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Crossline
"A high-flying adventure of a novel, filled with ambitious ideas and a breathtaking conclusion." -- The Leighgendarium
In the SciFi/Fantasy spirit of Firefly, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Stargate, and Escape from New York...
Hotdog pilot Marcus Powell has been selected to test Taurus Enterprises' Crossline prototype craft and its newly developed warp thrusters, which, if successful, will revolutionize space travel as we know it.
But during his jaunt across the stars, Powell is forced into a parallel universe -- including a parallel Earth -- where he finds himself at the center of an epic battle he may have been destined for all along.
Meanwhile, back home, reclusive oil tycoon and Taurus CEO Buddy Rheams Jr. -- who sent Powell on that very mission -- has a mysterious past and a secret agenda, one that could prevent Powell from ever making it back to his wife and little girl.
From author Russ Colchamiro, Crossline is a psychedelic, action-packed romp across time, space, and dimension that asks the question: once you cross the line, can you ever really go back?
In the SciFi/Fantasy spirit of Firefly, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Stargate, and Escape from New York...
Hotdog pilot Marcus Powell has been selected to test Taurus Enterprises' Crossline prototype craft and its newly developed warp thrusters, which, if successful, will revolutionize space travel as we know it.
But during his jaunt across the stars, Powell is forced into a parallel universe -- including a parallel Earth -- where he finds himself at the center of an epic battle he may have been destined for all along.
Meanwhile, back home, reclusive oil tycoon and Taurus CEO Buddy Rheams Jr. -- who sent Powell on that very mission -- has a mysterious past and a secret agenda, one that could prevent Powell from ever making it back to his wife and little girl.
From author Russ Colchamiro, Crossline is a psychedelic, action-packed romp across time, space, and dimension that asks the question: once you cross the line, can you ever really go back?
- GenresScience Fiction
336 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
12 people are currently reading
2485 people want to read
About the author
Russ Colchamiro
36 books265 followersRUSS COLCHAMIRO is the author of Crackle and Fire, Fractured Lives, Hot Ash, Blunt Force Rising, and Trigger Point, the first five books in the sci-fi thriller series featuring his hardboiled intergalactic private detective Angela Hardwicke. He is also the author of the rollicking space adventure, Crossline, the zany sci-fi backpacking series Finders Keepers, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, editor of the sci-fi mystery anthology, Love, Murder & Mayhem, and contributing author for his newest project, Murder in Montague Falls, a noir novella collection, all with Crazy 8 Press.
Russ has contributed to several other anthologies including Tales of the Crimson Keep, Pangaea, They Keep Killing Glenn, Altered States of the Union, Thrilling Adventure Yarns, Brave New Girls vols. 3&4, Camelot 13, TV Gods 2, and Footprints in the Stars.
He is now writing the fifth book in the Angela Hardwicke series.
In addition, Russ hosts the Rockin' Rollercoaster podcast, where he interviews various Sci-Fi, mystery, crime, thriller, and horror authors.
Russ lives in New Jersey with his wife and their twin ninjas.
For more on Russ’s works, visit www.russcolchamiro.com, and follow him on Facebook, Blue Sky, YouTube and Instagram @AuthorDudeRuss.
Russ has contributed to several other anthologies including Tales of the Crimson Keep, Pangaea, They Keep Killing Glenn, Altered States of the Union, Thrilling Adventure Yarns, Brave New Girls vols. 3&4, Camelot 13, TV Gods 2, and Footprints in the Stars.
He is now writing the fifth book in the Angela Hardwicke series.
In addition, Russ hosts the Rockin' Rollercoaster podcast, where he interviews various Sci-Fi, mystery, crime, thriller, and horror authors.
Russ lives in New Jersey with his wife and their twin ninjas.
For more on Russ’s works, visit www.russcolchamiro.com, and follow him on Facebook, Blue Sky, YouTube and Instagram @AuthorDudeRuss.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 19, 2019
I love a good science-fiction read, and Russ Colchamiro’s Crossline appealed to me on numerous levels. Thus, I was more than willing to dive in with the hope of being wowed.
With Crossline, we have a science-fiction novel that includes more aspects than you would imagine. There’s a bit of space travel, there’s an alternate reality and an alternate dimension, there’s visions of the future, and plenty more. Through following different characters at different points in the timeline, we get to experience a wide range of things across multiple locations.
Although Crossline was addictive, I wasn’t quite as crazy about it as I had hoped to be. I think a part of it was my sense of humour jarred with what we had in this one. There were a couple of things that made me smile, yet I feel as though many people would have let out laughter at plenty of other points too. Therefore, I did not find some of the things to be funny in the way they were clearly intended to be.
Despite the humour not matching with mine, the story did leave me addicted. I was curious to see how everything came together and had a lot of fun watching all the pieces come together. There were a lot of things to bring together in this one, and they were tied up well. It’s certainly a book that leaves you wanting to turn the pages through your desire to see how things play out.
Overall, Crossline was an addictive read.
With Crossline, we have a science-fiction novel that includes more aspects than you would imagine. There’s a bit of space travel, there’s an alternate reality and an alternate dimension, there’s visions of the future, and plenty more. Through following different characters at different points in the timeline, we get to experience a wide range of things across multiple locations.
Although Crossline was addictive, I wasn’t quite as crazy about it as I had hoped to be. I think a part of it was my sense of humour jarred with what we had in this one. There were a couple of things that made me smile, yet I feel as though many people would have let out laughter at plenty of other points too. Therefore, I did not find some of the things to be funny in the way they were clearly intended to be.
Despite the humour not matching with mine, the story did leave me addicted. I was curious to see how everything came together and had a lot of fun watching all the pieces come together. There were a lot of things to bring together in this one, and they were tied up well. It’s certainly a book that leaves you wanting to turn the pages through your desire to see how things play out.
Overall, Crossline was an addictive read.
May 31, 2019
I LOVED THIS BOOK. Crossline is explosive, adventurous, and addicting. I stayed up late reading it. There’s fabulous dry humor which just adds to the uniqueness while keeping in line with scifi expectations.
Russ Colchamiro writing style is brilliant. The ccolorful cast of characters are unique and relatable. The novel is fast-paced, thrilling, entertaining…I can’t say enough positive things about this book!!
I highly recommend checking Crossline. It’s light, fun, and everything I hoped it would be.
*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour with R&R Book Tours. All opinions are my own.*
Russ Colchamiro writing style is brilliant. The ccolorful cast of characters are unique and relatable. The novel is fast-paced, thrilling, entertaining…I can’t say enough positive things about this book!!
I highly recommend checking Crossline. It’s light, fun, and everything I hoped it would be.
*I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour with R&R Book Tours. All opinions are my own.*
June 26, 2017
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is an amazing adventure story revolving around the boy who was chosen to test a new spacecraft.
The story has everything from a great storyline to witty dialogues, conflicts and realistic characters but that does not make the book slow and difficult to get around but instead the author has managed to keep it exciting and fun as its really fast paced. The thoughts conveyed through this book are quite deep and worth pondering over.
I would recommend it to everyone who needs a break from the monotony of trashy over hyped novels.
This is an amazing adventure story revolving around the boy who was chosen to test a new spacecraft.
The story has everything from a great storyline to witty dialogues, conflicts and realistic characters but that does not make the book slow and difficult to get around but instead the author has managed to keep it exciting and fun as its really fast paced. The thoughts conveyed through this book are quite deep and worth pondering over.
