Book Review: Isolated Futures (Omnibus) by Koen Martens

 

Title: Isolated Futures (Omnibus)

Author: Koen Martens
Genre: Science Fiction - Dystopian Futures
Publisher: Self-published - Copyright 2022
Publication Date: March 18, 2022
Read: September 20-26, 2022
Disclaimer: Author requested a review and sent a free paperback copy. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: If you’re a fan of thought-provoking sci-fi cyberpunk technothrillers like The Passengers and Black Mirror, then Koen Martens’ sci-fi anthology is your perfect next read! 

Story 1 - Forced to be Free: Sam, a young hacker with anger management issues, has joined

a defense initiative against the advancing Russian army set to occupy Europe. When he discovers his boss is working undercover for the enemy, he must thwart his boss and prevent the destruction of the EU’s drone defense network before it’s too late. 

Story 2 - Murder, Plain and Simple: Dr. Jennifer Mendoza is a ship physician on the interstellar luxury cruiser Christopher. When a prominent and wealthy passenger is murdered, she is called to investigate the crime. Can she identify the killer before more people lose their lives? 

Story 3 - Cima Peak: Juan, a naive adolescent growing up in a post-apocalyptic world, embarks on a dangerous excursion that strands him and his friend far from his home. Can they make it back to their base before it’s too late to save the city from incoming slavers? 

Story 4 - Negative Reinforcement: Limei is an independent app developer on an isolated space station. She is utterly dependent on and enamored with her personal AI assistant. When she learns The Algorithm is planning to destroy human life on her ship, she must find a way to take it down before her crew perishes. 

Story 5 - Eddy: Digital forensics expert Lagan has been wrongly convicted of murder, but no one is willing to believe that he witnessed his own doppelgänger commit the crime. When he learns that the doppelgänger was one of many beings created to replace humans with AI-run clones, he must prove his innocence and take down the scheme before more people’s lives are ruined. 

Story 6 - DingDong by Zhumee: When Martin’s new Zhumee smart doorbell accidentally causes his neighbor’s wrongful arrest, he must set out on a quest to prove her innocence. Little does he know, Zhumee has far more control over the justice system than anyone imagined. Can he race against the clock to take down this corrupt system?

Review: Six novellas. A total of 476 pages. Six days to read. Challenge accepted. 

Wow. Where do I start? Koen Martens' omnibus of science fiction dystopian futures offers six different and yet relatable and oddly relevant stories, each one more terrifyingly plausible than the last. I've spent the last three days since finishing Isolated Futures trying to figure out how I would describe the utter fascination, chills, and love I felt reading these novellas and the best I can do is simply.... Wow.

Each story deals with its own future--everything from the near future of Forced to Be Free to the distant future where Earth is merely an afterthought for most humans in Negative Reinforcement--and each delivers a gut punch when the reader realizes just how plausible each future is. 

Forced to Be Free has great pacing and a spy-thriller vibe with questionable characters, murky motives, and an all-too-believable invasion scenario that brings the headlines of today into very sharp focus. 

Murder, Plain and Simple is anything but plain and simple. I loved the distant future world building showcased in this story while the mystery reminded me of Agatha Christie. There's a delicate balance between the clues left for the reader and the final reveal that kept me guessing until the end. (And, for the record, I can usually figure out the Who in Whodunnits fairly quickly.)

Cima Peak has a dystopian survivor scenario, and I'll be honest, it wasn't my favorite story. I thought the tension between the two main characters could be a little tighter and more focused, especially given the high stakes set by the author. Also, I thought the "full circle" events wrapped up a bit too neatly given the story's after-the-fall-of-civilization setting, but overall, it was still a fun read.

Negative Reinforcement is a cautionary tale for the over-dependence on technology our world is already facing. Again, this wasn't my favorite story, mainly because it reminded me of The Matrix in many ways. But, I did like the arc for the main character. It was plausible, and I enjoyed the thought-provoking nature of the plot.

Eddy is a fast-paced collision between James Bond and Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, and I liked it! A lot. Science goes awry and the stakes are high for the protagonist...or is he the antagonist....could he be both? The story has a film-like quality I can easily see translating to the big--or small--screen. This is definitely my second favorite novella in the omnibus.

DingDong by Zhumee is, hands-down, my favorite and not just because its the only story in the bunch to feature a cat! (But, the cat is a delightful bonus.) Another cautionary tale that begs the reader to think about society's reliance on technology, and the vast network of devices we willingly tap into on a daily basis in the name of "security." 

Overall, Isolated Futures is an omnibus well worth reading if you're a lover of dystopian fiction, science fiction, techno thrillers, or just reading in general. Koen Martens states in the preface that he reconnected with his love of writing during the pandemic. I certainly hope he continues to love writing for many years to come because I'm a fan now, and I expect to see a lot more from Martens in the, hopefully, not-so-distant future. 

