Navigating the Stars by Maria V. Snyder and The Preserve by Ariel S. Winte

 

I was surprised to hear that Maria V. Snyder was writing science fiction.  I've read Snyder's Study novels which begin with Poison Study and are exciting fantasy with compelling, memorable characters and great world building.  

When I saw Ashley's review of the third book in Snyder's Sentinels of the Galaxy series, I barely skimmed it because I wanted to begin with the first book.  Snyder and YA science fiction--a combination I didn't want to miss.

In Navigating the Stars, Seventeen-year-old Lyra has had a disjointed childhood as her archaeologist parents have moved from planet to planet investigating the secrets behind the Terra Cotta Warriors found on different planets throughout the galaxy.  

The characters are likable, and the relationship between Lyra and her parents is believable.  Lyra resents the moves that uproot her life, but the parental relationship is strong and supportive.

The world-building is, for the most part, limited to the interactions of the characters on the base itself, with some development of the archaeological dig site.  The planet is a desert with sandstorms that can interrupt the work, but doesn't require further detail.

The science takes in the conundrum of space dilation--and the difficulty of adjusting to the phenomenon of a few months in space travel for a crew and passengers becomes decades for those on the planet they just left.  Snyder invented the Q-net to make communications possible, and Lyra is a talented hacker, who "worms" her way through the Q-net with skill and often impactful results.  

Navigating the Stars differs from Snyder's other novels, aimed as it is toward a YA audience, but it was a fun and exciting experience.  Could have done without some of the YA romance, but I can't wait to get to book two!

 ---

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

An intriguing concept that, for me, was not fully realized.  The Preserve is a dystopian murder mystery with many elements of contemporary problems transformed by shifting the power from human to AI.  It is interesting that the author refers to "robots" rather than AI, and that the most likable character is Kir, the robot partner of the Preserve police chief Jesse Laughton.  

Because the robots are so human in their character flaws of prejudice and addiction, it is difficult to think of them as "not human."  

Although an interesting police procedural, perhaps the most provocative aspect for me is...what is left out.  The book jumps into a situation with no background or history. A little historical explanation would have been nice, if not at the beginning, at least at some point. 

 Kir's mechanical body blends with humans, and his brain has all of the complex, moral, and empathetic qualities we would hope for (and are often missing from) genuine humans.   The only real difference between humans and AI, as presented in the novel, is that their bodies don't bleed.  The movements and abilities are the same and function physically as efficiently as humans. Their "brains" also function much as in humans--with good or bad opinions and intentions.  

I had all kinds of questions as I read, more questions than answers.  Sometimes, however, raising questions is enough to make a book worthwhile.  

NetGalley/Atria Books

Dystopian/Police Procedural.  Nov. 3, 2020.  Print length:  256 pages.

The Book of Koli (Rampart Trilogy 1) by M.R. Carey

The Girl With All the Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge were books that I loved and that have stayed with me.  Now, Carey has a new trilogy, the first of which is The Book of Koli.

Koli begins by telling us that he has to start at the beginning to tell his tale.  He then recounts his life in Mythen Rood, a small village that struggles to keep safe in a post-apocalyptic world.  

At first, he is Koli Woodsmith, and describes his family, friendships, and much about how the village operates.  Then, at fifteen young people take a new name, and he becomes Koli Waiting.  Those who turn fifteen take the name Waiting as they are housed together waiting for the test that will determine whether of not they become Rampart.  Most young people desperately want to become Rampart because a Rampart can "awaken" the few pieces of tech that have survived.  The Ramparts have a rarefied place in society and are charged with the protection of the village in several ways because certain tech weapons have "wakened" to them.

The beginning is a little slow, but as Koli reveals information in his own particular order, mentioning characters and events, then saying he will get to them later, as he attempts to tell his story in a chronological frame.  Gradually the narrative picks up speed and interest until the reader is immersed in Koli's world and events.

