The StepSister Scheme by Jim C. Hines

The Stepsister Scheme 

By: Jim C. Hines






The Stepsister Scheme is a different take on the classic Cinderella story we all know.  The story we all know still happened it's just that Cinderella didn't settle down to a perfect boring princess life afterwards.  As is the case with anyone who is noticed by the mysterious powers of the universe, being special attracts attention, and much of it is bad.  This story is not what you would expect from Cinderella, but that is what makes it awesome.  The book is a fast paced adventure novel with magic, secret passages, dangerous trips to a Fairy land that is every bit as treacherous as the actual legends imply, and some princesses that kick ass.  I cant really think of anything that I didn't like about this book except that I wish it had been longer and that I had been able to put it down at times.

Skinwalker by Faith Hunter Book Review

Skinwalker 

By: Faith Hunter






Skinwalker is a fast paced paranormal adventure novel.  The book takes place in a world that is a step away from our own.  The cities and settings are almost the same as our world, with the major distinction being that Vampires, Were-Creatures, and witches are not only real but publicly acknowledged.  Faith Hunter does an excellent job of creating this world that is at once so close and so different from our own.  In particular this book explores some of the societal changes from having vampires exist in the light as it were.  For example master vampires will pay for vampire hunters to take care of rogue vampires in their territories.  Jane Yellowrock, the main Character of the story, is one of these rouge vampire hunters, and you find yourself drawn in to her own unique heritage.  She is a Skinwalker ( a native american shapeshifter) and shares her body and soul with a mountain lion known as Beast.  This allows her to hunt down rouge vampires for the bounty on their heads and survive, but not everything in this world is out in the open and she would rather her powers remain in the shadows.

Hounded(The Iron Druid Chronicles Book1) by Kevin Hearne Book Review

Endless Blue 

By: Kevin Hearne






Hounded is a funny story about an immortal Irish druid, who goes by the name of Atticus O'Sullivan, in the American Southwest.  The story has gods, monsters, talking dogs, and special herbal elixirs.  I found this book hard to put down in part because of the wit of the main character.  The other part is that the story is awesome.  You are not only introduced to the immortal irishman but an entire community of supernatural beings that he exists within.  He may be the last of the old line of druids still alive, but he has plenty of company when it comes to magical power.  The best way to describe this book is funny, and exciting.

There were a few things that bothered me about the story at first but they ended up being plot points.  Basically it was a bit unnerving the casual way that he treated most of the Celtic gods in the story, and the way they treated him in return.  The book makes it clear however that the Iron Druid, as Atticus is known, has powers that they respect.  In the story the gods and Atticus see themselves as more equals than deity and worshiper though he does keep his original faith.  Overall this is one of the best modern fantasy books that I have read recently, and I think most people would enjoy it.

Darkship Renegades by Sarah A. Hoyt Book Review

Darkship Renegades 

By: Sarah A. Hoyt






Darkship Renegades is the Sequel to Darkship Thieves, and It continues the story of Athena and Kit from the first book.  The book is a bit slow to start, but picks up speed after the first couple of chapters.  The tone of this book is a bit less nonstop action adventure, and a bit more political and technological exploration oriented than the first book was.  The social structure of both the future Earth and Eden are explored much more in depth in this book than they were in the first one.  I really got the feeling that the author was trying to emphasize the extreme freedom of Eden vs the tyranny of earth in this book.

I found a few issues with this book as opposed to the first one.  For me the first part of the book was really slogging, and Athena does some things that would be out of character for her in the first book.  My impression from the story is that the author is trying to show that she is exploring the softer side of her emotions, but in my opinion she goes a bit too far with it.  The narrative in this book is also much more political than the first book and the author is a bit heavy handed with it. Since the author does a good job of contrasting the two very different worlds the story takes place on some political discussion is required, but the story would be better if there were less time spent on political philosophy. Despite this I do recommend this book because after the first few chapters the action speeds up, and between that and the dramatic tension in the book it becomes difficult to put down.

Pyramid Power by Eric Flint and Dave Freer Book Review

Pyramid Power 

BBy: Dave Freer and Eric Flint






Pyramid Power is the sequel to Pyramid Scheme, and for the most part just as fun and lighthearted as the first book.  This one takes a look at Norse Mythology, and has fun playing with the underdogs there.  It is very entertaining with the sort of humor you would expect if you read the first book.  If you didn't read the first book I suggest you do so before finishing this review since I will probably be giving away some plot points to make my summary here make sense.  If you haven't seen the review I did for that one yet check it out here: Pyramid Scheme.   You have been warned.

