Review: Woe to the Victor by Nathan H Green

 

The Book:

Earth’s been destroyed, but the fight’s not over! Award-winning writer Nathan H. Green, author of The Galileo, and Treason’s Temple, brings his degree in aerospace engineering to space combat in this action packed, hard science-fiction thriller.

It’s Earth’s last day and Captain Lewis Black drifts though space, watching it burn.

The pilots under his command are dead. The war with the Maaravi is lost. Air hisses into space from around the stump of his severed arm.

In the distance a Maaravi ship approaches. Whether to torture him for information, capture him as a prisoner, or take him as a trophy, he’ll have one last chance to hurt them.

Natasha Palmer, lead engineer on the failed Reaper missile program, knows humanity’s last, desperate, plan won’t work. She’s got one chance to change that, but it will mean a leap of faith beyond all others.

Humanity is vanquished, but some battles bring only woe to the victor.

My Thoughts:

Another Military SF and another finalist in SPSFC3. Again I can see why. This books is pure action but is so well written that I found it compelling. The whole backstory into the alien attackers is fascinating and the futuristic warfare very convincing. But there was a poignancy to it, the tragedy of Earth’s situation, the human cost. 

If you’re a fan of the genre this is one for your list!

I’ve noticed that quite a few excellent Military SF books have been turning up in the SPSFC contests. I wonder if this is because mainstream publishing is steering clear of the military genre. I’m so glad that these authors have chosen to self publish because their books are really very good.

Review: The Scorching: Just Press Play by Nick Snape

The Book:

On an Earth devastated by The Scorching climate event, the Drathken land their giant plantships with the promise of healing the planet. Joshua Nkosi vlogs and jokes his way through an easy life guarding a deep-sea mining operation while watching old vids. That is until, he and his modded octopus partner, Marc, get caught up in a plot to steal radiation rich materials from the seabed, fuelling the terrorists’ plan to destroy a Drathken plantship, and ultimately put an end to the alien/human alliance.

Nkosi and his sarcastic tentacled buddy are forced to enter the Burnout Zone, only to come face to face with humanity’s stark future when the hunt for the terrorist’s lab takes a devastating twist. As conspiracies deepen and the jokes fly, Nkosi and Marc enter a dark journey of discovery—one they decide humanity desperately needs to listen to.

My Thoughts:

This is another quality piece of SF from Nick Snape, set in the same world as ‘The Scorching: The World in My Hands’ which I have reviewed below. That book was a hard act to follow but this one, although quite different, didn’t disappoint. In fact far from it.

There is a lot of action, lots of excitement, and an underlying mystery to be solved. But it is the characterisation that really sets this one apart. Especially Marc!!! Marc had to be my new favourite character ever!

The other thing I loved about this book was the emotional ride it took me on. A good book makes you feel and resonates with you long after you turn the last page, and this book is a little bit heartbreaking, and I love that about it.

Nick is a relatively new author on my radar but I’m so glad I discovered these books. He writes fantasy too and I’ll be exploring some of that next.

Review: Children of the Black by WJ III Long

 

The Book:

As humanity's bloodiest conflict ends, those left behind struggle to carve a path free of its shadow, but old hates die hard. Under the weight of this new future, a former soldier and a young psionic girl fight to scrounge up enough credits to keep their meager lives on track when a figure from the past offers them a way out. All they have to do is find the remains of a once-promising enemy research project, one whose failure still shakes the souls involved to this day.

Success would mean an end to all their problems, but in this universe, few things are as deceptive as an easy gig.

My Thoughts:

One of last year’s finalists in SPSFC3 and reading it I can see why. This is a space opera with a strong military vibe. There’s lots of action as would be expected but what sets this one apart is the humanity of the characters especially the relationship between the main character, Claude and the young blind girl, Vision. This really gives us an insight into the more human side of this former soldier and these characters all really come to life.

This really is an excellent book and one I strongly recommend, especially if you are looking for Military SF that gives you that something extra.

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (10)

I’ve maybe made it halfway through the entries for this year’s SPSFC4 Contest (Self Published Science Fiction Competition) and the list of books I want to read is getting longer by the day and now stands at 20. So this seems a good point for the timely reminder that these choices I’m making are very subjective and a reflection largely of my personal taste. There are plenty of books in the contest that haven’t made it onto my list simply because they’re not my thing. But they might be yours! So do check out all the entries and build your own TBR pile!

The Finding Machine by Lucy Lyons

This one sounds absolutely delightful. I like the idea of a mystery with a SF twist. I enjoyed the opening and loved the characters. I do wonder if the SF element will be sufficiently developed for this to go far in the competition, but that will be the judges’ decision. For me this sounds like something I’ll really enjoy so it’s straight onto the list for me.

The Martian Incident by Ryan M Patrick

Interesting. Americans being attached by EU soldiers on Mars! I really had to check this one out! The first chapter was good and I enjoyed what I read. I can’t wait to read more. I think the Martian colony setup here is going to be really rather intriguing.

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (9)

Another two amazing sounding books from this years batch of SPSFC4 (Self Published Science Fiction Competition) entries have just been added to the list. There are so many unique concepts being explored! So much excellent Self Published SF out in the world! I’m feeling spoilt for choice!

Mendelson’s Return by Cristovao Correia

This looks great. I particularly like that it is set in Portugal. It’s always refreshing to find a European setting for a SF book. So I read the blurb and opening with interest. Superheroes and law enforcement. So far so good. The opening really drew me in. Onto the list it goes.

Saint Elspeth by Wick Walker

Here we have a combination of post apocalypse and alien invasion and this one sounds particularly interesting. I’m really intrigued by the setup and a solid first chapters makes this a definite YES!. 

