How to Save Your Child | James Breakwell

Summary:

 

Author James Breakwell takes us through another series of parenting rules for extreme circumstances. This book focuses on keeping your child safe, even from themselves.

Review:

I'm a big fan of Breakwell's books. I've been pre-ordering them with the confidence that they'll be laugh out loud funny and well worth the cost.That being said, this one felt "just okay". It was still funny, no question of that. I'm still glad I bought it and I know people who would enjoy it.

The book has all the classic elements that make a Breakwell book fun. You've got the clipart comics emphasizing the points he's making in the text. You've got the ridiculous graphs showing your chances of survival in ridiculous situations. The book is even dedicated to cheese! Who doesn't love that?

It really isn't until the second half of the book, when situations start getting more and more ridiculous, that things really lose their charm. Like, how to survive if you and your child are suddenly in the world of Carrie or The Shawshank Redemption or the original Donkey Kong video game. It can't be that the more unrealistic stuff is less funny; the chapter on time travel was good. I guess, maybe, it feels like the later chapters were more just filling up the page counts. 

It's still an entertaining book, the latter half of it just feels lacking. I'm still glad I bought the book and will continue to by Breakwell's books. But this one is definitely not his best work. 3.5 hoots!

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Meet Me in the Future: Stories | Kameron Hurley

*Image and book provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

A collection of short stories written by Kameron Hurley. Some take place in other series she's written, some are standalone. All of them take place in the future. 

Review:

I haven't read as much of Hurley's work as I would like, so I was very happy to pick this book up. I highly recommend you do not skip the preface of the book. In the preface she describes what was behind each story, what inspired this or that story, and it's very informative of what you're about to read. It also helped me empathize with Hurley more, we both have chronic health issues that have shaped our world view. You really see how it bleeds into her stories.

These stories don't really paint a bright and happy picture of the future. There will always be war. There will always be those in power that must be ousted. There will always be those that use and manipulate those beneath them. This can easily be a very depressing read. But Hurley adds details to her worlds. Details that make sure the future is worth fighting for. From empathy between strangers, caring for a pet, finding your truest family. It can make even the darkest futures worth living. 

I admire Hurley's ability to combine telling a good story with asking important questions. She's able to do all of this without being preachy and, more importantly, can leave you with no answers and you're not disappointed. If anything, you find yourself driven to work harder for those answers. So, yes, there really aren't many happy futures in this book, but there is drive. 

This collection was entertaining, moving and insightful. I was happy to read it. 4 hoots!

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Zed | Joanna Kavenna | Mini-Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Review:

 

This book was promoted as a sci-fi dystopian where everyone's lives are dictated by algorithms, with a strong philosophical and dark comedy bent. I'll be honest, I get why it's listed as science fiction, but it's really more of a drama than anything. I will give Kavenna full credit, this is the first time I've read a book about a dystopian society falling apart from the perspective of those running the dystopia. That was a very nice change of pace and I greatly appreciated that. A lot of the book focuses on the philosophy/ethics of monopolies. Things like people can always choose to not opt into the algorithms. Of course, if they don't, they'll never get into college, will never get employed anywhere and will have to live in squalor, but it's still their choice. The fact that dissenters get drowned out or have some minor criminal activity brought to light is purely coincidence. And, honestly, to me that covers about 80% of the book. It was an okay read, a nice little stretch into the philosophical and, at times, the absurd. 3.5 hoots!

Ash Kickers | Sean Grigsby

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:
In this sequel to Smoke Eaters, Tamerica Williams is bored with how things have changed. Instead of slaying dragons, the Smoke Eaters are just capturing them so their blood can be used as medicine. Unfortunately, her wish for "action" gets granted and she learns to be careful what you wish for. Now Tamerica has to deal with a never-before-seen phoenix that burns hotter than any dragon. Not to mention the legal trouble and civil unrest that she now has to incorporate into her daily WTF List.

Review:

I was a beta reader for this book so I was very curious to see what changes, if any had been made. I can't tell you what changed from that read to this one, but I can say, both readings put me through the emotional wringer, and I mean that in the best possible way. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book, especially after the second reading.