Koli suffers a disappointment at the Testing and realizes he is not able to become a Rampart, and when this is followed by another disappointment, circumstances combine to reveal a shocking truth:  the Testing is not fair and has never been.  Koli, frustrated and angry, makes some choices that will have consequences and long-term effects.

There is an honesty to Koli's account of events.  He includes his mistakes and his shame for some of his behavior, even though he acknowledges his youth, his immaturity, and his lack of knowledge (a result of the isolation of the village).  He gives accurate descriptions of his friends and fellow villagers instead of vilifying them.  The coming-of-age element is an important part of the narrative, especially as Koli meets Ursula and Monomo, and begins what Joseph Campbell refers to as the hero's journey.

OK.  The Book of Koli was a fascinating beginning to the Rampart Trilogy, and if you have enjoyed M.R. Carey's previous books, you may find this one as intriguing and thought-provoking as The Girl With All the Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge.   I can't wait for the next one.  Recommended!

NetGalley/Orbit Books
Dystopian/Science Fiction.  April 14, 2020.  Print length:  416 pages.

More June and July Reading

Darkness on the Fens is the 10th? book in Joy Ellis' Nikki Galena series, which I read like gum drops with each new entry.

Dark Greenborough is a traditional festival celebrated much like Halloween with ghost walks, haunted houses, and people dressed as zombies, monsters, and other creepy characters.  Nikki isn't happy about the darker content of the festival which has changed since she was young, but the festival is an economic boon for the town.  This year, however, a note arrives telling the police that the festival this will be dangerous.  The reality is even worse.  (from my review on my other blog)

I liked Dave's role in this one and his interest in historic homes.  Joseph's friend Victor is becoming a staple in trying to keep Nikki's mother Eve and her friends safe.

This is not my favorite in the series because of the elaborate and gruesome plot, but Ellis' characters are, as always, worth catching up with. :)  And Eve and her "golden girl" network is really growing on me.  I'd love to see them get a book of their own.

NetGalley/Joffe Books
Police Procedural.  July 16, 2019.  Print length:  302 pages.

I've been following Evan Currie's Odyssey One series for several years now (and yes, loving this military scifi series).
Now, new technology has created the Archangel Squadron of ships to be led by Commander Stephen "Stephanos" Michaels .  Their orders are to impersonate mercenaries as they move into deep space seeking intelligence to help defeat the Empire.

I love the action, the technology, and the characters in these books.  Archangel One gives Stephanos a larger role in this parallel  series connected to the larger Odyssey series, but focusing on the mission of intelligence gathering.

Stephanos, with his willingness to take risks, is perfect for the mission.  

These books are like graphic novels in many ways.  There's a screenplay quality to this series, and the books are action, not character driven.  The characters are likable, and I appreciate the continuity from book to book with its ensemble cast.  

The books are great fun, full of suspense, and hard to put down.  

NetGalle/47 North
Military SciFi.  Sept. 1, 2019.  Print length:  272 pages.

He Will Find You is the third in this series featuring DI Harry Blaker and DS Maddie Ives.   I read the first one last year, but missed the second one.

A young boy covered in blood, terrified, and unwilling or unable to speak; a man completing tasks for some kind of online group; a young man taken in by the same promises, but who wants out, even when he is in too deep.

Gruesome and full of twists.  Not exactly my favorite kind of book, but I didn't want to abandon it either.

NetGalley/Joffe Books
Thriller/Police Procedural.  July 19, 2019.  

The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele will satisfy those who want a hopeful dystopian novel.

I liked some of the ideas of a community working together to salvage what they can in a world gone horribly wrong and to adjust to the changes forced upon them by the lack of electricity, a population decimated by a virulent flu, and the collapse of government.  

Beatrix, however, was annoying and almost everything connected to her part of the story was more than a little pedantic.  Much of the time, I wanted to shake her sense of righteousness.  (Obviously, if she and her activist friends had been in charge, the world would never have descended into to chaos.)

 I'm happy that there are people who stand up for their beliefs (many of which I agree with), but ugh--the smug, condescending attitude of the Beatrix before and after the collapse is irritating.  