Book Review: A Grave of Flowers by Priscylla Attler

 

Title: A Grave of Flowers

Author: Priscylla Attler
Genre: YA Fantasy with LGBTQIA+ elements
Publisher: Self-published - Copyright 2022
Publication Date: May 3, 2022
Read: July 6-September 11, 2022 -- Did Not Finish
Disclaimer: Author requested a review and sent a free paperback copy via Amazon. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: 16-year old Nulla has been discriminated against her entire life for her colorism - a genetic illness that gave her bright, colorful features. While her family once sheltered and isolated her for her own protection, this seclusion was not enough to protect her from her own unusual power, a power that is both dangerous and life-saving. 

Nulla’s friend, Ani, is slated to become the next Child of Dead, a role that is feared by many. Terrified of his fate, Ani decides to escape his home country, bringing Nulla, her twin brother,
and his best friend Zephr in tow. However, their escape plans are quickly turned upside down when Nulla is kidnapped and sold to a mad scientist performing human experiments on Colors and Ani is hunted down by Dianne - a previous Child of Death wanting to punish Ani for escaping his fate. As Nulla suffers at the hands of her cruel captor, can she learn to control her power in time to save herself?

Review: When I was initially contacted by a publicist asking if I'd be interested in reviewing debut author Priscylla Attler's A Grave of Flowers, the synopsis intrigued me. I love finding new writers, especially when the story sound compelling and offers a element that is often underrepresented in fantasy and science fiction such as BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ characters. (Full disclosure: I am neither of these, however, I am a very strong believer in equality for all regardless of skin color, sexual orientation, economic status, country of origin, religion, or any of the other myriad reasons humans find to generally be assholes to one another. My personal philosophy is "Be excellent to one another and party on, dudes." If only I could apply it to this book...) Naturally, I agreed and was sent a review copy by the author through Amazon in exchange for a honest review. 

I began reading with high hopes. The prologue definitely caught my attention. Yeah, there were a few small typos and punctuation matters, but I can easily overlook such things when the characters are engaging and the story is promising. Alas, what started with such promise quickly gave way to an overly idealistic view of what was billed as an "oppressive government," zero-zip-zilch-nada tension between supposedly contrary characters, no evidence of an actual plot anywhere on the page, and a painfully obvious lack of skilled writing and editing.

Any yet, despite all these negatives, I could--and still do--see a glimmer of potential in the overall story. The biggest problem I see with A Grave of Flowers is the dreaded "Friends and Family Review Syndrome." I fully understand wanting to share your writing with those closest to you. However, unless you have brutally honest friends and family--and I mean honest almost to the point of being labeled sociopathic--those friends and family should never be trusted to give proper, authentic feedback because once they are faced with the choice of either giving impartial and possibly negative evaluations of the writer's work and potentially crushing the writer's soul they will 99.999999% of the time opt for the non-soul-eviscerating "Yeah, it's great! I love it!" If a writer hears this and nothing else, assume your friends and family are all wearing flame retardant pants.

Writing is hard, and it doesn't happen in a vacuum. As I said, I really do see potential in the premise of A Grave of Flowers. Unfortunately, the writing doesn't live up to that potential. My suggestion to the author is to look into a basic fiction workshop. Most colleges and universities offer workshop classes either as part of a creative writing program, an English department elective, or as part of a community-enrichment program. These workshops offer exposure to a variety of genres and writing styles while also providing encouragement and honest feedback. If none of these options are available, find an online critique group. NaNoWriMo, for example, offers plenty of contacts both during November and year-round. The other option is to find a freelance/independent editor. Yes, an editor, or "book doctor," will expect payment anywhere from a few hundred to several thousands of dollars depending on how they charge (per hour, by word count, or by page count). Editors can cover everything from character development, plotting, and world-building to line edits with attention paid to spelling, punctuation, and grammar. It all depends on how much the author is willing to pay and how much work the story needs.

While A Grave of Flowers joins the handful of books I sadly must file in the "did not finish" category and therefore cannot be recommended for purchase at this time, I sincerely hope the author will look into resources to develop the story and polish their writing because I believe there's potential here.

Book Review: Lady Silver by Bobbie R. Byrd

 

Title: Lady Silver: Warlock Chronicles, Book 1

Author: Bobbie R. Byrd
Genre: Science Fiction with Fantasy Elements
Publisher: Dragoncrest Publising, LLC - Copyright July 2021
Publication Date: July 14, 2021
Read: August 27-September 7, 2021
Disclaimer: I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: The multiverse is unraveling. 

When religious zealots resurrect the ancient technology that ripped open the dimensional barrier six thousand years ago, the galaxy faces another coming Cataclysm. 

Warlocks and humans, sister races of the same evolutionary tree, are divided by millennia of enmity and ancient animosity. It will take the magic of the warlocks and the humans’ technology to heal the breach between layers of the multiverse. 

