Good storytelling, but more fantasy than sci-fi
358025
I'm having trouble getting through this book. The storytelling is generally good, and I'm enjoying the characters. I particularly enjoy hearing about the challenges of a blind person. Much of that was -- er -- eye-opening for me. My issues are with the content.

The storytelling only flops when the author pretends to be the consciousness of the Web. It's goofy but perhaps does conform to how some people imagine consciousness to arise. I don't find the sudden approach compelling, much less a sudden sophistication.

My biggest challenge with the story is perhaps my own expertise. I'm an experienced software developer, including a web developer, and I know the ins-and-outs of how the web works. The author is largely consistent with the actual workings of the web, but the explanations don't hold my interest. For me, the serious failing is the manner in which the protagonist perceives the web. That's pure fantasy to me. I really was hoping for something more inspired.
182933
I was given the opportunity to read The Chapters of Brian Able recently, and, while not completely swept up in the tale, I found some promising potential in this new author's work. Being an avid reader and re-reader of classic and contemporary sci-fi and fantasy, I have developed an appreciation of someone who can weave a story both fantastic and theoretically plausible, who can imagine creatures, races, and worlds with exacting detail and whisk me away from where I lounge reading, sad to turn the last page but happy to speculate on what they might write next. B. J. Kelly needs more experience and polish, but he is headed in the right direction with his writing. While ungainly in some areas, this story had enough purpose and creativity to keep me reading to the end.

The story is epic in scope, and seems to have just gotten rolling by the end of this book. It has many elements of classic hard sci-fi: in depth technical descriptions (some of which bog down the writing's flow), alien races, galactic war, time travel, and one man the seeming linchpin pawn of the universe. There is an overt exploration of religious themes in this book, for the most part Christianity, as a heads up to people who may not care for that in their fiction. The author is has woven many direct biblical references and descriptions relating to overtly heavenly or hellish creatures throughout the book. Faith, in many forms, is another main theme throughout the story, as is a dose of vague black magic with stereotypical satanic overtones.

The main character, Brian, is complex and flawed, and while he grows throughout the story, remains for the most part immature at the close of this book. His reaction to the situations he is thrust into is very human--he is not a perfect hero. He whines, wavers, and changes his mind. He lets people down, and makes mistakes. I found myself more drawn to some of the supporting characters in many cases, even though most of them had little more than surface development; they left me more interested in their hinted back stories than much of what I had learned about the sort of man the main character currently was.

There were descriptions so beautifully done they seem ready for movie post production, and others that seemed to be missing elements and jarred me out of the flow of the story wondering `where did that come from?' The battle scenes were exciting and vivid, and will please any fan of the space marine genre, or Halo-type video games.

In summary, this installment in the saga of Brian Able is not an astounding award-winning novel. It's a young author's first book, and while the consistency of quality wavers and wanders, if you've ever looked up to the stars and wished you could get off this planet, no matter the circumstances, give it a try. I'll be interested to see the continuation of the story, and how the author grows.
3223682
This is the second book of the series. I usually prefer to start a story at the beginning, but the author wove the tale well enough in the beginning that I did not mind coming in essentially In Medias Res.  Set in a fantasy environment, similar to the era of the Crusades, the tale of Trevin, who has been raised by monks, had turned to petty crimes. His past is murky in that he was the servant to Lord Rejius, the evil or dark influence in the novel.  Trevin becomes a captain in the service of the King of Camrithia, whose daughter is the object of Trevins desires.

Disclosure: I did receive a free prevoew copy of this book as a part of Amazon's Vine program.

Though it is fairly fast paced, action packed tale, there were some transitions and plot devices that left me rather frustrated.  When you cannot tell exactly who is speaking and got a bit confusing in places.  I have to confess that I quite often have a difficult time with Christian-oriented fiction. I don't like Christina Fantasy as a genre simplly because I find the whole idea of pandering to a certain demographic rather than simply good storytelling to be a disingenuous endeavor.  I found the entire premise of angels walking among men but unable to interfere a sort of unnecessary plot device and was meant to play to the Christian market. Really, given how many Christians eschew the fantasy genre, it's almost dishonest on the part of the author.  Because of this ,I really did not enjoy the book as much as I thought I would.
85459
3.8 Stars!
The Flame and the Arrow interested me because of the scenario where female MC falls through a portal into a magical kingdom. I will say right off that the story actually reads a lot younger than I expected. At the same time, it has adult content so this is a strange mix I haven't run into before.