Beatrix has good qualities, but the author's attempt to give her this activist background has such a holier-than-thou feeling.   Being committed to a cause is one thing; being smug and condescending is another.

Carson's journey on foot across the continent to find Beatrix has him meeting more good and generous people than dangerous ones.   I love the idea that people would be so generous, sharing the little they have with others, and I know that this could be the saving grace of humanity in such a situation--it might be hopeful to expect such generosity from so many.   

I don't regret reading The Lightest Object and the writing is excellent, but especially with what is going on in our society today, it may be too optimistic.

NetGalley/Algonquin Books
Dystopian.  July 9, 2019.  Print length:  329 pages.

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

Like dystopian novels?  Fairy Tale retellings?  The Girl in Red combines both and exceptionally well.

First there was the Cough, which spread rapidly depopulating areas almost before the danger could be processed.  Red, who has a fondness for science fiction and post-apocalyptic novels and films, considers the situation serious long before others do.  She plans to be prepared and works to convince her parents and brother of the worst-case scenarios.  In the months that pass, things get worse, and by the time Red is taken seriously, it is almost too late.

Eventually, Red convinces her parents and brother that they should go to her grandmother's house, but they need to walk, not drive, avoiding contact with the infected--staying away from populated areas and highways.  A 300 mile trek through the woods and rough country is a daunting scenario, but using everything she has learned from watching films and reading books, Red has a mental idea of what would keep them safe.

The Girl in Red is divided into sections Before the Crisis occurred and After the Crisis changed everything about their former lives.

Of course, plans go awry from the beginning.   No matter how many dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels you've read, circumstances bring new challenges, losses, predators, and unanticipated horrors.  If the Cough was first, the new threat is worse--and man-made.

Oh, and to make things more difficult, Red has a prosthetic leg (because a post-apocalyptic world isn't dilemma enough). 

 "Over the river and through the woods,/To grandmother's house we go...."

Since I like both dystopian novels and fairy tale retellings, I was eager to read this The Girl in Red and found Red and her journey engrossing, satisfying my appetite for both genres.  My only problem is that I genuinely want more of this world and of Red.

Read in May; blog review scheduled for June 3.

NetGalley/Berkely Publishing
Dystopian/Post-apocalyptic.  June 18, 2019.  Print length:  304 pages

The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey

If you enjoyed The Girl with All the Gifts, you will enjoy M.R. Carey's The Boy on the Bridge set ten years earlier.  It is not as fast-paced, but the third person omniscient narrator gives fascinating insight into  the internal thoughts, opinions, and secrets of each of the major characters.

Although Samrina Khan and Stephen Greaves share the limelight as dominant characters, the novel is something of an ensemble cast.  Twelve people, a mixture of military and scientists and one adolescent boy, are sent out from Beacon in the armored vehicle/science lab named the Rosalind Franklin.  Their mission is to find something that will enable humans to survive the hungries, those infected by the Cordyceps plague.  Is there any place where the plague is inhibited by environment?  Any way to develop a cure or vaccine?  

In the close confinement of Rosie, the armored vehicle, tensions mount, personalities clash.  Month after month, the crew faces down hungries, takes samples, perform experiments in the lab, but fail to find any positive information to fight the Cordyceps pathogen, which unchecked, will mean the end of the human race.  

I don't want to say much more because I liked reading it without any spoilers or preconceived ideas.  The book works perfectly well as a standalone.  If you've read The Girl with All the Gifts, you already have insight into the world Carey has created, but it isn't necessary to understand or appreciate The Boy on the Bridge.  

The structure and archetypes are similar to the previous novel, the style is terse and analytical (well, you are privy to the thoughts of military personnel and scientists, not writers or artists),  yet even these these left-brain characters occasionally have their moments, and Carey includes some vivid descriptions of  setting.  I liked the present tense omniscient pov that gave insight into the reasoning of each of the characters, whether I liked the character or not.  

And then there is an epilogue.  Another excellent installment in this dystopian world, and I want more.

Read in January; blog review scheduled for April 17.