Bryanna D’Isaac is an untrained, untried warlock with powerful magic who only wants to be left alone. Admiral Devon Bastion is career military, renowned for executing warlocks, who harbors secrets of his own. 

Deadly events indicate a derelict area of space called the Well is expanding. The threat of apocalyptic events forces the warlock and the soldier together. By joining forces, Bastion and D’Isaac can save the galaxy—if they don’t kill each other first. 

Can they learn to trust each other before the multiverse collapses?

Review: Lady Silver was an entertaining read. I loved the combination of science fiction and fantasy elements with humans using technology and warlocks using magic. The main characters, Bryanna D'Isaac and Devon Bastion, were a good match for one another in strengths and weakness, and even had a little romantic spark that may flame up in the second book. 

There were a few times when I thought the author could've slowed down just a tad and provided more world building elements, such as explaining The Flow--the mystical aetheric realms from which warlocks draw their power--a little more and how warlocks are able to manipulate their bonded realms. The universe of Lady Silver is unique, and I really wanted to feel immersed in it--and I did--but there were a few times when I felt the boundaries could've been pushed a little further with regards to setting the scene or character insight. 

Overall, I greatly enjoyed reading Lady Silver and can't wait to see what happens in the next book. 

Book Review: Empire of the Vampire - Jay Kristoff

Title: Empire of the Vampire

Author: Jay Kristoff
Genre: Dark Fantasy - Horror
Publisher: St. Martin's Press - Copyright September 2021
Publication Date: September 14, 2021
Read: August 19-27, 2021
Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy as in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: 

From holy cup comes holy light; 

The faithful hand sets world aright. 

And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight, 

Mere man shall end this endless night. 

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness. 

Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains. 

Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope: 

The Holy Grail.

Review: Let me start by saying that Jay Kristoff is an absolute bastard. Don't misunderstand me. I love Jay's work with my entire little black heart. He's a masterful storyteller who has an uncanny ability to build a world wholly believable fantasy world, populate it with complex characters, make you fall in love with them, and then kill them in the most horribly gruesome ways while simultaneously destroying this carefully crafted world to the point you want to scream in frustration and throw the book across the room but you don't because you have...to...keep...reading until your eyes bleed. Seriously, the man can completely delight and yet piss off a reader at the same time. However, these are the reasons I love Jay's writing. The reason I say he's a bastard is because I have to wait at least a year for book two!!!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! *sighs* ...enhancing my
calm...

Now, as for the book, I loved it. If Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind, and George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones were to have some kind of sick ménage à trois and have a seriously messed up love child, it would be Empire of the Vampire.

To say the main character, Gabriel de León (aka Gabe the Babe), is a complicated character is an understatement. He's complex. Tortured. Foul-mouthed. Snarky. Deadly. Covered in awesome tattoos. And I adore him. As he recounts his story, the world in which he lives comes to life...and dies...only to be resurrected as some weird, bloody phoenix. Gabe's world has been without full sunlight for nearly three decades, and vampires and other creatures have come out of the shadows to play and prey on humanity. Throw in shady religious orders and corrupt politics and you've got a party. 

Empire of the Vampire is an epic adventure spanning a lifetime. I wish I could say more about Gabriel and his story, but to do so would be to spoil too much of that story. If you have a soft spot for complex, tortured antiheroes like Marvel's Deadpool, I guarantee you'll love Gabriel de León. I know there's been a lot of hype around EOTV's release, and I have to say it's all true. Jay Kristoff has solidified his place as one of the best dark fantasy/horror authors working today.

Review: Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao

Title: Blood Heir

Author: Amelie Wen Zhao

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Delacorte Press - Copyright 2019
Publication Date: November 19, 2019

Read: May 3-5, 2019

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy as a gift from a friend who picked it up at a book convention. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: This hot debut is the first book in an epic new series about a princess hiding a dark secret and the con man she must trust to clear her name for her father's murder.

In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural—dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls. 

When Ana’s father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father’s murderer on her own. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is far different from the one she thought she knew. Corruption rules the land, and a greater conspiracy is at work—one that threatens the very balance of her world. And there is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to its core: Ramson Quicktongue.

A cunning crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson has sinister plans—though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all.

Review: Blood Heir is a dark young adult fantasy novel that grips you from the first page and doesn't let go until the shocking end. The struggles of the main characters to come to terms with their dark pasts and carve a future for themselves are palpable and relatable in many ways.

The land of Cyrilia is foreign and yet familiar. Elements of Eastern European landscape and folklore combine with elements of the Far East to create a unique world with a fully realized magic system in place. Filled with palace intrigue, a seedy criminal underworld, and brilliant shadows that grip the reader's emotions and send them on a rollercoaster ride, Blood Heir is a first-rate fantasy with a mystery at its heart.