After falling through the magical portal while she is visiting family in Bulgaria, Annika is taken to the home of the samodivi she meets. They are a warm and welcoming family. Talvi, youngest son, is drawn to Annika and it doesnt take too long for them to get involved despite being different types of beings. Then Annika unexpectedly discovers she is related to Talvis clan. The task at hand though is to figure out how to repair the fairy/elf world-to-earth portals.

Author, Emigh Cannaday, uses Bulgarian legends of the samodivi, wood nymphs, as the basis of her magical characters. Her incorporation of old European cultural and magical lore is charming. The novel is also interlaced with references to many other earth-world cultural elements. A wonderful example of lore is milkweed fluff woven with angora rabbit hair for clothing. Some of the scenes paint lovely fantasy images. On page 120, the ballroom is described as painted with fairies, bumblebees, butterflies, and dragonflies.

For the characters, I felt Talvis behaviour mostly immature until he finally comes around. Annika makes an effort to make this work but I still didn't feel for them as a couple even though Talvi is very demonstrative and the fact that there is a prophecy. Shes a nice, sensible person though she also tended to go along with the situation around her rather than trying to take matters into her own hands. The supporting samodivi and fairy characters are nicely drawn.

I felt that some of the plot elements just added more fantasy creatures (i.e. the troll family) that ultimately don't really enable the story. This is long at 417 pages and to me felt like the author was trying to include too many things. There was also a lot of routine kitchen and household duty stuff I also found repetitive (well, I could use a few housework fairies around my place!).

Finally, for me the writing style and narrative felt more like middle grade fantasy adventures suitable for readers 12-16 though at the same time there is an open casual approach to sex that I didn't think fit in with the overall feel of the book. If this is intended for an older reader, then the pace of writing and the urgency of sorting out the broken portals needs to step up with less time spent in the kitchen or at the pub or dancing at fairy balls. Love the cover!

This review appeared originally at my blog:
[...]
4572388
I actually liked this story better overall than the first one, although there seemed to be a complete shift in the atmosphere and story telling.  Rather than delaing with mystical forces of destruction and death, we have suddenly jumped 2000 years in the future with a desolate earth, no machines until suddenly a giant robot dog appears to try to kill Gilads tribe.  There is very little explanation of what is going on throughout the story, while I would have liked to see some of the backstory (similar to the first story arc) that led to the current state of affairs.  In addition, the things mentioned in the first story arc (gods and goddesses) seem to be completely forgotten in this arc.

The story wraps up very suddenly, and the ending is a little abrupt as well (Gilads grand-daughter makes a robot out of spare parts, and Gilad interprets this as a sign she will end up destroying everything).  I really liked the start of the story, but the conclusion of the battle seemed rushed and not really thought out.  The art is more like the Valiant art style from the other books (not like the first story arc) so while I liked it, I wish the art was more like the first book.

All in all, I felt this was an improvement on the first book, but only just so.  There is so much potential with Eternal Warrior, and it just feels like the character (along with supporting characters like the Geomancer) are going to waste.
1277787
This story draws from a lot of different directions.  It is a not so much a post-apocalyspe story as it is a story of an apocalypse in the final stages.  Virtual Reality, nuclear holocaust, aliens, robots, limited cybernetics and massive underground bomb shelters all feature in the story.  On first glance, it sounds like a lot to fit into one story but the author manages to put it together into a rather enjoyable tale.

The surface of the Earth has been obliterated by nuclear bombardment forcing the inhabitants to take shelter in various shelters built all over the world from converted mines and other deep caverns.  The majority of the story takes place within one of these shelters, A-3 where things are going terribly wrong.  The population has been dropping off due to what many are starting to suspect that the radiation scrubbers have failed and everyone is doomed to die.  This is the starting point.

