The long war with Darj’Nang Empire is almost over. While newer and larger ships fought the war the old Star League cruiser Gilgamesh patrolled the border far from the action. Now with the war ending Gilgamesh is due to be decommissioned. Newer ships built for the war will be free to take over pirate duty in the backwater areas of the League.
For Captain Lu-Chin the end of the war means retirement, for Commander Jaqueline Ellsworth command of a new destroyer. As they approach the naval base at Leavitte IV the final attack by the dying Darj’Nang changes everything. In the blink of an eye the station and all of the orbiting ships loose power. Only Gilgamesh retains any power. Thanks to a supply officer who never threw anything away Gilgamesh has a supply of thirty year old power cells that still work. It’s not much but enough to run the air scrubbers on the base and rescue some of the crews of ships in orbit. The old cells also hold the answer to what is causing the power failures, not only at Leavitte IV but all over the entire Star League.
There are over a trillion people in the Star League, all of them dependent on technology that no longer works. As the League falls apart and the wolves begin to gather Gilgamesh and her crew set out for a forgotten world in search of a solution that will save the League. It will be a long, treacherous, and heartbreaking trip with more trouble at the end. But the survival of the League is dependent on them and they will do their duty or die trying.
This is science fiction at it‘s best. The characters are real and the action is non-stop. The story is well plotted and tightly written, focusing on a small part of a large picture. The heroes are heroes because of the situation, not because they are braver, smarter, or stronger then the rest of the human race. The villains are villains, not just enemies. All in all a very good read.
Mr. Washburn is a new author who has self published this book through Stellar Phoenix. It can be bought through Amazon. Hopefully we will be seeing more of his work in the future.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews
Donna Andrews has done it again. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much is the eighth and latest in the Meg Langslow Mystery Series. Like the previous books in the series this one is witty and well written.
The book starts off with Meg's father joyfully asking her to guess what he's found in the basement. She jokingly answers "A body?" and he replies "Oh, rats---you already knew? Well, how soon will the police get here? I need to move the penguins---we don't want them any more upset then they already are."
Meg is off and running from there. With the dubious help of family and friends Meg and Michael are moving into their renovated house, throwing an over the top house warming party and planning to elope in the middle of it all. Now Meg has to add solving the murder to her list of things to do.
Oh, yes then there is the problem of the zoo animals. The local zoo is bankrupt and the missing owner has fostered out all of the animals. Unfortunately what was supposed to be a few days of fostering has turned into weeks. Meg’s dad’s solution to the problem is simple, just bring the unwanted animals to Meg’s house. She’ll take care of everything. Of course he forgets to tell her about this plan until people start dropping them off.
Actually the murder and animals are only a few of Meg’s problems. There’s the claustrophobic medical examiner who is so traumatized by having to go into the basement to pronounce the body that he can’t get into his car to go home. A world famous zoologist who has taken an interest in saving the zoo. And then there’s the nephews of the previous owner who are looking for the body an uncle who went missing twelve years ago.
This is a well written mystery that is also highly amusing. Anyone who has read the rest of the series will be glad to attend another Hollingsworth (Meg’s mother’s side of the family) get-together with a little murder on-the-side. For those who are new to Meg's world, get ready to enjoy the ride.
The book starts off with Meg's father joyfully asking her to guess what he's found in the basement. She jokingly answers "A body?" and he replies "Oh, rats---you already knew? Well, how soon will the police get here? I need to move the penguins---we don't want them any more upset then they already are."
Meg is off and running from there. With the dubious help of family and friends Meg and Michael are moving into their renovated house, throwing an over the top house warming party and planning to elope in the middle of it all. Now Meg has to add solving the murder to her list of things to do.
Oh, yes then there is the problem of the zoo animals. The local zoo is bankrupt and the missing owner has fostered out all of the animals. Unfortunately what was supposed to be a few days of fostering has turned into weeks. Meg’s dad’s solution to the problem is simple, just bring the unwanted animals to Meg’s house. She’ll take care of everything. Of course he forgets to tell her about this plan until people start dropping them off.
Actually the murder and animals are only a few of Meg’s problems. There’s the claustrophobic medical examiner who is so traumatized by having to go into the basement to pronounce the body that he can’t get into his car to go home. A world famous zoologist who has taken an interest in saving the zoo. And then there’s the nephews of the previous owner who are looking for the body an uncle who went missing twelve years ago.
