Tag Archives: futuristic

The Warrior by M.A. Abraham – Review & Giveaway

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The Warrior by M.A. Abraham – Review & Giveaway

 

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Description:
Ilénè is a Dark Elven Elite warrior of repute, one who knows her worth. She has led her father’s elite squad for the last one hundred years, but she is getting tired of the constant drill. She has decided it is time to settle down and have a family. The question is with whom?

Kestriel was raised in the way of the ancient High Elven people, and he serves as one of the Guardians of the Empire. It is an honour and one he appreciates to the fullest. He has no intentions of soiling his hands on an Elven female of questionable repute. Until he meets Ilénè.

The moment Kestriel meets Ilénè, he knows he has met his Life Mate. The trouble with this is that he grew up with the impression that it was the male who should be the aggressor in a budding relationship, not the woman. What is a poor Elven Dragon shifter to do?

 

 

Review:

The Warrior by M.A. Abraham is the 4th book in her Guardians of the Empire series. Brief refresher:  This series is set in the same world as Abraham’s Elven Chronicles, but thousands of years past.  We learned of the different portals in earlier books, such as the Elven lands and the human Valley land.  There are more that we meet moving forward.

Ilene, our heroine, is a Dark Elven Elite Warrior, who happens to be best friends with Cambria & her sister, Gabriella (General of the Elven Army), both from the strong Eagle Claw family.  Early on, Ilene comes face to face with one of the ancient Guardians of the Empire, who turns out to be her lifemate.

Kestriel, our hero, is a true warrior and powerful Guardian.  One look at Ilene, he is hooked for life and thrilled to have met such a wonderful warrior in her own right, in Ilene.  It was fun to watch the two of them desperate to do the bonding, and getting interrupted along the way.

The storyline also continues with Evart, who is the youngest son of the King, as in the previous book, he helped send away Sonya and later Alexis to their safety with the Elves.  When Evart’s father, and brothers are away trying to invade the lands of the Elves, Evart works with everyone to clean up the estate, get food, and earn the respect of the workers.  But when his family returns, he is regulated back to handling the financials, until he senses an evil entity in far basement.  When Evart and one of his brothers tries to research this, a terrible evil entity escapes.  Both Sonya and Alexis sense something wrong with Evart (the entire family is affected).

What follows is an exciting and wild adventure where Gabriella, Ilene, Cambria and all the Guardians, High Elves, Tracthars, Dragons and powerful sons and daughters of the sun must step in to find the evil entity and destroy it before he creates more havoc.  This was an exciting story totally involving all the Elves, with Evart and his family under the strange spell.  There is no doubt that though it might be awhile until she gets her story and lifemate, Gabriella is the major star of this series, as she is a fantastic warrior, as well as Gabriel’s descendant.

I do not want to say too much more, as it would be spoilers, with a lot going on.  It was a fun, exciting, action-filled story, as we follow the fantastic characters Abraham has created in this series.   The Warrior was a fun and entertaining story line, written very well by M.A. Abraham.   You should read this series, and start with the first book to get to know all the characters.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

 

M.A. is graciously offering an e-copy of THE WARRIOR to TWO (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe.

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8. Giveaway open Internationally

9. Giveaway runs August 15 to 18, 2020

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Bishop to Queen by Lexy Wolfe-a review

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Bishop to Queen by Lexy Wolfe-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release date July 23, 2020

Will synthetic intelligence evolve to reflect the best or worst of their creators?

Ravenhawk, Cybercorps Corporations rogue synthetic creation, and Viktor Chernovich, a renegade pure human, have joined a secret society known as Caïssa’s Gambit to fight corrupt corporations and a government corrupted by those corporations to protect society from collapse. But another threat, once considered a mere philosophical possibility, lurks behind it all that if mishandled, could spell the end of both human and synthetic futures

•••••••

REVIEW:BISHOP TO QUEEN is the second instalment in Lexy Wolfe’s sci-fi, futuristic, dystopian series focusing on cyborg Ravenhawk, and human Viktor Chernovich as they traverse a world of artificial intelligence. BISHOP TO QUEEN should not be read as a stand alone. I recommend reading RAVENHAWK (book one) first for back story, history and cohesion.

Told from third person perspective BISHOP TO QUEEN is a story line divided into two parts. Part one focuses on a scrappy Russian thief named Viktor Chernovich, as he is saved from execution, and forced to be the companion to Rebeka, an assassin and pilot whose reputation as a killer has preceded her introduction to Viktor Chernovich. But Rebeka has made an enemy of the man in charge, and her life is no longer hers to control.