Pyramid Scheme by David Freer and Eric Flint

Pyramid Scheme 

By: David Freer and Eric Flint






Pyramid Scheme is a fun and irreverent story that revolves around the myths and legends of both Greece and Ancient Egypt.  I cant really decide if this story is Fantasyish Science Fiction or Science Fictionish fantasy.  It is a little bit of both since the main protaganists end up in "Mythworlds" where there are gods, monsters, and magic but they are sent there by what amounts to an alien probe.  However you classify it though, it is a very entertaining read with clever hero's who team up with the underdogs of both Greek and Egyptian legend.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Book Review

The Lightning Thief 

By: Rick Riordan






This book is a fun ride through a landscape of Greek myths and legends in the modern world.  The Greek gods are very much alive and well, and still up to their old tricks including having children with mortals.  Most  modern people never see this world, or rather they see it but they rationalize it away.  This is helped by the fact that most demigods and monsters use the aura of awe and confusion around them to keep hidden.  The book is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and does a good job of introducing the world.  The book is intended for young adults, but anyone who can get over the fact that many of the characters are very young has a good chance of enjoying this book.

Live Free or Die by John Ringo Book Review

Live Free or Die 

By: John Ringo






This book is the first book in the Troy Rising series.  I suppose you could say it is an alien invasion story, and you would be right, but you would also miss the point because the best part of this book is the way that humanity springs back and keeps moving.  While the book has some events that are pretty terrible, The book doesn't get very depressing because it moves so fast.  I had trouble putting this one down because I just couldn't wait to see what happened next.

DarkShip Thieves by Sarah A. Hoyt Book Review

DarkShip Thieves 

By:Sarah A. Hoyt






Darkship Thieves is a very good science fiction adventure that manages to pack a coming of age plot, a clash of spacefaring cultures plot, and some romance into one book.  The main character goes from being a spoiled, almost feral, rich girl to someone who values others and wants to earn her place in the world.  The book also explores the consequences, and human reaction to genetic engineering, and the mindset of the enhanced vs the originals.

The only things that threw me in this book are that much of the technology is not adequately explained, and at times the main character is almost too perfect at physical confrontations.  The lack of technical explanation is mitigated by the fact that the world this takes place in has regressed technologically from its peak.  The people in the story often don't know why something works. In addition the main characters prowess in a physical confrontation is balanced by her temper causing her many issues in the book.  Overall this is a very good book and quite fun to read.

Athena Hera Sinestra is a spoiled rich girl, who happens to have enhanced senses and fighting ability.  When she is attacked on her fathers spaceship she manages to fight her way to a lifepod and escape into the powertrees where solar energy is concentrated in powerpods that are used to power civilization.  Shortly she runs into a mysterious ship that can only be one of the DarkShip Thieves.  The DarkShip Thieves are one of her cultures biggest boogeymen, since they are rumored to serve Biolords who escaped from the riots and purges of their great war.  But when the operator of the ship saves her multiple times, and takes her home to Eden, the world the BioLord's former servants have made for themselves, when it becomes clear earth space is not savfe for her she realizes many things she was taught were a lie.  Over time Athena comes to make a life for herself on Eden and falls in love with her rescuer Kit.  When the time comes she marries him and begins to go on Powerpod runs with him.  The problem is things on earth are not as they seem, and her father will stop at nothing to get her back.  They are ambushed, and captured.  Now Athena must rescue her husband and  find out why she is so important.  What she discovers could overturn the very basis of her society, because it turns out that most of the BioLords never left earth.

This book will appeal to any science fiction space adventure fan, and the romance aspect is prominent enough to bring in that audience as well.

This book may be purchased at www.amazon.com as an e-book or in print.

Kiln People By David Brin Book Review

Kiln People 

By: David Brin






Kiln people is a Science fiction/Mystery novel set in a world where people can cheaply and easily make copies of their bodies and minds for specific purposes.  The main character is a private investigator specializing in the sort of trouble this technology lends itself to.  The author uses this to explore the nooks and cranny's of what this sort of thing would do to a society.  He even gets into some of the effects a users mental health could have with it.  In my opinion this is good because I feel the day is coming that we will be able to copy our minds to computers, and this book seems like a primer for that day.  There is not really anything about this book that I did not like.  It was a very fun read and provides a lot of interesting things to think about.

