Tag Archives: Science Fiction

Book Review: Evolution: Angel (The Evolution) (Volume 1) by S.A. Huchton

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Evolution: Angel (The Evolution) (Volume 1) by S.A. Huchton

A Sci-Fi/Fantasy/New Adult Novel published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (02/25/14)

 

Summary:

“Knowing what came with great power and experiencing that weight was so vastly different you couldn’t even see the other side of the chasm between them. (Page 241).”

From the very first moment that Candace Bristol and her cousin Gabe saw the ANGELs in action, they knew they wanted to join the project and become two of the world’s superheroes. Fast forward four years when Gabe is already in training and Candace has just sent in her application. Not everyone gets accepted and not everyone can make it because it takes special genetics and a special comportment to be able to make it as an ANGEL.

When Candace is accepted, she is elated and she knows that there will be more going on than she has researched about the ANGELs. When she gets to the training grounds she is overwhelmed by some of the aspects of the project, but she steps up as a leader.

 

Keywords:

Genetic Manipulation, Superheroes, Comic Books, Books, Tough, instability, romance, love, hormones, leader, kick-butt female, sex, fighting, training, good guys, testing, banter

My Review:

Every girl wants a comic book hero to look up to and wish to have their powers. What we get are an assortment of men with superpowers and women who look pretty in skintight clothes with lame powers. What Huchton does in her superhero series is give us a real kick-butt female with real superpowers. Huchton has diverse characters that look and act different and have unique personalities.

Candace is a strong Alpha personality. She’s very curious, very go getter, very nothing gets in her way. She’s an open, up front person who does what she wants to do, says what she thinks, and doesn’t let anyone get her down. She is already a super hero inside. She sees the good in people and makes sure they don’t get away with their nonsense when they’re up to no good.

Adrian is the unassuming librarian with the sexy baritone voice. There was something in his past that gives him a chip on his shoulder and he has trouble thinking he is worth the love and effort of others.

Gabe is Candace’s older cousin and comic relief in the story. They continuously banter and at first Gabe tries to look out for her, but she is too independent and stubborn to let that fly. She would rather fall on her own, then be helped along.

Jackson is the troubled bad boy with an attitude problem. Does he secretly have a thing for Candace? Not going to tell you! “I think he could possibly be motivated to work with others on a team. While he’s abrasive and not a little trying on my patience, I don’t think he’s unsympathetic to others and he knows not to cross certain boundaries. If he’s here at all, it’s because it was his choice, isn’t it?”) (Page 86).

There’s also Ella, Candace’s friend and fellow trainee, True from the first wave of ANGELS, and Hector, etc. There was such a range of characters to get to know and love.

I thought the raging hormones bit was overplayed, but it did add a sense of hilarity, brusqueness, and urgency to the ANGEL’s actions.

The ending was so emotional and so devastating and left me itching for book two. Starla Huchton is a genius and a beautiful story-crafter and this series is a great one to read.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. on Feburary 25th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

 

Links for more information:

Starla Huchton’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: The Cure by Stephanie Erickson

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The Cure by Stephanie Erickson

A YA Sci-fi/Dystopian Novel published on amazon.com (11/27/2013)

 

Summary:

“I gladly sacrifice my life for the good of others. One life will make the difference, and that life could be mine. For this reason, I’m devoted to finding the cure.” (Kindle Locations 59-60).

In a world that is on quarantine from a disease that kills 75% of the population, the push for the cure also lowers life expectancies. It is only through human trials that the government thinks a cure can be found. “Sixteen was a big birthday, though. The year everyone got their date— the day when you would live or die, the day when you would endure the experiments to find a cure. Everyone was given a date that would not precede their twentieth birthday. The date was then effective for the rest of your life. Every ten years, you would endure the testing on that date, until your sixtieth birthday— if you lived that long.” (Kindle Locations 457-459).

Macey questions the system of dates. Is there really even a disease or is the Cure a way to keep the people in line and the population in control? Macey is an artist about to enter her final year of schooling when she finds out her date will arrive two years earlier than anybody else’s has. She feels gypped, that her whole world and all that she knows is in chaos. She ponders quitting school and starting an artist apprenticeship. She ponders politically incorrect drawings. She ponders life as those around her come up on their own dates and may never return.

 

Keywords:

Post-apocalyptic, Dystopian, Controlling Government, Disease, Cure, Testing, Art, Questioning Everything, Romance, Family, Love, Saving Lives, Sacrifice, Routine, Tradition

My Review:

Stephanie Erickson is able to build her world from the very first sentence. She evokes the time and the setting with those first words. I was shown right away a totalitarian society in a post-apocalyptic dying world and I knew I was going to love this book. Erickson lays out all the important information in the beginning of the story, but layers it throughout the interactions the main character Macey has with her world and environment.

I enjoyed the fact that Macey had one skill and one activity she liked above others. She was an artist and her world revolved around her art and the way she creatively viewed herself and her world. I have never been much of an artist or understood having that kind of skill, so seeing it through Macey’s eyes was exhilarating and eye-opening. On top of a good story with emotional draw, Erickson gave me something else to take away from The Cure.

After the initial setup for the plot and showing the condition the main characters lived in and how their world was set up, the plot began to meander and you’re just waiting for the other boot to drop. It is Macey’s date. Her date is significant. Will the book just end? What will happen? The reader isn’t given much information, just like Macey isn’t until she gets there.

I like how Erickson crafted the ultimate difficult situation for her main character and showed how Macey thought through her decision and the supposed consequences of each decision and how they would affect her life. It’s always fascinating to watch someone struggle with an important decision and to feel their anxiety and watch as they choose their paths in life. Erickson captured Macey’s emotional struggle in this novel.

This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 11/27/2013 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Stephanie Erickson’s Website

Book Review: Hourglass by Pauline C. Harris

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Hourglass by Pauline C. Harris

A YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi Novel published by Fire and Ice Young Adult Books (03/11/15)

 

Summary:

“A planet isn’t big enough for me. I need space and stars and nothing for light-years around.” (Kindle Locations 312-313).
“You know, it’s a shame. Growing up. I bet you regret it now.” (Kindle Location 1632).

Jude “Judy” Sprocket hates planets. She has to get off Earth. When her dad dies and wills her his ship “Hourglass” she decides to take it and get out of there. There is only one problem. She’s only 17 and without an adult present cannot legally take off. Her crew is full of underage and excited kids. Jacob Holden is her chief engineer at 16. Angelica Rivers is the Assistant Engineer and Salvager. Gregory Miller is a Salvager. Jacobson Keith is a salvager. Sylvia Smith is the medic. Judy is the Captain.

Nothing will stand in the way of the stubborn captain, they are pirates after all, and they don’t exactly follow the rules. Not far from Earth, though, they encounter an uncharted planet. There is no way a planet this close to Earth would remain unknown, but the crew disregards any common sense they might have regarding an unmarked planet, and set down to investigate. Then all nightmares break loose.

 

Keywords:

 Space, travel, teens, kids in charge, Captain, exploration, nightmares, unknown past, sinister planet, leadership, friendship, loyalty, pirates, salvagers, dangerous, haunting past, vague memories

 

My Review:

I loved the concept of this book. Harris cleverly disguised the connection of the book to a well-known children’s story, but brought this connection to light in her before chapter quotes. Her usage of elements of the well-known story was intriguing and kept me hooked and searching for more similarities. But, this story was unique and all its own, even with the comparison story and similarities present.

The idea that there are space pirates who steal unwanted floating space junk is cool, especially when it is considered illegal. Harris took the hilarity of regulation and ridiculous government rules into space. Harris basically extrapolated what we know about travel and Earth and regulations and applied it to space.

Harris kept up the tension and intrigue throughout the novel and kept her twists and turns within the realm of possibility. The story was exciting and the descriptions were great. Judy was a good, solid main character with her own set of flaws and fears, but she had backbone when it counted.

The book also had an uncanny ability to translate the sense of creepiness, horror and dread the characters felt at times.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was published by Fire and Ice Young Adult Books March 11th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Twitter

Book Review: The Treemakers by Christina L. Rozelle

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The Treemakers by Christina L. Rozelle

A Dystopian/Sci-Fi Adventure Novel published by A Spark in the Dark Press (12/03/14)

This review brought to you by Silverbow Promotions Tour

 

Summary:

“To be strong in the face of weakness,’ I begin. ‘This is something our sister, Abrilynne, and our brother, Miguel, taught me. To smile, though there’s pain. To laugh, though there’s sorrow. To love, no matter what. And to forgive.” (Page 206).

