Book Review on Vallar by Cindy Borgne

Sensational, exciting and an emotionally whirlwind!

Ian Connors is a sixteen year-old psychic in this military sci-fi story of love, betrayal and deception. He's works for a militaristic company called Marscorp, and is saddled with the responsibility to use his abilities to gather intelligence on other companies fighting for control of Mars. He cannot control his visions, which wander towards and center on a young girl he's never met. The visions of this young girl captivate him. The more he chases these visions of this girl, the more he changes his fate and the fate of those around him. Eventually, what Ian sees in his visions, cause him to question his place with Marscorp.

Cindy Borgne has a bona fide hit on her hands with Vallar. She expertly weaves a teenager's journey into adulthood, with the pain of combat and the angst of a first love. Ian is a complicated character, which Cindy masterfully captures. He makes mistakes and he is tormented by his mistakes. The reader is drawn into an emotional rollercoaster, cheering Ian as he pushes through hardship, scolding him when he acts immature and crying for him when he suffers.

Additionally, speaking from military experience, Cindy does a superb job of creating combat intense scenes. She writes like a season military veteran. I have to give her a platinum round of applause for keeping this old retired Air Force officer intrigued during the battle scenes.

Vallar is what I call a cross-cutting science fiction novel. It has romance, combat, technical wizardry, suspense and adventure. A definite must read now type of book!

Malcolm Petteway,
Author, Osguards: Guardians of the Universe
Owner, Rage Books LLC
www.ragebooks.net      

Warriors of the Four Worlds by Ronald T. Jones

Powerful, intense and unpredictable

Lev Gorlin is a highly decorated military soldier. He is a superb strategist and a war hero in a galaxy where Humans and Zirans protect the genetically docile Vingin through a tripartite alliance. . After a twenty year war with the Tacherins the humans begin a military drawdown, dismantling their lethal weapons that won the war. But in the eye of a promised peace, discord in the alliance breeds treacherous intentions. Lev Gorlin is pulled out of military retirement to lead the human resistance in face of a more aggressive and violent enemy.

Ronald T. Jones delivers a knockout punch with this exciting tale of military might versus strategic cunning. Warriors of the Four Worlds reads like a Tom Clancy novel. Ronald has embodied the action, intrigue and excitement of Clancy’s Red Storm Rising and masterfully wrapped it in a believable science fiction setting. The combat scenes and the military tactics he describes are told like a combat veteran relaying a personal war story. The feelings are raw and the action is fast.

I highly recommend putting this on your “next book to read” list. Definitely five star material here.

This is available for Kindle, which is great, because you will definitely want to take this book with you and steal time to read it at every opportunity until you are done. Then you will want more.

Malcolm “Rage” Petteway

Author of Osguards: Guardians of the Universe
Owner, Rage Books Publishing LLC

Specter of War (Guardians of Destiny) Book Review

Fast, furious and action packed!


I ran across this author in one of my book clubs and was drawn to the title. Her subtitle was so close to my own, Osguards: Guardians of the Universe that I had to pick it up and read it. This is Angela Nicole Parker’s first foray into science fiction and she did an outstanding job.

The Specter of War is an action packed book about the newly crowned queen of the Maraudan Empire, Mursela Mornall exerting her power to bring her Empire back to its glory days before the great war two dikas ago (I assume dikas are similar to decades) against the Great Republic. Her ambition soon divides her people and she begins purging those who do not follow her. The House of Judi becomes a victim to her purge, leaving the young Dena Judi, to fend for herself.

Meanwhile in the Republic, the children of two of the Great War heroes are coming of age, Cadets Akeen and Connor Star and Kayla Dylan. They struggle for their place in the universe under the whispers of war. Meanwhile, Kayla’s brother Major Van Dylan is on a peace mission on the Maraudan home world when something goes horribly wrong. The specter of war looms over all as they fight their own fate, legacy, and prejudices among a universe of humans and non-humans.

This is a young adult military science fiction book in which Angela Nicole Parker does a masterful job of building an unknown universe and setting the reader in the middle. She has the right amount of suspense mixed with intrigue. Angela fills her characters with teenage angst about coming to age in an unknown universe injected with social bias and a benign sense of entitlement. The battles are told not with an eye for the gory, but an eye for the heart. You feel the characters fright, anger and sometimes betrayal, more than the punches, gun blast and explosions. This is rare and Angela has the gift.

From one military science fiction writer to another, I give Specter of War (Guardians of Destiny) five stars.

Malcolm Dylan Petteway,
Author, Osguards: Guardians of the Universe

Osguards Rule

Book Review On  Revelations - Osguards: Guardians of the Universe

By

Ronald T. Jones, Author

Chronicles of the Liberator

In Osguard: Homecoming, the first book in a series of space adventures by Malcolm Dylan Petteway, we're introduced to an African American family descended from two slave sisters who came from a far off land...a land that happened to be on another planet called Chaktun. The sisters would survive the horrendous ordeal of American slavery and go on to found a vast interstellar alliance comprising sixty galaxies. The Osguards are the leaders of the Universal Science Security and Trade Association of Planets. This is the Star Wars' Empire on steroids. In fact Palpatine would have to think more than twice before even contemplating an attack on this multi-galaxy colossus.


We were also introduced to USSTAP's enemy, the Kulusk Empire, and its ambitious war mongering leader, Kie Ritchen. Battle lines were drawn in Book One and the two powers clashed in a war waged on many fronts, including Earth. In Osguards: Revelations, Malcolm's second installment, that war has taken a particularly deadly turn when Kie Ritchen launches a biological attack against USSTAP's capitol. The bioagent used in the attack threatens to wipe out USSTAP's command and control, leaving the organization wide open for annihilation at the hands of the Kulusks. Jaunita Genesis-Clark is the only Osguard not incapacitated by the agent. An antidote exists, but she must travel on a perilous journey to the very heart of the Kulusk Empire to obtain it. At the same time, she must deal with the murder of her young cousin on Earth and confront the estrangement of a jealous relative.

Malcolm switches seamlessly between Earth bound issues of violent crime on the streets of Shreveport, Louisiana and war and intrigue in far distant parts of the universe. The scope of this riveting tale is not limited to spatial. Malcolm takes us on a trip through time, back to the latter 19th century, 20 years after the ashes of the Civil War had settled. In a sustained flashback, we follow the heir to the Kulusk throne and his brother as they travel to Earth, sent by their father to eliminate the descendants of the Chaktun sisters. Here, Malcolm does a fantastic job of weaving science fiction and history, as he ties in the African American experience during post Reconstruction with the Kulusk brothers' murderous efforts to track down their quarry.

And then there is a 21st century U.S.president's unraveling attempt to contain the secret that is USSTAP. On top of that, USSTAP is faced with yet another threat...

There is a lot going on in Book Two. Malcolm has upped the ante and increased the stakes. Once again, the action is rapid and adrenaline-raising, the characters, rendered with fine strokes of depth, and the settings, wondrous. Another plus about Revelations, is its throwback appeal. It has a Golden Age science fiction quality that will definitely attract fans of that era as well the techno aspect that will draw in the Tom Clancy crowd. Osguards: Revelations is a must read. I fully expect Book Three to crank it up further.

Book Review on Tease by D.K. Gaston

Keith Gaston stretched his writing chops with this story and hit it out the park. Tease is about a mysterious man who sometimes works (off the books) for the government, when the government can't get the job done legally. This mysterious man goes by the name Shaw, and he's chasing a want-to-be world player, named D-Shroud, who stole three suitcase nukes. Now D-Shroud wants to sell them to the highest bidder. The problem is, Shaw has to get by a one woman hit squad, appropriately named Tease. She is sexy, dangerous and cunning...a combination that knocks Shaw for a loop. Warning: this book has graphic sex scenes that would make James Bond blush.


Tease is vivid, thrilling and exciting.

Book Review on Revenge - Osguards Guardians of the Universe

"World Building At Its Best!”

Everyone has a defining gift. For Michael Genesis, the First Osguard of the Universal Science, Security and Trade Association of Planets-USSTAP, that gift is vision. Just as Michael is being prepared to assume position as Chief Executive Osguard and President of the Universal Science, Security and Trade Association of Planets, a space storm causes havoc, sending him to an alternate universe. Similarly, Billy Red, a street thug, murderer, pimp and drug dealer, becomes intertwined with his world situation. When their paths had crossed as teenagers, Michael and Billy became bitter enemies. Billy Red carries his thirst for revenge to the end.

In this fourth entry, the author spins a complicated plot in which the main character must deal with political intrigue in the universe, as well as survive on Earth in a drug infested neighborhood. It seems that everyone is out to kill him, including Billy Red. Personally, I felt the author was at his best in military war strategies and space battles, and was a little distracted by the urban fantasy element in the adventure. But the story was well told, and kept my interest throughout. The Star Trek Prime Directive element didn’t escape me, either. I even got a kick out of the main character’s “escape phrase”.

There is one closure at the end concerning Earth, but I’m not sure if this is the final volume in the series, or if more stories are planned. I can certainly see possibilities for future novels in the series, but would like to see the author move away from the urban background on Earth, and give us a better look at the many worlds comprising his universe; the galaxies, planets, moons, and races that inhabit them.

Tom Johnson,
--Editor Fading Shadows

Rating:

5-Stars

Book Review on Armageddon - Osguards Guardians of the Universe

Armageddon
By Malcolm Dylan Petteway
ISBN #0984364528
Rage Books www.ragebooks.com/
328 Pages
Price: $15.50
Science Fiction

Rating: 4 & Half-Stars

“Entertaining novel with vivid imagery!”

With this third entry in the Osguards series, the Tuits invade the protected zone of the Universal Science, Security Trade Association of Planets (USSTAP) eliminating everything in their path with a weapon capable of destroying planets. They make their first strike, wiping out a solar system with five planets. Killing thirty-five billion people in less than ten minutes! The Guardians of The Universe find themselves outnumbered and faced by superior weapons!

The author, a retired AF officer, brings his knowledge of tactical weapons and strategic military background to the series in creating the universe of the Osguards: Guardians of The Universe. The story is well written, and the characters come to life. Battle scenes are fast and furious, with vivid descriptions. My main problem with the story was my own fault. I read the first two novels in the series years ago, and have read hundreds of SF books since, so my memory of the previous entries was foggy, the characters not as clear as they should have been. This is a series the reader needs to read in sequence, and not with a long lapse of time between each story. I also felt there was too much of the story taking place on Earth, when the action should have been kept in space. For instance, when the Tuits destroy the five-planet solar system with thirty-five billion inhabitants, the reader is at a wedding on Earth. True, we are learning more about the characters, and Earth does have a role in the story, but I felt the action is unnecessarily slowed down to lengthen the book. Being a military science fiction novel, especially of this length, it should have had more space battles and less inaction to keep the story moving. Still, the author spins an exciting tale, and the Osguards have a fascinating history, with an even more interesting future.

Although each book is a stand-alone novel, I highly suggest the reader start with the first novel in the series. These are thick volumes, and the price is right, so begin reading them today!
 
Tom Johnson, Editor

Fading Shadows Magazines

Book Review on Homecoming - Osguards Guardians of the Universe

A very imaginative book about a black family descended from an alien race who uses their special skills to protect the Earth from a coming galactic war. The book really takes off when it takes us back to the family origin among the horrors of American slavery. Homecoming is the first in a series consisting of 4 books.


Milton Davis,
Author

Book Review on The Promise by D.K. Gaston

A crooked cop, Detective Roman Stefan promised his dying father that he'd do better and make him proud. Soon after, Roman is handed a no win murder case, the death of a prostitute who is the sister to a super star news anchor Hallie Warner. The police chief wants him to fail. His captain wants him to fail. His fellow cops want him to fail. And deep down inside, Roman wants to fail. But he is a man of his word and he promised his dying father, he will do better. Motivated by the beautiful and sexy Warner, who appears to be the only one who wants Roman to succeed, he pushes on. But appearances can be deceiving.


In the beginning of the book I wasn't sure if I would like Detective Roman. His character was the type of cop I quickly despise in other books. But his struggle to please his father and the crudeness of his character soon turned me into a cheerleader for the character. I was almost praying that Roman wouldn’t let me down as I read the book.

