New Series

Architects of Memory by Karen Osborne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This starts one way and near the ends becomes something else. Look for danger and tension as the book begins. A salvage crew bites off more than they can chew and have to work very hard to survive. then the story changes to saving humanity from weapons of really mass destruction plus changing how humans and aliens interact. Interesting but different. It kept me reading but the change left me feeling a little lost.

received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Many Twists and Turns

Black Sheep: A Space Opera Adventure by Rachel Aukes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nothing is as it seems in this space opera. Filled with interesting characters, a plot that changes, and some interesting world building this is fun reading. It does change directions ofter as our characters have to overcome many different obstacles Look for an real plot twist as the book ends. First of a trilogy.

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The Past Returns

Fleet Elements by Walter Jon Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Martinez and Sula are thrown together 10 years after the last book in the series. Once again they work and defeat the enemy but at great cost. While the battle is a large part of this story line the relationship between Martinez and Sula is again center stage. Things look great for the two but there is another player who can really change the relationships and destroy both. How does it end. Badly.

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New Characters

Milk Run by Nathan Lowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This brings Natalya and her friend into the Golden Age of the Solar Clippers. Both on the run,, both with secrets and both facing danger there is a glimpse of the plot line facing Ish and friends. A nice way to eventually bring the two different groups together. A interesting mix of characters and a plot that has the tension needed for the story line. Read after you get to know Ish and friends to get the tie in. Book one of a trilogy.

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Welcome to Donovan

Unreconciled by W. Michael Gear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Donovan still has stories to tell. This time the cast of characters includes some new comers. Some good, some not so good, and some that remain a mystery. Love the action, hate when someone I really like dies, and find the plot to be interesting and different. This is one story Donovan has to tell but there are more waiting as the story ends. Welcome to Donovan.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review

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More to Come

By Darkness Forged by Nathan Lowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ish and crew are Back in Toe-Hold space and things just keep getting worse and worse. No profit, crew missing, bandits on board and in the end they come out on top. Look for new crew when the author starts the next trilogy. Hope it arrives soon.

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New Trilogy

In Ashes Born by Nathan Lowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I said goodby to Ish to soon. This time there is A Seeker's Tale. Ish meets up with an old friend from the first books. Pip is off on a mission and he talks Ish into going along. This is a series set up with some old friends and some new. Also a ship from the past. Great intro with interesting plot features.

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Same Tone as First Two

The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everything is all wrapped up by the end of the book. The ending is nice and neat even if the journey is messy. All the main characters reappear and play important roles. While the ending makes sense in context I am not sure I like where at least one of the characters ended up. Still a fun read with the trademark snark still in place.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Hope First in Series

Conviction by Glynn Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Told in the first person by Kira Demirci Conviction takes you into a world that is coming apart at the seams. Kira and her squad had a death mark on them and it follows when she runs. Turns out there are more enemies that she ever though. Great world building and interesting back story. Each add to a plot that is familiar but different enough to keep me reading. Hope this is first in series as things were solved but much left up in the air.

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New Series

Termination Shock by Gillian Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I felt like I strolled through this book. There was a lot going on but it just did not get in any hurry to get all the world building, backstory, and character development revealed. I liked the concept. The world building was new. The characters were interesting and the plot kept my attention. First in the series I will be interested in seeing where it goes in the next book.

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New Review

Stars Beyond by S.K. Dunstall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As I read this just kept getting better and better. Josune, Roystan, and Nika as well as the other characters kept the action going and the plot thickening. I loved the first book and Stars Beyond lived up to my expectations. S.K. Dunstall is on a roll with first the Linesman books and now the Stars Uncharted. This could be the last book in this series but I am hoping for one more. I love the crew and would love to see how they carry on after all the danger and tension in this book.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 376 -The Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston, Connections in Death by J.D.Robb

The Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great Start. Loved the characters, the backstory, the world building and the mystery. Then the whole thing just seemed to stop. The end left a whole lot to be desired. This is book one of a series but while one mystery was solved it left everything up in the air. I will pick up the next book just to see how everyone survives. At least I hope they survive.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Connections in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Eve and Roarke and always look forward to their next book. It is seldom that I am disappointed but Connections in Death just did not catch me. I did like the characters and the murder was well set up but the aftermath was just boring. Still a must read for fans of the In Death series. Can be read as a standalone but the series does follow a time line.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 291 - Alien Contact for Runaway Moms by Edward Hoornaert, Crash by N.S. Shajay

