Review – The Flicker Men by Ted Kosmatka

The Flicker Men
By: Ted Kosmatka Twitter
Website: http://tedkosmatka.us/
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Rating:


The Flicker Men by Ted Kosmatka is a fast paced science fiction thriller about a washed-up scientist with a serious drinking problem who suffers from depression and has a family history of suicide and mental instability. When an old friend presents Eric with a second chance and research position, he takes it. The job comes with a stipulation, though – produce some kind of results within three months – and Eric has no ambitions of trying to meet this. When the unthinkable happens and his easy, safe reproduction of the double-helix experiment produces new results not everyone is happy with him.

Review – Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Dark Matter
By: Blake Crouch
Website: http://www.blakecrouch.com/
Release Date: July 26, 2016
Publisher: Crown
Rating:


As a fan of books and anime that touch on multi-verse theory, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch quickly caught my eye. Though the author has a hefty list of books to his name – all fitting snuggly within the genres I read the most – this was the first of Crouch’s books I read. Dark Matter is a science fiction thriller with fast pacing and alternate worlds set in the modern day.

Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Legend
By: Marie Lu @marielubooks
Website: http://marielu.org/books.html
Release Date: November 29th, 2011
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Series: Legend, Book #1
Rating:


I freely admit that sometimes I try to avoid new series. Not because I don’t love series (let’s face it, I adore series) but sometimes you aren’t ready to commit to a new series just yet. Every time I’d gone into Barnes and Noble I’d look at Legend by Marie Lu. I’d read the book jacket, the quotes from the New York Times review and other authors and I’d read a few lines on the first page. I just couldn’t commit to the series yet.

The fact is, I’m mad I waited to read this series! I know I’m a bit behind in joining the Legend fandom and if you’re waiting to join in and read the series please don’t wait much longer.

#ThrowbackThursday Review – Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

Guards! Guards!
By: Terry Pratchett
Website: http://www.terrypratchett.co.uk/
Release Date: 1990
Publisher: Random House
Series: Discworld Book #8, City Watch #1
Rating:


Happy Throwback Thursday!


Here’s an embarrassing admittance for a self-dubbed fantasy aficionado. I’ve never read Discworld. (Which probably means my dream of being the foremost knowledgeable human on fantasy novels is just a fleeting dream I’ll never really achieve. Not with this kind of performance). Not one of the forty some odd books. I’ve read Good Omens, Terry Pratchett’s collaborative work with Neil Gaiman. But I’ve never picked up a single Discworld novel.

So, what did think of my first foray into Discworld?

Review – Made to Kill by Adam Christopher

Made to Kill
By: Adam Christopher
Website: http://www.adamchristopher.co.uk/
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Publisher: Tor Books
Series: The L.A. Trilogy, Book #1
Rating:


I can’t begin to describe how happy I was when I first found Made to Kill by Adam Christopher. I was in the library right after Fallout 4’s Far Harbor DLC was released, and really wanted to find a book somehow involving cyborgs, androids or the sort as main characters. (Because Nick Valentine is a great character, and I need more of that in my life.) And lo! Right there, directly at eye level was Made to Kill with a robot on the front cover just begging me to read it.

Review – The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

The Grace of Kings
By: Ken Liu
Website: http://kenliu.name/
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Series: The Dandelion Dynasty, Book #1
Award: Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2015), Locus Award for Best First Novel (2016)
Rating:


The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu is the start to an epic fantasy series set in an Asian inspired world steeped in political upheaval. This first volume in the Dandelion Dynasty series is filled with memorable characters and gorgeous settings, and is the perfect book for anyone looking for the next long saga about a fantasy world.

Review – Red Queen by Christina Henry

Red Queen
By: Christina Henry
Website: http://www.christinahenry.net/
Release Date: July 12, 2016
Publisher: Ace
Series: The Chronicles of Alice, Book #2
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


I really enjoyed Red Queen by Christina Henry. This is the second book in a series, and I hadn’t read the first one yet when I received an arc. However, it is very easily read without the first. Enough of the first book is conveyed to get a general feel of the world and Alice’s past. The majority of this is run through in the prologue. Don’t skip this if you’d like a refresher on the series. This book, too, is quite easily read as a standalone novel.

Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Prodigy
By: Marie Lu
Website: http://marielu.org/books.html
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Series: Legend, Book #2
Rating:


I will admit, right away, that I didn’t tear through Prodigy as fast as I did Legend. I’m willing to bet it’s more due to the circumstances of when I was reading this than the quality of the book. (There was a family emergency, and the book was put aside so that I could focus on helping. But enough about my life.)

We return to the alternating points of view of Day and June and, this time, the book starts off with our hero and heroine together. However, they don’t stay together for long as they are pulled apart by circumstance, as you would expect from any good novel.

Review – Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale by David Kudler

Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale
By: David Kudler
Release Date: June 15, 2016
Publisher: Stillpoint Digital Press
Series: Seasons of the Sword, Book #1
Award: BAIPA Great Reads Award - Best in Class
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale by David Kudler is a tale about a young girl, nicknamed Risuko, living in Japan in the age of the samurai. Her father died several years earlier, and she lives in relative poverty with her sister and mother. When the story opens, Risuko is sold to a rich women, with the intent of becoming a kunoichi – something she hasn’t necessarily heard of and doesn’t, at first, understand.

Review – Genius: The Game by Leopoldo Gout

Genius: The Game
By: Leopoldo Gout
Website: http://www.ghostradio.com
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Genius: The Game by Leopoldo Gout is a young adult story with a tech/sci-fi feel. The story centers around a game designed by a young, wealthy CEO who invites 200 child and teen geniuses to participate. The prize? Access to one of the world’s largest supercomputers, which is exactly what Rex, one of the main protagonists, needs to get his hands on in order to find his missing brother.[/dropcap type=secondary]