Time Crawlers by Varun Sayal


Time Crawlers by Varun Sayal
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical
Length: Short Story (100 pages)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Stories
1. Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon: The weapons he possesses make him the destroyer of worlds, and he burns for revenge. A high-tech take on ancient Indian mythology.

2. Death by Crowd: The dark desires of the masses; darknet websites fueled by a crypto-currency. What lurks in the background – an advanced artificial intelligence?

3. Genie: He rubbed a lamp alright, but what he got was the shock of his life. An entirely sci-fi take on the djinn myth.

4. Time Crawlers: There are individuals who existing in multiple time periods at once, and there are those who know about them….

5. Eclipse: No attacks, no blood-shed, yet there was an invasion and a conquest. Who are these shapeshifter aliens being hounded by an eclipse?
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6. The Cave: The fate of an advanced imperial race hangs in balance as a dark celestial entity meets a legendary protector.

First impressions aren’t always accurate.

The main character in “Eclipse” learned that aliens had arrived on Earth and infiltrated the highest levels of government. He joined a resistance movement and prepared to denote a special type of bomb that would kill all of the intruders. As interested as I was in the plot, I was distracted by the fact that the protagonist chose to reveal almost nothing about his life. His name and backstory remained a mystery, and his personality was hard to figure out as well. That made it difficult for me to connect to him or become invested in his fate.

In “Death by Crowd,” an entrepreneur explained why the people their company hired would agree to light themselves on fire and die in front of a large audience in order to make a great deal of money. The premise of this tale caught my attention immediately, and it made me shudder. I was especially intrigued by the contrast between the terrible deaths this character described and how calm they were while they discussed the business aspects of this form of entertainment. The twist at the end was written nicely, too.

After becoming lost in the jungle, a man named Marco discovered a magical lamp in “Genie” that might give him the opportunity to go home again. The genie this character awoken wasn’t at all what he was expecting, and that was when the plot became very interesting. I loved seeing the practical consequences of a world where people could make outlandish wishes and have them come true. This was explored from scientific, mathematic, and sociological perspectives, so the long term effects of iit all went places I never would have expected them to go.

A transcription of a conversation between a man named Jokie and a Historical Scientist was the basis for “Time Crawlers.” They were discussing how it was possible for two events that happened thousands of years apart to be brought together into the same moment by someone who experienced time differently from the average person. I liked the premise of this one quite a bit, but the storyline was hard to follow at times due to the limited perspectives of the characters who were talking about it. It would have been helpful to have more details about what was happening and how it would be possible for anyone to manipulate time so that two different eras could exist simultaneously.

The conversational style of “The Cave” worked better for this reader. It was about an army general and a consultant who were trying to determine how to respond after a team of soldiers went into a cave and never came out of it again. The only clue about their fate lay in the terrible screams some witnesses heard before all communication between them and the outside world ended for good. I enjoyed learning the cave’s backstory and guessing what could possibly be hidden within it. Not only did the twist make perfect sense, the hints about it were a lot of fun to put together.

There were times when I found it a little hard to follow the plot of “Nark-Astra.” Prayaschakit, the main character, was planning to use a rare and powerful weapon in order to win a battle with the king of a country he hoped to take for himself. So many new terms were introduced in the storyline that I had trouble keeping track of all of them, especially since some of them weren’t explained in a lot of detail. With that being said, I still found the descriptions of how the weapon worked to be quite interesting. It had many painful and dangerous side effects that the audience did get to read about in detail.

Time Crawlers was an eclectic collection of short stories that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys modern science fiction.

Kima by A.H. Amin


Kima by A.H. Amin
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (126 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Christmas Eve 1928 gave birth to a yearly phenomenon in South Africa. A herd of false killer whales were found beached upon the shore. It has also given birth to the story of two young children who meet an old woman named Kima. Kima somehow knows why this has happened, but that’s not all she knows. The children, Alex and Alice, realize that there is more to this woman that what meets the eye, and ear. She will reveal to them a tale, a mysterious story she claims was passed on to her by a mythical Black Seagull.

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Animals can be smarter creatures than any human would have ever guessed was possible.

One of the things I liked the most about the animals in this book was how different their understanding of the world were when compared to the way a human being would interpret the same events. There were times when I needed to sit and think for a moment about what these characters were describing to the audience before I realized what they were talking about. Their descriptions were clearer to understand once I’d done this once or twice, but I liked the fact that I needed to put a little effort in at first to see where they were coming from.