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (8)

WOW! Just WOW! I’m finding so many amazing sounding books among this years entries into SPSFC4 (Self Published Science Fiction Competition). Today’s additions both have really unique concepts and look so interesting.

The Widow’s Tithe by TR Peers

The blurb for this one is very strong. An excellent concept. I checked out the opening with high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed.  

Transference by Ian Patterson

There’s a really original idea at the heart of this one. That always attracts my attention. I love things which are that little bit unique. In this case people taking on the sickness from others! The opening chapter is excellent, powerful writing and a protagonist that I was quick to connect with. Can’t wait to read this one in full!!

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (7)

Another two amazing sounding books have just been added to my TBR pile from my fellow contestants in SPSFC4 (Self Published Science Fiction Competition). Have you read either of these? What did you think?

Afterburn by D Andrews

This sounds like a really interesting concept. And another main character called Kara. I’ve already got one of those on my list! But this story is very different. The opening is dramatic and gripping. I felt a real empathy for Kara and look forward to reading more.

Nothing Larger than these Stars by E. Marie Robertson

Oooh – corporate conspiracy on an interplanetary scale. I love the sound of this. The opening chapter is well written, the characters engaging and I’m ever so intrigued by the set up. This is definitely one for the list.

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (6)

SPSFC4 (Seld Published Science Fiction Competition) is well underway and I’m really enjoying checking out the other contestants. I’ve already read a couple and I’m eagerly diving into the next on my TBR list. As for the list itself – it continues to grow. Here are the latest two to catch my eye.

Navvy Dreams by HMH Murray

This one looks like a lot of fun. What’s not to love about space smugglers. The opening is really solid and I’m looking forward to following these characters on their adventures.

A Universe upon us by Marc B DeGeorge

There are quite a few books in this competition which involve colony ships fleeing the destruction of Earth. I wonder if this reflects the fears people have about what is happening to our planet. This one had a really strong and hooky opening and I love what is being set up between the two characters. 

Review: Turn Left at the Mooncrow skeleton by Linda Raedisch

 The Book:

"Welcome to Planet 5372, a uniquely dystopian world where the unlikely heroes include a handful of shambolic university students and their taciturn landlord. Raedisch's layered writing and photographic attention to detail make this slice-of-life archaeological adventure entirely believable." ---Clarissa Simmens, author of Parallel Universe Cafe and Other Poems

For the past two hundred years, the colonists marooned on Planet 5372 have been confined to a volcanic basin the size of New Jersey. Outside the Basin lie the uninhabitable (some say haunted) ruins known as the Outer Cities. Bored with campus life at the colony’s only university, twenty-year-old Numi rents a room from Kelda, an uneducated, thirty-something carpenter whose movements are closely monitored by the “shingles” or neighborhood deputies. Numi doesn’t mind running interference between the reserved Kelda and his rambunctious tenants, but the two can never be more than friends. Numi’s an up-and-coming academic, and Kelda’s a Tyrrhenian, a descendant of the manual laborers who cleared the toxic vegetation from the Basin.

As Halloween approaches, Numi is still summoning the courage to confront Kelda with her suspicion that he’s mixed up in the black market trade in “magical paraphernalia,” mysterious carved objects left behind by the planet’s indigenous, supposedly extinct inhabitants. Time runs out on Mischief Night when Kelda disappears, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Numi faces a decision. She can report her suspicions to the shingles, or she can follow her landlord to the one place she thought she could never go: the Outer Cities.

My Thoughts:

This book is a fellow contender in SPSFC4 (The Self Published Science Fiction Competition) and it caught my eye because it involves a population of people called Tyrrhenians, which is also the case with my entry into this contest, The Arid Lands.

Needless to say our Tyrrhenians are all very different.

But on to the book.

This is a delightful read, well written with vivid worldbuilding. It’s a slow burn of a book and I very much enjoyed immersing myself into the world the author has created. At its heart is an archaeological mystery through which the history of this planet is gradually revealed, but I also loved the characters that inhabit this world. I found Numi particularly relatable and the undercurrent of simmering attraction between her and Kelda was skillfully done.

All in all a very enjoyable read.

I hope this books goes far in SPSFC4. It deserves to.

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (5)

 

I’m working my way steadily through the SPSFC4 entries and my TBR (To be Read) pile continues to grow. There are still an awful lot of books for me to check out. Here are the latest two to catch my eye.

Kara by Peter Beard

This had me hooked from the moment I read the blurb – probably a good example of how a good blurb should be written – but the first chapter really delivers. There’s a really solid mystery and I felt an instant connection to the main character. This is one of those rare occasions when you reach straight for the ‘buy’ button. I suspect this one is going to do well in the competition!

Above Dark Waters by Erik Kay

I do like the setting with this one, anything maritime always gets my interest. The opening is solid and the two main characters have history which adds a very human element and it will be interesting to see how this plays out as the story progresses. Lots of interesting concepts here.

Review: The Scorching: The World in My Hands by Nick Snape

The Book

A lonely PA, a rebellious teenager, two ordinary people on a deadly journey to save humanity.

The world is heading towards global collapse as The Scorching takes full effect. Salvation vessels orbit the Earth, waiting to transport the chosen few away from danger and to start again; ten plantships grown by an alien species for the wealthiest and most powerful, or those lucky enough to be selected by lottery. The rest remain behind, their future dependent on the Drathken finding a solution to Earth’s problems.

Jenna, Personal Assistant to a prominent oil mogul, feels privileged to be among the saved, never questioning her good fortune.

While Seth suffers, forced to leave his friends behind as his family takes their place aboard their luxurious ship.

Yet not all is well on board. Dark secrets lurk in the corridors and depths of their respective ships, dragging Jenna and Seth into a world of malice and violence they thought they had left far behind.