Though this is a sequel, I don't think you have to have read the first one to understand what's going on. It would certainly help, but this book almost feels like a world of its own. Almost all of the main characters we meet are ones from the last book so it would explain some of the relationships and stories.

My favorite part about this book is that we get to see so many new types of dragons and hear about so many more. Grigsby gets really creative with his dragons and their abilities. They range in size from a few feet to two-stories tall and everything in between. They range in their elements as well. We get to see an ice, water, fire, acid, flammable oil and more. Each one presents their own challenges and I loved finding out there's so many types!

Grigsby also does a nice job of incorporating contemporary concerns into this book set in the future. Since the dragonblood curate, Pantheon City's been getting an influx of people hoping for access to it for themselves and their families. Rather than embrace these fellow Americans, fellow humans, the PC First people decide to call them "rats" and demand they be removed from the city. They are very easy to hate and Grigsby does a wonderful job of making sure they are unsympathetic in every way and that every character we like knows that PC First are Nazi wannabes.

Then there's Tamerica (T), herself. She is an amazing character who goes through so much in such a short amount of time. She not only goes through the sudden responsibility of managing her own team, but she also has to take care of parents. On top of that, she endures the emotional pain of Survivor's Guilt while also enduring repeated physical pains of literally being burned by the hottest fire she's ever experienced. I was actually grateful when we got to see her break down once in a while because it really helped to empathize with her. She is human, an incredibly strong human, and Grigsby writes her as such.

This book was an incredible read into an ever expanding world. This series has been a wonderful adventure full of endearing characters that you want to see win the day. I happily give 5 hoots and encourage you to pick up a copy!

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Radioactive Evolution | Richard Hummel

*Image and book provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Jared is a wanderer in the wastelands and, while not desperate for survival, he ain't living as easily as the rich people in the Floating Cities, high above the fallout. This changes when he finds an honest-to-god dragon and bonds with its baby. In bonding with the dragon, Scarlet, he uncovers a long lost plot from the cities, furthering the divide between those in the clouds and those on the ground. Between Scarlet's growing size and abilities and Jared's newfound powers, they have the means to bring justice for the long-lost dragon races as well as the civilians on the ground.

Review:

This was certainly an entertaining read. There was a lot of adventure, a lot of quick-thinking as well as strategy fights. There is a nice blend of action, comedy and even horror, and I'm not talking about the number to times Jared had to find new clothes because his were covered in giant rat guts.

If you're a fan of gaming, you'd probably enjoy several aspects of this book. If you're a Fallout fan, you'll definitely get some fun with this, as well as some of the horror. It gives some actual mechanics to a character's level-up and not needing to eat. It was actually pretty clever how Hummel set that up.

Unfortunately the editing appears incomplete. The telepathic conversations between Scarlet and Jared are identified with her voice in bold and his voice in italics. Throughout the book, or at least my copy of it, there were a lot of mishaps with this. The pacing of the book felt a little disjointed, but that could be Jared's need to sleep through his "power ups". The video game references and comparisons, while occasionally fun, did end up making it feel less genuine.

So, if you're a gamer looking for a foray into books or know of a gamer who's interested in trying some science fiction, this wouldn't be a bad book to start them out with. As for me, it was a nice book but I probably won't be picking up the sequel. 3 hoots!

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Daughters of Forgotten Light | Sean Grigsby

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

The city of Oubliette, floating in space, had originally been meant to be used by the rich to escape the climate change. Once resources were diverted for the war, it became a women's prison city. The territory is divided into three gangs and there is a thin agreement to truce. Between a baby showing up in the one of the shipments to the city and the government wanting another option if they lose the war, things are about to get even more interesting, and bloody, in Oubliette. 

Review

Long story short, this is a book that shows multiple ways of being a bad ass woman. Each character perspective we get, Senator Linda Dolfuse, Lena "Horror" Horowitz, Sarah Pao, each of them is a bad ass in their own right. Admittedly Dofluse and Pao kinda need some time to grow into it, but when they get there, you're rooting for them. Lena is introduced as the leader of the gang Daughters of Forgotten Light, maintaining her cool when confronted by the other gangs, the Amazons and the Onyx Coalition. She's got your attention right from the start.

I'll admit, I thought the whole baby-triggering-maternal-instincts would be a worn out stereotype at play, but it really only ended up being a couple of characters triggered. Heck, for some of the women, the baby was just something new to break the monotony. The book does focus on women characters because there's an international war going on and all men, or boys sold by their parents, are shipped off to the military. That means women make up the remaining roles, government, business and other. 

Oh yeah, in this world, parents legally own their children. At the age of 11 they can have their children shipped off to join the military or to Oubliette. Some parents are forced to do this to pay their debts. Others do this because they can't handle the kid. One of the first cases we see of this is in the latest shipment of girls to Oubliette. A little girl who showed symptoms of autism. It was guessed she was shipped out because her parents couldn't handle raising her. Other times it's simply if the child does something the parents disagree with. Spangler knew his parents would've sent him to the military if they found out he was gay.

I have no problems saying that the world this took place in was incredibly interesting. Not just the dystopian stuff. In Oubliette, everything is made from glass. Their motorbikes (which run silent) are completely glass. Even their leather is made from glass! It's something different that I absolutely loved. Then there were the weapons that the gangs had, called rangs (short for boomerangs because the ammunition comes back to you). It was definitely something different.

I will warn you, this is not a book for the faint of stomach. It's not grossly detailed, but there is a lot of fighting, blood and cannibalism. Don't worry, only one gang consists of cannibals and the book does actually cover some of the health problems associated with that diet. But, yeah, be prepared for blood, foul language and violence.

In case you can't tell from how long this review is, I really did enjoy this book. And the ending is quite what I wanted, but I was very happy with it. 4.5 hoots!

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Apocalypse Nyx | Kameron Hurley

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

Nyx, the main character, is a former belle-dame, elite of the elites in war. After she got kicked out she turned to mercenary work, alcohol and sex. Her team learns quickly that she will sacrifice any and all of them to get the job done. Naturally, this doesn't lead to a happy life. Then again, in a world ravaged by war where all men and women are required at the front, only the super rich First Families can expect a happy life.

Review:

I had no idea, going into this book, that I was going to be reading a collection of short stories from an already established series. That being said, you don't need to have read the other books to enjoy this one.  

This is an incredibly interesting world. Because all native men are required to be on the front for several years while the women are only required there for two years, it makes sense that the majority of the characters are strong women. When there are men, more often than not they're foreigners not required to sign up for the draft. There is bug-based magic and technology which, honestly, makes sense given how many bugs there seem to be. And the logic of the world feels very consistent. 

Nyx is an incredibly kick-ass character, better at shooting than talking her way out, which is one of my favorite kind of protagonists. It's not that she has a heart of ice, rather she has a very calloused heart after all that she's had to see and endure. Her sniper, Anneke, is more of a wild kind of crazy, complete with a drug problem. Her magician, Rhys, is a Chenjan man who only puts up with Nyx because Chenjans don't have many options, but he maintains his religious devotions. Her tech, Taite, is a scrawny Ras Tiegan teenager. Her shifter, Khos, is a rather large Mhorian who is just about desperate for work. Together, they make for an entertaining team to read about.

Fair warning, this ain't a book for the faint of heart. It's a world where there is constant war, frequent sirens warning of bombardments, and bodies regrowing limbs just to be sent back to the front. And the way those limbs are regrown are somewhat stomach upsetting. This book has plenty of fun moments, but it is has a lot of darker ones. That last chapter ended on a heart-wrenching note. 

That being said, I'm still gonna look into the other books of the series. 4 hoots!

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Time Salvager | Wesley Chu

Summary:

James Griffon-Mars is a rare breed these days. It takes a certain kind of personality to become a chronman (time traveler), let alone the highest level without snapping. James is close, frequently getting drunk and wishing he could stay in the beautiful past, but when he's offered a job that would reduce his contract to just 6 more months on the job, he has to take it.

Review:

This was one of those delightful books that took me completely out of reality and into a new world. I would read on the bus and whenever I looked up I'd briefly wonder where I was. Honestly, I can see why this one is being turned into a movie.

As in-depth as this book went into James' life and character, this book really felt like a survey introduction of a complex and interesting world. We got a really good look at ChronoCom, but not it's sponsors, the great corporations of the galaxy. We got a comparison of how much reality sucks for those born off-world, working in the mining colonies, and those born on Earth, surviving in unbelievable levels of pollution and radiation. It really makes me want to read more of this world. Fortunately there is a sequel!

I'll admit that the time traveler risking it all for a woman he's only known for a day felt a little like a trope, especially after he's already left behind so many people he could have saved. But the world is certainly a different take than the usual time travel stories I've read before. The notion that going back in time to rescue artifacts as energy sources for the present is definitely an interesting take on our current band-aid solutions for energy. The fact that it's got all the  rich, powerful corporate backing is another.

My favorite character, hands down, was Levin Javier-Oberon. His relationship with ChronoCom goes through a similar transition to James', if a bit of a faster one. He goes from the most loyal company man to being thrown into prison for betraying the company's interests. All the while, he is true to the purpose instilled in him by the company, the benefit of all humanity. Looking at what he sacrificed, what he truly believes in more than anything, I found him to be the most interesting character.

If you're looking for a different take on time travel or a engaging, easy read, I recommend Time Salvager. 4 hoots!

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Smoke Eaters | Sean Grigsby

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

It's the year 2121 and firefighter Cole Brannigan is literally one week from retirement when he receives his last call. Confirmed, no dragons. At least, until a dragon shows up anyways. Instead of dying, however, he is found to be resistant to smoke and fire and ends up recruited into the Smoke Eaters, a special branch of the firefighters dedicated to fighting dragons. He's old, and everyone admits that, but there are too few Smoke Eaters and they need all the help they can get. Now he has to survive Smoke Eater training, dragons, wraiths, a mayor with a vendetta, and his wife's temper.

Review:

I had a lot of fun reading this book. It was one of those books that made me worry I'd miss a bus stop because it was so engaging. It's not too surprising, this book has so many elements that I love. You've got a cast of characters, with attitude and mild superpowers, who are up against ancient monsters, robots and a corrupt government. Seriously, what's not to enjoy?

The world this takes place in is a very interesting blend of fantasy and science fiction. Using contemporary understanding to make futuristic weapons to fight off ghosts and the dragons those ghosts summon was interesting. And not just the weaponry, the armor was also really cool. I loved that, as advanced as the suits were, they were still realistic. The comparison was made to an Iron Man suit, but one that only has so much power to it. It makes the world feel that much more possible to me. Especially when Grigsby puts his actual firefighter experience to play. I've learned a bit more about fire than I had known before and plenty more about the day-to-day of being a firefighter.

And, of course, there's the dialogue. There's plenty of humor throughout the book because it's written from Brannigan's perspective, but the dialogue is where it really comes through. The Smoke Eaters live up to their motto of "Sink or Swim". I will admit, a few times I felt Brannigan was overdoing it in terms of speaking his mind or always putting himself in the line of fire with little thought to collateral damage (he costs the people around him). But, I suppose, that's his character. He's an old man set in his ways of running towards danger and calling people out on their bad habits that could get others killed.

That being said, I did get more into this story than I thought I would. I really hope there will be more books set in this world. If not, I'm still looking forward to more books by Grigsby. 4.5 hoots!

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Nanoshock | K. C. Alexander

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

Riko's cred is still draining. She's losing more allies than she even knew she'd had. She's gaining more enemies than she thought possible. With the price on her head going up, she's having trouble focusing on her mission of getting proof that MetaCorp set her up and is trying to weaponize Necros. 

