure.
Smirk factor: Acceptable: 1 pt (9 smirks in 1074 pages, mostly replacing other descriptions)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pt
Total: 6.5/10
The Legacy of Molly Southbourne, Tade Thompson, 2022
“All I know is now...now I can bleed.”
This series explores identity, belonging, and…violence. Lots of violence.
This is the last sentence of, and reasonably sums up, the concluding episode in a series of novellas which stretch the spec-fic/horror genre(s) in some interesting and unusual directions. Like much of Thompson’s work, the key issue is identity and how it changes -- or doesn’t -- across time and distance. Oh, and violent death. Lots of violent death. If you’re curious, read the series from the beginning -- this is not a stand-along story. The often curt writing style can be a challenge but a worthy one. An unusual, compelling collection.
Smirk factor: All clear : 2 pts (No smirks given.)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5pts
Total: 7.5/10
Mom called, she needs a ride home from Mars.
Shadows of Mars: Broken Stars Book 1, I.O. Adler, 2021.
What do you do when your missing astronaut mother starts texting and calling you, the government gets involved, and suddenly there’s a UFO in town? What happens when family ties are more important than protocol during first contact with aliens? Carmen has to face down these problems and many, many more. This was a light but readable romp. Not heavy, not too serious, a bit more YA-adjacent than my usual fare.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (2 smirks, only one on someone’s face.)
Immersion factor: Damp: 0.5 pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 5.5/10
This Series Has Some Serious ‘Tude…
Dimension Space Series, Books 1-3, Dean M. Cole
Solitude, 2016
Multitude, 2018
Amplitude, 2019
Post-apocalyptic SF has never been my cup of tea, but Cole made me a believer -- at least in this brand of it. This is more cerebral than I expected -- it starts off as a series of physics and engineering problems during and after an effective global extinction. We’re treated as well to an interesting look at the logical after-effects of almost all the humans vanishing at once. Humanity’s abrupt demise quickly turns out to be the least of the survivors’ problems.
This was well-paced and the plot was alternatively fun, grim and challenging. The characters have some depth, although this is definitely an event-driven series. Cole also takes a strong shot at at least pretending to respect physics even as his characters do some wild things. Cole wrote these over a longer time period than many series-driven authors, and I thought the books were better for it. The series continues with Magnitude (2021) and Fortitude (2022), as yet unread. Well worth the time.
Smirk factor: Acceptable: 1pt (18 smirks in 1,178 pages. Partial pass since many are spoken by or aimed at someone who’s routinely called -- accurately -- ‘Captain A**hole’…if the shoe fits, etc…)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5pts
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5pts
Innovative/interesting: High: 2pts
Total: 7.5/10
The Revenge Nexus, An Essence Wars Story, Paul Heingarten.
Seventh of nine stories in a series, this was an email special from the author. Zoe works in a galactic salvage and towing operation fronted by the planet Cerulia. Her staid existence is upended by the appearance of Pietro, who involves her in a plot to end the depredations of the fiendish Malone. The story had a few too many rough edges to engage me, but a younger me would have loved it.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (1 smirk, from a villain)
Immersion factor: Damp: 0.5 pts
Writing quality: Below-average: 0.5pts
Character/plot development: Below-average: 0.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Below-average: 0.5pts
Total: 4/10
Dekker’s Dozen: Weeds of Eden, Christopher D. Schmitz, 2017.
Weighing in at a spritely 79 pages, this is book one of Dekker’s Dozen (The Armageddon Seed Cycle). It starts off with a twist on the classic “client walks into the gumshoe’s office” pulp trope, and accelerates from there. I wasn’t familiar with the DD universe, and to some extent this was short enough I’m still not -- but this was fun and often funny potboiler writing.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (2 smirks given, one of them actually a facial expression instead of an unexpressed emotion!)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 6/10
The Legion Awakes (The Sleeping Legion #1), J. R. Handley, 2016.
“They were called the Human Marine Corps,” the blurb says, “but their cause was never humanity’s.” Fair summary in one sentence of this book. Dating from the beginning of Handley’s career as a published author, this comes out of the gate strong and kept my interest, even as a I had a little trouble following all of the twists and turns. The characters are interesting, but painted with very broad strokes. Fundamentally solid mil SF, it was entertaining and kept me reading. Handley went on in 2019 to co-author The Reservist, my favorite book from the Order of the Centurion series, so I’ve sprung for the Sleeping Legion box set to see how this series turns out.
Smirk factor: Acceptable: 1 pt (6 smirks in 214 pages)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5pts
Total: 6/10
The Sleeping Legion Awakes In The Weeds of Eden And Wants Revenge!