My Thoughts

This is quality Science Fiction. It felt like a really quick read but not because it was a short book, more because I found it immensely readable and difficult to put down.

There are some excellent ideas at play here – just what good SF should have. I loved the idea of the plantships taking the colonists towards their new lives and the steadily unfolding realisation of what dark secrets their ships hold.

The story is told from two very different characters, each on a different plantship and although their paths never actually cross their revelations mirror and compliment each other.

It’s a cleverly structured story with great characterisation and sense of place. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (4)

Another two entries into the Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC4) have caught my eye and been added to my TBR list (To be Read). So far I’ve only skimmed the surface of this competition. The quality of the books entered is outstanding.

Neon Noir by Nina Vos

The concept sounds really interesting and I love the idea of the “cyber punk - crime noir” genre mashup that this one is promising. The opening is solid and compelling and I like the main character already. Looking forward to delving into the world!

The Scorching – Just Press Play by Nick Snape

I’m currently reading one of Nick Snape’s other books which is set in the same world as this one and I’m enjoying it immensely. I love the environmental setting that he has going on here and the concept of the plant ships is fascinating. I checked out the first chapter of The Scorching and as expected solid writing, compelling characters and a cracking story are all present. I’ll definitely be giving this one a read as soon as I can.

Stuff Your Kindle Day! Dark Mode

Dark Mode have announced this Winter’s Stuff Your Kindle Day. And One of the books that you will be able to grab for free on kindle is Dragons of Dunmoray.

The master list will be revealed on November the 20th! And the books will be free on December 27th. So take this opportunity to stuff your kindle with some amazing books!

Here is the listing for Dragons of Dunmoray.

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (3)

 

I’m working my way through the entries for this year’s Self Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC4) and my TBR (To be Read) pile continues to grow. The next two being added to the list are:

Ancient as the Stars by Maya Darjani

This book came to my attention because one of the other SPSFC4 contestants was raving about it. So I took a look. What a great concept – older meets younger self. I love stuff like this and it throws open the potential for all manner of interesting conflicts and paradoxes. A solid first chapter and this is definitely one for the list.

Centauri’s Shadow by Ross Garner

From the blurb there is a lot going on in this one including alien invasion and Martian colonies. All good solid SF elements. But it was the first chapter that really got me. So many questions! There is a real power to this scene, a poignancy that connects me at once to the characters, an urgency to the impending peril they face. These events are clearly going to influence what comes next. I can’t wait to read more and find out what that is!

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (2)

 

Continuing with my plan to build a TBR (To be Read) list of amazing SF from the SPSFC4 (Self Published Science Fiction Competition) – here are the next two that have caught my eye.

Embargo on Hope by Justin Doyle

This one was in last years contest and was cut in the first round. I’m glad to see it back as I read this, even before the competition began and enjoyed it immensely. I found the characters engaging and there was lots of great action and worldbuilding. I hope it goes further this year. 

Grave Cold by Shannon Knight

I felt that the blurb with this was was a bit muddled, but a compelling first chapter gets this one onto my TBR. It sounds like a really interesting idea, quite different from a lot of what I’m seeing in this contest. The writing is very strong and I really need to read this to find out more!

SPSFC4 - Adding to my TBR (1)

 

SPSFC4 – The Self Published Science Fiction Competition 4 has started. Books have been allocated and the judges have started reading. But while the judges are reading what is there for us to do while we wait to see if our books make it through to the next round? Why check out some of the amazing Science Fiction on offer of course. 

Over the next couple of months I will be checking out the books entered into the competition. There are 188 of them so this is going to take a while. I’ll be picking out the ones that catch my eye and sharing them with you here and on my socials.

So join me as I build my TBR (To be Read) list of some amazing Science Fiction. And here are the first two.

Turn Left at the Mooncrow Skeleton by Linda Raedisch

I’ll confess that this one I’ve actually read! The first one of this contest and I will be posting a review here in due course. This book caught my eye because it includes a race of people called Tyrrhenians and my own entry into the competition also has a group of people called Tyrrhenians. But needless to say our Tyrrhenians are all very different.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I strongly recommend it!

Drowning Earth by Sean Wilson

This one had me at the word submarine. I’m an oceanographer by trade and I love nothing more than an underwater adventure. The first chapter lived up to my expectations. I can’t wait to get my teeth into this one. Onto the TBR pile it goes!

A new cover for The Arid Lands

 

Review: Fugitive Zero by Jay Ishino

 The book:

On the moon of M3, Eira is a police officer at one of the best departments in the seven galaxies. Only there’s no crime on Mygaria, the planet M3 oversees, and the department has no budget.

Jeysiran lives in what seems like paradise. Mygaria is known for its gorgeous beaches and sparkling pink ocean. But the truth is the ocean is toxic, and Jeysiran’s best friend is dying.

When Jeysiran illegally leaves Mygaria to fulfill a promise, it’s up to Eira to bring her to justice. As Eira gets closer, time is running out for Jeysiran to deliver information that just may hold the key to the future of Mygaria.

My thoughts:

A pacey, fun novella. Short and sweet. A thoroughly enjoyable read. The two main characters, Eira and Jeysiran were engaging and compelling and the toxic oceans of Mygaria and the plight of Jeysiran’s best friend added poignancy and urgency to her quest.

There is a fascinating world being created here and my only criticism is that I felt that this novella was possibly a bit too short and as such the worldbuilding potential was not fully realised. There were quite a few aspects of this society that I feel would have benefitted from more explanation. But this didn’t stop me enjoying this novella. A cracking little story.

Dragons of Dunmoray is published!

 Dragons of Dunmoray is now available on Amazon in both kindle and print formats.

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Review: The Mind Game by MG Harris.

 The Book:

Years have passed since her childhood friend disappeared, but Roni remains consumed by the mystery. Can she uncover what happened to Maxim Santiago?

