#Blogtour A Rebel's History of Mars by Nadia Afifi

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour A Rebel's History of Mars by Nadia Afifi, published by Flame Tree Press 15th July 2025. Blogtour courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author

Nadia Afifi is the author of The Sentient and numerous science fiction short stories. Her debut novel was lauded as ‘staggering and un-put-downable’ in a starred Publishers Weekly review and recommended by Booklist for ‘readers who love a thrilling narrative and welcome moral and philosophical questions in their science fiction.’ Analog Magazine describes her as ‘a brand-new voice in our field, and one you should become familiar with.’ The Sentient is the first novel in a near-future series about a controversial cloning project, human consciousness and a high-stakes conflict between religious fundamentalism and science. Her short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (‘The Bahrain Underground Bazaar’) and Abyss & Apex (‘Exhibit K’).

Nadia grew up in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where she read every book she could get her hands on, but currently calls Denver, Colorado home. She is a member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s organization. Her background as an Arab American who lived overseas has inspired her fiction writing, particularly her passion for exploring complex social, political and cultural issues through a futuristic lens.

When she isn’t writing, she spends her time practicing (and falling off) the lyra (aerial hoops), hiking through Colorado’s many trails, jogging through Denver’s streets and working on the most challenging jigsaw puzzles she can find. She also loves dogs, travel and cooking. Follow her latest musings and adventures on her website nadiaafifi.com, Twitter @nadoodles or Instagram nadiawritesscifi.

About the book

Kezza, an aerialist in the Martian circus, can never return to Earth – but she can assassinate the man she blames for her grim life on the red planet. Her murderous plans take an unexpected turn, however, when she uncovers a sinister secret. 

A thousand years into the future, Azad lives a safe but controlled life on the beautiful desert planet of Nabatea. His world is upended when he joins a crew of space-traveling historians seeking to learn the true reason that their ancestors left Mars. 

Separated by time and space, Kezza and Azad’s stories collide in the Martian desert.

Review

Space-traveling historians, now there's a career I could get behind. History is almost always written by the victors and in non-fictional case the chisel, quill, pen is often swung by those who lived or live in the comfort of our patriarchal systems. The truth becomes a rare commodity, perhaps because truth is never quite objective. What if you were able to follow the path of any beginning or change in the course in history and determine which event, person or sequence of decisions led to a particular crossroads?

Afifi has a particular knack for creating an intricate map of societal complexities, the flaws of humankind and the way the shape and reshape with similar consequences and results over and over again. Would knowing the unfiltered facts of our past that led us to this filtered and confined space in time change us and our choices in any way or would it be the spark of an awakening and rebellion.

I loved the flawless and smooth flow of this story. Sci-fi can sometimes create it's own collisions and jagged bumps in the narrative, mainly because the genre has a beyond fictional aspect to it as it wanders firmly into domains of a futuristic and speculative nature. There are no guidelines, although I would certainly suggest there is an element suggested speculation garnered through our present existence.

The story also weaves the essence of humanity, it whatever construct or evolved shape that may look like, into the fabric. With a pinch of sarcasm and cynical wit which defines the interactions between the memorable characters, the combination of history meets sci-fi as the decay of society caused by control and the assumed piety of sanctimonious leaders regurgitates itself in a different version ad infinitum with similar results, is a jolly good read.

Keep an eye on this author, definitely one to watch. 

Buy A Rebel's History of Mars at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Flame Tree Press, pub date 15th July 2025. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Bookshop org. Buy via Flame Tree Press

#Blogtour Green Ray by O.C. Heaton

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Green Ray by O.C. Heaton - this is the second book in The Race is On series (the first is Leap). And the tour for Atom Inc, the third book in the trilogy is in just over a week.

About the Author

'I write what I love to read - big issue thrillers that are super well researched inside a complex plot full of twists and turns.

The result of the above is The Race Is On Series, an idea I had on a trip to Iceland. The first in the series is called LEAP, which tells the tale of a device which has the power to halt global warming. The ensuing race to control the power of this machine will continue throughout the sequel to LEAP which I’m well on my way to completing. It's called Green Ray and will be published in May 2023.

Just like LEAP, the 2nd book weaves fact with fiction and encompasses events such as the 2009 global financial meltdown, Al Qaeda, a new US President and a cornered CIA; another delightful concoction around which I have constructed another tall, but hopefully credible, tale. Watch this space!'

I live in Leeds, UK with the love of my life and our two daughters. It rains a lot in Leeds but that works out well for me - loads of time for research and of course writing!  Follow @OCHeaton on X, @ocheaton on Instagram, Visit Website : ocheaton.com

About the book

No good deed goes unpunished... - Six years after the near-catastrophic hijacking of LEAP, Uma Jakobsdóttir is determined to find a safer path to environmental salvation. So, with her father’s invention back under wraps, Uma turns her attention to the $85 billion-dollar Green Ray fund with the intention of renewing the planet — minus any teleportation.

But when the capabilities of LEAP are discovered by the U.S. government, it sets its sights on using the device to protect the country against economic collapse. When the White House proposes a new set of rules for LEAP — ones which would only allow the teleportation of goods, not people — Uma's objections are steamrolled by powerful forces.

Then the President’s life is endangered, and the rules of the game suddenly shift again — leaving Uma in ethical turmoil as she races to stop the full power of LEAP from being unleashed on an unsuspecting world…

Review

With the events of the prior disaster involving LEAP far behind her, Uma is surprised, but not concerned when the US government demands her presence. Their idea of how to use her technology however is something she isn't on board with. They don't leave her with much choice - the word blackmail comes to mind. And all bets are off when the President's life comes under threat, that complicates matters a little.

In the first book of the Race is On trilogy I think the reader gets introduced to the power of ideas in combination with futuristic advancements, perhaps equally to the greed and power struggles it evokes in people. Also, perhaps the realisation that with great ideas often come consequences, that positive and negative often walk hand-in-hand. The question is what are we, or in this case Uma, willing to risk as collateral - if indeed any at all.

In this second book the author wanders quite succinctly between the corridors of political power, the sway such people have, and that at the end of the day greed, corruption, and even making cutthroat decisions in the name of humanity or keeping a country or the world safe - is often no different than when criminals are making the same choices. The double-edged sword of Uma's technology is there is no guarantee whomever wields it will do so with the best intention.

I really enjoy the way the author melds in current issues into this concept that has such a vast reach, but simultaneously creates realistic scenarios within the futuristic scope. There is a clear understanding of day-to-day issues for the common person and how the decisions of the upper echelon have an impact on those lives, whilst clearly not comprehending or wanting to understand the impact.

I'm looking forward to the third part in the trilogy - will LEAP end up being part of a bigger better solution or is the risk of misuse just too great?

Buy Green Ray at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Rookwood Publishing pub date 25 July 2023. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Leap by O.C. Heaton

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Leap by O.C. Heaton, the first book in The Race is On series.

About the Author

I write what I love to read - big issue thrillers that are super well researched inside a complex plot full of twists and turns.

The result of the above is The Race Is On Series, an idea I had on a trip to Iceland. The first in the series is called LEAP, which tells the tale of a device which has the power to halt global warming. The ensuing race to control the power of this machine will continue throughout the sequel to LEAP which I’m well on my way to completing. It's called Green Ray and will be published in May 2023.

Just like LEAP, the 2nd book weaves fact with fiction and encompasses events such as the 2009 global financial meltdown, Al Qaeda, a new US President and a cornered CIA; another delightful concoction around which I have constructed another tall, but hopefully credible, tale. Watch this space!

I live in Leeds, UK with the love of my life and our two daughters. It rains a lot in Leeds but that works out well for me - loads of time for research and of course writing! Follow @OCHeaton on X, @ocheaton on Instagram, Visit Website : ocheaton.com

About the book

Ethan Rae is known for his billions, but his latest business venture is about to really put him on the map: a quantum teleportation system that would solve global warming for good. Known as LEAP, the system is capable of providing Earth’s ultimate second chance...until it falls into the wrong hands.

When playboy CEO Samuel Reynolds III snatches LEAP out from under Ethan’s nose, he adds insult to injury by attempting to destroy Ethan’s business partner, Uma Jakobsdóttir. But this is no malicious whim. As the daughter of its creator, Uma enforces the LEAP Laws.

Because of its potentially devastating capabilities, LEAP users must not clone people, revive the dead, or merge minds and species. But in the race to recover their precious piece of tech, Ethan and Uma are faced with sacrifices that push their resolve to breaking point.

From the frozen wastelands of Iceland, to the leafy suburbs of London and the mean streets of New York City, LEAP is a technothriller that will keep you questioning what it means to be human.

Review

Uma believes Ethan is the right money-man to approach to bring Leap to the people, and to ensure it is put to use for the good of the survival of mankind. The only problem with that train of thought is that Uma doesn't realise what some people will do for the most innovative and powerful invention of this century. Just imagine what damage it could do in the wrong hands, the ability to move... err I'll let you find that out for yourselves.

It's a fast-paced speculative environmental thriller which balances the greed of capitalism, thirst for power and ruthless people with little thought for the future, with the attempt to make the world abide by some moral standards or code of ethics. Good luck with that when it comes to profit margins and the search for complete control.

The author lets aspects of science, spirituality, and the pure excitement of discovery come together and meld itself into a constantly moving and changing concept. Time and place become interchangeable and are no longer a constant known measurable quantity and wander into the realms of unknown variable.

Kudos to the author for presenting the science in a way that everyone can comprehend without ever losing the complexity of the concept. Not an easy feat. Usually one or the other has to give little. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

Buy Leap at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Rookwood Publishing, pub date 4 Aug. 2022. Buy at Amazon com. 

#BlogTour RedSpace Rising by Brian Trent

It's my turn on the BlogTour Redspace Rising by Brian Trent.

About the Author

Brian Trent’s speculative fiction appears regularly in the world’s top speculative fiction markets, including ANALOG, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, Daily Science Fiction, Apex, Escape Pod, COSMOS, Galaxy’s Edge, Nature, and more. Trent lives in New England. Follow @BrianTrent on Twitter, Visit briantrent.com

About the book

Harris Alexander Pope is the man who ended the Partisan War on Mars. All he seeks now is solitude and a return to the life that was stolen from him. Yet when he learns that the worst war criminals are hiding in other bodies, he is forced into an interplanetary pursuit.

Teaming up with other survivors eager for their own brand of vengeance, Harris begins to suspect a darker truth: Maybe what he remembers about the war isn't what happened at all...

Review

This is most definitely the kind of book that needs a 'be careful what you say review' - don't want to give anything away.  Saying that I'm not sure I could do the truth of the plot real justice even if I did.

Harris is notorious for being a warrior, for changing the course of a volatile war. Now he is on a mission that can only be considered impossible, but that's why he is the man for the job. The only problem is he isn't quite sure whether he is the man he thinks he is. 

The information he is given seems to jar an instinct, a subconscious thought process - a resurfacing of memories perhaps. The problem is that they don't gel with what he is being told in the moment, so what to do? Go with the information you think is correct or with the information that is trying to reach the surface. Who can you trust when your inner self doubts motives and memories, and more importantly when the people around you might not be who they seem to be.

This starts with an awakening and goes full throttle till the very last page. Of course, after that ending the real question is whether readers will get another taste of the world inhibited by survivors, deceivers and those willing to use anyone to get what they want - oh, and let's not forget the others.

It's a riveting sci-fi and speculative read - the author definitely deserves a seat at the table with the big guns.

Buy Redspace Rising at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: ‎Flame Tree Press pub date 13 Sept. 2022. Buy at Amazon com. 

#BlogTour The Children of Pisces: The Two Pendants by R.E. Lewin

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Children of Pisces: The Two Pendants by R.E. Lewin.

About the Author

Rachael has loved writing since she finished her first book at thirteen. Since then she has broadened her experiences by becoming a project manager, energy healer and helping animals with applied zoopharmacognosy, as well as helping to nurture creativity in others, including her twins, who are the primary age group for this, her debut.

About the book

It’s 2070 and our post-apocalyptic world is different. Aliens secretly invaded with a lethal biological weapon: a terrifying virus that annihilated almost every living creature in its path. People still believe it was a natural virus, oblivious to aliens and the truth. Humanity’s survival is in the hands of the alliance, a team of humans and aliens who stand against the evil arch-enemy alien leader. Orphaned children are raised in army-style schools. But from this barren wasteland, a few shall rise…

Tammy and Mikie are half-human and half-alien siblings, with immense metaphysical powers and a crystal weapon. Their powers are extraordinary alone, but together they are unstoppable. Their father promises to return for them when they reach thirteen – combat age. But at twelve, these two are already too powerful to ignore.

Tammy has been raised in an orphan camp, under the thumb of a bitter woman who rules with an iron fist. Now she has been adopted and taken to a new kind of safari park. Here, the scales shift and the animals help her to unlock her gifts with animals and nature. Can Tammy rise above her animal instincts and maintain her humanity?

Mikie, a strong telepath, can control people’s minds and is a martial arts expert like his uncle. Forced to live a lonely, home-schooled life to avoid detection, he often gets into trouble and battles with the responsibility of his powers. Can Mikie overcome his inner conflict? Will his compulsion to protect put those closest to him in even more danger?

This adventure will take them across the world and maybe into the stars beyond. They must reunite their family and decide where their loyalties lie. The seekers are coming…

Review

Going into the story the readers is given part of an origin story, which becomes important over a decade later. The characters move parallel in time, but at all times on a path towards each other.

Tammy, who has caught the interest of a couple after many years of waiting to be adopted, has an affinity for animals. It is more than just liking them - they see her and she sees them. A collective communication appears to take place, one that others aren't privy to.

Then there is Mikie, a young boy who can read minds and control them. The two of them have something in common, something elemental that is full of possibilities. They are an enhanced version of those around them, which means they are valuable asset or are they a dangerous weapon, depending on the path they choose?

It's an ambitious series with plenty of potential - a crossover and melding of genres. A futuristic, speculative tale, a dystopian world with elements of sci-fi. The author has drawn a tentative thread of humanity throughout, and only time will tell if they will be able to sustain it in themselves, each other - or whether it will be submerged by natural instincts.

I like the fact it is story that is suitable for younger readers too. What a way to experience creativity and expand horizons, and a multi-genre world. It will be interesting to see where the next part in the series takes the Children of Pisces.

Buy The Children of Pisces: The Two Pendants at Amazon Uk. Publisher ‏: ‎Matador pub date 28 Mar. 2022. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Troubador.

#Blogtour Ruabon: Lost Tales of Solace by Karl Drinkwater

 It's my turn on the BlogTour Ruabon: Lost Tales of Solace by Karl Drinkwater.

About the Author

Karl Drinkwater writes thrilling SF, suspenseful horror, and contemporary literary fiction. Whichever you pick you’ll find interesting and authentic characters, clever and compelling plots, and believable worlds.

Karl has lived in many places but now calls Scotland his home. He’s an ex-librarian with degrees in English, Classics, and Information Science. He also studied astrophysics for a year at university, surprising himself by winning a prize for “Outstanding Performance”.

When he isn’t writing he loves guitars, exercise, computer and board games, nature, and vegan cake. Not necessarily in that order. Click here to subscribe to his newsletter

Follow @karldrinkwater on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, on Facebook, on Instagram, Visit karldrinkwater.uk  

About the book

Welcome to Tecant. Nothing ever happens here. Until today.

Ruabon Nadarl is just another low-ranking member of the scan crew, slaving away for the UFS which “liberated” his homeworld. To help pass the time during long shifts he builds secret personalities into the robots he controls. Despite his ingenuity, the UFS offers few opportunities for a better life.

Then Ruabon detects an intruder on the surface of a vital communications tower. He could just report it and let the deadly UFS commandos take over, while Ruabon returns to obscurity. Or he could break UFS laws and try to capture the intruder himself. For the UFS, only the outcome matters, not the method. If his custom-programmed drones can save the day, he’ll be a hero. And if he fails, he’ll be dead.

Review

This is the fourth book in the Lost Tales of Solace series. The books can all be read as standalone novels and yet they all connect on different levels. The same universe and systems viewed through the lens of individual characters and their experiences.

Interesting how the two parallels of the series, the technical and the human side, sort of come together in the character of Ruabon. He finds it difficult to connect to his colleagues and human counterparts. Instead he finds comfort in his drones, and creates a pseudo barrier of social interaction and connection  between himself and the inanimate objects by injecting them with their own personalities. He is very much the reluctant protagonist of this story. 

This story links into the Big Brotheresque nature of the surveillance noted throughout the series. In fact the planet itself, Tecant, is the link in the network of The Cordon. It's what makes the planet so important.

The speculative nature of this genre bending and mixing series is intriguing, the creativity and vision is extraordinary. Interestingly the books have a variation when it comes to their centre of gravity, which swings between human element and inanimate object element. This time I took a moment to wonder about the greater picture, which possibly either goes undiscovered in the vast creativity of the plot or only exists in the perception of my own frame of reference.

Are there correlations to be drawn between the our reliance on and the advancement of AI,  the egotistical assumption that we are the only life, the surveillance we allow to dominate and control our lives  - on a more base note the relationships that bind, support and keep us going. Solace - the gift that keeps on giving.

Buy Ruabon: Lost Tales of Solace at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎ Organic Apocalypse pub date 1 July 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Clarissa: Lost Tales Of Solace by Karl Drinkwater

 It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Clarissa: Lost Tales of Solace by Karl Drinkwater.

About the Author

Karl Drinkwater writes thrilling SF, suspenseful horror, and contemporary literary fiction. Whichever you pick you’ll find interesting and authentic characters, clever and compelling plots, and believable worlds.

Karl has lived in many places but now calls Scotland his home. He’s an ex-librarian with degrees in English, Classics, and Information Science. He also studied astrophysics for a year at university, surprising himself by winning a prize for “Outstanding Performance”.

When he isn’t writing he loves guitars, exercise, computer and board games, nature, and vegan cake. Not necessarily in that order. Click here to subscribe to his newsletter

Follow @karldrinkwater on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, on Facebook, on Instagram, Visit karldrinkwater.uk  

About the book

If you’re reading this: HELP! I’ve been kidnapped. Me and my big sister stayed together after our parents died. We weren’t bothering anybody. But some mean government agents came anyway, and split us up. Now I’m a prisoner on this spaceship. The agents won’t even say where we’re going. I hate them.

And things have started to get a bit weird. Nullspace is supposed to be empty, but when I look out of the skywindows I can see … something. Out there. And I think it wants to get in here. With us. My name is Clarissa. I am ten years old. And they will all be sorry when my big sister comes to rescue me.

Review

This is the third book in the Lost Tales of Solace series, but it is part of the bigger Solace universe - pun fully intended. It's a bit like solitary planets having their own stories and yet being connected by the fact they are all part of one universe. For readers who have read the rest of or part of this series they will recognise the connection for instance between Clarissa and her sister Opal, who is featured in previous novels.

What begins as a story that seems to be one of a young girl being kidnapped and separated from her sister, soon wanders into an entirely different realm of fear and uncertainty. Clarissa doesn't know why she has been kidnapped and her two guards play good cop and bad cop, but she knows enough not to let them know certain things. Like the fact she can see things they can't or what they perceive to be innocent objects are actually a way to facilitate communication. They clearly can't see what is coming straight at them - but Clarissa can.

It's speculative science-fiction that really does veer off into worlds, scenarios and experiences previously unknown. The melding of genres, possible storylines, of science, space, travel and the unknown, then pushing the boundaries to see where it takes both the readers and the author - trademark Drinkwater. 

The result is an individual experience each time. As if the challenge were to envision and give the reader a different perspective each time. Not of the same scenarios or the characters, but of the speculative nature of the unknown. Definitely a series I would recommend, perhaps more so because you just never know where the story will take you each time. It's creative and visionary.

Buy Clarissa at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Organic Apocalypse pub date 1 Jun. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey

 It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey.

