I’m an old-school sci-fi gal…I grew up reading Asmov and other authors who really created this category. One of the things that really stands out for me with those first pioneers is how they focused on characters as much as any of the science they invented in their worlds.
The Calypsis Project was therefore a true delight. This story has equal parts character and science-based plot elements. Set far in the future, it follows one primary alien character and one important human character as they form an alliance across war lines to save the galaxy from a hideous conspiracy. Their individual motivations are provided in a clear way, and are not lumped into a single segment but are drawn out across the book. This kind of feeding smaller bits to readers really enhances the reading experience.
And the science is also well developed without bogging down in a slew of details that provide too much information, as some other sci-fi writers might do. This author really has a hand in this category, and interweaves character and plot very well.
The only exception I found was that the use of modern slang terms and references to today’s cultural elements felt inaccurate to this world. It was difficult to believe that so far in the future certain slang terms would still be used, so that was a touch distracting. But the other strengths shown by this author will very likely eliminate those kinds of tiny errors with her next book, so I’m looking forward to reading other novels from her.
Overall, this was a great read and one worth the time. Clips along very nicely and provides a lot to think about along the way.
4 stars!

What a delightful read this is! Young adults, preteens and adults will find this novel a must-read.
The story follows a girl who needs to escape an abusive situation. She does so by dressing as a boy so that she can safely move about in society. She ends up being hired as a cabin boy on a ship.
What follows are adventures on the ship as she learns about her duties and a few adventures on land in different ports where they stop. Along the way, she finds friends in the most unlikely places, and some of those friendships promise to last her entire life.
There is also an element of mystery about some of her fellow mates. The secrets and questions keep readers in suspense in a more subtle way than the other, more physical adventures. So this book reads well on the action level as well as the psychological level.
I especially enjoyed the longer ending. Other authors who aren’t as adept might have ended the book when she returns to a life on dry land. Stout, however, goes a step further and follows her new life just enough so readers can see the main character taking another step toward maturity. This along with the strong writing and fresh story proves this author to be very well suited to her career.
Clearly this is a book that will be enjoyed by readers at many stages in their lives. A great story you can’t miss!
5 stars!

Brilliant book. This was a surprise. When I began reading, I thought it would be just another book about Nazi hunters and justice. It turned out to be so much more.
Like the best novels, this one is about the primary characters and how they change in the course of their quest. A woman who accidentally gets wrapped up with an enclave of Nazis in hiding eventually finds a better focus for her life by becoming more mature. A man who survived the camps is given the opportunity to finally triumph in a life filled with failures…failures to bring Nazis to justice, and a deep and abiding failure to live his life for its own value rather than living always in the past pain.
A very subtle yet highly suspenseful read. I couldn’t put this one down. Well worth the time, and I will look for more by this author.
5 stars!
Want to read another novel that focuses on the impact of events on characters and their lives? Try He Drinks Poison, a deeply moving journey with a woman who, as the child of rape, brings the men who perpetuate violence against women to justice.

A very strong finish to the series. I really was gripped and couldn’t wait to get back to reading this every evening. The action was fab, as always, and the character stayed strong, which is very enjoyable with a female lead.
One complaint was that the author sent her to sleep far too often with morphling. This can be used once or perhaps twice in a book but here, the author just seemed to drug Katniss whenever things got too tough. It would have been much better to allow her character to deal with the psychological issues by keeping her awake and allowing her to feel the pain of different events.
The other complaint here was that Katniss’ guilt started to feel overdone. It has been a thread through all three books, but by the third book, her observance of all the people who are dying because of her just felt overused. There wasn’t any real emotion to it, and it would have been better, especially in this third book, to have her really work through that or break down because of it. Instead, we get thoughts that seem blah in their impact and morphling.
I do recommend that you overlook these two flaws and read the book anyway. It’s a lot of fun, and Katniss still exhibits strong traits that make her appealing.
5 stars!

As with Collins’ first book, I found this one much more enjoyable than the movie. You get to see the inner journey of Katniss, and understand her feelings and confusion along the way. It was a great read, clips along well, yet stays rooted in how she feels and how she’s growing. A strong follow-up to the first book.
4 stars!
Come back tomorrow for a review of the third book in this series.

I wasn’t sure I’d like this because YA has to be very strong to appeal to me. It tends to be a bit quick on the draw, and the category doesn’t always provide the depth of characterization I enjoy.
This book turned me around. I had watched the movie first to see if I enjoyed the story enough to read the book. Once I began reading I was pleased to discover a very nice depth to the characters.
4 stars!
Come back tomorrow and the next day for reviews on books 2 and 3 in this series.

