Fear of the Light by Ross Harrison ~ a Review

by MK French

Someone has kidnapped the assassin Juni Lien, and now Travis Archer will do whatever it takes to find her. Doing so means passing trials that isolate him more and more, and has devastating consequences. Juni isn't helpless, and the two wind up discovering secrets from the past that threaten to destroy everything.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Ada had no intention whatsoever to continue working for the rebel group that hired her to retrieve the government’s plans for a nanobot climate cleaner if they weren’t willing to pay her for it, but then they offer a different undercover mission to a charity gala where Rian will be in attendance.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard ~ a Review

by MK French

The Scattered Pearls Belt is a string of habitats on the edge of a huge galactic empire. Quỳnh was a scholar betrayed and left for dead, now back as the glamorous Alchemist of Streams and Hills. Minh is one of her oldest enemies' daughter, who wants freedom. Hoà is a near-destitute engineer who becomes a threat to all Quỳnh’s plans with their unexpected attraction. Will Quỳnh allow herself to love again, or will she continue to seek revenge?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown ~ a Review

by MK French

While the Reaper is a legend, Darrow has suffered because of this title. He wants to return to Mars and his family, while leading a rebellion against the Core Worlds even though he and his men suffered a devastating defeat at Mercury. Lysander is maneuvering to destroy the Rising and restore the Gold, all too willing to destroy worlds for his ambitions. To defend the Republic, Darrow must return home and collect allies, setting new alliances and conflicts on the battlefield.

 Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

2 New Books for Fans of Young Adult Space Opera

by MK French

If you are in need of something new to read and love young adult space operas, then today is your lucky day. Two great new young adult space operas hit shelves today. 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

Descendant Machine by Gareth L. Powell ~ a Review

by MK French

The Grand Mechanism is the dormant machine the size of Saturn’s rings that the alien Jzat watch over. Some Jzat and humans hope to gain power and opportunity if they activate it, but the only person who knows how is the Rav’nah Abelisk, a Jzat holy man on sabbatical aboard a vast alien megaship. Believing the Mechanism’s activation will bring galactic devastation, Nicola Mafalda has to seek out the Abelisk before his sacred knowledge falls into the wrong hands—but only if she can first escape the lethally radioactive remains of her wrecked scout ship.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard ~ a Review

by MK French

Tech scavenger Xích Si is captured by pirates of the Red Banner, and their leader, Rice Fish, surprisingly offers Xích Si marriage. Both would benefit from the deal: Xích Si needs protection and Rice Fish needs a technical expert to investigate the death of her first wife, the Red Scholar. That should have been all to the arrangement, but feelings develop as the war against piracy continues and their own investigation reveals more than they bargained for. Their business arrangement has evolved into something much more personal.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang ~ a Review

by MK French

Misery Nomaki (she/they) hears the voice of God, but thinks it's a hallucination brought on by hereditary space exposure. Survival depends on mastering the holy mech they are supposedly destined for, and convincing the Emperor of the Faithful that they are the real deal. While Misery thinks this is a con, is it really? What if they really do hear God?

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Back to School Reading Recommendations for School-aged Kids

by MK French

The heat of summer hasn't quite dissipated but it is time to start thinking about our kids heading back to the classroom. In some parts of the U.S. students have been in school for almost a week! Whether you are looking for new books for your home school curriculum, a way to keep the kids entertained during the dog days of summer, or preparing for those book reports that will soon be due here's a list of books for school-aged kids that they are sure to enjoy.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

The Red Rover Series by C. E. Whitaker III ~ a Review

by MK French

Today I have reviews of a young adult space opera series. I reviewed book 1 back in 2019 and now I'm sharing my thoughts on books 2 - 4. And it's a great time to get started on this series as book 5, Fulmination, just came out last month. The ebooks for this series are all free reads for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

Fans of the Mandalorian & Cowboy Bebop will love PERSEPHONE STATION by Stina Leicht

by MK French

Persephone Station hovers over a backwater planet that's largely forgotten, but the Serrano-Orlov Corporation knows secrets exist there that they want to exploit. Rosie owns Monk's Bar, a place where mercenaries can go for a drink or to be hired. They hire Angel, a former marine and the head of a wayward group that tends to do the right thing. This job pits them all against the corporation, but it's a fight Angel's willing to have.

Amazon affiliated links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Burning Son by TH Leatherman ~ an Audiobook Review

by Donna Huber

The Burning Son is a well-written story and a well-performed audiobook. Science fiction fans who love action-packed, technology-filled space drama don't want to miss this book.

The Thorne Chronicles (Books 1 & 2) by K. Eason ~ a Review

by MK French

The Thorne Chronicles is a new space opera duology from K. Eason. 

The Last Human by Zack Jordan ~ a Review

by MK French

Not so many years ago, Shenya the Widow was a void-cold killer. And as hobbies - no, passions - go, it was extraordinarily fulfilling. Hunt all night, feast at dawn, take one's pick of the choicest males before the long day's sleep... oh yes. She still fantasizes about it - through, sadly, fantasy is all she has left. This is because Shenya the Widow has been conquered, mind and body, by an ancient and terrible force. Sarya the Daughter knew she had to hide her actual identity from neighbors on the station she grew up on. She always hoped to someday change her fate, but not in the way that it actually did. Thrust onto a stolen ship with a ragtag team of other intelligences that have motives of their own, Sarya isn't sure what that fate is actually going to be. But one massive intelligence is working against another, and Sarya is caught right in the middle, along with the fate of the rest of Humanity. (The Last Human, p. 4)

3 Books for Science Fiction Fans

by MK French

It seems a little like we have fallen into the pages of a science fiction story lately, hasn't it? These three stories can provide a good distraction from our current crises.

3 Books for Science Fiction Fans

by MK French

According to Wikipedia, "science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life." Today, I'm reviewing 3 different science fiction novels. The first one is a space opera, the second novel is an alternative history adventure in which dinosaurs did not go extinct, and finally, I wrap up with a novel featuring water-breathing descendants of African slaves.

Sixth Prime by Dan O'Brien ~ A Review

by MK French

On Nyan, the artist Ale Euclid's death sparks off an investigation that ultimately spans the galaxy. The investigator works for the Sluga Mining Trust, a corporation built on the interests of the seven worlds making up the solar system that was ruled by a military without ties to either the Sovereignty or Commonwealth. Unwittingly, he stumbles upon a conspiracy, people known as Primes, and That Which Came Before.

SAILING THE STARRY SEA: The Appeal of Space Opera

by Gareth L. Powell

While I have been known to write other types of science fiction, there’s something about space opera that keeps drawing me back.