| | Science Fiction | SELECT PAGE: 1 2 | | | They thought Mars had been a dead world until... The Devil in Eden 2nd Edition Jeffrey Peter Clarke Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Action/Adventure Available Formats to Download: MOBI EPUB MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Also available as a paperback Brett has escaped the clamour of life on Earth to fly cargo and personnel for the colonies on Mars. Passing over the vast mountains and canyons of the red planet his imagination is free and open. He hears what others do not.
The General arrives from Earth to take overall command of the colonies and increase mining profitability for investors on the home planet. But he has a secret agenda to be funded by those higher profits. He will establish total control on Mars and rule as the head of a new order. Words: 101100 Ebook Price: $5.95 | 
| Pages: 378 Paperback price: $11.30 | 
| | | 
More By This Author | They thought Mars had been a dead world until... The Devil in Eden 2nd Edition Jeffrey Peter Clarke Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Action/Adventure Brett has escaped the clamour of life on Earth to fly cargo and personnel for the colonies on Mars. Passing over the vast mountains and canyons of the red planet his imagination is free and open. He hears what others do not.
The General arrives from Earth to take overall command of the colonies and increase mining profitability for investors on the home planet. But he has a secret agenda to be funded by those higher profits. He will establish total control on Mars and rule as the head of a new order. Words: 101100 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Paperback price: $11.30 |
| |
More By This Author They thought Mars had been a dead world until... The Devil in Eden 2nd Edition Jeffrey Peter Clarke Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Action/Adventure Words: 101100 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Paperback price: $11.30 |
| | | Brett has escaped the clamour of life on Earth to fly cargo and personnel for the colonies on Mars. Passing over the vast mountains and canyons of the red planet his imagination is free and open. He hears what others do not.
The General arrives from Earth to take overall command of the colonies and increase mining profitability for investors on the home planet. But he has a secret agenda to be funded by those higher profits. He will establish total control on Mars and rule as the head of a new order. |
| AAARG! Speculative Fiction Stories John Klawitter Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Paranormal, Mysticism and Divination Available Formats to Download: MOBI EPUB MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Also available as a paperback In John Klawitter’s alternate universes ducks and turtles talk with humans, angels and muses co-exist with humans on the planet earth and aliens are inadvertently wiped out by the Neanderthals. Couldn’t happen, you may say, and then you read something like Three On A Match or The Doomsday Club and you are made aware of the endless possibilities available when you open your mind even just a little bit. Words: 73000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Pages: 292 Paperback price: $10.04 |
| | | 
More By This Author | AAARG! Speculative Fiction Stories John Klawitter Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Paranormal, Mysticism and Divination In John Klawitter’s alternate universes ducks and turtles talk with humans, angels and muses co-exist with humans on the planet earth and aliens are inadvertently wiped out by the Neanderthals. Couldn’t happen, you may say, and then you read something like Three On A Match or The Doomsday Club and you are made aware of the endless possibilities available when you open your mind even just a little bit. Words: 73000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Paperback price: $10.04 |
| |
More By This Author AAARG! Speculative Fiction Stories John Klawitter Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Paranormal, Mysticism and Divination Words: 73000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Paperback price: $10.04 |
| | | In John Klawitter’s alternate universes ducks and turtles talk with humans, angels and muses co-exist with humans on the planet earth and aliens are inadvertently wiped out by the Neanderthals. Couldn’t happen, you may say, and then you read something like Three On A Match or The Doomsday Club and you are made aware of the endless possibilities available when you open your mind even just a little bit. |
| They need human sperm to exist in our universe. Vegas Falls Jackson Cord Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Mainstream Erotica, Aliens - Science Fiction Erotica, Science Fiction Available Formats to Download: MOBI EPUB MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Also available as a paperback Three universes, one on either side of our own. The beings from outside need sentient sperm to survive in our universe. Yes, there are angels, devils and monsters. It seems humans got it all wrong, except for the monsters. It sucks when you're no longer at the top of the food chain.
When "they" need human sperm to exist in our universe you can be sure "they" will do whatever they have to do in order to get it.
