Blade Dancer by S.L. Viehl

Blade Dancer by S.L. Viehl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jory Rask is a professional shockball player. The fastest runback in the game, she is loved across Terra. But Jory Rask has a secret that she's lived with for twenty-four years. In a xenophobic world that despises aliens, she is not quite human...
~~~~


Really enjoyed this book. Having read both Viehl's 'BioRescue' series and just finishing her 'Stardoc' series probably added to my enjoyment. I had a lot of background knowledge of Jorenian customs as well as knowledge about the war between the League and the Hsktskt. It was fun to see the things that tied into the 'Stardoc' series.

Glad that I took the time to enjoy this book. I really hope that Viehl has some future plans for us to visit this universe again. I would be very sad to know that we will never again travel along on an adventure with any of the characters found in these series again.



View all my reviews

Dream Called Time (Stardoc #10) by S.L. Viehl

Dream Called Time by S.L. Viehl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dispatched to investigate an unidentified ship that has emerged from a mysterious rift in space, Cherijo discovers technology far more advanced than anything she's ever seen. Before she can unravel the alien ship's mystery, Cherijo's own ship is sucked into the rift and transported through time. Unless she can find a way to reopen the rift, they will remain trapped in another time. And Cherijo will never see her family-which she's only just been reunited with-again...

~~~~~



Overall this was a series that I really enjoyed. Some twists and turns along the way that I did not like, but overall a great read.

This last books was a nice wrap up of the series. Maybe not exactly what I was expecting, but still a nice way to wrap everything up (and possibly leave an opening for a new series?)

I can say that this is an author who will now have my attention with everything that she publishes.



View all my reviews

Crystal Healer (Stardoc #9) by S.L. Viehl

Crystal Healer by S.L. Viehl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Genetically engineered interstellar surgeon Dr. Cherijo Torin, her husband Duncan Reever, and a handpicked crew journey to the planet oKia to locate a strange black mineral that is the source of an intergalactic epidemic. When one of the crew members becomes infected, his body slowly begins to crystallize. While Cherijo races to save the crew member, mercenaries arrive in the oKia system, wanting Cherijo's genes-and her near immortality. It will take all of her abilities to elude the mercenaries and discover the black crystal's secrets before it's too late.

~~~

This book was slow compared to the others in this series. Not a lot of action, too much scientific jargon and sadly an ending that I did not like much.

As much as I disliked 'Rebel Ice' and the plot twist that the author introduced in that book, I have to say, that I was disappointed with the ending of this book. I suppose that Jarn has grown on me and that her opinion/view of Cherijo has influenced me a bit, but I was sad to see how the author ended this book.

I am not too sure that I am going to be pleased with the next book and am wondering if the ending of this series is going to be a disappointment for me. I suppose that there is only one way to find out...........



View all my reviews

Omega Games (Stardoc #8) by S.L. Viehl

Omega Games by S.L. Viehl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dr. Cherijo Torin faces a different kind of epidemic�a mysterious black crystal spreading like cancer throughout the galaxy. The hunt for information leads Cherijo to the planet Trellus, whose inhabitants exhibit excessive paranoia and anger, taking out their frustrations in the Omega Dome in simulated combat against battle drones. But someone is killing victims outside the arena, and Cherijo believes the black crystal infection is responsible for this horror

~~~



So Jarn and Duncan find themselves once again caught in the middle of trying to save a world when they are lured to and stranded on a planet where a creature is killing people by taking over their bodies and leaving behind nothing but their skins. The action was constant and interesting. There were some new characters introduced that I liked a lot and the twist was interesting. Overall a good read.

My one complaint is the whole Cherijo/Jarn thing. I don't know anymore who I like the best. At first it was hard to think of Jarn as her own person, but now I am beginning to like her a little more and from her POV Cherijo was not such a wonderful person. But I really liked Cherijo before the author decided to 'kill' her off and give us this new character. So why am I now liking Jarn more and Cherijo less? Confusion!! Well maybe we will get some resolution in the next book since this series seems to be coming to an end soon.