NetGalley/Orbit Books

Science Fiction/Dystopian.  May 2, 2018.  Print length:  392 pages.

The Salt Line, Friend Request, The Essence of Malice

The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones is a dystopian novel in which the world has been severely altered by disease carrying ticks.  Cities and communities have retreated behind salt lines to protect themselves.  The borders that protect communities also separate them from the beauties of nature, confining them to strictly urban lives.  There are, however, always adrenaline junkies who are willing to pay outfits for a "safe" trip into the wilderness.

The ticks are terrifying enough, but they are not the only problem that an adventurous group will encounter.

Given the serious diseases ticks transmit, the idea of a deadly tick-borne plague isn't as far-fetched as it may originally seem.  The latest threat from these tiny, parasitic arachnids is not from the usual culprit, the black-legged tick, but from the Lone Star Tick which causes an allergy to mammalian meat--beef, pork, or lamb.  

Tick bites can be serious enough without having the horrors that occur in the novel, but it does make one remember the devastation caused by the plague epidemic that resulted from bites from fleas infected with Yersina pestis.  

NetGalley/Penguin Group

Dystopian.  Sept. 5, 2017.  Print length:  400 pages.

Friend Request by Laura Marshall.  

How would you react to a Facebook friend request from a person who died over two decades ago?  Especially if you still felt guilty over some callous behavior involving that person?

Suspenseful, but no truly likable characters.  Louise, a middle-aged mother who receives the request from the long-dead Maria Weston, is caught in a web largely of her own making.  The strands originate in the past, but continue in the present as Louise tries to determine who really sent the request and why.  

While understanding Louise's guilt over her role in the kind of meanness that often occurs in adolescence, she never comes across as admirable.  In fact, while her behavior may be understandable in the realm of peer pressure and the search for acceptance, there is no way to condone her actions which certainly contributed to tragic results.

Several twists and turns, and the conclusion surprised me.  

An interesting premise.

NetGalley/Grand Central Publishing

Mystery/Suspense.  Sept. 5, 2017; July 2017.  Print length:  384 pages.

I just realized that I never reviewed the third novel in this series, but it wasn't my favorite.  

So The Essence of Malice moves from Lake Como to Paris and involves perfumery (do you scent the hint in the title?), Milo's old Nanny, and murder.   

These novels are reminiscent of the Golden Age of the British Detective Novel and deliberately so.  Some of the rules involved during this period included complicated plots, a clever murder and a clever detective, little graphic violence, little emphasis on character development,  all clues should be available to the reader, multiple suspects, etc.  

Weaver's novels follow the general outlines with, perhaps, a slightly more modern approach, and if you enjoy Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, or Margery Allingham, these novels should fill the bill.

My suspicions about Milo have yet to be confirmed, but hints are included.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Historical Mystery.  Sept. 5, 2017.  Print length:  320 pages.  

All of these were read in July, but are scheduled for August 14.

The Obelisk Gate and So Say the Fallen

Two more November books that kept me interested.

The Obelisk Gate is the second book in N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy.  I can't imagine what goes into writing a trilogy with the scope and depth that Jemisin produces.  The characters and the world continued to entertain me, and I was pleased to continue the development of Hoa and Nessun.  Essun remains the touchstone, but other curious stories are emerging around other characters.  

Did I like it as much as the first book?  No, and I'm not entirely sure why.  Maybe the world-building and character introduction were so unexpected in the first book that the second book couldn't compete with that novel experience. Some sections felt slow as well, and the deliberate hiding of certain information was less titillating and more frustrating than in the first novel.

Which is only to say that I didn't love it with the same intensity as The Fifth Season (reviewed here), but I'm still fascinated with some of the characters and eagerly await a conclusion to the trilogy.

Library copy.

Dystopian/Scifi/Fantasy.  August, 2016.  Print length:  448 pages.

So Say the Fallen by Stuart Neville  is the second in Neville's DCI Serena Flanagan series, but the first I've read.  

