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Tribes of the Hakahai #1
The Space Between
The story is set in the multiverse of Ananake and draws on myths and legends of ancient Earth, weaving a tale that moves from Sherwood Forest to distant worlds and outer space. It involves, amongst other things, magical gateways, Area 51, sentient spacecraft, a 50 thousand year old intergalatic war, elves and dwarves, wonder bras, Machu Picchu and strong coffee.
Kim thinks her day is going badly when her friend fails to meet her at Sherwood Forest. Then an annoying knight hits on her and she is stalked by an elf and a dwarf. But then the aliens attack and things really start to go down hill. Collecting strange companions along the way she finds herself in a race to stop the war with the aliens before things really get out of control.
Kim thinks her day is going badly when her friend fails to meet her at Sherwood Forest. Then an annoying knight hits on her and she is stalked by an elf and a dwarf. But then the aliens attack and things really start to go down hill. Collecting strange companions along the way she finds herself in a race to stop the war with the aliens before things really get out of control.
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
649 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2011
11 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 29, 2011
The Space Between is a self published title by Queensland author Scott J. Robinson. It’s Scott’s first novel, though he has been writing for some time.
The cover quote from Jack Dann holds true there is some serious talent displayed in The Space Between, some very smooth writing.
It’s an ambitious type of story for a first timer, here’s the synopsis to give you an idea:
Synopsis:
The story is set in the multiverse of Ananake and draws on myths and legends of ancient Earth, weaving a tale that moves from Sherwood Forest to distant worlds and outer space. It involves, amongst other things, magical gateways, Area 51, sentient spacecraft, a 50 thousand year old intergalactic war, elves and dwarves, wonder bras, Machu Picchu and strong coffee.
Kim thinks her day is going badly when her friend fails to meet her at Sherwood Forest. Then an annoying knight hits on her and she is stalked by an elf and a dwarf. But then the aliens attack and things really start to go down hill. Collecting strange companions along the way she finds herself in a race to stop the war with the aliens before things really get out of control.
Why is it ambitious?
I think it’s an ambitious task, because the author is playing with lots of genres, in this case fantasy and sci-fi with a little thriller and adventure/mystery thrown in. There’s lots of good ideas in the story and I found it a little difficult to suspend my disbelief when it came to some elements of the story line. Some of the plot I found a little convenient, as if Robinson wanted to get all his great ideas in. It was, not surprising then, that the original ideas that Scott came up with were what really drew me into the story.
What I liked
I absolutely loved the character Keeble and Scott’s take on Dwarven Culture. I could read an entire fantasy series with the ideas that he developed around the idea of Dwarven singing and rock working alone. Most fantasy dwarves are riffs off Tolkien, bearded, live underground and mine too deep. But Robinson gives us snippets in The Space Between, of a culture that has far more depth. The same can be said for the development of the character Tuki, a Moai. We get a fully developed original culture that I find refreshing. The most enjoyable parts of the novel for me were the ones that focussed on these two characters.
What I didn’t
I couldn’t invest myself in Kim, the main character and the one from contemporary Earth. As a reader I just didn’t connect. Mel the Elf was a bit the same, though she was an “aloof” elf, these characters had nowhere near the “meat” or interest of Tuki or Keeble.
Some of the humour seemed misplaced to me. There was some good one liners and pop culture references but I felt that this detracted from the story rather than added to it. If we are going to suspend our disbelief and accept the premise of this story I think it’s better to go a more serious action adventure route.
Summing Up
I read a fair bit of self published stuff, enough to come across the dregs and to find some real gems too.
Scott displays solid writing, very smooth in parts, indeed it reminded me of Dr Who or Torchwood novelizations – you accept the premise (which might be a stretch i.e. Torchwood defending humanity from alien incursions sans all help from other nations) whole heartedly and then take the events and characters seriously.
I think this one is worth a look, if you are interested in something a little different than straight fantasy or Sci-Fi - a solid start.
The cover quote from Jack Dann holds true there is some serious talent displayed in The Space Between, some very smooth writing.
It’s an ambitious type of story for a first timer, here’s the synopsis to give you an idea:
Synopsis:
The story is set in the multiverse of Ananake and draws on myths and legends of ancient Earth, weaving a tale that moves from Sherwood Forest to distant worlds and outer space. It involves, amongst other things, magical gateways, Area 51, sentient spacecraft, a 50 thousand year old intergalactic war, elves and dwarves, wonder bras, Machu Picchu and strong coffee.
Kim thinks her day is going badly when her friend fails to meet her at Sherwood Forest. Then an annoying knight hits on her and she is stalked by an elf and a dwarf. But then the aliens attack and things really start to go down hill. Collecting strange companions along the way she finds herself in a race to stop the war with the aliens before things really get out of control.
Why is it ambitious?
I think it’s an ambitious task, because the author is playing with lots of genres, in this case fantasy and sci-fi with a little thriller and adventure/mystery thrown in. There’s lots of good ideas in the story and I found it a little difficult to suspend my disbelief when it came to some elements of the story line. Some of the plot I found a little convenient, as if Robinson wanted to get all his great ideas in. It was, not surprising then, that the original ideas that Scott came up with were what really drew me into the story.
