I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Sion realizes that he has become a pawn in yet another game, and must rise to uncover the truth before an unspeakable plot and enemies from both outside and inside of his current home in author T.C. Marti’s “Wind Keeper”, the third and final chapter in the Elementals of Nordica Trilogy.
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The Synopsis
Sion Zona thought he at least had a sense of security in Nordica…
…Until realization strikes that he is nothing more than a pawn in yet another game
He could’ve seen Tamuria playing this game. But Nordica? Sion spent the last year believing that Nordica was the Land of Elementals. A place where elementals could freely practice their ability on their own terms, unlike the perpetual restrictions Tamuria set.
Now that the truth’s out in the open, it’s clear the Nordicans were only using their elementals for their own, selfish gain.
Then again, not everything out there meets the eye. Was using elementals and Elemental Masters really Nordica’s ulterior motive? Or is someone or something more sinister pulling Nordica’s strings?
And if that’s the case, every single elemental in the World of Eidolon is in danger. War has ravaged the region. Death is everywhere. And now, Sion must deal with not just an external enemy, but numerous internal enemies.
Wind Keeper is Book III in the Elementals of Nordica Series and the conclusion to the Eidolon Trilogy. If you love global conspiracies, alternate worlds, swords, and sorcery, plus a blend of old-world epic fantasy fused into science fiction, look no further!
The Review
What a shocking and exhilarating final chapter in this particular series. The action and suspense that went into this narrative were so profoundly felt. The author once again did such a fantastic job of balancing the fantasy elements of the magic and powers the Nine had and how it impacted their character traits with the science-fiction of the futuristic and otherworldly settings along with the political and militaristic aspects of the narrative.
The rich character development and the impact the narrative has on this cast of characters is so expertly told. Getting to see how far these characters have evolved over time and how powerful they’ve grown both individually and as a group was amazing. The themes were so powerful here, getting to see how politics can muddy the waters of any powerful nation, as well as the dangers of being used as weapons and having your freedoms stripped from you in the face of a powerful force.
The Verdict
Mesmerizing, action-packed, and thought-provoking, author TC Marti’s “Wind Keeper” is a must-read genre mashup of fantasy and science fiction! The perfect way to end this particular series, the author does an amazing job of leaving a big enough cliffhanger that readers should expect a brand-new trilogy to follow up this one and continue this amazing story. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
TC Marti has been an avid reader/writer for over three decades. He is the author of the Elementals Universe, a shared speculative fiction universe spanning multiple series. He is also a workout fanatic and a fan of Arizona sports teams.
Hey guys! So happy to share this blog tour post about author RJ Theodore’s “Flotsam”. My review for this incredible book went up a few weeks ago, so be sure to check that out by clicking here! Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this amazing information and hope you’ll grab your own copy of this wonderful book today!
R J Theodore has a new Science Fantasy Steampunk book out: Flotsam. And there’s a giveaway!
Captain Talis just wants to keep her airship crew from starving, and maybe scrape up enough cash for some badly needed repairs. When an anonymous client offers a small fortune to root through a pile of atmospheric wreckage, it seems like an easy payday. The job yields an ancient ring, a forbidden secret, and a host of deadly enemies.
Now on the run from cultists with powerful allies, Talis needs to unload the ring as quickly as possible. Her desperate search for a buyer and the fallout from her discovery leads to a planetary battle between a secret society, alien forces, and even the gods themselves.
Talis and her crew have just one desperate chance to make things right before their potential big score destroys them all.
Warnings: genocide plots, bigotry, racism, classism, obsessive ex-lover, violence, gore, grief and loss, religious dogma, law breaking, manipulation, hostage situations, claustrophobia, anxiety, frustration, guilt, lies and deception, betrayal
Talis descended toward the sparkling layer of trash below her feet. Generations of detritus, coated in frost, shifted slowly and caught the light. She hung in open skies, a tiny dark figure on an impossibly thin thread. Her airship, Wind Sabre, lurked in the shadow of a small island above her like the hoarbeasts that lurked in the garbage below. Around her, the shrapnel of Peridot’s tectonic crust peppered the skies, tiny islands not big enough to park a chair on.
She might have said the chance to do something reckless like this was half the reason she was in her line of work. But there was no one to bluff except her crew on the other end of the comm—Dug, Tisker, and Sophie—and she owed them more than words. She owed them a job that didn’t end up costing more than it paid. She owed them a ship that wasn’t in constant want of repairs. She owed them a ship worthy of being called a home.
A soft click sounded in the comm of her helmet, and Dug’s voice cut through the quiet sounds of her rapid heartbeat and quick breaths. The voice tube transmission made him sound small and far away. “Progressing well, captain. How much farther do you need?”
Talis unclenched her jaw to answer. “I’d guess I’m just about halfway down. Can’t make out any details yet.”
