Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsA few very good stories
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2019
I wish there had been more detail in the book's description. I will give a short blurb and try to avoid spoilers. If you don't want more information, skip to the next review.
Dead End Rhodes by Sarah Hoyt - 5 stars, science fiction
This is a bittersweet story. A former socialite, Stella, travels with Nick, a cyborg detective, and they solve cases from their spaceship. Creating Borgs is very illegal and just being in the proximity of a Borg is punishable by death. Borgs are made by encasing a brain in a mechanical body. Most don’t survive. They are hired to find the missing son of the man who runs a series of mines.
Look Me in the Stars by Christopher Husberg - 2 stars
This is a series of blog posts by an apocalypse survivor that doesn’t go anywhere.
The Dead Who Care by DJ Butler - 3 stories, paranormal
A turn of the century story about Mormons. Hiram makes a promise to care for another soldier’s family after his death.
Myth Deeds by Jody Lynn Nye - 1 star
DNF. Cute title
The Shadow of Markham by RR Virdi - 5 stars
A dark elf patrols the Markham rooftops trying to save kidnapped children.
Davy Crockett vs the Saucer Men by David Afsharirad - 3 stars, coming of age story, science fiction
Davy and his friends spot a spaceship and investigate around having to go home for lunch.
Dead Run by Aaron Michael Ritchey - 3 stars, science fiction
A boy fights to save his sister from a mysterious disease.
Unnamed by Gama Ray Martinez - 4 stars, fantasy
Paranormal creatures are invading the city and the Unnamed fight them in secret.
Prisoner 141 by LJ Hachmeister - 3 stars, science fiction
Raza was convicted of a crime so heinous, they wiped her memory. She’s chosen to disarm a planet-killing weapon.
Valentine Blues by James A Hunter - 3 stars, fantasy
Yancy Lazarus is a mage. He drives through a town that reneged on a deal with the Pied Piper.
The Tragedy of John Metcalf by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne - 2 stars
John lives in two parallel worlds. In one he’s a magician assassin, the other he’s a scientist. There is a hard ending.
Effigies in Bronze by Colten Hehr - 1 star
Written in a heavy period style. DNF
Daily Bread by EA Copen - 4 stars, fantasy
Josiah Quinn apprentices under an evil man. This is from the Hellbent Halo series.
The Demons of Arae by Christopher Ruocchio The Mouth of Hell - 3.5 stars, science fiction
Lord Marlowe investigated the loss of a legion of 26,000 men and their 4 ships. It was determined they were taken by space pirates. The Roman angle was an odd choice and some more detail on his backstory would have been nice. The story felt like a prequel or a story between books.
A Tale of Red Riding: Seduction of the Werepire by Neo Edmund - 3 stars, paranormal
A YA story about Red Riding Hood and the Wolfman hunting a vampire/werewolf hybrid. There is a lot of missing detail. I suspect it's part of a larger story arc.
Threshold by Todd Fahnestock - 1 star
DNF. Lots of odd made-up names.
The Last Death of Oscar Hernandez by Russell Nohelty - 2 stars, science fiction
A man keeps getting reincarnated and in this version, he rescues a little girl's kite.
The Magpie and the Mosquito by Josh Vogt - 2 stars, fantasy
A Magpie takes on a young thief and saves her bonded mate. I skimmed most of the story.
Monsters by Jim Butcher - 4 stars, fantasy, paranormal
Goodman Grey is a professional monster and shapeshifter. Viti is his secretary. Gentleman John Marcone comes into his office and hires him to save kidnapped children from being forced to work in a brothel. The story needed more detail to get 5 stars. Why the silver dollar? What was the secretary? I enjoy John Marcone from the Harry Dresden series but this one had too many unanswered questions. I became curious and did some Googling. Goodman Grey was in Skin Game but I didn't remember him. I confess; I wish the Dresden Series would have ended before Butcher grievously wounded Michael and changed the direction for the series.
