Fantasy Review: Autumn Republic (Powder Mage #3) by Brian McClelland

The Autumn Republic (Powder Mage #3)
by Brian McClellan

Description:
The capital has fallen...
Field Marshal Tamas returns to his beloved country to find that for the first time in history, the capital city of Adro lies in the hands of a foreign invader. His son is missing, his allies are indistinguishable from his foes, and reinforcements are several weeks away.

An army divided...
With the Kez still bearing down upon them and without clear leadership, the Adran army has turned against itself. Inspector Adamat is drawn into the very heart of this new mutiny with promises of finding his kidnapped son.

All hope rests with one...
And Taniel Two-shot, hunted by men he once thought his friends, must safeguard the only chance Adro has of getting through this war without being destroyed...

THE AUTUMN REPUBLIC is the epic conclusion that began with Promise of Blood and The Crimson Campaign.

My Review:
A solid conclusion to the Powder Mage Trilogy.

Inspector Adamat was a delight in this one, though I very much enjoyed Bo and Mila. Taniel didn’t play as strong of a role as I’d hoped, and Tamas’s character seemed a bit weaker in this one. Still, I felt connected with all of them.

Everything converges into a surprising but satisfying outcome. All the intrigue in Adopest, most uncovered by the diligent and gifted Adamat, pulls it all together.

Overall, I loved this book and the trilogy. Strongly recommended.

I purchased my copy of this book.

About the Author:

Brian McClellan is an epic fantasy author. He studied writing under Brandon Sanderson and Orson Scott Card and was an honorable mention in the Writers of the Future Contest.

Brian is an avid player of video games and reader of epic novels and history. His hobbies include making homemade jam from local berries and tending to his hive of honeybees. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife, two dogs, and cat.

Author Links:
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Twitter @briantmcclellan
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Sci-fi Thriller Review: Split Second by Douglas E. Richards

Split Second
by Douglas E. Richards

Description:
What if you found a way to send something back in time? But not millions of years back, to the age of the dinosaur. Not a day back. Not even a minute back.

What if you could only send something back less than the blink of an eye? Would this be of any use? You wouldn't have nearly enough time to right a wrong, change an event, or win a lottery.

Nathan Wexler is a brilliant physicist who thinks he's found a way to send matter a split second back into the past. But before he can even confirm his findings, he and his wife-to-be, Jenna Morrison, find themselves in a battle for their very lives. Because while time travel to an instant earlier seems useless, Jenna comes to learn that no capability in history has ever been more profound or far-reaching.

Now, as Jenna fights to defeat the powerful forces arrayed against her, nothing less than the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. . .


My Review:
Split Second was a pleasant surprise. I picked it up because I was in the mood for a thriller, and I couldn’t resist a thriller paired with time travel.

This one turned out to be hard science fiction. Nearly as much attention given to the real and fictional science as to the plot and characters, but it all worked really well. I must say I enjoyed this tremendously.

The twist on time travel in this book was like nothing I’ve read elsewhere. Kind of hard to wrap your mind around, but very well done in the context of this book. I’m still reeling from the conclusion. Should I be happy? Sad? Confused? I think I’m all three, but in a good way.

I recommend this to folks who love science fiction, thrillers and time travel based in scientific theory.

I purchased my copy of this book.


About the Author:

 

Douglas E. Richards was born on May 7th, 1962. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio with his parents and his sister, Pam. He went to Finneytown High School, and then graduated with a degree in microbiology from Ohio State University, a master's degree in molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin, and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago.

Douglas now lives in San Diego, California with his wife, Kelly, his two children, and his two dogs.



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Fantasy Review: Crimson Campaign (Powder Mage #2) by Brian McClellan

The Crimson Campaign (Powder Mage #2)
by Brian McClellan

Description:
The hounds at our heels will soon know we are lions

Tamas's invasion of Kez ends in disaster when a Kez counter-offensive leaves him cut off behind enemy lines with only a fraction of his army, no supplies, and no hope of reinforcements. Drastically outnumbered and pursued by the enemy's best, he must lead his men on a reckless march through northern Kez to safety, and back over the mountains so that he can defend his country from an angry god.

In Adro, Inspector Adamat only wants to rescue his wife. To do so he must track down and confront the evil Lord Vetas. He has questions for Vetas concerning his enigmatic master, but the answers might come too quickly.

With Tamas and his powder cabal presumed dead, Taniel Two-shot finds himself alongside the god-chef Mihali as the last line of defence against Kresimir's advancing army. Tamas's generals bicker among themselves, the brigades lose ground every day beneath the Kez onslaught, and Kresimir wants the head of the man who shot him in the eye.

My Review:
This was a great book. Lots more battles, some intrigue, and a couple of surprising newcomers.

Taniel, Tamas and Adamat carry the bulk of the story on three different fronts. I thought each one well-thought out and paced, but the book flips between them constantly, so it can be annoying when you’re getting into one of them.

I loved the blend of black powder technology and magic. Overall, I’d recommend this to fans of fantasy who want something a little different.

I purchased my copy of this book.

About the Author:

Brian McClellan is an epic fantasy author. He studied writing under Brandon Sanderson and Orson Scott Card and was an honorable mention in the Writers of the Future Contest.

Brian is an avid player of video games and reader of epic novels and history. His hobbies include making homemade jam from local berries and tending to his hive of honeybees. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife, two dogs, and cat.

Author Links:
Website
Twitter @briantmcclellan
Goodreads

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New Release Review: Select by Marit Weisenberg

Select
by Marit Weisenberg

Genre: YA Paranormal
Expected Publication: October 2, 2017 by Charlesbridge Teen

Description:
Coming from a race of highly-evolved humans, Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. The perfect family. The perfect destiny. But there’s something rotten beneath the surface—dangerous secrets her father is keeping; abilities she was never meant to have; and an elite society of people determined to keep their talents hidden and who care nothing for the rest of humanity. So when Julia accidentally disrupts the Jaynes’ delicate anonymity, she’s banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school.

Julia’s goal is to lay low and blend in. Then she meets him—John Ford, tennis prodigy, all-around good guy. When Julia discovers a knack for reading his mind, and also manipulating his life, school suddenly becomes a temporary escape from the cold grip of her manipulative father. But as Julia’s powers over John grow, so do her feelings. For the first time in her life, Julia begins to develop a sense of self, to question her restrictive upbringing and her family prejudices. She must decide: can a perfect love be worth more than a perfect life?


My Review:
Select is a paranormal romance about Julia, a girl who’s banished to public high school for nearly blowing her family’s cover, and John, a broken tennis prodigy whose soul calls to hers.

I absolutely adored this book. The romance itself was sweet and yet still believable. And despite an immediate connection, there was no instalove. The progression felt natural and right. Adding in the supernatural complications only made this harder to put down.

I also welcomed the complexity of many of the supporting characters. Angus, Liv, Novak, and even John’s brother, all surprised me to one degree or another. I’d have them figured out and then they’d do something unexpected, but still in character. I think the author did a great job giving them unique voices.

Still, this was light enough of a read to be enjoyable without having to work for it.
So overall, I loved this book. I’d highly recommend this to fans of YA and paranormal romance. Young love, a bit of magic (sort of), and plenty of drama make this quite a read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.


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