Dancia Lewis has lived her entire life trying not to be noticed, trying to hide the strange power that lashes out of her whenever someone she cares for is in danger. Thus, she’s surprised when the Delcroix Academy, a place for the truly elite, awards her a scholarship. Once she’s there, she’s drawn into a shadowy world of hidden talents and powers just like hers, a world in which nothing is as it seems. But do they have her best interests at heart? That’s what she’ll have to find out … the hard way. A strong start to a promising new series, it’ll be interesting to see where things lead, now that we have some answers. Quite enjoyable, if not spectacular.
Archive for category Science Fiction
On Mars, you grow up fast or not at all. For Durango, the teenage leader of a motley band of mercenaries, that means taking deadly jobs so he can give his imprisoned father a better life in jail. It also means traveling halfway across the planet to defend broke miners from cannibal raiders, while dealing with rich kid wannabes, lecherous explosive experts, and a know-it-all has-been rounding out his team. It means fighting for his life and praying someone has his back, lest someone stick a knife in it. It means living with shame instead of dying with honor. That’s the Mars of this futuristic action-packed adventure, in some ways a pulp throwback full of shamelessly old-fashioned fun, and in some ways a purely modern thrill ride. Gill really knows how to tell a ripping good story.
Framed for murder, imprisoned for life in the hellish Furnace Penitentiary, Alex Sawyer must escape if he wants to avoid the horrible fate awaiting him in the bowels of the Earth. But when his plan to break out fails, landing him in solitary confinement, he’s treated to even more horrifying revelations. You don’t die in Furnace; they turn you into a monster … or worse. In this tense, harrowing, claustrophobic sequel to Lockdown, Smith puts the nightmarish screws to his hero. Part psychological thriller, part horror, this’ll have you alternately wanting more, and dreading the next installment.
Westerfeld’s wildly inventive reworking of the First World War heats up as the Germans and English enter into open hostilities, bio-engineered creatures against mechanical marvels. Aboard the English airship Leviathan, Midshipman Deryn Sharp (secretly a girl) and Alek (Austrian Prince in exile) have forged a wary friendship, one that will be tested as they arrive in intrigue-laden Istanbul, where both sides jockey for influence and revolution is in the air. It’s nonstop adventure in the skies and seas, with steampunk war machines, living weapons, derring-do and swashbuckling a’plenty. Keith Thompson’s gorgeous illustrations further bring this amazing world to life, making this a definite don’t-miss.
In 2054, the world is a dystopia, with all but a few constantly struggling for survival. In a bid for something better than manual labor or hazardous canal-digging, three teens – Jaym, Reya, and D’Shay – opt for the experimental Blending program, and are sent to Africa to help introduce healthy genes into the dying population. What they discover is a dangerous region where they aren’t welcome, where violence, corruption and slavery run rampant, and where they must do whatever it takes to escape to safety. From the somewhat dodgy concept to the abrupt ending, this harsh, unyielding tale is ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful, tackling more than it can handle.
In a world where the rising tides have drowned much of civilization, people eke out a hardscrabble existence on the remaining dry land. One hope exists: X-Isle, a reputed safe haven which only takes young men willing to work hard. Ray and Baz, X-Isle’s newest inhabitants, discover the hellish truth: the leader is a religious fanatic, his underlings are sadists, and the only way out is death. If the boys of X-Isle can’t turn the tables on their captors, they’re all doomed. Mixing Lord of the Flies with a believable dystopian setting, this adventure rockets along powerfully to the bitter end.
The night before Maya’s due to start seventh grade in a new school where she doesn’t know anyone, a fairy flies into her room and sleeps in her bed. This kicks off a series of events culminating with her delving into the mysteries of the bizarre family next door, who sometimes act like they come from another world. It only gets weirder when she’s entrusted with a strange glowing egg of immense value, and soon there’s no turning back. Neither fantasy nor science fiction, but an intricate mix, this intersection of the mundane and the weird is classic Hoffman, unfolding like an exotic bloom. Sadly, it feels like pure buildup for the sequel, ending just as it’s getting really good.