It is soon revealed that the failure of the radiation scrubbers is due to deliberate sabotage and, after an encounter with the alien behind the sabotage, a group of four people take a "journey" into the other major setting of the book: Kyrathaba.  The world of Kyrathaba is a hyper-realistic virtual reality program meant to be a massive multiplayer online game before the aliens first attacked.  It is a rather typical fantasy setting with magic and monsters, kings and adventurers.

At this point, the story shifts back and forth from the shelter to the virtual world with occasional snippets showing the actions of the lingering alien invaders.  We start seeing the action pick up at this point with the four virtual travelers training up their game skills while the A-3 community recovers, explores and prepares for the alien threat.

There is some apparent inconsistency in character portrayal in the beginning, but it irons itself out fairly quickly.  The story persists in building and being entertaining from moment to moment to moment.  However, it should be noted that this is a serial story.  The book does not end at a convenient story point.  Rather instead it ends as both story lines are progressing to what seems to be a climax.  This is a valid style choice going back to the Arabian Nights and, more recently, Tolkien.  This method of leaving things off at a cliffhanger is becoming more common both in mainstream media and independent authors, but this book does present a rather extreme example of it.
1587411
It is the far, unspecified future and humans have spread out through the solar system. A courier ship is captured and one of its passengers, Julie, is imprisoned and left for dead - probably the better option. A mining ship, the Canterbury, is destroyed by an unknown attacker; its surviving crew members, led by Jim Holden, want justice. On Ceres, Detective Miller, an employee of the security contractors that enforce the law on the asteroid, is ordered to find Julie and return her to her parents. But hidden forces are at work in the solar system, fomenting trouble to give themselves a free hand with a deadly secret ...

I liked this book well enough to sit and read it in big chunks. Yet about two thirds of the way through I started to get irritated, and in the end I finished it just to satisfy my curiosity. How would I describe it? A science-fiction adventure with flat characters, bolted-on attempts at deep and meaningful, and a magical conclusion. It works if you accept what the writers ask you to accept: that humans can be guaranteed to behave a certain way, that their characters are certain sorts of people, that certain plot features are not to be disputed. But since I was unconvinced, for me Leviathan Wakes was less than satisfying, with characters that never really came alive, too high a degree of coincidence at work, and too many plot holes and unanswered questions.

The overall impression this book gives is that it was mapped out in advance to the last detail and nothing which might have organically arisen in the course of writing it was going to be allowed to derail it. Thus, while matters reach their logical conclusion on the basis everything the authors have told (not shown) the reader, it's hard to accept that events would have played out that way because of the lack of life in, and thus the credibility of, the characters - not to mention the switch to magic from science at the very end and the massive cost of making the wrong decision.

That's my personal reaction, though, and yours may be different. Certainly the setting and the level of detail behind it is very well done; a lot of thought was put into how people would live once going into space and living in a variety of environments becomes possible. The prose flows nicely and the plot is well structured. Be warned that there is a significant amount of violence, even if the gory details are not dwelt on.

Three stars for Leviathan Wakes because I thought it was okay and I doubt I'll read the rest in the series. You may like it more than I did.
2599195
The Magic Wakes blends sci-fi and fantasy elements to build an intriguing world and interesting characters. Talia's world, Sendek, is richly described and is a sound backdrop and foundation for the story. Talia is a strong, capable heroine, but she is also a relatable, very human character: brilliant without arrogance, brave in spite of uncertainty and terror. Landry was a hunky and competent hero. I felt like their relationship skipped a few stages (from fighting to kissing to being desperately in love--the switches just felt too stilted), but their dialogue and camaraderie were enjoyable to witness and they were both well-written, strong characters. Jaron was somewhat of an anti-hero but was probably the most sympathetic of them all--he was the most complex of the characters but the least developed. I would have liked to hear more of his story.

I thought the author did a good job with the ethical dilemmas inherent in the story line; they were addressed if not resolved. Each of the characters and races had depth and driving force. With the exception of one character, there was no "absolute" good or evil--to an extent, each character was multi-layered and wrestled with the good and evil within themselves.