I found it challenging to get to know the large cast of characters in this story. There simply wasn’t enough time to explore anyone’s personality or backstory in depth. That made it difficult for me to bond to the characters since I didn’t know a lot about them and the scenes switched between various points of few so often. If not for this issue, I would have chosen a much higher rating for it as the plot itself was well done.

Figuring out the right age group for this story was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. The narrators talked about serious topics like death and grief, but they did it in a way that was poetic instead of frightening. As someone who reads a lot of fiction meant for children and teenagers, it made me happy to see a story for elementary students tackle sensitive subjects like these with so much empathy. While I would recommend readers be aware of the themes ahead of time, I do think this is an appropriate read for children who are eight or older.

Kima is the kind of fable that I’d recommend to adults and children alike. It has something for anyone who is old enough to read something a little longer than is usual for this genre.

The Deer King by Ben Spencer


The Deer King by Ben Spencer
Publisher: Knock-Knee Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (77 pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

One girl. A reincarnated war god. The chance to stop the carnage before it begins.

Emmaline Rain’s father is the Stoneman. His responsibility: travel into Massaporan lands and end the life of the reincarnated Massaporan deity—the Deer King—the instant he is born. But when he fails in this task, the delicate equilibrium between Emmaline’s people and the Massaporans is disturbed. It seems likely that the violence of the past will be renewed.

She reports purchase cialis online that the intention and purpose of the school is to groom these young girls to one day be future leaders. According to health experts, Kamagra oral jelly canadian sildenafil like flusing, blocked nose, headache, and dryness in eyes. Also, it should decide for consuming prescribed dosage which might be a good idea for a cialis canada generic man to have thick, long, firm and healthy erection for pleasing intercourse. It can happen after taking antibiotics, discount buy viagra some medications, eating many sugars, or drinking soda, using alcohol, etc. Emmaline’s father is soon murdered by a priest of the Bronze Titan for his shortcomings. Newly orphaned, Emmaline absconds with the Saving Stone in the hopes of finding the Deer King and completing her father’s work. But when she comes face-to-face with the Deer King, she realizes that relations between her people and the Massaporans are more complicated than she has been led to believe.

The Deer King is the first in a planned series of fantasy novellas set in Dreyland, a colonial world where the indigenous people rely on the strength of a reincarnated god to help them offset the technological superiority of the settlers.

Some people know what their destiny is from the beginning of their life, but Emmaline isn’t one of those folks. Only time will tell what she’s supposed to do.

The world building in this story was incredibly well done. Even before I had any idea of what sorts of secrets the main character’s neighbors were keeping from her, I felt the fear, reluctance, and uncertainty of that community through every interaction they had with the Rain family. Little details like these made the city of Mossbane feel like a real place.

There was only one small thing I would have liked to see done slightly differently with the plot, and it had to do with the physical descriptions of the characters. It would have been nice to have a few more details about what everyone looked like due to the large number of characters who were introduced to the audience in such a short amount of time. I could tell everyone apart pretty well based on their personalities and where they lived, but having just a couple of extra clues about what they looked like would have made that process effortless and earned this book the full five-star rating I so wanted to give to it.

Emmaline was an intelligent young woman who could quickly make smart decisions in a crisis. These are both things I value highly in a protagonist, so I was thrilled to find both of them so strongly represented in her. She was exactly the sort of resourceful person I’d want to be around if someone with violent tendencies started sneaking around my backyard. While I hoped she’d always remain safe, I sure did enjoy watching her figure out how to survive under such dangerous circumstances.

I can’t recommend The Deer King highly enough to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre. It was a wonderful introduction to Dreyland.

Upon Broken Wings by E.L. Reedy & A.M. Wade


Upon Broken Wings by E.L. Reedy & A.M. Wade
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (187 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Bound by a dark act of hate and despair, high school freshmen, Andrew and Kiernan, learn that their untimely deaths did not bring an end to their pain, but only began the suffering of those left behind. While his lost memories return, Andrew must master seemingly impossible feats, both spiritual and physical. As a dark spirit stalks Kiernan through the borderlands of life and death, he must also face the pain his actions have caused his loved ones. To save both their souls, Andrew must convince Kiernan to return to life and open his eyes to the love and beauty which had always been there.