Part two follows Viktor as he becomes part of a secret society known as Caissa’s Gambit to fight both government and corporate corruption at Cybercorp as the leaders continue to destroy the people he loves. As one of the few remaining pure humans, Viktor’s rogue family of cyborgs (cybernetic organisms), synths (synthetics), VI (virtual intelligence) and AI (artificial intelligence) protect our hero as he navigates a world that is becoming increasingly hostile, leading to war between man and machine. As the AI/VI/Cyborg and Synths slowly become self aware and sentient, the humans are determined to destroy the machines of which they built.

Ravenhawk is a cyborg whose backstory is told in book one RAVENHAWK, a story that focuses on Raven’s developing self awareness, and the small remaining human connection she has to the outside world. A powerful cybernetic organism whose majority make up is synthetic, Raven struggles with what was, and what is. Having spent her earlier existence ‘collecting and preserving data’ for Cybercorp, Raven battles with the memories of the atrocities she was commanded to do.

Lexy Wolfe has built a detailed and complex world of what ifs- a world that continues to see discrimination and segregation; specieism and bigotry; inequality, intolerance, destruction and fear. A philosophical and sociological tale of man and machine; of culture, change, relationships, interactions and values. The corrupted bureaucrats and government regulatory systems force the resistors, the rogues and the gangs to take back what was once theirs including their freedom and right to survive.

For followers of science fiction or fans of movies and television shows there are numerous similarities and the familiarity of Blade Runner, The Matrix, Star Trek, I Robot, and William Gibson’s Neuromancer-the book on which The Matrix was based. A gritty , intriguing and thought provoking premise BISHOP TO QUEEN is a dramatic and tragic tale of a society destroyed by power and control, that ends on a slight cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb – a Review

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Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb – a Review

Concealed in DeathLinks to order Concealed in Death: 
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
In a decrepit, long-empty New York building, Lieutenant Eve Dallas’s husband begins the demolition process by swinging a sledgehammer into a wall. When the dust clears, there are two skeletons wrapped in plastic behind it. He summons his wife immediately—and by the time she’s done with the crime scene, there are twelve murders to be solved.

The place once housed a makeshift shelter for troubled teenagers, back in the mid-2040s, and Eve tracks down the people who ran it. Between their recollections and the work of the force’s new forensic anthropologist, Eve begins to put names and faces to the remains. They are all young girls. A tattooed tough girl who dealt in illegal drugs. The runaway daughter of a pair of well-to-do doctors. They all had their stories. And they all lost their chance for a better life.

Then Eve discovers a connection between the victims and someone she knows. And she grows even more determined to reveal the secrets of the place that was called The Sanctuary—and the evil concealed in one human heart.


Review:

Concealed in Death is the 38th novel in J.D. Robb’s In Death series.  Most of you already know that I am a In Death fanatic, and have read all 38 of the books, and all of the novellas, which Nora (she is J.D. Robb) writes a few times a year.  I love that that I can get my In Death fix without too long to wait (no less than 3 times a year, including the novellas).  Now to my review.

Concealed in Death begins with Roarke, who is and always will be the best and swoonworthy male character in the literary world.  Roarke has just purchased a broken down building, and while reviewing with his staff of what he wants done, he helps start the wrecking ball going by knocking down part of a wall. Of course, we knew something would happen, this is after all a murder mystery, and it is Eve Dallas, our fabulous murder detective.  Roarke calls in his wife, as behind that wall they found two bodies.

Before Eve, Peabody, and the rest of the police crew are done, there will be 12 bodies found, all bones, and all young girls between 12-15 years old.  What will make it a difficult case is that the murders took place 15 years ago. We get to meet a new interesting character, Garnet DeWinter, the new forensic anthropologist. There is an immediate clash of personalities between Eve & Garnet that will continue throughout the book, as they are both strong independent women at the top of their field.  Should be interesting where this will go in future books. 

While the bodies are slowly being identified Eve, her civilian consultant (Roarke), and Peabody delve deep into the history of the old building (The Sanctuary), which was a home for troubled, wayward children/runaways.  As is usual with Eve, we get to find out about the dead girls, at least some of them, such as Shelby, who was the leader of a group of girls.  The story revolves around her, and her friends, who are mostly dead.

With all the years past, and no clues, Eve will slowly begin to put the pieces together. Having had her own troubled childhood, will help Eve put herself in those children’s eyes.  We meet the people who ran The Sanctuary, Philly (Philadelphia) and Nash (Nashville) Jones, a brother and sister team, who had closed the The Sanctuary years before, as it was falling apart, and thanks to a benefactor, moved to a new, bigger and more exclusive building.