The reason I only gave the book three stars is because, while it was an engaging and enjoyable read, there were parts that were clunky and sequences that had rough edges. In some ways it read more like a draft than a polished novel: there were a few conflicts that resolved far too easily, the romance occasionally felt forced, and the story lacked a certain smoothness--the events didn't always flow naturally. I also wish the ending had been more complete: I'm assuming the author left room for another novel, but she could have done that while still briefly explaining what Talia's plans are for the mages (my theory is she's going to send them to colonize Sendek's moon). This may not be an issue for anyone else, but there were a handful of spelling errors and many sentences in need of commas or semicolons. Perhaps this is only true for the Kindle edition, but the run-on sentences were frequent.

Overall, it was a pleasant read and an interesting world. I would like to see another book that delves deeper into the politics and culture of Sendek, deals with the aftermath of the dragumon invasion, and explores the newly-found powers of the mages.
2713348
Donna McDonald's The Siren's Call is a captivating story that flows and pulls you along through the story without let up. While it does fit in science fiction, it seems like it edges awfully close to erotica. Not knowing the definition of erotica, though, I can't really say.

On the other hand, if you were to subtract all the alien ways the different males surpass human males sexually, you wouldn't have a story left. While I did enjoy her story telling and imagination, I think Playboy when I was growing up was less erotic.

I'm rating it on its romance qualities as I consider it very weak in sci-fi.
480352
This book was provided to me by the author for review.

Theres a lot to love here and certainly this novella draws the reader into a fantastical world with many races and a rich history, of which a singular epoch is the focal point of the tale. The quality of writing is good, but I ran into a few bumps.

We enter at an important discovery made by a clerk, an archivist, named Hobin.  I enjoyed the narrators quirky, passionate voice and the first-person perspective that shifted between him and the mage (whose words were relayed to the reader by letters Hobin had found).

I was quite engrossed in what was going on and definitely wanted to find out more, but from the beginning my experience was a bit like coming into a conversation I didn't hear the beginning of. I found myself a little adrift in terms and references that it seemed I was expected to know already. This book is the first based off of another series the author has written, but it doesnt seem that one can delve into this world for the first time through Hobin.

Another issue that took me somewhat out of the story: I assumed the setting was in a medieval type fantasy age, so when the narrator mentions a cybernetic eye, I was a bit thrown. Cybernetics in general lead my thoughts to science-fiction, not Tolkien-esque fantasy. Perhaps this is a misplaced assumption on my part but my reading experience stumbled over it. Maybe theres explanation of this in other books?

I loved perspective of the letters from the mage. This format reminded me of correspondence between John Adams and his wife. It really felt like I was taking a peek into the history of this world from the personal perspective of someone living it. The feeling behind the words written to his loved ones really made the trials and sacrifices have an emotional impact. I only wish we couldve glimpsed some of the letters he received from his wife.

Aside from whats been mentioned already, there was a tendency to use  quite a bit. A couple of these indicatea thought process. Too many, especially on the same page, become distracting and seem more like an author tick.

In all, a good story but it lacked the foundation a reader needs to feel grounded in the world which lessened some of the emotional resonance to some events (with the exception of the mage in the lettersthese were awesome).

Also, and this may just be my perspective, there seemed to be a lack of tension on the narrators side. Why is it important to find out what happened, aside from learning the truth of an important period of time or about those overlooked by history? What makes it vital to Hobins world? And if it was a secret, there needed to be some type of threat over him that tried to prevent his research. Aside from a group of snarky academics, no one seemed to mind.

On a side note, Id recommend going through the index of terms cited at the end of the book before reading the story itself. This will make it easier to know the meaning of the different names for the races of the kingdom. I was almost halfway through before I came across mention that Evolu are elves.

Although this is marked as Book 1, it is not a story that can be read separately from its greater work (which I looked up and believe is Chronicles of a Hero). It seems to be a secondary series to another series. Without reading the other one first, a few more breadcrumbs are needed to avoid getting lost on the trail.