Endless Blue by Wen Spencer Book Review

Endless Blue 

By: Wen Spencer






Endless Blue is a space adventure/mystery/romance from Wen Spencer. As with all her books the best part of them is the interplay of her characters, and the process of them dealing with their own issues. In many ways this book is defined by the flaws in the characters and the way their flaws mirror the flaws in the society they come from. One thing that I particularly like in this book is that in coming to grips with their own problems the main characters are able to move forward with fixing those parts of their society. As usual Wen Spencer builds a complex world you hope to continue to experience, and there is nothing about this book that I dislike. This is the only book in the series, but I continue to hope that she picks up this world and these characters again.

Hab 12 (Scrapyard Ship Book 2) by Mark Wayne McGinnis Book Review

Hab 12 

By: Mark Wayne McGinnis






This is the second book in the scrapyard ship series, and it picks up where scrapyard ship ends.  This book diverges from the well known plot of the first book, and makes use of some of the discoveries made by the crew in the first adventure as plot devices in this one.

Scrapyard Ship by Mark Wayne McGinnis

Scrapyard ship is a near future novel involving a salvaged starship of unknown origins, and a massive threat to the security of the Earth.  I have read a number of these types, and It is a very good example.  The characters are what differentiates this book from its peers.  The action, and pace are very quick, and I got very caught in finding out what happened next.

The only complaint I have about the book is that I could tell the generally tell the broad plot outline from the type of book it was.  That being said there is nothing wrong with following a trope if you do it well and the author does it very well.

The main Character Jason Reynolds is a navy seal who has found himself in a bit of trouble because his sense of justice and honor sometimes outvotes his common sense.  The story starts with him under house arrest at his old family scrapyard with a shiny new ankle bracelet after an incident with some pirates.  When his daughter comes to visit they both end up finding out that there is an ancient starship hidden on the property the hard way.  It turns out that his father didn't disappear years ago, but has instead been fighting a long war against an alien menace that is now coming for earth.  Very shortly the invasion arrives and Jason must scramble to get those he cares about to safety.  Before he can get to her his ex-wife, who he still has feelings for, is captured and the alien Craing have made a fatal mistake.  Before her capture Jason was not sure he would take up the challenge from the father who abandoned him, but now the aliens have made it personal, and unlike his father he is not afraid to discover everything his new ship can do.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy military science fiction, and ancient alien benefactors.  There are a lot of boarding actions, space battles, and hand to hand combat scenes for the military science fiction fan and plenty of clever capabilities that the crew unlocks on their salvaged ship along the way for the fan of the ancient alien technology.

The book can be found at www.amazon.com in print or as an e-book.

Alien Taste By Wen Spencer Book Review

Alien Taste starts out as a good murder mystery novel and explodes into a science fiction adventure complete with shape shifting alien invaders.  As with all of Wen Spencers books you will really empathize with and understand the characters.  The world they are in feels very real and you will have a hard time putting the book down because it will keep you engaged to the very end trying to see what happens next.  I know I should write what I didn't like about the book at this point but really the author didn't do anything I didn't like with this story.

Ukiah Oregon, and Max Bennett, are a private detective team who specialize in finding missing people.  In fact when it comes to weird missing persons cases they are the best.  Ukiah has almost magical tracking abilities, and Max handles everything else.  For their latest case they are trying to find a missing co-ed with three hacked apart roommates.  Ukiah knows that something is off about this case almost immediately because he really does have superhuman tracking abilites, and he can tell that the blood from the girl he is trying to find isn't completely human.  When he does find her she is insane, Armed with a sword, and being taken over from the inside out by something that is hauntingly familiar to Ukiah.  The fact that Ukiah doesn't remember his early childhood or how he came to be in a humane wolf trap in Ukiah Oregon(he was named after the town) has never been a problem for him until now.  By taking this case the past he can't remember is about to catch up to him, and he will discover that his tracking abilities and sense for DNA are only the tip of the iceberg.  Ukiah discovers that like the thing that was changing the girl he found he isn't completely human and he is not alone.  His fathers people have been battling for the future of our world for a long time and the fight just came to him.  The question is can he learn enough about himself to be anything but a pawn in the long war between the descendants of his father Prime and the hive mind known as Hex.