The Tree Factory. It sounds hopeful, but it isn’t. Inside the walls of the factory are Bygonne’s orphans and they have been forgotten by all but the evil Superiors who work the children to their death. The trees are meant to keep the dying outside world alive with fresh oxygen while inside the factory the children are dying and enslaved. One of the olders, Momma Joy, takes it upon herself to find a way to free them all. No matter where you look it’s a hard life. The world outside has suffocated under the heat and poisonous air. The world underground harbors monsters and killer beasts. The world in between is full of those who seek freedom and survival. It is there that Joy must bring her precious sisters and brothers and it is there that more hardships will be encountered.

 

Keywords:

 Factory, Orphans, Survival, Death, Exploration, Dystopian World, Polluted Air, Evil Intentions, AI, Motherliness, Help, Underground, Paradise, Fighting, Strength, Resilience, Spirit

 

My Review:

I was given a copy of the book in exchange for this review.

The world Rozelle has created is a mix between dystopian/fantasy/futuristic/jurassic/etc. She has pulled so many intriguing elements into the world of The Treemakers that every new part of it is fascinating and alive. The Treemakers doesn’t just take place in the factory, but moves among different environments that are each unique and mesmerizing in their own way. Not only is the environment a slight twist on the familiar, but the characters and the story and the depth involved contain their own twists.

The setup was well-written and instantly pulled the reader into the otherworldly dystopian setting. But Rozelle didn’t stop there, she went further. She pushed the boundaries of the world she created and the genres the novel falls under. This book kept surprising me with the layers upon layers that unwrapped and interconnected to the end.

Though I found the romance both distracting and unnecessary, I didn’t think it inappropriate and thought it only logical in the book. It’s always mildly disturbing for young children to be flirting and reproducing, but in a dystopian future where not many reach over 30 years, it’s perfectly natural and the only way to continue the line of humanity.

This novel was published by A Spark in the Dark Press on December 3rd, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.5

 

Links for more information:

Christina L. Rozelle’s Website

Christina L. Rozelle on Twitter

Goodreads

About the author:

Christina L. Rozelle

Christina L. Rozelle, author of the YA Dystopian-Scifi-Romance-Adventure, “The Treemakers,” is a mother of four currently residing in Dallas, Texas. She enjoys fiction that shines a light in the dark; has emotion, intensity, verve, depth, and truth. She writes what she’d love to read. Though her focus is currently YA speculative fiction, she dabbles in other genres as well, including adult speculative, fantasy, addiction/recovery fiction, and other general fiction. To find out more about her, as well as links to her other social media outposts, please visit her fan-site: http://christinalrozelle.com/

Book Review: Mina Cortez: From Bouquets to Bullets by Jeffrey Cook

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Mina Cortez: From Bouquets to Bullets by Jeffrey Cook

A YA Science Fiction Novel published by Fire and Ice (01/29/15)

 

Summary:

Mina has always been the good influence, but when she strikes out on her own to clear her friend’s name she runs into all sorts of trouble. Mina hoped to get the ballerina chip, but was resigned to follow in her parents’ footsteps running the family business, Emerald City Flowers and Design. Instead she got way more than she could have hoped for: The Inquisitor Chip for the Secret Police. Flower deliveries is the perfect cover for a member of the Secret Police and her first assignment is to lay low and observe. She’s young, she’s confident, and she has not yet learned to follow directions. How could she when she suspects something more sinister is going on and doesn’t know who to trust within the Allied Investigative Agency? Along with her friend Amiko, the reliable antique Chevy Vlad, and her own natural inquisitiveness, Mina will do everything she can to solve the kidnapping of her friend Scott and find out what’s really going on in the AIA.

 

Keywords:

Strong Females, Diverse Cast, Action, Thriller, Mystery, Seattle, Secret Police, Futuristic, Technology

 

My Review:

Mina is a character I can relate to because she doesn’t get everything that she wants. She’s confident in what she believes. She stands up for her friends and seeks out action. Not everyone gets to be a ballerina, and Mina is no exception. She is too short and stocky, in her mind, to be chosen for the elusive ballerina chip.