Podcast fame thrusts 17-year-old Roni into a perilous quest to find her missing friend, who disappeared from Dulles Airport, Washington D.C. She teams up with tech-savvy Kenzie to crack cryptic messages and unearth a dark secret about trafficked kids. Dodging shadowy agents of the ruthless Russian dictator waging a global ‘Mind Game’ on his enemies, they end up in a sweltering Mexican town, a nexus for refugees

They shared childhood memories, but Maxim has changed. He’s older, wiser, perhaps even dangerous. Now he seeks their help to rescue enslaved children guarding a world-shaking secret, but time’s running out. Roni and Kenzie dive into Maxim’s risky mission, testing their friendship amid a struggle for control of a key project that could win the ‘Mind Game.

It's a journey that brings Roni an astonishing self-discovery. Can she trust in herself to help the rescue succeed?

 

My Thoughts:

This is a fast paced action packed teen adventure with a unique concept at its core from the author of bestselling teen series The Joshua Files.

I really enjoyed reading this. It’s a fun romp through some great locations. One of the things this author does so well is bring Mexico to life. The pace never lets up and the pages almost turn themselves.

The story is narrated by teen podcaster Roni and is told in an engaging and chatty style, perhaps to reflect her online persona, yet for some reason that I can’t put my finger on I never really clicked with her. The character of Max by comparison had much more depth and I’m curious to see where his story leads.

This is the first in a new series from this author. I will certainly be looking out to see what comes next.

Self Publishing promotion update: (August 2024)

Here is my latest update on the various promotional activities I have undertaken to try to spread the word about my self-published books, and how successful or otherwise these activities have been.

1. Social Media

I joined a number of reader and author groups on facebook and did my best to contribute as far as possible. Most have very strict ‘no promotion’ rules but some do offer opportunities such a monthly post where people can post kindle sales or new releases. Apparently the way authors game these groups is to team up and then talk about each other’s books. Unfortunately I don’t have a team of author friends willing to big me up, so I just have to play by the rules. Where I was allowed to I advertised the kindle countdown sale for The Arid Lands and my ARC signups for Dragons of Dunmoray. The main benefit from joining these groups was the helpful advice on offer.

Other social media activities continued as normal.

2. ARC Readers

In the run up to self publishing my new book, Dragons of Dunmoray, decided that, rather than approaching review blogs, I would reach out for ARC (Advance Review Copies) readers. I set up an ARC signup form on google forms and included one important question – Why do you want to read Dragons of Dunmoray? This deterred non humans very effectively. I only had one signup who was clearly a bot.

So far I have sent out 20 review copies. Hopefully this will prove to be a better approach than my previous efforts of approaching review blogs directly.

3. Readers Book Club

The Arid Lands was chosen as book club read for April/May and the organiser sent out six free copies to the participants. There was lively discussion but then one of the participants warned everyone than Amazon frowns on authors leaving reviews for other authors’ books and will cancel your KDP account if they catch you. So this immediately killed off anyone leaving reviews for anyone else, which was a shame.

I did ask the participating authors if anyone would be happy to let me have quotes that I could use in my promotion, but nobody responded.

As of now this group appears to have fizzled out.

4. Indieverse awards

This has come to nothing and I won’t be pursuing it any further.

5. SPSFC4

I plan to enter The Arid Lands into SPSFC4. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in SPSFC3 and although Red Rock didn’t make it past the first round I feel it raised my profile plus I discovered some fantastic new authors and books.

6. Kindle Sale

I ran a two day kindle countdown deal for The Arid Lands in June. Sales had tailed off over the preceding couple of months so I hoped that this would give it a boost. I did my best to promote it wherever I could but only picked up a handful of sales.

So in conclusion the approach I took to find ARC readers has been significantly better than pitching to review sites. Final tallies for how many ARCS I will send out at the proportion that translate into reviews are yet to be determined.

 

 

Building my ARC team

When I was building up to the release of The Arid Lands I looked into how best to obtain reviews. At the time I decided I would try to approach book bloggers directly. I researched (I found a useful list on Reedsy) to identify bloggers who would accept self published books (many don’t) and who were interested in the SF and dystopia genres (again, this whittled them down). I ended up with a shortlist of 20 to approach.

I pitched The Arid Lands to these blog sites but only one requested a review copy and I’m not aware of them ever leaving a review. A couple of others came back to me asking for money which they hadn’t made clear on their websites which was annoying.

All in all this wasn’t a particularly satisfactory approach.

Now that I’m building up to the release of Dragons of Dunmoray in September I’ve decided that I will try a different tactic. I’m trying to build an ARC team (Advance Review Copies).

If you like dragons, Scotland, volcanos and danger, all topped off with a bit of spice, then you can find the link to my ARC signup sheet below. I will send you a free electronic copy in the hope that you will like it enough to leave a review, although there is no obligation to do so.

Dragons of Dunmoray ARC signup form

Cover Reveal: Dragons of Dunmoray

 Today I am delighted to share with you - the cover of Dragons of Dunmoray!

And I am now officially open to ARC (Advanced Review Copy) signups - so if you are interested in joining my review team please signup below.

Dragons of Dunmoray ARC signup form

The Dragons are Coming

 

I have a new novel in the pipeline, a dark fantasy set in Scotland. I'll be telling you more in the coming weeks, so watch out for my cover reveal! Not long to go now!

Review: Aerovoyant – The Industrial Age Volume 1 by PL Tavormina

The Book:

On planet Turaset, droughts ravage farmlands, cyclones rip through coastal cities, and with every barrel of oil the combustion industry pumps from the ground, the climate worsens. Alphonse has just refused a council seat because taking it means serving that rapacious industry. He leaves the city to seek solace in the wilderness, and there, a power to live the past awakens within him. Alphonse walks the steps of his distant ancestors on long-dead Earth, soon growing plagued with memories of its collapse, and he’s left with a troubling certainty: he must infiltrate the combustion industry to secure proof of its treachery, or Turaset will be next to fall.