“Understood. There is plenty of length on the winch.” Her first mate’s voice was low and even, though his syllables were tight as a guitar string. Dug was worried.
The bulky descent suit didn’t make it any easier to see the view below her. It was a one-size-fits-all antique, big enough to wear over her clothes. Big enough that Dug, who towered above her and was thick with muscle—could have worn it, if he was so worried. It was designed to keep her body heat in, and it was most definitely doing that. The musty wool lining felt moist after the short time she’d had it on. Her breath fogged the glass dome that protected her from the thin air, even though she wore a scarf over her mouth. Yet her fingers were still getting stiff with the cold. She could have worn thicker gloves if she was just going down to strap up a large object to tow out. But this time her quarry was smaller than that, and thinner gloves provided better dexterity.
From this distance, the garbage below her looked deceptively beautiful. A lazy flow of icy shapes caught the green light from Nexus, and their reflected light sparkled through the fogging on her helmet. It wasn’t hard to imagine why there were so many stories about treasure down below.
And there was treasure down there. Or, reckless or not, she wouldn’t be dropping into it. The flotsam layer was where the dead went to be forgotten. Dead people. Dead ships. Dead technologies. Gravity trapped it all there. Kept it from dropping out of Peridot’s atmosphere on the bottom side and drifting off into the stars. Silus Cutter created the hoarbeasts centuries ago to prowl the frozen wreckage and clean things up a bit with their vicious, crunching jaws and fang-lined throats. Did her god intend for those beasts to prefer the frozen flesh of bodies to the wrecks? She wouldn’t ask if she got the chance; she was here for the latter and glad to have the chance.
If things went wrong, Talis would be on the menu, too. But the contract for this salvage made it worth the risk. She could make a lot of overdue repairs on Wind Sabre with the payoff. Her crew had been enthusiastic about the operation when she proposed it, knowing what kind of money a salvage might bring in. Better than the transport jobs she’d scrounged up of late. Not one of the trio had volunteered to make the descent, though.
“You’re the reckless one, Cap,” Tisker told her at the time. The cheeky helmsman got away with the comment. He always did. His crooked, infectious grin and sparkling, deceptively innocent eyes transformed every gibe into a morale boost.
Details emerged, just a couple lengths below Talis. Large shapes at first. Broken hulls of ships tangled in their own lift canvasses. A roof, a wagon. An old tree trunk. Anything organic or burnable should have been composted or used for fuel, not pitched over island edge. But those hadn’t always been the rules. Seventy-something generations back to the Cataclysm that fractured Peridot and the Re-Creation that made it what it was now. Seventy-something generations of garbage and waste swirled in the gravity trap. And down here, nothing ever decayed.
Soon she got close enough to see movement: the hoarbeasts pulling themselves across the wrecks, their undersides a chaos of tentacles. Their bodies flashing gray and silver in an imitation of the flotsam. They moved above and below the gravity line, scanning the field of garbage with cavernous eyes and probing the jetsam with sensitive, bobbing whiskers. Always in search of fresh additions to the flotsam layer. In search of food. In search of the dead.
And they would find them.
Mostly Cutter folk. Some Vein. Even a Rakkar or two. The Bone fed their dead to the ravens and kept the bones, but still ended up in flotsam. Usually lost with their ships. No Breakers, of course. Their population was finite and, as far as the ages since Re-Creation had proven out, didn’t die of natural causes.
If they couldn’t find dead flesh, they’d be perfectly happy to accept the living.
Continuing to descend, Talis was far too aware of such things. Her brother had tormented her with stories of the hoarbeasts when she was a child, and she grew up convinced they clung to the bottom of her bed the way they latched onto the hulls of airships that flew too low, too close to flotsam. Convinced that their tentacles and their long, sharp teeth would find her in the dark.
In her forties now, and captain of a smuggling ship that had taken on many a perilous contract, she still didn’t sleep with her feet hanging off her mattress.
Author Bio
R J Theodore is an author, graphic designer, podcaster, and all-around collector of creative endeavors and hobbies. She enjoys writing about magic-infused technologies, first contact events, and bioluminescing landscapes.
Her love of SFF storytelling developed through grabbing for anything-and-everything “unicorn” as a child, but she was subverted by tales of distant solar systems when her brother introduced her to Star Trek: The Next Generation at age seven. A few years later, Sailor Moon taught her stories can have both.
She lives in New England, haunted by her childhood cat. Find more information at rjtheodore.com.
1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I’ve pretty much always loved reading and writing. I wrote spec screenplays for a while. While I won a contest and got an agent, I still didn’t sell anything. Never-the-less, screenwriting taught me the importance of developing your characters while keeping the story moving forward.
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2) What inspired you to write your book?