In a world where adolescents can work their hardest trying to paint their own futures and make their own destiny, it is their chipping that ultimately decides their fate. This is a wonderful and very futuristic technology that Jeffrey Cook exploits to the utmost of his imagination. “Implanting someone with everything they needed to know to do their assigned job perfectly had become a mostly exact science in the century-and-some it had been in use, but complications still came up.” (Page 23).

This is every school kid’s fantasy. What if you didn’t have to read and study for years on end, what if you could just download all that information? I bet most kids have salivated over this kind of technology at some point in their lengthy education. Cook fleshes out what it would really be like to be able to download a college’s worth of information in an instant and be able to hop right into the middle of a career. Of course, it’s not without its limitations. To be a ballerina one must have the years of physical training and ideal body type. To be a member of the Secret Police requires similar physical training and a great cover identity. “A chip might give an ambitious buyer perfect knowledge of human anatomy and perfect reactions to deal with every mishap that might arise. If, however, the recipient didn’t already have perfectly steady hands and a curiosity regarding the connections of muscles, nerves and organs, the chances of a surgeon’s chip malfunctioning went up exponentially.” (Page 23).

One of my favorite parts about Mina Cortez: Bouquets to Bullets was the world Jeffrey Cook built and his fascinating tidbits of futuristic technology. The way people communicated was different. The way people traveled was different. Every so often Cook would throw in something specific that was different more than a hundred years in the future.

I loved all the main characters. They each had a unique trait that the reader could hold onto as an identifier. Miko has a lead foot and a penchant for aikido. Scott is addicted to video games and is a picky eater (allergies). Mina never seems to be able to stick to her Inquisitor instructions and she’s constantly getting into and out of a sticky situation. She also can identify both her assailants and her friends through scent alone. How cool is that?

If you want action, you’ll get it with Mina Cortez. If you want a strong, kick-butt female main character and a chirpy optimist sidekick, Bouquets to Bullets is your book.

This novel was published by Fire and Ice January 29th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Jeffrey Cook on FreeValley Publishing

Jeffrey Cook’s Facebook

Book Review: The Genesis Code: Lambda by Robert E. Parkin

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The Genesis Code: Lambda by Robert E. Parkin

A Sci Fi/Fantasy Novel published by Robert E. Parkin (09/29/14)

 

Summary:

Lambda is the most sophisticated AI program, able to learn and grow, or is she? Zack was the one who found Lambda, the first to imprint on her, but is this more than just coincidence? Zack decides to stand by Lambda, for reasons he at first doesn’t disclose, which leads to his life and that of his pop star sister being in danger. As Zack falls for Lambda, he is more and more reminded of someone from three years ago, someone who changed his life, someone whose past is connected to Zack in more ways than anyone seems to realize.

In the fight for the Network’s continuation and the fight between those with access and those without, Zack and his family are caught in the middle of something greater than all of them, but they all seem to have a hand in it behind the others’ backs. And yet, it all goes back to a cruel abuse of power and the misuse of technology to hold back those who can’t keep up. A Great Divide.

 

Keywords:

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Love Story, AI, Economic Divide

 

My Review:

This novel has a long list of characters and introduces most of them from the beginning to slowly tie them together throughout continual action and excitement and reveal. The author excels at layering his plot and leaving breadcrumbs of backstory leading right up to the climax. It was difficult keeping up with the cast of characters until the latter half of the story. It was also difficult keeping track of allegiances and motivations and keeping them clear between the characters.

The action scenes (which comprise a large portion of the novel) are engaging and exciting and frequented by fantastically large weaponry. For a novel based on Earth, with humans and human-like characters, the weapons technology is a deviation from the norm and keeps the book fresh and different.

I started out liking the powerful AI Lambda, but when she was overcome little by little with human emotions and lost her power and her confidence I started to resent her. She devolved from a feared and beautiful AI to a distressed and distracted woman-like AI. However, Parkin does say that “she is a girl before she is a program.” (Location 5073). But I hoped she would remain like Zack’s initial perception, “A cyber maiden of death, clad in black. All he could think at that moment was just how alluring and terrifying she looked.” (Location 430-431).

Some final thoughts I had upon finishing the novel were as to what the world outside the Limit Zones looked like. What do people eat? How is their Network technology possible?