Serena Flanagan is not at first suspicious of the suicide of the severely disabled Peter Garrick.  His injuries from an accident are terrible; his wife seems devastated.  Yet some ambiguous, indefinite aspect of the death bothers Serena, and she finds herself unable to immediately sign off on the death as suicide.  The Reverend Peter McKay, a close family friend, comforts Roberta Garrick in her grief over her husband's death.  

Tragedy has followed the Garrick family, and even before Peter Garrick's accident, the couple had lost their young daughter, but even while feeling the sadness of two tragedies in the little family, Serena's instincts tell her to keep digging.

A well-plotted mystery with interesting characters.  A series I will happily pursue.

Library copy.

Crime/Police Procedural.  September 2016.  Print length:  336 pages.

Three Totally Different Genres: Louise Penny, Julia Claiborne Johnson, N.K. Jemisin

In between researching stuff about making handmade paper and other crafty projects, I read several good novels this past week.  And made some more paper!  

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny is now one of my favorites in the Three Pines series. Along with other followers of this well-loved series, I want to live in Three Pines and interact with Ruth (and Rosa), Gabri, Olivier, Myrna, Clara and other villagers.

The Great Reckoning takes place partly in Three Pines and partly at the Surete Academy of Quebec.  After nearly dying in his attempt to clean up the corruption in the Surete, Chief Inspector Gamache takes a new position as Commander of the Surete's Academy with the intention of getting rid of the vicious practices (and individuals) put in place by the previous adminsitration and intended to continue the corruption in the Surete itself.  The practices are ingrained and the solutions will be challenging.

As usual, Gamache's approach is unconventional.  His decisions about which professors to keep and which to get rid of and which young applicants to accept cause surprise and concern even among those who know and trust Gamache.  When some of his decisions result in unanticipated and unwelcome events,  Gamache and some of the young cadets are endangered.

I love this series, and A Great Reckoning exceeded my expectations.  This may be the best so far in this series...or do I say that too often?

Library copy.

Police Procedural.  2016.  400 pages.

Be Frank with Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson has been on my TBR list since Lark mentioned it.  Funny, poignant, and Salingeresque are some of the terms used to describe the novel, and I found all of them to be appropriate.  

When the reclusive author M.M. Banning finds herself in financial difficulties, she knows she must write another book, the first in decades.  In order to do so, she needs an assistant to manage her household--mostly as a nanny for her nine-year-old son Frank, an eccentric genius with an unusual wardrobe, an encyclopedic store of facts, and a few other quirks that make him uniquely interesting, vulnerable, and often difficult to manage.

Enter Alice Whitley, who at the request of her boss Isaac Vargas, Banning's publisher leaves New York to join the Banning household in Hollywood.

Parts of the novel are funny and joyful, but while we may love and admire a child like this in literature and revel in his eccentricities--life isn't always easy or fun for the child or for those who love him.  Julia Claiborne Johnson makes the most of both of these aspects without going overboard with the fact that children like Frank are alienated from their peers.

Be Frank with Me was a pleasure.

Purchased.

Contemporary fiction.  2016.  309 pages.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemison was a compelling introduction to her new trilogy.  I read The Thousand Kingdoms trilogy (reviewed here) last year and was impressed, but this book blew me away.  I was immediately engrossed, found it difficult to put it down, read until late, and finished the next morning. 

From the blurb:  

It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. 

It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. 

It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester. 

This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.

Told in 3 narrative strands that you know will fit together, even though you don't know when or how, the novel begins with a mother who discovers her young son's body.  Essun is an orogene (orogenes can control the environment for good or ill and are feared or used according to the situation), but Essun who has disguised herself as an ordinary member of the community.  

Damalya's sections deal with the treatment of orogenes who are discovered in the general population and considered feral (orogenes are bred and trained at the Fulcrum).  Any orogenes found within the general population are either killed outright or taken by Guardians to the Fulcrum for training.  With this section, we gain a better understanding of Essun's need to hide her abilities.