I would recommend it to everyone who needs a break from the monotony of trashy over hyped novels.
May 19, 2017
Crossline follows the adventures of hotshot pilot Marcus Powell, who's selected to test a new type of spacecraft and winds up in a parallel universe. Full of surprises and twists and turns of fate, this trippy sci-fi tale is a compelling adventure with complex yet relatable characters. And hey look! Not all of 'em are dudes! Not that there's anything wrong with dude-led stories; I just love it when sci-fi features strong female characters, and Crossline features several kickass ladies. It was a nice bonus to a fun read. Anyway, this book drew me in from the first page and took me on a thrilling ride across space and dimensions. If you're looking for sci-fi that's off the beaten path, then this one's definitely worth a read!
March 2, 2020
This review of “Crossline,” by Russ Colchamiro, has been a little difficult for me to write. On the one hand, I found the book to be absorbing and I was unable to break away from it; on the other hand, I found certain parts of the book to be somewhat off-putting and too far out for my tastes. I initially thought this book was going to be another space opera, with the hero taking off in a prototype ship to explore the great unknown. Well, it was anything but a space opera. It was a well written story that included Native American beliefs, philosophy and just plain craziness, together with the story of two men struggling to fit into the cultures in which they found themselves.
The book starts with Marcus Powell, a pilot, preparing to take a prototype spaceship on its virgin flight. The ship is made with tritanium shielding, which weighs only 1/100th the weight of titanium, but is ten times as strong, and is equipped with warp thrusters that should propel him through space at a speed seven times the speed of light. However, the scientists haven’t figured out yet how to make the warp thrusters last longer than 54 seconds. The ship was engineered and built by Taurus Enterprises, a huge conglomerate owned and run by H. R. “Buddy” Rheams.
Without giving away any spoilers, Buddy Rheams appeared in the late 1950s and early 1960s, seemingly out of nowhere. His oil company quickly grew and expanded into other venues, until by the time of this story, it was a huge conglomerate with operations in medical, science, engineering and other fields; opening and supporting schools and museums; as well as other philanthropic endeavors. Buddy’s corporation, Taurus Enterprises, was responsible for the development of tritanium; for developing a new source of energy that doesn’t rely on oil and gas; and of course, the warp drive and the rocket ship that Powell was testing.
Powell was only supposed to use the warp thrusters once and then return to Earth. However, once he had made the first jump, he thought about a recent conversation he had with Buddy Rheams, in which Buddy expressed that if he were a younger man, he would probably, accidentally on purpose, chase the stars as far as they go. Powell couldn’t resist taking further jumps. Unknown to him, there was a destruct mechanism placed on his ship and Houston Taurus Enterprises had control of the destruct button. Once he reached Saturn’s rings, he decided he had gone far enough and advised that he was setting the coordinates to return to Earth. But before he could initiate the first warp, a blip showed up in his screen; there was another ship out there!
This is a well-written story, with excellent character development and detailed descriptions. The world building has been done really well. In all, I would highly recommend this book to those who like their science fiction mixed with philosophical content.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The book starts with Marcus Powell, a pilot, preparing to take a prototype spaceship on its virgin flight. The ship is made with tritanium shielding, which weighs only 1/100th the weight of titanium, but is ten times as strong, and is equipped with warp thrusters that should propel him through space at a speed seven times the speed of light. However, the scientists haven’t figured out yet how to make the warp thrusters last longer than 54 seconds. The ship was engineered and built by Taurus Enterprises, a huge conglomerate owned and run by H. R. “Buddy” Rheams.
Without giving away any spoilers, Buddy Rheams appeared in the late 1950s and early 1960s, seemingly out of nowhere. His oil company quickly grew and expanded into other venues, until by the time of this story, it was a huge conglomerate with operations in medical, science, engineering and other fields; opening and supporting schools and museums; as well as other philanthropic endeavors. Buddy’s corporation, Taurus Enterprises, was responsible for the development of tritanium; for developing a new source of energy that doesn’t rely on oil and gas; and of course, the warp drive and the rocket ship that Powell was testing.
Powell was only supposed to use the warp thrusters once and then return to Earth. However, once he had made the first jump, he thought about a recent conversation he had with Buddy Rheams, in which Buddy expressed that if he were a younger man, he would probably, accidentally on purpose, chase the stars as far as they go. Powell couldn’t resist taking further jumps. Unknown to him, there was a destruct mechanism placed on his ship and Houston Taurus Enterprises had control of the destruct button. Once he reached Saturn’s rings, he decided he had gone far enough and advised that he was setting the coordinates to return to Earth. But before he could initiate the first warp, a blip showed up in his screen; there was another ship out there!
This is a well-written story, with excellent character development and detailed descriptions. The world building has been done really well. In all, I would highly recommend this book to those who like their science fiction mixed with philosophical content.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 1, 2020
Pilot Marcus Powell is chosen to test Taurus Enterprises' Crossline prototype craft and its new design warp thrusters. But somehow his craft is forced into a parallel universe where he ends up in a huge battle. But something else is going on here. The Taurus CEO, Buddy Rheams Jr., who sent Powell on this mission, has a secret agenda and it might keep Powell from being able to come home again!
I enjoyed the smooth writing style of the author and Marcus Powell was my favorite kind of character with his skill, courage, and humor. The secondary characters were also well-depicted and integrated perfectly in the story line. The fast pacing worked well with the events occurring throughout the story, keeping the reader “pumped up” and excited at where the story would plunge next. Grab your copy and enjoy the thrill and danger – you’re in excellent hands with Marcus piloting (maybe)!
I enjoyed the smooth writing style of the author and Marcus Powell was my favorite kind of character with his skill, courage, and humor. The secondary characters were also well-depicted and integrated perfectly in the story line. The fast pacing worked well with the events occurring throughout the story, keeping the reader “pumped up” and excited at where the story would plunge next. Grab your copy and enjoy the thrill and danger – you’re in excellent hands with Marcus piloting (maybe)!
December 17, 2019
Received as review copy, this an honest review. While testing out an experimental craft, pilot Marcus Powell decides to push its limits by pushing the warp thrusters to the max. When he decides to return, he encounters an unknown craft that draws him into following the ship to a world that feels like home. Marcus soon finds himself drawn into the complex, ongoing war between the two factions of people upon the parallel Earth. All he wants is to get back home, but that may not be easy thing to accomplish. A wonderful, time travel adventure. Highly recommended.
November 25, 2020
A solid sci-fi story with interesting characters, good dialog (which seems somewhat rare), and some humor to boot. It's also quite engaging, and I felt pretty satisfied at the end. This might be a hidden gem since it's been out since 2013, but doesn't yet have a large number of reviews. Recommended.
I really appreciate the review copy!!
I really appreciate the review copy!!
March 5, 2020
What a crazy plot full of intrigue and action.
Crossline has it all, filled with characters with great personalities that are diverse and unique in their own ways. I love the way all of them have qualities that appeal to the reader. They are complex, yet easy to understand in their motives and actions.
Russ Colchamiro brings us edge of the seat action that keeps you turning the pages. There is plenty on the line in this one and I was hooked!
Crossline has it all, filled with characters with great personalities that are diverse and unique in their own ways. I love the way all of them have qualities that appeal to the reader. They are complex, yet easy to understand in their motives and actions.
Russ Colchamiro brings us edge of the seat action that keeps you turning the pages. There is plenty on the line in this one and I was hooked!
December 4, 2013
A scintillating sci-fi full of remarkable imaginative vision and humorous clichés!