About the Author

Catriona Silvey was born in Glasgow and grew up in Perthshire and Derbyshire, which left her with a strange accent and a distrust of flat places. She overcame the latter to do a BA in English at Cambridge, and spent the next few years there working in scientific publishing. After that she did a PhD in language evolution, in the hope of finding out where all these words came from in the first place.

Following stints in Edinburgh and Chicago, she returned to Cambridge, where she lives with her husband and a very peculiar cat. When she’s not working as a researcher studying meaning in language, she writes. Her short stories have been performed at the Edinburgh Literary Festival and shortlisted for the Bridport Prize. Follow @silveycat on Twitter, Visit catrionasilvey.com

About the book

Thora and Santi have met before… Under the clocktower in central Cologne, with nothing but the stars above and their futures ahead.

They will meet again… They don’t know it yet, but they’ll meet again: in numerous lives they will become friends, colleagues, lovers, enemies – meeting over and over for the first time, every time; each coming to know every version of the other.

But as they’re endlessly drawn together and the lines between their different lives begin to blur, they are faced with one question: why? They must discover the truth of their strange attachment before this, and all their lives, are lost forever. 

Review

What's interesting is the fact both Santi and Thora give themselves and readers the connection and the same clue in every scenario that eventually leads to the solution and conclusion of this story. Not necessarily one you filter out, perhaps because it becomes one of the features on a loop, which makes  the two characters identifiable to each other and to us.

The inter-personal relationships change, the power structure and the hierarchy between the two of them. One of the constants is the place, Cologne, which is woven cleverly into the fabric of each loop. Are they loops though or are they glimpses of parallel timelines, reincarnations or jumps in time. Are Santi and Thora trapped in a ever repeating cycle where one of them knows what the inevitable conclusion is and the other is determined to try over and over again.

What sets this apart from other books with a similar premise is the way Silvey creates this visceral connection to the place, much like historical fiction, and the speculative nature of their meetings, all of which culminates in a fascinating ending.

I enjoyed the way the two characters are fused together like soulmates who are destined to repeat the same unfulfilling ending, and yet at the same time are on two different paths. One believes every path is set in stone by a higher power and the other believes the opposite, and yet in a bizarre way Thora also acts as if everything is preordained.

It's a fascinating and often emotional read, and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Buy Meet Me in Another Life at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Harper Voyager pub date 8th July 2021 | Hardback | Ebook | Audio | £14.99. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at catrionasilvey.com/books

#BlogTour Space Taxis by A&H Frosh

 

It's my turn on the BlogTour Space Taxis by A&H Frosh.

About the Author

Adam wasted much of his youth watching Star Trek on the TV and films like Planet of the Apes and Alien on the big screen. He redeemed himself by becoming a surgeon but has since graduated from writing articles for science journals into writing his own Sci Fi and Alternate History stories. 

As a writer he is dedicated to giving his readers a great story laced with strong, fun and scary characters. Descended from Jewish refugees who escaped from the pogroms, he is haunted by the stories of the Holocaust but inspired by heroes who put themselves at risk to save others. Adam likes to hear from his readers. You can find him at adamfroshauthor or on his Facebook page facebook.com/AdamFroshAuthor,  Follow @SpaceTaxis on Twitter

Harriet will never be able to let go of Greek gods. No, not the sculpted Adonis-like figures on the beach, but the ancient ones. 

Loving all things mythological, her writing incorporates myths and legends from around the world. Her other fascination is with the criminal mind, and you can expect to see a blend of these two interests in her writing. 

As a student of English, she spends her day critiquing literature and her evenings creating exciting characters and fun stories.

Harriet is also an artist, and she would like to hear from her readers and those interested in her art. You can get in contact at http://harrietfrosh.com/

About the book

He's abducted by aliens to the planet Vost. He's saving up for his fare home. But he's got the small matter of a planetary apocalypse to deal with first...

In 1977 a New York Cab driver Mike Redolfo is abducted by aliens after being mistaken for a renegade scientist. Meanwhile, back in 1944 a mysterious man and his Jewish fiancée are fleeing across Nazi-occupied Europe.

Redolfo tries to keep a low profile on his new world whilst earning his fare home, but unwittingly gets involved with a shady gang of alien criminals, inadvertently bringing the planet to the brink of catastrophe.

As the link between the timelines becomes clear, Redolfo must discover secrets from the past that may hold the key to saving the planet.

Review

You must be pretty important to the alien race to be kidnapped with the taxi you are sitting in. Then discovering that their world is just as full of bureaucratic obstacles as the world you come from. Being stuck in space after a case of mistaken identity and unable to get back home. 

Simultaneously in 1944 a couple is in the midst of the Holocaust. They are trying to evade almost certain capture from the Nazi's. As they struggle to stay alive and out of the death machine created by Hitler's henchmen one of them emerges as someone quite extraordinary. Someone who can manipulate and control certain events, which makes him interesting to the power hungry.

You might want to strap on your seatbelt when you step inside this taxi in particular. It's a wild multiple genre story, which is peppered with a layer of faction as it weaves from speculative, to historical and into sci-fi. The Frosh writing duo gives readers a broad spectrum of creativity and ideas.

