FANTASTIC HOPE by Laurell K. Hamilton and others

Publisher: Berkley

Date Published: April 2020

ISBN:9780593099209

Science Fiction, Fantasy
Print
Reviewed by Gabrielle (meingee@yahoo.com)

Weblink: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611815/fantastic-hope-by-edited-by-laurell-k-hamilton-and-william-mccaskey/9780593099209
Obtained via publisher
Rating: 4 Hearts

 FANTASTIC HOPE is a wonderful collection of stories from a great group of authors. They are full of science fiction and fantasy themes. So many different ideas and worlds are brought to the reader with these stories. You are able to enjoy stories full of things from zombies to omegas and many more wondrous things from these worlds.
I truly enjoyed all of the stories and would find it hard to just pick one as a favorite. This collection does contain a story by a few of my favorite authors and it was the drawing point for me. I am glad this collection caught my eye as I now have a few more authors to continue to enjoy. As a whole this is a good collection of stories. Each story pulls you in and keeps you engaged all the way to the end. There are many different characters and worlds to get lost in. Some stand out a bit more than others and some will have you wanting to visit their worlds in more depth. One particular story for me was from the Anita Blake series. I loved getting the quick look into that world again and seeing the characters that I know deal with a situation that may not require a whole book. Alongside that story you get many other ones with strong characters and plots. There is so much to enjoy from paranormal to fantasy in these stories. I loved the creativity in the worlds and the characters that these authors have encompassed these stories with.  This anthology is a great way to delve into some new authors. I was excited to see authors like Hamilton and Briggs contribute to this anthology and was pleased to get to enjoy many new authors. These stories are well written and keep your attention. Some will even have you longing for more.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

STAR DANCE by Samantha Cayto

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Date Published: December 2018
ISBN: 9781786517005
Contemporary, Fantasy, Gay, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Vampires
eBook
Reviewed by: Gabrielle(meingee@yahoo.com)

Weblink: https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/star-dance
Obtained via publisher
Rating:3 hearts

Brenin does not think that he will survive much longer. The monster that keeps him prisoner continues to abuse him and soon he imagines he will see his last breath. When a chance to escape is given to him Brenin grabs it and runs but has he just found another monster or is Malcolm truly a man that will save him? Malcolm has sat this war out but when his captain needs him, he does as asked. Malcolm never imagined finding Brenin and just what the boy will come to mean to him. Can the two find a way to heal from their pasts and the common enemy?

I liked Brenin and Malcolm more and more as the story goes on. Watching their relationship take shape made for a good read and it seemed like the fight with Dracul really was just a second thought. Malcolm is a good and honorable man who would rather hurt himself than let any kind of harm come to Brenin. The young man is stronger than he realizes and begins to heal with the help of Malcolm. Together they learn to deal with their pasts and fight for their future. Brenin is smart and It was nice to see him find a way to get what he wants and not let his abuser win. Along with seeing Malcolm and Brenin find their way we also get to see the good guys come and bring the fight to Dracul.

This is an interesting addition to this series, but it seemed like it was more of a filler book to introduce other characters and to move certain relationships along as we wait for their books.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

NAVIGATING THE STARS by Maria V. Snyder

 

Book One in Sentinels of the Galaxy

Publisher: Maria V. Snyder

December 1, 2018

978-1-946381-01-9

Science Fiction, Futuristic, Time Travel

Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Self-purchase

5 Hearts

For seventeen-year-old Lyra Daniels, traveling across the Milky Way can suck big time, especially after leaving all her friends behind. With the discovery of Terracotta warriors on other planets, Lyra’s parents are the premier experts on the Warriors. When the warriors were discovered on over twenty exoplanets, Lyra’s parents are thrilled to discover another planet to explore and discover new information on how the Warriors got there. But even if Lyra likes traveling to other planets, the time dilation sucks because it can put her years in the future. But as Lyra and her parents travel to the newly discovered planet, she finds solace in annoying an impossible security officer who threatens to throw her in the brig and illegally worming into the Q-net. But after the planet they just left, Xinji, abruptly goes silent, security has a new threat to deal with than Lyra doing illegal worming. For crucial data files on the Warriors are going missing and looters are spotted on the new planet they are at. Time is of the essence and for Lyra, it’s either try to help or die.