I was also a bit disappointed in the ending. It appears the novel ends in the middle of the climax and I prefer, even of the first book in a series, for it to be complete and with an end. Even with an overarching unresolved issue the smaller conflicts should be resolved.

On an end note I adore the cover in its vibrancy.

This novel was published by Robert E. Parkin September 29th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating:3.25

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Facebook

Robert E. Parkin’s Website

Book Review: Mind Space Volume 1: Conspiracy / Book 3: Mind Space by David S. Moore

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Mind Space Volume 1: Conspiracy / Book 3: Mind Space by David S. Moore

A Science Fiction Novel published on amazon.com (01/10/2014)

 

Summary:

 Book three of the Mind Space Series follows the last years in the race to ready the planet for Mind Space on the target date of 2084. Jaimeson-Cale is doing everything in their power to reach their target percentage of Mind Shield hosts planet-wide. The Mind-Freedom Alliance is still in the game to take down Mind Space, the Mind Shield, and Jaimeson-Cale with their increasingly threatening tactics. “…No, the problem wasn’t the Mind Shield itself. The problem was with the people who were behind it– the people who were determined to use it to assert control over all of humanity.” (Page 400).

 

Keywords:

Science Fiction, Mind Control, America 2070’s and 2080’s, Technology, Resistance Movement, Rival Product, Monopoly, Free Market, Restoration

 

My Review:

The Mind Space Series has a powerful message: Is it ok to enslave the mind for the good of the masses? “‘War will cease,’ Daniel added. ‘Hatred and prejudice will be gone. Drug abuse, obesity, domestic violence– the self-destructive behaviors that ruin lives in every country– they will all quickly become things of the past.'” (Page 303). The Mind-Freedom Alliance and almost all who had a Mind Shield removed, believe that it isn’t alright to enslave the mind no matter the results. Adam True and the Defenders of the True believe the opposite, but they are also deluded enough to think that the Mind Shield doesn’t enslave the mind, only frees it from the tyranny of its own doubt and confusions (Page 79). Those who are in control of their own thoughts and not under the influence of the sales pitch of the Mind Shield propose individual freedoms over any alternative. Many people, though, cannot discount the life saving and wonderful characteristics the Mind Shield has to offer. That’s where the Limbic Freedom comes in. It offers all that the Mind Shield offers, plus a thought sharing network to boot. Yet, the masses are still being converted by the millions to Mind Shield, but not through completely moral sales tactics.

As this is the third book in the series, it brings the finale. Throughout the third book I began to change my allegiance from rooting for the underdogs and those trying to free the mind to Jaimeson-Cale, but for a unique reason. I wanted the Mind Space to happen because I kind of wanted to see how a society without drug addiction, eating disorders, racism, hate or violence would look like. The world building for this type of world is silent, as we are only given one side of it: the planning, development, marketing, scheming world but what would a Mind Space world be like? What kind of world would David Moore build for his readers?

The vision of Jaimeson-Cale for humanity with the Mind Shield and Mind Space is warped, though, and I really would never want them to win the fight. Moore brings up an interesting point when he says, “The Mind Shield exerted a moderating influence on all behavior, even otherwise harmless behavior. It made one wonder what the masters of the Mind Shield thought ideal human behavior should be.” (Page 84).

I almost didn’t notice the fact that Moore had seamlessly given women and men equal roles in his novel. Women (just like the men) were in positions of power, they were victims and saboteurs, security guards and leaders.

I very much enjoyed the Mind Space series and look forward to more science fiction from David Moore. He brings up thought-provoking questions in his novels, can describe a world stirringly, and flows through his story seamlessly from beginning to end.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a well written novel and easy-to-read science fiction novel. This book reminds me of Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke  in it’s sweeping narration through long periods of time with a focus on a single aspect of society.

This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 01/10/2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating: 4.75

 

Links for more information:

David S. Moore’s Website

FreeValley Publishing’s David S. Moore

Book Review: The Boy Who Fell into the Sky (The Possessor Wars, Book 1) by Chad Spencer

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The Boy Who Fell into the Sky (The Possessor Wars, Book 1) by Chad Spencer

A Teen/Young Adult Science Fiction Novel published by PossessorWars.com (July 22, 2014)

 

Summary:

Jeff Bowman lives a normal life… for a kid living in a mile-wide thousands of stories tall ‘arcology’ in a world where there are colonies beyond earth. Jeff, his friends Harriet and Akio, and a growing network of their friends have found a way to make extra money for school, lessons, and programs for their datapads. They rebuilt robots to help garden, because everybody eats synthpaste and real fruits and veggies are valued highly. Their friendship is disrupted when they are separated by colonization, and Jeff begins his true path, following in the footsteps of his father as an engineer on a Spaceship.