This is a well written mystery that is also highly amusing. Anyone who has read the rest of the series will be glad to attend another Hollingsworth (Meg’s mother’s side of the family) get-together with a little murder on-the-side. For those who are new to Meg's world, get ready to enjoy the ride.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
How to Cook a Tart By Nina Killham
This book is classified as a mystery by my public library. It has been mislabeled. The only mystery is how it got published. The book starts out with Jasmine finding a body on her kitchen floor. It is the very first paragraph in the book. We don’t get back to it until the last chapter.
How to Cook a Tart seems to be a parody of both the romance novel and the modern push to eat healthy. The author, Nina Killham, is an excellent writer. She paints pictures with her words that are vivid and easy to see in the readers mind. The problem is that one can only take so many pictures of someone stuffing food into their mouth. This book is 250 pages of Jasmine, the heroine, obsessing about or shoveling food into her fat face, her husband obsessing about the affair that he has been driven to by his upcoming fortieth birthday, and her daughter’s obsession with losing her virginity.
Reading this book was like listening to the same joke over and over again. While it is funny the first time, by the third or fourth chapter the variations of the joke have gotten old. Long before I hit the half way mark of this book I was only skimming, looking for the mystery. The characters by this point had become grotesque instead of amusing or even interesting.
How to Cook a Tart seems to be a parody of both the romance novel and the modern push to eat healthy. The author, Nina Killham, is an excellent writer. She paints pictures with her words that are vivid and easy to see in the readers mind. The problem is that one can only take so many pictures of someone stuffing food into their mouth. This book is 250 pages of Jasmine, the heroine, obsessing about or shoveling food into her fat face, her husband obsessing about the affair that he has been driven to by his upcoming fortieth birthday, and her daughter’s obsession with losing her virginity.
Reading this book was like listening to the same joke over and over again. While it is funny the first time, by the third or fourth chapter the variations of the joke have gotten old. Long before I hit the half way mark of this book I was only skimming, looking for the mystery. The characters by this point had become grotesque instead of amusing or even interesting.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
On the Wrong Track by Steve Hockensmith
Steve Hockensmith has done it again. “On The Wrong Track” is an excellent follow up to his first book “Holmes on the Range”. This is another well written story that will keep you both laughing and wondering who done it.
Gustav and Otto, better known as Old Red and Big Red respectively, are back and this time their riding the rails instead of the grub line. They've been hired by the Southern Pacific Rail Road and put on the express to San Francisco where they will receive their training. The problem is that they have to get over the mountains alive first. Not only is the train a target for a gang of outlaws with a grudge against the Southern Pacific but there is a murder committed on board almost as soon as the train gets started.
With a train full of suspects and a bad case of the ‘collywobbles,’ Old Red starts investigating. Not only do they have to deal with a snooty conductor who thinks that the only thing lower then cowboys are company guards but there is a nervous Wells Fargo man with a quick trigger finger in the express car. There is the Chinaman traveling with a drunken Pinkerton Agent, a suffragette who has an almost unladylike interest in her fellow passengers, and an annoying drummer. Then there is the crime scene, a baggage car full of strange things, including two caskets and a snake.
The farther into the mountains they go the stranger and more complicated things get. As the brothers deal with murder and robbery, things go from bad to worse. Using the methods of Old Red's hero, Sherlock Holmes, the two brothers follow the clues to the end of the line.
The relationship between the two Reds is both touching and funny. The bond between them is strong without being sentimental or sappy. The brotherly needling is of the type that anyone with brothers understands.
If you liked “Holmes on the Range” you’ll love “On the Wrong Track.” If you haven’t read either book I highly recommend them both. If you read mysteries or westerns you will find Mr. Hockensmith’s work most satisfying.
Gustav and Otto, better known as Old Red and Big Red respectively, are back and this time their riding the rails instead of the grub line. They've been hired by the Southern Pacific Rail Road and put on the express to San Francisco where they will receive their training. The problem is that they have to get over the mountains alive first. Not only is the train a target for a gang of outlaws with a grudge against the Southern Pacific but there is a murder committed on board almost as soon as the train gets started.
With a train full of suspects and a bad case of the ‘collywobbles,’ Old Red starts investigating. Not only do they have to deal with a snooty conductor who thinks that the only thing lower then cowboys are company guards but there is a nervous Wells Fargo man with a quick trigger finger in the express car. There is the Chinaman traveling with a drunken Pinkerton Agent, a suffragette who has an almost unladylike interest in her fellow passengers, and an annoying drummer. Then there is the crime scene, a baggage car full of strange things, including two caskets and a snake.
