Review: Grimspace

Grimspace (Sirantha Jax #1)
by Ann Aguirre

Synopsis

As the carrier of a rare gene, Sirantha Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace-a talent which makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. Then a crash landing kills everyone on board, leaving Jax in a jail cell with no memory of the crash. But her fun's not over. A group of rogue fighters frees her...for a price: her help in overthrowing the established order.

Review

Hooray! This is my first official introduction to the world of science fiction...and it was awesome! Sirantha Jax is this woman with a rare gene that allows her to jump ships through grim space, something that is highly sought after but could also kill her one day. After a crash with a previous ship, Jax is jailed until one day when March, a member of a rogue fighting group comes to rescue her in return for help in their mission. Jax reluctantly accepts. 

Jax is an extremely character (for me, anyway) due to her strength and her ability to be honest with the people around her. A lot of female characters come off as being too perfect in my opinion, but Jax is very much flawed which makes her character worthwhile. Also, March could have come off as a possessive jackass, but his character is much like Jax's in that he wears his heart and flaws on his sleeve. The supporting characters, Dina and the doctor are also quite likable as well, which is awesome. Mix the great characterization with a science fiction backdrop and it works for a person who isn't doesn't know her sci-fi. 

Verdict

Great story to get into if science fiction isn't totally your thing yet. And the love story is really nice and realistic (yes, even though it takes place in space). Also, sex. You've been warned if that's not your thing. 

Top Shelf Short Stories: The C-Word

The C-Word
by Don Pizarro

I don't know why I keep expecting this collection to be less weird haha. An interesting story of a guy who rekindles an old flame with an older woman. They share a great night together (sounds like they had fuuuuunnnn) and he refuses to give her up any longer the next day. The rest is left up to your imagination. The c-word indeed.  

Verdict

This short story had more erotica than cthulhu - do with that what you will. It was interesting for me. 

Top Shelf Short Stories: Descent of the Wayward Sister

Descent of the Wayward Sister
by Gabrielle Harbowy

Yeah, you read right...erotica.

Double yeah, you read right...Cthulhurotica. 

I never EVER would have read anything in this book about a week ago. And now I'm considering buying the ebook (I read this from an Amazon sample) - all because of Bonnie Burton from Vaginal Fantasy. This online book group has made me become more open-minded in what I read.

So - that's how Cthulhurotica happens. 

First, a little background for those of you who may not now what a Cthulhu is. Cthulhu is this this creature (or type of creature) created by H.P. Lovecraft. It's basically this creature with tentacles (see cover of this book). 

Now, onto the story. It was a steamy interesting read. It surprised me because it had the idea of attraction and/or lust at the center of it instead of the story being about attaining a man. The story takes place during the time of servants and before televisions. It is about a woman who is staying at her brother's place for awhile. The woman becomes bored because her brother is never around and she is never introduced to anyone else who visits the home. 

One day, she's roaming the home and then hears a pleading coming from the basement. Thinking that a maid has locked herself in, the woman heads down to help her. What she finds goes beyond anything she could possibly imagine. 

I found this story to be interesting and unlike anything I've read. Of course, I don't read much erotica, but I found the monster link to be a great twist (even though I knew it was going to happen). Also, I don't know if the stories are meant to have some humor in them, but the last sentence of this story made me laugh out loud - in a good way. 

Verdict

Obviously skip if you're not into erotica, much less monster erotica. However, if you're feeling adventurous, try a sample from Amazon and see what you think!

Happy New Year!

I hope my readers are having a great start to their new year!

I, however, am home sick with bronchitis. *sigh* I seem to be getting better, but I do not enjoy missing work like this - even if I do have a doctor's note. See kids? Doesn't matter how old you are - if you're neurotic, you'll be worried about missing work just like you were worried about missing a school day.

But I digress.

Last year, I failed my book challenge of the year (50 books) miserably. I wasn't too bad, but it wasn't good. 

So, for this year, I am going to challenge myself even more! lol I just don't learn. 

I am going to do three challenges - but they cross with each other. One, my Goodreads challenge will be 50 books. Two, I will be trying to complete NPR's 100 Best Ever Teen Novels which I'll be keeping track of on the List Challenges website (it's an awesome website for lists!). And three, I'll be also trying to finish NPR's Top 100 Science-Fiction & Fantasy Books. There are books that are on both lists and I've already read some - so I'm giving myself some leeway. 

