Reading Robert Jordan and M.D Waters

I still exist!  Have not blogged for a while, but still reading a ton.  

I still listen to audiobooks, and am currently working my way through The Wheel of Time via Library borrows for the audio, and because I'm super impatient, I'm also reading my paperback/hardback copies of these at the same time.  I'm on The Lord of Chaos (book 6) on paper and waiting on a hold for The Shadow Rising (Book 4) for audio. So, that's fun to keep straight.

I'm also listening to a couple of books by Author M.D. Waters, Archetype and Prototype. 

These are excellent so far.  They're told from the point of view of a cloned young woman named Emma. I would recommend these because they're light reading, but still meaty enough to make me think, and there's a bit of romance and a good plot.  The performance of the narrator for the audiobook is spot on, and she uses different voices for the various characters effectively and consistently throughout.  Really brings you into the story.

Juggling Audiobooks: A Fun and Frustrating Pastime

Fun, because, well, audiobooks are awesome! Frustrating because I get my audiobooks from the library and my tastes run to long books. We're talking books that literally take a work week or more worth of hours to get through.  

Just can't seem to finish

For one, I'm working through Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive books, I'm on Oathbringer (have been for a few months now), and after I got booted from the first borrow, I've since been plagued by incredibly bad timing on hold releases and my tendency to not check my email in time to download them. I'm now on another 6 week wait list because Libby decided I must not really want to borrow it and dropped my hold. 😂

But really, borrowing these has been a game changer for me. I can't afford a subscription or to buy the sheer volume of audiobooks I would want to consume, but loading them on my phone with Libby, I can get close!

Just finished

As for recent finishes, I've just completed the audiobooks for the Caraval Trilogy by Stephanie Garber. Holy cow, great series!  Lots of fun, magic, and immortals. Highly recommended in audio, but I would have liked it in print, too. The first one takes us to the mysterious Caraval games with Scarlet, the older sister. The second, Legendary, with Tella, the younger one. And the third ties it all together, giving us a very well named Finale for both sisters. 

On it now

Next, and currently, I'm listening to the Battlefield Earth audiobook by Galaxy Audio. I'm on Part 6 now, where it's getting really good. Terl has found his leverage. Johnny Goodboy Tyler has lost his. I'm looking forward to the coming chapters, having already read this many times in the past. 

There's also a blog, videos (including about the making of the audiobook), and a listing of more books by L. Ron Hubbard, who was a very prolific writer of fantasy and later science fiction, including the one I'm reading, which he called his attempt at writing pure science fiction. If you read or listen to this, you can learn more about what that means by listening to the foreword. In the audio, it's read by Stefan Rudnicki (links to books he's narrated), one of my favorite narrators, who read Ender's Game and the other books in that series.

With that, back to reading (or listening)!

Drop a comment to let me know what you're reading or to chime in on these.

Time Travel Review: The Book of Revelations by Shanna Lauffey (Episode 10 of The Chronicles of the Harekaiian)

The Book of Revelations

by Shanna Lauffey

Description:

Delve into the exciting conclusion of The Chronicles of the Harekaiian!

Tormented by ghosts from the past, Kallie struggles to find a way to make herself useful to the world and especially to the displaced half breeds engendered by her people.

The specters of both friend and foe return when a new nemesis arises in the most unlikely of places where Kallie thought she could be safe at last. In her attempts to bring the few people close to her together, everything she's built begins to fall apart, but the fate of a young, displaced Time Shifter relies on Kallie's ability to see past the pitfalls placed before her.

Can she bring herself to dedicate her life to helping others? Will Marcus play a part in her future?

My Review:

The Book of Revelations ties things up, though it still feels like there could be more.  

Mason, Connor, and Brand seem to play center stage in this one, as Kallie picks out the final threads of their convoluted timelines. I found some of the revelations surprising, but nothing was really shocking.  I enjoyed the Mason and Brand parts the best.

While I also quite enjoyed the scenes with the young person Kallie is mentoring, I'm not sure I completely bought into the remainder of the school-related side stories. I think there was potential in them, but the drive to actually complete the overall story didn't allow enough time to thoroughly explore them in this episode, especially not at the exploratory and thoughtful pace I enjoyed in the others.

Overall, I enjoyed the tying up of the loose ends, but I feel some of the newer arcs were too rushed.  I'd recommend this final episode to folks who enjoyed the others and to anyone who might have been waiting for all of them to be available. 