Having had a religious upbringing, I’ve always been interested in the origins of religions and what their earliest ceremonies might have looked like. In Greece, for example, the Eleusinian Mystery religion most likely had some sort of hallucinogen at their annual festival. This sacrament enabled their faithful to actually have a firsthand mystical experience. (Sidenote: medical researchers are now discovering that hallucinogens are having positive results with patients with trauma, addictions, depression. It turns out, having a mystical experience can change one’s perspective in healthy ways.) Anyway, I really liked the idea of a shaman bringing a cure into a fragmented modern world. That was the impetus.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
It is possible to cut the cords of addiction, find acceptance/healing from traumatic memories, and discover your own spiritual path.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
I fell into speculative fiction because it’s where the story took me. With speculative fiction, you have the ability to really let your imagination go. I have always admired futuristic authors who can also work with spiritual ideas; writers like Philip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clarke, Aldous Huxley, and Herman Hesse.
5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
While I identify with the protagonist (Matt), I think the “Peacemaker” is the most interesting character. A chameleon, he can be whoever he needs to be in the moment. He also seems to have access to ancient esoteric wisdom. Not only does he know about sacred plants, he also comprehends their chemistry and sees no conflict between the scientific and the spiritual. In fact, he finds a way to merge the two worlds. This book allowed me to ask him most of the questions I have, but I think he still has more to tell me.
6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
I do not have much of a social media presence so I’m probably not the right person to ask.
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
If you write in a specific genre, learn its rules. Whatever you write, do it because you truly enjoy the process. Obviously, it’s hard work and can be a grind at times. However, I think it’s important to find the fun and creativity in telling your story – a story that you would want to read.
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8) What does the future hold in store for you? Are any new books/projects on the horizon?
Yes, I’m working on a second ‘Peacemaker’ book that takes place a couple of years after the last one ends. It is set in another fictionalized city and has many of the same characters and several new ones.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
After a planetary disaster leaves only a handful of humans alive on a deserted island, an alien race comes and makes an alliance to save the survivors in author Jamie Smartkins’s “Jexter Bladebrace & The Exalted Kingdom”.
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The Synopsis
In the year 2080 AD, the asteroid Ominoulada strikes the Earth, shaking the planet.
Jexter Bladebrace finds himself stranded on an island. The spaceship Spectrovor arrives to help the Earthlings. Joining one hundred survivors on the island where Spectrovor lands, Jexter, Shelly and Mac try to prevent their island from sinking into the ocean.
The Spectropeans from Spectrovor suggest an alliance with the Earthlings, whereby they will save them by turning them into humphibians, a life form which can survive on land as well as in water. The humphibians take refuge in a sunken ship and learn to live on the demolished planet Earth, exploring and finding new places.
But when they find another planet, a reflection of the Earth, their lives take a drastic turn.
Can Jexter, Shelly and Mac salvage the future of the Earthlings?
The Review
This was a fast-paced and highly creative read! The author immediately set the tone of the narrative, spelling out the destruction of Earth and the diminishing odds of survival the last of humanity faced in the wake of a massive asteroid. The author did an incredible job of balancing out humor and wit with a beautiful amount of world-building and found the perfect chord of harmony between the fantasy and science fiction elements.
The character arcs did a great job of really delving into the relationships these survivors had with each other and the otherworldly visitors who helped save them. For such a short read, the author created characters that readers immediately cared for and helped elevate the narrative overall. The twists and turns the narrative took allowed for several of the main characters to take on alternate roles as the story progressed, almost as if watching a show where an actor took on multiple roles for the same project.
The Verdict
A refreshing, entertaining, and creative sci-fi and fantasy read, author Jamie Smartkins’s “Jexter Bladebrace & The Exalted Kingdom” is a must-read novel to kick off 2022! Although I personally would have loved to see some more time to delve into these characters’ backstories and the history of these fictional worlds the author created, the narrative flowed quickly and gave readers an incredible story to get lost in. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
8/10
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About the Author
Jamie Smartkins is the author of action adventure fantasy sci-fi book ‘Jexter Bladebrace & The Exalted Kingdom’. Jamie is an Indian science fiction writer, blogger and YouTuber. After having over a decade of experience in the software industry, he moved into the world of writing. He is also a voracious reader, music lover and winner of several quiz and dance competitions. Jamie started writing about fantasy stories as he believes creative art in any genre is the ultimate form of abstract science.
He loves studying astrology, palmistry and new foreign languages during his spare time.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
The galaxy’s most dangerous human must gather a group of heroes to face an impending threat from behind the shadows of the known universe as war breaks out and a powerful race begins its deadly test against the galaxy in author Declan Finn’s “White Ops”, the first book in the series of the same name.
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The Synopsis
The Pharmakoi rampaged across dozens of star systems, taking on the toughest races in the Galaxy in their campaign of conquest. But they are only the beginning.
Sean Patrick Ryan sees that another race is behind the Pharmakoi expansion ; a race that wants to test our galaxy for weakness, and who needs to be eliminated from within. To fight the enemy in the shadows, Sean will put together a strike team to light up the darkness— with nukes if necessary.
They will get the job done at any cost.
They will be White Ops.
The Review
I can only describe this book as the ultimate sci-fi opera meets space western meets sci-fi military action-adventure all blended into one epic sci-fi tale. Simple, right? For such a lengthy read, the author did such an incredible job of writing in a way that allowed the action and mythos that the author created for this universe to flow smoothly and keep the reader on the edge of their seat, eager to jump into the next chapter of this story.
The balance the author found between the humorous dialogue and observations in the narrative with the rich sci-fi mythos and fully-developed character arcs of several characters made this story so brilliant. The exploration of not just a single moment but several years of this growing war effort and the infusion of both politics and action allowed readers to feel connected to the setting and the narrative’s atmosphere overall, creating a very cinematic quality that readers will fall in love with.
The Verdict
An entertaining, adrenaline-fueled, and breathtaking sci-fi epic, author Declan Finn’s “White Ops” is the perfect opening chapter of a new sci-fi saga. With a memorable cast of characters, a developing shadowy evil threatening the universe still, and a cliffhanger of an ending, readers are going to be eager to learn more about the book’s sequel ASAP. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Declan Finn is the NYC based author of books ranging from thrillers to urban fantasy to SciFi, including the 2016 Dragon Award Nominated Novel for Best horror, Honor at Stake, 2017 for Live and Let Bite, and 2018 for Codename: Unsub in best Apocalypse. He is known for “his strong fight scenes and is romance novels are sexy without being dirty, providing enough sexual tension to curl toes.”
He hosts the Catholic Geek Radio show, and can be found wherever someone is starting trouble. He also writes thrillers, video game reviews, and works for several blogs.
He is one of a legion of writers over at The Catholic Geeks blog (a legion, for we are many). Other books he has written includes the comedy-thriller It Was Only on Stun! where he blows up a sci-fi convention (no, not this one). He co-authored the science fiction espionage novel Codename: Winterborn. However, he is most proud of The Pius Trilogy – which includes “A Pius Man,” “A Pius Legacy,” “A Pius Stand,” and an anthology, “Pius Tales.”
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
TRIGGER WARNING: violence, captivity, experimentation/not shown, physical trauma, death of unnamed character/not shown, talk of suicide, suicide not on page, death of chicks when eggs go cold
The history of Destin and the GyrFalconi Society are explored as fans of The Valespian Pact series are sent over a century into the past in author Lexi Ander’s “Cherish”, the fourth book in this sci-fi romance series.
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The Synopsis
Saving a life can change the course of history.
Destin is torn away from his chicks and his bonded when the Terrens invade Aries 7. Experimented on in Terren labs, and made to work their mines, the GyrFalconi struggle to survive. Destin becomes their caretaker, endeavoring to save as many as possible, despite the emotional toll. Amidst the battle for survival, the universe shines on him and he bonds with not one but four people who give him a reason to keep fighting. When Valespia sends its Legions to the GyrFalconi’s aid, Destin and his bonded are eventually freed, only to face new cruelties from their own people.
Freedom comes with its own trials, though, as a divide forms in GyrFalconi society between the winged and the wingless. Destin and his bonded are given a chance at true happiness and they keep what they claim, no matter what.
Tags: The Twenty-Year War where Terrens really mucked things up, so many hatchlings, Love not Lust (yes, using caps there seemed necessary), survivors, bisexual characters, all the cute hatchlings, talking to spirits, low heat, protective chantelle, evil empress, courageous stags, polyamorous, Destin keeps collecting bonded, avian species screech… a lot, non-human ace spectrum characters, found family, underestimated batore, so many stags, Mar’Sani mentor, did I mention the cutest chicks ever?
CHERISH is the fourth book in the award-winning Valespian Pact series. Trigger warnings can be found in the Author’s Note. Please download a sample of this book or use the Look Inside feature. 196,000 words.
The Review
This was such an emotional and tumultuous roller-coaster of emotions as a reader. The author did such an amazing job of delving into the depths of the soul and exploring both the best and worst life has to offer. The world-building and vast amount of cultural development the author deployed into this narrative was astounding, really fleshing out the history of series-established characters like Destin and finally witnessing events hinted at in the series. Now I definitely think readers will be better off having read previous entries into the series so that these events and characters are better understood in the context of this fictional universe. However, the author did an amazing job conveying enough emotion and storytelling for these characters to make the reader feel invested in their journeys.
While this novel definitely starts out as a slow-burn kind of storytelling, the second half of the novel ramps up the twists and turns that allow readers to suddenly sit up in their seats and do a double-take, as the connection with these characters becomes more gripping as the plot thickens. As seen at the beginning of this review, there are some hard subject lines in this novel, but the author does a great job of handling them with care and showing the importance of these issues without being too graphic in detail, striking an important balance between a story’s theme and narrative that is so important and found often in the sci-fi romance genre.