Alphonse finds an ally in Myrta, a farmgirl who sees air, every molecule in every pulse of breath or blast of exhaust. With her talent, she can evade the patrols on the industry’s grounds. Together, Alphonse and Myrta can prove the industry lies about emissions. They can convince the councils to shut down fossil fuel use permanently.

But people in the industry have grown wise to Myrta’s power—and now she’s marked for death.

My Thoughts

This book is a slow burn. It’s a book to savour. The worldbuilding is fascinating and well developed and the gentle pace enabled me to become really invested in both the characters and the environment in which they live. There are lots of clever ideas here that gently reveal themselves as you read. For example Myrta’s ability to see air is quite fascinating.

The two main characters, Myrta and Alphonse, move along separate yet parallel paths before they finally join forces quite late in the story, but I felt this worked really well because when they do come together then the pace heats up, and because I had become so invested in their lives and their world, I really couldn’t put this book down.

The writing is vivid and evocative, the characters are compelling and genuine and the parallels with what we are doing to our own planet (Not to mention Turaset’s history) are a salutary warning, both for what could happen here if nothing changes, as well as the tendency for humanity to repeat the same mistakes.

All in all I enjoyed reading this book very much.

Strongly recommended.

A New Era for SciFi – the indie scene!

There is a whole new world of excellent SciFi out there – just under the radar. And I would like to draw your attention to it. For this is the indie (self published) Sci Fi scene – and some of the books I’ve read recently are very VERY good!

Unfortunately being self published these books tend not to gain the attention they deserve, and they’ve not been easy to find. Some I encountered through the SPSFC3 contest for self published SciFi, others I found through engaging with other authors.

I’ve always been an avid SciFi fan, ever since I was a child and skipped straight from children’s books into the SciFi world. I’ve read voraciously over the years but recently it’s been getting harder and harder for me to find the sorts of SciFi that I love to read. Mainstream publishing is trying to appeal to new audiences, but in the process the traditional readership is being left behind.

Now that isn’t to say that there’s no good SciFi being published by mainstream publishers. There most certainly is. But the big shift at the moment is towards fantasy and more specifically Romantasy, which isn’t for me. But then I discovered the indie scene and realised that this is where all those Hard SF and military and gritty space operas have gone.

So here I am, rediscovering my love for SciFi. And now I want to shout about some of the wonderful books and authors I have discovered. This is a selection of the best I’ve read so far. If you click on the link it will take you to my review for that book. And if you have any you’d like to recommend to me please leave a comment and I will check them out.

• Arkhangelsk by Elizabeth Bonesteel

• Embargo on Hope by Justin Doyle

• Kenai by Dave Dobson

• The Day the Earth Turned: Book 1. Summer by Chantelle Atkins

• The Prism Effect by J Wint

• Ironheart by Allan Boroughs

• The Girl from a thousand Fathoms by David Gullen

The Arid Lands promotion update: (May 2024)

Here is my latest update on the various promotional activities I have undertaken to try to spread the word about my self-published books, and how successful or otherwise these activities have been.

1. Social Media

I continued to be active on social media promoting my books. I’ve pretty much dropped Twitter/X and increased my engagement on threads. I don’t just promote my books there, I try to interact more but have a pinned post with my book details. My author IG is however nearly all book promotion. Social media doesn’t appear to sell books but is useful for spotting opportunities.

2. Review blogs

The review blogs I approached resulted in one review but that review was posted across many platforms. I had approached 16 review blogs. Two asked for money so I didn’t take things any further. Speaking to other indie authors who have tried this one out of 14 is pretty much to be expected. It’s quite a time-consuming endeavour but will be worth doing again.

3. Indieverse awards

This was an opportunity I spotted on Threads. There were a number of free to enter categories as well as paid categories, but I only entered the free ones as I didn’t want to pay for something which is pretty much an unknown. The awards ended up being massively oversubscribed and the organiser implemented some sort of vetting/screening process which is very opaque. However as organiser it’s up to her how she manages this. Nominations were announced on 18th March and unsurprisingly The Arid Lands didn’t make the cut. She has promised opportunities for vetted authors who were not nominated. It remains to be seen how this pans out.

4. Collaboration with other authors

I started looking for ways to collaborate with other authors. The first was with a group of SF authors I knew through SPSFC3. We set up a discord and looked into ways to try to promote our books. I made some group graphics on Canva which we shared. We discussed various ideas such as group sales and largely decided to share opportunities as these arise. I’m not sure how this will evolve. We shall see.

I also joined a readers/authors group being run by someone on threads and entered The Arid Lands into their database. Again, I’m not sure how this is going to evolve.

So in conclusion, of all the activities so far, it still looks like free deals and participation in SPSFC3 as discussed in my December 2023 update have been the most worthwhile

Review: The Prism Effect by J Wint

 The Book:

Just beyond Earth’s atmosphere, orbiting like a shining beacon of hope, is the celebrated Skylight University and only the brightest students are accepted into its hallowed halls.

Not surprisingly, Jet Stroud can hardly believe it when he receives his acceptance letter. After all, who would want a kid with glowing eyes and a deadly disease called ‘The Youthful Death’ on their campus? Thanks to his rare condition known as ephebus mortem, Jet has always been avoided and feared because of his eyes. When he learns the legend claims he will die before his twenty-fourth birthday, his excitement at being accepted into Skylight University is suddenly crushed.