Alien Contact for Runaway Moms by Edward Hoornaert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Audra Verhailey has to get away where no one can find her. Set in the world where another Vancouver Island comes into our world this adds to the world building and backstory that Hoornaert has created. I loved how Audra kept her focus on saving her daughter even when she meets and travels with Tal Pelletier. Tal has faced loss and let it consume his life. Meeting Audra changes that. A fun romp filled with interesting characters and with more than one romance.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Crash by N.S. Shajay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Crash follows a familiar trope. What happens when a ship with colonists and criminals crashes on an unknown planet. Shajay puts a interesting spin on the plot line. It is the job of Captain Patrick Knox to hold it together with the aid of some interesting characters. He has both colonists and criminals working for him and some criminal at large and working against him. You would think that was the worse but it turns out the main character trying to kill them all is the planet itself. Shajay has gone overboard in creating a planet that no one would ever want to live on. Don't look for a resolution to the problems. This sets the characters, world building and backstory for the next two book in the series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 283 - The Stars Now Unclaimed by Drew Williams, The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick

The Stars Now Unclaimed by Drew Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Something happened years ago and the galaxy changed. Before there were endless wars and the Pulse was supposed to story them. It did stop some but not all. Enter the Justified and Jane Kamali. They are trying to stop the Pulse from returning and doing more damage. The world building and back story are all excellent. There are also some interesting characters. While Jane is the main characters the group around her are well developed and diverse. The plot line follows an attack that is repelled but the ending leaves plenty of room for future stories set in The Universe After.

 The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun mix of history and fantasy. It follows two women from the same time period - one who stayed and one who came into the future. It was a little slow in the beginning as it had to establish both world building and back story of the two main characters. Their lives are intertwined even as they are separated by hundreds of years. A interesting take on one character who disappeared from history when she was two and another who comes from the authors imagination.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 284 - Homeworld by Evan Currie, Finger on The Trigger by Delores Fossen

Homeworld by Evan Currie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The fight with the Drasin continues. This time they are lead to Earth by a ship from the Block. Eric and crew are left with a fight they can only lose. This is fun to listen to but if I was reading it I would probably skim over half as it is full of technical information that just bores me to tears. Listening I just let all of that flow over me and concentrate on the actual action. I just finished and am off to get book 4. This is a very long series.


Finger on the Trigger by Delores Fossen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This follows a familiar theme. You have the lawman (this time a Texas Ranger), a woman he has loved for a long time (Rachel McCall), and a child (this time still in the womb. There is tension, danger, misdirection, and romance all worked into an enjoyable story. This is book two of the series and while it will stand alone I was missing some of the backstory as I had not read book one.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 281 - Sharship's Mage: Omnibus by Glynn Stewart, A Wolf Apart by Maria Vale

Starship's Mage: Omnibus by Glynn Stewart


Magic sends the ships through space one light year at a time and Damien Montgomery has that kind of magic. Too bad he has no one to help him get a job on a jump ship. With that as the beginning an interesting story starts as Damien takes a job on a freighter with problems. This has it all - a little romance, a lot of danger, great characters, and a intricate plot. This is another story by Glynn Stewart. I am finding all of his stories very well written and fun to read.


A Wolf Apart by Maria Vale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Vale has a unique take on werewolves in the series she started in The Last Wolf. I was lukewarm about that book but wanted to give the series a chance with book two. I found it a little to introspective for my taste. While the main character does generate some sympathy I never really got into the story. It just seemed to really drag on and on without the action I looked for. Check it out to see. Maybe you will like it much better than I did.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 279 - Into the Black by Evan Currie, Witch World by Andre Norton

Into the Black by Evan Currie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This is classic space opera/ military science fiction. The Odyssey is on its first space journey and is the first ship of its kind. On it’s maiden voyage it picks up what sounds like a distress signal and goes to answer. The rest you can guess. Even though it is a common theme there is something for almost everyone in the story. There is a lot of technical explanation for the tech fan. There is a lot of action for the action fan. There are new worlds for the pure science fiction fan.