People who enjoy the complexities of time travel and discovery would probably like this series. As always, there's an air of nostalgia in the places and times Kallie visits, but in this one, most of the stops were before my time. 

I received the review copy of this book from the author.

About the Author:

Shauna Lauffey is a native Californian currently living in Europe. She spends her time between homes in Sweden, France and the UK. She writes Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.

Check out Shanna's page at https://shannalauffey.weebly.com/.

Follow Shanna on Twitter, Amazon and Goodreads.

New "Must buy everything they write" Author: Dakota Krout

You may think I'm being overly dramatic there, but it's true. This guy has been added to my auto-buy list.  I see new book; I buy it (I read it until sun comes up...Gosh, I'm tired.).

He writes fantasy fiction with a gaming or RPG feel and theme (and in one series, outright scoring and leveling up), and that might sound off putting, but it's actually fantastic!

The humor in the form of horrible (awesome) puns made my face hurt more than once.

The larger than life characters getting around the systems or going into overdrive to outpace everyone's expectations.

The magic systems. The coffee elemental...I'll let that one sink in for a bit.

The tie in to gaming with a side of ,"What if games and gaming systems met real life?"

The twists; the turns; the loopdy loops...

And, oh my god, the surprise connections! I just finished a second series by this fellow, and um, I apparently need to read the other one again!  Holy cow!  Love!!!

Ok, enough of that. If you dig game literature, fantasy, intricate leveling systems, or even ideas for your own ongoing or future campaigns, I think you'll dig Dakota Krout's books, too.



About the Author:

Dakota Krout - Author of the best-selling Divine Dungeon and Completionist Chronicles series

I live in a 'pretty much Canada' Minnesota city with my wife and daughter. Thanks to you, I'm now a web developer and computer programmer turned full-time author and indie publisher through my company, Mountaindale Press.

I started writing The Divine Dungeon series because I enjoy reading and wanted to create a world all my own. To my surprise and great pleasure, I found like-minded people who enjoy the contents of my mind. Publishing my stories has been an incredible blessing thus far and I hope to keep you entertained for years to come!

Find me here:
MountaindalePress.com
Facebook.com/TheDivineDungeon
Patreon.com/DakotaKrout
Twitter.com/DakotaKrout
Goodreads.com/Dakota_Krout

The Divine Dungeon - Enjoy world building through the eyes of a sentient dungeon. Unfortunately for treasure-seekers, the fastest way for the dungeon to achieve his goal... is to eat anyone that enters his depths.



The Completionist Chronicles - Becoming a permanent addition to a game world, Joe, a combat medic turned cleric, decides to complete every mission, master every ability, and learn all of the world's secrets. All he has to do is survive long enough to make that happen.

Contemporary Fantasy Review: Where Have All the Elves Gone? by Christian Warren Freed

Where Have All the Elves Gone?
by Christian Warren Freed

Description:
Light Elves. Dark elves. Dwarves. Trolls. A dragon living under the city who spends his time watching reruns of 80s shows and a Grateful Dead loving Giant wearing tie dye and forging weapons?

Fantasy author Daniel Thomas never imagined the mythical creatures he wrote about actually existed and wishes they weren't. Daniel is about to embark on the longest and worst night of his life as he is drawn into an elf civil war happening in Raleigh, North Carolina. The only thing keeping him alive are two dwarf brothers who smoke too many cigars and have more guns than the US Army.

Making matters worse is a secret government organization determined to keep it all a secret.

Where Have All the Elves Gone? is part James Bond, part Eddie Drood, and all chaos as Daniel sets out to save two worlds before they collide.


My Review:
The story is set in and around Raleigh, NC, an area with which I am very familiar. As such, much of my enjoyment was in recognizing the locations and in picturing the epic fantasy-meets-reality clashes between humans, dwarves, elves, and gnomes. In particular, the zoo scenes, my adopted hometown, and the fairgrounds. It's obvious the author has done his research or is a local.

As for the fantasy, it's interesting. I always enjoy a new take on "what if" elves, dwarves, etc. are real, and in this story, that is paired with "what if" an author's stories reflect reality. Besides that, I found a few of the features of the fantasy creatures a bit too convenient, and I was getting hung up on how they were going to cover up the destruction.