This is one of those books that’s going to stand alongside classics like Mutant Message by Marlo Morgan. Drawing from Native American wisdom and the beliefs of a world filled with respect for nature and its spiritual elements, Herrera has created a global book of wisdom for a global world where no act impacts only the region in which it happens.
The only flaw comes with the prose connected to the angel who oversees the coming together of the many characters who act to save the planet. It’s overwritten and, since it’s in the first chapter, might put readers off the entire work. That would be a mistake. Read on, and find a clear prose that follows many characters through their lives and their actions.
For today and the future, read this book!
4 stars!
Want more like this book? Try Message Stick (fiction) and Seven Sisters: Spiritual Messages from Aboriginal Australia (nonfiction).

By Kate Morton.
Like The House at Riverton, this novel’s twists at the end aren’t too surprising. But like Riverton, this book isn’t read for the twists or surprises…it’s read for the complexity of the characters and how different lives intertwine.
I find it interesting that two of this author’s works focus on lost family histories. The marketing talks about secrets, and there are plenty of secrets in this. But that’s not the real point behind this exploration. It’s about reclaiming what was lost to different generations by those secrets.
Lives, even my own, are impacted when family members decide to not discuss some event or element of their histories. Generations are changed by those choices. It seems like it’s for the greater good but in the end, it leaves people with less. Even when they don’t know what’s missing, they know something isn’t there.
The author gives us a very satisfying ending by providing answers for the quest of her characters. In this case, two generations are required to unearth the fullness of their own histories. Really a very well told story that I enjoyed.
The only flaw was the number of point of view characters. In combination with the time shifts, it made the opening section (about 100 pages) more difficult to follow at times. Stick with it and you’ll be rewarded.
Want to read more fiction like this? Try Message Stick, a novel of generations lost and found in unlikely places.
4 stars!

By Robert Goolrick.
This was the first book I’ve read by Goolrick. Based onother reviews I’ve seen, it looks like a love it or hate it kind of book.
I can understand why. The characters have a lot of complications…they want one thing and do something to confound their own goals. And then they repeat their mistakes endlessly, as proven by their pasts.
But this book isn’t entrenched in their pasts. It follows them step by painful step as they enact more mistakes, knowing they are mistakes, and then try to correct course despite the pain those corrections will cause.
A very nuanced look at people who have done some terrible things to cause pain to others and themselves, and their efforts to finally, before it is too late, make something right. Even if it’s a small thing, even if it’s already too late.
And that makes for a novel that is well worth reading.
4 stars!
Like this book? Try He Drinks Poison, a thrilling and complex examination of dark impulses. A sensual read that brings light into the darkness.

This is one of those books that, when you finish the last page, you say, “Wow.” The emotional pull of the protagonist’s journey really is that strong.
I read this as a review copy provided by the publisher (ebook only). I liked it from the first page. Yes, the protagonist is not the most likeable guy in the beginning…but that is a critical element to the plot as it unfolds. And there is enough sarcasm (which I truly enjoy) in what he says and thinks to make the reading enjoyable no matter how much you dislike the guy.
It turns out that his dislike of others creates problems for him as a doctor. It’s kind of like that black humor police officers and emergency workers develop because they have to. With a darker twist, yes, and one that is worth reading deeply to understand his view.
The story provides plenty of character development before the tragic event his daughter suffers, all with enough hints at the events to come to keep you moving forward in the narrative. When it finally happens, there is a chaotic reaction on his part and by the people around him. The other characters have also been ramping up the chaos before the event even happens, so when it strikes, the impact is all the more severe.
The true payoff for readers comes when the protagonist responds…in various ways…to the event. He and his wife take one track to help the daughter while the father works on his own in different ways to find justice. In the end, he doesn’t truly find justice but he does create his own. The justice he creates makes peace for himself, his family, and others.
This is a well-drawn portrait of a father-daughter relationship. It’s a story for today in so many ways. For the reader who understands that not all characters are likeable, Summer House provides a rich payoff.
5 stars!
Want more fiction that tackles violence against women? Try He Drinks Poison.

There were times while I was reading this that I thought perhaps the vast amount of history could have been cut. A thousand-page novel…really? When is that actually necessary?
Well, it is for this book.
I had also thought at times that the dialog could have been trimmed up for pacing. But then I also considered that the author was handling the dialog that way for a purpose, and that eventually the purpose would be revealed. It was, in the last 100 pages when the protagonist retreats to his sister’s house and spends a bizarre few weeks there in isolation.
So, the two elements that I thought maybe could have been trimmed in the end revealed themselves as masterworks by the author. I don’t want to say much more because, despite this being 1,000 pages long, there’s actually not much I can detail without providing spoilers.
Know this one thing: The most important revelation comes literally with the last sentence. The entire work…how the history is handled, that dialog, the protagonist’s journey through the war as well as his personal events…all come together in that single masterful last sentence.
This is a brilliant novel. Well worth the dedication to read all 1,000 pages.
5 stars!
Another novel that works with historic evil is Message Stick, a contemporary novel that reveals how the Australian government tried to destroy Aboriginal culture in a near genocide.