 

Keywords:

 Futuristic, 14-year-olds, friendship, revenge, life-changes

 

My Review:

The immediate opening of The Boy Who Fell Into the Sky is full of catchups, aka backstory. The reader is inundated with current technology and sci-fi knowledge of how space travel works. The author spends a lot of his first few pages defining all the new aspects of technology, which intrudes into the developing story and drags out the explanations that most readers of young adult will skip over entirely for the good stuff: the story and the action. The author even employs textbooks to help him tell the story of this modern society, dulling the impact of the crazy wonder of a new world by straight out telling the reader all about it instead of letting it soak in naturally from events, dialogue, etc.

I was intrigued by synthpaste, the concept of every food (flavor) from one tube. I was also quite intrigued when Jeff and his friends subverted this concept of fake food by growing a garden (illegally), but the author didn’t take this action anywhere. The gardens were a plot dead end and only showed the reader that Jeff was a nice guy and took care of his friends, which he continues to do throughout book, rendering the entire first part of the book unnecessary.

About a third of the way into the book, the author threw in a bright yellow wrench of surprise that blew me away. O cruel, cruel writers to give your characters their worst nightmares and have them struggle along, attempting to be the heroes and heroines of their own stories. What a grand plot twist.

Hissing and booing, I cringed when I came to this line: “Did it ever occur to you that girls like to do different things than guys?” First the author makes the one girl fit in as one of the guys, calling her Harry and then we find out she never wanted to be called by that name. Then the author gives her such a weak personality that is so stereotypically girly that I just want to tear the pages out. The other females introduced later are no better and none would pass the infamous Bechdel test (a work of fiction featuring at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man). Granted, the female characters are not that bad, but when Harriet tells Jeff and the guys that she wants to be treated as a GIRL because she is a GIRL, I take offense as a GIRL. Surely this novel was not just written to be read by young male readers?

Supposedly these three friends are approximately 14-years old. To me, their behavior and speech pegs them at a middle school age, not at a high school age. Their inappropriate behavior and near tantrums give the impression that they are younger and that the novel is intended for a younger audience.

The stylistic choice for capturing Jeff’s thoughts became annoying and intrusive to read. I understand the novel was written in third person from the point of view of Jeff (most of the time), but to tell the reader “Jeff thought” every time Jeff has internal dialogue was repetitive and annoying. I wish the author had thought to place Jeff’s inner-thoughts in italics or did away with them altogether. Were all of them truly necessary? Probably not.

I did really enjoy the concept of referencing others by Sirsen and Mamsen for Sir and Miss/Mrs./Ms. respectively.

One of the biggest issues in this novel was the pointlessness of the first part of the book. What is the essence of the story if not about Jeff’s great problem in space and the first part was a buildup to nowhere with Jeff and his three friends. Understanding that this book is a part of a series might come into play later on in the series, but looking at this novel as a unit in and of itself, it come up lacking in this regard.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys early reader young adult novels or futuristic space stories.

This novel was published by PossessorWars.com July 22, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating: 3.00

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22907331-the-boy-who-fell-into-the-sky

Website: http://possessorwars.com/the-series/book-1.html

Book Review: Mind Space Vol. 1: Conspiracy Book 1: The Martyrs by David S. Moore

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Mind Space Vol. 1: Conspiracy Book 1: The Martyrs by David S. Moore

A Science Fiction Novel published on amazon.com (01/10/2014)

Summary:

The Mind Shield is a medical miracle and for two years after FDA clearance, it is sold and subsidized to the public with specific focused targeting on those in office and those in the military, as well as those over the age of 50, a population susceptible to what the Mind Shield 1 monitors for: Hypertension and stroke. At the turn of the third year, the secret and real intentions of the Mind Shield are turned on and suddenly all those millions with the Mind Shield are not just being monitored by the device. Marianna sums up the struggle of those opposed to the Mind Shield on page 330, “The Mind Shield is a device that takes away our most sacred right — the freedom to think whatever we choose, without external influence! It is time we put a stop to this dangerous product. It it time we told the FDA to remove this psychological weapon from the market.”