This book should appeal to mystery fans, and science fiction fans alike.  I really think that anyone who gives it half a chance will love it.  Wen Spencer has a gift for writing compelling stories that you just can't put down, and when they are over you just want more.

This book can be found at www.amazon.com as an e-book.

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews Book Review

This book is an introduction to Ilona Andrews Edge Universe, and it is a very good introduction to a rich and fascinating world.  The Edge is the borderland between the land of magic, and the land of technology.  The author does a good job of describing the problems, and the character of the people who live in this borderland.  The characters are believable, and you cannot help but be caught up in their struggles.  There is a very good balance of the mundane and the fantastic that allows you to connect even as the characters do amazing things.

The only thing I didn't like about the story is how dark it can seem at times, but borderlands are often harsh places, and it really helps you get a feel for the place.  Life may be hard for edgers at times, but their isolation also allows for the freedom to live in their own way.

In this world reality is broken into two parts The Weird and The Broken.  The Broken is our world with Wallmart, Interstate Highways, and The United States of America.  In the Broken Magic doesn't work so technology has taken its place.  The Weird on the other hand has magic and is run by a feudal system modified to be based on magical strength.  The Edge is the borderland between the two.  If you have the ability for magic you can make your way there from the broken, and if you have a low enough need for magic you can come there from the wierd,  but most inhabitants from either world cannot live long in the edge.  Rose Drayton is an edger but she has the power of a Wierd Aristocrat, and has had no end of trouble because of it.  While she has their power she does not have a title or a pedigree, and that makes her a very valuable second class citizen in the Wierd.  Several attempts have been made to kidnap her to sell to nobles whose family is waning in power that want to breed it back.  Now Rose works for minimum wage under the table in the broken so that her family can survive.  Declan Camarine is a a Wierd noble who finds himself chasing a fugitive into the Edge, and runs afoul of some less than hospitable Edgers. When he shows up on Rose's Doorstep for help he gradually falls in love with her, and her power can allow him to make a relationship work in Wierd Socieity. Rose however has been burned too many times to accept that easily. In addition to this Declan must perform his original mission before everyone runs out of time.  If the madman he is after is not stopped then both the Edge and the Wierd could be burned to the ground by an ancient evil he has awoken in the edge.

This book should appeal to several audiences.  The love interest between Rose and Declan makes this book a Fantasy Romance, but it has enough meat on it to be a great story for anyone who loves a good fantasy adventure.  The plot is also about catching a fugitive who has secret plans as well so it should also appeal to the mystery lovers out there.  So I guess Fantasy Adventure Mystery Romance?

This book can be found at www.amazon.com in e-book or print format.

Mutineer's Moon By David Weber Book Review

Mutineer's Moon is an older novel, but still very good.  It is the first book in a trilogy that includes Mutineer's Moon, The Armageddon Inheritance, and Heirs of Empire, and all three were later republished as Empire From the Ashes.  It touches any number of interesting science fiction concepts in an interesting way that explores their human impact as well as the technology itself.  This epic story will catch your interest, and keep you engaged with its fast paced action.

The first time I read this book I had a hard time putting it down.  There are not really a lot of good stopping points because you just want to see what happens next.  In fact that is one of the things I both loved and hated about this entire series.  Once you start reading it you don't want to stop even when you run out of books.

The plot of this book is that the moon is really a giant starship, and a mutiny 50,000 years ago stranded it in orbit.  The modern population of earth is made up of the survivors of the loyalists.  You would think that after 50,000 years the mutiny would be resolved, but fast forward to now and the mutiny is still going on between bouts of cold sleep.  The mutineers, who maintained a tech base, act as puppet masters playing the descendants of the fallen loyalists off of each other.   When NASA Astronaut Colin Macintyre is tasked with surveying the moon with an advanced new sensor Dahak's (the starship) AI, who has become self aware after 50,000 years of autonomous operation, is forced to act or be revealed.  He snatches Colin ship and all, and fakes a crash.  After determining that Colin is the descendant of loyalist's Dahak is provided a way to finally deal with the mutiny.  Which is good because the reason that he was built in the first place is on the way, and his empire is terrifyingly silent.  Colin Gets shanghaied into becoming Dahak's Captain, and now all he has to do is put down a mutiny that's been going on for 50,000 years.  That task is easier said than done, but Colin is possibly the only man for the job, and when the mutineer's make things personal for him they don't stand a chance.