What I liked
I absolutely loved the character Keeble and Scott’s take on Dwarven Culture. I could read an entire fantasy series with the ideas that he developed around the idea of Dwarven singing and rock working alone. Most fantasy dwarves are riffs off Tolkien, bearded, live underground and mine too deep. But Robinson gives us snippets in The Space Between, of a culture that has far more depth. The same can be said for the development of the character Tuki, a Moai. We get a fully developed original culture that I find refreshing. The most enjoyable parts of the novel for me were the ones that focussed on these two characters.
What I didn’t
I couldn’t invest myself in Kim, the main character and the one from contemporary Earth. As a reader I just didn’t connect. Mel the Elf was a bit the same, though she was an “aloof” elf, these characters had nowhere near the “meat” or interest of Tuki or Keeble.
Some of the humour seemed misplaced to me. There was some good one liners and pop culture references but I felt that this detracted from the story rather than added to it. If we are going to suspend our disbelief and accept the premise of this story I think it’s better to go a more serious action adventure route.
Summing Up
I read a fair bit of self published stuff, enough to come across the dregs and to find some real gems too.
Scott displays solid writing, very smooth in parts, indeed it reminded me of Dr Who or Torchwood novelizations – you accept the premise (which might be a stretch i.e. Torchwood defending humanity from alien incursions sans all help from other nations) whole heartedly and then take the events and characters seriously.
I think this one is worth a look, if you are interested in something a little different than straight fantasy or Sci-Fi - a solid start.
July 23, 2012
I read The Space Between without any preconceptions about it. As such I was pleasantly surprised to find a mash up of Fantasy and Sci-fi that forms a unique multiverse story.
The characters are well written and the world building is in depth and detailed, without getting bogged down in information dumping.
Having read this, the first of four books, I am eager to move to the next book and continue to explore the worlds within, following the characters on their journey.
Chris K
The characters are well written and the world building is in depth and detailed, without getting bogged down in information dumping.
Having read this, the first of four books, I am eager to move to the next book and continue to explore the worlds within, following the characters on their journey.
Chris K
April 7, 2018
Slow getting started, this book finally got interesting about halfway through. During the first half, I especially liked the male characters, the females being okay but not drawing me in. Great action once they all come together, although the Americans' reasons for confining them never made sense. The characters understanding the reasons made even less sense. Them figuring out how to fly the ships dragged on too long and the aliens' reasons for attacking are paper thin. Then we get another even worse alien who attacks one and all apparently for no reason whatever, and the book ends. I might have bought the next book if this one had a satisfying ending, but feel cheated with the unexpected cliffhanger. Scott Robinson, no thanks.
June 10, 2012
This first volume of a trilogy is most certainly a 'very ambitious' book, as they all say. I do agree, but I feel The Space Between is way too ambitious. Though Scott J Robinson shows a lot of promise, he tries to throw everything into his first(?) novel, and I mean EVERYthing: Sherwood Forest, Area 51, military SF, magic, linguistics, humour, lost civilizations to name just some and then half a dozen different fantasy 'races' on top.
Reading it I was reminded of a talk I had with Jack L. Chalker at the SF world con in Holland, where he told me that he had to invent a huge number of complete religions for his next novel The Ninety Trillion Fausts and though I was and am a fan of Chalker's writing (specifically 'The Well of Souls' series) - and btw I strongly suspect Scott J. Robinson is as well - I cringed a bit and eventually said novel was met with very mixed reviews indeed.
What Robinson does, he does quite well on the other hand: Elves, dwarves, humans etc. really behave and think differently. The portrait of Area 51 is accurate - just kidding: it feels credible, and the description of specific stones underground is particularly well done. The humour - limited to Keeble, the dwarf - is actually very nicely handled: never heavy handed, but actually 'smart funny', sometimes subtle, sometimes deft. Alien civilizations are not just human ones with a twist, but show Robinson has put a lot of thought into it and, finally, the author shows craft handling the action sequences.
All iN all: good to very good. Recommended: definitely. But in future: less REALLY can be more.
Reading it I was reminded of a talk I had with Jack L. Chalker at the SF world con in Holland, where he told me that he had to invent a huge number of complete religions for his next novel The Ninety Trillion Fausts and though I was and am a fan of Chalker's writing (specifically 'The Well of Souls' series) - and btw I strongly suspect Scott J. Robinson is as well - I cringed a bit and eventually said novel was met with very mixed reviews indeed.
What Robinson does, he does quite well on the other hand: Elves, dwarves, humans etc. really behave and think differently. The portrait of Area 51 is accurate - just kidding: it feels credible, and the description of specific stones underground is particularly well done. The humour - limited to Keeble, the dwarf - is actually very nicely handled: never heavy handed, but actually 'smart funny', sometimes subtle, sometimes deft. Alien civilizations are not just human ones with a twist, but show Robinson has put a lot of thought into it and, finally, the author shows craft handling the action sequences.