The third narrative strand follows Syenite, a young woman trained at the Fulcrum, who has earned four rings and aspires to advance in the Fulcrum hierarchy.  She is assigned a mission with ten-ringer, and in the course of their association, learns a great deal more than she wanted to know about the Fulcrum.

A novel about the abuse of power, the artificial divisions of society, the subjugation of elements of the population, and the power of the earth.  Seems to fit right in with some of my own worries at the moment.

Library copy.

Dystopian/Scifi/Fantasy.  2015.  500 pages.

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife is yet another dystopian novel.  Acknowledged or not, the fear of a catastrophic event (whatever the cause--war, EMP, plague, climate disaster, zombies, etc.) appears to linger in the collective subconscious.

In this case a plague that kills quickly and with a greater preponderance of women changes the world in a frightening way.  Women become commodities.  This is not the first dystopian book with the premise of very few women and the struggles to possess them.  

Told mostly through journal entries by the unnamed midwife, the story follows the midwife as she quickly realizes the few women who have survived have become prey and dons men's clothing, builds her strength, and searches for safety in a world that has lost its civilized behavior.  She appears to be the only bright light in a world gone dark.  Now that IS frightening.

The first of the book was more interesting than the latter portion and the journal entries were pretty simplistic for an educated woman.  Men are almost completely without honor, integrity, or intelligence.  While certainly this primitive aspect of human beings would be a problem in such a situation, the dearth of men with any foresight or sense of humanity was a problem for me.  Not only did the plague take a disproportionately large number of women (even the women who survived tended to die in childbirth and initially, no babies survived), but it also took a disproportionately large number of men with brains, commonsense, or compassion.  I hate to think that the only men who survive would be so deprived of humanity.

First published in 2014, the book is scheduled for re-release in October, and the author is apparently working on a sequel.

Read in Aug.; review scheduled for Sept. 29

NetGalley/47 North

Dystopian.  2014; Oct. 11, 2016.  Print length:  300 pages.

The City of Mirrors (The Passage #3) by Justin Cronin

The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin concludes The Passage trilogy.  If you've read the previous books in the series, you realize that the books are very long and that there are a great many characters.  The Passage was published in 2010, The Twelve was published in 2012, and this final book will be available May 24, 2016. 

 So...I wish I had reread the series from the beginning before starting The City of Mirrors; there are so many characters and so many years pass between books.  (A suggestion to those of you who are hooked on the series, at least review the first two books before reading the final installment.  :) Another tip:  it is still offered on NetGalley and there is a give-away on Goodreads.)  If you haven't read the earlier books, read them and save this last one for later.

Fortunately, I remembered enough scenes so vividly that the characters and events came back pretty quickly, but I still wished I'd reread the previous books, especially The Passage, which remains my favorite.

OK--The Twelve have been vanquished, and for years, nothing has been heard from Zero. The author brings the reader (not the characters) up-to-date about Zero, devoting nearly 200 pages to filling in his backstory.   Does it evoke empathy?  Is/was Zero an evil monster?

The beginning is a little slow, partly because the reader has to re-acclimate to characters and events, but eventually all of the familiar characters' lives are fleshed out.  

Alicia of the Blades and Amy have disappeared and life in Kerrville has gone on without them.  While the other characters wait and wonder what happened to them, the reader is much more informed.  Years pass; the lives of characters change with the times.  Kerrville grows, then depletes, as years go by without viral activity and people form new settlements and townships, moving outside the walls.  

Peter, Michael, Hollis, Sarah, and Greer's roles also change over the years, and a few new characters are introduced.  People eventually begin to believe/hope the world is safe again.

Lucas Greer has a vision, and he and Michael work to make it happen.  Peter Jaxon continues his role as leader, but in a different capacity.  Children grow up.  

Time, however, is growing short.  Something is coming....

It is easy to become involved with the characters, especially those who have been there since the beginning.  We already feel as if we know these people, and we certainly care what happens to them.

 The premise of a military experiment gone wrong (as explained in the first book) is believable and frightening.  The perversion of science to the point of threatening humanity is certainly not a new theme, and yet Cronin's world-building and character development can place the reader firmly in this dystopian framework.