Once again, Keith Gaston has done spectacular job. This book is similar in nature to his other books, but different in context. It is full of suspense more than his normal action packed writing. But the D.K. conspiracy, twist and turns are still sprinkled delicately throughout the pages in a masterful way. Again, you think you know who did it, but you don’t.

I highly recommend that you read The Promise. It is more than a page turner, it is a workout book. It gets your heart pumping.



Malcolm Dylan Petteway
Rage Books Reading Club
http://www.ragebooks.blogspot.com/

Book review on the Darkest Hours by D.K. Gaston

Joseph Hooks is back and he is better than before. The exciting, but bruiting detective from Lost Hours is back. Now he’s divorced and free from his past. His latest client is the billionaire, Montgomery Webb. When Hooks visits Webb at his secluded stately mansion, he finds Webb half-naked and tied to a chair. Tortured near death, Webb whispers his dying words “La…Ta…Doll…Lost”. These words starts Hooks off on another adventure, which threatens his life and the lives of people around him.


Hooks along with his ex-partner Kool-Aid are the epitome of a buddy cop team, with one thing on the mind… ‘Find the killer, no matter what the cost.’ I have read almost all of D.K. Gaston’s books. I am truly a fan. Lost Hours brings back one of my favorite characters in the D.K. universe…Joseph Hooks. D.K. puts Joseph into challenging settings and spins intrigue and action that grabs you; while the story hypnotizes you. This is a must read.



Malcolm Dylan Petteway
Rage Books Reading Club
http://www.ragebooks.blogspot.com/

Book Review on The Friday House

D.K. Gaston stays in the world of science fiction with a character we first saw in XIII, Special Agent Jamaica Kurtz. In The Friday House, Agent Kurtz has recovered from the gunshot wound to the head, which she received in XIII, and has to cope with the loss of her partner. She returns from a six month medical leave and her first assignment is psychologically profile two dead terrorists, who were prominent and noted members of society and the U.S. government.




While she conducts the investigation, she realizes the gunshot wound has left her with clairvoyant abilities. She fights to interpret her visions as she delves in deeper into the case and picks apart the connections that the CIA and people associated with the White House desperately try to cover up.



D.K. Gaston does a masterful job of weaving intrigue, mystery, double-cross, murder, adventure and conspiracy into a well polished story. He uses misdirection and anomalies to keep the reader guessing. When you think you have the story figured out, D.K. hits you with more excitement to keep you guessing.



The Friday House by D.K. Gaston is a splendid read. He spins multiple characters into an old fashion “Who Done It’, while pushing the action and adventure similar to Tom Clancy. I love the plot. This is a fantastic book that keeps your interest from page one to the end. D.K. is a marvelous author and a very talented storyteller. I highly recommend this book for all readers of thrillers, conspiracy and mystery as well as to my science fiction followers.



Malcolm Dylan Petteway

Rage Books Reading Club
www.ragebooks.blogspot.com

Book Review on XIII by D.K. Gaston

Avery Hudson, a bounty hunter who works out of Los Angeles. Beelzy, a strange but funny bail bondsman, hires Avery to track down an actor (Jason Peters). What Avery deemed an easy assignment, quickly turns into an action packed thrill ride, leading him down the path of the supernatural and unexplained. Avery hooks up with a small town sheriff, Mary Jamison, who isn’t so small town. Together they explore the insane and fight against the unknown.


D.K. Gaston proves he has the right touch with XIII. He expertly weaves science fiction/fantasy with Murder, Mystery. Avery Hudson is a character of superhero proportions. D.K. pushes the envelope and squeezes every bit of action with an exciting plot, emotional characters and vivid settings. I highly recommend this book and all D.K. Gaston books.


Malcolm Dylan Petteway
Rage Books Reading Club
http://www.ragebooks.blogspot.com/

Book Review on Lost Hours by D.K. Gaston

Joseph Hooks is a private investigator with an unpleasant past. He was accused of killing his father on Father’s Day when he was 12 years old. He has no memory of that day or the events surrounding his father’s death. All he knows is he spent two years in a mental hospital for the crime. Twenty-three years later, on the verge of a divorce, coupled with his son being the same age he was when his father died; his mind becomes consumed with finding out the truth about his father’s death. As he investigates the murder, he opens up old wounds with his estrange siblings, deals with a less than cooperative Detroit police force and runs into some well connected people who don’t want the truth known.