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Anyone’s future can change in an instant. The beginning of this tale was so sad that I seriously wondered what could possibly go wrong in the characters’ lives next. As odd as it may sound, there was something beautiful about seeing them try to push past the truly terrible things that happened to them. I appreciate it when protagonists are forced to deal with realistic problems that can’t be easily solved. This plot development gave their conflicts a nice sense of urgency, and it made me want to stick around to see how or if anything would improve for them.

The first few scenes of this book were confusing to read because I wasn’t sure who the main characters were supposed to be. Several different people showed up at the same time with few hints about who was going to turn out to be the focus of the storyline. What made it even trickier is that not everyone was properly introduced to the audience or even given a name at first in a few cases. As interested as I was in the premise itself, not knowing simple stuff like this did make it harder for me to feel connected to any of the characters I met.

With that being said, I was intrigued by the friendship between Kieran and Andrew. These kids didn’t seem to have a great deal in common at first, but they kept being drawn to each other each time their paths crossed. I couldn’t help but to wonder why that was and if they’d ever figure out why they kept ending up in the same places at the same times.

I’d recommend Upon Broken Wings to anyone who is in the mood for something uplifting.

Ether by J.S. Frankel


Ether by J.S. Frankel
Publisher: Devine Destinies
Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (238 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Teenager Sam Timmins, school outcast and total nerd, is saved one day from getting run over by the wind. Only it isn’t the wind that saves him, but a mysterious wind-sprite named Esther. The result of a botched lab experiment, Esther and her mother, Nita, the lead scientist on a matter-transportation project, now exist as wind beings.

Sam begins a relationship with Esther, even though he cannot see or even hold Esther, but they grow as close as two people can under the circumstances.
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The forces of evil, though, will not be denied. Morton Ramsay, the head of the project, needs Esther and Nita back for his own purposes. He sends his two chief henchmen, Harsky and Stutch, to intimidate Sam. When that doesn’t work, they resort to murdering his mother.

Now, Sam is out for revenge. Aided by Esther and her mother, he finds out just who he is and what he is capable of. More than that, he finds out what science is capable of creating—and destroying.

Some folks naturally march to the beat of their own drum, and Sam is one of them.

Sam was a well-developed and interesting character who felt like a real person to me. There were times when he made impulsive choices or accidentally said the wrong thing, but this is in no way a criticism of him as an individual. I really liked the fact that his weaknesses involved stuff that influenced how the plot turned out. Protagonists like this one are one of the reasons why I get so excited when Mr. Frankel releases another book. He knows how to create characters who are multi-dimensional, and Sam was an excellent example of this.

I loved seeing how the romance between Sam and Esther developed. They had such similar personalities and interests that I couldn’t help but to root for them to end up together. The compatibility between them seemed to be pretty high from the beginning, and I only found more examples of things they had in common as I got to know both of them better.

The pacing was handled perfectly. Sam encountered new twists in his adventures at precisely the right moments. My interest in finding out what would happen in the next scene remained high. There was always just enough new information to keep me reading without pushing the plot faster than it should have unfolded. I especially liked the fact that the main character had plenty of time to introduce the audience to the people who were important to him before too many things that defied explanation began happening to him.

Ether is a must-read for new and longterm fans of this author’s work alike. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

A Flame in the Night by Holland C. Kirbo


A Flame in the Night by Holland C. Kirbo
The Legends of Aewyr #1
Publisher: Illadian Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (383 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

She alone has the power to stop Maal, the dark god of Hael, from destroying her world. Can she trust her powers and guard her heart, or will she lose herself to the flames?

In the land of Aewyr, the immortals stand as mankind’s last hope against Maal and his supernatural army of darkness, but the immortals have their limits. The kingdom of Ceredwyn watches and waits, praying for a savior. When eighteen-year-old Lakyn Trahearne annihilates a zuhl by immolating him, she’s not the only one stunned. Such power has never been granted by the gods, even to immortals. She’s young, and by all accounts, she’s human, and her powers are beyond comprehension. Ceredwyn may have found its champion.

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Nothing and no one have stopped Maal’s steady advance. But Lakyn’s powers have awakened, and love and loss are potent fuels within her. When Maal’s forces threaten the Ceredwyn royal family, Lakyn and Reuel must set aside their friction to protect the ones they love . . . If Lakyn can control the untamed powers within her and stand against the darkness that threatens them all.

Lakyn’s nightmares are about to become very real.

Lakyn’s has a good life. Even though she’s been touched by sorrow, she finds security in her loving, close knit family. When her nephew is born, Lakyn and her family are thrilled. Unfortunately, the moment Lakyn touches him, she has a terrible vision, and the nightmares that have plagued her for as long as she can remember, become more intense. Are they simply nightmares, or warnings?

When Lakyn’s family is attacked, her former life is ripped to pieces. The stories her mother used to tell her about immortals turn out to be true. Unfortunately, Maal and his army are very real as well. Lakyn barely has time to recover from tragedy before she begins training to control the power building within her. There are times when Lakyn just wants to run away and hide yet she keeps going. I admire her strength and determination. I like that Lakyn isn’t magically great at everything when her power manifests. Her training is gritty and realistic. I am curious as to why Lakyn never showed any sign of being different before her family was attacked. Did it take tragedy to unlock her power or was it simply the right time?

Lakyn and Reuel are a strange pair. I must admit I’m still not entirely comfortable with their love/hate relationship. Lakyn definitely set the tone from the first moment they met. She was harsh when Reuel was just trying to help. I completely understand she has been through a lot and her emotions are all over the place. However, she frequently speaks before thinking and hurts those around her. Often, Lakyn immediately regrets her outbursts and apologizes. However, she doesn’t seem able to apologize to Reuel. At least not very often. Reuel also becomes agitated and abrasive the more time he spends with Lakyn. One moment they love each other and the next they can barely stand to be in the same room. I found this confusing. When Reuel reveals a bit about his past, I began to understand his volatile mood swings, but Lakyn and Reuel still have a lot to sort out.

I’m intrigued by the gods, immortals, and forces they battle. Ms. Kirbo provided some of their history, but there is so much more I’d like to learn. I’m especially curious about Reuel. There is clearly something strange going on with his family. I hope my questions will be answered in the sequel!

I’m glad I read A Flame in the Night. The world Ms. Kirbo has created and the characters that inhabit it are thought provoking. I relish the opportunity to return to Aewyr to learn more!

No Flight Without the Shatter by Brooke Bolander


No Flight Without the Shatter by Brooke Bolander
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

After the world’s end, the last young human learns a final lesson from Earth’s remaining animals.

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There was so much creativity woven into the storyline. More than once I was pleasantly surprised with clever twists to what I thought had been going on with the characters up until the moment the narrator decided to share an offhand comment that completely shifted my understanding of certain moments. I truly enjoyed the process of learning what was really happening to Linnea and her companions as I moved closer and closer to the truth about their destinies.

It would have been nice to have a few more details about the crisis that caused the main character to be orphaned early in life. The narrator spent so much time talking about her life after that point that I sure would have liked to have at least a basic understanding of what happened to make it possible for a child to be left completely on her own at such a young age. While I understood that she wouldn’t remember all or even most of the details, finding out at least a little bit about it in some way other than through her hazy memories would have lead me to give this book a higher rating than I already did.

The ending sent a chill down my spine. It fit the tone of this story perfectly, especially when it came to what I expected to happen to Linnea once she’d been living on her own for a while and began running out of critical supplies. I also appreciated the fact that this section finally reveal a few key pieces of the plot that had only been vaguely hinted at earlier on. Having that information made me feel satisfied by how everything was wrapped up in the end.

No Flight Without the Shatter kept me on my toes from the first scene to the last one. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction that’s set in the not-too-distant future.

Loss of Signal by S.B. Divya


Loss of Signal by S.B. Divya
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (16 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Toby Benson has a chance to make history. The first mind to circle the moon without a body in tow. It’s a golden opportunity, perhaps the only chance for a 19-year-old whose body failed him to become immortal. But as he reaches the dark side of the moon and loses signal from Earth, the cold of space threatens to overwhelm him.

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I found Toby to be instantly likeable. He’d been through an experience that no living being in our current timeline has ever had the chance to try for themselves. There was a brief time during his introduction when I wondered how easy it would be to relate to someone in that situation, but it only took me a few sentences to realized just what an interesting guy he was no matter how anyone labelled him.

It would have been nice to see more attention paid to the world building. The narrator hinted at some pretty incredibly technological and medical advances in this version of the future. I was intrigued by what he described, but I also found myself wishing for more details about how they worked and how they’d changed the way society functioned. They involved such important topics that I couldn’t imagine them being something the average person accepted without any conflict at all.

The relationship between Toby and his mother piqued my interest in their backstories from the very first time they interacted with each other in this tale. I wasn’t expecting to read so much about this character’s life experiences before his procedure, but I liked the fact that I had such a clear understanding of why he’d opted to take a huge risk at such a young age.

Loss of Signal was full of thought-provoking questions. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys coming up with their own theories about what the future might hold for humanity.

A Shadow Away by Joan K Lacy


A Shadow Away by Joan K Lacy
Publisher: AlazoPress
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (242 pgs)
Rating 4 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

When British archaeologist Andrew Seaton discovers a jewel-encrusted golden statue, he realizes he may have uncovered the key to the lost city of El Dorado. The statue disappears before he can verify his findings, and Andrew must rely on private detective Alex Cort to recover the prized artifact.

The two men find themselves caught up in a dangerous race against a corrupt colleague and a ruthless art thief who will stop at nothing to claim the statue for themselves.

As each new clue leads them up the Amazon River and deeper into the jungle, they soon discover things are not quite what they appear. When all seems lost, the mystical powers of a beautiful woman guide them out of danger and ultimately to the ruins of an ancient city, where Andrew must right the wrongs he committed in a past life and Alex discovers a secret of his own.
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If you’re a fan of suspenseful archaeological mysteries involving lost cities, treasure, adventure, and magic, then this thrilling series is for you! Fans of author Dan Brown, magical realism authors, like Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time), or who like Clive Cussler, with an added touch of magic, will love the world of Alex Cort’s first adventure. If you’re a fan of Indiana Jones, and love a quest like the Lord of the Rings, then the race to the finish in A Shadow Away will have you clamoring for more.

Twining myth with today’s world (akin to Indiana Jones) Lacy delivers an intriguing and oddly believable tale of adventure and mystery in Shadow Away.

Andrew Seaton, archeologist, finds what might be the ‘key’ to the lost city of El Dorado (mythic ‘city of gold’) …but the ‘key’ disappears. Enter Alex Court, investigator.

Alex specializes in art theft – and understands how momentous this one particular stolen piece might be, right from the start. Its more than valuable in its own right, but possibly a link to a lost world and culture.

Action is fast – and with that hint of supernatural about it, often unpredictable. Characters are strong and opinionated; their motivation is understandable and conversations engaging.

The story is told in the first person, by Alex, so there is a certain immediacy to events. However, very occasionally this reads rather like third person, and rather confuses the reader to suddenly have Andrew’s thought or intention plain. It’s not often, but is a tad distracting.

Its a very worthwhile read, even so. Anyone who enjoys adventure tales will like this one.

Sanctuary by Allen Steele


Sanctuary by Allen Steele
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (27 pages)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

An edge of your seat hard SF adventure as colonists on a new world find that nothing is what they expected and that travelling to a distant star is far more dangerous than they’d ever imagined…in Allen Steele’s Sanctuary.

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The world building was fantastic. I especially appreciated all of the time the author spent describing what the climate and wildlife were like on the new planet. These are the sorts of details that make a setting come alive in my imagination, especially when they’re described by a narrator who was sharing an objective impression of what their surroundings were like and what was happening to them and the crew as they acclimated to their surroundings. It was exactly the sort of writing I’d expect to see in the hard science fiction sub-genre.

There were times when I found the large cast of characters confusing. This was even more true due to how often the different narrators took over describing what happened to these colonists next after they finally arrived at an Earth-like planet and realized that all of the earlier data they’d collected about it had neglected to pick up on one critical detail about what that planet was actually like. If not for the issues I had remembering who was who, I would have given this tale a perfect rating. Everything else about it was extremely well done.

The ending made me yearn for more. While it did tie up all of the most important conflicts from earlier on in the plot, it also left room for all sorts of different things to happen to the characters from that point forward. I appreciated the fact that I could come up with my own theories about what the crew’s ultimate fates would be once they realized what their lives were truly going to be like on this planet. If Mr. Steele ever decides to write a sequel, I’d sure love to read it.

If you’ve ever gazed up at the night sky and wondered what it would be like to visit a faraway world, Sanctuary might be right up your alley.