I'm happy to have this epic trilogy completed and to have the details of so many characters wrapped up.  There were a few things that bothered me, but I'll omit them for now;  I'd like to see how others feel about the novel.   Overall, I'm satisfied.

Read in April; blog post scheduled for May 2

NetGalley/Random House/Ballantine

Dystopian/Post-apocalyptic.  May 24, 2016.  Print length:  624 pages.

Twofer

Shadow Play by Iris Johansen

I read one of this series featuring Eve Duncan some years ago.  Eve Duncan is a forensic sculptor who focuses on the reconstruction of the skulls of lost children, and I liked the idea of knowing more about this kind of reconstructive sculpting.  I don't remember which book or when I read it, but the first one was published in 1998.  For some reason, the book fell short for me, and this is the first book I've read by Johansen since then.

When the newest in the series was offered on NetGalley, I decided to give it another chance.  

Plot:  Eve is pressured by a dedicated sheriff into accepting the skull of a child for reconstruction and moving it ahead of other projects.  I have to admit that, in spite of the things that bothered me, I was involved with the story.

While Shadow Play did engage me (because I wanted to know the circumstances of Jenny's murder), my opinion changed only a little from the other book I read years ago.  Eve is more likable, but still not very believable.  Joe Quinn is too perfect, and at every opportunity the author reminds us that he is a former Navy Seal.  Once was enough; the way "Seal" worked its way into so many conversations became the equivalent of an earworm.  Eve and Joe love each other.  Again, over referenced.  Actions are often enough and repeatedly informing the reader of the depth of their love--unnecessary.  The voice of Jenny, the nine-year-old (who has evidently matured remarkably in the eight years since her death) never felt genuine.  I was OK with the other-worldly communication, but wish Jenny had actually sounded like a child.  Never figured out how they knew the child was nine-years-old and had been buried eight years ago so quickly.

A readable mystery, but not the kind I most enjoy.  

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Mystery/Paranormal.  Sept. 9, 2015.  Print length:  336 pages.
------
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I was late to this one, but was not disappointed!  I skimmed the many reviews available when it first came out, planning to read it eventually.  By the time I actually got around to it, all that remained in my mind was computer game/treasure hunt, so I was able to read without any real knowledge of events to come.

In the near future, the world is a grim and unforgiving place where poverty abounds. OASIS, a virtual world of remarkable detail, offers an escape from the dreary reality they face each day.  

When James Halliday (one of the creators of OASIS) dies, his will sets off a huge treasure hunt.  Halliday's entire fortune (billions) will go to the individual who unlocks all the keys to the puzzle he leaves and discovers the Easter Egg (a secret message or item) hidden somewhere in the OASIS multi-verse.  For the first five years, no one makes the scoreboard, but then Wade Watts' avatar Parzival finds the first of three keys and opens the first of three gates...and the world goes wild.  As does the competition.

The fanboy aspect and the fascination with 80's films, books, music, etc.  play into this novel in a huge way.  The amount of 80's trivia is almost inexhaustible and will appeal to some more than others, but for those in the competition, the hope for success lies in having an encyclopedic knowledge of Halliday's 80's fascination.

There are some places where the pace slows and some of the detailed information is more enjoyable for geeks than for a novice like myself, but overall, I was fascinated by the book and the characters and had a great (and suspenseful) time reading it!

Purchased.

Scifi/Dystopian/Adventure.  2011.  Print length:  368 pages.

Catching Up on a Few Reviews

Before It's Too Late by Jane Isaac.  DI Will Jackman has problems of his own.  His wife suffers from locked-in syndrome (what a horror!) after a car accident; the outlook is grim, despite their daughter's optimism.  His superior is greedy for publicity, more concerned about political advancement than doing the right thing.  And Jackman suffers from guilt and grief concerning his wife's condition.  The job, however, helps keep him on an even keel.

