Wednesday, December 30, 2015

BOOK REVIEW - The Demon's Librarian




Author: Lilith Saintcrow - http://www.lilithsaintcrow.com
Format: Kindle ebook. Free from Net Galley for a review. Amazon.
Did it feel like a full novel: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Genre: paranormal/fantasy, romance
Dates Read: Nov 2-Dec 29, 2015
Official Blurb: Demons are preying on schoolchildren in her city, so Francesca Barnes does what any red-blooded librarian would do—she does some research and goes hunting. But the books she finds in a secret cache don't tell her the whole story. Chess has no idea what she's just stepped into or just how special she is. Orion is Drakul, part demon, and a loyal servant of the Order. He doesn't expect a motorcycle-riding librarian to be messing around with demonic forces, and he doesn't expect her to smell so damn good. But Ryan's got bigger problems. His partner has disappeared, and the forces of Darkness are rising. Now Chess is Ryan's only hope of finding his partner, and Ryan is Chess's only hope of survival because the demons now know Chess exists and that she is the heir to a long-lost power that could push back their dark tide. If Ryan can keep her alive long enough, she just might be the key to destroying the demons completely. But Ryan doesn't know he's been betrayed by the very Order he serves. And if Chess does, by some miracle survive, he won't ever be able to touch her again. . . 

One Sentence: Librarian protected by half-demon; should be overdone but was quite delightful!

Full Review: That cover just snags the eye, doesn't it? *wipes off drool*

But yes, this was a rather enjoyable story! Chess was likable about 90% of the time (really it was mainly that twice she just HAD to fall into the romance trope of "getting pissy and not listening", it felt railroaded the first time so at least I could forgive her for that one). She loves Buster Keaton and the Who's on First sketch, and really that pretty much made me her friend. Well, and she loves books of course, heh. I liked the way she could handle herself, though alas it was only used at the very end, so it almost felt like a Mary Sue-power. Ryan was a guy I could really fall for. I didn't care for him calling her 'Sweetheart' and not seeming to care that it bothered her, or this one part he gets so upset he thinks that he's gonna 'show her who's in charge'. But that part is kind of like the ones I disliked for Chess: short and didn't do too much damage because they felt like they were added merely for drama and they aren't really true portrayals of them. 

Other than that, I REALLY liked the rest of Ryan's character. He was otherwise mainly possessive in a "You're my only one" more so than the ugly "You're my property" manner, of which the latter is such a turnoff. He has pride in himself being the best he could be, coupled with a touch of inferiority (being that he's half-demon and his loyalties lying with people who consider him an animal that could snap at anytime). And if you've been reading my posts for a while, you know that hits me in the feels. I also liked how devoted he was to her, that always counts for bonus points! His 'dangerous'ness wasn't all that exemplified but for a small bit, but I think that's something stylistic of the writer. For instance, the whole demon-preying-on-schoolkids is almost a flashback, and there's a couple of other scenes that are more referenced to than actually played out. 

This magic world was pretty cool, though I wish we'd had a better understanding of the Malik and Drakul earlier in the book than it came. I hope that another of this author's books takes place in the same universe, as it seemed very interesting. Maybe even Melwyn and Samuel? I can only hope! Regardless I am very happy that I had snagged a second of Ms. Saintcrow's books on Net Galley, even if it takes place in a different world.

Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 stars

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

CHALLENGE WRAP-UP - 2015 Reading Challenge (Popsugar)


This was a really cool challenge, but alas I didn't manage nearly as many as I would have liked. Here they are as best I can fit into their proper categories ;]

A book with more than 500 pages - Atlas Shrugged
A classic romance
A book that became a movie - The Martian
A book published this year - Fates Divided
A book with a number in the title
A book written by someone under 30 - The Temp
A book with nonhuman characters - Wonderland
A funny book
A book by a female author - Abuse
A mystery or thriller
A book with a one-word title - Ogden
A book of short stories
A book set in a different country - Omega in the Shadows
A nonfiction book
A popular author’s first book
A book from an author you love that haven’t read yet - Impulse
A book a friend recommended - Alanna: the First Advenure
A Pulitzer Prize-wining book
A book based on a true story
A book at the bottom of your to-read list
A book your mom loves
A book that scares you
A book more than 100 years old
A book based entirely on its cover - Mastering Her Man
A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t
A memoir
A book you can finish in a day - Branded
A book with antonyms in the title
A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit 
A book that came out the year you were born
A book with bad reviews - Lord of the Bears
A trilogy
A book from your childhood
A book with a love triangle - Curse of the Alpha 1& 2
A book set in the future - Robots on Strike
A book set in high school
A book with a color in the title
A book that made you cry
A book with magic - Lumiere
A graphic novel
A book by an author you’ve never read before - The Sea of Time
A book you own but have never read - Planet of the Apes
A book that takes place in your hometown
A book that was originally written in a different language - When They Shine Brightest
A book set during Christmas
A book written by an author with your same initials
A play
A banned book
A book based on or turned into a TV show
A book you started but ever finished