Determined to find answers, Jet quickly picks himself up. Accompanied by another kid from his hometown, a loner named Cutter Jade, they seek out the other three students with ephebus mortem. Despite their differences, the small group develops a shaky friendship and begins a quest to find a cure.

But not all is as it seems at Skylight University. Mysterious shadows lurk in the hallways and bizarre visions of serpents and prisms haunt Jet’s dreams. While reading the obituary of a former student with ephebus mortem, Jet discovers several clues hidden in a trilogy of old paintings. As the group follows the breadcrumbs left behind by this former student, their quest takes an unexpected and deadly turn.

The pace to find clues quickens when strange voices, ghostly apparitions and bizarre events threaten to splinter the small group apart. With the semester roaring to a close, and tensions running high, Jet fears they may not survive long enough to crack the code.

Could the clues hidden in the paintings hold the cure to the strangest disease ever known to the human race? Can Jet and the others unravel the mysteries of ephebus mortem in time? In the end, Jet discovers something so profound that it will change his life forever.

 

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story immensely. I found it a very easy read. It’s clearly aimed at a Young Adult audience, with its futuristic university setting, but it is a story with real depth and intrigue.

The characters are immediately engaging and relatable. The story is well written, the worldbuilding excellent, the pacing spot on. One thread I particularly enjoyed was the way the author uses art as a plot device. I won’t say any more about this but I thought it was a fascinating idea.

The only point where I felt things flagged a bit was the scene where it is finally revealed to Jet what exactly is going on. There was a lot to take in, and just like Jet, I found it all a bit overwhelming.

The conclusion was poignant and tied everything up, whilst still leaving the door open for further books in this series. And indeed there are more to come. I look forward to reading on and discovering how this world evolves.

Recommended

Review: The Poison Balance by Lucy Ghose

 The Book:

‘When the rains fell, the world burned…’

After a childhood spent in the foster care system, failed PhD student Amy Weston attracts trouble wherever she goes. Acid rain is destroying London’s trees, brain lesions are turning once-harmless pets into killer dogs, and her new work colleague, Professor Joel Harket, is the most infuriating man she has ever met.

But when the media continue to insist that autumn has simply come early, and humans begin to experience the same symptoms as the killer dogs, Amy must work alongside Joel in order to convince the world of the seriousness of the situation, before it is too late.

From the UN Air Health summit in Beijing to the abandoned tunnels beneath the city of London, Amy and Joel search for answers to prevent the end of the world, and as Nelson’s Column crumbles and zombie-like ‘howlers’ wreak havoc worldwide, they discover that the only way to survive the apocalypse is to set aside their differences… and learn to trust each other.

 

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book immensely. It was a really good and entertaining romp. The novel starts off very much as a technothriller. We meet Amy and Joel, two very different people who at first appear mis-matched. The concern is the sudden increase in acid rain which is having all sorts of unexpected effects and Amy and Joel team up to try to investigate this phenomenon.

The story thus far feels very much as I would expect from its billed genre of eco thriller and I was quickly hooked as this sort of thing is right up my street.

But things rapidly shift. The acid rain causes anyone it touches to turn into a howler. These are effectively zombies and before long we are caught up in the middle of a zombie apocalypse which Amy and Joel are trying to survive, find a cure and save the world. All the while their feelings for one another are growing and these two polar opposites are inevitable drawn together.

The acid rain is a really original method of zombification and the book is a lot of fun.

If you like a good zombie apocalypse with a good dollop of romance thrown in them this is the book for you.

Recommended.

The Arid Lands themes: Zanclean Flood

About 5.3 million years ago, after years of sustained evaporation had resulted in the landlocked Mediterranean Sea almost completely evaporating, the waters returned when the Straits of Gibraltar was breached. This, possibly the largest flood in known Earth’s history, is known as the Zanclean Flood.

Details of the rapidity and nature of this flood remain up for debate but recent studies of deep gully like incisions in the seabed near the Straits of Gibraltar and extending out into the Mediterranean Sea itself, suggest that this could have been a catastrophic event.

Although initially discharge was low, and this may have continued for thousands of years, about 90% of the water returned in as little as a few months to two years. Such an abrupt flood would have seen sea levels in the Mediterranean rising by as much as 10 metres per day.

So how does this fascinating event influence Inez’s story? You will have to read The Arid Lands to find out.

The Arid Lands is available from Amazon in both kindle and print format.

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Review: Kenai by Dave Dobson

The Book

A planet steeped in mystery...

Jess Amiko is long past her days as a space marine, with all the glory of that time tarnished beyond repair by what came after. Trying to rebuild from the ashes, she's taken a job as a security guard on Kenai, a lonely world far from the Council systems. It's supposed to be easy duty - quiet and peaceful, on a docile world with no real threats, watching over an archaeological dig at a site built by a race long vanished.

Betrayed and attacked by forces unknown, and finding that nothing on Kenai makes sense, Jess is plunged into a desperate fight for survival that leads her deep into the mysteries of Kenai's past, and deep into the hardship and paradox the planet imposes on all who call it home.

 

My Thoughts

This blurb had me instantly intrigued. I love a good archaeological mystery, blended into Science Fiction, so this book was right up my street.

And what a good read it was! It’s written with a very clear military SF vibe. The female narrator is well drawn and compelling and I was immediately drawn into her world, empathising with her past and her predicament.

The worldbuilding is also one of the best things about this story. The universe that has been created here has great depth and history, but all this is fed naturally into the narrative. The pacing is spot on and the mystery unravels.

There’s not much I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers, but what I will say is that the underlying concept is both clever and original, but also the author executes it with great skill. It’s mind-bending and fascinating. And aliens? Should I mention the aliens?

I’ll say no more, other than this is an excellent book which I strongly recommend.

 

The Arid Lands themes: A vast engineering project

In the 1920s the German architect Herman Sorgel came up with the concept for a vast Engineering project to build a hydroelectric dam across the Straits of Gibraltar. This project was known as Atlantropa and was promoted by Germany until Sorgel’s death in 1952.

The construction of this dam, along with several others at strategic locations, would have the effect of controlling the inflow into the Mediterranean from the Atlantic. It would have generated vast amounts of electricity as well as causing the Mediterranean Sea level to drop by 200m, so freeing up large areas of land for colonisation.

Sorgel saw this project as a gateway to forming a peaceful Pan-European utopia, although critics found many faults with his proposals, including the detrimental effects on coastal communities who would become stranded as the seas retreated, as well as the problem of finding agreement amongst all the counties which border the Mediterranean.

The project was largely forgotten after Sorgel’s death.

But what if it really had happened? What if the dams really were built? Of course, in The Arid Lands the capacity for generating hydroelectric power was never realised, for reasons you’ll have to read the book to find out. This resulted in the Mediterranean inflow being completely cut off, and as a result, some 600 years of evaporation later, the world of The Arid Lands where Inez and her people struggle to survive, has come into being.

The Arid Lands is available from Amazon in both kindle and print format.

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Review: Not By Sea by Paul Weston

The Book

The brief respite of the Peace of Amiens is over, and Britain is once again at war with France. Napoléon knows that if he is to win the war, he must invade England, but the Armée d’Angleterre is blockaded in Boulogne by the Royal Navy. Frustrated by British sea power, Napoléon entrusts an alternative scheme to the brilliant Captain Morlaix which if successful, could lead to the subjugation of Britain.

During the Peace, English visitors had flocked to France, among them Midshipmen Stone and Snowden. At a soiree in Paris, they attracted the attention of Fouché, the feared minister of police, who believed that Jack Stone was a civilian when he fought the French in Normandy, and is therefore a criminal.

In the subsequent war, Lieutenant Snowden leads a raid to disrupt France's invasion plans.

My Thoughts 

I read Paul’s previous book Weymouth Bound, some years ago and enjoyed it very much, so when I saw that I could reacquaint myself with the hero of that story, Jack Stone, I jumped at the opportunity.

Paul knows how to tell a good story, but what sets these books apart is the authenticity. The books are incredibly well researched and Paul draws on his own maritime and historical knowledge when he writes, resulting in something totally immersive. The sequences set at sea are simply wonderful. I could almost feel the deck rolling beneath my feet as I read.

But more than this Not by Sea is a cracking story, set during a fascinating period of history. I came away feeling I’d experienced something special and learned a few things along the way.

If you love all things historical and maritime then this book if for you.

Recommended.

Guest Post by Lydia Baker: Writing an apocalyptic world and the theme of family

 Writing an apocalyptic world and the theme of family

Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Kate. My sci-fi novel, AVA, takes place in a futuristic city that mirrors London but could be any big city. Ava and her fellow humans have been trapped under an electrical barrier that appeared fourteen years ago when Ava was a child visiting the city with her father and brother. As a young adult, her determination to escape the barrier and discover if her family has survived drives her. But the things that wait for her on the outside are beyond anything she could have imagined. The novel follows the themes of family, self-sacrifice and self-discovery. 

One of the beauties of writing an apocalyptic world is that you can create a plethora of problems for your main characters so you can explore many different themes. Ava is separated from her mother and twin sister, something that her father struggles to deal with and eventually the grief of the loss and not knowing overcomes him. The loss of her father is detrimental to Ava. He was her protector and without him, Ava is left with her brother, who was adopted but is resentful of his sisters that are his parent's biological children. This theme of family plays out in the relationship between Ava and her brother with the distrust and betrayal that clouds their friendship and the abuse her brother deals out to her. 

Without giving too much away, Ava faces the ultimate betrayal from her brother when she escapes the barrier. On the other side, she is faced with the family she lost and struggles to work out her place with those she thought she had lost, as it had been fourteen years since they saw each other. 

Growing up inside the barrier, oppressed and hiding her gender to save it, has changed and warped Ava's character. Her loyalty is skewed and she struggles to accept that her family has moved on or to trust others. The family she left behind, that she has risked everything to find, isn't the one she has been imagining. Eventually, she comes to realise that the world is bigger than her, it is more than just her pain and she can make a difference—the most important difference.

Ava grows considerably during the novel. She goes from a somewhat immature young woman, only thinking of herself, to someone who knows that though it means giving up everything she can save those who mean the world to her, those she loves. I wanted to show the development of character through the growth of Ava and the shedding of her naivety. Something we all have to do as we grow and experience the world. I also wanted to explore how the world can shape us through Ava. There are some stark differences between her and the family she finds on the outside, who weren't oppressed by MTech (the controlling government) yet have still had to face equally terrifying dangers. Their attitudes are very different. 

As well as the more serious themes, AVA is full of twists and thrills, fighting and exploring. If you like a fast-paced, dystopian, sci-fi novel with a determined yet flawed female protagonist then please check out AVA! Thanks again, Kate, for having me on your blog. 

Lydia Baker is an author of science-fiction and fantasy, she loves to write novels you can escape into.

Her novel ‘The Return of the Queen’ won the Pink Heart Society Reviewers Choice Award for Best Paranormal/Fantasy Romance in 2019 and ‘Ava’ was Shortlisted for the Agora Books - Work in Progress Prize in 2019. Her short story A.R.C is featured in the Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers Alliance Anthology, 2023.

When she’s not writing she loves to read, run and crochet (not all at the same time though!). She lives in Crawley with her husband and four children.

AVA by Lydia Baker:

First, they came for the city, and we allowed it. They put up the Barrier and we stayed quiet, silenced by the fear of what was beyond. Our elderly were next and still, we didn’t cry out; then they came for the women, removed their fertility and stole our future, so I hid. I became Alec and I turned my back on my true self, Ava.

