Effervescent characters populate this clever, whimsical space tale.
In this SF sequel, a munitions expert finds herself increasingly drawn to a handsome alien during a spaceship voyage.
The alien species called the Vrolan enlisted another race, the Staraban, to help relocate earthlings from their dying planet in 2025. When it turns out the Vrolan’s plan has involved deceit, the Staraban travel to Willowe-1 to speak to the All Alien Alliance. Aurora “Rory” Espinoza wants to be part of that journey, especially since a Vrolan kidnapped and nearly killed her best friend. The munitions specialist stows away with another friend, Jill, whose father leads an alien resistance group on Earth. Bren, a Staraban warrior, isn’t happy upon learning the women are aboard the spaceship. He fears for their safety, as they’ll likely be up against some Vrolan once they reach Willowe-1. But both women are capable in myriad ways, not the least of which is Rory’s mostly secret ability to shape-shift into a panther. There’s also an undeniable magnetism between Rory and Bren. This ignites steamy sexual escapades and, however reluctant they are, genuine feelings for each other. There’s even a chance that this will lead to a serious relationship, provided they survive their inevitable encounter with the Vrolan. Mars’ second series installment deftly complements the preceding volume, with key returning cast members and the same quirky sense of humor. For example, Rory receives assistance from Hal, a personable artificial intelligence who’s prone to worry and even laments the lack of available anti-anxiety meds. This wit sublimely blends with elements of SF, romance, and erotica, as the bulk of the novel’s action consists of Rory and Bren’s titillating sex scenes. There’s unfortunately not much in the way of a plot. While the headlining relationship is fully developed, very little happens regarding the interplanetary struggle of earthlings and aliens. Still, the author plans additional installments, which readers will surely anticipate.
Effervescent characters populate this clever, whimsical space tale. (dedication, author’s note, author bio)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-951091-05-7
Page Count: 234
Publisher: Michelle Donham
Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
For those who like their science fiction dense, monumental, and a bit overwrought.
Brown is back with Book 4 of his Red Rising series (Morning Star, 2016, etc.) and explores familiar themes of rebellion, revenge, and political instability.
This novel examines the ramifications and pitfalls of trying to build a new world out of the ashes of the old. The events here take place 10 years after the conclusion of Morning Star, which ended on a seemingly positive note. Darrow, aka Reaper, and his lover, Virginia au Augustus, aka Mustang, had vanquished the Golds, the elite ruling class, so hope was held out that a new order would arise. But in the new book it becomes clear that the concept of political order is tenuous at best, for Darrow’s first thoughts are on the forces of violence and chaos he has unleashed: “famines and genocide...piracy...terrorism, radiation sickness and disease...and the one hundred million lives lost in my [nuclear] war.” Readers familiar with the previous trilogy—and you'll have to be if you want to understand the current novel—will welcome a familiar cast of characters, including Mustang, Sevro (Darrow’s friend and fellow warrior), and Lysander (grandson of the Sovereign). Readers will also find familiarity in Brown’s idiosyncratic naming system (Cassius au Bellona, Octavia au Lune) and even in his vocabulary for cursing (“Goryhell,” “Bloodydamn,” “Slag that”). Brown introduces a number of new characters, including 18-year-old Lyria, a survivor of the initial Rising who gives a fresh perspective on the violence of the new war—and violence is indeed never far away from the world Brown creates. (He includes one particularly gruesome gladiatorial combat between Cassius and a host of enemies.) Brown imparts an epic quality to the events in part by his use of names. It’s impossible to ignore the weighty connotations of characters when they sport names like Bellerephon, Diomedes, Dido, and Apollonius.
For those who like their science fiction dense, monumental, and a bit overwrought.Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-425-28591-6
Page Count: 624
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
Suspenseful, frightening, and sometimes poignant—provided the reader has a generously willing suspension of disbelief.
A man walks out of a bar and his life becomes a kaleidoscope of altered states in this science-fiction thriller.
Crouch opens on a family in a warm, resonant domestic moment with three well-developed characters. At home in Chicago’s Logan Square, Jason Dessen dices an onion while his wife, Daniela, sips wine and chats on the phone. Their son, Charlie, an appealing 15-year-old, sketches on a pad. Still, an undertone of regret hovers over the couple, a preoccupation with roads not taken, a theme the book will literally explore, in multifarious ways. To start, both Jason and Daniela abandoned careers that might have soared, Jason as a physicist, Daniela as an artist. When Charlie was born, he suffered a major illness. Jason was forced to abandon promising research to teach undergraduates at a small college. Daniela turned from having gallery shows to teaching private art lessons to middle school students. On this bracing October evening, Jason visits a local bar to pay homage to Ryan Holder, a former college roommate who just received a major award for his work in neuroscience, an honor that rankles Jason, who, Ryan says, gave up on his career. Smarting from the comment, Jason suffers “a sucker punch” as he heads home that leaves him “standing on the precipice.” From behind Jason, a man with a “ghost white” face, “red, pursed lips," and "horrifying eyes” points a gun at Jason and forces him to drive an SUV, following preset navigational directions. At their destination, the abductor forces Jason to strip naked, beats him, then leads him into a vast, abandoned power plant. Here, Jason meets men and women who insist they want to help him. Attempting to escape, Jason opens a door that leads him into a series of dark, strange, yet eerily familiar encounters that sometimes strain credibility, especially in the tale's final moments.
Suspenseful, frightening, and sometimes poignant—provided the reader has a generously willing suspension of disbelief.Pub Date: July 26, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-90422-0
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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