D.K. Gaston’s Joseph Hooks is a powerful character. Hooks’ drive and determination reaches out of the pages and grabs the reader. The internal conflict to protect his loved ones, while uncovering the past highlights Hooks’ strength and compassion. Even though the book’s genre is listed as Murder, Mystery, Thriller; I know this book will appeal to science fiction fans. I recommend this book and I especially recommend D.K. Gaston. He is a super talented author.



Malcolm Dylan Petteway
Rage Books Reading Club

http://www.ragebooks.blogspot.com/

Rage Book Club

Rage Books is building a community of readers to participate in the business, through newsletters, advice, and reviews. Join us and help revolutionize the industry.

FIGHTING FOR THE SMALL VOICE

Are you tired of the poor selection of speculative fiction books the traditional publishers are pushing. Many traditional publishing companies have settled into a rut. They market safe books that follow an aged formula that uses a checklist. This checklist is too rigid and inflexible and not visionary enough to recognize new voices…different voices, cutting down the ivory pillars holding up the old institutional thought. Today, most traditional authors write the same story, just with a twist, because the industry stifles imagination. Rage Books captures the reader's imagination, and challenges the industry. There is a quiet revolution taking place in the reading world. There is a new generation of readers, touched by advanced technology. Today, technological hunger, personal experience and raw attraction are what define this audience. You will be attracted to Rage Books because you are an avid reader who does relate to characters using advanced technology as they push through electrifying adventures.

Fighting for the Small Voice! Your opinion counts. Rage Books wants to use you as a revolutionary reader. By joining Rage Books Club you can be a voice. You can deliver choice and lend a hand in the revolution.

As a member of Rage Books Club you will be given the opportunity to:

1. Suggest a book choice for the book of the month
2. Write a review on a speculative fiction book of your choice, and have that review appear on JOIN US NOW
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3. Start book discussion on Rage Books blog
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I served in the United States Air Force for 20 years as an officer and flew over 3,000 hours in a B-52...300 of them in combat. I have the energy, drive, dedication and leadership skills to make Rage Books a force in redefining the business model and challenging the old guard's way of thinking. Rage Books can kick down the door and point the way in bringing the genre back to its roots…exploration of the human imagination.



Rage Books is the new voice of speculative fiction. Jump Start Your Imagination and make a difference. Become a member of Rage Books Club.

SUGGESTED READINGS

BOOK OF THE MONTH

 

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Flying Death – The Vietnam Experience by Samuel K. Beamon

I will take a step back from my usual genre of interest-speculative fiction, and review the memoir "Flying Death- The Vietnam Experience" by Samuel K. Beamon. The author is a family friend, who has written an exceptional book about his experiences as a Marine in Vietnam. Samuel K. Beamon writes about joining the Marines, boot camp, his training as a helicopter mechanic and his combat experiences in Vietnam. He was a helicopter HMM-164 Crew Chief, responsible for the safety of the crew with a wrench or with a gun…sometimes both. One minute he is tinkering with the engines, hydraulics and cables to make sure the helicopter is flying smoothly and the next minute he is manning the machine guns spraying a path of death and destruction in a hot landing zone for the pilots to land.
This is not a typical "I went to war, I saw the bad guys, I did some bad things, now I'm a better person" memoir. Nor is it a how I applied new strategies of war type of memoir. No, it's better than that. It is a deep, soulful look at a proud Marine doing his job for the love of his country. Sam beautifully walks the reader through his emotions from the time he decided to join the Marines until he left the Marines, capped with memorable highlights from his squadron's reunion in Washington DC. You can feel the strings tugging at your heart when Sam describes the death of friends and colleagues. You understand the excitement and pride he felt about being a Marine, fighting for his country that he loves so much. You experience the fear and adrenaline associated with combat. But you also catch the anger pounding in your chest as you read about the disservice and indignity Sam suffers through just to be a good Marine.
War is tough, but for a teenager straight out of high school, spending 18 months at the height of the Vietnam War must have been hell. As a B-52 crewmember, I take my hat off to Sam Beamon and all the Vietnam Vets. Your blood and sacrifice paved the way for me and others, and I thank you sir.
I highly recommend this book as a must read, not only for the military buff or the war enthusiast; but for those looking for a story on how the human spirit can triumph over the most extreme obstacles.