This book will appeal to anyone who loves a good action science fiction novel complete with clandestine battles between advanced combatants.  It is a fun read and the start of one of my favorite science fiction series.

This book can be purchased in print or as an e-book at www.amazon.com.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan Season 1 anime review

The first Season of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan is a very good modern fantasy anime.  Yokai are Japanese spirits/paranormal creatures that are often considered evil.  The Yokai are not necessarily evil though and it all depends on the person.  They are however powerful, and fond of tricks some of which can prove fatal.  Their relations with humans are often strained if not outright hostile because of this. Rikuo Nura is the grandson of the supreme commander of the Nura Yokai Clan, but he is also three quarters human, and cannot maintain a Yokai form at all times.  In this series Rikuo must come to terms with both the different parts of himself, and the different worlds he must live in.  Oh yeah and become worthy to be the leader of the Nura clan so he can protect his human friends.  I really like this series and I will admit that I have stayed up later than I wanted to because I had to see what happened next.  In fact that is the only thing about this series that I find I did not like.  Its just too hard to stop watching.

The story follows Rikuo as he tries to balance two worlds, and very different sets of expectations.  That of his human friends and classmates, and his Yokai companions and vassals.  In addition for much of the series Rikou the Yokai and Rikou the human seem to be desperately trying to work out how to act in harmony.  Since Rikou is the heir to the Nura clan he must prove himself to both the Yokai of the clan and the other clans in the area.  At stake is the peace of his city, and the safety of his human friends.  Every few episodes he must take on a new challenge or intrigue, and these challenges constantly push him to come to terms with his inner conflicts.  In the end to prevent a neighboring clan from conquering his town and terrorizing the humans he cares about both halves of Rikou Nura must work together to become more than either of them can be apart.

This anime will appeal to anyone who likes modern or paranormal fantasy.  It is very well done and the plots of the individual episodes have a lot of good messages about self acceptance, and perseverance in the face of massive discrimination.

You can watch this anime as a stream at www.hulu.com.

A Brothers Price By Wen Spencer Book Review

To be honest I am not sure how to classify this book.  My best guess is Alternate world fantasy.  This story is about a world where men are very rare, and have very little in the way of rights because of that.  Basically think women in the middle ages, but with the suppressed gender flipped.  It is a very good story, and by flipping the gender role it allows men to identify with the traditional victims of gender discrimination better.  As with most of Wen Spencer's books I cant come up with anything about it I didn't like.

Jerin Whistler is a man just coming of age in a world where the scarcity of his gender has caused men to be very valuable, but treated like property. It is to the point that a mans sisters will literally sell him to afford to buy a husband.  Jerin is very lucky in that he is well loved by his sisters, and they think about his happiness not just his price.  When Jerin catches the eye of a princess it seems like a better match couldn't be made.  The problem is that with the attention of the royal family comes its intrigue, and Jerin's family has things to hide.  When Jerin gets kidnapped however it turns out that his price will cost in blood and loyalty as well as coin, and messing with the Whistler sisters brother is a bad plan indeed.

In my opinion this book is good for anyone.  As usual Wen Spencer's characters and worlds are so engaging that you will not want to put this book down.

This book can be purchased in print or as an e-book at www.amazon.com

Out of the Dark by David Weber Book Review

Out of the dark is a near future Alien Invasion science fiction book.  Like many books of this type the aliens invading earth wipe the floor with us.  I am talking most of our cities gone, our military forces wiped out,  complete subjugation of the populace kind of wiped the floor.  Then as is common with this type of novel something turns the tide.  Whats different about this story is that its not some fancy new technology the government was hiding, or an ancient alien spaceship hiding out on the moon that turns the tide.  In this case the aliens find out the hard way that there is a reason humans fear things that go bump in the night, and they have just pissed that reason off.

The only thing I didn't like about this book is that the destruction of a good chunk of humanity was too well described.  The first part of the book was good but depressing.  On the other hand it was worth it because the payback in the second part was awesome.