Keywords:

Science Fiction, Mind Control, America 2050’s, Technology, Resistance Movement, Sabotage, the Martyrs

My Review:

In a world where healthcare is being reformed and new advanced medical devices are being developed all the time, David S. Moore’s novel hits hard. The essential essence of his book is wholly entrancing. The questions he brings up are deviously difficult to answer. After finishing his book, I am still wondering whether the Mind Shield is good or bad. Is our own society moving towards a product that could be taken advantage of and used for nefarious purposes just like the Mind Shield – a Trojan horse? The Mind Shield  is the greatest medical marvel of the 2050’s and newer versions get better and better,saving more and more lives, but at what cost? The technology is easily used to not only monitor but control and therein lies the paradox.

“There are some people who really need a Mind Shield,” Traci said. “They need the monitoring that the Mind Shield offers. People with high risk of stroke. People who have cancer.” (page 258).

The organization opposed to the Mind Shield cannot simply shut down and destroy the entire Jaimeson-Cale operations, because the Mind Shield undoubtably saves lives. But to many characters in the novel (those not currently under the influence of the mind controlling aspect of the Mind Shield) it is not worth the personality change and control just to have the comfort of the monitoring abilities of the device. It is not worth it to give up individuality for comfort and peace of mind. This essential question is answered by David S. Moore in his novel, just like it is answered in dictatorship-held nations or bland fictional Utopian societies. Moore brings up the question in regards to a life-saving and life-changing miracle. The Mind Shield can save your life, but what life will you have under its influence? Such an essential thought-provoking concept makes for such a beguiling read. As this is a series, Moore has given me ample reason to read on.

Not only has Moore intrigued me with the essential idea of his novel, but also with the way he tells the story. I love a good apocalypse novel, yet most of them focus on the aftermath and the destruction that society must live beyond. Moore gives us a taste for the actual apocalypse and the slow devolution of humanity through this singular device that is heralded both as a great medical miracle and as an evil instrument of mind control.

He tells the story with care and focus, specializing on the effects of the Mind Shield device and those leaders involved in its inception, production, and (hopefully) ultimate demise. As a reader, I am rooting for the triumph of humanity. I hold my breath for the second and third books in the series to find out if humanity will win in the end or realize their great mistakes in approving the Mind Shield and allowing it to pervade into society and then control its citizens.

At times, due to the way Moore focuses on the Mind Shield across time, I lose details into how the world is changing or what the world is like other than the few details and complete focus on the Mind Shield. In the 2050’s is the Mind Shield the only modern marvel? Moore does mention other everyday technological devices, hinting into the environment of the world and the advancement of the society. He gives just enough detail to quench my thirst while still leaving me wanting more. He reiterates the Mind Shield sales pitch and how the device works on a technical level to the point where a layman can almost completely understand its inner-workings, which, as a layman, I very much appreciate.

I was a bit disturbed that the “good” guys (those opposed to the Mind Shield) used kidnapping as a means to accomplish their ends, to deprogram those who had been under the influence of the device. As Dr. Orville declares to Lucia, “ We’re in the business of freeing minds, not enslaving them.” (page 88-89). Yet, he condones kidnapping, which one could argue takes away as much of a person’s basic human rights as mind control. Moore amends this by later saying that there was a case of a doctor being prosecuted for kidnapping and sent to prison for 30 years (page. 209), thereby re-establishing a world of justice and balance in his novel and in my mind as a reader.

The format of the novel was fairly standard and easy to read. I got a bit bogged down in the lengthy title and amount of exclamation points, but on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed David S. Moore’s first book in his Mind Space series and look forward to reading the next novel, Restoration.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a well written novel and easy-to-read science fiction novel. This book reminds me of Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke  in it’s sweeping narration through long periods of time with a focus on a single aspect of society.

This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 01/10/2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TLDR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

David S. Moore’s Website

FreeValley Publishing’s David S. Moore

David S. Moore’s novels will be available for purchase at the local North Bend Days Event, so make sure to look for his books there where you might be able to get a personally signed copy by the author himself and ask him what he really thinks about the Mind Shield.