The Verdict
A memorable, heartfelt, and engaging sci-fi romance, author Lexi Ander’s “Cherish” is a must-read novel. The mythos and LGBTQ-driven character development, along with truly important themes and explorations of finding hope and family in the darkest of times is something truly special, and readers will not be able to put this book down once they really sit down and get into it. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
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Now here is an exclusive guest post from author Lexi Ander on the tropes found in “Cherish”
Thank you for having me today! I’m absolutely thrilled about Cherish’s release. I was asked about what tropes Cherish used and I blanked for a moment because I don’t intentionally write to cover specific tropes. I actually had to look for a list of tropes to see which ones were in Cherish because I could only come up with Found Family.
I seem to write a lot about found family. Zeus’s attachment to the crew of the Oethra 7 is found family. He wanted to keep them with him and ended up finding a way for most of them to return with him to Atlainticia. Sohm’lan has parents who love him, but the Vondorians also claim his love and loyalty. Destin finds part of his future family in captivity. This finding people to love is something I write into most if not all my stories. For me, it’s just a part of life and living—though Destin does seem to collect more people than any other person I have written about. He has a big heart and a lot of love to give.
What are some other tropes found in Cherish? Big Character / Little Character. Batores are shorter/smaller than chantelle and stags. Second Chances is another trope that can be found in the book. This is a pretty strong theme throughout the story that touches several different situations. Egg-preg (an Mpreg trope) is also in the book but it’s not the same thing that you find in a lot of shifter/omegaverse stories. It’s very different and isn’t typical of the stories that use this particular trope. Forbidden Love… GyrFalconi have very traditional ideas of what a family nest looks like, and Cherish breaks down the boundaries because the survivors no longer care about society’s expectations. The Badass Hero trope. You know, I really like writing some variation of that trope. Sohm’lan really fits that trope, but in Cherish, the badass heroes were more subtle. It was the ‘small’ things they did that made them heroes and not because they were swashbuckling their way through the plot. 🙂 The Families/Raising Kids trope. It’s sort of hard to have the egg-preg trope and not have the Family/kids trope. They usually go hand-in-hand. And I think that is all the tropes you can find in Cherish. I might have missed one though. LOL
Reading-wise, I like to read Friends-to-Lovers, Arranged Marriages/Marriage of Convenience, Mpreg outside the omegaverse especially if its tipped on its head, and I always love a Badass Hero… oh, there’s a new trope that I heard about, the Badass Cinnamon Roll. I really like that one because I love sweet characters and when they get all protective and growly it’s the cutest thing ever, in my opinion.
I hope you found this interesting! This is a bit of geeky-fun for me. Check out Cherish and don’t forget to enter the giveaway.
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Lexi Ander has a new LGBTQ+ space opera out, The Valespian Pact book 4 (Ace, Demi, Bi, Poly): Cherish. And there’s a great giveaway!
Saving a life can change the course of history.
Destin is torn away from his chicks and his bonded when the Terrens invade Aries 7. Experimented on in Terren labs, and made to work their mines, the GyrFalconi struggle to survive. Destin becomes their caretaker, endeavoring to save as many as possible, despite the emotional toll. Amidst the battle for survival, the universe shines on him and he bonds with not one but four people who give him a reason to keep fighting. When Valespia sends its Legions to the GyrFalconi’s aid, Destin and his bonded are eventually freed, only to face new cruelties from their own people.
Freedom comes with its own trials, though, as a divide forms in GyrFalconi society between the winged and the wingless. Destin and his bonded are given a chance at true happiness and they keep what they claim, no matter what.
Warnings: violence, captivity, experimentation/not shown, physical trauma, death of unnamed character/not shown, talk of suicide, suicide not on page, death of chicks when eggs go cold.
Dashing tears from his eyes, he finished packing a small but heavy satchel. Alaina and Paxx waited for him in the receiving room holding large, overstuffed bags. At least they were not flying any great distance. The door was open to the balcony and the sight beyond confirmed their reality like nothing else could. Transports large and small zipped between the tall spires of this residential quarter of Skylight. The buildings were hundreds of floors tall with every roost boasting a balcony or three for landing. Usually, municipal transports flew above the spires, but these originated from the base of the buildings where the personal transports were stored.
The aircraft were not the only traffic. GyrFalconi flew everywhere, either singly or in small flocks, and there was a lot of swerving and near collisions, the people too panicked to pay attention. A lead weight formed in Destin’s stomach and a sense of urgency whispered that they needed to hurry. At least his parents’ rookery was only a couple spires over.
“Stay close to me,” he warned. The fledglings’ eyes were round with dawning fear as they observed the chaos. Paxx and Alaina nodded vigorously.