Monday, December 28, 2015

TOP TEN - Top 10 books of 2015


I'm so grateful to starting this blog, as it's led me to finding so many awesome books I may not have even heard of otherwise! Please allow me to share some of my favorites from this past year! (pics link back to their respective reviews if you're curious)



1. First discovery of a story with a hero having to be rescued by his heroine. Also naughty sexual slavery though the pair don't really get into it that way so much. Plus a touch of sci fi!


2. Fun YA with a heroine I liked. Her love interest was adorable and also likable, and they made a pair that wasn't suddenly dependent and annoying.


3. This hero was just wonderful. He has so much shame and guilt, but he's not hateful to others. Still need to read the rest of this series!


4. A lovely story about a young man that didn't feel that much like a regular YA. But sweet with an ending that doesn't need to have everything to make you feel satisfied.


5. Did this for a Read Along and had the best time! Grateful to the group because I may have left this on a TBR list for a lot longer. One of my favorite protagonist females, though I had to rewrite a scene at the very end to feel better about one of the characters I enjoyed best ;)


6. Very enjoyable romance where I could love both the heroine and the hero. They made a great pair overall, supporting each other's strengths and weaknesses. 


7. This m/m romance just hit an incredible amount of tropes that I love. I'm happy Perdita's written many other books, but I fear they cannot compare to how much I love this one!


8. Super fun sci fi that ended up with a good movie too!


9. Fun steampunk novel with an adorable love interest and a heroine that grew on me!


10. Really enjoyed this very different style of this book from a Bulgarian author.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

MEME - Stacking the Shelves - 12-26-15 #21



So I'm a bit miffed that my workplace has banned the blogger url. At least when I'm trying to login on my own account. Hopefully it's just a temporary thing, but even then I think I'll still be a bit behind in reading other people's posts, dang-it! Just three freebies this time around, and I think two of them are more like erotic short-stories than novels. Eh well, something quick to read :]






Thursday, December 24, 2015

CHALLENGE - Popsugar 2016 Reading Challege

This year I sort of attempted this challenge, and only managed some of the categories (still have to do a wrap up post). I think that's due to two things: One, I didn't start the challenge until June; and Two, I didn't use the list before deciding between books when I wasn't sure what I wanted to read. This year I am definitely going to use the printout (plus take a pic of it to have on my phone) to make better selections! Though I'll still pick books I want to read for other reasons, this will serve well when I'm just trying to pick any book to read. I think I might also add more specific labels on reviews, so at the end of the year it'll be easier to trace everything back, especially for books that fulfill more than one challenge (this being the key reason I'm kind of dreading wrap up posts for this and another challenge). Image below links back to this actual challenge. I hope some of you might do this one as well!




Wednesday, December 23, 2015

BOOK REVIEW - Robots on Strike!


Author: Sean Dowd - https://www.goodreads.com/seandowd
Format: Kindle ebook. free at the time on amazon.
Did it feel like a full novel: More like a flimsy novella.
Cliffhanger: No.
Genre: sci fi
Dates Read: Dec 8-12, 2015
Official Blurb: More than science fiction, a way of considering how robots and automation could change the way global economy and politics work. 

The story takes us through the life of a supply chain and robotics tycoon as his new innovations present a quite unexpected result. 

How can robots go on strike? 
They were hard-wired to obey humans, so how could it possibly happen? 

The three laws of robotics could have some loophole? Maybe it is for our own good... or maybe not...

One Sentence: Really good premise, but not enough substance for good execution.

Full Review: I really wanted to like this a lot, but I couldn't do more than a 'sort of' like. The novel is very quick, with the plot points just coming up in a neat little line. There's no real characterization, and the little bit of history you get doesn't seem to serve any good purpose. While I like the ideas that are approached, with having robots replacing the human workforce in increasing numbers, and the further developments resulting from that, it just felt too rushed.

And I also didn't care for how flippant Tom as about the Three Laws he admits to using from Asimov. It seemed to me that the entirety of I, Robot made it clear that the laws are not infallible. Pretty much things kept messing up because though they sounded good, they couldn't foresee every possible situation. 

The way the dialogue was written was annoying too. It kept pulling me away from the story, making the book feel more like a first or second draft, or something like that. Would be curious to see what else Mr. Dowd will do in the future, but this book alone would make me a touch hesitant to read other reviews of other works first.

Rating: 2 stars




Tuesday, December 22, 2015

CHALLENGE - 2016 TBR Pile Reading Challenge


Oh man, I am SO excited about this challenge too! Being that I've recently started to get boxes out of storage and setting them up at home (because $105/month is no a good deal when I realize I can give away at least half that stuff to people who will actually use it!) and discovered SEVERAL book boxes! This isn't counting the five small shelves I have full of unread books in my room, eep! So I have plenty of fodder for this challenge, and it will hopefully get me to make a nice dent in my stack. Plus maybe some ebooks that have been on my ereader a while, heh. 

My goal for 2016 is: 21-30 First Kiss

Here's hoping I can do it! Anyone else doing this challenge?

GUEST POST - Finding the Stories Behind the Stories - by James Stoddah


Special treat today! Today's guest post is by James Stoddah, author of A Parallel Trust. Thank you very much for this insightful piece, Mr. Stoddah!

----- _____ ----- _____ ----- _____ -----

Finding the Stories Behind the Stories

One of the things I enjoy as a reader is to picture the characters from the imagination of the author. It’s something I’ve done from an early age. I imagined Smiler’s empathy with the cheetah in The Runaways by Victor Canning and of how Charlotte discovers the comforts of her own world after seeing life through the eyes of Clare in Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer.  Understanding the complexities of these struggles through the mind of the author creates a situation that places the books somewhere between fiction and reality. How much of the author’s own experiences shaped their characters?

In a recent review of A Parallel Trust a reader made reference to the relationship between my young characters, Aril and Unity, as they embark on their quest to find (what they believe is) Clifton’s treasure. The reader described their relationship as ‘innocently honest’ and felt that their friendship was free from cliché, being ‘deep, without feeling contrived’. I’m happy the reader picked up on this.

Many books I’ve read develop relationships that move too fast or cultivate love triangles as soon as their relationship gets physical. I believe ‘young love’ has an innocence that’s lost in the drunken-social world of adult life. I recently read a conversation on the Nerdfighteria forum, discussing the dating trend of sleep-with-them-first-and-hope-it-works-out. At sixteen there is an endearing ignorance about how dating works. Self-doubt, fear of rejection and the need for friendship slows down that smash-and-grab evolution of dating, and as a writer you can be more honest. This also means you can enhance the wonder and help the reader gain more empathy with the characters.

I enjoyed writing A Parallel Trust but I realised as I finished, how much I’d miss my young characters. I felt a compelling urge to keep them alive – write my own fan-fiction. I often drifted off to sleep thinking about how their relationship would have developed after the book ends and what experiences they would have together.

Those daydreams triggered my own memories. I understood that Aril was part of my young self; the way I felt about a particular female friend when I was his age. Unrequited feelings – or so I thought. I left it too late to explain how I felt when I was with her or the emptiness I felt every time we parted. I used those feelings and experiences to create the alternate reality of my own youth in Aril and Unity.

With fine art, you are encouraged to explore the artist’s mind. You look for characterisation in portraits – it’s why The Mona Lisa is so captivating – or how you can feel Van Gogh’s pain through his work.  Next time you read a book, take a step outside the story and think of what inspired the author to write the characters as they did. It’s fun.

There’s always a personal story hidden behind the written story.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


James Stoddah is a UK novelist and regular Huffington Post blogger. He has written two contemporary treasure hunt mysteries, Ring of Conscience and A Parallel Trust, and created the Melodema online treasure hunt.

For more information visit www.jamesstoddah.com or find on social media, including @JamesStoddah on Twitter.


Sunday, December 20, 2015

CHALLENGE - Full House Reading Challenge 2016


So this is the first challenge I'm joining for this upcoming year! The Full House Reading Challenge is hosted by Book Date. The image links to the challenge directly if you'd like to check it out in detail. What caught me more than even a quarterly prize option (though that sounds very cool, don't get me wrong) is this fun bingo box with the categories!


Good enough variety coupled with generalizations so you aren't, for example, a bird hater and then you have to fulfill something like "a book about robins or swallows" where you really don't want to do it. I hope some of y'all might join in! Does it sound like you'd like to, or have you all ready?

Saturday, December 19, 2015

MEME - Stacking the Shelves - 12-19-15 #020



This isn't too bad an amount of books for two weeks. But alas, I have kinda been slacking off on my reading. Eep. But hopefully I can get more organized this upcoming new year with my brand new Erin Condren Life Planner! I read so many good reviews that I decided to take the plunge as well. Kinda been spending a bit too much on pens and washi tape, and just made 4 small orders on etsy yesterday, heh. But hopefully I can better keep myself organized when it comes to review requests and my overdue Net Galley stuff. And our fledgling little book club as well. 

Freebies:










Wednesday, December 16, 2015

BOOK REVIEW - Confused (at the conference) [Chasing Cameron 1]


Author: Hanna Dare - 
Format: Kindle ebook. Free at the time on amazon.
Did it feel like a full novel:  Nope, it's part of a serial.
Cliffhanger: Semi since you know it's a serial.
Genre: m/m, business
Dates Read: Nov 21-23, 2015
Official Blurb: Cameron Prior knows himself pretty well – he’s quiet, unassuming… and straight. Just an ordinary guy. Chase Griffith is none of those things. At first Chase uses his good looks and arrogant smirk to show Cameron up at a work conference. Then he sets his sights on Cameron himself. Now Cameron is looking to prove something to himself and to Chase – but it may be that Cameron doesn’t know himself as well he thought. 

With a hotel room, an expensive bottle of Scotch, and two great-looking men, anything could happen. 

One Sentence: Enjoyable sex scene, but so darn short.

Full Review: I have such a love-hate of these serials/novellas that are several parts. I like something quick to read, but I don't want to buy 3-plus more parts. Maybe if the first part were free, and the others were bundled, it'd be more tempting to purchase. But knowing that I'm paying for what another full book might cost for each small bit? It's not all that intriguing.

However, despite that, I enjoyed reading this short bit. Cameron was intriguing though he wasn't all that personalized. Chase was a bit less, but of course has that arrogance that sometimes drives me crazy (in a bad way). Their sex was pretty hot though, really. Was it because it was a one-night stand kind of thing? No, I think it was Ms. Dare's talent. I'd love to read something plumper by her, but I don't think I will be buying the rest of this series, though part three sounds fascinating.

Rating: 3 stars


Tuesday, December 8, 2015

No review this Wednesday

Well folks, I thought I xould have a review ready but did not manage. Going on a short trip to California. Will be back in time to do a review for next week. Take care, hope you all are doing well :)

Monday, December 7, 2015

BLOG TOUR - The Woodsman

What if the Big Bad Wolf was the good guy? #shifter #paranormal #romance #99cents http://goo.gl/zN5lm1


BLURB
The Woodsman Belle Scarlett En route to become an elderly marquis' arranged bride, Lady Lily Rouge's carriage becomes stranded in an Enchanted Forest rumored to be populated by loup-garou and le gobelin, where cursed creatures are consigned until the spells that bind them are broken. A huge black wolf stalks Lily, forcing her to shelter in a rustic cottage. In the morning, she comes under the protection of the cottage's owner, a ruggedly handsome (and naked ) woodsman. He's determined to seduce her before sundown, even if it means giving the nosy pixies fluttering outside the window an eyeful. Sir Marrok Ulfang has been impatiently awaiting the arrival of the comely maiden in the red cloak for over a millennium. Now he has one day to win her heart and claim her first sexual surrender, or he'll remain a wolf shapeshifter, alone forever. But spirited, saucy Lily has a mind of her own, and the daylight is fading fast. Meanwhile, the one who cursed Marrok lurks in the forest and will fight to keep the couple from leaving together alive


EXCERPT
Once upon a moonlit October night in the Enchanted Forest, where cursed beings are consigned until the spells that bind them are broken…
Lady Lily Rouge’s musings were broken when her swaying carriage slowed and came to a dead halt in the road. Lily opened the door and leaned out.
“Driver! Why do we stop?”
No answer from the front of the carriage.
A chilling howl sounded, mere feet away in the darkness. Lily instinctively recognized it for what it was, a demand for surrender, ownership…possession. In answer, she felt a gush of fresh moisture cream the tops of her inner thighs. What was happening to her?
Then a man screamed.
Lily stared hard through the growing fog and watched in shock as her portly driver’s shape disappeared on foot through the marshy landscape dotted by eerie will- o’-wisps.
An enormous black creature chased him, running on all fours.
She tried wildly to recall the old, superstitious stories about this wood. Something about a huge wolf, dark as the night, who walked as a man in daylight. He was consigned by a mystical something or other to reside inside an Enchanted Forest because he committed some infraction until…until… Lily could recall no more.
She shifted uneasily. Well, she could not sit here forever. The beast could return at any moment and then she would be trapped inside for who knew how long. She would have to find a way out of this damnable wood herself!
Lily did not know how to drive a carriage with any skill, but she was an excellent horsewoman and knew she could make swift time on horseback. She would have to ride astride and bareback, she decided. Her heavy skirts and petticoats, beautiful as they were, would merely hamper her efforts. Her pantalettes would have to serve as riding breeches and her sleeveless, boned stays that overlaid her linen undershift would top off the outrageous outfit.
In a trice, she struggled out of her doublet, bodice, cumbersome skirts, bum roll and petticoats. She wrapped herself once more in the warm, red cloak and raised the deep hood over her handsomely dressed auburn curls.
Lily returned her attention to the carriage window and scanned the inhospitable night. Nothing moved outside. Now was her chance.
She took a deep breath and tried to open the carriage door. Fear made her stiff, chilled fingers clumsy as she fumbled with the handle. She needed something to stop her hands from shaking. She glanced around at the stacked pieces of baggage and plucked a flask of wine she spied poking through the opening of a lidded, woven basket Cook had packed for her journey.
Undoing the stopper, she tipped a healthy swallow down her throat. Dull warmth spread through her and burned her cheeks. All at once, she could not quite recall why she had been so frightened a moment ago. Tucking her liquid courage back into the food hamper that dangled from her elbow, Lily muttered an unladylike “Merde” and alighted from the carriage.
Her red cloak swirled around her ankles as she struggled forward and began to unharness Buttercup and Lucifer. Lucifer was the swifter mount and Lily could only hope poor Buttercup could evade the ravening wolf until she could return with a hunting party. A large one, she thought maliciously.
“Then I shall have the last laugh on that filthy brute. I will not be intimidated by a simple-minded wild beast!” she announced grandly to the night while her fingers worked the leather straps.
The sullen fog refused to answer.
For good measure, she added a deliciously forbidden, “Bollocks to wolves!”
The carriage suddenly swayed, as though jolted by a mild wind. Both horses beside her suddenly whinnied, straining their harnesses.
Lily felt a chill go through her that had nothing to do with the temperature.
Slowly turning her head, she looked up at the coachman’s seat. Staring down at her with mesmerizing eyes the color of a robin’s egg was the biggest, blackest wolf that Lily ever imagined could exist.
Lily and the huge wolf regarded one another for a timeless moment. The wolf quirked its head to one side and looked her up and down. It was almost as though it was taken aback by the sight of her, poised for flight, wearing only a bright cloak that parted down the front to reveal her snug bustier and lacy pantalettes that lovingly hugged the curve of her hip and legs. Its red tongue panted at the sight of her luscious frame.
Lily glared up at the wolf and edged back a step. Then two. Then three. Maybe she could make a run for it.
As though reading her thoughts, the wolf leapt from the coachman’s seat and stalked toward her, stopping only a couple of paces away. It had situated itself between her and the horses, and seemed to be waiting for her next move.
“Shoo!” She tried waving it away with one hand. “Scat! Begone! Go away!Bad dog!”
The wolf replied by sitting back on its haunches and parting its jaws in a feral grin. Had Lily not known such a thing to be beyond the realm of possibility, she would have sworn the animal was amused by her feeble attempts to drive it off and was in fact laughing at her!
She tried to edge carefully around the black beast toward Lucifer. A deep, warning growl rumbled from the wolf’s throat. Lily froze, poised for flight but not daring to move for a full minute. Then she began edging backward.
As she stepped off the narrow, rutted road, her slippers sank into the muck up to her ankles, but she never took her eyes off the impressive creature that impassively watched her retreat.
When she was a few yards away, she turned and fled, dashing as fast as she could across the uneven ground. She ran on and on, without hearing any sound except for the pounding of her own heart and the flap-flap of her red cloak that billowed behind her.
Suddenly, Lily found her way barred by a second, smaller wolf, this one white. A she-wolf who bristled with a malevolent aggression that was focused intently on Lily. Lily halted in her tracks, breathing hard from the sense she was somehow the sole center of the she-wolf’s hatred. But how could that be? She had done nothing to this animal to warrant such fury.
The white wolf advanced, snarling viciously. Lily cringed and waited for the attack she knew would come. The she-wolf sprang. Lily screamed.
A blur of black fur hurtled into the clearing and threw itself onto the white wolf, broadsiding her in mid-leap. The two beasts crashed as one to the ground. The she-wolf felt the sting of the black wolf’s teeth and bounded off through the dense trees with a yelp.
“This cannot be happening.” Lily was not aware she had gasped her thought aloud until the black wolf swung his great head in her direction. His intent gaze was once more upon her. He prowled toward Lily. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the first bite.
wood2.jpg
Praise for The Woodsman
– Review at ParaNormalRomance.org
– Review at Manicreaders.com
– Review at Bittenbybooks.com
– A Four Cups rating! Review at Coffeetimeromance.com
– Review at ParaNormalRomance.org
– Review at Manicreaders.com
– Review at Bittenbybooks.com
– A Four Cups rating! Review at Coffeetimeromance.com


By day, she’s a mild-mannered story consultant, film producer, and award-winning screenwriter in Lost Angeles. By night, she assumes her super-secret identity as Belle Scarlett, author of futuristic and paranormal romances with a high sizzle factor. Aiding her in her quest for kick-ass, magical romance and out-of-this-world, passionate-ever-afters are her trusty sidekicks, Tall-Alpha-Blue-Eyed Boyfriend, upon whom her heroes are based, and Evil Feral Cat, upon whom her villains are based.
Belle is a proud member of The Naughty Literati, a cadre of saucy romance writers who publish hot romance short story anthologies five time per year.
Website: www.bellescarlett.com,
www.naughtyliterati.com
Twitter: @scarlettwoman1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belle.scarlett
GoodReads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1463246.Belle_Scarlett

Saturday, December 5, 2015

MEME - Stacking the Shelves - 12-05-15 #019




Well in writing news, I managed to complete my NaNo, yay! Alas, it is only about 1/2 or maybe 1/3 of what the finished book's story should amount to, but I'm very proud of my effort. Just gonna have to do some research for the rest. In reading news, I haven't done a lot BUT we got our Facebook book club started (A Novel Gang), and started our first novel, The Remains of The Day. Just not sure if we'll do discussion at someplace, or on Facebook itself. As for getting books this week, I tried to stay controlled and be very judgmental so I don't overburden myself with all these books to read when I have so dang many all ready on my Kindle account plus on my book shelves. Didn't do horribly, but there is still room for improvement.

PURCHASED


FREEBIES






Wednesday, December 2, 2015

BOOK REVIEW - Vastitas


Author: L.G. Bittar 
Format: Kindle ebook. Free at the time from amazon.
Did it feel like a full novel: yes, though short
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: sci fi
Dates Read: Nov 1-2, 2015
Official Blurb: When the Curiosity rover uncovers a human skull buried beneath the surface of Mars, humankind is faced with one of the most challenging and troubling enigmas it has ever encountered. The brilliant but arrogant physicist James Carpenter is put in charge of the investigation and will stop at nothing to find the truth. However, pitfalls abound because in the universe of Vastitas, nothing is what it seems and the very logic of space and time is questioned. 

Two hundred years in the future, astronaut Daniel Novikov has his own problems to deal with. After a worldwide conspiracy leaves the human race struggling to survive, Daniel comes to the realization that only he has the knowledge needed to avert disaster. But no amount of experience could have prepared him for what he encounters in outer space. 

The two men, separated by hundreds of years, race against the clock in this engaging sci-fi thriller that challenges us to ask ourselves two questions: 

Who are we and what are we doing here?

One Sentence: Fascinating concept that ended a little down, but still a fun read

Full Review:  I read this because I think I was still feeling a bit of a high from The Martian, so anything about Mars sounded good to me. The plot doesn't involve Mars itself nearly as much as the former, at least not until the end. And then it's more of you're just there than you get to see the alien planet.

The time travel part of this was pretty good if a bit simplistic. I was upset that there wasn't much deep characterization, and most of the characters were pretty forgettable. The future society was fascinating, but it doesn't sound very realistic at all. 

Rating: 3 stars

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