Malcolm "RAGE" Petteway, Author
Owner, Rage Books LLC
www.ragebooks.net

Review of Imaro by Charles SaundersPosted by D K Gaston

Imaro’s mother surrendered her five year old son so that he could become a great warrior of the Ilyassai tribe. His mother’s people treated him with disdain and ridicule. Through it all, Imaro grew to be the biggest and strongest of the Ilyassai children. When he reached manhood and the time had come for him to truly become an Ilyassai warrior and be accepted by his mother’s people, an evil magician strip him of that reward, spiraling Imaro’s life into a world of slavery, murderous thieves, and black magic.

Charles R. Saunders takes the reader through an Africa untainted by Europeans influences, whose history is quite different than the one we have always known. Imaro is to become a great warrior in a world he doesn’t feel he is apart of. Through his adventures, Imaro becomes a threat to enemies who work within the shadows and manipulates the weak willed and innocent to do their bidding. Imaro soon realizes if he is to survive, he must take the battle directly to the evil that plagues him.

Imaro is a must read novel and is the first book in a series. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the sequels and continuing with the further adventures of Imaro.

Imaro IVPosted by Ronald T. Jones on April 6, 2010 at 11:51pm

Take the best elements of heroic fantasy as exemplified by Conan the Barbarian, combine it with the high fantasy ingredients that made Tolkien's Ring trilogy popular to this day and what you have is an epic work that is truly a classic for the ages. What work am I referring to? The Imaro series. Imaro 1through 3 introduced us to the hulking, brooding title character, revealed to us his destiny and took us on a journey fraught with peril and passion toward the fulfillment of that destiny. Imaro IV brings everything to a head in a confrontation that will decide the fate of the continent of Nyumbani while catapulting Imaro from the degradation he suffered as a youth to a celebrated hero.

After reading Imaro IV I had to struggle a bit to gain my equilibrium, as if I had just completed a roller coaster ride...or finished spinning in place. There is struggle in this book. Struggle on a mass scale with armies of men fighting creatures straight out of the realm of nightmares. Individual struggles between heroes and villains. Gods struggling to exert their will on men. And then there's Imaro, a tortured, troubled, reluctant hero locked in a perpetual struggle to find a place for himself in a world he hasn't quite come to terms with. Some of his problems are self inflicted, others imposed by circumstance.

Charles Saunders has given us a hero who is the world's best kept secret. Imaro is strong, complex, valiant and honorable. Imaro IV is a thrilling conclusion to a breath taking four part saga. Fortunately, there is no evidence, judging by the ending, that this will be the final chapter. If anything, Charles has left the door wide open for more Imaro adventures.

Keep it coming, Charles!!

Book Review on Shadow Valley

Author: Steven Barnes

Publisher: Del Rey Books

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Del Rey (May 5, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345459032
ISBN-13: 978-0345459039
Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1 inches


Steven Barnes is probably one of the best science fiction writers of our time. His poetic mastery of the written word paints a beautiful worlds and characters that charge a story for the reader into a fantastic fantasy. Mr. Barnes has ignited African folklore with his Great Sky Woman, into the main stream and continued the explosion with his book Shadow Valley.


Shadow Valley picks up where Great Sky Woman left off. A majority of the Ibandi people wander north from Mount Kilimanjaro, hoping to escape the mighty spear of the Mk*tk. They are led by Great Sky Woman and Frog Hopping, the two people who survived the climb up the mountain to speak with their god. The trek is trek is long, perilous and very arduous. Many turn back, and some of those that remain, are full of doubt. Meanwhile, a new leader rises from those who remained in the shadow of the Great Mountain…a leader full of anger and power, just the right potent mixture for revenge. What he believes he brings to the Mk*tk is death, but in reality, he brings the devastation to what is left of the Ibandi people left at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Eventually, the two strands of Ibandi survivors meet and a struggle for power consumes them, while their enemy the Mk*tk approach. The survival of their people rests on their decisions and actions. Do they fight amongst themselves and let the victor lead, or do they band together to fight a common foe?


