Review: Space Rogues

Space Rogues by John Wilker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fans of Farscape may be disappointed

The Epic Adventures of Wil Calder, Space Smuggler was okay. It seemed to be a mixed rip-off of several sci-fi shows, but most of the inspiration (a nice word for it) seemed to be Farscape. Basically, the book reads like Farscape fan fiction. A human astronaut ran into trouble testing an FTL drive and got lost in space only to be picked up by a ship of criminals. And the primary antagonists are the Peacekeepers, who are a corrupt mercenary policing force who fly around the galaxy in Peacekeeper carriers. Does it sound familiar yet?

However, just ripping off Farscape doesn't make it a bad book. Hell, I would love a good Farscape rip-off with all the same creative writing, witty dialog, and intricate world-building of the source material. However, this is not it. The writing is relatively simple, the characters are one-dimensional, the dialog is basic, the plot didn't come together smoothly. While I think the author intended there to be humor, I didn't find much of it funny or amusing. Perhaps this book was meant for a YA audience. Also, the majority of the book was written in the present tense, which just made the entire narrative sound weird. Who writes in the present tense?! But I did finish the book, so I can't say it was so bad that I had to give up. After getting through the entire thing, I can say it was just okay. Not good or great. But okay. There are six more books in this series, so maybe it gets better?

In the audio version of the book, KC Johnston matches the book's mediocrity with an okay performance. I've listened to other books narrated by Johnston that were better (both the book and the narration), so I know that he does better work. I think the narration suffered from some of the odd pacing, dialog, and present tense.

This audio was given to me free, and I voluntarily gave this review.

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Review: Renegades

Renegades by K. Gorman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Renegades is the second book in the Eurynome Code series and continues the story right where the first book left off. Now that the slow start of the story has passed, Renegades focuses on action and intrigue. I've thoroughly enjoyed the cast of characters and the fact that they try to out think or out maneuver the various antagonists in the series rather than constantly relying on brute force. This makes this series a refreshing change of pace from the typical "shoot 'em up" tactic more often present in many of the books I've been reading lately.

I've found myself fascinated with mysteries presented and am both pleased and irritated that I don't have any idea where the story is going. Like the first book, Renegades also ends with a cliffhanger and adds more questions than it answers. Normally I'm pretty good at predicting what will happen next or what the big reveal will be before it happens; however, with this series, I'm completely in the dark still. Unlike other book series that compare themselves to popular sci-fi TV series, I'll honestly say that the Eurynome Code would make a great TV series.

Thank you to Aethon Books who provided me this book free of charge at my request.

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Review: Empire Earth (The Complete Trilogy): A Space Opera Boxed Set

Empire Earth (The Complete Trilogy): A Space Opera Boxed Set by Chris Pourteau
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Empire Earth is placed in a future where Earth and its colonies across the solar system are governed by a mega corporation slash crime syndicate and its description as a sci-fi noir thriller is absolutely spot on. Conceptually, the series is well done and the universe which serves as the backdrop for all of the books is amazingly detailed and complex. I was originally introduced to the SynCorp Saga universe through Optional Retirement Plan, which takes place after the events of Empire Earth. I don’t want to spoil the plots of either, but I will say I was overjoyed when I discovered many of the memorable characters that had cameos in Optional Retirement Plan were also staples in Empire Earth as well. If you read the Empire Earth trilogy first, do not neglect to follow up with Optional Retirement Plan afterwards.

The characters were unique and fun, the plot was deep and complex, and each book resolved a story arc while revealing a bit more of the overall narrative that was woven throughout the trilogy. I also found the shifting POV generated a really interesting tone for the books. It took me a while to realize that the language and writing style shifted between characters depending on the POV character. I’m guessing that Pourteau wrote some chapters and Bruns wrote others, which means their individual writing style made the POV characters even more unique (for example, the Stacks Fischer POV chapters were always told from his first person perspective). I think this was genius-level partnershipping (is that a word?).

There isn’t really much I could say that would be a criticism of Empire Earth. I’ll admit that a good chunk of the first book was slow, but some front loading build up was needed for the trilogy to work. The series was built around an epic narrative that requires quite a lot of setup, has a nice sized cast of POV characters, and spans the solar system from Earth to the moons of Saturn and Jupiter. Just stick with it and you’ll realize the pacing is perfect and increases as each bit of the plot is revealed.