Once you have crossed the line can you ever go back?I myself am trapped in an extraordinary parallel universe; a mirror image of another world that’s linked through time and space. With flashes of brilliance {akin to Doctor Who}, Russ Colchamiro remains true to the typical science-fiction genre while adding a sprinkling of satirical humor. In parts I felt like I was experiencing an epic Star Wars novel being read to me by T. Pratchett {the true master of outlandish wit}, and yet the author’s distinctive style shone through.
Crossline is a highly readable, explosive out-of-this-world adventure in space that keeps you sat in suspense. I loved the dry humor and ‘light’ tone to the story, which essentially I would call a sci-fi comedy, containing a cast of colourful characters who are individually unforgettable in their own way. Fabulously fun and fast-paced this thrilling, riveting read brings life exploring the universe in spaceships vividly to life on the page.
I would highly recommend this to avid readers of the genre including those ‘hard-core’ fans of science fiction, although I would heed caution, as there are some spiritual elements to Russ’ book. Crossline is a story that lingers within your mind long after being read, which I feel is a definitive sure-fire sign of a sensational story! This space adventure
{about a space pilot getting forced through a wormhole and into a parallel universe}is a light, enjoyable entertaining read; hence I shall be seeking out more of this author’s work in the future.
{Note - contains some strong language and intense situations. Not for young readers}.
*I won a copy of Russ Colchamiro’s novel ‘Crossline’ through a Goodreads, first-read book giveaway *
Once you have crossed the line can you ever go back?I myself am trapped in an extraordinary parallel universe; a mirror image of another world that’s linked through time and space. With flashes of brilliance {akin to Doctor Who}, Russ Colchamiro remains true to the typical science-fiction genre while adding a sprinkling of satirical humor. In parts I felt like I was experiencing an epic Star Wars novel being read to me by T. Pratchett {the true master of outlandish wit}, and yet the author’s distinctive style shone through.
Crossline is a highly readable, explosive out-of-this-world adventure in space that keeps you sat in suspense. I loved the dry humor and ‘light’ tone to the story, which essentially I would call a sci-fi comedy, containing a cast of colourful characters who are individually unforgettable in their own way. Fabulously fun and fast-paced this thrilling, riveting read brings life exploring the universe in spaceships vividly to life on the page.
I would highly recommend this to avid readers of the genre including those ‘hard-core’ fans of science fiction, although I would heed caution, as there are some spiritual elements to Russ’ book. Crossline is a story that lingers within your mind long after being read, which I feel is a definitive sure-fire sign of a sensational story! This space adventure
{about a space pilot getting forced through a wormhole and into a parallel universe}is a light, enjoyable entertaining read; hence I shall be seeking out more of this author’s work in the future.
{Note - contains some strong language and intense situations. Not for young readers}.
*I won a copy of Russ Colchamiro’s novel ‘Crossline’ through a Goodreads, first-read book giveaway *
April 2, 2013
I'm generally not a sci-fi reader, but Colchamiro won me over a couple of years ago with his hilarious debut Finders Keepers.
Still, I was curious to see if could do it again.
He did.
Not as overtly comical as Finders Keepers, Crossline is a trippy space adventure about a space pilot getting forced through a wormhole and into a parallel universe. And once he gets there, all hell breaks loose.
Rest assured, Colchamiro fills the plot with action -- and yes, loads of humor.
But with Crossline he raises the stakes. His lead character, Marcus Powell, is the reluctant hero, who doesn't want to accept that the people on Aretha -- this alternate Earth -- deem him their savior, sent to find an end to a civil war that's been ripping them apart.
This is not Avatar. Crossline is fun -- a classic page-turner that kept me guessing the whole way. Colchamiro has this natural talent for putting you right in the cockpit with the pilot.
And as with his first book, the dialogue really gets you. Even though the storyline has an 'epic' scope, it's also quite personal, with characters who feel real and alive.
Any author who can get a reader like me to buy into a sci-fi concept has got some game.
With Crossline, Russ Colchamiro is two for two.
Still, I was curious to see if could do it again.
He did.
Not as overtly comical as Finders Keepers, Crossline is a trippy space adventure about a space pilot getting forced through a wormhole and into a parallel universe. And once he gets there, all hell breaks loose.
Rest assured, Colchamiro fills the plot with action -- and yes, loads of humor.
But with Crossline he raises the stakes. His lead character, Marcus Powell, is the reluctant hero, who doesn't want to accept that the people on Aretha -- this alternate Earth -- deem him their savior, sent to find an end to a civil war that's been ripping them apart.
This is not Avatar. Crossline is fun -- a classic page-turner that kept me guessing the whole way. Colchamiro has this natural talent for putting you right in the cockpit with the pilot.
And as with his first book, the dialogue really gets you. Even though the storyline has an 'epic' scope, it's also quite personal, with characters who feel real and alive.
Any author who can get a reader like me to buy into a sci-fi concept has got some game.
With Crossline, Russ Colchamiro is two for two.
March 2, 2020
This is a sci-fi with plenty of comic relief. I loved those aspects of this book, it kept it light and fun. There wasn't much too serious and dark about this, it was more light than a lot of sci-fi's I've read.
Above all else, this was a unique read for me.
I loved the excitement of will they, wont they and how will they return.
Wonderful story!
Above all else, this was a unique read for me.
I loved the excitement of will they, wont they and how will they return.
Wonderful story!
May 28, 2019
In this unpredictable Sci-Fi by Russ Colchamiro, star pilot Marcus Powell is about to make history. He is testing out Taurus Corporation’s new warp thrusters, hopefully allowing him to travel through space at warp speed…Or which may simply blow up, destroying both the multibillion-dollar technology as well as pulverizing his body. But Powell is a risk taker. Leaving his wife and 5-year-old daughter back on Earth, Powell takes the leap, literally. Leaping through space, disobeying direct orders from Tower Command, Powell finds himself among the rings of Saturn, where he finds another ship just like his. What does this mean? As Powell follows this mystery ship, nothing will ever be the same for him again. Caught up in an unfamiliar war, can Powell do what he must to survive in order to get back to his girls on Earth?
Beginning this novel, I was expecting it to go an entirely different way, with the classic Star-Wars-esque intergalactic fighting and aliens and the like. However, Crossline definitely took an unfamiliar turn! Rather than wearing out the already over-done classic space opera plot, this novel decided to dive into a much more philosophical and thought-provoking time-travel story. It seemed that with every chapter, a new mind-blowing idea popped up! There’s time-travel, a sort of telepathy between characters, alternate universes, magic muffins, an idealistic war, and newfangled technology. This novel was chock-full of craziness!
Regarding the writing style of the novel itself, it is extremely detailed and descriptive. In fact, it was almost a bit too descriptive for me, but I tend to like more plot movement rather than description in my books. There was a lot of onomatopoeia and somewhat overdone descriptions of various experiences that each of the characters went through, but this did definitely fully immerse me into the story itself. I felt as if I could not only see what was happening, but also feel and hear all the surroundings. Along this same note, there was a lot of character building, as we were able to glimpse into the pasts of various characters and see previous events that occurred to them, shaping their personality and mentality. One thing that bothered me with the writing style was that there was a LOT of very short, choppy sentence chunks at multiple points in the book. I don’t know if I’m just a picky reader or what, but each time I came across these, it would unceremoniously throw me out of the book. It especially occurred during long segments of dialogue. I also did not particularly enjoy the parts of the book in which Jesse spoke, because for one, it simply slowed down my reading, as I tried to figure out what exactly she was saying. But also, most 5-year-olds I know can speak much better than that, and so it was not very realistic, linguistically speaking.