Clutching the pack to his chest, Destin sprinted and leaped off the balcony, his wings spread as he tested the air for a wind to glide on while he waited for his fledglings to catch up. They carried more, so they dropped quicker and had to flap hard to reach him, their burdens clutched to their chests. Destin spiraled down to the building’s lower floors, hoping that the air there would be less travelled, and he was right. As long as they stayed above the storage levels, they would not cross many individual flyers.
A few minutes later, they reached his parents’ building. Destin searched for his mahen’s storage garage where she and his dahen would be waiting. All the bay doors were open and the interiors empty. He did not need to read the labels, since his mahen, Akela de la Zudora, stood in the opening to her bay watching for them. Her golden-brown feathers were streaked with a darker brown that made her look severe when her feathers were clapped tight to her crown. Her brown-ringed black eyes held a wealth of worry as well as a touch of fear, which abated when her gaze landed on them.
Destin circled around behind his fledglings and made them land first. Both immediately went to Akela when their feet touched the floor. She wrapped them in a calming embrace as she clicked her nose-plate to theirs. His dahen, Imrie, rushed from the transport when Destin set down. Imrie’s long, sweeping gray-tipped pink feathers were ruffled in the strong breeze that pushed into the bay. The pink contrasted beautifully with his ebony skin. Of all the Aries collectives, Destin thought his dahen’s feather coloring the prettiest. His own were red feathers dusted with the broody black of Aries 1. When he was much younger, he’d wished he had the pretty pinks of Aries 4 like his da. Destin had outgrown such vanities and he was content with his coloring, though he still thought the red and black was somber.
Imrie grabbed his face and clicked his hard yellow nose-plate against Destin’s. “Where is Dena?” he asked softly enough that the chicks did not hear.
Destin refused to answer, not wanting to bring to the fledglings’ attention that he and their mahen were at odds. Imrie’s blue eyes narrowed with comprehension, and Destin did not envy the dressing down that his dahen would give Dena when he saw her next.
His parents’ personal transport was a modest five-person pipit. Glancing inside, food stores were crammed into every available space, leaving just enough room in the back for Destin’s fledglings. They would be holding their overstuffed burdens in their laps since there was no other room to store the bags.
“I think we can make room for you,” Mahen said, coming up behind him. But they could not and still eat. There were questions about whether the sky-cities receiving refugees would have enough foodstuff to feed everyone. Destin would not have his family going hungry when there was a seat for him on another transport.
“Dena made arrangements for me,” he replied. Akela pursed her lips, sweeping her gaze over him and the fledglings as if to say, ‘yes, my son, I can see the accommodations your bonded has made.’ He forged on. “Speaking of, they are waiting on me. I am already several minutes late.”
His chicks made frantic noises. They were all talk about building a nest of their own, but here they were, not wanting to be separated from him. It warmed Destin’s heart more than it should have. Perhaps Dena was correct, and he was holding onto the fledglings too tightly. He wrapped each chick in his arms, reminded of how much larger they were when he tilted his head up so they could click their nose-plates against his.
“Do what you are told and help your granden and granhen with what they need. They will rendezvous with your bondeds’ families. Together, they will all work to keep you safe.” Destin waited for them to nod before he stepped away.
“When will you and Dena be joining us?” Mahen asked, pushing the fledglings toward the transport.
“The de la Bao flock are meeting up with some of their extended family. I will make my way to you once we stop,” he replied, hoping that the fledglings did not notice he said nothing about their mahen. The fact was that he did not know what her plans were, especially after their argument.
Imrie pulled out his data pad and demanded Destin give him the location where he would end up.
“I will come and get you myself once we have settled Alaina and Paxx,” Akela stated, her expression telling him not to argue with her. Destin nodded, saying hurried farewells to his parents before sprinting to the open bay door and leaping into flight.
He was not exaggerating when he said he was late. He owed the neighbors many apologies when he arrived. They were kind, patient people but the stress of fleeing to safety could make anyone terse, especially when waiting on someone who delayed their safe departure.
The weight of his bag seemed heavier than before, which Destin was sure it was just in his mind. There were more individual fliers clogging the airways. With great care, he dodged a couple of near collisions before reaching the correct building. The bay door was open, and Destin pulled up from his dive to land on the edge… of an empty storage slot. He double checked the name and number to make sure he had arrived at the correct place. This was where he was supposed to meet up with the neighbors.
Destin stared at the bare floor, his mind stalled for a few precious seconds as he tried to comprehend what it meant. Again, he double checked the ID to make sure he was at the right location, and he was, but they were gone. They had left. He was only a few minutes late, but the bay was not even warm from the aircraft’s engine, so they had been gone much longer than he was late.