Aliens and humans interact on alien terms in the hope both survive. Words: 55000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Pages: 250 Paperback price: $9.98 |
| | | 
 - Average 3.0 from 1 ratings
More By This Author | They need human sperm to exist in our universe. Vegas Falls Jackson Cord Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Mainstream Erotica, Aliens - Science Fiction Erotica, Science Fiction Three universes, one on either side of our own. The beings from outside need sentient sperm to survive in our universe. Yes, there are angels, devils and monsters. It seems humans got it all wrong, except for the monsters. It sucks when you're no longer at the top of the food chain.
When "they" need human sperm to exist in our universe you can be sure "they" will do whatever they have to do in order to get it.
Aliens and humans interact on alien terms in the hope both survive. Words: 55000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Paperback price: $9.98 |
| |
-
- Average 3.0 from 1 ratings
More By This Author They need human sperm to exist in our universe. Vegas Falls Jackson Cord Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Mainstream Erotica, Aliens - Science Fiction Erotica, Science Fiction Words: 55000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Paperback price: $9.98 |
| | | Three universes, one on either side of our own. The beings from outside need sentient sperm to survive in our universe. Yes, there are angels, devils and monsters. It seems humans got it all wrong, except for the monsters. It sucks when you're no longer at the top of the food chain.
When "they" need human sperm to exist in our universe you can be sure "they" will do whatever they have to do in order to get it.
Aliens and humans interact on alien terms in the hope both survive. |
| Reality Check and other stories Marise Morland Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy Available Formats to Download: MOBI EPUB MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF An android files a lawsuit against its owner.... A virtual marriage goes badly wrong... A child's toys plot their owner's destiny.
Bite-size science fiction for busy people! Words: 8370 Ebook Price: $1.95 |
| | |
| Master of the Mirror Mirror Walker III Mitchell Micone Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction Available Formats to Download: MOBI EPUB MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Also available as a paperback Lieutenant Harold Tecumseh Anderson is watching a very attractive data tech in the reflective face of her computer monitor. Suddenly the face he sees isn’t hers, but a stranger – a mirror-walker who is entering the room through the monitor’s mirror-like surface. Harold immediately knows that this is a mirror-walker because he met one once, David Malone, when they rescued the First Lady from kidnappers. Words: 50261 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Pages: 196 Paperback price: $7.52 |
| | | 
More By This Author | Master of the Mirror Mirror Walker III Mitchell Micone Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction Lieutenant Harold Tecumseh Anderson is watching a very attractive data tech in the reflective face of her computer monitor. Suddenly the face he sees isn’t hers, but a stranger – a mirror-walker who is entering the room through the monitor’s mirror-like surface. Harold immediately knows that this is a mirror-walker because he met one once, David Malone, when they rescued the First Lady from kidnappers. Words: 50261 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Paperback price: $7.52 |
| |
More By This Author Master of the Mirror Mirror Walker III Mitchell Micone Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction Words: 50261 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Paperback price: $7.52 |
| | | Lieutenant Harold Tecumseh Anderson is watching a very attractive data tech in the reflective face of her computer monitor. Suddenly the face he sees isn’t hers, but a stranger – a mirror-walker who is entering the room through the monitor’s mirror-like surface. Harold immediately knows that this is a mirror-walker because he met one once, David Malone, when they rescued the First Lady from kidnappers. |
| Vampire-Tech : Outbreak Bryan Romer Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Science Fiction, Horror Available Formats to Download: MOBI EPUB MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Also available as a paperback The third volume of the Vampire-Tech series.
The full scale and cunning of Master Werewolf Viktor Tiranul's plan is revealed, which includes the death of test pilot and newly created vampire Tara Harker and her partner John Seward, otherwise known to the world as Dracula.
Both sides are powered by ancient alien technology, and their clash brings death and terror to both Britain and the United States, spiralling quickly out of control and filling the streets of London and Washington D.C. with blood. Words: 75943 Ebook Price: $6.25 |
| Pages: 238 Paperback price: $10.03 |
| | | 
More By This Author | Vampire-Tech : Outbreak Bryan Romer Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Science Fiction, Horror The third volume of the Vampire-Tech series.