The characters themselves were very quippy, with several one-liners that got a hearty chuckle out of me. I liked that there were multiple POVs throughout the book so that we could more deeply connect with each of the characters, rather than just Powell. I especially enjoyed Buddy’s POV (though I do think it went on a little too long, was a little too detailed) and getting to know this “unique” character. One thing that I did not quite understand about the characters, however, was each of their unnecessary identity crises. IT seems that every single one of the characters were fighting with themselves about who they should be and who they actually were. Additionally, I think this made them have weird interactions with the rest of the characters, and they all tended to get mad at each other for random reasons that I could not discern. To me it was a bit annoying and made the characters less likeable. But they definitely had their redeeming qualities as well!
One particular aspect of this novel that I found fascinating was the bit of Native American folklore interspersed. This becomes more obvious near the end of the book, but it was interesting to learn a bit more about that culture and see how it influenced the characters. It was also interesting with the kind of magic embedded in the story. I am not sure if I enjoyed that aspect or not yet, I am still processing. I think it may have been better just to have had the time travel and alternate universes rather than ALSO including magic muffins and telepathy and a small child being able to control people, but it definitely gave a unique spin to the book!
Overall, this was a good read to stretch my mind out a bit. It was unpredictable, original, and contained a fair bit of crazy within its pages. Definitely an entertaining read, less for those looking for a realistic, emotional read; best for someone who just wants a bit of sci-fi and mind-blowing while on vacation or just before bed!
Beginning this novel, I was expecting it to go an entirely different way, with the classic Star-Wars-esque intergalactic fighting and aliens and the like. However, Crossline definitely took an unfamiliar turn! Rather than wearing out the already over-done classic space opera plot, this novel decided to dive into a much more philosophical and thought-provoking time-travel story. It seemed that with every chapter, a new mind-blowing idea popped up! There’s time-travel, a sort of telepathy between characters, alternate universes, magic muffins, an idealistic war, and newfangled technology. This novel was chock-full of craziness!
Regarding the writing style of the novel itself, it is extremely detailed and descriptive. In fact, it was almost a bit too descriptive for me, but I tend to like more plot movement rather than description in my books. There was a lot of onomatopoeia and somewhat overdone descriptions of various experiences that each of the characters went through, but this did definitely fully immerse me into the story itself. I felt as if I could not only see what was happening, but also feel and hear all the surroundings. Along this same note, there was a lot of character building, as we were able to glimpse into the pasts of various characters and see previous events that occurred to them, shaping their personality and mentality. One thing that bothered me with the writing style was that there was a LOT of very short, choppy sentence chunks at multiple points in the book. I don’t know if I’m just a picky reader or what, but each time I came across these, it would unceremoniously throw me out of the book. It especially occurred during long segments of dialogue. I also did not particularly enjoy the parts of the book in which Jesse spoke, because for one, it simply slowed down my reading, as I tried to figure out what exactly she was saying. But also, most 5-year-olds I know can speak much better than that, and so it was not very realistic, linguistically speaking.
The characters themselves were very quippy, with several one-liners that got a hearty chuckle out of me. I liked that there were multiple POVs throughout the book so that we could more deeply connect with each of the characters, rather than just Powell. I especially enjoyed Buddy’s POV (though I do think it went on a little too long, was a little too detailed) and getting to know this “unique” character. One thing that I did not quite understand about the characters, however, was each of their unnecessary identity crises. IT seems that every single one of the characters were fighting with themselves about who they should be and who they actually were. Additionally, I think this made them have weird interactions with the rest of the characters, and they all tended to get mad at each other for random reasons that I could not discern. To me it was a bit annoying and made the characters less likeable. But they definitely had their redeeming qualities as well!
One particular aspect of this novel that I found fascinating was the bit of Native American folklore interspersed. This becomes more obvious near the end of the book, but it was interesting to learn a bit more about that culture and see how it influenced the characters. It was also interesting with the kind of magic embedded in the story. I am not sure if I enjoyed that aspect or not yet, I am still processing. I think it may have been better just to have had the time travel and alternate universes rather than ALSO including magic muffins and telepathy and a small child being able to control people, but it definitely gave a unique spin to the book!
Overall, this was a good read to stretch my mind out a bit. It was unpredictable, original, and contained a fair bit of crazy within its pages. Definitely an entertaining read, less for those looking for a realistic, emotional read; best for someone who just wants a bit of sci-fi and mind-blowing while on vacation or just before bed!
March 12, 2019
Crossline attempts to tackle the complexities of time, space, and alternate dimensions. Neither of the two Earths are our own, so the author takes liberties with both, imagining the what-ifs and throwing not one, but two dimension travelers into the mix.
The story starts off strong from a sci-fi perspective by launching us into space along with Powell, but for me, I didn’t really get engaged until we shift to Buddy’s story, and oh, what a story that is! It’s one of those cases where I develop a favorite character early on, and then whenever time is spent on someone else, I’m on edge until the story goes back.
I also very much enjoyed Jesse and Chandra’s story, though Jesse would be my favorite if I had to pick between them. She’s sort of the bridge that holds everything together, and the fact that she’s basically a preschooler makes it all the better. She really shines in the finale.
Oddly enough, what should have been the main draw, what happens to Powell, was where I had issues. I found certain scenes confusing and others lacking the emotion that I think they were meant to convey. Despite some intriguing and exciting parts, too many scenes in Powell’s story hop from one to the other or progress only through deus ex machina (the muffins being one example).
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, particularly the parts featuring Buddy and Powell’s wife and daughter, Chandra and Jesse. The unique blend of mystical, scientific, and hypothetical make it an interesting read.
I’d recommend this to folks who dig sci-fi with a bit of paranormal/tribal fused in. It’s a good length and worth a read!
I received the review copy of this book from the author via Lola’s Blog Tours.
The story starts off strong from a sci-fi perspective by launching us into space along with Powell, but for me, I didn’t really get engaged until we shift to Buddy’s story, and oh, what a story that is! It’s one of those cases where I develop a favorite character early on, and then whenever time is spent on someone else, I’m on edge until the story goes back.
I also very much enjoyed Jesse and Chandra’s story, though Jesse would be my favorite if I had to pick between them. She’s sort of the bridge that holds everything together, and the fact that she’s basically a preschooler makes it all the better. She really shines in the finale.
Oddly enough, what should have been the main draw, what happens to Powell, was where I had issues. I found certain scenes confusing and others lacking the emotion that I think they were meant to convey. Despite some intriguing and exciting parts, too many scenes in Powell’s story hop from one to the other or progress only through deus ex machina (the muffins being one example).
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, particularly the parts featuring Buddy and Powell’s wife and daughter, Chandra and Jesse. The unique blend of mystical, scientific, and hypothetical make it an interesting read.
I’d recommend this to folks who dig sci-fi with a bit of paranormal/tribal fused in. It’s a good length and worth a read!
I received the review copy of this book from the author via Lola’s Blog Tours.
April 29, 2020
This is a really good read. Writing style first rate, characters well defined, and consistent. Plot was also very well done and most imaginative. If you like sci-fi that comes across as both believable and scientifically accurate without boring you to death, this is it. This book is very worthwhile reading and I can't wait to read more from the author - bring it on!