Bronson Pinchot does an awesome job with the narration. I’ll admit I was a bit disappointed when I realized that R.C. Bray didn’t narrate this (he does Optional Retirement Plan), but Pinchot hits it out of the park with his performance in the three Empire Earth books. I’ve got zero complaints with the narration, everything was spot on.

Thank you to Aethon Books who provided me this book free of charge at my request.



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Review: Criminal Macabre: The Complete Cal McDonald Stories

Criminal Macabre: The Complete Cal McDonald Stories by Steve Niles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A functional drunk fights monsters and evil!

The character Cal McDonald is a paranormal private detective created for Criminal Macabre, which is a Dark Horse Comics series. In addition to the comic series, the character also appears in two novels (Savage Membrane & Guns, Drugs, and Monsters) and a collection of short stories (Dial M for Monster), which are all included in this single omnibus edition of Criminal Macabre: The Complete Cal McDonald Stories.

The backdrop of the Criminal Macabre series is similar to what you might find in the dark urban fantasy genre, but the majority of the population is in denial of the existence of the supernatural and the authorities actively work to cover up evidence of supernatural involvement in criminal activities. Though vampires, werewolves, and the undead are integrated within society, normal people are unwilling or unable to accept their existence, leaving individuals like Cal McDonald with the task of investigating crimes in the dark, supernatural underworld. Cal, isolated by his work and the horrors and loss he has experienced during his life, is a self-destructive, anti-social, anti-hero. He spends the majority of his days and nights taking an excess of alcohol, barbituates, and illicit stimulates in order to maintain a balanced state of functional inebriation.

I found all of the Cal McDonald stories enjoyable, especially the interplay between Cal and his kinda-sorta-sometimes business partner (and ghoul), Moloch. The books are well written and the narrative is deep, dark, and immersive. The plots of the stories often take unexpected (and interesting) twists and turns. The story is told from Cal’s point of view and the tone, like his character, flits between grim horror and snarky sarcasm. Cal seems to possess a death wish born of his self-loathing and depression, yet refuses to die at the hands of another, particularly if it's one of his many supernatural adversaries. Between his awful luck and occasional fits of rage, he tangles with vampires, werewolves, demons, aliens, zombies, and other things that go bump in the night through the series. I know the comic series is still running, but really hope there are more novels published in this series as well.

The narration for the audiobook is a perfect fit with Criminal Macabre and Eric Bryan Moore’s distinct tone perfectly captures Cal’s personality and dark temperament. Other characters are well portrayed with unique voices that represent their nature and disposition. Overall, Moore’s performance greatly enhances what is already an entertaining and interesting collection of stories.

Special thanks to Eric Bryan Moore, who provided me with this book at my request.


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Review: Intergalactic Space Force: Like the Space Force, but more Bigly!

Intergalactic Space Force: Like the Space Force, but more Bigly! by Chad Morgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It really is more Bigly!

So I'll admit I had some real doubts at the start of this book. From the description, I was already convinced this book was going to be completely full of politically motivated slander with a completely ridiculous and cheesy plot. And it was. And I loved it.

Hopefully, if you are looking for a serious sci-fi novel full of realistic technology and introspective characters, you've already moved on because this book is not for you. However, if you are a fan of hilarious romps across the galaxy full of implausible hijinx and ridiculous, but entertaining plots, this may be a good fit. I've come to appreciate these more light-hearted stories and it's great to relax with a book that doesn't take itself so seriously every once in a while. But beyond the cheese and clichés, the book is also well written -- the pacing is good, the characters are interesting and developed, and the plot, though a bit outlandish, is amusing and entertaining.

And yes, the book definitely has some political undertones woven into its plot and setting. But I think it actually puts forth a really great message about addressing institutionalized inequalities and prejudices and these ideas seem to be more prevalent than poking fun at any particular person (you know who I mean). Though these elements drive the plot, I do not think they will ruin anyone's enjoyment of the book itself. Well, unless you are a diehard misogynist or fanatical supporter of the creator of the space force. Even then, give it a chance!

The narration was another red flag for me when I first saw this book. Once I saw that an indie author narrated his own book, I prepared myself for a low-budget recording disaster. However, much like the book itself, I was pleasantly surprised. The author does an amazing job with the narration and though there is a bit of subtle but annoying background noise occasionally, I quickly found myself liking the narrator's style, tone, and voice characterization. I mean, it is his book and he knows exactly what he thinks every character should sound like, I just didn't expect Morgan to have such a great talent for it.

Special thanks to Audiobook BOOM and Chad Robert Morgan, who provided this book free at my request.

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