The full scale and cunning of Master Werewolf Viktor Tiranul's plan is revealed, which includes the death of test pilot and newly created vampire Tara Harker and her partner John Seward, otherwise known to the world as Dracula.
Both sides are powered by ancient alien technology, and their clash brings death and terror to both Britain and the United States, spiralling quickly out of control and filling the streets of London and Washington D.C. with blood. Words: 75943 Ebook Price: $6.25 |
| Paperback price: $10.03 |
| |
More By This Author Vampire-Tech : Outbreak Bryan Romer Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Science Fiction, Horror Words: 75943 Ebook Price: $6.25 |
| Paperback price: $10.03 |
| | | The third volume of the Vampire-Tech series.
The full scale and cunning of Master Werewolf Viktor Tiranul's plan is revealed, which includes the death of test pilot and newly created vampire Tara Harker and her partner John Seward, otherwise known to the world as Dracula.
Both sides are powered by ancient alien technology, and their clash brings death and terror to both Britain and the United States, spiralling quickly out of control and filling the streets of London and Washington D.C. with blood. |
| Stars, Hide Your Fires James C Rocks Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Science Fiction, Action/Adventure Available Formats to Download: MOBI EPUB MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Also available as a paperback A four-year war has raged across the colonised worlds of The Extent. Nations reel from violence and betrayal and the Skean Republic stands alone. Despite fierce diplomatic negotiations, tensions rise while, bordering the huge region of empty space known as The Abyssal Void, the conflict threatens the nation of Akatsu.
A young, wealthy socialite and ex-assassin has grown up on Hiroshi and now lives in the famed floating city of Yori. Working for Akatsu's secretive science team, Kagaku-sha Chimu, she strives to save her planet from the hated United Colonial Systems. Words: 87320 Ebook Price: $6.95 |
| Pages: 364 Paperback price: $11.28 |
| | | 
More By This Author | Stars, Hide Your Fires James C Rocks Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Science Fiction, Action/Adventure A four-year war has raged across the colonised worlds of The Extent. Nations reel from violence and betrayal and the Skean Republic stands alone. Despite fierce diplomatic negotiations, tensions rise while, bordering the huge region of empty space known as The Abyssal Void, the conflict threatens the nation of Akatsu.
A young, wealthy socialite and ex-assassin has grown up on Hiroshi and now lives in the famed floating city of Yori. Working for Akatsu's secretive science team, Kagaku-sha Chimu, she strives to save her planet from the hated United Colonial Systems. Words: 87320 Ebook Price: $6.95 |
| Paperback price: $11.28 |
| |
More By This Author Stars, Hide Your Fires James C Rocks Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Science Fiction, Action/Adventure Words: 87320 Ebook Price: $6.95 |
| Paperback price: $11.28 |
| | | A four-year war has raged across the colonised worlds of The Extent. Nations reel from violence and betrayal and the Skean Republic stands alone. Despite fierce diplomatic negotiations, tensions rise while, bordering the huge region of empty space known as The Abyssal Void, the conflict threatens the nation of Akatsu.
A young, wealthy socialite and ex-assassin has grown up on Hiroshi and now lives in the famed floating city of Yori. Working for Akatsu's secretive science team, Kagaku-sha Chimu, she strives to save her planet from the hated United Colonial Systems. |
| Check Mate The Audio Book Michelle Knight Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Humour This is an audio book. Run time is approx. 05 Hrs 05 Mins 51 Secs . There are 18, parts to download and the total download size is approx. 109.2 Mb Life is a game of chess and we have been programming our computers to play it for generations; each time honing the programs to work smarter, faster, with more efficiency and higher accuracy than ever before.
A stroke of fate saw two memory cards being swapped. In a military laboratory, the most powerful game of chess ever written was accidentally loaded in to an experimental, highly agile, weaponised robot. From the moment they hit the run command, that robot had only one purpose ... to win the game... Words: 52000 Audiobook Price: $5.95 | 
| | | 
More By This Author | Check Mate The Audio Book Michelle Knight Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Humour Life is a game of chess and we have been programming our computers to play it for generations; each time honing the programs to work smarter, faster, with more efficiency and higher accuracy than ever before.
