Tag Archives: science fiction

May 21, 2013 · 3:00 am

THE LIVES OF TAO by Wesley Chu – Review

Lives of Tao 3DThe Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu

Genre: Adult Science Fiction

Publisher: Angry Robot

Release date: April 30 2013

Source: ARC from publisher

Pages: 375

five stars

In a word:  an ingenious concept, flawed but likable characters, exciting action sequences, with an emotional payoff at the end.

This whole alien-in-his-body was starting to sound better and better. First, he got to hang out with a hot girl, and now he was going to be James Bond. He would have to go shopping for a new wardrobe to fit his new role. Roen imagined a long trench coat like Neo with cool sunglasses and a big gun hanging at his waist.

The premise of The Lives of Tao is startlingly simple: what if every artistic, brilliant and charismatic game-changer throughout history was controlled by an alien life force inhabiting their body and directing their actions and decisions? This is the impetus behind Wesley Chu’s debut, and it makes for a very interesting and lively story. Imagine an intelligent race of aliens traveling through space, who crash landed on a developing planet millions of years ago. With no way to get back to their own planet, they must figure out how to survive, and so they inhabit the bodies of living creatures—fish, dinosaurs, mammals, and eventually humans—jumping from body to body when necessary, and trying to advance human technology so that they can eventual go home. These aliens, called Quasings, have split into two groups: the Prophus, who want a peaceful existence with humans, and the Genjix, who are driven by their lust for war and conflict. This story had everything I love in a book: great pacing, characters who are conflicted and have lots of growing to do, and all sorts of layers that add unexpected emotional depth.

The story begins right in the middle of the action, as our hero Tao, a Prophus currently in the host body of a man named Edward Blair, is trying to escape from the Genjix who is after him, but has just discovered he’s been double-crossed by a fellow Prophus. Edward knows the only way to save Tao is to “release” him by killing himself, allowing Tao to find a new host and continue his work. Not a great situation to be in, but Edward’s been Tao’s host for years and knows the drill. By the end of the first chapter (which by the way, was one of the best first chapters I’ve ever read), Tao is floating around without a host, with only minutes left to find someone new to call home. Enter Roen Tan, an over-weight computer geek with low self-esteem, whose life is about to change forever. Because Tao has just chosen Roen as his new host, and boy does he have a lot of work to do! When Roen wakes up the next morning and hears Tao speaking in his head, he has no idea what he’s in for.

So begins the strange and dangerous journey of Tao and Roen, as they try to avoid capture by the Genjix.  Roen is the perfect anti-hero, which makes this situation so funny. After convincing him that he has no choice but to act as a host for an alien being, Tao must not only get him in shape, but teach him how to fight, use weapons, and eventually kill in order to stay alive. One of the funniest parts of this book was the ongoing dialog between Roen and Tao. As Tao gives Roen pep talks about how to eat right and lose weight, he also begins to tell him stories about his past lives, and some of the famous (and infamous) people he’s influenced. That’s one of the layers I was talking about. Not only is this a rip-roaring story about spies and infiltrating enemy secrets, but it’s a history lesson as well.

Soon Roen meets Sonya, a human host for a Prophus named Baji. Sonya is sent to help train Roen and get him ready to go on assignments. I expected there might be a romance between the two, but instead Roen meets a woman named Jill who knows nothing about the Quasing, and he begins to date her. Jill’s character was the only thing I didn’t like about The Lives of Tao. I just couldn’t figure out why Roen was attracted to her, because she felt so two-dimensional to me. However, by the end I could see why she might be important (as this is the first in a series), and hopefully Chu will flesh out her character and make her more likeable in the next book. A Tai Chi master named Sifu Lin was a fantastic character with a Yoda vibe to him. But for me, Roen and Tao stole the show. Not only are they great characters by themselves, but the friendship that develops between them is priceless.

About nine chapters into the book, Tao begins to tell Roen his history, in the form of short paragraphs at the beginning of each chapter. In this way, the reader starts to get an idea of just how broad an influence the Quasing have had over the human race. It was a brilliant way to convey a lot of information in a subtle way, without the dreaded “info-dump.” Tao describes the ongoing war between the Genjix and the Prophus, which escalates into unspeakable horrors as each act of vengeance spins out of control. Chu wisely gives Tao a fatal human flaw: despite having lived for thousands of years, he continues to make the same mistakes over and over again. Including some cool ideas in these history lessons, like imprisoning the enemy Quasing in the body of a turtle for hundreds of years, made me downright giddy!

