Dark Whispers (Brightstorm #2), By Vashti Hardy ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Fantasy, Middle School Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 16th, 2021

416 Pages

Synopsis: The ragtag crew of Captain Harriet Culpepper, is off on another adventure! Ermitage Wrigglesworth, the notable explorer and author, has been reported missing in Stella Oceanus to the east. Twins Arthur and Maudie are eager to answer the call of adventure to find him, but their old nemesis and newly discovered aunt, Eudora Vane, is also on the hunt. As Lontown’s most famous explorer families set sail aboard their sky-ships, it soon becomes clear that Eudora’s not just after the missing explorer. There’s a secret she’s chasing, something Wrigglesworth had discovered before he vanished, something that definitely shouldn’t be in Eudora Vane’s hands. The Aurora’s crew will have to journey to uncover Wrigglesworth’s secret first, and will discover new lands and new friends along the way… (Goodreads)

Darkwhispers is the sequel to last year’s Brightstorm, and in my humble opinion, an equally brilliant middle school fantasy/science fiction novel, that’s perfect for fans of authors like Philip Pullman. It’s filled with exciting adventure just as the previous book was, with familiar characters and intriguing new ones.

In this entry, the twins each begin to set forth on their own paths and you can just begin to glimpse the remarkable adults they’ll develop into. The mystery itself is a fun and twisty one, especially when the villainous Eudora Vane gets involved. I especially appreciated the additional insight provided, through the memories of her relationship with the twins mother. It made me somewhat sympathetic toward her, although that was temporary. A beloved character meets their demise, but even that was handled imaginatively.

I grew fearful near the end that perhaps this was going to finish as a duology, which had me deeply disappointed, because I’ve grown quite attached to Maudie, Arthur, Harriet, and the rest of the crew of the Aurora, but something occured in the last couple of pages that has me thinking there will be another book. I cannot recommend Brightstorm and Darkwhispers enough. They’re creative, unique, and although technically written for upper elementary through middle school readers, are bound to appeal to adult readers who enjoy these genres as well. They truly are a perfect escape that you will find yourself easily lost in!

The Echo Wife, by Sarah Gailey ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Science Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 16th, 2021

256 Pages

Synopsis: Evelyn Caldwell’s husband has been having an affair—with Evelyn Caldwell. Or, to be exact, a genetically cloned replica.

After a morning that begins with a confrontation, and ends with Nathan’s body bleeding out on the kitchen floor, the two Caldwell wives will have to think fast—before sharing everything includes sharing a jail cell.

I’m going to straight up say that The Echo Wife needs to be made into a movie! What a fantastic read this was, filled with surprising twists and turns right up until the last pages. It’s both a character and plot driven tale with each pushing the other. Evelyn is a cold, calculating researcher and empathy doesn’t come easily to her. Yet ultimately she come across sympathetically through her flashbacks to her unhappy childhood. Martine, Evelyn’s clone and a complete innocent, is someone who will make your heart ache. But as these two women work together, they find strength in each other and make quite the formidable team. The Echo Wife has been compared to Westworld, and while it shares a few similarities, it’s not a thriller. Instead, it’s a slow burning suspense, that chapter by chapter, reels you in. I easily finished it in one sitting and I highly recommend it to readers who are not only looking for a good suspense tale, but also ones who enjoy pondering ethics, and the nature vs nurture debate.

Bright Shining World, By Josh Swiller ~ 2.0 Stars

Tags

Coming of Age Stories, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Social Satire, The Environment, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Books For Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 24th, 2020

304 Pages

Synopsis: Wallace Cole is perpetually moving against his will. His father has a deeply important job with an energy company that he refuses to explain to Wallace who is, shall we say, suspicious. Not that his father ever listens to him. Just as Wallace is settling into a comfortable life in Kentucky, his father lets him know they need to immediately depart for a new job in a small town in upstate New York which has recently been struck by an outbreak of inexplicable hysterics—an outbreak which is centered at the high school Wallace is to attend.

In the new town things go from disturbing to worse: trees appear to be talking to people; a school bully, the principal, and the town police force take an instant dislike to Wallace; and the student body president is either falling for him or slipping into the enveloping darkness. Bright Shining World is a novel of resistance, of young people finding hope and courage and community in a collapsing world.

You can probably guess from my rating that Bright Shining World was not for me. I wanted to like this, I really did. Mainly because of Wallace, who I loved and is the sole reason why I’m giving this 2 stars. But even this endearingly snarky, clever, courageous misfit couldn’t save a story that to me, just never found its footing. It’s a convoluted mess of coming-of-age, science fiction, a bit of horror, some social satire, and environmental activism. While I’m all for genre-defying tales, this was jumbled and confusing and in the end, made my head hurt. And to make matters worse was that except for Wallace and his mysterious father—who was unlikable but at least somewhat interesting—the other characters were so overwhelmingly stereotypical that I found myself continually rolling my eyes. When I reached the last page all I could think was “Thank God it’s over!” It’s too bad, because Bright Shining World had a lot of potential, especially with such a strong protagonist. 