Overall, worth a read. I enjoyed it because I like fantasy/reality mash ups, reluctant heroes, and action.

I received the review copy of this book from NetGalley.

About the Author:
Christian W. Freed was born in Buffalo, N.Y. more years ago than he would like to remember. After spending more than 20 years in the active duty US Army he has turned his talents to writing. Since retiring, he has gone on to publish over 20 military fantasy and science fiction novels, as well as his memoirs from his time in Iraq and Afghanistan, a children's book, and a pair of how to books focused on indie authors and the decision making process for writing a book and what happens after it is published.

His first published book (Hammers in the Wind) has been the #1 free book on Kindle 4 times and he holds a fancy certificate from the L Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. Ok, so it was for 4th place in one quarter, but it's still recognition from the largest fiction writing contest in the world. And no, he's not a scientologist.

Passionate about history, he combines his knowledge of the past with modern military tactics to create an engaging, quasi-realistic world for the readers. He graduated from Campbell University with a degree in history and is pursuing a Masters of Arts degree in Digital Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He currently lives outside of Raleigh, N.C. and devotes his time to writing, his family, and their two Bernese Mountain Dogs. If you drive by you might just find him on the porch with a cigar in one hand and a pen in the other. You can find out more about his work by following him @ https://www.facebook.com/ChristianFreed or on Twitter @christianwfreed.

I think up weird stuff; sometimes I write it down

by Patricia Hamill

I think up weird stuff; sometimes I write it down.

I think that's standard fare for fiction writers, and I can attest it's true for myself, even though I haven't actively written a story for a couple of years now.

The lack of writing these odd thoughts, random musings and ridiculous scenarios hasn't stopped them from invading my thoughts in my day to day life. Sometimes I blurt them out to a mix of chuckles, confusion, or awkward silence. I'd like to think the chuckles win out.

Still, I think this flair for thinking up the impossible and improbable or imagining "what if" scenarios with only a tenuous link to reality are what make fiction possible.

But it's the writing it down that I struggle with.

I see a lot of writers who carry around a little notebook, not letting a single one of these gems go by, but the habit has never stuck with me. Instead, only a few make it onto a post it or stick around long enough for me to take a harder look at them.

I tried my hand at a diary once, and I imagine the notebook would be similar. The first week or two, solid notes every day. Then it skips a week, or two, or a month. Pretty soon, it's three years later and I've found the thing under the side table in the living room housing a family of spiders who, in all honesty, are welcome to stay there because it's not worth the cringe factor to evict them.

So, writing it down is a challenge. I wrote this statement down (the one at the very top), and that's why I'm expounding on it now. So yeah, maybe I should do that more.

And that brings me to the last point. 

Thinking it up and writing it down are critical, but you have to go back and look at it again, do something with it.

Even if I did write every idea in a notebook, how likely would it be that I would open the thing, flip through, and look at what I wrote? And if I didn't do that, how likely would it be that I would turn one or more of those random thoughts into a story or article?

To both questions: not very.

So, what do I do? 

I only write a few of them down, usually the ones I can't get out of my mind or that seem to resonate with myself or others. And then I make a point of going back and doing something with them, whether that be an article, a story, a meme, or a random post on social media.

When inspiration strikes, the key is to go back to it, to use it, to share it with the world.

If you don't, it's lost to all but you and the spiders, and the spiders don't care.