And the emotional payoff I mentioned at the beginning of this review? Just as the reader starts to invest in the characters, the author puts everyone in danger, and you won’t know who makes it until the last page. Chu doesn’t leave us hanging at the end, but he does set things up for book two, The Deaths of Tao, out this October.

Full of heart, humor, danger and a couple of jaw-dropping moments of “what if,” The Lives of Tao is highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

Find The Lives of Tao: Goodreads * Amazon * Wesley Chu’s Website

I’m happy to report I’m doing an interview with Wesley in a couple of weeks, and I’ll be giving away my (rare and precious) ARC  of The Lives of Tao to one U.S. winner! Follow this blog so you don’t miss it!

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February 25, 2013 · 6:00 am

THE PROPHECY by Rachel Deagan – BOOK BLITZ + GIVEAWAY!

ProphecyBlitzBannerI’m happy to be a part of the Book Blitz for The Prophecy by Rachel Deagan, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours! Keep reading to find out more about the book and the author, read an excerpt, and enter a giveaway for a copy of The Prophecy:

Prophecy

The Prophecy by Rachel Deagan
Publication date: February 8th, 2013
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction

“The cards tell me of the children of the stars.”

Jacey thinks her life is worthless, when she finds herself in a psychiatric hospital after a failed attempt to end her life; her wounds miraculously healed. Devin, who claims to kill on touch, is also there. When Michael arrives, bearing telekinetic powers, he insists the government, and an even darker, more powerful force, wants them dead.

In a desperate attempt to escape for their lives, the three teens find they must confront an even greater adversary, themselves – and with a prophecy forced upon them, they must find a way to accept their fate, or rebel together, as one.

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Purchase The Prophecy from Amazon here.

About the Author:

RachelRachel Deagan 

Rachel grew up in small town Massachusetts where she spent most of her time writing about strange paranormal creatures instead of paying attention in class. She has always been considered the ‘dreamy’ one with her head in the clouds. She now lives in Nevada with her two sons, a cat, and a rat named Sam.

Author Links:

Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter:

Read an excerpt from the novel:

Michael grabbed us both by the arms, as he bolted for the fully closed and barred window, which faced nothing but blacktop and honking cars below. “Don’t worry, we’ve got Jacey. Heal us, love.”

I didn’t have time to think about what that meant. He let go of me briefly as he extended his arm in front of him. The bars snapped and the glass exploded free from the pane in an array of pixelated fragments—colored jewels against the starry sky. “Close your eyes,” Michael said, as he took my arm, and leapt through.

Everything dropped away as I fell. Time had momentarily suspended, and the air around me hollered in my ears. In the distance I heard men yelling, and even the crack of a gunshot—at least it sounded like one—but that commotion was soon drowned out by the low hum of car engines and blasting horns. My senses caught up to me as I saw the pavement closing in.

I was going to die.

“Tuck your chin and roll” Michael’s words sounded faint through the rush in my ears. “It’ll lessen the impact.”

A billion thoughts flushed through my mind faster than I would have thought humanly possible, the main one being: He’s insane. What’s the point? Even so, in a last-ditch effort to survive, I closed my eyes and bent my chin to my chest, just as the ground met me.

The bones in my upper back cracked with the impact, along with a stinging roar of pain. I felt my legs bounce, as I rolled out onto the blacktop. A buzz sounded in my head. I couldn’t move. The sound of a car skidding, its tires ripping with the smell of burnt rubber, shuddered through me, and then everything went white.

Now for the giveaway! You can enter to win one of two paperback copies (U.S. & Canada) of The Prophecy or one of two Kindle copies (International)! CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE RAFFLECOPTER!

Many thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for hosting this book blitz!

Xpresso Book Tours

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February 4, 2013 · 3:25 pm

THE MAD SCIENTIST’S DAUGHTER by Cassandra Rose Clarke – Review

Mad Scientist's DaughterThe Mad Scientist’s Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Genre: Adult Science Fiction

Publisher: Angry Robot

Release Date: January 29 2013

Pages: 380

Source: ARC from publisher

five stars

In a word: Strange, melancholy, heartbreaking, and nostalgic.