A stroke of fate saw two memory cards being swapped. In a military laboratory, the most powerful game of chess ever written was accidentally loaded in to an experimental, highly agile, weaponised robot. From the moment they hit the run command, that robot had only one purpose ... to win the game... Words: 52000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| |
More By This Author Check Mate The Audio Book Michelle Knight Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Humour Words: 52000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| | | Life is a game of chess and we have been programming our computers to play it for generations; each time honing the programs to work smarter, faster, with more efficiency and higher accuracy than ever before.
A stroke of fate saw two memory cards being swapped. In a military laboratory, the most powerful game of chess ever written was accidentally loaded in to an experimental, highly agile, weaponised robot. From the moment they hit the run command, that robot had only one purpose ... to win the game... |
| The President's Wife is Missing Mirror-Walker I Mitchell Micone Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Science Fiction, Crime Fiction Available Formats to Download: Palm MOBI EPUB Sony Reader (LRF) ;MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Also available as a paperback David Malone is a private detective with a unique specialty–he can find anyone, anywhere in the world providing he has a picture of them, he knows their name, and they are near a mirror. They have to be near a mirror because he finds them by staring into the special mirror on his bedroom wall and coming out near them as a mirror walker. Words: 31137 Ebook Price: $4.95 |
| Pages: 116 Paperback price: $7.52 |
| | |
| G.E.N.I.E. Michelle Knight Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction Available Formats to Download: Palm MOBI EPUB Sony Reader (LRF) ;MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Also available as a paperback The only lesson we learn from history, is that we are doomed to repeat it. A third world war devastated the planet but from it, a new order emerged along with a different way of governance. Chemical warfare had wrecked havoc not only with the earth and the sources of food, but also with the animals and humans that survived. The Genetic Engine for Neurological Information Evaluation was created, to speed up research in to the problems that were being faced, but when logic and biology are combined in new ways, the unexpected was always bound to happen. Words: 78350 Ebook Price: $6.95 |
| Pages: 258 Paperback price: $8.77 |
| | | 
More By This Author | G.E.N.I.E. Michelle Knight Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction The only lesson we learn from history, is that we are doomed to repeat it. A third world war devastated the planet but from it, a new order emerged along with a different way of governance. Chemical warfare had wrecked havoc not only with the earth and the sources of food, but also with the animals and humans that survived. The Genetic Engine for Neurological Information Evaluation was created, to speed up research in to the problems that were being faced, but when logic and biology are combined in new ways, the unexpected was always bound to happen. Words: 78350 Ebook Price: $6.95 |
| Paperback price: $8.77 |
| |
More By This Author G.E.N.I.E. Michelle Knight Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction Words: 78350 Ebook Price: $6.95 |
| Paperback price: $8.77 |
| | | The only lesson we learn from history, is that we are doomed to repeat it. A third world war devastated the planet but from it, a new order emerged along with a different way of governance. Chemical warfare had wrecked havoc not only with the earth and the sources of food, but also with the animals and humans that survived. The Genetic Engine for Neurological Information Evaluation was created, to speed up research in to the problems that were being faced, but when logic and biology are combined in new ways, the unexpected was always bound to happen. |
 - Average 4.0 from 1 ratings
 -
From jbgarner58.wordpress.com:
Happy coincidence has brought a recently-released dish onto this
reviewer’s plate today. The chef, Michelle Knight (interviewed here),
was already in my review queue for some time now with an older recipe
but, as her newest book came up for sale, I decided to take up this
newest dish instead. So is this near-future military sci-fi with a
side of wit and comedy make for a fabulous meal or some bland tinned
biscuits?
Before we cut open the MRE package, let us recite the Starving Review
creed:
I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the
genre
I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible.
Here’s the rub, my literary foodies, there’s a fine line between using
humor to flavor a serious dish and overseasoning with humor to ruin a
dish. Comedy, especially dark comedy, is hard. Good comedy is even
harder. So, let me put this particular dog to bed and say that the
sugary sprinkles of comedy are properly used in this piece. There is
a certain Doctor Strangelove sort of feel to the comedic elements, as
well as that dry British wit to the whole affair, and it sits well in
this Reviewer’s stomach.
With that clear, let’s attack the rest of the components of this meal.
Check Mate presents a diverse cast of characters and handles those
characters quite well. Even the occasional stock minor characters is
gifted with a particular spark of flavor that makes them just a bit
more three-dimensional. There was obviously care taken by the chef to
make the characters more than the title of their jobs, no matter how
stereotypical they may seem at first blush, and that defiance of
stereotype is appreciated.
The plot takes some interesting turns in the classic recipe of
‘military-killer-robot-goes-haywire’ (and yes, that IS a classic by
this point!) while keeping its feet grounded in the realm of
near-future technology. The initial start is a bit more mellow than I
expected it would be. In fact, it veers dangerously close to an
extended info-dump, yet it wasn’t to the point of off-putting. It was
a thick crust of necessary exposition but, past that initial bit, the
pacing turns into a even and consistent flow of action and events,
leading to a rather enjoyable final course.
Stylistically, Check Mate is solid. Once it hits its stride, the
courses come along well, properly seasoned, with dutiful wordsmithing.
If I have any stylistic complaints, it’s the occasional slip of
British turns-of-phrase in a distinctly American setting. Naturally,
most readers probably won’t catch these, as I barely did and I’m a bit
of an Anglophile, so I don’t see this detracting from most people’s
meals.
My one real quibble with this particular meal is I wish there was a
bit more done from the haywire military robot’s point-of-view. Not
much, but there were a few bits early on that gives the reader some
flashes of what is going on and I found those particularly brilliant
while not giving away the overarching plot. Some more scenes like
that I think would have added a bit of needed spice at points during
the last half of the book (into which I can delve no deeper because
SPOILERS!).
To bring it all together, Check Mate is a tasty near-future military
romp mixing some dark comedy with killer robots! It’s not *quite*
perfect, but it’s really quite good and I can gladly recommend this
meal to any lover of science-fiction or enjoys a splash of distinctly
British dark humor with their meals! Remember, again, to check out
the Starving Interview to get a glimpse into the mind behind the
book.
FINAL VERDICT: **** (A tasty near-future military romp mixing some
dark comedy with killer robots!) 4 out of 5 (visitor) More By This Author | | Check Mate Michelle Knight Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Humour Available Formats to Download: Palm MOBI EPUB Sony Reader (LRF) ;MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Also available as a paperback Life is a game of chess and we have been programming our computers to play it for generations; each time honing the programs to work smarter, faster, with more efficiency and higher accuracy than ever before.
A stroke of fate saw two memory cards being swapped. In a military laboratory, the most powerful game of chess ever written was accidentally loaded in to an experimental, highly agile, weaponised robot. From the moment they hit the run command, that robot had only one purpose ... to win the game... Words: 52000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Pages: 178 Paperback price: $7.53 |
| | |
-
- Average 4.0 from 1 ratings
-
-
From jbgarner58.wordpress.com:
Happy coincidence has brought a recently-released dish onto this
reviewer’s plate today. The chef, Michelle Knight (interviewed here),
was already in my review queue for some time now with an older recipe
but, as her newest book came up for sale, I decided to take up this
newest dish instead. So is this near-future military sci-fi with a
side of wit and comedy make for a fabulous meal or some bland tinned
biscuits?
Before we cut open the MRE package, let us recite the Starving Review
creed:
I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the
genre
I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible.
Here’s the rub, my literary foodies, there’s a fine line between using
humor to flavor a serious dish and overseasoning with humor to ruin a
dish. Comedy, especially dark comedy, is hard. Good comedy is even
harder. So, let me put this particular dog to bed and say that the
sugary sprinkles of comedy are properly used in this piece. There is
a certain Doctor Strangelove sort of feel to the comedic elements, as
well as that dry British wit to the whole affair, and it sits well in
this Reviewer’s stomach.