November 11, 2020
An interesting read and plot. Good action sequences and character development. The author tells a great story and kept me not wanting to put it down.
December 20, 2018
Exciting sci-fi story. Had me staying up late reading!! Recommended reading
November 4, 2020
This SciFi book was quite entertaining with Wormholes providing a parallel dimension but where time flies slower than of Earth. The story is quite imaginative and overall it carried the story quite well. There were places that I felt a more detailed description could have added more context but I guess it was more of a minor irritant than a complaint.
Would recommend this book for a good read.
Would recommend this book for a good read.
May 28, 2019
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Parallel earth, mind-blowing technology, a powerful CEO, and civil war. Powell knew he would be the first to try out the warp engines as the world watched. What he didn't know is just how life changing that maiden flight would be. Buddy has hand selected Powell, and with everyone else at Taurus has everything invested in this first flight. But when things go sideways, no one except the Gods could predict where their separate yet parallel lives and worlds will end up. A page-turner til the end.
Parallel earth, mind-blowing technology, a powerful CEO, and civil war. Powell knew he would be the first to try out the warp engines as the world watched. What he didn't know is just how life changing that maiden flight would be. Buddy has hand selected Powell, and with everyone else at Taurus has everything invested in this first flight. But when things go sideways, no one except the Gods could predict where their separate yet parallel lives and worlds will end up. A page-turner til the end.
May 15, 2019
This is a highly original and entertaining science fiction novel, When Marcus Powell takes Taurus Enterprises revolutionary space vehicle ‘Crossline’ on a test-flight, he just can’t resist pushing her a bit further than he probably should have, with astounding consequences.
I enjoyed the middle of the book rather more than the first and final parts, finding the change of P.O.V. in the finale a bit abrupt. I found I identified with Buddy, and found him a really interesting character.
The climax was exciting and satisfying and I found the complex character relationships highly intriguing. If you’re looking for something a bit different to the usual space exploration novel, and a twist on the parallel universe idea, you will certainly enjoy ‘Crossline.’
I received a free copy of this book and this is an honest and this review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
June 11, 2013
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by Crossline. It's an adventurous tale of space ships and dimensional travel...of warring cultures and dopplegangers...of spirituality and technology...of the breadth of time and the power of the moment. I entered into this book expecting another comedic and trippy tale from Russ Colchamiro. What I got was much, much more.
I'm a big fan of Russ's first book, Finders Keepers, especially the wild mix of comedy and science fiction that reminded me (fondly) of Douglas Adams and Christopher Moore. Finders Keepers was very funny with just the right amount of wacky WTF? moments that I couldn't put it down. Specifically, Russ is excellent at describing the sensory overload found in a severe hallucinogenic trip, and that excellence is found again in Crossline, though this time he uses it to describe the buffet of sensory input found in warping through the solar system. Those moments come alive easily, and when combined with his ease at writing comedic dialogue, the narrative in Crossline comes alive.
In the hopes of keeping this review spoiler free, I will simply state that Crossline is - at its heart - the story of two men and what they will do for their families set in two different versions of Earth. That story is wrapped up in a multiple plots and conflicts and supporting characters, but that's the story that stuck with me the most. It's a very real question that is even more poignant to me as Father's Day approaches. What will a father do for his family? How far - how low? - will a man go to protect and love his own? Russ answers this in similar yet different manners through his two main characters, and those answers are powerful even when delivered in a comedic sci-fi wrapper.
That's a fairly heady concept, and I don't mean to imply that Crossline is a deep and brooding book. It's quite the opposite. It's funny and fast paced and takes chances when you least expect it. As with Finders Keepers, it provided me with some honest laugh out loud moments (fellatio vs. rodeo...that's all I have to say). However, more so than Finders Keepers, it poses a question answered by the two main characters that carries some depth and weight that I enjoyed.
I also want to comment on the characters found in Crossline. Russ has created a group of memorable characters to populate both Aretha and Earth. I have to admit that I enjoyed those from Aretha more (Dolores and Chill being my favorites) though I think this has more to do with their comedic relief when I needed it most. Regardless, the characters all have unique voices, personalities, and clear motivations. They live and breath and - yes - die in ways that will both entertain and move the reader.
I really enjoyed Crossline. It made me think and laugh, which is all that I can ask for from an author. I highly recommend it, and would love to hear what others think of it as well...especially if you've read Russ's first book.
I'm a big fan of Russ's first book, Finders Keepers, especially the wild mix of comedy and science fiction that reminded me (fondly) of Douglas Adams and Christopher Moore. Finders Keepers was very funny with just the right amount of wacky WTF? moments that I couldn't put it down. Specifically, Russ is excellent at describing the sensory overload found in a severe hallucinogenic trip, and that excellence is found again in Crossline, though this time he uses it to describe the buffet of sensory input found in warping through the solar system. Those moments come alive easily, and when combined with his ease at writing comedic dialogue, the narrative in Crossline comes alive.
In the hopes of keeping this review spoiler free, I will simply state that Crossline is - at its heart - the story of two men and what they will do for their families set in two different versions of Earth. That story is wrapped up in a multiple plots and conflicts and supporting characters, but that's the story that stuck with me the most. It's a very real question that is even more poignant to me as Father's Day approaches. What will a father do for his family? How far - how low? - will a man go to protect and love his own? Russ answers this in similar yet different manners through his two main characters, and those answers are powerful even when delivered in a comedic sci-fi wrapper.
That's a fairly heady concept, and I don't mean to imply that Crossline is a deep and brooding book. It's quite the opposite. It's funny and fast paced and takes chances when you least expect it. As with Finders Keepers, it provided me with some honest laugh out loud moments (fellatio vs. rodeo...that's all I have to say). However, more so than Finders Keepers, it poses a question answered by the two main characters that carries some depth and weight that I enjoyed.
I also want to comment on the characters found in Crossline. Russ has created a group of memorable characters to populate both Aretha and Earth. I have to admit that I enjoyed those from Aretha more (Dolores and Chill being my favorites) though I think this has more to do with their comedic relief when I needed it most. Regardless, the characters all have unique voices, personalities, and clear motivations. They live and breath and - yes - die in ways that will both entertain and move the reader.
I really enjoyed Crossline. It made me think and laugh, which is all that I can ask for from an author. I highly recommend it, and would love to hear what others think of it as well...especially if you've read Russ's first book.
July 26, 2013
When I first picked up Crossline, I was expecting a fun, fast-paced lark of a time-travel adventure story. What I was not expecting was an unbelievably rich cacophony of characters, a deeply intricate plot, and some of the wittiest, realistic dialogue I’ve read in a long while. The sheer magnitude of crafting this story must have taken just blows me away––and that doesn’t happen often.
CrosslineThe story starts quite simply: enter Marcus Powell, pilot of the new and highly anticipated Crossline spaceship, which is capable of warp speed. He has a wife, a daughter, and a bright future ahead of him as the world’s newest Neil Armstrong, paving a new path for mankind and space exploration. But he gets giddy and reckless, and does one space jump too many. Falls into a wormhole, into a mirror dimension of our own universe. And then, he has to find a way to get back. This is the story at its simplest.
However, it is the how and the why that really brings the story to life. Colchamiro’s cast of over twenty characters fill the pages with humanity, in its ugliest and most beautiful forms. The author’s use of the past, present and future is seamless (except for a minor thing that bugged me throughout the whole book in terms of formatting– the first page says “Present Day” and at no point, later in the book, is time denoted in a heading again… small point, I know. But I kept expecting it.) Almost everything in the book had purpose––meaning to the whole. I found I really liked most of the characters, even when I knew I shouldn’t. One of the most powerful moments in the book (which I won’t spoil) is so heart-rendering that I knew then I wanted to give this book five stars. I’m very happy I can finish the book, giving it what I wanted to.