A missing person's case involving university student Min Li, a Chinese National, quickly turns into a kidnapping case when the ransom demand is made.  Alternating chapters deal with the investigation and its difficulties and Min Li's attempts to cope with what is happening to her.

Jackman is an engaging character--strangely, he is the second character in a book recently with that last name; and what an excellent choice in this case, because whose image is immediately conjured up? Oh, yes, that other Jackman.  :)  Min Li's character is also a large part of the novel's appeal.  

You will figure some things out, but it won't detract from the novel.  Isaacs has another series that I intend to look into.

NetGalley/Legend Press

Police Procedural.  June 1, 2012.  Print length:  256 pages.

Alien Child by Pam Sargent.  A YA book originally published in 1988.  Book Description:

"A girl growing up in an insulated though pleasant environment, with a furry guardian for company, comes to realize that she must be the last human left on earth."


Interesting, but not compelling, the novel encourages an examination of what the human condition really entails:  trust, love, and humanity's history of violence and war.  Might be a good choice for younger readers, giving them a lot to ponder.

NetGalley/Open Road Integrated Media

Dystopian.  1988; 2015.  Print version:  246 pages.  




Scheduled to Die by Adam Cupp.   I've not read anything else by Cupp, but the book is the second in the Carter Mays series.  Carter's new client tells him that while on a business trip she met a charming man--who later explained to her that she had a year to live. She should make the most of it, do everything she has dreamed of, because in a year's time they would meet again...and she would die.  If she contacted the police, the end would come much sooner.  An interesting premise and a quick read, but not particularly memorable.  

Read in February.  Blog post scheduled for May, closer to publication.

NetGalley/Henery Press

Mystery/Detective Fiction.  June 2, 2015.  Print version:  252 pages. 

The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig

The Fire Sermon  

Book Description (partial):  Four hundred years in the future, the Earth has turned primitive following a nuclear fire that has laid waste to civilization and nature. Though the radiation fallout has ended, for some unknowable reason every person is born with a twin. Of each pair, one is an Alpha—physically perfect in every way; and the other an Omega—burdened with deformity, small or large.

The Fire Sermon features a set of twins:  Cass, the Omega twin,who appears to be perfect, all limbs and features intact, but with the invisible mutation of psychic foresight, and Zach, the Alpha twin, who is physically perfect, but with a dangerous ambition.  

Zach also harbors a deep resentment because it isn't obvious which twin is the Omega and must be sent away to an Omega settlement.  All Omegas are branded and ostracized, usually when infants, but because Cass' "deformity" isn't obvious, the exile doesn't happen for years, during which time Zach's frustration and anger grows.  The Omegas are kept poor and isolated in settlements, but not killed--because when one twin dies, the other dies as well. As long as Cass is present in the Alpha society, Zach is in a kind of purgatory, as both twins are under suspicion.

When Cass is finally determined to be an Omega and sent away, Zach begins his journey to power.  He eventually rises to rank and privilege in the Alpha community.   

After several years in the Omega settlement, Cass is captured, taken from the Omega settlement, and imprisoned by the Alphas at Zach's direction.  What is his eventual plan for Cass?  Nothing good--he wants her alive, because his own life depends on it (and his enemies would love to see Cass, and by extension Zach, dead).  What Zach has in mind, however, would be a kind of living death for Cass.

She escapes, and along with the young man she rescues, joins the resistance--the rebels that long for equality. 

Most of the book moves quickly and is filled with adventure, but unfortunately, there is a slow section near the beginning dealing with Cass' imprisonment that almost caused me to lose interest and abandon the book.  I'm glad I didn't because when Cass finally escapes, the book gained interest again, and I plunged wholeheartedly back into the story.

An interesting dystopian concept and an exciting plot make this an engrossing read after the one slow section that should be shortened a bit so that it doesn't interrupt the novel's pace.

The Fire Sermon is the first in a new trilogy, and Dreamworks has optioned the book for a film version.

 read  in Nov.;  blog post scheduled for Feb.  22, 2015

NetGalley/Gallery Books

Dystopian.  March 10, 2015.  Print length:  384 pages.