The story seems to have a wave-like vibe to it and I wonder if it is due to the dual authorship. It gives the read an essence of puzzle pieces trying to find their adjacent pieces - creative and intriguing parts of a story being so individual they struggle to connect, and yet in the end they ultimately do.

Is Space Taxis the beginning of a bigger story or perhaps a series? I look forward to finding out.

Buy Space Taxis at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Burton Mayers Books pub date 6 Nov. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Space Academy by Hannah Hopkins

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Space Academy by Hannah Hopkins.

About the Author
 In 2017, Hannah Hopkins released a self-published novel entitled 'The Split'; the story of four teenagers navigating life after Earth as they journey through space to a new planet. Two years later, the book was picked up by 'The Conrad Press' and re-vamped as 'Space Academy,' with a new cover, new title and new additions to the story. 'Space Academy' was released in 2020, kickstarting Hannah's career as a writer.

Hannah is currently busy writing a historical fiction novel with a feminist twist. She spends the rest of her time working at a University and caring for her two young children in the UK.

Follow Hannah Hopkins on Facebook, on Instagram, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit hannahhopkinsauthor.co.uk, Buy Space Academy

About the book
It's the year 2100. Earth is dying. A young woman, Elsie, has risked everything to get her newborn son, Will, aboard 'The Mayflower' - a spaceship that will transport a select number of people to a new planet they can call home. Elsie’s luck takes a turn when she discovers the captain of 'The Mayflower' is an old friend. He allows her to board with her son, giving them a place on the luxurious Floor One, where they live amongst the most honoured of 'The Mayflower’s' passengers.

Thirteen years later, and Will is ready to start school at Space Academy, an institute specialising in subjects such as Alien Studies, Technology, and Rocket Control. While a pupil there, Will starts to uncover secrets about his father's death, becoming wrapped in a mystery that he and his friends must solve if they are to have any hope of saving humanity from the threat that lies in wait.

Review
Will has plenty of questions about is father and his death. He throws a mention in here and there to get his mother to finally fill him in on the details. What is worth staying so tight lipped about? What is his mother hiding?

I thought the historical parallels were interesting - naming the ship The Mayflower and having only the chosen be part of the saved race. Humankind is on its way to reboot, rebuild and live in space. The handpicked crop of people, which is quite elitist and also no different from life before the catastrophic changes. So much for save the world and its inhabitants.

The Mayflower has echoes of the Titanic on her maiden voyage, whereby the worth of human is dictated by which floor they live on. First floor is the elite and the further down you get the less money your parents have in their pocket.

It's a YA sci-fi dystopian read with a space mystery vibe. Will and his teenage gang of friends are navigating the space boarding school experience, which includes the same kind of opportunistic bullies, hierarchies and distinctions of class remaining firmly in place, despite the end of the world. You would think the human race would change just a bit to suit the new circumstances instead of carrying on with the same destructive patterns and habits.

Where did the alien animals come from and how do they know they are animals, as opposed to the actual species of alien. Seems a wee bit colonialist to presume humans are the only species out there in the great open space. There are plenty of unanswered questions and a lot of ideas left with a bare frame and lack of substance. Just minor hiccups in an otherwise pacy read.

Buy Space Academy at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: The Conrad Press; pub date 4 May 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour iRemember by S.V. Bekvalac

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour iRemember by S.V. Bekvalac.

For a limited time, iRemember will be available for only 99p.

About the Author
SV Bekvalac was born in 1987 in Croatia, in what was then Yugoslavia, but grew up in London.
She studied German and Russian at Oxford, and went to film school in Prague. After almost becoming a film-maker and then an academic, researching cities and films, she found herself writing fiction about cities instead. She started off with screenplays and short stories, but they got longer and longer. iRremember is her first novel.

She has lived in cities all over Europe. Now she lives in London, or in one of her own imaginary cities.

Follow @sandra_bek @EyeAndLightning on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Buy iRemember

About the book
The city of iRemember shimmers in the desert haze, watched over by the Bureau, a government agency that maintains control through memory surveillance and little pink pills made from the narcotic plant Tranquelle.

It looks like an oasis under its geodesic dome, but the city is under siege. ‘Off-Gridder’ insurgents are fighting to be forgotten.

Bureau Inspector Icara Swansong is on a mission to neutralise the threat. Her investigation leads her into iRemember’s secret underbelly, where she finds herself a fugitive from the very system she had vowed to protect. She has to learn new rules: trust no one. Behind every purple Tranquelle stalk lurk double-agents.

A sci-fi noir with a psychedelic twist, iRemember explores the power the past holds over us and the fragility of everything: what is, what once was, and what will be.

Review
Off-Gridders - the rebels, the anarchists and those who want to stay way under the invasive radar of the powers that be. The people determined to stop their every thought, but especially their bad thoughts from being uploaded and stored on government servers. They then sit and wait until the need arises to use them.

Lucien Ffogg is part of the resistance, well technically it's more about profit and less about fighting for the cause, but perhaps somewhere in that grumpy stubborn brain there lives a tiny rebel. The last thing Lucien wants or needs is a government official turning up to put the entire compound he is tasked with maintaining, a Memory Processing Plant in the middle of a desert, to put him and the site under scrutiny.