The Preserve, By Ariel S. Winter ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense, Techno-Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 3rd, 2020

256 Pages

Synopsis: Decimated by plague, the human population is now a minority. Robots—complex AIs almost indistinguishable from humans—are the ruling majority. Nine months ago, in a controversial movie, the robot government opened a series of preserves, designated areas where humans can choose to live without robot interference. Now the preserves face their first challenge: someone has been murdered.

Chief of police Jesse Laughton on the SoCar Preserve is assigned to the case. He fears the factions that were opposed to the preserves will use the crime as evidence that the new system doesn’t work. As he digs for information, robots in the outside world start turning up dead from bad drug-like programs that may have originated on SoCar land. And when Laughton learns his murder victim was a hacker who wrote drug-programs, it appears the two cases might be linked. Soon, it’s clear that the entire preserve system is in danger of collapsing. Laughton’s former partner, a robot named Kir, arrives to assist on the case, and they soon uncover shocking secrets revealing that life on the preserve is not as peaceful as its human residents claim. But in order to protect humanity’s new way of life, Laughton must solve this murder before it’s too late.

The Preserve is a fresh and futuristic mystery that is perfect for fans of Westworld and Bladerunner.

The Preserve is a fun, fast-paced futuristic techno-thriller that had me thoroughly engrossed for the couple of hours it took me to read it. While the storyline is fictional, some of the political and societal issues involved mirror what’s happening in the real world, and I appreciated their thoughtful yet not heavy handed inclusion. As I often find when reading a novella, I think the plot and its interesting characters especially Jesse and Kir, could have benefited from the book being a little lengthier, but this is strictly a personal opinion. Overall I highly enjoyed The Preserve and can easily picture it being adapted for a tv series or movie. I highly recommend this for fans of science fiction fare like Westworld and Ex Machina.

The Future is Yours, By Dan Frey ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Diversity, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 9th, 2021

352 Pages

Synopsis: Two best friends create a computer that can see one year into the future. But what they can’t predict is how it will tear their friendship—and society—apart.

Ben Boyce and Adhi Chaudry are outsiders struggling to find their place in Silicon Valley. But when Ben reads Adhi’s graduate dissertation about an obscure application for quantum computing, he has a vision of a revolutionary new technology: a computer that can see forward through time by communicating with its future self.

The two friends quit their jobs and team up to form a business, building a company that will deliver their groundbreaking device to consumers around the world. Rival tech giants try to steal their innovation, while government agencies attempt to bury it—but Ben and Adhi are helped by their own cutting-edge technology, staying ahead of the competition and responding to challenges before they arise.

As the tension mounts, Ben and Adhi’s friendship begins to fracture under the weight of ambition, jealousy, and greed. Most frightening of all, they discover the dark side of the machine they’ve created—the way in which viewing the future sets them on a path toward unavoidable disaster of epic, apocalyptic proportions. Unless they can disrupt the technological system they’ve created, there won’t be any future at all.

Told through emails, texts, transcripts, and blog posts, this bleeding-edge tech thriller chronicles the social costs of innovation and asks how far you’d be willing to go to protect the ones you love—even from themselves.

I’m always intrigued by a story told in epistolary format, but because events are relayed by various means—which in the case of The Future is Yours, include: emails, text messages, interviews, and transcripts—it’s easy for the storyline to get confusing. I’m happy to say that for the most part that wasn’t the case here. There were a few sections here and there where I had a bit of difficulty discerning between Ben and Adhi, but this wasn’t a big issue. I thought at first that Ben was extremely shallow, immature, and arrogant, but I have to admit he grew on me as the story progressed. I loved Adhi, the genius loner who is somewhere on the autism spectrum. While The Future is his invention, he agonizes over the moral repercussions that result. Even as their friendship disintegrated I found myself rooting for them. As far as the actual plot goes, well, there aren’t many surprises. I mean how difficult is to ascertain that being able to see what’s going to happen a year from now is going to lead to nowhere good? For me, the best part of the story was the ambiguous ending which leaves the reader wondering. I thought it was absolutely brilliant! So, overall, I found The Future is Yours, to be a little rough around the edges, yet still entertaining. It’s intriguing science fiction that explores the moral complexities of technology and brings to mind that well known phrase: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, By Christopher Paolini ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Science Fiction, Space Opera

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 15th, 2020

880 Pages

Synopsis: A brand new space opera on an epic scale from the New York Times bestselling author of a beloved YA fantasy series.

