Wanderer's Escape by Simon Goodson

Genre: Science Fiction

Setting: In space aboard an advanced alien spaceship.

First Sentence: "You! Get get over there!" the guard barked at Jess.

This book is the first in Simon Goodson's Wanderer series which currently has four novels.

As our story begins, Jess is a slave.  He is part of a slave gang that tasked with opening abandoned space vessels.  Some of them have been booby trapped.  The slave before Jess has been killed trying to open a ship.

Now its Jess's turn.

But the ship possesses an intelligence.  And for some reason, the ship has chosen Jess to be its next captain.

So Jess enters the ship, and the ship somehow contacts Jess.  He quickly learns that he has some control over the vessel.  Jess and two other slaves use the vessel to escape to freedom.

The ship is named Wanderer.  It is the most advanced spaceship in the galaxy.  As time goes on, Jess learns more about Wanderer  and how truly powerful it is.  Which means that the ship is coveted by space pirates and greedy space colonies.

Although Jess does not want to fight, he is forced to fight to defend the ship and its crew.  And after each battle Jess is truly sorry for the loss of life which resulted from each battle.

Eventually, Jess needs to learn a hard lesson about trust.

This book was a fun read.  I was looking for something easy read after reading a few hefty tomes and this novel fit the bill.  I liked Goodson's easy to read style. For me it was an pleasant read.

                            

Enemies at Home by Lindsey Davis

Genre: Historical Mystery

Setting: Ancient Rome, 89 AD

First Sentence: Even before I started, I knew I should say no.

This novel is the second in Lindsey Davis's Flavia Alba series. This series is a spin-off from Davis's Falco series also based in ancient Rome.

Flavia Albia's father is Marcus Falco.  Flavia was a British orphan adopted by Falco an his wife.  Now Albia is following in her father's footsteps and working as a paid informer.

Flavia has been asked by her friend Manlius Faustus to investigate a murder.  It seems that a newlywed couple has been killed, their silver plate stolen, and their slaves claiming sanctuary in a nearby temple.  In Rome, when a slave holder is killed, suspicion usually falls upon the slaves.  They are questioned under torture and then executed.

Manlius has asked Flavia to examine the evidence and question the slaves, in order to show that the slaves are truly guilty of the crime.

As she investigates, Flavia begins to understand what life is like for slaves.  Although they are possessed by their masters they have emotions and relationships often unseen by their owners.

And lurking in the background is the knowledge that they can be sold off at the whim of their master.  In the end, Flavia learns that this is the ultimate cause of the deaths of the newlyweds.

I enjoyed this book.  I am a big fan of Lindsey Davis's novels.  I's sure that I 'll soon pick up another Flavia Albia novel.