Had Dena cancelled his seat, thinking he would be travelling with her? He could not imagine the neighbors leaving without him. They were close friends of Destin’s and if they were leaving, they would have contacted him, and there were no waiting messages on the data pad. If Dena told them he did not need the seat, then why did she not say something to him? Did she forget since they had fought? Was—
Destin shook his head, trying to clear his mind. This was not the time to allow emotional turmoil to take over. He would broach the questions with her later, after he reached safety. He considered flying back to his parents’ bay, but they were probably gone already, and he could not waste the time. He would have to fly.
Author Bio
A two-time Rainbow Award recipient, Lexi has always been an avid reader and started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch) at a young age. She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a notebook, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in North Carolina with her Yankee husband and her 80-pound puppy named after a vacuum cleaner.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
One of the 12 planets housing the children of “The Maker” discovers an ancient device that allows for instantaneous travel between the 12 worlds, including Earth, but after Travelers arrive on Earth from that other world, the fate of Earth comes into question as another entity begins its mission to destroy all life related to The Maker in author Derek Mailhiot’s “12 Planets of the Intergalactic Map: Travelers From Schyllus”.
The Synopsis
What happens when 12 civilizations from different planets meet for the very first time? Will their common origin unite them into a mighty Intergalactic Empire? Or will they destroy each other?
The people of the planet Schyllus in the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy possess the “Intergalactic Map” which plots 12 planets in the Local Group of galaxies colonized by the children of the “Maker” called the “First Ones.” Schyllus is one of the planets. Earth is another. There are 10 more.
Scientists on Schyllus discover that the Maker has created a device in deep space—the Gryben Anomaly—that allows them to instantaneously travel between the 12 Planets.
The first planet they travel to is Earth. All they know is that Earth was colonized by the First Ones thousands of years ago—just like Schyllus was—but otherwise they know nothing about it.
What happens when 196,418 Travelers from Schyllus arrive on an unsuspecting and unprepared Earth? The Travelers are peaceful explorers, yet their arrival results in billions of human deaths from the chaos that ensues. Will their arrival on Earth be the demise of the human race?
Or will mankind join the Travelers in expeditions to the other planets—Thijar, Hyperios, Kikrit, Freytus, Acfarr, Vaagon, Minyos, Ozkozania, Dagomere, and Pluvikerr. These planets were all colonized by the First Ones thousands of years ago, but have evolved into vastly different civilizations.
And unbeknownst to the humanoids inhabiting the 12 Planets, a malevolent entity known as Torajii has vowed to exterminate all humanoids from the universe.
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The Review
The author did such a great job of finding the natural balance between sci-fi mythology and world-building and personal character growth. The exploration of mankind’s origins and our plan amongst the stars so to speak has been a goal of our civilization’s since we first landed on the moon, and yet the way the author reversed the concept on its head and instead explored how we would react if another, more advanced civilization arrived on our doorstep not as part of an invasion force, but as visitors on a mission of peace and exploration.
The story is so grand and so deep-seated in mythos and world-building that the author’s ability to ground the narrative with relatable and engaging human characters early on in the novel was fantastic to see on display here. It was also fascinating to see the similarities and differences between the Travelers and humanity here, as good and “evil” could be found on both sides, and each side had its own roots in violent behavior, highlighting the theme of mankind’s capability of self-destruction and to wage war upon itself. Yet the ability of these select “few” from both sides to come together to find a means of bonding with each other and hoping to do so with other worlds was a hopeful message that through cooperation and trust, anything could be possible.
The Verdict
A memorable, entertaining, and thought-provoking sci-fi novel, author Derek Mailhiot’s “12 Planets of the Intergalactic Map: Travelers From Schyllus” is a must-read story! The world-building alone is so imaginative and creative to behold, and the character-driven and grand mythos of this universe the author has created will keep readers on the edge of their seats, eager for another chapter in this universe. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab our copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Derek lives on beautiful Vancouver Island with his two children, Hannah and Daniel. With one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, combined with breathtaking scenery, Vancouver Island truly is the quintessential place for an author to live and write.
Derek studied economics at the University of Victoria and religious studies at the University of British Columbia. He is very entrepreneurial, starting an Internet company called InterWeb Connections Inc in 1995 and a software development company called Wireheads Labs Inc in 2002.
In 2011, Derek invented an alternative energy device that is radically innovative and truly disruptive. He filed a Patent in 2011 and started a company to develop a prototype, in order to commercialize this exciting technology.
As an independent investigative journalist, Derek deeply investigates topics to discover the truth, and shine a light on stories that are not always told. As a devout evangelical Christian who holds a modern scientific worldview, many of his books are on topics that intersect science and religion, such as creation and evolution. Other books are on topics that have been plagued by pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and Fake News.
As a teenager, Derek read The High Frontier by Gerard K. O’Neill and has been fascinated by space colonies, and anything space related, ever since. Also a huge fan of science fiction movies and books, Derek has taken up writing a 7-book science fiction series called 12 Planets of the Intergalactic Map.