Review:

I have been waiting for this sequel for a while. I never forgot my joy at reading the first book. When I saw this one available on NetGalley, I jumped on it. I was not disappointed! Riko is back, doing and saying things that would make a sailor blush and living up to the title "Splatter Specialist" the whole way. And I loved every minute of it.

This isn't a book for everyone. It is incredibly NSFW and has a lot of fight scenes that made me cringe. That said, if you're okay with some gruesomeness and a lot of foul language, you'll probably appreciate the humor that permeates throughout the book. You will probably want to read the first one before you read this. There's a lot of important backstory there.

I'll admit, there were a few times when Riko's attitude and act-first-think-later personality began to get annoying, but the author wonderfully seems to know when this is happening and has another character call her out on it. This really helps with balancing Riko's obtuse nature keeping the reader from burnout. There were times it was difficult to figure out what was going on, then again, since we're reading from Riko's perspective, and she's not the brains of any operation, it kinda makes sense. 

Then, there was the ending. I'm going to avoid spoilers by not telling you a thing about the last chapter. All I will say, when I finished this book, I had a big smile on my face that only got bigger as I thought more and more about how well the ending fit. This book was an exceptional follow up to the first one and I couldn't be more pleased with it.

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The Uploaded | Ferret Steinmetz

*Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

In the future, death is not a problem. The human consciousness gets regularly copied onto servers so that, once you die, you can join Upterlife, literally a virtual utopia. Of course, there are rules. You cannot get in to Upterlife if you are a suicide, if you are a criminal or if the dead judge you to be unworthy. You prove your worth by serving the dead, who have the greatest political say since there are many more of them than there are living. The living have to suffer through soul crushing work and being under constant surveillance by the dead. Amichai, however, has other plans for his life.

Review:

For being based in a world where the dead are connected to everything and the living can connect with each other easier than ever, this book is all about disconnection. The dead no longer have to breathe, eat or sleep so in the many years they've been dead, they've lost touch with the needs of the living. The highly educated director of Amichai's orphanage has several degrees in adolescent psychology but has no clue how to deal with actual teenagers. The living care more about their Upterlife demo time than they do connecting with other living humans. The Neo-Christians are divided into more sects than contemporary Christianity and do not communicate openly as a precaution against involuntary brain scan interrogation. It's really hard not to see parallels to today's real world concerns. 

I'll admit, there were a few tropes in this book. It takes a rebellious teenager to really set things in motion. You have one guy who's the leader of dead and who is willing to sacrifice the living to meet his goals. You have a mentor who is actually more invested in the rebellion than the main character thought. You even have a love triangle. 

Where this book diverges, however, is much more important and poignant. I actually made a comment on Twitter about how where most books would have ended and set up for a sequel, this book just keeps on going (in a good way). The end of this book is a true ending and I'm not wanting this to have a sequel, for all the right reasons. I really feel that this story line is complete. There are no loose threads or questions that still need to be resolved. I thank the author for this; plot holes and loose threads are pain. 

Best of all, this was a very engaging book. I accidentally had a couple long lunch hours because I just needed to keep reading. The characters are well thought out in their personalities and philosophies. It was really easy to feel for them. The world of this book is easy to get into and understand. Heck, one of the villains from this book was so good he kept catching me off guard because I kept underestimating him.

I really enjoyed this book and, if you're a fan of dystopian books, a fan of books about society, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this one. 4.5 hoots!

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Code Breakers: Alpha | Colin F. Barnes

Summary:

Gerry has officially won the lottery! He now has seven days to settle his affairs before he is put to death. When he is kicked out of the building he used to work at, he is found by Gabriel who claims that his AIA, the chip in his head that connects him to the entire city's network, is infected. By a demon. And he needs to get it exorcised. What follows is an adventure that combines dystopian futures, Mad Max meets the Matrix. 

Review:

This book made me think of made-for-tv movies that are entertaining enough to keep your attention and are worth putting up with the ads for, but not really something you get really invested in. I put this book down several times because the pacing was kinda off for me. At times it felt like it was going too fast, other times too slow. Yet 90% or so of the book takes course over just a few days, I think. 