NAVIGATING THE STARS is Ms. Snyder’s foray into the science fiction/futuristic genre and I got to admit she delivers a marvelous, intriguing start to her new Sentinels of the Galaxy series. The story is full of adventure, amazing characters and a story that basically kept me glued to the pages till the very end. This is an author who I fell in love with in her Study fantasy series and her new book, NAVAGATING THE STARS, is just as good if not great. The story flows smoothly and quickly with a few twists I sure did not see coming. Add in the mystique of Terracotta warriors and other planets, well you got the earmarks of a story that will either ride off on a rocket or go down in a heap. I am happy to say this one blew me away and then some.

Meet Lyra Daniels. Her parents are the experts on Terracotta warriors and when a new planet is discovered housing them, they are thrilled to go and see what the warriors have to say to them. But Lyra doesn’t want to leave her friends and life on Xinji. Alas, she leaves with her family and finds comfort annoying this cute security officer who is around her age and illegally worming on the Q-net. I really enjoyed Lyra. She surprised me at times with her maturity and yes, she does have moments of being a brat, but it fit the way the storyline was going at those times. I enjoyed reading about her thought processes and how she see’s puzzles in things, especially in the Q-net. She is intriguing and a perfect MC (main character) to root for. I got to admit all the characters are entertaining, in my opinion. You got Lyra’s parents who are typical scientists, full of excitement over new discoveries, then you got the annoying gruff security officer, some secondary characters that just made me giggle at times and more. All are entertaining on their own, but all together kept the story flowing at a quick pace.

NAVIGATING THE STARS is a pure gem of a book that literally has me anxiously awaiting the second book, Chasing the Shadows, just to see where the group of characters goes next in the series. The ending left me gasping in shock as the bad guy was one, I sure didn’t expect and one that left me wanting to know more of. Ms. Snyder delivers a perfect book to while a snowy night away with a mix of action/adventure, a little romance and a mystery that will keep you engaged right up till the end of the book. I look forward to seeing where the author goes next in the series and hope it won’t be too long of a wait for it.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

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INTO THE DROWNING DEEP by Mira Grant

Rolling in the Deep Series

Orbit Publishing

November 14^th, 2017

978-0-316-37940-3

Science Fiction, Dystopian, Mythological Creatures, Fantasy

Hardcover

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Library

5 hearts

The ocean has many mysteries and when the ship Atargatis left to search for mermaids for a mockumentary, it did so with lots of fan fair. Until it came back with no crew and no bodies. What happened to that ship is a mystery that has haunted the families and in particular, Victoria Stewart, who lost her sister that fateful day. Now Imagine Entertainment has assembled a crew, a top-notch ship and is going back to the one place that has haunted many- the Mariana Trench. A place where legends already haunt the place, of missing boats and people, of secrets in the depths that are out of reach to the humans. Are mermaids real? The new voyage to this cursed place will answer yes or no but woe to those who disturb what’s in the darkness….

Sweet lord, this new book by author Mira Grant left me reeling as well as having nightmares over mermaids, death and more. It’s a book that will draw you in right off the bat, keep you glued to the pages into the wee hours and cause you to dream about creatures that are not like Ariel in the Little Mermaid story/movie. INTO THE DROWNING DEEP is a fast-paced thriller that left me reeling-in a good way- and one that I had to stop reading at 1 am just so I could get some sleep. It’s a story that has intriguing characters, a unique storyline that will enthrall you and a new take on mermaids. If you think these are busty female sirens than you got another thing coming. These are deadly creatures and Mira Grant delivers a fresh unique take on the mermaid myth that literally had me in its grasp. The story flows swiftly and I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough to see what would happen next.