The story has high re-readability, which is really important to me, and the ending is in keeping with the rest of the book. Some of it was a little overplayed (too neat), some of the characters seemed like they could have been cut, but overall, this was a stellar read and is definitely worth a look. Hardcore science fiction fans should be aware that Crossline straddles the line between science and spirituality sometimes, and both of the spiritual characters, at times, are pretty stereotypical, but these things can all be forgiven, I think, because of the overall quality of the book.
Perhaps, if I had to sum it up — Crossline lingers once finished. The characters, and all that they’ve gone through, stick with you, and that, if nothing else, is the mark of a story well-written. Excellent read.
CrosslineThe story starts quite simply: enter Marcus Powell, pilot of the new and highly anticipated Crossline spaceship, which is capable of warp speed. He has a wife, a daughter, and a bright future ahead of him as the world’s newest Neil Armstrong, paving a new path for mankind and space exploration. But he gets giddy and reckless, and does one space jump too many. Falls into a wormhole, into a mirror dimension of our own universe. And then, he has to find a way to get back. This is the story at its simplest.
However, it is the how and the why that really brings the story to life. Colchamiro’s cast of over twenty characters fill the pages with humanity, in its ugliest and most beautiful forms. The author’s use of the past, present and future is seamless (except for a minor thing that bugged me throughout the whole book in terms of formatting– the first page says “Present Day” and at no point, later in the book, is time denoted in a heading again… small point, I know. But I kept expecting it.) Almost everything in the book had purpose––meaning to the whole. I found I really liked most of the characters, even when I knew I shouldn’t. One of the most powerful moments in the book (which I won’t spoil) is so heart-rendering that I knew then I wanted to give this book five stars. I’m very happy I can finish the book, giving it what I wanted to.
The story has high re-readability, which is really important to me, and the ending is in keeping with the rest of the book. Some of it was a little overplayed (too neat), some of the characters seemed like they could have been cut, but overall, this was a stellar read and is definitely worth a look. Hardcore science fiction fans should be aware that Crossline straddles the line between science and spirituality sometimes, and both of the spiritual characters, at times, are pretty stereotypical, but these things can all be forgiven, I think, because of the overall quality of the book.
Perhaps, if I had to sum it up — Crossline lingers once finished. The characters, and all that they’ve gone through, stick with you, and that, if nothing else, is the mark of a story well-written. Excellent read.
January 8, 2014
Sitting down with Colchamiro’s Crossline I was expecting a rollicking Sci-Fi adventure. In reality Crossline is more than that. Yes, it is certainly, primarily a Science-Fiction novel. But, carefully blended into the mix are elements of spirituality, humor and even some tense, dark situations. Does it work? Yes, for the main part. There are a couple of ever so slight niggles I had, but we’ll get to those.
Crossline starts in the present day as we meet Marcus Powell, pilot of the most advanced spacecraft known to man. Powell is dispatched into space after being selected to pilot the craft by Taurus Enterprises CEO, Buddy Rheams, Jr. As you could probably guess, things don’t exactly go to plan and Powell ends up flying through a wormhole and crash-landing on a distant planet, known as Aretha.
After some initial, understandable confusion over the planet’s uncanny likeness to Earth, it emerges that Powell is something of a chosen one, and he has a huge part to play in its ongoing civil war.
Rewind…To the rise of Buddy Rheams, Jr.
Around a quarter of the way in we are taken back 50 years to discover the circumstances behind Buddy’s rise to CEO of Taurus Enterprises. It’s here I must admit the story really picked up for me – and I was already enjoying it. This portion of the story is by far the strongest and I could quite easily have read a whole novel based on Buddy alone. Then again, I am a sucker for an anti-hero. The situations are definitely thought provoking and successfully led me to consider if I myself would have acted any differently to Buddy. Would I? Let’s not go there.
Without heaping in the spoilers, the story weaves its way back to the present day where Colchamiro succeeds in closing out the story in both a clever and original way – With a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
As for the negatives, there is nothing that hugely detracts from the story. Colchamiro’s style of inserting sound effects grated on me slightly, but this was pretty much restricted to the first portion of the novel. Otherwise, I’m not sure that the darker scenes – in particular Riva at Maria’s and the scene at Olivia’s rescue attempt, were needed or merged that comfortably with the rest of the novel.
Don’t that let stop you from picking up Crossline anytime soon though. Colchamiro has produced a thoroughly entertaining read and I’ll certainly be looking forward to the rumoured sequel.
Crossline starts in the present day as we meet Marcus Powell, pilot of the most advanced spacecraft known to man. Powell is dispatched into space after being selected to pilot the craft by Taurus Enterprises CEO, Buddy Rheams, Jr. As you could probably guess, things don’t exactly go to plan and Powell ends up flying through a wormhole and crash-landing on a distant planet, known as Aretha.
After some initial, understandable confusion over the planet’s uncanny likeness to Earth, it emerges that Powell is something of a chosen one, and he has a huge part to play in its ongoing civil war.
Rewind…To the rise of Buddy Rheams, Jr.
Around a quarter of the way in we are taken back 50 years to discover the circumstances behind Buddy’s rise to CEO of Taurus Enterprises. It’s here I must admit the story really picked up for me – and I was already enjoying it. This portion of the story is by far the strongest and I could quite easily have read a whole novel based on Buddy alone. Then again, I am a sucker for an anti-hero. The situations are definitely thought provoking and successfully led me to consider if I myself would have acted any differently to Buddy. Would I? Let’s not go there.
Without heaping in the spoilers, the story weaves its way back to the present day where Colchamiro succeeds in closing out the story in both a clever and original way – With a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
As for the negatives, there is nothing that hugely detracts from the story. Colchamiro’s style of inserting sound effects grated on me slightly, but this was pretty much restricted to the first portion of the novel. Otherwise, I’m not sure that the darker scenes – in particular Riva at Maria’s and the scene at Olivia’s rescue attempt, were needed or merged that comfortably with the rest of the novel.
Don’t that let stop you from picking up Crossline anytime soon though. Colchamiro has produced a thoroughly entertaining read and I’ll certainly be looking forward to the rumoured sequel.
January 21, 2014
Seeing as it's a whole new year and everything, I decided to start 2014 off on a new note for myself. While I have always been a fan of science fiction and fantasy, I can honestly say that it's been a long time since I read something that is firmly planted in the realm of science fiction.
When Russ Colchamiro asked if I would read and review Crossline, I almost turned him down, but something about this story intrigued me into agreeing. I am incredibly happy that I trusted my gut about it. In just a few short chapters, I was hooked.
The tale in Crossline is simple, but complex. An oxymoron, I know, but it makes sense. At the heart of all the wormhole, space travel, and alternate reality complexities, is a simple tale of two men and their struggle to get home.
Colchamiro takes his readers from world to world and even into the past to tell this story. Marcus Powell takes off in a ship in the modern time to test a new technology in space only to end up going through a wormhole and into a world that ends up being almost a fun-house mirror reflection of the world he left. Marcus finds himself stranded in a world that is at war with itself - but it's a strangely familiar world. But it seems as though this was where that space flight was meant to end up when prophets and prophecies proclaim he was destined to arrive.