It was supposed to be a routine research mission on an uncolonized planet. But when xenobiologist Kira Navárez finds an alien relic beneath the surface of the world, the outcome transforms her forever and will alter the course of human history.

Her journey to discover the truth will thrust her into the wonders and nightmares of first contact, epic space battles for the fate of humankind, and the farthest reaches of the galaxy. 

Christopher Paolini is the author of the bestselling The Inheritance Cycle which was both beloved by millions of readers and criticized for its stereotypical characters and awkward grammatical structure. Despite the series’ flaws, what was always apparent to me, was that Paolini was a gifted storyteller. With his first adult book, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, my feelings regarding his writing remain much the same. Once again, his characters are the weakest part, making it frustratingly difficult at times to connect with them. And, his prose is still somewhat clunky and could use some finessing. However, my goodness, this man knows how to spin a story! No dragons here, but plenty of fascinating aliens, thrilling space battles, and epic world building. Space operas aren’t one of my usual preferred genres, but I was utterly mesmerized the entire time I was reading. The book is almost 900 pages yet I finished it in a few days, which should tell you what a page-turner it is. I was going to give this 3 1/2 stars, but upon reflection I’m rounding it up to 4 stars, because just as he did with his fantasy series, Paolini again captured my complete attention with the sheer breadth of his imagination.

The Somebody People (The Resonant Duology Book 2), By Bob Proehl ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Diversity, LGBTQ, Science Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 1st, 2020

624 Pages

Synopsis: A group of outcasts with extraordinary abilities, must save a crumbling world from annihilation in this gripping follow-up to The Nobody People.

Fahima Deeb changed everything seven years ago when she triggered the Pulse, imbuing millions of people with otherworldly gifts like flight, telekinesis, or superhuman strength. She thought that would herald the end of hostilities between those with abilities and those without, but it instead highlighted a new problem: There is someone behind the scenes, able to influence and manipulate these newly empowered into committing horrible acts against their will. Worse still, that shadowy figure is wearing the face of Fahima’s oldest friend, Patrick Davenport. Fahima is horror-struck when she realizes that Patrick has built an army entirely under his control to wipe out all who oppose him. 

With nowhere to turn and few she can trust, Fahima must rely on uncertain allies: Carrie Norris whose illusion of a normal life vanishes at Fahima’s reappearance. Clay Weaver, a retired soldier, fighting to keep his husband and son safe—and to keep Patrick from taking over his mind. And, finally, Emmeline Hirsch, adrift and untethered from her ability to travel through time. Together, they might be able to topple Patrick’s shadowy regime…though it may spell destruction for the entire world.

I really enjoyed The Nobody People, the first book in this duology, which was a mashup between X-Men and Harry Potter. The Somebody People picks up seven years after Fahima sent out the Pulse, imbuing more people with abilities in the hope that it would end the fighting between Resonants and those without. Unsurprisingly, this only caused new problems. In this conclusion, the storyline plays out through several characters perspectives and therein lies the problem. There is no recap at the beginning, so readers who read the previous book a year ago are going to have difficulty following things, especially at the beginning. I read The Nobody People just a few months ago and I floundered for a bit, which made the beginning of this book slow going. Thankfully, about 30% in, the action picked up and I wound up being quite entertained. In the end, while I don’t think The Somebody People quite lives up to its predecessor, it’s a fun and satisfying conclusion to this duology. I would only advise that readers who haven’t read The Nobody People do so before jumping into this, and even if you did, if it’s been more than a couple of months, I’d recommend skimming though the first book to refamiliarize yourself with the diverse cast of characters. The Resonants duology was my first introduction to Bob Proehl, and I’m looking forward to what he comes up with next.

Shadows in Death, (In Death #51), By J.D. Robb ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 8th, 2020

368 Pages

Synopsis: As it often did since he’d married a cop, murder interrupted more pleasant activities. Then again, Roarke supposed, the woman lying in a pool of her own blood a few steps inside the arch of Washington Square Park had a heftier complaint.

When a night out at the theater is interrupted by the murder of a young woman in Washington Square Park, it seems like an ordinary case for Detective Eve Dallas and her team. But when Roarke spots a shadow from his past in the crowd, Eve realizes this case is far from business as usual.

Eve has two complex cases on her hands—the shocking murder of this wealthy young mother and tracking down the shadow before he can strike again, this time much closer to home. Eve is well used to being the hunter, but how will she cope when the tables are turned? As Eve and the team follow leads to Roarke’s hometown in Ireland, the race is on to stop the shadow from making his next move…

It’s an amazing thing when over two decades and fifty-one books, a series is still as fresh as its debut. If you’ve followed me for any length of time you know what a fan of the In Death series I am, and Shadows in Death is an excellent example of why. 