When he’s not writing (or reading), Derek can be found hiking on one of the many trails on Vancouver Island.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
In the ashes of utter devastation, adventurer Nel Bentley must decide where her true loyalties lie and find a way to prevent Earth’s total annihilation in author V.S. Holmes’s “Heretics”, the fourth novel in the Nel Bentley series.
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The Synopsis
Without Earth, Nel has nowhere left to run
Hot-tempered Dr. Nel Bently is not cut out to save the world. After her last project ended in fire and death, Nel must put aside her distrust of just about everyone and embark on a lo-fi search for a deadly radio transmission.
Earth’s survivors are torn between the austere superpower of IDH and the high-tech grassroots Los Pobledores. At every turn more allies go missing and Nel questions where everyone’s true loyalties lie–and on which side Lin will fall when a line is finally drawn.
They need experts. They need firepower. But it looks like the only thing standing between Earth and devastation is Nel: archaeologist, asshole, and functioning alcoholic with anger issues.
The Review
A powerful new entry into this exhilarating and inviting sci-fi series! Author VS Holmes has crafted a marvelous and emotionally-driven new narrative that highlights the struggle to go back home again, and how our past determines who we will become in the future. The world-building and the way the author wove in similar conflicts and struggles our own world is facing today into the very sci-fi-centric narrative was amazing to see come to fruition, and allowed readers to feel more connected to the narrative.
This book, much like the rest of the series, all blossomed from the incredible character development the author has created here. Nel is such a complex and engaging protagonist, as her often destructive personality clashes with others in her field and yet her sense of what’s right and wrong becomes a leading light in the darkness around her. The relationship between Nel and Lin felt not only passionate but real, as their personalities may clash often, but their love for one another is felt on a very deep level. The twists and turns the author took these two amazing characters throughout this novel will leave longtime fans reeling and on the edge of their seat for the next book in this series.
The Verdict
A memorable, heart-pounding, and engaging sci-fi read, author V.S. Holmes’s “Heretics” is a must-read sci-fi novel of 2021! The world-building and mythos that the author employs here, as well as the tension and mystery surrounding who Nel can and cannot trust, make for some truly entertaining reading. The cliffhanger ending leaves open a host of possibilities for the future of this series, and readers will be hard-pressed to find a more emotionally charged and action-packed sci-fi novel with an LGBTQ-forward roster of characters to get behind. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
V. S. Holmes is an international bestselling author. They created the REFORGED series and the NEL BENTLY BOOKS. Smoke and Rain, the first book in their fantasy quartet, won New Apple Literary’s Excellence in Independent Publishing Award in 2015. In addition, they have published short fiction in several anthologies.
When not writing, they work as a contract archaeologist throughout the northeastern U.S. They live in a Tiny House with their spouse, a fellow archaeologist, their not-so-tiny dog, and own too many books for such a small abode. As a disabled and queer human, they work as an advocate and educator for representation in SFF worlds.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A powerful and dark civilization from before the dawn of man threatens to consume the galaxy once and for all, and only the heroic actions of Gallagher and his crew stand in the way of these menacing foes and their nefarious plans for the universe in author James Norwood’s “Heirs of the Ancients”, the second book in the Three World’s Chronicles series.
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The Synopsis
A malicious and ancient alien race from before the dawn of man lays a trap for an unsuspecting civilization fleeing its home world. The galaxy must once more fight for its very survival, as forces work against it that are almost as old as the galaxy itself. Gallagher and his crew must uncover the truth before time runs out, and the heirs of the ancients implement their evil plan.
The Review
This was a brilliant follow-up to the acclaimed sci-fi book, A Trio of Worlds. The author expertly found the perfect harmony between character growth, galactic mythos, and themes of theological divides, and the thirst for power, as well as classic themes of good vs evil. The author was amazing in showcasing both the past and the present of this novel’s history and culture, especially the beginning chapters that highlighted the divide between the D’Lai and the Däk’in centuries, if not millennia before. The war that erupted based on theological differences in their faiths expertly mired our own world’s struggles with religious divides and people of faith using religion to fuel their own rage and bloodlust.
Once again, the author utilizes mythology and world-building expertly and balances this with great characters that either chill you to the bone or win your hearts as rough and tumble heroes. The complexity of the war’s history and the lies that made the foundation for an entire race’s anger towards the universe was a great development in this series, allowing the reader to see who the true “villains” were, and who became victims in a war that raged far before they even knew.
The Verdict
A stunning, narratively rich, and entertaining addition to an already marvelous new sci-fi series, author James Norwood’s “Heir of the Ancients” is a must-read novel of 2021. A great start for sci-fi fans this fall, the author delivers rich mythology and great character development across the ages, making for an inviting story that readers won’t be able to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
James Norwood is a middle school teacher. He lives in Riverside, California with his wife Kelly and their three cats.