This was a different type of case then normal for the In Death series, with lots of details as they continue to dig into the past.  There was no tense murder that we normally witness or a horrible villain that we had to endure.  It was a sad story that came to life for us to see.  But it was an excellent story, one that kept your attention and one you had no idea who the murderer was.  The ending was filled with many surprises, and as I said before, totally different then usually done in this series, very well done.

As is with all the In Death books, there are always two stories that mesh together: the murder(s)/villians and there is Eve & Roarke.  They are such a great couple together, and their love for one another is just beautiful, sexy, heartwarming, and fun.  They are truly partners in every sense of the word.  38 books later, we can see Eve becoming more content in her life, letting her horrific past go, and opening up more to friends and family.  At the same time, Eve the cop, is still a tough, rough, in your face heroine, and that will never change.  She will always stand for the dead.  Concealed in Death is another wonderful addition to this fantastic series, which I pray continues for another 40 more. 

Reviewed by Barb

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Stairway2 Heaven by Chaz Thompson-Review and Interview with the Author

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STAIRWAY 2 HEAVEN by Chaz Thompson- Review and Interview with the Author

Stairway2 Heaven

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release November 2012

In the 22nd century, a burned-out, fatalistic psychic is blackmailed into recovering a stolen formula that separates the soul from the human body. Cerebral, acerbic, wry, profane, Stairway2 Heaven examines the relationship between consciousness and corporate religion and personal spiritual empowerment.

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: STAIRWAY 2 HEAVEN is a sci-fi/futuristic fictional suspense novel that looks at the dirty side of corporate greed, big pharma and the philosophical/theological impact of separating the body and the soul. Whether you are a believer (or not) of all things spiritual or a version thereof, Stairway 2 Heaven will definitely make you think about the ‘what-ifs’ and ‘whys’ of the complicated Triad of big business, religion and medicine. And if you believe, you are like many skeptics, big business and medicine are inseparable and irrevocably connected to (and involved) in our daily lives.

The premise follows Matthias Chalmers, a retired psychic in the 22nd century and the fall-out of a research experiment gone horribly wrong–or right– depending on your view point, vantage or need. When Matthias’s twenty-nine year old son Lanier, a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome and a genius IQ ‘accidently’ separates his soul from his body while developing a new toothpaste for GORIS pharmaceuticals, Matt will become the pawn in a deadly quest for the ultimate prize.

The storyline is written from Matt’s POV covering various back and forth timelines and intersecting plots. We journey with Matt as he reflects on a lifetime of sins and the past indiscretions that got him to where he is today, all the while on the search for the elusive formula that has gone missing and presumably in the hands of someone close. With a price tag on his head and a target on his back, as well as threats against his family and friends, Matt will discover that even the Vatican is not exempt from the reaches of corporate greed and the possibility of life ever after-but the Vatican wants to destroy the procurer of the ultimate sin.

STAIRWAY 2 HEAVEN is awash in a philosophical and theological conundrum-if there is a way to separate the body from the soul, would you be willing to pay the ultimate price for a chance at a new life? Thompson’s writing pulls the reader into a storyline that will make you think about what really goes on behind the scenes of big corporations, medical research and the quest for the almighty dollar. Add organized religion and the Vatican-you have a story that will question the ideology of our society-who truly is in charge of our daily lives?

Stairway 2 Heaven reads like a movie-the reader is pulled into the fast paced action, the anger, the angst and the chase as Matthias Chalmers must find the stolen formula or face the possibility of his own death and the death of everyone he loves and knows. Chaz Thompson has written an amazing storyline that will fascinate as well as examine the possibilities of a pharmaceutical discovery that could change the concept of body, soul and life ever lasting.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview white:black

TRC: Hi Chaz and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN. We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

FOLLOW: Goodreads / Facebook

Chaz Thompson 2012Chaz: Born in the very early ’50s I am now on the brink of retirement. I dropped out of high school in 1969 and literally joined the circus. Just one of those southern Californian, suburban street-corner Barnum and Bailey “mini” circuses, but a circus, nonetheless. They had me cleaning up after the elephants and I imagined a cinematic life of adventure. They promised me a place on the payroll if I showed up in the morning. I was seventeen. When I returned the following morning with my guitar, the street corner was vacant.