---
P.S. If you're not a fan of spiders, my apologies. If you are a fan, no worries. No actual spiders were harmed or displaced in the writing of this article.

~~~~~

I read too much! is going on break for the next few months.  Subscribe to the blog or follow me on Twitter so you'll know when it's back. Happy reading!

Middle-Grade Review: My Best Friend Runs Venus by Katrina S. Forest

My Best Friend Runs Venus
By Katrina S. Forest
Genre: Science Fiction
Age category: Middle Grade
Release Date: June 1, 2019


Description:
At 12.9 years old, number-obsessed Kade Walker has never heard of death. Literally. But neither has anyone else he knows. Kade is one of hundreds of kids "living" across the solar system through robotic avatars while their real bodies sleep in pods on Earth. Unfortunately, robot bodies can be hacked.

One day during an (innocent!) experiment, Kade unwittingly breaks a major security wall and releases an infamous hacker. The madwoman targets all the royal avatars, including Kade’s best friend, Princess Tamika of Venus.

If Kade and Tamika don’t want to become the hacker’s puppets, they’ve got to stop her fast--even if it means waking up on Earth to fight with bodies they never realized could be hurt.


My Review:
In My Best Friend Runs Venus, there’s a lovely blend of sci-fi, adventure and whimsy. The main characters are a couple of pre-teens who have been paired up as companions and sent to Venus via robotic avatars to run the planet. Their curiosity gets the better of them, and they activate a teleporter that releases a dangerous criminal who is intent on taking over their sims and destroying the status quo.

Had I read this as a kid, I think I would have loved it. As it is, I just really liked it, which isn’t all that different, really. I very much enjoyed the planet hopping, the banter between Kade and Tamika, the illustrations, and the imaginative technology that made everything possible: the flavor sticks, the teleporters, the avatars, the environmental overlays. And I thought the story was well executed and well organized. Just overall good!

Still, the idea of sending children to rule the planets of the solar system was interesting, but I couldn’t help but sense the unfairness of it all. The kids are essentially locked into sleep pods and expected to live out their lives as their avatars. The companions are basically the appointed best friend of each of the royals, and they aren’t even allowed to look human, that that seemed to bother Kade too much.

Through it all, I had questions. Did the parents go about their lives on the home world when not overseeing their children? Who else is on each of the planets? How are these children going to have families of their own and keep humanity going if they are living virtual lives? As an adult reader trying to understand the world, these kept me wondering. Would a young reader ask the same? I don’t know.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to younger readers who enjoy science fiction and adventures, particularly those who like imagining the possibilities of space colonization. Adults looking for a lighter read may also enjoy this, particularly if they enjoy middle-grade fiction.

I received the review copy of this book from the author via Lola’s Blog Tours.

About the Author:

Katrina S. Forest is a teacher by day, author by any-other-time-she-can-get. Her work has sold to a variety of magazines, ranging from Flash Fiction Online to Highlights to Children. She loves nerdy conventions and believes video games can be a force of creative good instead of evil.

You can find and contact Katrina S. Forest here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon

Fiction is a thought experiment

by Patricia Hamill

Fiction is a thought experiment.

This came to my mind during a recent Toastmasters meeting, and I had to write it down, though it's not likely a new or unique epiphany in the grand scheme of things.

But think about it. We use fiction to explore the world (both as writer and reader). We experience things we would never have experienced, both good and bad. We imagine new technology, or superpowers, or a new love. We solve murder mysteries or save the day from a mad scientist. We're young again, or we're old.

And back to the idea of a thought experiment, fiction has an influence on the real world. Look at Star Trek and cell phones. The little flip communicators look a lot like our original flip phones. And fiction, particularly science fiction, continues to lead and guide emerging technology, inspiring current and future scientists and inventors to challenge the very scope of what is real and what is possible.

And then, back to fantasy fiction, sure, we may not have elves, dwarves, wizards, and hobbits running around, but there's meat to these stories. Often, you'll find battles and fight scenes. The writer experiments with different strategies and imagines how they would play out. Some of them are plausible. For a fight scene, the same thing. It's essentially the application of a martial art in a fictional situation.

When I practiced karate regularly, we would do something very similar when practicing our forms, not just going through the movements, but through imagination, building purpose behind each action. An opponent strikes, and we block. Our head turns as another approaches, and we shift our feet and adopt a defensive stance. The first opponent comes in for another strike and we execute a side kick to send him back so we can focus on the new one. All in the mind, but enhancing the learning of the martial art.

And in fantasy, particularly the epic kind, are political machinations. There are a finite number of existing and past countries to study, some well documented and some not, but fiction is limitless and can be experienced from any perspective, not just that of an observer. Through fantasy, one can be a king and explore the benefits and drawbacks of such. One can imagine a coup in the works or fight one off, depending on the perspective. One can fight adversity or be the cause of it. Dictatorships, democracy, autocracy, monarchy, all are fair game in fiction.