When the Alien Shongairi  invade the earth they pretty much hit the high points of the alien invader handbook and with most of the population wiped out things look pretty grim for humanity.  Part of the book follows a resistance cell in the United States that is doing what it can to fight back and keep the human race alive.  The other part of the book follows Master Sergeant Stephen Buchevsky through the balkans after he and some of his people narrowly escape destruction.  The master Sergeant does what he knows best and begins resisting the invaders and linking up with local forces doing the same.  One of the locals he befriends named Mircea Basarab is a little bit strange, but willing to help.  When most of Stephen's group gets destroyed defending Mircea's homeland, the terrifying truth is revealed.  By the time Mircea gets to Stephen his new friend is nearly dead and he must reveal his true self in order to save him.  It turns out that he once inspired a book by the name of Dracula and he was called a vampire for good reason.  For years he has been holding back the monster inside, and now the Shongairi have woken it up.  You heard me right its aliens vs Dracula.  As crazy as that sounds it is done really well, and I can't think of a better use for the horde of vampires that gets made to combat the aliens than what the author does.

This book will appeal to science fiction fans that can take a little bit of the paranormal thrown in, and any others that give it a chance will probably find it a good read.

This book can be purchased at www.amazon.com in print or E-book form.

Arpeggio of Blue Steel Anime series Review

Arpeggio of Blue Steel is a Science Fiction Anime about human AI relations.  The AI's in question started out as aggressors known as the Fog which take the form of navy ships, and have blockaded mankind from the seas.  This series has a twist that I like in that the AI's begin crafting human forms to better understand the people they face.

The thing I don't like about this series is that even though the main character a human named Gunzou manages to connect with and change several AI's from weapons to people the question of what they are, where they come from and what they should be doing that is asked throughout the series remains unanswered.  I  really hope that there is a follow up season which answers some of that.

The story of this anime is that one day the Fleet of Fog showed up and began destroying mankind's oceangoing capabilities.  They took the form of Warships, but were based on a nanotechnology that nobody on earth has.  They have both shields, and ultra advanced weaponry and human weapons cannot really hurt them.  At the beginning of the show the humans have managed to "Capture" one fog vessel but cannot even scratch its hull or access its systems.  This all changes when Gunzou touches the submarine.  Systems suddenly come online, and soon a strange girl appears to him and tells him she is the mental model of his ship, which is the I-401 that he was taken to see recently.  The series then skips ahead to a time where I-401 has been running a lone offensive against the Fog.  Throughout the show various AI's with mental models go up against I-401, and Gunzou, and when they end up losing they determine that they must learn more about humans to be better weapons.  This provides an opportunity for Gunzou to build on this curiosity and make them realize that they are people not just machines and that they have free will.  The series uses a mission to smuggle advanced technology capable of taking down fog ships as a plot device to move these encounters forward.  In the end Gunzou and I-401 are able to deliver the advanced weaponry prototype to the united states where it can be manufactured.  More importantly in the process he has freed several AI's from being bound from the program known as the Admirality code.  Some of them even leave the Fog to join his force the Blue Steel.

The series explores some interesting ideas about what it means to be intelligent, and what it means to be human.  This is interspersed by some visually stunning Naval battles between Gunzou's forces and the Fog, and some land battles with Mental Models.  All In all this series should appeal to both the science fiction action crowd and the people who want a series that makes them think.

This series is available as a stream at www.Crunchyroll.com.

Hard Luck Hank Screw the Galaxy by Steven Campbell Book Review

This book is a lighthearted action adventure novel about mutant mobsters in space.  The main character Hank is not quite the thug that he makes himself out to be, but his sense of right and wrong are a bit skewed to say the least.  Despite this he is a very likable character who will often do the right thing even when he knows its stupid and would advise anyone else to run.  I found myself enjoying the book just to see Hank's take on the crazy situations around him.

This book is not really a "makes you think" kind of story, but more of the "escape my mundane world" sort.  If you are looking for deep philosophical meaning from a story this one may disappoint, but if a story about a nearly indestructible mobster with a heart of gold defeating all foes who threaten his home turf sounds interesting to you this should be a fun read.