View all my reviews

Plague of Memory (Stardoc #7) by S.L. Viehl

Plague of Memory by S.L. Viehl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dr. Cherijo Torin is not herself. With no memory of her past-or even of the man she loved-she sees herself as a different person and has no desire to remember who she once was. But Cherijo must remember if she's to develop a cure for the Hsktskt plague before their race becomes extinct.

~~~



I started this book with a little trepidation as I so disliked the events in the last book which resulted in the 'new' Cherijo. I have to admit that I was not happy about the fact the Cherijo seemed to no longer exist and we had Jarn in her place.

Fortunately Viehl's writing makes up for any unhappiness I have about the twist and I found this book a good read. I even have to admit that by midway through the book I was beginning to like Jarn a little more.

The events of the book were as usual a quick paced, interesting story line. I very much look forward to seeing where Viehl plans to take the characters in her next book.



View all my reviews

Odd Hours (Odd Thomas #4) by Dean Koontz

Odd Hours by Dean Koontz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Poor Odd. The things that he has to go through. It amazes me that the Odd books take place over such a short period of time. This book covers about 7 hours in one night of Odd's strange life.

I love Odd. The way that he looks at the world with a sense of humor no matter what he is facing. The conversations that he has with people who are intent on killing him. The friends that he makes along the way on his journey of life. The vulnerable side of him that is forced to face and deal with the things that he has to do in order to save the world.

We meet some interesting new characters in this book and I am curious to see where Koontz is going to go with the series. Is Odd going to be stuck in a cycle of constantly having to save the world or are we going to eventually get to see him earn his reward and somehow be reunited with his girl?



Only a handful of fictional characters are recognized by first name alone. Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas is one of those rare literary heroes who have come alive in readers’ imaginations as he explores the greatest mysteries of this world and the next with his inimitable wit, heart, and quiet gallantry. Now Koontz follows Odd as he is irresistibly drawn onward to a destiny he cannot imagine and to undreamed of places where the perils he will face and the stakes for which he fights will eclipse all that he has known.

The legend began in the obscure little town of Pico Mundo. A fry cook named Odd was rumored to have the extraordinary ability to communicate with the dead. Through tragedy and triumph, exhilaration and heartbreak, word of Odd Thomas’s gifts filtered far beyond Pico Mundo, attracting unforgettable new friends—and enemies of implacable evil. With great gifts comes the responsibility to meet great challenges. But no mere human being was ever meant to face the darkness that now stalks the world—not even one as oddly special as Odd Thomas.

After grappling with the very essence of reality itself, after finding the veil that separates him from his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, tantalizingly thin yet impenetrable, Odd longed only to return to a life of quiet anonymity with his two otherworldly sidekicks—his dog Boo and a new companion, one of the few who might rival his old pal Elvis. But a true hero, however humble, must persevere. Haunted by dreams of an all-encompassing red tide, Odd is pulled inexorably to the sea, to a small California coastal town where nothing is as it seems. Now the forces arrayed against him have both official sanction and an infinitely more sinister authority…and in this dark night of the soul dawn will come only after the most shattering revelations of all.

Burnishing Dean Koontz’s stature as a master of suspense and one of our most innovative and gifted storytellers, Odd Hours illuminates a legacy of mystery and hope that will shine on long after the final page.

~~~

View all my reviews

Brood: A Strange Investigation (Strange Investigations #1) by Lars Guignard

Brood: A Strange Investigation by Lars Guignard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



In the tradition of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and the X-Files:

A scientist is missing...
Alaskan fishermen are getting their fingers bitten off...
And the fish we eat is at the root of a conspiracy that will change us all.

Paranormal detective Sterling Strange faces his most horrifying case yet. Alaskan fishermen are getting their fingers bitten off. Soon after being mutilated, the fishermen disappear. Sterling's quest to determine the fate of missing men takes him to a wilderness fish farm, far up a remote inlet. But the investigation takes a back seat to survival when Sterling finds himself next on the fish farmer's list.

BROOD is a 20,000 word novella (approximately 85 pages) that takes the reader on a wild and frightening ride deep into the wilderness where fish are being bred for more than their meat.

~~~~


Interesting story. I like the characters, though I definitely feel like I need more of the back story on them. Would love to learn more about Sterling Strange and his past. Especially some of the events hinted at by the author. What happened to him in college? Would love to read the story about what happened to Nicky's best friend that brought her and Sterling together.

This book almost seems to be the second or third book of a series. I will be looking for more stories about Sterling Strange and his interesting investigations in the future.



View all my reviews


***Kindle Edition

NightDrake by Lara Adrian

NightDrake by Lara Adrian

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Extended description:
In this FREE post-apocalyptic romantic short story by New York Times #1 internationally best-selling author Lara Adrian, a tough mercenary known as Nisha the Heartless is hired to transport mysterious cargo from exotic New Asia to a well-paying client.

But things are never what they seem in a dark new world now populated by humans and the Strange: shapeshifters and telepaths, nymphs and hobgoblins. It is a lesson Nisha learns all too soon--one that puts her on a journey with a dangerously sexy, enigmatic man who will force her to confront the nightmares of her past, and risk her heart for a future she never dreamed could be hers....

(Originally published in the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2; Constable & Robinson, 2010.)

~~~~


This was kind of like getting to take one bite of a delicious dessert.
It was fast paced, as short stories tend to be, but the glimpse of the world was tantalizing and the characters were interesting. Loved the twist at the end of the story and the glimpse at the future of the characters. Overall a nice way to start a new year of reading.



View all my reviews

***Kindle Edition

Fathers and Sons (Curran POV #2) by Gordon Andrews, Ilona Andrews

Fathers and Sons by Gordon Andrews

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The second volume of Curran POV takes place after the events of MAGIC BLEEDS. Infuriated by Kate’s treatment at the hands of the Pack, the Beast Lord demands an explanation. When words fail, claws and fangs must do the talking.

~~~


Great addition to the end of Magic Bleeds. Loved Curran's POV when he woke up and found out that his people had been challenging Kate as his mate. This was like reading an extra chapter in the book.



View all my reviews


***Kindle Edition