That being said, dystopia is one of the more prevalent political experiments I've noticed in this day and time, reflecting the observations and worries of our young people and adults alike. Most of it presents the dystopia as a thing of the present, and then the protagonists, who are often young adults born into the mess, fight to correct the course of their world, usually succeeding, but not always.

All of it is a thought experiment. A way of learning about and understanding our world through storytelling. Both inspired by and inspiring our reality.

And the best part is? Anyone can join in. Just pick up your pen and imagine...

Fantasy Review: Defy Trilogy by Sara B. Larson

Defy Trilogy
by Sara B. Larson

Description From Book 1: 
Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

My Review for Book 1, Defy:
Fantastic!

This is what I'm looking for in a fantasy adventure/romance. The main character, Alexa, is inspiring, and her plight, especially in book one, hooked me from the start. She not only has to pretend she is a male but does so by joining the army and earning a top spot on the prince's guard. The alternatives are unthinkable.

Adding to this, she's fighting off her growing interest in both Rylan (longtime friend on the guard) and Prince Damian, knowing that both relationships could never go anywhere. Not if she wants to keep her freedom. The tension, both from her secret and from the love triangle, is gripping.

I also love that the narrator for the audiobook speaks in character, lowering her voice as Alexa would while pretending to be Alex of the guard. The emotional scenes are nailed, the fight scenes, too! Her range is good for the other characters, differentiating them enough for the reader to be able to tell who's who, even without a dialog tag. I very much enjoyed the audio and would recommend it.

I was also pleased that the narrator is the same person in all three books. I always prefer this in the audiobooks for a series, primarily for continuity. It also helps keep me in the story, not having to adjust to a new voice for an established character.

The only thing I noticed in this book and its sequels was a tendency towards repetition, particularly in the main character's inner monolog, reminding herself of things, using the same words to describe how she feels or is reacting to Damian or Rylan. It's enough to notice, though I felt the overall plot, character arcs, and pacing of the story made up for it.

Overall, I loved this book, and the trilogy, and would strongly recommend it to folks who enjoy fantasy and romance.

I borrowed each audiobook of the trilogy from the local library.

About the Author:

Sara B. Larson is the author of the acclaimed YA fantasy DEFY trilogy: DEFY, IGNITE, and ENDURE, and the forthcoming DARK BREAKS THE DAWN. She can't remember a time when she didn't write books--although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their children, and their Maltese, Loki. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day (while mourning the demise of naptime) and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in "the art of multitasking." When she's not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction. You can visit her at www.SaraBLarson.com.

Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  Twitter@SaraBLarson

Books by this Author:

Defy Trilogy

Dark Breaks the Dawn Duology

And, coming in November 2019!

New Release Review: Remember the Future: Episode Nine of The Chronicles of the Harekaiian by Shanna Lauffey

Remember the Future: Episode Nine of The Chronicles of the Harekaiian
by Shanna Lauffey

Description:
A dangerous man holds Harlan hostage in time. A hormonal teenager with a gun hunts Akalya, instinctively following a tag that she created between them herself. Hidden notes within a secret file reveal a leak in the Time Shifters' traditional silence and behind it all, Akalya is beginning to bend under the stress and remember happier times when she lived with Marcus and a little cat called Bodi.

Will keeping her promise to Harlan leave him at the mercy of Mason's increasingly psychotic demands? Can her most recent protégé protect her from his murderous younger self? Will Bodi ever forgive her? Will Marcus?

My Review:
Wow, this one was exciting! It seems the action is building up towards a resolution, though that happened in a few of the others in this seriel, too.

As always, I find the unique approach to time and space travel in this book intriguing and consistent. Not so much hopping around this time, at least not the mundane kind.

Lots of Brand, who I believe was introduced in the last one? The dynamics of a friend/enemy across time are very well done.  Reminded me a bit of the Doctor Who season that started with the Astronaut in the U.S. "Hello sweety," and all that.

I think the author does a great job balancing the idea that the past has already happened while still keeping the future past a surprise.

Overall, a good addition to the seriel. If you like stories that feature time travel or teleportation, this is the best of both, and you'll probably dig this one. Start from the beginning, though. These are all one big story, episodic, like watching a TV series (in print).

I received the review copy of this and the prior books in this seriel from the author.

About the Author:

Shanna Lauffey is a native Californian currently living in Europe. She spends her time between homes in Sweden, France and the UK. She writes Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance in her spare time between attending university and travelling.

Her first novel, She-Wȕlf, was released 1st January 2012. A Science Fiction series involving time travel is in progress.

Follow Shanna on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter @ShannaLauffey.


Books by this Author:
Chronicles of the Harekaiian Volume 1 (Books 1-5)


Chronicles of the Harekaiian