Inspector Icara Swansong knows deep down in her bones that Ffogg - double ff and double gg - is up to something. She just hasn't been able to find out what and where, aside from the clear signs of neglect and age that is.

It becomes a battle of minds, although it's interesting that neither of the characters evokes super negative emotions, perhaps because it is easy to understand both views.

It's speculative sci-fi with a dystopian flair.

Bekvalac pits the two main characters against each other in a cat and mouse game of deception and revelations. A game that leads them to a surprising escalation and an endgame neither of them expects.

The world-building is extensive and intricate, and the premise is intriguing. Being held hostage by your own thoughts and memories, something you are unable to control and yet others want to use them to control you. Quite a read.

Buy iRemember at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Lightning Books; pub date 30 Mar. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Helene: Lost Tales of Solace by Karl Drinkwater

Today its my turn on the BlogTour Helene: Lost Tales of Solace by Karl Drinkwater.

About the Author
Karl Drinkwater is originally from Manchester but lived in Wales for twenty years, and now calls Scotland his home. He's a full-time author, edits fiction for other writers, and was a professional librarian for over twenty-five years. He has degrees in English, Classics, and Information Science.

He writes in multiple genres: his aim is always just to tell a good story. Among his books you'll find elements of literary and contemporary fiction, gritty urban, horror, suspense, paranormal, thriller, sci-fi, romance, social commentary, and more. The end result is interesting and authentic characters, clever and compelling plots, and believable worlds.

When he isn't writing he loves exercise, guitars, computer and board games, the natural environment, animals, social justice, cake, and zombies. Not necessarily in that order.

Follow @karldrinkwater on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, on Facebook, on Instagram, Visit karldrinkwater.uk, Buy Helene

About the book
Dr Helene Vermalle is shaping the conscience of a goddess-level AI.
As a leading civilian expert in Emergent AI Socialisation, she has been invited to assist in a secret military project.

Her role? Helping ViraUHX, the most advanced AI in the universe, to pass through four theoretical development stages. But it’s not easy training a mind that surpasses her in raw intellect. And the developing AI is capable of killing her with a single tantrum.

On top of this, she must prove her loyalty to the oppressive government hovering over her shoulder. They want a weapon. She wants to instil an overriding sense of morality. Can she teach the AI right and wrong without being categorised as disloyal?

Lost Tales of Solace are short side-stories set in the Lost Solace universe.

Review
The Lost Tales of Solace are short stories set in the Lost Solace universe, this one occurs just before the events of the first novel in the series, Lost Solace.

Helene finds herself surprised by ViraUHX, who has been expanding her own horizons, despite the fact it shouldn't even be possible. In fact Vira has thought a lot about what she can, can't do and what she should keep secret, and therein lies the crux of the matter. The AI shouldn't have the ability to hide, to think, to joke and go beyond the programming.

This is speculative science-fiction that wants to expand horizons and question evolution, especially when it comes to technology. Drinkwater draws you in with the debate of morality. When it comes to AI when does their right to existence start or even their right to have rights? When you create something that is supposed to not only be equal, but surpass human capabilities, and to do so the AI has to be given certain aspects or elements that are incorporated into humankind - where does AI stop and evolved humankind begin?

Or is that exactly what an evolved humankind is going to look like - an human enhanced with AI or vice versa? See what I mean about the dialogue and the author creating a conversation. The topic is really interesting, which when driven by a fictional scenario is even more so.

Buy Helene (Lost Tales of Solace #1) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.  Publisher: Organic Apocalypse; pub date 3 Oct. 2019. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at books2read.

#BlogTour Something to Tell You by David Edwards

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Something to Tell You by David Edwards. It's a smorgasbord of speculative fiction, science fiction, philosophy and theology.

About the Author
David Edwards previously published two anti-romance books under the pseudonym of Jack George Edmunson. He then published the historical novel, The Ebb & Flow, before moving over to children’s fiction with The Black Hand Gang. He currently lives in Switzerland. For more information visit davidedwardsauthor.com.

Follow @edwardsauthor on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on LinkedIn, Buy Something to Tell You

About the book
Something to Tell You follows the two families of Bert Leinster and his best friend Sam Murray, as the earth comes under bombardment by a Higgs Boson particle storm. The Central Control of the World council insists that survival depends on living underground, protected by The Envelope. As CCOW persuades humankind to hide in the Deeps, Bert cannot challenge CCOW nor comprehend why people cannot see the truth behind the lies.

Everything changes when he meets Her. Lily, a plant who becomes his enemy in the battle to save humankind, to save you... although 99.9% of you is empty space. Do you deserve saving?

Review
Speculative fiction can often be a marmite kind of read. It depends on how much a reader is willing to ride with the author whilst they bend boundaries, re-imagine the known norm and spread tentacles into every area of the universe and beyond. Expect your grey cells to be bounced around like flubber on a freefall from space in this read.

In essence it's an end of the world scenario from the point of view of Bert, his family and friends. The way those who control the world, or rather those who own the media, manipulate the people in an attempt to console and defraud. To what end? To lead the flock like lambs to the inevitable slaughter.