“They went into his room and she climbed backwards onto his bed, the bed he never slept in because he did not need to sleep, and pulled him on top of her. She took off his shirt, kissed his pale, hairless chest. He had no heartbeat but she could hear something spinning inside of him. She was entranced by it. Like white noise, like the recorded sound of stars.”

The story—girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl gets boy back—may sound familiar, but Clarke’s execution of it is anything but. Once again I have been surprised by a book. This seems to be happening a lot lately, for which I am very grateful. Sometimes I feel like I’m in a reading rut and every book I read feels just like the one before. But The Mad Scientist’s Daughter reminded me of a couple of books I haven’t read in years, books I loved dearly that still haunt me. It has the strange feel of Geoff Ryman’s The Child Garden, a terribly sad story that was ultimately so rewarding. It also sparked some of the same emotions I feel while reading anything by China Miéville. This beautifully written and sprawling tale takes place over many years and follows the relationship between Cat, a young girl trying to figure out her place in the world, and Finn, the android that comes to tutor Cat and assist her father.

Cat’s father, the “mad scientist” of the title, brings Finn home one day when Cat is very young. Finn is an adult android who is the only one of his kind. He looks and sounds human, but is unable to feel emotions. (Think Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation.) Cat’s childhood is mostly happy and carefree, as she spends her days studying with Finn and roaming the forests near her home. As time passes and Cat grows into a young woman, she realizes that she is falling in love with Finn—but that he can never love her back. When Finn decides to sell himself to the government and go to the moon to work on the Lunar Station, Cat is forced to evaluate her true feelings for Finn.

The setting of The Mad Scientist’s Daughter is a future America that has been devastated by an unexplained disaster, an event that has left many families struggling to survive. Cat’s family is luckier than most since her father is a well-known engineer and works with robotics; nonetheless, an air of desolation and sadness lingers over everything.  Although this story is science fiction, it has such an old-fashioned feel to it, and the “nostalgic” label I used above describes the vibe perfectly. Details like robots and comm slates and computer monitors built into the walls of houses compete with cigarettes and worn clothing and dust, elements you don’t imagine when you think of a futuristic setting. This is one of the brilliant things Clarke does in her book, skewing our notion of what a science fiction story should be. The shiny toys of the future live side by side with human misery and despair, and the science fiction elements take a back seat to the more important human issues that Clarke is writing about.

As a main character, Cat was refreshingly different. She seems to go through life with little ambition, and I felt the choices she made were mostly out of boredom. She works as a “Vice Girl” selling hand-rolled cigarettes, and feeds her artistic leanings by creating tapestries on her loom. (One of my favorite parts of this story involves a tapestry Cat spends years making for Finn.) After Finn leaves, she meets a man named Richard and accepts his proposal of marriage because she can’t really think of a reason not to. Cat is not happy being married and is still pining for Finn, and it isn’t until Richard turns abusive that she finds the courage to leave him. As for Finn, you may think it would be difficult to root for an android with no emotions, but Finn was a big surprise for me. He starts out very robotic, but as the story progresses you can see that he is much more than just a tangle of wires and circuits. The blossoming relationship between Finn and Cat is tender and unexpected, and I loved some of the surprising moments they share, moments I don’t want to spoil for you.

Throughout the book the author explores the idea of sentience and what constitutes a human being, using Finn as the example. Cat has always believed Finn to be sentient, and she defends his rights to anyone who tries to call him “it.” But for me, the main theme of the story is isolation and how it can harm us. Cat spends her life trying to connect to other people and usually fails, but ironically she feels happiest when she is with Finn. The author captures the idea of lonely people circling around each other, coming together briefly and then separating again. I think it’s part of what makes this book so melancholy, but it also makes the times the characters do connect extra sweet.

This book is pretty special, and for readers who can appreciate unusual stories, this is one you shouldn’t miss.

Many thanks to Angry Robot for supplying a review copy. Quote is taken from an uncorrected proof and may be different from the finished copy.

You can purchase The Mad Scientist’s Daughter here and visit the author’s website here.

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November 12, 2012 · 10:04 am

There’s Still Time to Win a Copy of GHOST PLANET!