While the plot is predictable the action is interesting. The world building is good but the character development is a little thin. It could be because there are so many characters and most play a major role in the action. As a result more time is spent on the action each is involved in than on developing a well-rounded character.

When the action came to an end there was not final solution to the problem. In fact the last page of the book pointed to a much bigger problem facing everyone. I do want to find out what will happen next so I will be looking for the next book. I listened to this as an audio book and while the voice for the male characters was spot on the voice for the female left something to be desired.


Witch World by Andre Norton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved the first part of the book where Simon Tregarth escaped Earth and came to a new world. The writing there lead the way to future fantasy and scifi books. After that I hit parts that moved to slow then parts that kept up a very fast pace. This is the book for my Science Fiction Book Club this month. We are reading some of the Grand Masters of Science Fiction and Andre Norton was one of the early authors chosen. I read the book years ago and it was interesting remembering how I reacted to the story then and how I reacted to it now. Then I was looking only at the story and today I was looking at how the bones of the story as impacted writing today. Norton was a trail blazer and Witch World was part of that trail.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 276 - Duchess of Terra by Glynn Stewart, 1636: The Vatican Sanction by Eric Flint

Duchess of Terra by Glynn Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun series to read. It has great characters, both human and alien, interesting science and a plot that started in book one and continues in book two. The backstory continues to develop and the world building supports the story and is presented as part of the plot. There is danger developing as the book starts and it is taken care of before the book ends. That does not mean there is nothing left for another book. This is a developing story just as the world building continues to develop. There is more to come.


1636: The Vatican Sanction by Eric Flint
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This picks up where a previous book left off. Pope Urban is trying to get the different Christian religions together to talk and perhaps stop fighting. There are those who support and those who oppose. That makes the undertaking dangerous. There are several main characters from the first book and many from history. This is a complete story and the reader is the same for all the Ring of Fire books. He does a very good job of the different voices helpings keep the story moving.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 273 - Space Deputy by Jenny Schwartz, Darik by Veronica Scott

Space Deputy by Jenny Schwartz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is not the wild west but it is the edge of space and not the best posting for a deputy. Thelma Bach was top of her class but did not get a prime assignment. Instead she was sent to Saloon Sector but all was not lost. She had a plan and it was fun watching her work it. I loved the characters; especially the two AI's. Both added a nice spice to the mix. Of course her boss the very good looking boss, Sheriff Smith, is just an added bonus. Pick this up to find out how Thelma shows everyone that being top of the class was not a fluke and she will outsmart everyone. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.


Darik by Veronica Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another important part of the world building happens in Darik. When Darik sees Nichole James he knows he must rescue her. That leads to a fast paced story line with action and danger. Darik and Nichole are great characters. Nichole is very strong and Darik just what she needs. This is a great addition to the story. It can stand alone but is best if read in order. Now waiting for the next book in the series.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 271 - A Cowboy's Challenge by Vicki Lewis Thompson, The Terran Privateer by Glynn Stewart

A Cowboy's Challenge by Vicki Lewis Thompson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another good addition to the McGavin Brother books. Of course this time it is not a McGavin who is featured. Instead it is Wes Sawyer who arrived several books back. Seems that he rents one of the apartments above the bakery where Ingrid Lindstrom has one of the others. A great set up for romance but with a problem. When is too soon not too soon at all. Great seeing some other new characters arriving for future stories.


The Terran Privateer by Glynn Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Glynn Stewart writes fun space opera. I could pick this apart for some holes in the story but where would the fun be in that. This has all you look for in a hard to put down book. Earth is in trouble. The only hope is a experimental ship with an out of favor captain. This had very good world building, interesting back story, and good character development. First in the Duchy of Terra series it tells a complete story with a good conclusion. The set up for the next story comes at the very end of the book and does not interfere with the plot. I found this and a second Glynn Steward book on Netgalley. I enjoyed both and will look for his books in the future.

I received a free copy of the book in return for a honest review.

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