Ava can’t live as Alec any longer, the lie is killing her, destroying all that she is.

The world beyond MTech’s Barrier calls to her and she can’t ignore it. She has to know what, if anything, survived the terrible day that tore her family apart fourteen years ago.

But what if the Outside is far more dangerous than anything Ava has ever faced on the Inside?

Ava is set in a dystopian future, where individual rights are being eroded and the population live under a dome barrier that they have been told is for their protection. But, what is outside? Is escape possible? Even if it is, will it be a death sentence?

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The Arid Lands themes: Climate effects of a dried up sea.

As I have mentioned in a previous post, 6 million years ago (Ma) the Mediterranean Sea entered a phase of desiccation when it became cut off from the Atlantic, and almost completely dried up. This is the same scenario I have envisioned for the alternate future world of The Arid Lands, where Inez and her people struggle to survive, not knowing that everything is about to change.

The desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea would have a number of knock-on effects for the climate of the surrounding lands as well as creating a unique environment in the basin itself.

The climate of the basin can only be speculated for no equivalent environment exists on Earth today. But it is likely that as the depth of the basins increased so did the temperatures, possibly reaching summer midday highs of as much as 80C at its deepest points. This would not allow the existence of permanent life and it is likely that temperatures were nowhere near this extreme. But they would have been elevated enough to make life there extremely uncomfortable and difficult.

The surrounding areas would also experience climatic changes. Currently evaporation from the Mediterranean Sea provides moisture to the atmosphere which drives rainfall across much of the surrounding areas. With the Sea drying up there would be no input of moisture to the atmosphere and these rains would fail, resulting in a significantly drier climate over most of the central and eastern mediterranean belt.

In fact, the Mediterranean climate that we associate with Greece, Italy and the Levant would exist only in the Iberian Peninsula and NW Africa.

The desiccation would result in the extinction of much of the marine flora and fauna native to the basins, but the fusing of the two land masses would allow dispersal of terrestrial animals across the region.

Inez’s people survive by fishing for shrimp in the brine pools. In truth such a hypersaline environment would be hostile to life, but life is adaptable and my poor basin dwelling people have to eat something. Hence the shrimp. But apart from that I’ve tried to keep the environment in which they live as plausible as possible.

So how did this scenario arise in the world I have created? That will be the subject of a future post on this blog.

The Arid Lands is available from Amazon in both kindle and print format.

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Review: Hot Ash and the Oasis Defect by Philip Wyeth

The Book

Welcome to 2045. Automation has freed humanity from the drudgery and limitations of blue-collar labor. For twenty years, a remarkable group of female bureaucrats has overseen an ambitious construction program that is spreading equity, prosperity, and peace worldwide.

But Detective Ashley Westgard of the Jacksonville Police Corps senses that beneath all the glimmer and shine, a new malaise has taken root in society. From brazen acts of criminality and rampant party pill abuse, to her own insatiable desires... All is not well on the road to paradise.

Ash is beautiful, vain, headstrong, and erratic. A symbol of her time as she careens from impulsive shopping sprees to drunken fights to escapades of sin. But now that a methodical killer is on the loose, she must rise above apathy and doubt in order to forge her raging inner fire into a fearsome weapon of justice.

My Thoughts

This is a futuristic detective story with a pulpy feel and a noir vibe. The story charges along at pace and the twists and turns keep you guessing. I read it in one sitting. The world the author has created is immersive and there is a strong sense of place.

The only criticism I have is Ash herself. This book is clearly written by a man from a female POV. At times I felt that Ash was more of a man’s ideal of what a feisty woman should be like, rather than someone who, as a female myself, I could relate to.

But unless that really bothers you it won’t distract from what is at heart a fun romp. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It’s short, but it’s entertaining.

The Arid Lands themes: The Messinian Salinity Crisis

My newly released SF novel, The Arid Lands is set some 600 years from now, in an alternate future when the Mediterranean has almost completely dried out. It is in this inhospitable landscape of salt flats and occasional pools of hypersaline brine that Inez and her people struggle to survive. Inez knows no other existence. But all that is about to change.

You may think that the idea of a vast sea such as the Mediterranean almost completely evaporating is pure fiction, but let me tell you, it is not. For the Mediterranean Sea did indeed dry out, albeit a long time ago.

About 6 Million years ago (Ma) the Mediterranean Sea became disconnected from the Atlantic Ocean. During the period that followed, known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis the sea almost completely evaporated.

The closing of the connections between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, which is now the Straits of Gibraltar, was caused by the shifting tectonics in this region. This isolation of the Mediterranean from the main inflow happened several times, between 6 and 5.3 Ma.

The initial phase was one of repeated cycles of evaporation and replenishment which led to the formation of thick sequences of evaporite deposits, minerals such as halite and gypsum, deposited from the evaporating seawater.

The connection was then cut off for a prolonged period of time. During this later episode of desiccation, the Mediterranean became a dry basin, as much as 5 km deep, with only a few hypersaline pockets of water remaining. This process of drying out the Mediterranean Sea is estimated to have taken about 1000 years.

The Mediterranean remained dry until 5.3 Ma when the Straits of Gibraltar were finally breached, and water flooded back into the Mediterranean basin in the form of a cataclysmic flood, and so the Mediterranean Sea as we know it today was formed.

But the thick evaporite deposits and the presence of deep canyons in the seabed which cut down into the abyssal plains as water returned to the sea are testament to this arid phase in the Mediterranean Sea’s history.

This is the setting for The Arid Lands. A hostile environment that once really existed. I will talk more about this geological event and how it inspired the world I describe in The Arid Lands in future posts on this blog.

The Arid Lands is available from Amazon in both kindle and print format.

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