With that clear, let’s attack the rest of the components of this meal.
Check Mate presents a diverse cast of characters and handles those
characters quite well. Even the occasional stock minor characters is
gifted with a particular spark of flavor that makes them just a bit
more three-dimensional. There was obviously care taken by the chef to
make the characters more than the title of their jobs, no matter how
stereotypical they may seem at first blush, and that defiance of
stereotype is appreciated.
The plot takes some interesting turns in the classic recipe of
‘military-killer-robot-goes-haywire’ (and yes, that IS a classic by
this point!) while keeping its feet grounded in the realm of
near-future technology. The initial start is a bit more mellow than I
expected it would be. In fact, it veers dangerously close to an
extended info-dump, yet it wasn’t to the point of off-putting. It was
a thick crust of necessary exposition but, past that initial bit, the
pacing turns into a even and consistent flow of action and events,
leading to a rather enjoyable final course.
Stylistically, Check Mate is solid. Once it hits its stride, the
courses come along well, properly seasoned, with dutiful wordsmithing.
If I have any stylistic complaints, it’s the occasional slip of
British turns-of-phrase in a distinctly American setting. Naturally,
most readers probably won’t catch these, as I barely did and I’m a bit
of an Anglophile, so I don’t see this detracting from most people’s
meals.
My one real quibble with this particular meal is I wish there was a
bit more done from the haywire military robot’s point-of-view. Not
much, but there were a few bits early on that gives the reader some
flashes of what is going on and I found those particularly brilliant
while not giving away the overarching plot. Some more scenes like
that I think would have added a bit of needed spice at points during
the last half of the book (into which I can delve no deeper because
SPOILERS!).
To bring it all together, Check Mate is a tasty near-future military
romp mixing some dark comedy with killer robots! It’s not *quite*
perfect, but it’s really quite good and I can gladly recommend this
meal to any lover of science-fiction or enjoys a splash of distinctly
British dark humor with their meals! Remember, again, to check out
the Starving Interview to get a glimpse into the mind behind the
book.
FINAL VERDICT: **** (A tasty near-future military romp mixing some
dark comedy with killer robots!) 4 out of 5 (visitor) More By This Author | Check Mate Michelle Knight Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Humour Life is a game of chess and we have been programming our computers to play it for generations; each time honing the programs to work smarter, faster, with more efficiency and higher accuracy than ever before.
A stroke of fate saw two memory cards being swapped. In a military laboratory, the most powerful game of chess ever written was accidentally loaded in to an experimental, highly agile, weaponised robot. From the moment they hit the run command, that robot had only one purpose ... to win the game... Words: 52000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Paperback price: $7.53 |
| |
-
- Average 4.0 from 1 ratings
-
-
From jbgarner58.wordpress.com:
Happy coincidence has brought a recently-released dish onto
this reviewer’s plate today. The chef, Michelle Knight
(interviewed here), was already in my review queue for some
time now with an older recipe but, as her newest book came
up for sale, I decided to take up this newest dish instead.
So is this near-future military sci-fi with a side of wit
and comedy make for a fabulous meal or some bland tinned
biscuits?
Before we cut open the MRE package, let us recite the
Starving Review creed:
I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan
of the genre
I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible.
Here’s the rub, my literary foodies, there’s a fine line
between using humor to flavor a serious dish and
overseasoning with humor to ruin a dish. Comedy, especially
dark comedy, is hard. Good comedy is even harder. So, let
me put this particular dog to bed and say that the sugary
sprinkles of comedy are properly used in this piece. There
is a certain Doctor Strangelove sort of feel to the comedic
elements, as well as that dry British wit to the whole
affair, and it sits well in this Reviewer’s stomach.