The characters were interesting enough, if a little predictable, but I just couldn't bring myself to get invested in their story. Again, this may be a pacing issue. I certainly can't blame the world building. The world of Code Breakers is easy enough to see and understand. I even appreciate the diversity of types of survivors, even if some of them are a bit stereotypical. I do wish more of the technology used was a little bit better explained. As it was, a lot of it felt more like it was magic than technology (and yes, I know the quote). 

The ending was also very reminiscent of a made-for-tv movie. I read and thought "really?" 

The e-book only costs 99 cents and that's a good deal for its entertainment value. I probably won't pick up the second book though. 2.5 hoots.

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RunLoveKill Vol. 1 | Jon Tsuei, Eric Canete and Leonardo Olea | Mini-Review

Summary:

Rain has been on the run for a couple of years now from an organization called Origami. She has to run again because soon construction of the walls around her current city, Prygat, will be finished and she'll be trapped. 

Review:

For such a small book, RunLoveKill has a lot to offer. This was one of only a few graphic novels that where I found myself studying some of the tiniest details in the panels. This world is incredibly intriguing to me. Despite there being completely sentient and sassy robots, the technology of this world screams biotech to me and I would LOVE the opportunity to learn more about it. I totally agree with the Mature rating on this one. There is a lot of violence and blood. But if you're interested in a lot of action, a runaway from a military style organization and science fiction technology, I highly recommend this book. I really wish there was more to this series. There are so many places this world could have gone! 4.5 hoots!

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Children of Lovecraft | Ellen Datlow

Summary:

A collection of short stories inspired by, and written in the style of, H.P. Lovecraft. 

Review:

Not surprisingly this is a book without any happy endings. That being said, this book still had a lot of beautiful tragedy. There was plenty of horror and Twilight Zone style unsettled feelings. There were monsters in human and unrecognizable forms. There was one story in the collection that was so inane and difficult to follow that I actually put the book down for a couple weeks. The rest of the stories, however, were very engaging and I've got another list of authors to look up. This is a good book for fans of the horror genre or Lovecraft fans looking for new authors to read. 

The Rebellion's Last Traitor | Nik Korpon

*Book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

It's been many years since the resources wars. It's also been many years since anyone has seen the sun. The Tathadann Party runs the show with an iron fist, even adjusting it's people's memories so they forget what life was like. As a result, memories have become their own form of currency but are also more addictive and destructive than heroin. The only attempt at a rebellion failed and this book goes back and forth between the two former leaders of that rebellion, Henraek and Walleus, and their lives as workers for the Tathadann.

Review:

I'll be honest, I've got some mixed feelings about this book. It had a lot of interesting story elements and characters. The world was a little difficult to process, but that could be because I'm not used to the egregious dichotomy between the rich and the poor in post-apocalyptic worlds (you'd think I would be by now). Overall this really felt like a thriller or mystery book way more than it was a post-apocalyptic sci-fi.

I appreciate that we're given the viewpoints of Walleus, the willing traitor to the cause, and Henraek, the man who had to be broken first. From this we get the viewpoint of the backstabbing and politics going on within the Tathadann Party and the struggle to hold onto anything worthwhile in the slums. We get to see one man continue on with what family he has while the other has nothing left of his family but memories he's harvested from others who used to know him. One person only has "friends" that will take any opportunity to throw him under the bus while the other has a single friend who is trying to get him to move on. It's quite an interesting way to give the reader different clues about what happened in the rebellion and what is happening now.

The ending was what really gave me pause. In a way it really felt like the main characters got what they deserved, but it wasn't very satisfying. And maybe that's the point. The notion that revenge, social upheaval and justice have repercussions and innocent people lose out. There is, certainly, a lot of that in this book. Parents losing their children. Husbands and wives losing each other. People even losing their sense of self because they either lose their memories or get addicted to the memories of others.

I did enjoy the book. I'm not usually one for mystery/thrillers but this was, overall, a good read. If you like thirllers or dystopian settings this is a good book for you. As for me, I give it 3.5 hoots.