While the book does touch on sensitive subject matter--specifically human trafficking--it author shows the crime for what it is: a crime against humanity of the most heinous order. Some readers may find the subject hard to digest in a young adult fantasy, but the point of fiction is to not only entertain but present issues to readers so that they can be discussed in a broader context. Simply pushing these issues aside and refusing to face them in a fictional world is the same as ignoring them in the real world.

Amelie Wen Zhao is a unique voice in young adult fantasy. Blood Heir is her first novel and has a bright future ahead.

Review: After the Fire by Will Hill

Title: After the Fire

Author: Will Hill

Genre: YA Thriller

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire - Copyright 2018

Read: November 8-10, 2018

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: The things I've seen are burned into me, like scars that refuse to fade. 

Before, she lived inside the fence. Before, she was never allowed to leave the property, never allowed to talk to Outsiders, never allowed to speak her mind. Because Father John controlled everything―and Father John liked rules. Disobeying Father John came with terrible consequences. But there are lies behind Father John's words. Outside, there are different truths.

Then came the fire.

Review: Will Hill doesn't pull punches in After the Fire, and that's a good thing. The book begins in the chaotic environment of a siege by the government on a religious compound only referred to as The Base by the young narrator. These undiluted scene then plunge the reader into the equally disorienting madness of a hospital trauma room where the narrator is being treated, unwillingly, by doctors for burns and other injuries. The narrative then segues into our narrator--now known as Moonbeam--uncovering the details of her life within The Base, the beliefs of the Holy Church of the Lord's Legion, the rise of Father John, and the events surrounding the siege and subsequent fire through a series of therapy sessions and flashbacks.

Moonbeam proves to be a detailed narrator of her life. She candidly discusses her life within the Legion, including her own mother's lobbying of Father John to take Moonbeam as one of his Future Wives. She tells of her crush on Nate, a mysterious stranger who arrives at The Base one day, and who disappears in the night a few years later. She recounts her impressions of Luke, the first baby born inside The Base and who eventually becomes her archenemy within the Legion. She talks of her belief in Father John and the Legion, and then her questioning of everything she's been taught once her mother is Banished and branded a Heretic by Father John.

The timeline of After the Fire isn't told in a linear fashion. Moonbeam skips around while trying desperately to avoid telling everything she knows of the events that occurred during the siege and fire. Interspersed with scenes of her encounters with fellow fire survivors--including Luke--the full scope of Moonbeam's story is revealed slowly and through layers upon layers of deceit by both herself and others. When the full truth is finally revealed, Moonbeam's and the other survivors' journeys seem all the more remarkable as the reader is once again reminded that Moonbeam and her Brothers and Sisters are still only children.

Will Hill weaves a fascinating thriller that keeps you wanting to read the next page. At no point did I feel the narrative dragging or unraveling at any pace other than the one set by Hill. Definitely worthy of a solitary read but even better if chosen for a book club discussion setting.

Review at a Glance:

Concept: A+
Execution: A
Writing Style: A
Characters: A-
Reader Connection: A
Overall Grade: A-
Would I Buy This Author Again: Yes

Review: The Lost Sisters by Holly Black

Title: The Lost Sisters: A Folk of the Air Novella

Author: Holly Black

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - Copyright 2018

Read: October 22, 2018

Disclaimer: I purchased a copy of this novella via Amazon Kindle. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Publisher: Sometimes the difference between a love story and a horror story is where the ending comes... 

While Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, her sister Taryn began to fall in love with the trickster, Locke. 

Half-apology and half-explanation, it turns out that Taryn has some secrets of her own to reveal.

Review: Let me just say this first: I adore Holly Black's writing. She has a penchant for creating engaging characters inhabiting vibrant worlds, and her plots are always complex with unexpected twists. Sadly, much of this was missing from this novella.

The Lost Sisters is told from the point of view of Taryn, the twin sister of Jude who is the protagonist of The Cruel Prince and upcoming The Wicked King. Taryn is largely thrust aside in The Cruel Prince and yet plays a key role in the ultimate plot so I was hoping for some insight into her character and motivations. While we are given a few glimpses into her character and even her motivations in The Cruel Prince, this novella is essentially a recap of some of the key events in TCP with a half-hearted attempt at an apology to Jude from her twin. I'd really hoped for more a more insightful reading of Taryn that would make me like her a little more, but alas, that didn't happen, and I like her even less now.

Holly Black's mastery of words is still there, and it was nice to return to the realm of Elfhame for a time. However, I enjoyed the sneak peek of The Wicked King included at the end of The Lost Sisters better than the actual novella.

Review at a Glance:

Concept: B
Execution: A
Writing Style: A+
Characters: B+
Reader Connection: B
Overall Grade: B+
Would I Buy This Author Again: Yes