So I hitchhiked around, ended up in Wisconsin where I played clubs and pubs and the ever-familiar street-corner. When Disco arrived it killed my folk-singing, songwriting career, so I took a job as a clerk at the Madison Capitol building. This introduced me to graphics and I spent the next thirty years as a graphic artist.

Tell me when to stop. I married twice, fathered a handful of children (whom I adore to this day) and left graphics for a career in Real Estate at the exact moment of our recent economic meltdown. Hello customer service.

Along the way, I began writing screenplays and short stories and novels, and when the Self-Publishing boom developed I eagerly took advantage of the opportunity. Which brings us to today.

Stairway2 HeavenTRC: STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN is your latest release. A sci-fi, dystopian look at the 22nd century. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

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Chaz: I understand STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN gets classified as dystopian, but I don’t really see it that way. I neither praise nor condemn our social future, and try to represent it as a mish-mash of advancements and setbacks. I chose the future simply because I wanted to control the environment in which this mystical event could occur.

TRC: Who or what was the inspiration for Stairway2 Heaven- the novel?

Chaz: About thirty years ago I wrote a short story called “Concrete Eden” which contained some of the basic plot elements and the focus of the soul becoming disengaged from the human body. Since I wrote many, many short stories, it got lost in the drawer with the rest. Back when Geocities was popular I dug out the story of the “soul-stealer” and posted it, but it wasn’t until early 2012 that I stumbled upon it and decided to flesh out the characters. I’ve studied mysticism and physics off and on, and found the premise ideal for combining my own observations on the two. I came up with a suitable ending and voila!

The title is actually a tongue-in-cheek formula that reads Stairway(squared) equals Heaven. The Stairway(squared) represents the link between our daily experience and our connection with divinity. It also implies it’s a two-way street, a notion frowned upon by most established religions.

TRC: What research challenges or difficulties (logistical, medical, theologian) did you encounter when writing this particular novel?

Chaz: Research was a combination of what I had studied on the subjects of mysticism and physics prior to writing the story, and acquiring knowledge of Europe for the events that took place there, specifically Italy, since I have never traveled overseas. I will be eternally grateful for YouTube and Wikepedia. I am inherently an impatient writer, so the challenge was to patiently describe the environments in a manner that would engage the reader and not slow down the narrative.

TRC: If you gave your leading character Matthias an opportunity to speak for himself, what would he have to say?

Chaz: Matthias Chalmers is a very jaded, fatalistic individual, but by the end of the story he has come to a place where he has to admit that if Life doesn’t always make sense, at least we do have some sense of control, whether we admit to it or not. And his basic summary of his experience are the final words of the novel. However, he might address the world at large with these words: “I love you all, but leave me alone.”

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception about the storyline premise?

Chaz: That I am anti-Christian. Whereas I am certainly suspicious of the true motives of most corporate religions, every living consciousness deserves to benefit or suffer according to their own choices, physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually. I would never dream of encouraging anyone to abandon their commitment to their church or temple or whatever based on my personal beliefs. The events in STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN reflect a dramatic fiction meant to represent ideals and concepts.

TRC: Many authors bound ideas and information with other authors or family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Chaz: My wife and a select collection of very twisted friends. And the secret society of personalities between my ears.

TRC: What five things would you like to accomplish in the next ten years?

Chaz: My goals are very generic, looking out ten years. Fundamental happiness through the experience of success, expression of creativity, and love. Specifically, I hope to achieve these through writing and my personal relationships.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception about yourself?

Chaz: That I am secretive, anti-social even.

TRC: If you could select one reality show in which you were one of the contestants, which show would you choose and why?

Chaz: Oh, I loathe reality programs. The best reality show is out my window. The thing is, a window is a two-way portal.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Chaz: My next novel is the story of the relationship between two prostitutes, one of them has an ability which can only be described as paranormal (there I go being secretive again), and the other woman is homicidal.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Chaz: STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN is my attempt to offer a unique concept to anyone brave enough to read the story. I recommend no specific doctrine of knowledge or behavior, just the willingness and enthusiasm to venture toward new ideas, to expand deliberately.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food

Dark-Choloate-covered almonds.

Favorite Dessert

Dark-Chocolate-covered almonds.

Favorite TV Show

Big Bang Theory.

Last Movie You Saw

Les Miserables.

Favorite Car

Nissan 300ZX

Last Vacation Destination

San Diego.

Do you have any pets?

Dogs and cats.

TRC: Thank you Chaz for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of Stairway2 Heaven. We wish you all the best in your writing career.

Chaz: Thank you for the opportunity!

 

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