The farther into the mountains they go the stranger and more complicated things get. As the brothers deal with murder and robbery, things go from bad to worse. Using the methods of Old Red's hero, Sherlock Holmes, the two brothers follow the clues to the end of the line.
The relationship between the two Reds is both touching and funny. The bond between them is strong without being sentimental or sappy. The brotherly needling is of the type that anyone with brothers understands.
If you liked “Holmes on the Range” you’ll love “On the Wrong Track.” If you haven’t read either book I highly recommend them both. If you read mysteries or westerns you will find Mr. Hockensmith’s work most satisfying.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
The Honor Harrington Series by David Weber
David Weber is a prolific writer of science fiction and fantasy. He has written over 30 books and collaborated on several others with Eric Flint, Steve White and John Ringo. This review covers the first book On Basilisk Station in the Honor Harrington series and a general review of the whole series.
On Basilisk Station
This is the first book of the Honor Harrington series. In it we meet Honor as she is about to take command of her first cruiser. With one hyper-capable command under her belt and a second one about to begin she has finally got her foot on the command ladder. But both her life and career are about to take a turn for the worse.
First, the weapons on her new ship have been gutted to make room for a new weapon. Second, her next in command can’t get past his jealousy and work with her. Third, when the new weapon turns out to be a dud an embarrassed Admiral finds it easier to exile Honor and her crew to Basilisk Station then to admit the mistake. Fourth, her whole crew would rather complain then get on with their jobs. And if that isn’t enough, an old adversary already assigned to Basilisk finds her arrival an excuse to return to Manticore for unnecessary repairs, leaving her holding the proverbial bag.
For years Basilisk Station has been the place that the Navy sent their screw ups. Nobody seemed to care if the job that they were there to do got done or not. Unfortunately for a lot of people no one explained that to Honor. Left with an impossible job she sets about solving it. If her unhappy crew won’t follow her then she will just have to get behind them and push. If the civilian traffic doesn’t like her confiscating their contraband then they had better start following the regulations. And if the People’s Republic of Haven thinks that taking Basilisk Station and its wormhole junction away from Manticore will be easy, they are in for a big surprise.
The Rest of the Series
The first six books in the Honor Harrington series are the best. These are tightly written, well plotted and stand alone. This changes when we get to In Enemy Hands. This is the first book that leaves you hanging, and it’s a real cliff hanger. Although the books written after this one aren’t ‘cliff-hangers’ they all lead you into the next book. They can be read without the background of the rest of the books but not easily.
We see another major change in the books after In Enemy Hands. They are not only much longer but they are also much more loosely written. All of them suffer from a serious lack of editing. There are fewer battles, more politics, plot lines which go every-which-way, and confusing storylines. Echoes of Honor, the follow up to In Enemy Hands, jumped back and forth between story lines so often that it was difficult to read. I actually used post-it notes to mark the chapters according to which story-line it fit into and read the book in sections.
If you like military space opera then I highly recommend the first six books in this series. They are:
1 On Basilisk Station *************4 Field of Dishonor
2 The Honor of the Queen ********5 Flag in Exile
3 The Short Victorious War ******6 Honor Among Enemies
In Enemy Hands is also very good, but I left it off the favorites list because of its ending. I don’t like books that leave you hanging.
The rest of the books in the series are:
7 In Enemy Hands *************10 War of Honor
8 Echoes of Honor *************11 At All Costs
9 Ashes of Victory
There are also four books, edited by David Weber, containing short stories which take place in Honor’s Universe. Some of the stories are written by Mr. Weber and others by other well known science fiction authors. If you like this series then you will also like the stories contained in these books. They are:
1 More than Honor *************3 Changer of Worlds
2 Worlds of Honor************* 4 The Service of the Sword
Two full length books, Crown of Slaves written with Eric Flint and the Shadow of Saganami full out the series.
On Basilisk Station
This is the first book of the Honor Harrington series. In it we meet Honor as she is about to take command of her first cruiser. With one hyper-capable command under her belt and a second one about to begin she has finally got her foot on the command ladder. But both her life and career are about to take a turn for the worse.
First, the weapons on her new ship have been gutted to make room for a new weapon. Second, her next in command can’t get past his jealousy and work with her. Third, when the new weapon turns out to be a dud an embarrassed Admiral finds it easier to exile Honor and her crew to Basilisk Station then to admit the mistake. Fourth, her whole crew would rather complain then get on with their jobs. And if that isn’t enough, an old adversary already assigned to Basilisk finds her arrival an excuse to return to Manticore for unnecessary repairs, leaving her holding the proverbial bag.
For years Basilisk Station has been the place that the Navy sent their screw ups. Nobody seemed to care if the job that they were there to do got done or not. Unfortunately for a lot of people no one explained that to Honor. Left with an impossible job she sets about solving it. If her unhappy crew won’t follow her then she will just have to get behind them and push. If the civilian traffic doesn’t like her confiscating their contraband then they had better start following the regulations. And if the People’s Republic of Haven thinks that taking Basilisk Station and its wormhole junction away from Manticore will be easy, they are in for a big surprise.
The Rest of the Series
The first six books in the Honor Harrington series are the best. These are tightly written, well plotted and stand alone. This changes when we get to In Enemy Hands. This is the first book that leaves you hanging, and it’s a real cliff hanger. Although the books written after this one aren’t ‘cliff-hangers’ they all lead you into the next book. They can be read without the background of the rest of the books but not easily.
We see another major change in the books after In Enemy Hands. They are not only much longer but they are also much more loosely written. All of them suffer from a serious lack of editing. There are fewer battles, more politics, plot lines which go every-which-way, and confusing storylines. Echoes of Honor, the follow up to In Enemy Hands, jumped back and forth between story lines so often that it was difficult to read. I actually used post-it notes to mark the chapters according to which story-line it fit into and read the book in sections.
If you like military space opera then I highly recommend the first six books in this series. They are:
1 On Basilisk Station *************4 Field of Dishonor
2 The Honor of the Queen ********5 Flag in Exile
3 The Short Victorious War ******6 Honor Among Enemies
In Enemy Hands is also very good, but I left it off the favorites list because of its ending. I don’t like books that leave you hanging.
The rest of the books in the series are:
7 In Enemy Hands *************10 War of Honor
8 Echoes of Honor *************11 At All Costs
9 Ashes of Victory
There are also four books, edited by David Weber, containing short stories which take place in Honor’s Universe. Some of the stories are written by Mr. Weber and others by other well known science fiction authors. If you like this series then you will also like the stories contained in these books. They are:
1 More than Honor *************3 Changer of Worlds
2 Worlds of Honor************* 4 The Service of the Sword
Two full length books, Crown of Slaves written with Eric Flint and the Shadow of Saganami full out the series.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
The Alpine Recluse By Mary Daheim
The Alpine Recluse is the 18th book in the Emma Lord series by Mary Daheim. I haven't read any of the other books but am looking forward to doing so.
Emma Lord is the editor of the small town newspaper 'The Alpine Advocate'. The action starts when Emma is awaken on a hot August night by the sounds of sirens. She gets up to find that a neighbor's house is in flames. When the fire is finally out, the owner's body is found in the debris and Sheriff Milo Dodge believes that he was dead before the fire started.
As Emma and her House and Homes editor Vida Runkel pursue the story they find themselves looking into the private lives of some of Alpine's most respectable citizens. Emma also finds herself looking for and wondering about Old Nick, a hermit who has been seen about town with unusual frequency lately.
As rumors and gossip fly from one end of the town to the other, Emma and Vida try to sort out the truth. However the truth is something that they would never contemplate.
This is an excellent mystery with a real twist for an ending. If your looking for an enjoyable read this is it.
Emma Lord is the editor of the small town newspaper 'The Alpine Advocate'. The action starts when Emma is awaken on a hot August night by the sounds of sirens. She gets up to find that a neighbor's house is in flames. When the fire is finally out, the owner's body is found in the debris and Sheriff Milo Dodge believes that he was dead before the fire started.
As Emma and her House and Homes editor Vida Runkel pursue the story they find themselves looking into the private lives of some of Alpine's most respectable citizens. Emma also finds herself looking for and wondering about Old Nick, a hermit who has been seen about town with unusual frequency lately.
As rumors and gossip fly from one end of the town to the other, Emma and Vida try to sort out the truth. However the truth is something that they would never contemplate.
This is an excellent mystery with a real twist for an ending. If your looking for an enjoyable read this is it.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Holmes On The Range by Steve Hockensmith
Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith has got to be one of the best stories published in 2006. This is Mr. Hockensmith’s first novel.
Otto and Gustav Amlingmeyer, better known as “Big Red” and “Old Red” respectively, are two out of work cow hands in 1893 Montana. They are looking for work and copies of Harper’s Weekly which carry stories of Old Red’s hero, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
The Bar VR is a ranch known for its secrecy and inhospitably. Their riders never come to town and people are quickly and forcibly warned off the land. It foreman and hands are all hard cases. So when the foreman shows up at the Hornet’s Nest looking for hands, Big Red is glad that he and his brother aren’t so desperate that they have to sign up. Old Red on the other hand smells a mystery and a chance to practice his “deducifying” skills and where he goes his brother goes.
