We have here a full-blown Space Opera of the humorous variety. In books such as this, everything is tongue in cheek: Characters are overly weird, plotlines are purposely shaky, and creativity and invention is the order of the day. This novel does not disappoint in any of these areas. The aliens are improbable, their names […]
“The Return of the Osprey” by DJ Albrecht
This book divides itself neatly into two sections, each encompassing a different genre. Sci-Fi This is a standard soft-science Space Opera. No ink is wasted on the physics of space travel such as speed, time or distance, which is fine. Star Trek didn’t do any different. Characters are likeable, sympathetic and more individualistic than the […]
“Ghost Ship” by C. R. Turner
This is a smoothly-written high-paced hard sci-fi action adventure, a bit formulaic and unfortunately lacking in personality and warmth. For example, I never did get to really like the main character, Joel Stinson, even though the story is first-person POV. It took a long time to figure out that he and his sidekick were a […]
“Lost Helix” by Scott Coon
This novel is pretty much a model of what YA Space Opera should be: a bit melodramatic, a bit realistic, a bit magical, and very escapist. It has a nicely complex conflict, with DJ and Paul trying to escape the repressive, corporate-focused mining colony that restricts their lives and at the same time find DJ’s […]
“Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas” by Kayelle Allen
As you might suspect from the title, this book is not a complete novel. It is the lengthy introduction to what promises to become an epic series. As such, there are certain expectations that the prospective reader must get straight. Because of the epic nature of the project, do not expect subtle characterization. These people […]