Do you love strong world-building,  lovable characters and a story that will keep you reading (and guessing!) until the last page? Then you will love Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher. My giveaway ends today, so click here to read my interview with Sharon and enter to win one of THREE paperback copies of Ghost Planet.

I also just found an extremely interesting article that Sharon wrote for Tor about how she took a crazy idea and turned it into a published novel. You can read it here.

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November 6, 2012 · 5:00 am

GHOST PLANET Interview with Sharon Lynn Fisher & Giveaway!

Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher
A Tor Mass Market
ISBN: 978-0-7653-6897-3
On Sale October 30 2012

I’m so excited to welcome Sharon Lynn Fisher to the blog today! Ghost Planet was such a great read (you can read my review here), and Sharon has been kind enough to answer some of my burning questions. I also have an excerpt from Ghost Planet that will make you want to read more. And don’t forget to read all the way to the end for a GIVEAWAY of the book!

Welcome Sharon! I’m thrilled to have you visiting Books, Bones & Buffy. Your idea of an alien ghost that attaches itself to each colonist and appears in the form of a dead loved one is so unique. How did you come up with the idea?

Thanks for having me, Tammy!

I was trying to think of a science fiction story idea for the Writers of the Future Contest. I had mostly written fantasy up to that point, but was having trouble coming up with unique ideas. The first thing that came to me was the title, and I asked myself what would be the story behind a world called GHOST PLANET.

Next came the idea for a first scene: A woman travels to an Earth-like world to work as a scientist, meets a man she’s attracted to, and discovers he’s an alien that’s tethered to her. Finally, the moment that really got me excited about this book: “The heroine should be the sexy alien. Only she doesn’t know it.”

The sci-fi classic SOLARIS has a similar premise (I discussed the connection over on SF Signal), but the two books go in very different directions.

Ghost Planet is a very character-driven story and focuses on different kinds of complex relationships. Did you find that writing in the science fiction genre gave you more freedom to explore unusual relationships?

Yes, that’s an insightful question! It’s what I love about both writing and reading speculative romance – exploring relationship dynamics in extreme or unique settings and situations. It really makes for some great conflict too!

By setting your story on another planet, it seems that you would have more freedom to invent details about Ardagh 1 and that research would take a backseat to the more creative parts of writing like character development. Did you have to do much research for Ghost Planet?

Ha ha, more good insights. It’s one reason I like writing fictional worlds: If you get a detail wrong, no one is going to call you on it because it’s all in your head! However, I did not manage to escape research. Since Ardagh 1 and its indigenous inhabitants are symbiotic, I had to research both symbiogenesis and Gaia theory. I also had to do research to help me fill in details about construction of the colonies.

I think world-building probably involves as much research as using a real location. In my second book for Tor I’m having to do both!

I was thrilled to read a science fiction romance, a genre that I’ll have to admit I have not seen or read a lot of. Do you plan on writing more in this genre, and do you have plans for another installment with Elizabeth and Murphy?

I am fairly new to writing this genre, myself, but am loving it. I like how including science-based elements in any type of story can help you come up with unique twists and angles.

My second book for Tor is a post-apocalyptic biopunk romance, about a man with praying mantis DNA and a human archivist-turned-sleeper-agent who is his prisoner. I do have an idea for a follow-up to GHOST PLANET, and am also thinking of writing a short story set soon after colonization.

I’m dying to see exactly what a “biopunk romance” is! OK, this is a two-part question. What writers do you love to read yourself, and have any of them influenced your own writing? And do you read a lot while you’re working on a manuscript? I know some writers worry about being too heavily influenced by other writers and try to stay away from reading completely while they write.

The bad news is I don’t seem to have much time for reading anymore! What with writing, promo, and being a mom. And yes, I do have to be careful reading while writing. I don’t think I’m influenced so much by story as by voice. If someone has a distinctive style I can find myself channeling it a bit.

As for writers I love, I’m a huge fan of classics, and love the Brontes, Jane Austen, Anthony Trollope, and George Eliot to name a few. JANE EYRE is probably my favorite book, and it was also my “gateway” classic novel. I also always mention WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams, and A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L’Engle, both of which I read numerous times. WRINKLE was the first sci-fi book I loved. WATERSHIP is hard to explain, but it’s brilliant. I think I probably learned a lot about including mystery and plot twists from Adams.

WATERSHIP DOWN is one of my favorite books, too! I understand you’ve written a novel called ECHO 8. Is it available yet to purchase? Can you tell us a little bit about it?

ECHO 8 was my second RWA Golden Heart finalist manuscript. Here’s the pitch:

The fate of two worlds hangs in the balance as three lives entangle: Jake, a man shifted to an alternate Earth, where he must drain energy from others to survive. Tess, the parapsychologist trying to save him. Ross, the FBI agent torn between duty and his love for Tess.

There are some excerpts and such on my web site. It’s not available for purchase yet. Stay tuned!

I’m sure you’ve probably thought about this question! If you lived on Ardagh 1 and you could choose who your ghost would be, who would you choose?

Love this question! I answered it recently (a bit tongue-in-cheek) for a blog that used it for their giveaway. Jane Austen – I think she could give me good writing and relationship advice, and would keep me laughing. If you want me to stick to the rules and choose someone I personally knew, I’d have to say my Granny, for almost exactly the same reasons.

Thanks Sharon! And now, a teaser from Ghost Planet:

We trotted up half a dozen steps and were passing through the glass doors when Murphy said, “We’ll be scanned by security just inside. I hate them being here, raising people’s anxiety level in a place where we want them to feel safe. But all new arrivals pass through here, and someone decided it was a good idea.”

Thinking about the illicit-substance and weapons scans in all the airports and public buildings back home, I raised my eyebrows. “What’s it for?”

“To get a sort of fingerprint on everyone,” he explained, walking through the doorframe-shaped scanner. “Just to make sure we know who’s who. They can’t do it at the transport terminal because no one has ghosts when they first arrive.”

I followed him through the scanner, and a long beep sounded somewhere off to my left as I joined him inside. Murphy’s head jerked toward the sound. His eyes moved to the glass doors we’d just come through, and slowly back to me. He glanced at the security desk on our right.

“Where is it?” Murphy called to the guard, whose fingers were flying over his keyboard. The guard’s ghost leaned against the wall behind him, little more than a shadow.

The man stopped typing and looked up. “I’m sorry, Dr. Murphy?”

“I heard the alert go off, but I don’t see her. My ghost, Simon,” Murphy added, growing impatient. “Do you see her?”

The guard blinked at him a couple times. Then he cleared his throat. “She’s standing right next to you, Dr. Murphy.”

Find Sharon Lynn Fisher here:

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * IndieBound * BooksAMillion * Powells

And now for a Giveaway! Three winners will receive a paperback copy of Ghost Planet! JUST CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM. Contest goes until November 13th and is open to US & Canadian residents.

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October 31, 2012 · 2:00 am

Waiting On Wednesday (31) RUSH by Eve Silver

Happy Halloween, everyone! Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and is a fun way to share the books we’re excited about reading. This week I’m waiting on:

Rush by Eve Silver. Release date: May 14 2013 (Katherine Tegen Books). Looks like the start to a new series, and it’s science fiction, which I’m seeing a lot more of in YA lately. Here’s what Goodreads says:

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

The plot sounds a bit like Ender’s Game to me, but I loved that book, so I can’t complain. You can add Rush to your Goodreads list here. What are you waiting on?

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October 25, 2012 · 9:01 am

GHOST PLANET by Sharon Lynn Fisher – Review

Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher.

Genre: Adult Science Fiction Romance

Publisher: Tor Science Fiction

Release date: October 30 2012

Pages: 352

Ghost Planet starts off with a fascinating concept: every person who lives on the planet of Ardagh 1 has an alien attached to them, and the alien is identical to someone in their life who has died. I’ll have to admit it took me a while to wrap my brain around this idea. These creatures are not, in fact, ghosts. Each believes he is the human he represents and is able to do just about anything a human can do: eat, touch, feel pain and emotions, and fall in love. But there are a couple of catches: the ghost will feel extreme pain if he isn’t within a certain distance of his host at all times, as the invisible bond that tethers them together can only stretch so far; and a directive called the Ghost Protocol prohibits ghosts and humans from interacting with each other in any way. With this concept, Fisher has set up a marvelous dilemma for her characters, and the themes she explores are complex and thought-provoking. Oh, and did I mention this is also a romance?

The story begins as psychologist Elizabeth Cole begins a new job on the recently colonized planet of Ardagh 1. Upon arrival she meets her supervisor, the very attractive Irishman Grayson Murphy, the man responsible for the Ghost Protocol that drives the behavior of those on the planet. Elizabeth is instantly attracted to Murphy, but Fisher throws a wrench into the story with a brilliant twist in the first chapter: it turns out that Elizabeth has actually died in a transporter accident on her way to the planet, and she is now Murphy’s ghost. What makes this crazy concept so intriguing is that Elizabeth doesn’t even know she’s dead until some tells her. Murphy is now forced to abide by his own rules and ignore Elizabeth, but she has other ideas.

Accepting her fate is difficult, but rather than wallow in self-pity, Elizabeth sets her scientific mind on the path to solving her problems, the immediate one being that the man who she has developed a fondness for won’t talk to her. She soon meets up with another ghost named Ian and forms a wonderful friendship with him, and together they  delve into Elizabeth’s theories about symbiosis between ghosts and colonists. If Elizabeth’s hunch is correct, the ghosts will be able to separate from their colonists and live free instead of being chained to someone else’s life.

But not everyone wants this to happen, and soon the different factions on Ardagh 1 are battling to gain control of the planet. Elizabeth and Murphy find themselves in danger more than once as they try to figure out the connection between ghosts and humans, discover the secret to separation, and save the planet at the same time.

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot. A lot happens in this book, and I would hate to ruin any reader’s discovery of the many wonderful elements of Ghost Planet. I absolutely loved Elizabeth and Murphy. Their growing relationship, despite the ghost protocol, was so well done, and Fisher has a splendid talent for dialog. The banter between the two is playful, sweet and sexy, and just as in real life, they go through many up and downs before things work themselves out. Elizabeth is just the kind of heroine I love: strong, curious and extremely intelligent.

The ghosts themselves are such an interesting invention. The only physical difference they have from their human counterparts is their yellow eyes, and it’s the one thing that reminds the colonists that they are in fact dealing with aliens. Ghosts also come back when they die (yes, you read that correctly!). More than one ghost is killed during the story, and is resurrected shortly after with very little memory of its life before. There is much speculation among Elizabeth, Murphy and Ian over how each ghost is chosen to be with a colonist, but they never really come to any firm conclusions. It remains a puzzle to the end. It was the one issue I had with the book that didn’t quite bump it up to a five-star review. Although Fisher hints at the reasons behind the alien/ghost/human relationship, my non-scientific brain wanted a little more explanation.

But this book is filled with so many strange and wondrous ideas that will charm everyone who loves good science fiction. One of my favorite parts is when Elizabeth and Murphy discover that when they ignore the Ghost Protocol and spend time together interacting, plants begin springing up around them, even inside their apartment.

Ghost Planet has everything: romance, action, danger and betrayal, and laced in among the entertaining and fast-moving plot are some puzzling questions about the nature of relationships and how human interaction can possibly save a planet. This is also a cautionary tale about the destruction of our environment and what might happen if we don’t work together. Despite the sometimes grim warnings, by the end of the book I felt something that I wish more books made me feel: hopeful.

Many thanks to the publisher, Tor Science Fiction, for supplying a review copy.

You can purchase Ghost Planet here and visit Sharon Lynn Fisher’s website here.

I’ll be participating in the Blog Tour for Ghost Planet next month, so make sure to stop by and read my interview with Sharon Lynn Fisher and enter for a chance to win a copy of the book!

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October 24, 2012 · 7:29 am

Waiting on Wednesday (30) ARCLIGHT by Josin L. McQuein

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and is a great way to showcase books you can’t wait to read! This week I am totally judging a book by its cover:) I can’t help it, it’s fantastic:

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein. Release date: April 23 2013 (Greenwillow Books). Isn’t is gorgeous? And according to the author’s website, the book cover is sparkly! Here’s Goodreads’ description:

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

Add to Goodreads

I love the thriller/science fiction premise of this book. What are you waiting on?

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October 10, 2012 · 6:27 am

Waiting on Wednesday (28) THE DIFFERENT GIRL by Gordon Dahlquist

I can’t believe it’s Wednesday already! The week just flew by…Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and is a great way to share books that you are excited about. This week I’m highlighting this book:



The Different Girl by Gordon Dahlquist. Release date:  February 1, 2013 (Dutton Juvenile).  I love this cover! The girl with the yellow hair is so striking. It sounds pretty good too. Here’s what Goodreads has to say:

Four nearly identical girls on a desert island. An unexpected new arrival. A gently warped near future where nothing is quite as it seems.