With that clear, let’s attack the rest of the components of
this meal. Check Mate presents a diverse cast of characters
and handles those characters quite well. Even the
occasional stock minor characters is gifted with a
particular spark of flavor that makes them just a bit more
three-dimensional. There was obviously care taken by the
chef to make the characters more than the title of their
jobs, no matter how stereotypical they may seem at first
blush, and that defiance of stereotype is appreciated.
The plot takes some interesting turns in the classic recipe
of ‘military-killer-robot-goes-haywire’ (and yes, that IS a
classic by this point!) while keeping its feet grounded in
the realm of near-future technology. The initial start is a
bit more mellow than I expected it would be. In fact, it
veers dangerously close to an extended info-dump, yet it
wasn’t to the point of off-putting. It was a thick crust of
necessary exposition but, past that initial bit, the pacing
turns into a even and consistent flow of action and events,
leading to a rather enjoyable final course.
Stylistically, Check Mate is solid. Once it hits its
stride, the courses come along well, properly seasoned, with
dutiful wordsmithing. If I have any stylistic complaints,
it’s the occasional slip of British turns-of-phrase in a
distinctly American setting. Naturally, most readers
probably won’t catch these, as I barely did and I’m a bit of
an Anglophile, so I don’t see this detracting from most
people’s meals.
My one real quibble with this particular meal is I wish
there was a bit more done from the haywire military robot’s
point-of-view. Not much, but there were a few bits early on
that gives the reader some flashes of what is going on and I
found those particularly brilliant while not giving away the
overarching plot. Some more scenes like that I think would
have added a bit of needed spice at points during the last
half of the book (into which I can delve no deeper because
SPOILERS!).
To bring it all together, Check Mate is a tasty near-future
military romp mixing some dark comedy with killer robots!
It’s not *quite* perfect, but it’s really quite good and I
can gladly recommend this meal to any lover of
science-fiction or enjoys a splash of distinctly British
dark humor with their meals! Remember, again, to check out
the Starving Interview to get a glimpse into the mind behind
the book.
FINAL VERDICT: **** (A tasty near-future military romp
mixing some dark comedy with killer robots!) 4 out of 5
(visitor) More By This Author Check Mate Michelle Knight Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Humour Words: 52000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| Paperback price: $7.53 |
| | | Life is a game of chess and we have been programming our computers to play it for generations; each time honing the programs to work smarter, faster, with more efficiency and higher accuracy than ever before.
A stroke of fate saw two memory cards being swapped. In a military laboratory, the most powerful game of chess ever written was accidentally loaded in to an experimental, highly agile, weaponised robot. From the moment they hit the run command, that robot had only one purpose ... to win the game... |
| That's the way to do it! Black, White & Red All Over: Book 3 Rob Sharp Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy Available Formats to Download: Palm MOBI EPUB Sony Reader (LRF) ;MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Black, White & Red All Over is set on a Looking-Glass Earth much like our own, where everything you can ever imagine is possible. It’s the stuff you can’t imagine that creeps up behind you and bites your freaking head off!
BOOK 3
In the final part of the BW&RAO trilogy, super-soldier John Savage, has seemingly died – again – in a Mach 2 plunge into the Hudson Bay. Words: 116000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
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More By This Author | That's the way to do it! Black, White & Red All Over: Book 3 Rob Sharp Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy Black, White & Red All Over is set on a Looking-Glass Earth much like our own, where everything you can ever imagine is possible. It’s the stuff you can’t imagine that creeps up behind you and bites your freaking head off!
BOOK 3
In the final part of the BW&RAO trilogy, super-soldier John Savage, has seemingly died – again – in a Mach 2 plunge into the Hudson Bay. Words: 116000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| |
More By This Author That's the way to do it! Black, White & Red All Over: Book 3 Rob Sharp Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy Words: 116000 Ebook Price: $5.95 |
| | | Black, White & Red All Over is set on a Looking-Glass Earth much like our own, where everything you can ever imagine is possible. It’s the stuff you can’t imagine that creeps up behind you and bites your freaking head off!