Mr. Barnes writes with such vivid realistic detail that the reader feels they are there, witnessing history unfold in front of their eyes. Mr. Barnes makes the Ibandi become family, pushing buttons of fear, love and hate. I have become a fan of African folklore science fiction.


I recommend Shadow Valley as a must read. But you must start with Great Sky Woman to really appreciate this read.


Malcolm "RAGE" Petteway
Rage Books LLC

Osguards: Homecoming! The very essence of adventure science fiction!Posted by Ronald T. Jones on January 21, 2010 at 9:02pm in Books

I just finished reading Osguards: Homecoming, written by distinguished BSFS member Malcolm Dylan Petteway. Osguards has all the elements that has always attracted me to science fiction, specifically, that subcategory of the genre called Space Opera. Enormous space ships equipped with planet-smashing arsenols, far flung interstellar civilizations, evil empires, super advanced technology, and weapons of such lethality Earth's most powerful weapons systems would come across as slingshots in comparison.

Malcolm takes these elements and creates an epic story that spans across space and time. Nausona and Laurona are princesses who flee their planet, Chakun, after it is overrun by the expansionist Kulusks. The sisters discover what they think is refuge on an obsure, barbaric world called Earth. But the part of Earth they find themselves in is no safe haven for the African-appearing girls. Nausona and Laurona have the misfortune of being in the southern region of a pre Civil War United States. Though they are afforded a measure of protection in the company of a kindly widow, the girls are still brutalized and threatened by a neighboring slaveowning family.

Nausona's and Laurona's hardbitten determination to survive and return to their home lays the groundwork for the role their descendants will play as leaders of a mulitgalaxy alliance.

Osguards: Homecoming is a compelling drama in addition to being a fast paced adventure. The characters are written with depth and feeling. There is a lot of internal perspective along with a healthy dose of political intrigue. I have one word to sum up the climatic space battle: spectacular! With Osguards: Homecoming, Malcolm has created a winner. Thankfully this book is the first in a series.

Keep 'em coming, Malcolm!!!!

Book Review: Great Sky Woman

Great Sky Woman By Steven Barnes
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Del Rey; Reprint edition (March 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345459024
ISBN-13: 978-0345459022
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches


Steven Barnes is one of my favorite science fiction authors. His mastery of story telling is phenomenal. Mr. Barnes has the noteworthy skill and the poise to write about a myriad of subject matters and plots, creating in them specific and believable worlds in which readers can throw themselves into. He has done this with his Aubrey Knight series, his Bilalistan Series, as well as with Blood Brothers, Iron Shadow and Charisma, just to name a few. And though I’m late to read, what he has done with Great Sky Woman (first published in 2006), raises the bar once again.

Great Sky Woman is set in the heart of the African continent, at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, before recorded history. There, the Ibandi live as hunters and gatherers unaware of the manmade and natural disasters approaching their way.

Great Sky Woman follows the story of two Ibandi members, T’Cori (the nameless one), an abandoned girl who was raised by the chief dream dancer; and Frog Hopping, a boy raised by his uncle to be a hunter and warrior. T’Cori, gifted with superior abilities than the other dream dancers, searches desperately for acceptance from the one who raises her as well as her sister dream dancers. Conversely, Frog, who isn’t the strongest or fastest amongst his age, competes with his brothers to be a man amongst the Ibandi. Their search for their own identity and place amongst the Ibandi ultimately brings them together in life and death struggles that eventually decide the fate of all the Ibandi.

Mr. Barnes builds a world full of African folklore, legend and mysticism in such vivid realistic detail that the reader is sucked in wanting more. The characters are so strong and brilliant that they resonate in the readers mind long after completing the book. The power of this story opens the door for a growing new type of fiction that beckons for more.

I recommend Great Sky Woman as a must read. I can not wait to read the follow on story Shadow Valley.

Malcolm “RAGE” Petteway
Rage Books LLC