Tag: Pulstar I – The Swan Barely Remembers

Nerve: A Pulstar Prequel by Giancarlo Roversi Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A disgraced former agent must solve a mysterious murder and uncover the dangerous secrets that have put him in the crosshairs of a deadly conspiracy in author Giancarlo Roversi’s “Nerve”, the prequel to the author’s Pulstar series. 

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The Synopsis

Seeking redemption, a discredited agent investigates the perplexing death of an elderly millionaire, unearthing a macabre scheme that might involve himself.

Astralvia: a nation on the verge of collapse.

Jon Creepel, an elderly millionaire and CEO of a leading high-tech corporation, is dead.

Discredited Agent Graham Squirrel investigates this disconcerting death. It’s his chance to clear his name and return to the Federal Police job he lives for.

As he delves deeper into the inquiries, he discovers layers of intrigue, secrets, and plots on a significant macabre scale. Working alongside Zabrinah Yorkt, a mysterious and complicated intelligence agent, brings extra challenges and triggers questions Squirrel would never have anticipated.

He has to escape the sinister threat looming over him and find out why they assigned him to the case, but nothing is what it seems.

And he’s about to discover the truth … he’s about to meet the Nerve.

Join Agent Squirrel to see if he cracks the mystery of Creepel’s death and survives the investigation in this suspenseful, mystery-packed sci-fi thriller.

Nerve is the enigmatic prequel to the gripping Pulstar trilogy (although you can also read it as a stand-alone novel), which took over ten years to make and has a soundtrack in production.

The Review

This was a pulse-pounding and exhilarating read. The pacing and the world-building stood out immediately. While I did read the first book in the Pulstar series, I was able to see both the connective layers of the narrative between this prequel and the first novel, while also recognizing how much this story stood out on its own two feet. The blend of sci-fi and metaphysical dystopian storytelling the author brought to this narrative was fascinating and kept me intrigued as the story progressed.

For me, the heart of the story rested in the unique balance of character development and atmosphere. The tone and quality of the author’s writing and the philosophical discussions that were brought to the forefront as a result of the narrative reminded me greatly of why I loved Battlestar Galactica so much, and the evolution and path that Graham as a character took and the framing of the story overall felt very cinematic due to the author’s amazing handle on imagery in this book.

The Verdict

Memorable, captivating, and entertaining, author Giancarlo Roversi’s “Nerve” is a must-read prequel to the Pulstar series and a wonderful sci-fi narrative. The unique world that the author has built and the major twists that some of these characters undergo by the book’s end will keep the reader hooked until the very last page. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Venezuela-born Giancarlo Roversi isn’t only a writer. He’s also a computer engineer and a musician who shared stages with artists such as REM, Oasis, Travis, Duran Duran, and Maroon Five.

When his band Fractaler broke up in 2011, he devoted the next ten years to cue the Pulstar Trilogy and three prequels in that universe.

He surrendered his personal life and wrote these manuscripts in his native language, Spanish, and then he translated them into English. He also composed a soundtrack for each book; they’re currently in production.

When he’s not living and breathing in his Pulstarverse, he loves family time, cooking, astronomy, animals, and having philosophical discussions—especially about the meaning of life—with anyone who cares to join him.

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Interview with Author Giancarlo Roversi

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn Interviews3 Comments

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

I’m a musician and a computer engineer. Since I was a child, I loved art. I dreamed of being a singer and an actor. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but when I was ten years old, I suffered an accident on a small train—I was unable to walk for a year and almost lost a foot. During those months when I couldn’t even get up, I wolfed down dozens of books by Agatha Christie and other authors. I also wrote my first short story. It was in the horror genre, and I always pictured the main character running away from a horde of zombie with the first part of the song “Magnetic Fields I” by Jean Michel Jarré playing as a background music.

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What inspired you to write your book?

During my teenage years, at my sister’s birthdays, a party guest talked about an intrinsic and mysterious subject. That’s where the idea for Pulstar came from. I felt I had to write about it somehow, heavily influenced by Blade Runner and my favorite books. I published the novels Astralvia I and II in Spanish in early 2000. Then I stopped writing and focused fully on my band Fractaler until 2012.

The social, economic, and political disaster in my country, Venezuela, influenced Pulstar and one of its prequels heavily.

What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Thank you for this question. For me, the greatest achievement of an author is when they connect with their readers. The primary message of Pulstar I is that we know so little about anything, also that humans are so insignificant on a universal scale, and how lethal a species can be when it’s slightly more intelligent than the rest, and when it can do whatever it wants because it owns the laws.

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What drew you into this particular genre?

The Pulstar trilogy is science fiction, alternate reality, and dystopia with a touch of romance. Nerve is science fiction with thriller, mystery, and a tinge of horror, perhaps.

Science fiction gives you thousands of possibilities. It’s thought-provoking and presents a range of philosophical issues I love. But what I like most about science fiction—hard-but-not-that-hard—is that it allows me to talk about one of my favorite subjects: the cosmos.