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Moonstroke | Blaine C. Readler

*Image and book provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

On the US moon base, on the side of the moon that never faces Earth, there is a group of survivors. Years previous, a giant sun-flare killed almost all of the adults. The survivors are their children, all grown up, and the few adults that were lucky enough to be inside. To keep the kids productive and free from idleness, they are taught all the skills they need to continue their parents work and mine all of the platinum they can find and that's all they're given. When Van accidentally gets access to the blueprints for the radio/comms room, things begin to change and change quickly.

Review:

Despite having a relatively full cast of characters, the theme of this book is isolation. Whether it is the physical isolation of the moon base from Earth and the other moon bases or the social isolation of the science and engineering groups from the mining groups. Heck, in a way they've even isolated an entire generation from the memories of their parents. The key challenge in all of this is isolation and its effects on individuals and the populace. 

I really liked how Readler used this theme to shape his characters. I feel that there weren't any overplayed character tropes as a result. Yes, there were a couple of typical things, it can't be a space-isolation story without someone going insane, but I felt there was enough differentiation in cause to keep them from being boring. I found his characters to be intelligent, highly optimistic, but not so lacking in common sense that it was irritating. 

Probably the only thing I wish the book had done differently was how rushed the ending felt. The majority of this book is spent getting the nexgens to start learning how much they don't know they don't know. When it comes time for the main conflict, it feels like everything happens in just a few quick chapters. It's quite the abrupt change in pace. I don't blame Reader for doing this, though, you don't want a book to be too slow and without the slower pace of this first part of the plot, world and character building would be almost impossible.

In all, this was an enjoyable book. There were even some surprises in it. One or two things near the end felt a little forced, but there was little to no something-out-of-nothing surprises. If that makes any sense. I recommend this for anyone looking for an easy read, space adventure with young adult protagonists. 3.5 hoots!

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Robota | Doug Chiang and Orson Scott Card

*This book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

A 2016 re-release of Robota, a book about a world where robots seek to extinguish all forms of organic life and intelligence. Caps, a human with no memory, joins the resistance and seeks to destroy the leader of the robots, Font Prime.

Review:

I should've picked up this book when it was first published in 2003. It's really easy to see why this is such a popular world. Chiang's art is incredibly beautiful and detailed. The balance between art work and story reminded me of Dinotopia, another series I loved. As it is, I know I'm going to need to buy myself  a copy of this book because electronic just doesn't do the artwork justice. I want to hold the book in my hands so I can get the best look at the world of Robota.

There were a couple of times where I felt that the plot made some skips and jumps. A couple aspects of character development, especially for the villain, kinda just threw stuff at the reader that didn't make a lot of sense, seemingly just so they could surprise the reader. I'll admit, if this is a strong example of Card's writing, I'm not sure I want to read more of his work.

Truly the gem of this book is the world, Robota, and Chiang's artwork bringing it to life. The artwork is so breathtaking and the world so full and developed that I do want a copy for myself. 3 hoots!

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Binary Storm | Christopher Hinz

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

100 years prior to the events in this book, Nick submitted himself for cryogenic freezing in the hopes of at least helping science learn from its mistakes if not actually being woken up in a more hopeful future. It turns out, the future isn't as bright as he'd hoped. There are constant bio-terrorist attacks wiping out hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives. There are also creatures called Binaries, entities that exist in two bodies and have superhuman speed, strength and intelligence. They consider themselves above the human race and are working towards destroying or enslaving the lesser creatures.

Review:

I was nervous about picking up this book as it is the prequel to an entire series. I was assured, however, that the book stands on it own and does not require you to have read any of the other books. For the most part, this is true.

Hinz does an incredible job of building the world and quickly establishing its problems through action rather than exposition. Yes, some of the disasters were news reports, but Annabel directly interacted with Doomers and Nick had to be saved from gangs in the sec region. The character development was also evidenced through actions and conversations, though could, at times, seem to jump with the time skips in the chapters. This is, genuinely, a good book that appeals to my love of sci-fi, intelligent characters and puns. Hinz was even able to give me a couple moments of genuine I-did-not-see-that-coming moments, that were not caused by plot holes but, rather, good writing. 

