The Martian was a spectacular hit, and I’m sure the first question on everyone’s minds is “how does this compare”? Well, it had a very different feel. The type of humor was similar, but not quite the same. In The Martian, the humor all stemmed from surviving on Mars, and was self deprecating and a bit dark in the ways he might die, or how others might see ultimate demise. Jazz definitely has a bit darker sense of humor as well, but its not as life and death, and maybe doesn’t come across quite as nice. I don’t mean that as a negative, just that is how I compared the two styles. In this book, the moon has been colonized with a single city called Artemis. The city is a connected series of multi-level domes, where people under or above ground. The city has both permanent residents as well as many wealthy tourists, because really, who wouldn’t want to go visit the moon if they have the means. Because of the controlled atmosphere that allows humans to survive on the inhospitable moon, there are many restrictions on substances and items allowed in Artemis. Anything that could pose a fire hazard…
Despite my love for time travel stories, sometimes they can be hard to wrap my head around. I think that might be why I struggled a little with this one, even though I’m a huge fan of Peter Clines and look forward to every new novel of his that comes along. They’re always so unique and original, and yes, a lot of the time, they can be quite strange as well. Paradox Bound turned out to be one of these books, and while I enjoyed it overall, there were admittedly parts of it that grew out of control and tested my patience. Our protagonist Eli Teague was just a young boy when he first met Harry. Dressed in a Revolutionary War outfit while stranded on the side of the road with her broken-down hundred-year-old car, she had stuck out like a sore thumb in a small town like Sanders, Maine—where nothing ever changes and nothing interesting ever happens. But soon after Eli stopped to help, he noticed a second strange vehicle speeding towards them, and what he saw behind the wheel was so disturbing, and so impossible, that the sight made him lose control of his bladder. Upon noticing the…
Here’s a rundown of the books we think you should look out for in coming in the week. See any that you are really looking forward to? Find any you had not heard of yet? Know of books we missed? We know we don’t have everything and would love to hear what you feel we may have overlooked. FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR Department Zero Crilley, Paul 1/24/2017 A Conversation in Blood Paul S. Kemp 1/24/2017 Anno Dracula 1899 & Other Stories Kim Newman 1/24/2017 Dreadnought April Daniels 1/24/2017 Passing Strange Ellen Klages 1/24/2017 The Fifth Petal Brunonia Barry 1/24/2017 The Prometheus Man Reardon, Scott 1/24/2017 The Skill of Our Hands Steven Brust and Skyler White 1/24/2017 The Weight of the World Tom Toner 1/24/2017
Dark Matter is a science fiction thriller that hooks you instantaneously and just doesn’t let go. Addictive, to say the least. I ripped through it in about a day in a half, and happily found it to be one of those books that pretty much demands you neglect all other aspects of your life because it refuses to get to a point where you feel you can set it down. But I certainly wasn’t complaining. I love getting so into a story that I can’t/won’t do anything else. Thankfully not all the books I enjoy are like this as I do have a life that needs tending to, but when a book grabs me like this, I have to say I love leaving the real world behind for a bit. The concept of this book is fascinating as well. It examines the questions, what would you do differently in your life if you were given a chance? How would that one decision impact the rest of your life? What would you do if one day your entire life has changed with no explanation of how or why? We get a brief picture of our protagonist, Jason, in his current life…
Here’s a rundown of the books we think you should look out for in coming in the week. See any that you are really looking forward to? Find any you had not heard of yet? Know of books we missed? We know we don’t have everything and would love to hear what you feel we may have overlooked. FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR Bite K.S. Merbeth 7/26/2016 Orbit City of Wolves Willow Palacek 7/26/2016 Tor.com Dark Matter Blake Crouch 7/26/2016 Crown Four Roads Cross Gladstone, Max 7/26/2016 Tor Books Indomitable Bauers, W. C. 7/26/2016 Tor Books Red Right Hand Black, Levi 7/26/2016 Tor Books Supernova C.A. Higgins 7/26/2016 Del Rey Urban Allies Joseph Nassise 7/26/2016 Harper Voyager Zero-G Rob Boffard 7/26/2016 Redhook Sparrow Falling Gaie Sebold 7/29/2016 Solaris
Here’s a rundown of the books we think you should look out for in coming in the week. See any that you are really looking forward to? Find any you had not heard of yet? Know of books we missed? We know we don’t have everything and would love to hear what you feel we may have overlooked. FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION HORROR A Conclave of Shadows Alyc Helms 7/5/2016 Angry Robot Beyond the Woods : Fairy Tales Retold Paula Guran 7/5/2016 Night Shade Books Deserts of Fire : Speculative Fiction and the Modern War Douglas Lain 7/5/2016 Night Shade Books Flameout Keri Arthur 7/5/2016 Signet Heroine Complex Sarah Kuhn 7/5/2016 DAW Paper and Fire Rachel Caine 7/5/2016 NAL Sacrifices Jamie Schultz 7/5/2016 Roc The Copper Promise Jen Williams 7/5/2016 Angry Robot The Dinosaur Knights Milán, Victor…
The Wolf Road is a brutal and fascinating story that entrenches you in the mind and personality of Elka, a young woman living in a post apocalyptic world that can be harsh and unforgiving. I found her personality and story both riveting and touching. She is far from a sentimental type, quite the opposite really. She is driven by practicality and survival and gives little thought or need for much of anything else. In all honesty, her character has not had the luxury of being able to experience little beyond this. Lost and on her own at the age of seven, she meets a man she eventually names Trapper. A man who can appear scary to her at times but when it comes down to it, he takes her in, gives her name (Elka) and teaches her all that she knows, takes care of her when she is sick or injured. They live in isolation in the remotes wilds where he teaches her to track, trap, hunt and survive. He becomes not only the largest, but also the only, influence on her as she develops from that lost young girl into a young woman. He also teaches her to fear…
Eleanor is an emotional journey of a book, a journey that takes you to some dark and uncomfortable places. But don’t let that scare you away, because the author did an amazing job balancing the darker parts. It was actually a touching and magical story that happened to have some sad, tragic and painful elements. Eleanor and Esmerelda were inseparable twins until a tragic accident kills Esmerelda, leaving Eleanor’s life forever altered and inevitably darker than the one she remembers from before, back when her sister was alive and at her side. It is a story about hindsight, dreams, letting go and moving forward. It is a story of loss and recovery. It is a story that really packs a lot in its pages. It may not have taken me very long to read (maybe 2 days), but it is a story that will stick with me. While this book is undeniably emotional, it was not as depressing of a read as I had anticipated, there felt to be more to it than just heartache. But definitely be prepared for some serious feels. The structure of Eleanor does contain time jumps, but they are easy to navigate and help piece together…
Here’s a rundown of the books we think you should look out for in coming in the week. See any that you are really looking forward to? Find any you had not heard of yet? Know of books we missed? We know we don’t have everything and would love to hear what you feel we may have overlooked. FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION