While fantasy/sci-fi/speculative fiction isn't usually my thing, something about the description of Dreamwalker drew me in, and I knew I wanted to read Andy's story ...
12 years ago
Showing posts with label speculative fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label speculative fiction. Show all posts
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Saturday, August 22, 2015
"trial run" by thomas locke
Dr. Gabriella Speciale has assembled an international team of elite scientists with one goal in mind--to create and control out-of-body experiences that transcend the limits of time and space. Reese Clawson's mind-bending experiments aim to explode the boundaries of human consciousness--and annihilate the opposition in the process.
When a terrifying discovery and a string of failed tests threaten to dismantle both programs, the key to survival may reside in the mind of a gifted grad student whose unsettling dreams have thrust him into the center of a dangerous battle for control.
As the threads of perception and reality become tangled and time itself twists in unexpected directions, one warning remains clear: what you don't know can kill you.
Trial Run is marketed as a thriller/suspense title, but it's really more science fiction than anything—which is fine by me! In a way, Trial Run reminds me of the film Inception because of the idea of entering dreams, but really that's where the similarity ends. In Trial Run, people in a dream state are able to travel back or forward in time, but then several subjects end up comatose.
This novel features a very large cast of characters, and at first I struggled to keep them all straight. A few of these characters only appear sporadically, which sometimes made me stop and question who they were. Fairly quickly, though, the novel's main characters come to the forefront—grad students Shane and Trent, government operative Reese, and researcher Gabriella and her guard Charlie. When this happens, things get much easier to follow. I also appreciated that it took me a long time to figure out which faction (Reese's or Gabriella's) was good and which was bad ... and I'm still not entirely sure that the good guys are truly good!
The action moves at a rapid pace, and, while there's a lot of scientific mumbo-jumbo (which isn't actually mumbo-jumbo if you take the time to try to understand it), it doesn't become overwhelming or confusing. The ending features a great blend of dream world and real world action, and it sets up what is sure to be a fascinating second book.
Trial Run is not for everyone, that's for sure, but those who enjoy smart science fiction will really like it. I'm already looking forward to next summer when book two will release. 4 stars.
Buy the book.
Get the prequel novella, Fault Lines, free for Kindle.
Thomas Locke is a pseudonym for Davis Bunn, the award-winning novelist with total worldwide sales of seven million copies. His work has been published in twenty languages, and critical acclaim includes four Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. Davis divides his time between Oxford and Florida and holds a lifelong passion for speculative stories. As Thomas Locke, Davis is also the author of Emissary. Learn more at www.tlocke.com.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Saturday, June 8, 2013
"afloat" by erin healy
They're bitterly divided over what to do next.
Architect Vance Nolan insists they should sit tight and wait for rescue. Developer Tony Dean wants to strike out into the darkness. And single mom Danielle Clement, desperate to protect her young son, Simeon, struggles to hold their motley band together.
Power failure, a pall of unnatural daytime darkness, explosions in the distance, then a murder ratchet tensions to a boiling point. But Danielle's young son, Simeon, has spotted something strange underwater-beautiful, shifting lights in the dark water below.
In this watery world where everyone's secrets will eventually come to light, salvation may mean more than just getting out alive.
Another stunning exploration of the human spirit and supernatural possibilities from best-selling author Erin Healy.
My take: As a fan of Erin Healy's writing (I especially loved The Baker's Wife), I was excited to read her latest novel, Afloat. While I enjoyed it, it wasn't the gripping, page-turning, thought-provoking book I was hoping for. Let me explain ...
I couldn't get into the story at all until about 100 pages in. It's not that it moved slowly; in fact, the action begins on the first page and doesn't let up for quite some time. Rather, I had trouble keeping up with the action and the large cast of characters. Once the initial events with the sinkhole settled down, Healy left us with a manageable group of 10 or 12 characters—but prior to that, I had no idea who was who. I also had a difficult time picturing what was happening in the beginning. The setting was so foreign to me, and I repeatedly wished I was watching a movie rather than reading a book.
I also never connected with Danielle, for whatever reason, so I didn't really care what happened to her. Vance, his mentor Zeke, and Simeon were all great characters that I pulled for, and Tony made a fantastic villain, but I just felt apathetic toward Danielle.
Despite these reservations, however, I did like aspects of the book. The story unfolds in such a way that you're constantly wondering what will happen next, and the supernatural element was fascinating. I especially enjoyed learning Vance's backstory and how he was connected to Zeke.
Overall, this book didn't live up to my expectations, but that won't discourage me from reading more of Healy's books in the future. 3 stars.
See what other bloggers are saying.
Buy the book.
Watch the book trailer.
Read my review of Healy's The Baker's Wife and my pseudo-review of Healy & Ted Dekker's Kiss.
About the giveaway: Erin Healy is celebrating the release of her latest novel Afloat (Thomas Nelson) with an iPad Mini giveaway.
- An iPad Mini
- iTunes gift card
- Afloat by Erin Healy
Don't miss a moment of the fun; ENTER today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Visit Erin's blog on the 17th!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Thursday, December 22, 2011
"wayward son" by tom pollack with jim alves and john loftus
My take: Wayward Son is predominantly Cain's story. I would classify it as speculative fiction, as it deals with the idea that Cain became immortal when God cursed him. And while I snickered at some of the ideas (such as Cain helping Homer compose The Odyssey), the plot the authors crafted for Cain was largely engaging—especially the time Cain spent in Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs and his life at the time of Christ. I also enjoyed how biblical history overlapped with secular history (of course, the two are part of the same timeline, but it's often hard for me to remember that).
The modern storyline, however, was not nearly as enthralling. While the end of the book does answer many questions and wraps up in a satisfying (yet open to a sequel) manner, the beginning was at best boring and at worst painful to read. While I truly cared about what happened to Cain, I couldn't have cared less about Amanda, Juan Carlos, or anyone else modern. The Cain thread was written so well that I found it surprising just how much of an afterthought the modern thread seemed.
Still, I would recommend the book to anyone interested ancient history—I'd just suggest you skim the modern chapters and spend the bulk of your time digesting Cain's story. I give Wayward Son 3 out of 5 stars.
Tom Pollack (center) has a passion for sailing, which led him to a friendship with Roy Disney, and ultimately to the release of Walt Disney Pictures' critically acclaimed motion picture, Morning Light. The film is based on Tom's original idea of documenting the exploits of a group of college-aged sailors recruited to compete against seasoned pros in the Trans-Pacific race from Southern California to Hawaii. Tom graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor's degree in political science. He resides in Dana Point with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children. Tom serves as President of the Mission Basilica School Foundation in San Juan Capistrano and the Chairman of ExplorOcean, Newport Beach's popular nautical museum.
Jim Alves (left) recently completed a 25-year career in bond sales and trading. He graduated from The University of Massachusetts with a bachelor's degree in finance and economics. He currently is Chief Executive Officer of Prometheus Holdings, a financial consulting firm. Jim resides in San Clemente, California with his wife Jackie and their two young boys, having successfully launched two older sons from the nest.
John Loftus (right) spent 23 years at Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO), where as a Managing Director he focused on new product development and marketing. A graduate of Stanford University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, his writings have been published in various financial journals and textbooks. Now President of Cascada Productions, John is also active in philanthropy and the non-profit sector. An Ohio native, John resides in Newport Beach, California, with his wife, Lori. They have three grown children and two grandchildren.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Glass Road Public Relations. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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