All iN all: good to very good. Recommended: definitely. But in future: less REALLY can be more.
August 13, 2014
This rousing and entertaining adventure begins at a renaissance fair and it ends in space. (Although as the first of a series, the ending remains inconclusive.) Ancient spaceships, snobby elves, a confused dwarf, weird aliens, and portals to strange and distant worlds are all rolled into a coherent story that's just a bit more sci-fi than fantasy. It's lighthearted and not overly 'serious' sci-fi. After all, in addition to elves, it makes a brief nod to Area 51 and Roswell. But it's different. It's fun. I like it.
The world building and pacing are excellent, the prose and dialogue are good, the characters aren't too unbelievable, and the editing, well…. I noticed about a dozen typos in the Kindle edition that I read. There weren't enough to detract from enjoying the story, and since this is a DIY published novel, I expect they'll be corrected in later editions. Indie authors tend to be quite conscientious about such things.
I can recommend this one to all readers of light speculative fiction looking for something with a little meat to it. Of the new books I've read recently (both indie and traditionally published), I'd have to judge this one among the most enjoyable. There is a lot of potential here.
Full Disclosure: I received a free digital edition of this book during an open promotion on Amazon. I haven't read the other books in the series, although I may at some point.
The world building and pacing are excellent, the prose and dialogue are good, the characters aren't too unbelievable, and the editing, well…. I noticed about a dozen typos in the Kindle edition that I read. There weren't enough to detract from enjoying the story, and since this is a DIY published novel, I expect they'll be corrected in later editions. Indie authors tend to be quite conscientious about such things.
I can recommend this one to all readers of light speculative fiction looking for something with a little meat to it. Of the new books I've read recently (both indie and traditionally published), I'd have to judge this one among the most enjoyable. There is a lot of potential here.
Full Disclosure: I received a free digital edition of this book during an open promotion on Amazon. I haven't read the other books in the series, although I may at some point.
May 13, 2014
I loved this book. Fantasy worlds and contemporary science are blended in a way that just works amazingly well. This isn't set in a world combining both, it is a story of the two different types of worlds meeting. People, of various types, travel through gateways between their own worlds and others that are very different. Throw in a some hints of science well beyond our own and you have a brilliant mix.
All that wouldn't work without believable characters though, and this book doesn't disapoint. The primary viewpoints are those of a dwarf, an elf, a contemporary human and a... well, a character that doesn't really fit into any of the fantasy stereotypes. The elf and the dwarf are far from fantasy cutouts though. While many of the standard traits are in evidence, the reasoning behind some of them is unusual and well thought through, and other traits they show are a real surprise.
This book is highly recommended. Give it a try.
All that wouldn't work without believable characters though, and this book doesn't disapoint. The primary viewpoints are those of a dwarf, an elf, a contemporary human and a... well, a character that doesn't really fit into any of the fantasy stereotypes. The elf and the dwarf are far from fantasy cutouts though. While many of the standard traits are in evidence, the reasoning behind some of them is unusual and well thought through, and other traits they show are a real surprise.
This book is highly recommended. Give it a try.
September 4, 2012
I found this work a truly brilliant combination of SciFi and fantasy. It's imaginative, funny, action packed, contains levels of complexity that are rare in the genre, and is much more believable than the fantasy I've been reading lately. The author weaves words together beautifully, and the worlds he creates are fascinating. There is a poetry in the way he strings words together and in the way he describes cultures through the eyes of his characters.
The biggest weakness, in my opinion, is that only some of the issues are resolved by the end of the first book, but that is to be expected in a 4-book series and in the epic fantasy genre, especially.
I haven't enjoyed a fantasy book this much in a very long time. I hope to find the next books in the series as well crafted as the first.
The biggest weakness, in my opinion, is that only some of the issues are resolved by the end of the first book, but that is to be expected in a 4-book series and in the epic fantasy genre, especially.
I haven't enjoyed a fantasy book this much in a very long time. I hope to find the next books in the series as well crafted as the first.
February 9, 2012
An interesting story that has a decent flow to it. I have to agree with Sean, in that the scope of the story is quite ambitious, but I feel managed well. I enjoyed the intermix of fantasy, and sci-fi with characters that came to life as the pages flew by. Scott could be onto something with this series, time will tell.
April 20, 2014
Took a while to get into this on, but once it started to come together I did enjoy it. It's a bit of an odd mixture of fantasy and sci-fi with elves, dwarves and aliens coming together. The ending was a bit abrupt after a sudden, final twist, I know it is leading on to the sequel, but I was a bit cheesed off!
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June 22, 2015Katharine is a judge for the Sara Douglass 'Book Series' Award. This entry is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
To be safe, I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
To be safe, I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
March 22, 2013
I liked the different races, the role between men and women in each and the strength/weaknesses. So much more, but don't want to give anything away.
June 2, 2014
A surprising mixture of old mythology, new conspiracy theories, fantasy and sci-fi. The characters are interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing where this series goes.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews