Queen of Starlight by Jessa Slade #scifi #romance

Title: Queen of Starlight (Sheerspace 1)
Author: Jessa Slade
Genre: scifi romance
Publisher: Red Circle Ink
Available: Amazon $0.00 (Kindle)  167 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Rater: Pippa




Blurb:

Her body is his prize, but he'll risk the stars for her love... Transformed by empathic crystals into the perfect paramour, Benedetta Galil is the last treasure of her fading world. When raiders attack—seeking to corrupt the crystals and conquer all of charted space—she gives herself as a prize to the one man in the universe who values freedom over power. Mercenary sheership Captain Corso Deynah left oppression behind him on a burning planet and has no use for a sex slave, even one as seductive as Benedetta. But while he stubbornly resists her body, her fierce spirit tempts him, and he will risk everything—his ship, his seclusion, the very stars—to win not just her passion but her love. 


What I liked:
Beautiful lyrical writing and descriptions that I adored. Also sex scenes written along the same vein, that managed to be hot and sensual without lots of explicit wording, some of which I often finds spoil the overall descriptions with words that jar me out of the scene. The world building was awesome and intriguing (I have a thing for crystals anyway, so to have these used to enhance a body's sensitivity and enable an empathic kind of union totally grabbed me). Despite the hero's insistence that he was a jerk, he really wasn't, and though I'm not a huge alpha fan I was won over by his devotion to a cause that he hadn't really wanted to take up.


What I didn't like:
The hero calls himself a jerk or similar several times at the start, to the point where I almost stopped reading. It was done too many times and really wasn't necessary after the first couple of mentions. Also, despite the beautifully written scenes, the couple had sex at what seemed totally inappropriate times and places, as if the author had felt compelled to force them in to avoid them being missed out completely. Both times this totally pulled me out of the story. I felt these could have been put elsewhere and broken the flow a lot less. I also didn't like the heroine as much as the hero - in some respects she almost came over as a bit of a wet blanket but just about avoided that label.

In conclusion:
This is a good book for fans of scifi romance, especially those who prefer the sex scenes hot and sensual rather than full out explicit, if you can excuse the weird timing and settings.  Some SF purists might dislike the science behind the crystals bonding to humans (in that respect, I would point to Anne McCaffrey's Crystal Singer). I would probably read the rest of the books in the series and more by this author.

The Ships of Aleph by Jaine Fenn #spaceopera #scifi

Title: The Ships of Aleph
Author: Jaine Fenn
Genre: Scifi/space opera
Publisher: Tower of Chaos Press
Available: Amazon $1.99 (Kindle)  42 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Rater: Pippa




Blurb:
Lachin is a dreamer. He's just too curious for his own good. When he gets the chance to be part of an expedition which will allow him to escape the confines of his village, of course he takes it; he wants to see the world. But the world is not what he thought it was... 

The Ships of Aleph is a fantastical adventure set on a world like no other, which fits into Jaine Fenn's popular Hidden Empire universe.


What I liked:
I'm always eager for another Jaine Fenn story, so I picked this up as soon as it released. I love the depth and scope of her writing, how I'm immersed not just in another world but another culture. This had an almost daydream like quality, which reflected the central character's state of mind for much of the story perfectly. I'm also a fan of stories set at sea, and that have a fantasy setting. It's told in first person - not my favourite POV, but written well it works. In some respects it reminded me of a Sir Terry Pratchett story where the incompetent wizard Rincewind sails to the edge of the world. But what Lachin finds there is nothing he expected, and neither did I! This is a story that will make you think about what else might be out there. I should also mention that the main character is crippled, and uses his intelligence to compensate for his physical disability.


What I didn't like:
The story didn't feel complete to me, not just because of being part of set universe - as stated in the blurb, this is part of the Hidden Empire universe, most of which I've read so I know most of the surrounding story - but even then I felt the ending to be abrupt and that it left me hanging.


In conclusion:
This story reads like a fantasy at the beginning, switching to a very scifi feel toward the end, and the jump might jar with some readers (not me, because I was expecting and hoping for the scifi part, and having read Guardians of Paradise - which also has a similar fantasy opening leading to a science fiction ending). For those who like to question the meaning of existence, this might be a good book, but to most readers I would suggest reading the rest of Fenn's Hidden Empire books to really follow the latter part of the story. As a stand alone, it might leave some readers confused. I would recommend this to fans of Fenn who have, or plan to read, the Hidden Empire books, but perhaps not as a first taster of her work.

(You can read my reviews of the other Hidden Empire books at Fantasy Book Reviews HERE).

Girl From Above by Pippa DaCosta #spaceopera

Title: Girl From Above: Betrayal  (The 1000 Revolution #1)
Author: Pippa DaCosta
Genre: Space Opera
Publisher:
Available: Amazon $0.99 (Kindle) 179 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Rater: Pippa





Blurb:
"My name is #1001, and I am not ready to die." I’d only just begun to live."
When Captain Caleb Shepperd is released from prison, all he wants to do is keep his head down and earn a living smuggling illegal cargo through the nine systems. So when a synth stows away on his ship, and brings with her a crap-ton of problems, including guilt-ridden secrets he thought he’d escaped, he’d prefer to toss her out the airlock. The problem is, she’s priceless tech, and he’s fresh out of credit.
#1001 is not meant to exist. Created for a single purpose, she has one simple order: to kill. But not everything is as it seems. Buried deep inside, she remembers... Remembers when she was human. And she remembers what Shepperd did to her. She’s not ready to die, but she is ready to kill.

WARNING: 18+ only. Contains graphic adult content, including sex, drug use, violence, and a plethora of curse words. Not for the easily offended.


What I liked:
For 43K, the author has certainly packed a huge punch into this space opera novella. It had the depth of world building, character development and necessary back story without info dumping that I'd normally only expect from a longer work. And the action did not stop - there wasn't a slow moment in it. As a huge fan of androids/artificial humans, I was fascinated by 1001 and the theory and technology involved in their creation. I would have loved the entire story told solely in her POV. *possible spoiler follows* Francesca had me intrigued, though I figured her out before the revelation.


What I didn't like:
In a word, Caleb. Sorry, but I do not like jerks, and he has to be the biggest a-hole I've ever encountered in my reading history that is supposed to be the 'good' guy. I can tolerate one for a chapter or two if he's redeemed or shows signs of being redeemable but by the time the story showed any indication of it happening for him, I couldn't care less, regardless of what had driven him to be like that. I think his intention of letting a certain character *no spoilers* die was the final straw. Because of him, I'm not sure I'd read the next in the series. I also wasn't too happy with the cliff hanger ending because it makes the story feel incomplete and left me feeling somewhat cheated. I would expect this to therefore have been listed as first book in a serial rather than book one of a series.


In conclusion:
The author has packed a hell of a lot of action, character and world development into an explosive, often violent and sexually charged 43K. I would probably read more by her, but Caleb has potentially put me off reading the rest of this particular series even though I'd have loved to reach the end of 1001's story - if it had been told solely from her point of view, I would definitely kept reading. Sadly Caleb was not the 'hero' for me. If you like your space opera along the lines of Firefly and Farscape, with a hint of Bladerunner (and foul language, sexually explicit threats and casual violence don't put you off), this could be the space opera series for you. Not for the easily offended.

The Gods of Probabilities by Liza O'Connor #scifi #humor

Title: The Gods of Probabilities (The Multiverses 1)
Author: Liza O'Connor
Genre: Scifi Humor
Publisher: New Authors Online
Available: Amazon $2.99 (Kindle) 352 pages
Rating:  5 stars
Rater: Pippa




Blurb:
The Gods require a time shifter to ensure the Path of Light reigns during the final collapse of possibilities. To speed the process of finding an Oceanic with the specific talents needed, God DNA is induced in several batches of Oceanic eggs, resulting in a generation of brilliant tiny blue Oceanic children.
One charming boy named Drogan has the ability to manipulate quantum reality in ways that will strengthen the Path of Light. Only trouble is that his gift runs a high probability of killing him and wiping out the path for good.
While the bureaucratic Gods will try to assist, in Quantum all possibilities not only can, but do happen, so the future is never certain.

Releases 1st July 2015

What I liked:
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, having not read any of Liza's non-SF titles, other than knowing she had a reputation for being humorous. I wasn't disappointed. I had a smile on my face for much of the book due to her Douglas Adams-esque humor throughout, tempered by some intriguing science (quantum theory and multiple parallel universes), theories of evolution, and comic theology. While humans are mentioned very briefly, the story focuses on an ocean dwelling intelligent life form and their struggle for survival while overseen by a superior race (whom legends describe as gods). I loved the twist on Greek mythology and basing the story around a non-human race. The science isn't so heavy that even a non-SF reader would struggle with it and woven in carefully throughout so not to overload a reader with facts to remember. The world building is also nicely layered in. This is a story that will make you laugh, but keep you thinking about it long after you finish.

What I didn't like:
Because it wasn't told in what I think of as deep 3rd POV, some of the more serious emotion was lacking for me. However, the story, the characters, and the comedy more than made up for this. I can live without emotional punch if it's made up for with comedy that has me chuckling every few pages. Not to say this doesn't have its serious elements and moments of tear-inducing sadness, but not to the level I'd normally seek from a story.

In conclusion:
If you're a fan of Douglas Adams (re the Hitch-Hikers' Guide and Dirk Gently's Long Dark Teatime of the Soul) or Sir Terry Pratchett's SF novels (The Dark Side of the Sun and Strata) you should definitely read this. Even non-SF fans who like humor (including some grumpy gods and sassy goddesses along with the SF) will enjoy this book. Can't wait for the next in the series!

Farewell Andromeda by Laurie A Green #scifi #romance

Title: Farewell Andromeda (The Inherited Stars series)
Author: Laurie A Green
Genre: Scifi Romance
Publisher: Array Press
Available: Amazon $0.99 (Kindle) 62 pages
Rating:  5 stars
Rater: Pippa 





Blurb:
STEAMY SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE...JUST WHAT THE GALAXY ORDERED! 

Fresh off a painful jilting, the last thing deep space pilot Tiharra Bell needs is another romantic entanglement. Certainly not with the galaxy’s most famous astronomer-who also happens to be single, inconveniently handsome, and a resident of the remote Andromeda Station. But Tiharra soon discovers two terrible truths about Dr. Dante “Donner” Dane 1) he’s not the man he appears to be and 2) he doesn’t have long to live. Before her fourteen day layover is complete, she’ll put her life and career on the line to protect his heartbreaking secret. 

What I liked.
The world building was strong and in-depth, no mean feat for a short story. I really didn't see a way out of the situation that could possibly result in the happily ever after required for a romance, which added to the heartbreaking overtone that ran for most of the story and really added to the HEA at the end. The hero was adorable, the villain suitably evil, the secondary character interesting and the heroine a complex, well drawn woman. Beautifully lyrical writing and scene descriptions.

What I didn't like.
If I really dig deep to find something to complain about, perhaps I got a tiny bit tired of the heroine feeling sorry for herself. But as she'd just had her heart completely broken, then the possibility of happiness snatched away in one of the most heart-wrenching, inhumane of ways, a little self pity is more than understandable!

In conclusion.
Prepare to have your heart ripped to pieces, along with some great character building and enough tech for the space enthusiast without being overwhelmed by science. A short, more than satisfying scifi romance that will leave a smile on your face. Fans of ST: Deep Space Nine would definitely like this.

Dragonfly by Erica Hayes #scifi #romance #spaceopera

Title: Dragonfly
Author: Erica Hayes
Genre: Scifi Romance
Publisher: Momentum
Available: Amazon $5.90 (Kindle)
Rating:  4 stars
Rater: Pippa 





Blurb:
Carrie Thatcher is a tough Imperial counter-terrorism agent. Her mission: pose as a sexy cyber-thief to entrap the notorious rebel Dragonfly, who's planning a heist on the space station Casa de Esperanza - an orbital casino on the fringe of Imperial space.

And this assignment's personal: Dragonfly murdered her closest friend, and she's in no mood to show him mercy. Even getting stuck with the partner from hell--Malachite, her sociopathic ex-lover and the Empire's most dangerous agent--can't dampen her relish for the kill.

With Carrie's expert weapons skills and penchant for cracking codes, insinuating herself into Dragonfly's confidence should be easy. But is he the ruthless killer she was led to believe? Or has her precious Empire deceived her? With Malachite watching her every move, the slightest flinch in loyalty means death.

Carrie is soon racing to uncover an audacious treachery that will shock the Empire to its core ... if she can stay alive for long enough to expose it.

What I liked.
The world building was in-depth, complex and intriguing. The plot was high tension and action packed. There was quite a bit of science (maths) and technology, something I love but that might put off those not so keen on heavy SF elements. The characters are captivating, and the hero particularly takes some figuring out.

What I didn't like.
This was quite slow at the start due to a heavy amount of set up and world building, but had a lot of tension throughout, right to the final conflict...and then totally flopped for the final few pages. I think this book had the most disappointing ending I've come across, even if it had the required HFN for a romance. Also I got a little tired of Carrie with her 'he's my enemy, he has to die, OMG he's hot and I want to sleep with him' mental routine. I prefer my sexual tension a bit more subtle. Others might enjoy her constant mental conflict more than me.

In conclusion.
If you're a fan of the Firefly/Farscape style of space opera, this is for you (Carrie was a very Aeryn Sun type character to me). Be prepared for some heavy-ish technobabble and world building though, and having to stick with it for the first couple of chapters to get to the adventure.

Erasure by Misa Buckley #mm #gaylit #LGBTLit #scifirom

Title: Erasure
Author: Misa Buckley
Genre: M/M Scifi Romance
Publisher: Self
Available: Amazon $2.99 (Kindle)
Rating: 4 stars
Rater: Pippa 





Blurb:
When Malik Foster crashes back into his life after a three year absence, Damaris wants nothing to do with his ex-lover. Especially once he learns that Malik has cybernetic implants - something made illegal by the Restoration. Dam does not want a Purity Squad beating down his door. Yet neither does he want to leave Malik to their less than tender mercies. He agrees to use his surgical talents to remove the tell-tale tattoo that's been branded on to Malik's wrist. 

As they reignite their past relationship, Dam learns about the life Malik has led since the Restoration came into power. He has to face the fact that his future as a plastic surgeon is increasingly insecure in a city that's becoming ever more obsessed with "natural" bodies. Then the Purity Squads come looking for Malik, and they know an escape is now or never. 

But can there be an escape from a regime that wants to erase anyone not falling into their definition of human?

What I liked.
The world building was concise, summing up a bleak, and scary setting with a quasi-religious group forcing the populous backward in terms of technology. The relationship between the two central characters was taunt and touching, and beautifully played out. I don't think a single word was wasted. The sex scenes were tastefully done (and in detail if you're worried they might have been glossed over), and the inner turmoil of both characters were believable and engaging, without being OTT on the angst.

What I didn't like.
This was only my second m/m story, and I can't say I'm a huge fan - my preference is definitely for m/f or f/f. Having said that, this was a short, snappy and emotionally satisfying read, and I'd come back for more of it. I did feel their escape could/should have been done in more detail.

In conclusion.
If you're a newbie to m/m romance (like me) and/or a newcomer to scifi romance as a genre, this is a great place to start. Tight world building that won't overwhelm even the least technically minded, well done sex scenes, well balanced between the two characters, and emotionally satisfying. Be warned though - this is a short story, not a novella or novel.