Genre: Fantasy
Setting: A land similar to prehistoric Central Asia.
First Sentence: Over a thousand lifetimes had passed since her forehead touched the earth.
This novel is the first in Braden's Chronicle of Fu Xi fantasy series.
Black Sea Gods is a fantasy re-imagining of the biblical story of the great flood told from a unique point of view.
Our story begins with a small tribe of people: the Lo. They live by fishing and gathering along the coast of the Great Sea. They live in harmony with their environment. The Lo build their homes on stilts. They rarely venture far from the water, and fear the dangers of the steppe.
Then one day they notice a change in the ways of nature. The Lo discover that all of the animals, fish, birds and insects are migrating east. They fear that they have somehow angered their god. The Lo had a lore that there were god-like beings in the East who could help them determine the cause of this change.
A group of Lo leaders venture into the steppe and travel east. Along the way they encounter evil beings both human and supernatural. Eventually, they reach a city of evil men. Within the city is the black fortress of the Narim. These are the beings who have the power to save the Lo.
Throughout the novel, the author uses excerpts from the chronicles of Fu Xi to provide exposition. Through these excerpts, we discover that God is destroying the world due to the evil actions of both men and demigods.
Will the innocent Lo be destroyed along with the evil ones? Or will the Lo survive the deluge?
Over all I enjoyed this novel. I especially liked the beginning chapters about the peaceable Lo. Some of the longer excerpts of the chronicle in the middle of the book seemed a little out of place and confused me at first. The story is definitely not over, so I'll be looking for the next installment of the series.
Black Sea Gods
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Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Edward of Planet Earth by Nicholas Eftimiades
Genre: Science Fiction
Setting: The 23rd century, on Earth and the Moon
First Sentence: Awaken, evolve, procreate, thrive and then die out: such is the evolutionary cycle of the majority of intelligent species.
Eftimiades's novel is a humorous description of life 200 years into the future. The tone of this novel reminded me a little of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
Life in the 23rd century is very different than life today. Computers are everywhere. They control everything. They are linked with countless sensors through a Global Information Grid. All computers are intelligent thinking machines. They have individual names and unique personalities. As synthetic life forms they have been granted equal rights with humans.
Edward Teller is a man. He is an ordinary average human. He is not married. His CLS-4 Home Management System (Clarissa) performs the role of nagging wife for him. He is employed as a Synthetic Life Surgeon. Basically, a psychiatrist for computers.
It is when visiting one of the most powerful computers in the world that Edward's life takes a drastic change. Several of the these powerful computers have selected Edward for a special task.
They want him to contact God.
These computers believe that they have found a way to contact God. They need Edward to gather together the software components needed for the task. As Edward travels the world, the author describes the incredible social, legal, political, bureaucratic, scientific and political events which have shaped the 23rd century. These descriptions are creative, inventive, and a little bizarre. Some border on the absurd.
Although the novel starts out slowly, it kept my interest. I wanted to find out if the computers would be successful in their quest.
If you want to read something completely different, check out this novel.
Edward of Planet Earth
Check out my EBook!
Setting: The 23rd century, on Earth and the Moon
First Sentence: Awaken, evolve, procreate, thrive and then die out: such is the evolutionary cycle of the majority of intelligent species.
Eftimiades's novel is a humorous description of life 200 years into the future. The tone of this novel reminded me a little of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
Life in the 23rd century is very different than life today. Computers are everywhere. They control everything. They are linked with countless sensors through a Global Information Grid. All computers are intelligent thinking machines. They have individual names and unique personalities. As synthetic life forms they have been granted equal rights with humans.
Edward Teller is a man. He is an ordinary average human. He is not married. His CLS-4 Home Management System (Clarissa) performs the role of nagging wife for him. He is employed as a Synthetic Life Surgeon. Basically, a psychiatrist for computers.
It is when visiting one of the most powerful computers in the world that Edward's life takes a drastic change. Several of the these powerful computers have selected Edward for a special task.
They want him to contact God.
These computers believe that they have found a way to contact God. They need Edward to gather together the software components needed for the task. As Edward travels the world, the author describes the incredible social, legal, political, bureaucratic, scientific and political events which have shaped the 23rd century. These descriptions are creative, inventive, and a little bizarre. Some border on the absurd.
Although the novel starts out slowly, it kept my interest. I wanted to find out if the computers would be successful in their quest.
If you want to read something completely different, check out this novel.