In this latest outing, the antagonist is revealed early on, but in no way does that take away from the suspense. While every case becomes personal to homicide detective Eve Dallas, this villain is from Roarke’s past, making the stakes even higher than usual. Because I have become so attached to “Team Eve” over the years, I was biting my nails the entire time I was reading this. There was actually a little less action here than in some of the previous books, but while getting more glimpses of Roarke’s nightmarish childhood, there was this menacing air hanging over everything which steadily builds until the exciting conclusion that brings together the NYPD, Interpol, and Roarke’s family in Ireland. I absolutely loved it and finished this in one sitting despite my best efforts to draw things out. If you’re new to the In Death series, you could jump in with Shadows in Death, but you’ll get so much more out of these wonderful characters and their backstories if you start with the first book, Naked in Death. I know that with 51 books now, that’s a bit of a commitment, but believe me, this series is worth it. For longtime fans, I believe you’ll find this to be an exciting and worthy addition. I’m now counting down the days until Faithless in Death comes out on February 2nd, 2021 (the day before my birthday)!

Cut Off, By Adrianne Finlay ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Horror, LGBTQ, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 11th, 2020

384 Pages

Synopsis: Warcross meets Lost in this haunting young adult sci-fi thriller in which teens compete to survive in the wilderness for one million dollars on a new virtual reality show. When something goes horribly wrong and the contestants realize no one is coming to save them, they must question their very reality—and how much of the game is really for show.

Each contestant has their own reasons—and their own secrets—for joining the new virtual reality show CUT/OFF that places a group of teenagers alone in the wilderness. It’s a simple premise: whoever lasts the longest without “tapping out” wins a cash prize. Not only that, new software creates a totally unprecedented television experience, allowing viewers to touch, see, and live everything along with the contestants. But what happens when “tapping out” doesn’t work and no one comes to save you? What happens when the whole world seemingly disappears while you’re stranded in the wild. Four teenagers must confront their greatest fears, their deepest secrets, and one another when they discover they are truly cut off from reality. Sci-fi, mystery, and romance converge in this high-stakes, fast-paced read that will leave you guessing to the very last moment.

While I thought Cut Off was a little slow to start, by the halfway point the pace picked up and there were some interesting plot twists which made me glad I stuck with it. There were a couple of issues that prevented this from being a more enjoyable read. The first was the formatting of the eARC. Some of the sentences were out of order, especially during the interviews with the contestants, which made things hard to follow at times. The other problem were the characters who weren’t what I’d call one-dimensional, but I did think they were somewhat formulaic. I did wind up connecting with River (the loner) and Cam (the sassy beauty), but even though I enjoyed Trip (the brash genius), I wanted to know even more about him, and Lexie (the deceiver) never had any of her backstory revealed. Despite this, I did enjoy the overall story and it kept me questioning what was real and what wasn’t. I definitely will be trying the next book that Adrianne Finlay comes out with.

Glass Town Wars, by Celia Rees ~ 2.0 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Children’s Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 8th, 2020

320 Pages

Synopsis: Tom and Augusta are from different places and different times, but they meet in the virtual world to combine forces in battle, to save a kingdom, escape a web of deceit and to find love. In a place where fictions can be truths and truths fictions, learning who to trust is more than friendship, it is about survival.

Glass Town Wars inspired by the early writings of the Brontës, is a captivating, magical novel by the renowned Celia Rees.

I’m going to start with something positive: Isn’t this an eye-catching cover? I love the colors, imagery, and ominous caption. Unfortunately, once I started reading Glass Town Wars, things went downhill pretty quickly.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I was thoroughly confused for the first 1/4 of the book. I think part of the problem was the plot didn’t really match the synopsis. I thought the setting had potential, but it’s not developed fully. The characters are bland and weak and I never connected with them. And finally, my attention was initially captured by the mention of the story being inspired by the Brontës works, but as this aspect isn’t really explored until the latter half of the book, it wasn’t enough to save the story for me.

To sum things up, Glass Town Wars will most likely be on the list of my biggest disappointments of 2020. Celia Rees is a well-respected author and I’ve enjoyed her previous books. This, while imaginative and original, ultimately fails to live up to the potential that you get all too infrequent tantalizing glimpses of. It left me confused, let down, and quite frustrated, so sadly I can’t bring myself to recommend it. However, mine is simply one opinion, so as always, if you’re intrigued by the sounds of this, I encourage you to read other reviews on sites such as Goodreads.