Amid the Imaginary: [...]
2419583
This book is the first in a new and ongoing omnibus publication of Michael Moorcook's fantasy fiction, centering around his seminal presentation of the "Eternal Champion" and the alternating realities of the  "Multiverse."  These concepts have continued to influence fantasy  writers to the present, including, most recently, Robert Jordan's adoption  of a comparitive framework for his "Wheel of Time" series.  A  major figure in the 60's and 70's, especially in the UK, Moorcook is noted  for his innovative exploration and incorporation of metaphysics as well as  ideas more commonly associated with science fiction than fantasy.
The  stories contained herein were all originally published between 1962 and  1970, and while some have since undergone revision, the quality of writing  typifies much of the work produced during that period, both in fantasy and  in science fiction.  Conceptually pregnant, the narrative devotes much of  its energy to the expression and exploration of ideas, or the description  of imaginary landscapes and populations that could be accused as flights of  fancy for invention's sake.  The work is weak when in comes to  characterization, sense of place, or providing background for the  development of the narrative.  The style of writing seems almost  undeveloped and dated when compared to the narrative and descriptive powers  present in some of the better contemporary work available.  Or perhaps it  is simply that Moorcock is more interested in the expression of the  abstract than in the grounding of his notions in good storytelling.
I am  somewhat unclear as to the inclusion of "The Sundered Worlds" in  this volume.  Not only is it the weakest story by far of the four, with a  plot that is disjointed and moves from one event to the next with little  supporting logic, but it is clearly a tale of science fiction set in the  future amid more traditional tales of sword and sworcery, and only tenously  linked to the latter by reference to the multiverse.  Further, it indulges  in some of the worst excesses of science fiction fancy, replete with  creatures that could inhabit the worst of Harryhausen's B-movie efforts.  By itself this confused adrift in space rates only a single star.
The  three other tales - "The Eternal Champion," "Phoenix in  Obsidian," and "To Rescue Tanelorn" - are all traditional  sword and sorcery fare notable for their exploration of the notions of an  often reluctant hero doomed to repeat his life forever in various  incarnations within the alternate realities of Moorcock's multiverse.  And  though he wears the mantle of a champion, the causes he fights for are not  always of his choosing.  All three tales - the last a short story - in  varying degrees exhibit the lack of strong narrative skills noted above,  but remain, nonetheless, intriguing in their conceptual content.  The  strength of these ideas ameliorates somewhat the lack of prose skills in  their rendering.
I would have to say, as far as this book, that for  historical interest it is worth a look.  However, in terms of narrative  power the stories are never fully realised and remain, unfortunately for  all the promise of their ideas, largely stillborn.
4169472
Time travel stories aren't really science fiction. No scientific theory suggests that travel to the past may someday be possible in the way that ballistics and astronomy suggested that travel to other planets might someday be possible.

They aren't really fantasy, either. The nearest that fairy tale and myth come to time travel is Elf Hill.

Time travel stories are philosophical fiction. They attempt to think about time, which we can only conceive of as a kind of space, and in which we can only travel forward and look back.

The protagonist of this story is stuck in a time loop: he has to do the same thing over and over forever. Sound familiar? It sums it up for a lot of us. He is looking for his father, who has hidden himself in the past. That happens, too. This book is about big, primal stuff: what we are to do about loved ones, life, and hope disappearing into the past.

That said, the book is not an allegory except in the loosest sense. It's a story. There is a science fiction problem to be solved, and Yu shows the solution. There is a big, primal problem to be solved, and he takes a shot at that, too. But what he shows are particular, personal, fictitious resolutions, not a general solution.

This is a big book written small. There isn't anything else quite like it.
1985024
I wanted to read this because I thought it would give me some exposure and insight into what sorts of stories are considered the best of the best in the sci-fi and fantasy world. I've always considered myself a sci-fi fan and, more recently, came to understand that I also enjoy some of the fantasy genre as well. What I've learned after reading this anthology is that I'm more of a middle-of-the-road kind of gal when it comes to sci-fi/fantasy. Or maybe I just need it (the story, the concept) to be somewhat plausible, or, if that's not possible, then it needs to be well written in order for me to make the leap. Now, since this volume is "the best online," that means the stories within are clearly well written and chosen for these and other merits from someone who is well versed in the genre. And, still, I didn't care for a good number of the stories. They were too bizarre, too out there for me.