Positive and negative - good and evil - god and the devil. All of these are two sides of the same coin. Energy and reactions equal the actions of both good and evil. God and the devil co-exist in some screwed up semblance of what we regard largely as life. To kill one is to automatically also extinguish the other and we are destined to repeat this cycle ad infinitum.

It's a smorgasbord of speculative fiction, science fiction, philosophy and theology.

One could argue that less is often more and that clarification is better than an assumption of understanding. It depends on what you want to impart, how you do that and whether or not you are interested in the emotional resonance.

I can imagine quite a few readers walking away from this read and asking themselves, especially after reading the ending, what was the intention and/or what did I take away from this read.

For me it was the sense of powerlessness, because fate is dictated by an ever-turning and self-regenerating cycle, This also means we are programmed, whether by scientific fact or theological premise to make the same choices. mistakes or take certain paths over and over again - fifth, sixth or seventh world.

Buy Something to Tell You at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published in hardcover and ebook formats by troubadour Publishing in May 2019. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Troubadour. Buy at WHSmith. Barnes & Noble.

#BlogTour The Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston

Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Widening Gyre by C.J. Sutton. It's futuristic, dystopian sci-fi meets action packed space opera. I look forward to reading where this series goes.

About the Author
Born in the San Francisco bay area and raised in Napa, California, Michael R. Johnston grew up steeped in everything Science Fiction and Fantasy from Asimov to Zelazny, as well as endless terrible SF TV shows he still has a slightly embarrassed fondness for.

Faced with the choice between moving back in with his parents and continuing school, or paying his rent, he took “a year” off from college. He spent time as a court process server, a retail sales associate, a sandwich maker, and a data entry tech, before finding himself in a management role. A decade later, burnt out from his job in political research and facing 30, he decided he’d had enough and returned to college, graduating with honors from California State University, Sacramento.

In fall 2006, he became a high school English teacher, a job he likens to herding a swarm of angry bees. It’s the best job he’s ever had.

In 2013, he attended the 17th Viable Paradise Science Fiction Writing Workshop. The experience of having his story critiqued by other writers, some of them professionals he’d been reading for years, helped him realize he could write professionally, and introduced him to some of his best friends.

He currently lives in Sacramento, California, with his wife and daughter. When he’s not writing or teaching, he spends time with his family, plays video games and tabletop RPGs (often with family), and reads.

Follow @MREJohnston @flametreepress on Twitter,
Visit MJohnstonBooks.com
Buy The Widening Gyre

About the book
Eight hundred years ago, the Zhen Empire discovered a broken human colony ship drifting in the fringes of their space. The Zhen gave the humans a place to live and folded them into their Empire as a client state. But it hasn’t been easy. Not all Zhen were eager to welcome another species into their Empire, and humans have faced persecution. For hundreds of years, human languages and history were outlawed subjects, as the Zhen tried to mold humans into their image. Earth and the cultures it nourished for millennia are forgotten, little more than legends.

One of the first humans to be allowed to serve in the Zhen military, Tajen Hunt became a war hero at the Battle of Elkari, the only human to be named an official Hero of the Empire. He was given command of a task force, and sent to do the Empire’s bidding in their war with the enigmatic Tabrans. But when he failed in a crucial mission, causing the deaths of millions of people, he resigned in disgrace and faded into life on the fringes as a lone independent pilot.

When Tajen discovers his brother, Daav, has been killed by agents of the Empire, he, his niece, and their newly-hired crew set out to finish his brother’s quest: to find Earth, the legendary homeworld of humanity. What they discover will shatter 800 years of peace in the Empire, and start a war that could be the end of the human race.

Review
In this story the humans are the underdog. The rare species fighting for survival in a world run by aliens who eat raw and live meat. Shout out to the original V at this point, who loved to eat live rats and even hamsters.

Even in sci-fi there is room for sub-species to be discriminated against, treated as less than the superior race, and yet still used to stock up numbers in a war (aka bullet fodder). Tajen Hunt is a decorated war hero, the sole human carrier of the title Hero of the Empire. The fact he achieved this title by inadvertently causing the mass deaths of his own race, makes him a traitor to his own and deserving of an odd respect from the Zhen.

Tajen has to confront his feelings of guilt about his military career when a tragic event forces him to interact with his past and his immediate family. Easier said than done. He struggles to connect with his niece, in fact he struggles to connect emotionally to anyone.

He accidentally creates a team of determined truth seekers, who are willing to follow the scavenger hunt for information hidden by his brother. Not all of them believe the conspiracy theory and that the search will lead them to a planet surrounded my myths and tales of non-existence.

It's a sci-fi space adventure with a ship full of rebels willing to defy a whole alien race to discover the truth about planet earth. What is so important the Zhen will go to any length to keep it secret, including killing those who are willing to dig deep to discover said secret.

I enjoyed the read. It's futuristic, dystopian sci-fi meets action packed space opera. I look forward to reading where this series goes.

Buy The Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Flame Tree Press; pub date 14 Mar. 2019. Buy at !ndigo, Flame Tree Press, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Powell's, Waterstones or Book Depository.