Veronika. Caroline. Isobel. Eleanor. One blond, one brunette, one redhead, one with hair black as tar. Four otherwise identical girls who spend their days in sync, tasked to learn. But when May, a very different kind of girl—the lone survivor of a recent shipwreck—suddenly and mysteriously arrives on the island, an unsettling mirror is about to be held up to the life the girls have never before questioned.

Sly and unsettling, Gordon Dahlquist’s timeless and evocative storytelling blurs the lines between contemporary and sci-fi with a story that is sure to linger in readers’ minds long after the final page has been turned.

Sounds good, right? I’m getting a bit of a Lost vibe, for some reason. I’d love to know what you’re waiting on this week! Link me up in the comments:)

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March 16, 2012 · 10:51 am

CINDER by Marissa Meyer – Review

She has grease stains on her face instead of ashes. She’s looking for the mechanical foot that fits her best.  And she drives to the ball in a beat-up gasoline car instead of a magical pumpkin. Welcome to Marissa Meyer’s inventive re-imagining of Cinderella, the first of four books in the Lunar Chronicles.

I finally got around to reading Cinder, and I’m so glad I took time off from my scheduled review requests to do so.  Cinder was everything I was expecting and more. Yes, I would say it exceeded my expectations.  May I make a suggestion to all aspiring writers out there, including the ones who are self-publishing their books because they believe they can write:  please read Cinder, for it is a perfect example of how a book should be written. Not only is it a bang-up story that will have you turning pages faster than a runaway hover craft, but it is perfectly written, perfectly paced, and packed with so much emotion and so many engaging characters that you will wonder where the time went.  I flew through it in a couple of days, and it only took me that long because I had to stop and (reluctantly) feed my family.

When Cinder begins, World War IV is over, but the country of New Beijing is fighting a losing battle with a deadly plague. Cinder, a lower class citizen who is virtually the property of her stepmother Adri, is a cyborg mechanic who runs a repair stall in the town marketplace and also fixes everything mechanical that breaks down at home. Like Cinderella before her, she also has two step sisters. Pearl is mean and spiteful, but Peony is Cinder’s only human friend. Until one day Prince Kai himself, heir to the throne of New Beijing, comes to her stall to have his favorite android repaired.  The prince is intrigued by Cinder’s secretive nature and her lack of interest in him. But although she is attracted to the prince, Cinder is afraid of Kai discovering her secret: that she is part machine. Indeed, her cyborg parts include a foot and a hand, which she covers up with a grease-stained glove.

When Peony contracts the dreaded letumosis plague, Adri forces Cinder to “volunteer” as a test subject to find a cure for the disease.  At the medical center Cinder meets Dr. Erland, a kindly but determined old man whose task is to save the dying Emperor, Prince Kai’s father.  In Dr. Erland’s medical facility, Cinder learns a horrifying truth about herself, giving her one more reason to avoid Prince Kai.  As is the case with many of the characters, Dr. Erland has his own secrets, and although he seems suspicious at first, he later becomes Cinder’s trusted friend and ally. With the arrival of Queen Levana, the evil ruler of Luna, the future of New Beijing rests on a terrible decision that Kai must make, and more than one life hangs in the balance. Readers may be equally thrilled and frustrated by the ending, which comes all too soon.

Besides her creative take on the Cinderella story, Meyer fills her story with details that remind us that we are indeed in science fiction territory. For example, Cinder is programmed with an orange warning light that flashes at the corner of her vision whenever someone is lying to her, and her mechanical leg has a hinged door behind which Cinder stores her tools.  One of my favorite characters in the book is Iko, Cinder’s wonderfully quirky android and constant companion.

I’m always grateful to writers who can surprise me, and Meyer surprised me throughout the entire book. She doesn’t go for the obvious happy ending, and for that she should be applauded.  At the risk of giving too much away, there were many times during the story when she could have saved a beloved character, but didn’t.  It is this bravery in part that elevates Cinder above the many other young adult fantasy books on the market today.  When you read the final paragraph, just keep this in mind: luckily for us readers, Cinder’s story isn’t finished. The second book in the series, Scarlet, arrives in 2013.

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