I find it interesting and ironic that my two favorite stories, ones I really liked and enjoyed, are anything but middle-of-the-road. Yoon Ha Lee's "Blue Ink" begins and ends with sections that are in 2nd person POV, which is almost always an instant turn off for me. But it quickly morphs into 3rd person and a storyline that is just fantastical enough to border on brilliant. Catherynne M. Valente's "Urchins, While Swimming" has a magical realism component that is really well integrated and very engaging. Both of these stories are grounded in three dimensional characters, in elements of the every day... maybe this is the structure in which sci-fi/fantasy works best for me.
4690672
This book is advertised quite openly as Conservative Christian fantasy, and while you don't have to be a Christian to enjoy it, you need at least a healthy respect for the Bible and a mind open to conservative ideas. With that in mind, Asulon is a good story, with memorable characters and layers upon layers of both plot and meaning. Early on in the book, the author promises to do to martial arts and bladed instruments what Larry Correia did to heavy weaponry. Alas, this being an EPIC fantasy, exposition battles with action for space and attention, and unfortunately exposition wins. Without reading the rest of the series, I don't know if this is the pattern for this writer, or if, having gotten the backstory out of the way, he will unleash his obvious talent for writing action. I would recommend this book for readers who want a good fantasy without excessive world-building, but at the same time have enough patience to get through the slower parts. On the whole, the characters and the underlying story make Asulon a world worth discovering.
793852
While I'm not necessarily a fan of the fantasy genre, I did receive a copy of this book from a friend, so I gave it a spin.  First, as others have noted, it is a quick read.  The story starts fast and keeps that pace until the end.  The blending of quantum physics with the fantasy elements was, for me, a different and more engaging approach than I had originally expected when I first picked up the book.  While I did find the main protagonist, Stan, to be a fairly well-developed character and easily imaginable, the pace and length of the book didn't offer the opportunity for the other characters to be as well explored.

While I do enjoy science fiction, I couldn't embrace the magic and mysticism aspects of the story.  I think the author does an admirable job of blending the two, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to draw me deeply into the alternate reality of the book; and therefore, I did find the ending to have a bit of a "deus ex machina" twist that I simply couldn't wrap my head around.

Topically, this book may not be everyone's cup of tea; however, if you are a fan of fantasy and magic, I do believe you will find "The Last Observer" to be a quick and entertaining read.
3826821
This story has all the elements of an incredibly good sci-fi story, capable of being gripping both technically and philosophically.

Unfortunately, an unusual sort of writing structure that is neither boring no exciting dominates this book, which doesn't really bring out the most interesting details of either the societies represented in this book, or the technology they employ. The lack of much in the way of social or character development will likely disappoint any readers interested in that angle.

Luckily, I'm not the type of person to demand an exciting, action packed, Michael Crichton type book (though I do enjoy that style as well). As such, I can appreciate the solid foundation of the book, even as I bemoan the fact that this book fails the realize it's potential to turn a solid foundation into an explosive and gripping story.

Still, the slower, somber way in which it is written has a strange sort of value, and makes it memorable in it's own way, and I can only assume that, since this writing style is continued from a previous book (The Parafaith War), Modesitt prefers this kind of not-quite-exciting writing style for a reason as well.

Just remember, this kind of book is not for impatient and spontaneous readers, nor those too interested in dynamic character development, but those who can take their time enjoying the political and philosophical elements of the book which, perhaps unfortunately, are all there is to like about this series.
689823
Fair warning, I like fantasy and science fiction books that don't have the same old tired plots.  For example:
1. No absolute good and evil
2. No christ like savior who's awesomely awesome specialness is destined to save the world.
3. Preferably, no world/Universe/Entire multi-verse saving.

While this book is not  perfectly written I like the moral ambiguity and originality. And at least so far the main character is not on a quest to save life, the universe and evil.