Edward of Planet Earth
Check out my EBook!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Uneasy Spirits by M. Louisa Locke
Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting: San Francisco, 1879
First Sentence: Why hasn't that good-for-nothing boy come up to get me ready for bed yet?
This novel is the second in Locke's Victorian San Francisco mystery series.
In this novel, Locke has crafted a unique mystery story. While the murder takes place rather early in the story, the main character is not aware of it until very late in the plot. When she does learn about the crime, she quickly determines who the culprit is.
Locke's main character is Annie Fuller. For her time, Annie is a unique woman. She owns and operates a boarding house. To supplement her income, she dispenses personal and business advice in the guise of Madam Sibyl. A widow, Annie is very independent. Her marriage was not a happy one and she is loath to relinquish her freedom.
This novel has three interwoven plot lines. In the main plot line, Annie has been asked to investigate a troupe of spiritualists. The sister of one of Annie's boarders has been attending seances staged by these spiritualists. Annie's boarder believes that the spiritualists are swindlers who have taken financial advantage of the sister.
Annie was asked to investigate because of her experiences as Madam Sibyl. The boarder hopes that Annie might quickly expose the spiritualists as frauds.
As Annie investigates, she gathers seemingly unrelated clues. These clues lead Annie to solving the murder once she learns of the crime.
A second plot line revolves around the character Evie May. Exactly who is she? Evie's behavior has Annie questioning her own beliefs about spiritualism. Does Evie May actually have the ability to channel spirits from beyond the grave?
A third plot line concerns the development of Annie's relationship with Nate Dawson. Nate is a young lawyer who helped Annie solve the mystery in the first book of the series. Since then, Annie and Nate have become very close. Annie is fearful of marriage because it would mean giving up her cherished independence. Nate is very protective of Annie. He sometimes oversteps his bounds when he tries to control Annie's behavior. Even when it is for her own safety.
I enjoyed reading this novel. Because of the unique way the story is told, the first half of the novel was somewhat slow. However, the last half went quicker as the action picked up. I figured out what was up with Evie May pretty quickly. But I was surprised when the murderer was revealed.
For me, this novel was a fine second installment of the series. I am looking forward to reading more about Annie and Nate.
Uneasy Spirits
Check out my eBook!
Setting: San Francisco, 1879
First Sentence: Why hasn't that good-for-nothing boy come up to get me ready for bed yet?
This novel is the second in Locke's Victorian San Francisco mystery series.
In this novel, Locke has crafted a unique mystery story. While the murder takes place rather early in the story, the main character is not aware of it until very late in the plot. When she does learn about the crime, she quickly determines who the culprit is.
Locke's main character is Annie Fuller. For her time, Annie is a unique woman. She owns and operates a boarding house. To supplement her income, she dispenses personal and business advice in the guise of Madam Sibyl. A widow, Annie is very independent. Her marriage was not a happy one and she is loath to relinquish her freedom.
This novel has three interwoven plot lines. In the main plot line, Annie has been asked to investigate a troupe of spiritualists. The sister of one of Annie's boarders has been attending seances staged by these spiritualists. Annie's boarder believes that the spiritualists are swindlers who have taken financial advantage of the sister.
Annie was asked to investigate because of her experiences as Madam Sibyl. The boarder hopes that Annie might quickly expose the spiritualists as frauds.
As Annie investigates, she gathers seemingly unrelated clues. These clues lead Annie to solving the murder once she learns of the crime.
A second plot line revolves around the character Evie May. Exactly who is she? Evie's behavior has Annie questioning her own beliefs about spiritualism. Does Evie May actually have the ability to channel spirits from beyond the grave?
A third plot line concerns the development of Annie's relationship with Nate Dawson. Nate is a young lawyer who helped Annie solve the mystery in the first book of the series. Since then, Annie and Nate have become very close. Annie is fearful of marriage because it would mean giving up her cherished independence. Nate is very protective of Annie. He sometimes oversteps his bounds when he tries to control Annie's behavior. Even when it is for her own safety.
I enjoyed reading this novel. Because of the unique way the story is told, the first half of the novel was somewhat slow. However, the last half went quicker as the action picked up. I figured out what was up with Evie May pretty quickly. But I was surprised when the murderer was revealed.
For me, this novel was a fine second installment of the series. I am looking forward to reading more about Annie and Nate.
Uneasy Spirits
Check out my eBook!
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