What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

Well, this one is quite easy, as I don’t have social media. 😊 I manage everything through my mailing list, and now I’m entering the world of Goodreads.

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What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

Wow, this is a tough one.

They have to love writing, otherwise, there’s no point. It’s hours of solitude and requires an extreme sacrifice on a social, economic, and emotional level that perhaps only other writers or people connected to the literary scene would be able to fully understand. However, if the uneasiness and the inner burning are there and never go away, we have no choice but toss it out, hoping our message connects with other people.

What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

Thank you, future, for holding something in store for me. I hope you rock!

At the moment, I need to finish editing Pulstar II and III. Also, the prequel Marlenh is also in the editing process. Another project I have to complete is the music for all these books; although it’s quite advanced. I have other ideas floating around in my head, of course; only one is science fiction, and all of them would take place in Astralvia. One of these stories is about a young girl drummer who wants to make it; I’m a wanna-be drummer. What can I say?

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About the Author

Venezuela-born Giancarlo Roversi isn’t only a writer. He’s also a computer engineer and a musician who shared stages with artists such as REM, Oasis, Travis, Duran Duran, and Maroon Five.

When his band Fractaler broke up in 2011, he devoted the next ten years to cue the Pulstar Trilogy and three prequels in that universe.

He surrendered his personal life and wrote these manuscripts in his native language, Spanish, and then he translated them into English. He also composed a soundtrack for each book; they’re currently in production.

When he’s not living and breathing in his Pulstarverse, he loves family time, cooking, astronomy, animals, and having philosophical discussions—especially about the meaning of life—with anyone who cares to join him.

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Pulstar I – The Swan Barely Remembers (Pulstar Book One) by Giancarlo Roversi Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviews2 Comments

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Three strangers must remember a shared past of a previous life and the connection they share before an ancient evil rises to wreak havoc on humanity in author Giancarlo Roversi’s “Pulstar 1 – The Swan Barely Remembers”, the first book in the Pulstar series. 

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The Synopsis

Three strangers who share a forgotten past confront a vengeance they incited when their bodies weren’t human.

In Astralvia, a nation on the brink, astronomer Jeral Murh’s life is in limbo.

She’s woken from a coma with fresh memories and is certain of two things:

Her past actions are already haunting her present.

She is not entirely human.

She must abscond from Astralvia before an ancient enemy wreaks revenge. Everything is against her. Also, she must find Aris Castilho, her former ally, and make him remember what they once meant to each other. She can’t leave without him.

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Will she find Aris and convince him of their common past?

Will they reach Esther, their third ally?

Time is short … the ultimate reckoning is coming … and it’s unthinkable, indescribable—the worst thing that can happen to any human being.

Find out the fate of this trio of allies in this puzzling sci-fi thriller, where the stunning ending is just the beginning. Get ready to reflect on your place in the cosmos, your raison d’être, and what being human actually means.

Riddled with mystery, suspense, and a smattering of romance, Pulstar I: The Swan Barely Remembers is the enigmatic and addictive first installment in the Pulstar trilogy; although you can also read it as a stand-alone novel. It took over ten years to make and has a soundtrack in production. Watch out for books 2 and 3, due for publication this year.

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The Review

This was a compelling and captivating sci-fi dystopian read. The author found a great balance in world-building with powerful thematic storytelling. The almost ethereal atmosphere the narrative took on and the imagery in the author’s writing style really brought this universe to life so perfectly, showcasing a future for mankind amongst the stars and the way the past impacts the present and the future all at once. 

To me, the heart of this narrative rested in the character development and the powerful themes the author explores in this book, for they both develop off of one another in a complimentary way. Jeral especially has such a great arc, both in her past life that leads to this conflict and the earth-bound life she had before her emergence occurred. The confrontation with her Earth mother and the mystery behind her sister’s disappearance play a major role in this story, and yet it is the theme of what it means to be human that has such an impact on this cast of characters, especially Jeral, for questions of science and spirituality come to a head in this futuristic world and the cliffhanger ending ensures that the cosmos will never be the same as this powerful force is unleashed.

The Verdict

Memorable, captivating, and entertaining, author Giancarlo Roversi’s “Pulstar I – The Swan Barely Remembers” is a must-read dystopian sci-fi and grand first entry into a brand new series. The twists and turns of the narrative, as well as the very cinematic approach to the storytelling and the spiritual and moral themes the author touches upon through these characters, add a philosophical aspect to this narrative that will keep readers eager for more. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Venezuela-born Giancarlo Roversi isn’t only a writer. He’s also a computer engineer and a musician who shared stages with artists such as REM, Oasis, Travis, Duran Duran, and Maroon Five.

When his band Fractaler broke up in 2011, he devoted the next ten years to cue the Pulstar Trilogy and three prequels in that universe.

He surrendered his personal life and wrote these manuscripts in his native language, Spanish, and then he translated them into English. He also composed a soundtrack for each book; they’re currently in production.

When he’s not living and breathing in his Pulstarverse, he loves family time, cooking, astronomy, animals, and having philosophical discussions—especially about the meaning of life—with anyone who cares to join him.

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