Meanwhile back on Earth, the man who sent Marcus on that flight has a mysterious past and an agenda all his own. These two brave men and their tales are a fascinating glimpse into the human psyche. What would you do if you found yourself stranded not just across a the world from your loved ones and people, but stranded on a whole different world? And the women in this story? They may not be the title characters, but their strength and resolve seem to be what pushes the men to do what they must to find their ways.
Crossline takes the reader on a roller-coaster of hope, fear, wonder and joy, but at the end of the ride, you're more than willing to get right back on.
Colchamiro has re-introduced me to my love of true sci-fi - the sci-fi of my childhood - of Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly and all those other things people say can never happen, but I know just might.
When Russ Colchamiro asked if I would read and review Crossline, I almost turned him down, but something about this story intrigued me into agreeing. I am incredibly happy that I trusted my gut about it. In just a few short chapters, I was hooked.
The tale in Crossline is simple, but complex. An oxymoron, I know, but it makes sense. At the heart of all the wormhole, space travel, and alternate reality complexities, is a simple tale of two men and their struggle to get home.
Colchamiro takes his readers from world to world and even into the past to tell this story. Marcus Powell takes off in a ship in the modern time to test a new technology in space only to end up going through a wormhole and into a world that ends up being almost a fun-house mirror reflection of the world he left. Marcus finds himself stranded in a world that is at war with itself - but it's a strangely familiar world. But it seems as though this was where that space flight was meant to end up when prophets and prophecies proclaim he was destined to arrive.
Meanwhile back on Earth, the man who sent Marcus on that flight has a mysterious past and an agenda all his own. These two brave men and their tales are a fascinating glimpse into the human psyche. What would you do if you found yourself stranded not just across a the world from your loved ones and people, but stranded on a whole different world? And the women in this story? They may not be the title characters, but their strength and resolve seem to be what pushes the men to do what they must to find their ways.
Crossline takes the reader on a roller-coaster of hope, fear, wonder and joy, but at the end of the ride, you're more than willing to get right back on.
Colchamiro has re-introduced me to my love of true sci-fi - the sci-fi of my childhood - of Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly and all those other things people say can never happen, but I know just might.
September 3, 2013
Hold onto your hats sci-fi lovers. Crossline is a fantastic epic, with many memorable characters. In fact, it's convinced me that my work-in-progress needs lots more. I now have Russ to thank for all the late nights that's going to generate.
The story starts when Marcus Powell sets out to fly Crossline, the most powerful, elegant, and sophisticated spacecraft known to man. The engines, based on the Hunsucker's relative isolation theory of quantum physics, propels him through space at seven times the speed of light. Yikes!
The engine works, but that's where the problems start. I won't spoil any of the story, and leave it to you to follow the twists and turns. Lets just say the story comes full-circle - or is it a figure of eight - and propels the reader along at a rate not far short of the speed of light.
I forgot to mention, whilst Crossline is not overtly a comical novel, some of the scenes are hilarious due to the characters involved. Watch out for...oh, just read it for yourself!
The story starts when Marcus Powell sets out to fly Crossline, the most powerful, elegant, and sophisticated spacecraft known to man. The engines, based on the Hunsucker's relative isolation theory of quantum physics, propels him through space at seven times the speed of light. Yikes!
The engine works, but that's where the problems start. I won't spoil any of the story, and leave it to you to follow the twists and turns. Lets just say the story comes full-circle - or is it a figure of eight - and propels the reader along at a rate not far short of the speed of light.
I forgot to mention, whilst Crossline is not overtly a comical novel, some of the scenes are hilarious due to the characters involved. Watch out for...oh, just read it for yourself!
January 11, 2014
Full review at http://atg-reviews.com/books-and-comi...
I didn’t have the highest of expectations for Crossline when I first heard about it. A guy flying a new spaceship through a wormhole didn’t really pique my interest. Needless to say, not since I had negatively prejudged Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus could I have been more wrong.
Colchamiro manages to keep his satire entertaining, while telling a very compelling story. His cast of characters, large for a 300 page book, are not only easy to laugh with, but they’re also very empathetic, and they come with a diverse range of personalities, flaws, morals, and quirks. The story also gets a lot more depth from asking pertinent questions about fate, freewill, and responsibility along with asking the question, how far will you go to protect your family?
Highly recommended, Crossline is an overachieving underdog – a space opera that’s often light hearted and humorous, but also provokes some thoughtful questions about the world we live in.
I didn’t have the highest of expectations for Crossline when I first heard about it. A guy flying a new spaceship through a wormhole didn’t really pique my interest. Needless to say, not since I had negatively prejudged Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus could I have been more wrong.
Colchamiro manages to keep his satire entertaining, while telling a very compelling story. His cast of characters, large for a 300 page book, are not only easy to laugh with, but they’re also very empathetic, and they come with a diverse range of personalities, flaws, morals, and quirks. The story also gets a lot more depth from asking pertinent questions about fate, freewill, and responsibility along with asking the question, how far will you go to protect your family?
Highly recommended, Crossline is an overachieving underdog – a space opera that’s often light hearted and humorous, but also provokes some thoughtful questions about the world we live in.
April 4, 2019
Crossline starts out with a literal bang (the launch of a nuclear powered space ship) and doesn’t let up. It’s pace begins with a sprint that sometimes slows to a fast walk, but never comes to a complete stop. I’ve read some of Russ’s stuff before, short stories mostly, so Crossline is really my first introduction to his long form prose. I was charmed by his stylistic choices—he often employs onomatopoeia like a comic book (for example: describing Marcus Powell’s frantic heartbeat propelled by the excitement of FTL travel as KOONG-KUNG… KOONG KUNG…) , and his use of repetition and callbacks creates a rhythm that enhances that slightly frenetic pacing I was just talking about. Russ is also great at snappy dialogue and his imagery is vivid, his world-building sharp.
Entertaining and the complete opposite of boring, Crossline will sink it’s hooks in you at the first page and hurl you Faster-than-light to the end. Hang on tight for this exciting ride!
Entertaining and the complete opposite of boring, Crossline will sink it’s hooks in you at the first page and hurl you Faster-than-light to the end. Hang on tight for this exciting ride!
March 30, 2019
★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Marcus Powell is a test pilot -- not something you think about much anymore, but SF and adventure tales have started with them long enough to strike a classic chord. You're instantly put into a certain frame of mind -- and then when you see he's on the launching pad, well, it almost guarantees a good time. Since he hits space very early on in the book, you know things are going to get interesting right away.
Because the next thing you know, he's zipping around the outer parts of our solar system and then he finds himself in a parallel universe on a world that's remarkably like our own -- yet is very different. Thankfully the language -- and slang -- is largely interchangeable so Powell can get along just fine. But the differences are very striking and could get him in serious trouble/danger.
Back on Earth -- as Powell is bouncing around that other planet, we get to meet a pilot from the parallel world that came to Earth. As much as this is Powell's book, I found this guy a lot more interesting -- but we get his story told mostly in summary form, while Powell's is told to us in much more detail. So you'd expect that he'd be the one that readers get into. Now, I do -- Powell's a great character, and if we didn't get the other pilot's story, I'd have been very content to read about him.