It doesn’t take long to figure out that things aren’t what they should be, but when the ranch manager is found dead after a cattle stampede, Old Red is convinced that it is murder. Armed with his belief in the methods of Sherlock Homes he sets out to solve it. What follows is trail full of twists and turns which will both amuse and surprise you.
The Amlingmeyer brothers are a wonderful addition to the lists of both fictional detectives and cowboys. They are as realistic and earthy as fictional characters can be. They are men of their times, living by the rules and standards of that time.
Steve Hockensmith has written a gem of a book. “Holmes On The Range” is both a well written western and a well written mystery. The time period is well depicted, the characters real, and the story well written. Mr. Hockensmith has taken two different genres and fused them into a very readable book that will please lovers of both. He has also done both Sir Conon Doyle and Sherlock Holmes proud.
The brothers’ next adventure, “On The Wrong Track” is due to be released in March.
Otto and Gustav Amlingmeyer, better known as “Big Red” and “Old Red” respectively, are two out of work cow hands in 1893 Montana. They are looking for work and copies of Harper’s Weekly which carry stories of Old Red’s hero, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
The Bar VR is a ranch known for its secrecy and inhospitably. Their riders never come to town and people are quickly and forcibly warned off the land. It foreman and hands are all hard cases. So when the foreman shows up at the Hornet’s Nest looking for hands, Big Red is glad that he and his brother aren’t so desperate that they have to sign up. Old Red on the other hand smells a mystery and a chance to practice his “deducifying” skills and where he goes his brother goes.
It doesn’t take long to figure out that things aren’t what they should be, but when the ranch manager is found dead after a cattle stampede, Old Red is convinced that it is murder. Armed with his belief in the methods of Sherlock Homes he sets out to solve it. What follows is trail full of twists and turns which will both amuse and surprise you.
The Amlingmeyer brothers are a wonderful addition to the lists of both fictional detectives and cowboys. They are as realistic and earthy as fictional characters can be. They are men of their times, living by the rules and standards of that time.
Steve Hockensmith has written a gem of a book. “Holmes On The Range” is both a well written western and a well written mystery. The time period is well depicted, the characters real, and the story well written. Mr. Hockensmith has taken two different genres and fused them into a very readable book that will please lovers of both. He has also done both Sir Conon Doyle and Sherlock Holmes proud.
The brothers’ next adventure, “On The Wrong Track” is due to be released in March.
Monday, January 15, 2007
The Meg Langslow Series by Donna Andrews
Do you like a good mystery that is also funny? If so, then I recommend Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow series. Meg is a blacksmith, the kind that does ornamental work, not the kind that shoes horses. In the first book "Murder with Peacocks" Meg returns to her home town to help prepare for three weddings, her mother's, her best friend's, and her brother's. She is the maid of honor at all three and all three brides are depending on her to keep their weddings on track. Not an easy job when the brides keep changing their minds about everything. Then to complicate things even more there is a death. Is it an accident or Murder?
With the help of Michael, the good looking guy who is running the wedding dress shop for his mother and unfortunately is uninterested in girls, Meg sets out to find out what happened. The mystery is good. The characters are wild and wacky. You will love Meg's family, all the while being glad they're not yours. This series will keep drawing you back I only to find out what Meg's family has got her into now.
Ms. Andrews has written a delightful series. All of these books stand alone but like most series reading them in order adds the joy of anticipation for the next one.
The series so far contains the following books. They are listed in the order written.
Murder with Peacocks
Murder with Puffins
Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon
We'll Always Have Parrots
Owls Well That Ends Well
No Nest for the Wicket
With the help of Michael, the good looking guy who is running the wedding dress shop for his mother and unfortunately is uninterested in girls, Meg sets out to find out what happened. The mystery is good. The characters are wild and wacky. You will love Meg's family, all the while being glad they're not yours. This series will keep drawing you back I only to find out what Meg's family has got her into now.
Ms. Andrews has written a delightful series. All of these books stand alone but like most series reading them in order adds the joy of anticipation for the next one.
The series so far contains the following books. They are listed in the order written.
Murder with Peacocks
Murder with Puffins
Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon
We'll Always Have Parrots
Owls Well That Ends Well
No Nest for the Wicket
Book Reviews
I am going to use this Blog to review books and series. Reading is one of my favorite forms of relaxation and I hope you find my reviews helpful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)