Hard Luck Hank Makes his living as a gang negotiator on a space station so far from anywhere else it is the favorite hideout of mobsters on the run. His mutation makes him literally bulletproof, and lets him heal at an advanced rate. His healing is not Wolverine fast but if you cut off his finger it would grow back in about a month without a scar.  Unfortunately this is accomplished in part by making him very dense, and his muscles are completely normal so he is very slow.  He likes to say that hes not the smartest, or wisest negotiator but he is the best because if they shoot him in the face he will just keep talking.  Since his ageing is healed just like any other injury everybody knows Hank because he has been there for 150 years, and everyone trusts him because he has negotiated a deal for them at some point, and they know he plays fair.  This is why when the station comes under threat from outside invaders or non-corrupt government officials Hank is one of the first people to get called.  If anyone can get a station full of gangsters to pull together its Hank, and if he cant? Well he's bulletproof.  One thing I like about this book is that even though he is almost indestructible he can get hurt, and at a couple of points in the book when his negotiations get lively he does end up in the hospital.  After beating the opposition down of course.  So where does the screw the galaxy part come in?  Well lets just say by the end of the book you realize that 150 years of negotiating deals between gangs is good experience when facing down galactic empires.

This book will appeal to anyone who likes science fiction and doesn't mind flawed dark heros.  Hank is not really a good guy but he sure is fun to read about, and he has a way of taking things as they are that is quite refreshing.

This book can be purchased at www.amazon.com as an e-book or in print.

A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber Book Review

This book is a young adult novel in the honor Harrington universe at the time of the planet Sphinx's early colonization.  It is a good story about first contact with an alien race and some of the issues around that.  It also does a good job of playing to its intended young adult audience.  

The one thing I really didn't like about this book is that the main character doesn't fit in with her peers because she is smarter than them and arrogant about it.  That would be ok if it was a flaw that she needed to overcome, but in the book it is almost celebrated.  Other than this one annoyance though I really enjoyed reading this book, and learning more of the back-story on Sphinx's intelligent telepathic Treecats.

The story follows a teenage Stephanie Harrington from her first encounter with Climbs Quickly(a Treecat) through several issues around first contact.  The Treecat perspective on the whole first contact process is very interesting. The communication difficulties that arise because Treecats communicate telepathically and are bad at understanding vocal language in particular is a great concept that really makes you realize how much we take for granted about communication.  Through the story the relationship between Treecats and humans is tested several times and the communication barrier is a challenge that must be overcome, but in the end it is Stephanie and Climbs Quickly's courage and devotion that keeps the Treecats from disappearing into the bushes.

This book will appeal to fans of the Honor Harrington series, people who love frontier stories, and young adults searching for a way to fit in. You can purchase A Beautiful Friendship in print or as an e-book at www.amazon.com

Fangs for the Mammaries by Escher Friesner Book Review

Fangs for the Mammaries is the third suburban fantasy anthology by Escher Friesner.  As with the other two anthologies it is a collection of short stories by different authors with a common theme.  For this book the theme is vampires living in suburbia.

Like the other two books the stories in this one explore the trials and tribulations of vampires in our modern world.  Whether its a vampire field trip to the mall with werewolf security guards or the poor confused undead after the twilight movies bring teenage snacks, I mean girls, to their doors, these short stories are a funny, entertaining, and thoughtful look at vampires in the burbs.  In addition much like its predecessors this book contains continuations of the previous books short stories.

This book is good for anyone who loves vampires, and modern fantasy.  It is particularly good if you want a story that you don't have to devote a lot of time to since they all stand alone.

This book can be purchased as an e-book or in print at www.amazon.com.

Strip Mauled by Esther Friesner book review.

Strip Mauled is the second anthology of short stories by Escher Friesner that mashes up myths and legends and modern suburbia.  Like the first book Witch Way to the Mall the short stories are by many different authors, but they all have the same theme.  This books Theme is werewolves in suburbia.  The stories are all hilarious, and are individually lightweight bits of good entertainment.

These stories look all take different looks at how your local moon loving furry friends would have to adapt to modern life, and how modern life would adapt to them.  From the lone human who accidentally joins an all werewolf software firm, to the security guards at the local mall you don't want to mess with around the full moon one tale after another has a humorous or ironic take on just how well, or poorly, werewolves would fit into our modern lifestyle.

These books are a good read for anyone who enjoys humorous paranormal stories.  They are fun bite size chunks of modern day myth and legend fried up suburban style.  Also anyone who read Witch Way to the Mall will want to pick this one up as some of the stories are continued.

This book is available at www.amazon.com as an e-book or in print.