While Powell runs around that other planet, trying to figure out how to get home we get to see the societal turmoil that covers the North America-ish place. We meet a wise man who has visions, some dedicated warrior women (and men), an incredibly creative baker, and a disturbed killer. You know, the usual. As Powell aligns himself with one warring faction, he finds himself in a different kind of danger than he's used to as he tries to find his way home. On Earth, the danger is largely off-screen and the battles take place in the boardroom and the weapons are money and influence. While Powell has to deal with explosives, bullets and knives. Both types of warfare can result in fatalities
On Earth, we also see what goes on with Powell's wife and daughter as they deal with Powell's absence. His wife was less than supportive before he launched, and that's haunting her. His daughter, who shares something in common with the wiseman on that other world, never loses hope. It's hard to know if that's because she's young and naive (5 or so) or if it's because she knows more than you'd expect. I had more fun reading about Powell's daughter than I have with pretty much any character this month, she's simply a delight. The granddaughter of a Native American seer (of sorts), this little girl knows things she shouldn't anf has a certainty about things she has no business knowing about. She's the embodiment of precocious, basically. Her mother is a caring and very outspoken teacher, the two of them together make a formidable team.
Everywhere you turn, the motivation driving the characters is family -- protecting, avenging, trying ot live a life worthy of them, trying to hold on to, trying to get back to, trying to provide for . . . This is at once an incredibly believable driving force for a character, and incredibly relatable one. It's a great way to get your reader on the side of every major character. It's easy to forget the human element in a SF adventure -- the advanced science, the fantastic technology, the wormhole creation, etc. can easily become the focus. But Colchamiro doesn't let that happen, what keeps his characters moving, what keeps them going on -- it's all realatably human.
I'll admit, I don't think I got all of the mystical/spiritual/supernatural aspects that Colchamiro brought to the table. I think that's largely on me, and there are going to be readers who love that part (and I thought it an interesting approach to take_. Similarly, there's a little plot element makes no sense to me at all. It's brought up early on when Powell launches that is returned to a couple of times, and then comes back in a pretty serious fashion in the closing pages, and drives the last action scene. It could be cut entirely and make no difference to anything (except the aforementioned action scene would have no justification and would have to be cut -- which would be an improvement). There's no reason for it, it doesn't help the characters or the plot at all. Maybe it played a decent role in an earlier draft, but not now. Here's the nice thing about it -- it's so extraneous that you can just ignore it and the story doesn't suffer at all. I'm being vague here, I know. My point is (or it was supposed to be) is that there are some problematic parts of the book -- but there's enough right going on here that it doesn't matter.
That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had plenty of fun with it. Colchamiro kept things moving well, he surprised me a couple of times and got me grinning and cheering. I found myself very invested in what happened with both pilots and wanted them to find what they're looking for. Strong action, strong characters, a compelling take on the multiple worlds idea -- and a whole lotta fun throughout. I can't point to every part of this book that makes it appealing -- most of it is in the intangibles. As frustrating as that might be when writing about a book, while reading it? It's hard to ask for more.
--
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author and Lola's Book Tours, which I appreciate. The opinions expressed are my own -- especially the seventh paragraph.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Marcus Powell is a test pilot -- not something you think about much anymore, but SF and adventure tales have started with them long enough to strike a classic chord. You're instantly put into a certain frame of mind -- and then when you see he's on the launching pad, well, it almost guarantees a good time. Since he hits space very early on in the book, you know things are going to get interesting right away.
Because the next thing you know, he's zipping around the outer parts of our solar system and then he finds himself in a parallel universe on a world that's remarkably like our own -- yet is very different. Thankfully the language -- and slang -- is largely interchangeable so Powell can get along just fine. But the differences are very striking and could get him in serious trouble/danger.
Back on Earth -- as Powell is bouncing around that other planet, we get to meet a pilot from the parallel world that came to Earth. As much as this is Powell's book, I found this guy a lot more interesting -- but we get his story told mostly in summary form, while Powell's is told to us in much more detail. So you'd expect that he'd be the one that readers get into. Now, I do -- Powell's a great character, and if we didn't get the other pilot's story, I'd have been very content to read about him.
While Powell runs around that other planet, trying to figure out how to get home we get to see the societal turmoil that covers the North America-ish place. We meet a wise man who has visions, some dedicated warrior women (and men), an incredibly creative baker, and a disturbed killer. You know, the usual. As Powell aligns himself with one warring faction, he finds himself in a different kind of danger than he's used to as he tries to find his way home. On Earth, the danger is largely off-screen and the battles take place in the boardroom and the weapons are money and influence. While Powell has to deal with explosives, bullets and knives. Both types of warfare can result in fatalities
On Earth, we also see what goes on with Powell's wife and daughter as they deal with Powell's absence. His wife was less than supportive before he launched, and that's haunting her. His daughter, who shares something in common with the wiseman on that other world, never loses hope. It's hard to know if that's because she's young and naive (5 or so) or if it's because she knows more than you'd expect. I had more fun reading about Powell's daughter than I have with pretty much any character this month, she's simply a delight. The granddaughter of a Native American seer (of sorts), this little girl knows things she shouldn't anf has a certainty about things she has no business knowing about. She's the embodiment of precocious, basically. Her mother is a caring and very outspoken teacher, the two of them together make a formidable team.
Everywhere you turn, the motivation driving the characters is family -- protecting, avenging, trying ot live a life worthy of them, trying to hold on to, trying to get back to, trying to provide for . . . This is at once an incredibly believable driving force for a character, and incredibly relatable one. It's a great way to get your reader on the side of every major character. It's easy to forget the human element in a SF adventure -- the advanced science, the fantastic technology, the wormhole creation, etc. can easily become the focus. But Colchamiro doesn't let that happen, what keeps his characters moving, what keeps them going on -- it's all realatably human.
I'll admit, I don't think I got all of the mystical/spiritual/supernatural aspects that Colchamiro brought to the table. I think that's largely on me, and there are going to be readers who love that part (and I thought it an interesting approach to take_. Similarly, there's a little plot element makes no sense to me at all. It's brought up early on when Powell launches that is returned to a couple of times, and then comes back in a pretty serious fashion in the closing pages, and drives the last action scene. It could be cut entirely and make no difference to anything (except the aforementioned action scene would have no justification and would have to be cut -- which would be an improvement). There's no reason for it, it doesn't help the characters or the plot at all. Maybe it played a decent role in an earlier draft, but not now. Here's the nice thing about it -- it's so extraneous that you can just ignore it and the story doesn't suffer at all. I'm being vague here, I know. My point is (or it was supposed to be) is that there are some problematic parts of the book -- but there's enough right going on here that it doesn't matter.
That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had plenty of fun with it. Colchamiro kept things moving well, he surprised me a couple of times and got me grinning and cheering. I found myself very invested in what happened with both pilots and wanted them to find what they're looking for. Strong action, strong characters, a compelling take on the multiple worlds idea -- and a whole lotta fun throughout. I can't point to every part of this book that makes it appealing -- most of it is in the intangibles. As frustrating as that might be when writing about a book, while reading it? It's hard to ask for more.
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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author and Lola's Book Tours, which I appreciate. The opinions expressed are my own -- especially the seventh paragraph.
September 12, 2014
I am very happy with Russ and his work.
I have known most of the Crazy8 team for a while.
Russ Colchamiro was new for me. He is now on must read list.
What a good piece.
Take a moment and enjoy.
I mean spaceflights, deperate fights. And one cool kid.
I have known most of the Crazy8 team for a while.
Russ Colchamiro was new for me. He is now on must read list.
What a good piece.
Take a moment and enjoy.
I mean spaceflights, deperate fights. And one cool kid.
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