I'm excited! What challenges are my readers working on?

Top Shelf Short Story: Beyond the Door

Short Story: Beyond the Door

Collection: Philip K. Dick: Short Stories
Author: Philip K. Dick

Review

Dear reader, this review is a day late. 

That's all. Seriously, what did you expect? 

Anyway, I've never read anything by Philip K. Dick and even though this was a very simple and very short story, it intrigued me to read more of his work. This story is about a man, Larry, who buys a cuckoo clock for his wife. Larry is not the most sensitive husband in the world which is why most people, and this particular clock, don't like him. 

You read right. The clock does not like Larry. The birdie inside refuses to come out for him but adores his wife. So when Larry kicks his wife out of the house...well, the birdie doesn't like that at all. 

As I said, it's a REALLY short story, but effective in its storytelling. It has that mystery/horror element that gets me (especially during this time).

Verdict

Read it! It's short and fun :)

Review: Cinder

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles Book 1)

by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis:


Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review:

I have to be honest. When I first started reading this book - I was afraid I was going to be giving it a negative review. DON'T JUDGE ME. I thought that because it took me a bit to get into it (which was true, but it wasn't the book's fault, it was because I had other things to do at the time...). 

Cinder is a re-telling of the Cinderella fairy tale, except that in this case, Cinder is a cyborg mechanic in future Beijing. She lives with her evil stepmother/guardian, an equally evil stepsister and a younger stepsister, Peony, whom she actually loves. Her world is currently undergoing a matter of different threats: there is a fatal and contagious disease spreading, the emperor is dying, and Cinder is unaware of what to do with Prince Kai's sudden attention.

I ended up loving this book way more than I thought I would. I was never a fan of the Cinderella story, but this cyborg re-telling of it just completely got my attention. I very much enjoy fairy tale re-tellings, especially when the lead character is as smart and badass Cinder is. Prince Kai was also not too shabby!

This book left me wanting more and I cannot wait until Book 2 comes out (though I wonder if there will be an introduction of more fairy tale characters re-told?). This was a fantastic book that I recommend to YA, Sci-fi and fairy tale enthusiasts alike!

Rating:

Review: Trouganda: Silver Tears Book 1

Trouganda: Silver Tears Book 1

by Daniel J. Strait

Synopsis:

A prophecy written over millennia ago. A baby girl is born with a birthmark matching the one described in the prophecy. Her parents feared the worst so they fled from the elders. They found solace in the small village of Jin, where Nakiata would be trained by the greatest SOT Master ever known. After years of intense training, Nakiata must face her Final Test. A test that would send her out into a world of danger, mystery, and death. Nakiata would have to use every skill she knew in order to survive the dangers and wonders of...Trouganda.


Review:

As someone who doesn't read much science fiction or action, this book was a pleasant surprise! The character of Nakiata is a strong (and lethal) girl who grows up in a world of weapons and danger. When she reaches the time of her final test, she is placed on a journey by herself which are meant to test her abilities. Before embarking on her journey, she realizes that she is part of a prophecy and is actually only one piece of a puzzle of that prophecy. 

I found myself really liking Nakiata - she is a strong girl who is at the top of her ability. An ability, by the way, that no other girl has ever had. That alone was awesome, but to have a leading lady in a story that is not clouded in judgement by a love story is a major plus.

I really did enjoy this book, however, I also had some thoughts as I was reading it. The main one being that for all the action and graphic violence (yes, it is graphic - but enjoyable if you like action!), I would have wanted more of an in depth look into the character of Nakiata and whether or not there was any conflict with her training. The reader sees a glimpse of that when she is on the verge of being told about her final test, but then it gets overshadowed by the test itself. Perhaps it's because of the couple of action/science fiction books I have read before, but I felt that I needed something more personal in terms of understanding Nakiata. 

Regardless, this book is part of a series and the Nakiata's story and the prophecy was intriguing enough that I want to know what happens in the other books of the series! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fun and interesting quick science fiction/action read!

About Daniel

Daniel J. Strait lives in central Ohio, where he works in the field of aviation. During his time off he writes the stories he has dreamed of for many years.