INTO THE DROWNING DEEP is the first full length book in the new series by the author & it was also one of the first books I read of hers. The story centers on the missing crew of the Atargatis and what, exactly, happened those years before. What should have been a routine voyage to film a mockumentary about mermaids turned into something else. Victoria Stewart lost her sister on that voyage and she is determined to find out the truth of the matter, even if it kills her. But things in the Mariana Trench stay hidden…until they don’t. What a great character Victoria was and it added a personal portion of the story that called to me. She was feisty, interesting and determined. You couldn’t help but feel for the girl as she searched for answers about that horror of a voyage. Add in some other great characters that you get to fall for and you got the earmark of a great story going on. What I love about INTO THE DROWNING DEEP was how different many of the characters were and it helped keep the story moving along nicely. Once they get to the Mariana Trench, things move even faster and as danger mounts, the reader is on the edge of their seat with bated breath, waiting to see what is down there and what it will do once it sees us. The characters are very well written, almost life like and there were some I really hope the author expands on in more books in this series.

Mira Grant delivers some of the best work here in her latest novel, filled with characters that fairly brim with life and step out of the pages, a creature only found in myths and legends (and an occasional Disney movie) and one so different that the reader will shudder with horror as they take center stage in the book. This is an author who knows how to keep her readers glued to the pages of the book, with a fast-paced storyline that will leave you breathless even as you take a breath from the horror of the last few chapters. If you enjoy new takes on mythological creatures, an edge of the seat ride from start to finish, then try INTO THE DROWNING DEEP and I recommend not reading in the wee hours of the night, you just might dream of mermaids that are not like what you though t they should be. I can’t wait to check out this author’s other books to see what else they tease my imagination with and I am really hoping after that ambiguous ending that book two is coming soon.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

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ROLLING IN THE DEEP by Mira Grant

Prequel to Into The Drowning Deep

Subterranean Press

April 5^th, 2015

9781596067080

Science Fiction, Fantasy Horror

E-book

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by self-purchase

4 Hearts

When Imagine Entertainment commissioned a voyage to see if mermaids were real or not, the entertainment company, crew and scientists aboard the Atargatis never anticipated the horror that awaited them at the Mariana Trench. What was supposed to be voyage full of fun, science and more turns into something deadly and dangerous within days of reaching there. For the Bathypelagic Zone of the Mariana Trench is very good at keeping its secrets and in its depths, the secrets there are deadly.

Wowsers is all I can say after reading this novella that starts the whole new series from author Mira Grant. ROLLING IN THE DEEP captures the fun and more that became the Atargatis’s final voyage and the horror that transpired there.  I was enthralled when I read the first full length book in the series, Into the Drowning Deep and when I saw there was a prequel story I had to grab it. It gives a better backstory about what happened on the Atargatis and helps bring into focus what was glossed over in the first book, Into the Drowning Deep. I liked seeing the different characters and finding out who they were. Some of the scientists’ titles had me going to the dictionary just to figure out what it was but otherwise the short novella was a fun story even if it chilled me to the bones.

ROLLING IN THE DEEP answers many questions that I had while I read Into the Drowning Deep and I enjoyed seeing through many of the different characters eyes what happened on that fateful voyage. This is an author who really grabs you by the throat when you open one of her books. The story moves quickly, sprinkled with short bursts from Imagine Entertainment media bulletins and other TV shows that showcased the tragedy of the Atargatis. The characters are quite well written and life like and I enjoyed all of them, from the tough as nails captain and deaf first mate to the fun Mermaid swimmers that Imagine Entertainment company brought aboard. Each character’s personality was unique and enjoyable. The mermaids were interesting in the whole horror movie sort of way and I for one hope to god I never meet one. Mira Grant really dashes my hopes of a Disney mermaid such as Ariel with this series. If that was what you are hoping for then I can tell this is not it. ROLLING IN THE DEEP is a story with monsters that come alive from myths and more the blood that is shed in search for it. It’s a fascinating story and one that left me on the edge of my seat till the very end.

ROLLING IN THE DEEP is a perfect introduction to the series I highly recommend reading this first though you don’t really have to before Into the Drowning Deep, though it does give more background on what happened and more on the Atargatis. Now all I can hope is this author goes back to this fascinating subject and I hope we won’t be waiting too long on it.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

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