The one downside to this book is that I haven't read the rest of the series. There were several moments in this book where I thought "if I'd read the series, this [moment/name] would be more profound." There were a number of names, especially towards the end, that I felt would have impacted me more if I'd read even one of Hinz' previous books. Instead, I ended up finishing the book feeling like I was missing out on something. 

If you're a fan of the series, this is a great book for you. If you're interested in the series, I recommend you start with one of the original books. This was a good read, with a good story, but it's best if you know the series' history.3.5 hoots!

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Children of the Different | S. C. Flynn

*Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

It's been 20 years since a plague called The Madness spread throughout the world. Many were killed by the plague, others were actually cured by it. Unfortunately, another group turned Feral, so filled with rage that all they could do, or think to do, was kill all those around them. Children born in the post-Madness world all go through The Change when they reach their teens. They go into a coma and wake up either with powers or as Ferals. This book follows the stories of Narrah and Arika, twins born in post-Madness Australia, as they are kidnapped, hunted, and go on dangerous journeys in the real world, and in the Changelands.

Review:

I'll admit, at first glance, this book seemed like it was going to be just another YA Dystopia novel that was just gonna be "okay" at best. What I found, however, was an interesting world with intelligent characters, always an enjoyable combination for me. I appreciate when I never feel the urge to yell at a character for being stupid. Couple that with "super powers" in the real world, and I was hooked.

Overall I found the story to be well written and easy to follow. No part of this book felt out of place, but not everything was predictable. As the book progressed, the world opened up and became more interesting. I appreciated that Flynn included all kinds of survivor mentalities. There were those that felt technology caused all the problems, so all instances of it should be destroyed. Others felt that technology was the only way to save the world. And, of course, there were also the religious fanatics. Each view point was well thought out and fully believed by the characters.

There were also little things that made me enjoy the book. The entire book takes place in Australia, so when the twins encounter an American for the first time, one of them makes note of how the guy was clearly speaking English, but there was something off about how he was speaking it. There was also how Arika used her abilities, getting into the right mindset required a very different kind of thought process.

This book ended up being a much more engaging read than I thought it would. Good characters, good world, good story. I happily give 4 hoots!

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Ex-Isle | Peter Clines

Summary:

In the fifth book of the Ex-Heroes series, a couple of stories are happening at the same time. Barry (Zzzap), St. George and Madelyn (Corpse Girl) go on a goodwill mission to a man-made island Barry found on his trip back from around the world. At the same time, one of the main food supplies for The Mount has burned up in a Los Angeles wildfire, so Danielle (Cerberus), Cesar (The Driver), Gibbs and the Supersoldiers are all sent to Project Eden to jump-start things and bring in more food. Naturally, things go wrong in both stories.

Review:

I read this book in two days. For two days, I had no interest in any other hobby or book. I was tempted to call in sick so I could just read. That's how good this book is!

I've never hidden the fact that Clines' writing style always gets me feeling amped up. He is incredibly talented at combining action and gore with hope and geeky humor. He writes amazing build-up and battles. The best part is, he is also able to surprise me, all while giving me all the clues that I've needed to figure out what the surprise is going to be. Everything in this book that happens, you COULD see coming, if you pay attention to all of the clues, but even when I think I'm paying attention, all the clues lead me to a different conclusion than is written. 

The dialogue, as always, is amazing. I cannot praise these well-rounded, fully developed characters enough. If you're at all interested in superheroes acting human, you will enjoy this entire series and seeing these characters evolve. 

Really I only have one complaint about this book, which I can't talk about at all because of spoilers. But I cannot fault Clines. Yes, it involves my absolute favorite character, possibly my favorite superhero ever, but it's story essential and I was warned in the early parts of the book. Still doesn't make me happy about it.

I have to say, this is a wonderful continuation of the Ex-Heroes series that lived up to all my demanding expectations. 5 Hoots!

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