BOOK 3
In the final part of the BW&RAO trilogy, super-soldier John Savage, has seemingly died – again – in a Mach 2 plunge into the Hudson Bay. |
| Vampire-Tech 2 : Infestation Infestation Bryan Romer Click For Book Page and Excerpt Click Here For All Books In This Series Genres: Science Fiction, Horror Available Formats to Download: Palm MOBI EPUB Sony Reader (LRF) ;MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF Also available as a paperback The accidental discovery of alien artefacts have brought werewolves back to modern day Britain. But through that same accident, test pilot Tara Harker was turned into a vampire. Even more incredibly, she discovers that Dracula is very real and is her only ally against her enemy and newly turned werewolf, Viktor Tiranul. Words: 94353 Ebook Price: $6.25 |
| Pages: 300 Paperback price: $10.03 |
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| The Hopi Bible Of The Universe Charles Edward Bluehawk Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: General Fiction, Science Fiction Available Formats to Download: Palm MOBI EPUB Sony Reader (LRF) ;MS Word PDF MS Reader Text A Russian Translation is also available in PDF, EPUB and MOBI formats We create the Universe with our thoughts, just by being alive.We dream reality into existence, just as God dreams us into reality.So let’s do the Universe a favour, and always keep at least one good thought.
Everything in this book I can validate as being true, as I have seen these things with my own eyes, not once, but many, many times. I am not a scientist of any kind. I am not affiliated with any groups, either political or religious. I have no political agenda. I have one belief: to deal only with reality. Words: 52700 Ebook Price: $4.95 |
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More By This Author | The Hopi Bible Of The Universe Charles Edward Bluehawk Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: General Fiction, Science Fiction We create the Universe with our thoughts, just by being alive.We dream reality into existence, just as God dreams us into reality.So let’s do the Universe a favour, and always keep at least one good thought.
Everything in this book I can validate as being true, as I have seen these things with my own eyes, not once, but many, many times. I am not a scientist of any kind. I am not affiliated with any groups, either political or religious. I have no political agenda. I have one belief: to deal only with reality. Words: 52700 Ebook Price: $4.95 |
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More By This Author The Hopi Bible Of The Universe Charles Edward Bluehawk Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: General Fiction, Science Fiction Words: 52700 Ebook Price: $4.95 |
| | | We create the Universe with our thoughts, just by being alive.We dream reality into existence, just as God dreams us into reality.So let’s do the Universe a favour, and always keep at least one good thought.
Everything in this book I can validate as being true, as I have seen these things with my own eyes, not once, but many, many times. I am not a scientist of any kind. I am not affiliated with any groups, either political or religious. I have no political agenda. I have one belief: to deal only with reality. |
| We did not originally come from this planet. The Visitors Paul Kruk Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction Available Formats to Download: Palm MOBI EPUB Sony Reader (LRF) ;MS Word PDF MS Reader Text RTF A law student makes a shocking discovery, when he gets a job with the Supreme Court of the World. There is life on other planets ... mankind was brought to this planet by visitors ... so goes the accepted theory, but Fred discovers proof, in the form of humans, human-like, anyway, who didn`t come from the Visitors` solar system. Our universities ... our office buildings, are filled with visitors ... Words: 15990 Ebook Price: $2.99 |
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More By This Author | We did not originally come from this planet. The Visitors Paul Kruk Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction A law student makes a shocking discovery, when he gets a job with the Supreme Court of the World. There is life on other planets ... mankind was brought to this planet by visitors ... so goes the accepted theory, but Fred discovers proof, in the form of humans, human-like, anyway, who didn`t come from the Visitors` solar system. Our universities ... our office buildings, are filled with visitors ... Words: 15990 Ebook Price: $2.99 |
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More By This Author We did not originally come from this planet. The Visitors Paul Kruk Click For Book Page and Excerpt Genres: Science Fiction Words: 15990 Ebook Price: $2.99 |
| | | A law student makes a shocking discovery, when he gets a job with the Supreme Court of the World. There is life on other planets ... mankind was brought to this planet by visitors ... so goes the accepted theory, but Fred discovers proof, in the form of humans, human-like, anyway, who didn`t come from the Visitors` solar system. Our universities ... our office buildings, are filled with visitors ... |
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