In the near future, an underground global economy has become fully realized, based on the understanding, manipulation, and acquisition of the virtual currencies of various online multiplayer games. With “gold farming” sweatshops scattered across the world, and entire fortunes made and lost with the click of a mouse, it’s a way for desperate gamers to make a living doing what they love. But a crisis point has arrived, as the farmers globalize, mobilize, and unionize, clashing with those who would exploit them. Caught up in this struggle are teens from America, India, China and more, fighting for the future online and in the streets. Once again, Doctorow is on the cutting edge with this exciting blend of economic theory, technological advances, game theory, and social activism. This isn’t just another YA adventure, it’s a manifesto for a new generation of Internet-savvy thinkers and doers.
After long months and great hardship, Captain John “Black Jack” Geary has accomplished the impossible: he’s brought the Alliance fleet home. The fleet’s suffered great losses in its desperate, prolonged escape from the heart of Syndic space, but under Geary’s anachronistic leadership (he was lost in cryogenic suspension for a century prior to the start of the series), they’ve rediscovered what it means to be warriors and victors. But just because they’ve come home doesn’t mean the war is over. No, with fresh supplies and new ships, Geary has to take the fleet out one last time, to strike decisively at the Syndics and force an end to the never-ending conflict. And then he’ll have to deal with the non-human forces which have subtly manipulated Syndic and Alliance alike for decades. Obviously, the reward for doing a good job is having to do more of it; the reward for pulling off the impossible is a reputation as a miracle worker.
Serving as the capstone to the six book series, Victorious provides an emotional and visceral payoff for both characters and readers, as we get as concrete a conclusion to the various plot threads as we can hope for. The war is finally resolved, the aliens are addressed, Geary’s oft-repeated promises to step down as commander of the fleet, once the job is done, are handled, and the long-running romantic subplot involving Geary and his ever-faithful second-in-command, Captain Tanya Desjani, is given plenty of space to develop. Mixing razor-sharp military action with engaging character interaction, Victorious is as entertaining as the books which preceded it. It’s true that this isn’t the deepest, most philosophical series on the shelves; many of the secondary characters are little more than ciphers and walk-on parts, with only a mere handful standing out in a cast of thousands, and the momentum sometimes gets dragged down in strategy and battle tactics. These flaws are balanced out by the sheer fun factor of this book, and this series as a whole. It’s fast-paced popcorn reading, and would translate well into other mediums, such as television or comic books. In the end, I can safely say that I greatly enjoyed this last installment of the current series, and I look forward to the recently-announced spin-offs which promise to pick up where this leaves off. “Black Jack” Geary’s work isn’t done yet, it seems.
Once upon a time, there was a scared, abused woman with a gift for mathematics, who won a spaceship in a card game, and saw it as her way free from a family who misused and underappreciated her. She eventually met a dashing young pilot, secretly one of the most powerful man on the planet, and they fell in love. Her wicked brother tried to stop her and steal her ship; she survived despite his efforts, and was reunited with her new love, to live happily ever after. Such was recounted in the classic Liaden novel, Scout’s Progress.
Until now, we never knew what happened the next day. Aelliana Caylon has finally started to come out of her shell and live for herself, content in the knowledge that Daav Yos’Phelium, Delm of Clan Korval, cares for her, looking forward to flying her ship and establishing a measure of independence. But things are never as easy as they seem. Her clan refuses to let her go, determined to get their full value from even the most wayward of unwanted members. Propriety and balance must be maintained in the status-conscious, honor-obsessed society of Liad. Customs must be observed and procedures followed, and both Aelliana and Daav have a ways to go before they’re ready to give themselves to each other as fully as they like. And for those who have seen the future of the Liaden series, they know that this is a love story where happily ever after doesn’t necessarily mean forever.
It’s a testament to Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s superb characterization skills, subtle plotting, and rhythmic use of language that this book can appeal to the heart as opposed to the more visceral senses. It’s easy to get caught up in the ebb and flow of the dialogue, the allure of the setting, and the steady movement of the players, and never miss the lack of more dynamic plot. Aelliana and Daav’s courtship and the stumbling blocks thereof make up the majority of the book, to such a degree that a more action-oriented sequence close to the end actually feels like an intrusion. Like the book this follows, Mouse & Dragon is essentially the bastard child of Regency romance and space opera, and in less capable hands, it wouldn’t be anywhere near as captivating.
I’ve always enjoyed the Liaden series, and of those, Scout’s Progress is my hands-down favorite. Thus, to have this continuation of Aelliana and Daav’s romance was an unexpected treat, one which hasn’t disappointed in the least. A lot of authors have tried to blend romance and science fiction, but very few do it anywhere near as well as Lee and Miller. Mouse & Dragon soars on all levels.