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Champions of the Crown #3
Asylum: The Circeae Tales
Ghost captain Chase Leighton’s wife, Trista, is captured by the Progressive Legacy and arrested for her affiliation with the Ghosts. Though publicly pronounced dead, she is handed over to the Legacy’s Experimental Medicine Agency. Chase searches for her, despite the news that she’s been executed. He and his men are ambushed and sentenced to the Straightjacket, a ship-based facility for the criminally insane. Systems analyst Krissa Carlisle is temporarily assigned to the ship to fix their computers. As she is working, Chase and the other inmates riot, taking Krissa as their prisoner. But when Chase comes face-to-face with Krissa, he recognizes her … as Trista.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2012
About the author
Ashley Hodges Bazer
16 books24 followersAshley Hodges Bazer is the author of the epic sci-fi series, The Crown's Call, which explores the onset and aftermath of a religious holocaust in a space opera setting. She also dabbles in young adult fantasy, bringing chess pieces to life in Checkmate, mixing up fairy tales with fun twists in Once Upon a Heist, and traveling through time with Time Spinners. Her latest space opera series, Star Sailors, follows the adventures of Jameson Kendrick, commodore of a fleet of luxury space cruise ships. (Think Star Trek meets The Love Boat!)
She lives in Colorado with her husband and three children. After earning her bachelor’s degree in theatrical stage management from Arizona State University, she went on to work for Disneyland in that capacity. Currently a content producer for an international daily radio program, she’s become a pro at balancing work, writing, and mom duties. And she's a real duchess!
https://www.facebook.com/AshleyHodges...
She lives in Colorado with her husband and three children. After earning her bachelor’s degree in theatrical stage management from Arizona State University, she went on to work for Disneyland in that capacity. Currently a content producer for an international daily radio program, she’s become a pro at balancing work, writing, and mom duties. And she's a real duchess!
https://www.facebook.com/AshleyHodges...
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 12, 2012
And that summary interested me enough to volunteer for a review copy.
A little bit more explanation: It's kind of like Star Wars or Firefly, with the tiny rebel faction fighting the Big Powerful Government faction. The rebels are honorable and kind, and the bad guys are mean nasty bullies. The rebels also have people with Logia, kind of magic powers. Chase himself is what other books call a Technomancer, able to manipulate machines with his mind.
But the book's main strength is its medical horror. If invasive surgeries, drugs, and the details of mind control creep you out, you might want to stay away. I personally don't have a problem with it. The surgeries and procedures were interesting, and made me really feel sorry for Trista. She quickly became my favorite character because she fights the mind control so hard.
The first half of the book kind of rushes through the plot and throws a bunch of characters at you. Chase and Trista fade into the Main Cast for a while. But once Trista gets caught and Chase gets sent to prison, the book really takes off. The scenes with Chase trying to break through to Trista/Krissa are some of the best in the whole book, and worth the price of admission.
And there's plenty of tension, with the bad guys coming to kick butt and take names (and minds, and lives). The conclusion felt kind of scattered and ended abruptly. But all the loose ends are tied up. As this is the first of a series, I'm curious as to what characters the next book will follow, as the entire cast seems to have interesting stories.
A little bit more explanation: It's kind of like Star Wars or Firefly, with the tiny rebel faction fighting the Big Powerful Government faction. The rebels are honorable and kind, and the bad guys are mean nasty bullies. The rebels also have people with Logia, kind of magic powers. Chase himself is what other books call a Technomancer, able to manipulate machines with his mind.
But the book's main strength is its medical horror. If invasive surgeries, drugs, and the details of mind control creep you out, you might want to stay away. I personally don't have a problem with it. The surgeries and procedures were interesting, and made me really feel sorry for Trista. She quickly became my favorite character because she fights the mind control so hard.
The first half of the book kind of rushes through the plot and throws a bunch of characters at you. Chase and Trista fade into the Main Cast for a while. But once Trista gets caught and Chase gets sent to prison, the book really takes off. The scenes with Chase trying to break through to Trista/Krissa are some of the best in the whole book, and worth the price of admission.
And there's plenty of tension, with the bad guys coming to kick butt and take names (and minds, and lives). The conclusion felt kind of scattered and ended abruptly. But all the loose ends are tied up. As this is the first of a series, I'm curious as to what characters the next book will follow, as the entire cast seems to have interesting stories.
January 6, 2013
I'm normally a slow reader, so when I zip through a book in two days that's a very good sign. Asylum by Ashley Hodges Bazer is a smart, well done sci-fi adventure that transported me to a fully-formed world. Although my reading preferences lean more toward dark fantasy and suspense, I'm always a sucker for interesting characters and inventive ideas (like the Technomancer who can manipulate machines with his mind), and Bazer delivers on all levels. The author does a great job of creating a universe that's similar enough to our own to allow for sympathetic situations and characters and yet alien enough to transport us to another place and time. I will gladly read more of Bazer's work in the future and look forward to seeing what she does next!
December 28, 2012
I was really excited to read Asylum by Ashley Hodges Bazer. I'm quite the fan of dystopian fiction, as I'm sure you can easily figure out. Asylum did not disappoint. The story was intriguing and interesting. It took off quickly and kept a fast pace. This made it exciting to read and kept my attention.
The story follows a newlywed couple, Chase and Trista, who live in space. They are in service to their King who was disthroned by a corrupt government called the Legacy. In hopes of getting Chase to their one year anniversary surprise party on time, Trista takes an assignment for him. Doing so causes her to be taken by the Legacy. Chase refuses to believe that Trista has been executed and searches for her despite warnings to stop.
The book is part of a larger series and so it lacked the character development that is usually part of the beginnings of books. I recommend that you start at the beginning of the ten book series. I’m guessing that the other books would make more sense after that one. There was a helpful reference in the back, I just didn’t find it until I was finished. Most things I had correctly figured out due to the context of the book. The backstory that was missing, however, made parts of the book confusing, though they didn’t necessarily take away from the story.
Overall I was really impressed with this book and was so happy to finally have some Christian dystopian (or science fiction) literature to read. I am going to be figuring out how to get my hands on the other books.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The story follows a newlywed couple, Chase and Trista, who live in space. They are in service to their King who was disthroned by a corrupt government called the Legacy. In hopes of getting Chase to their one year anniversary surprise party on time, Trista takes an assignment for him. Doing so causes her to be taken by the Legacy. Chase refuses to believe that Trista has been executed and searches for her despite warnings to stop.
The book is part of a larger series and so it lacked the character development that is usually part of the beginnings of books. I recommend that you start at the beginning of the ten book series. I’m guessing that the other books would make more sense after that one. There was a helpful reference in the back, I just didn’t find it until I was finished. Most things I had correctly figured out due to the context of the book. The backstory that was missing, however, made parts of the book confusing, though they didn’t necessarily take away from the story.
Overall I was really impressed with this book and was so happy to finally have some Christian dystopian (or science fiction) literature to read. I am going to be figuring out how to get my hands on the other books.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
December 24, 2012
“Asylum, The Circeae Tales” (2012, ISBN 9781449762247) by Ashley Hodges Bazer is an interesting book. It’s futuristic science fiction — just my cup of (chamomile) tea. Without sounding too arrogantly and irrationally sexist, I was surprised that it was written by a woman (a total geek, no less). It has the kind of short-of-mocking language that a man would use — almost like what I use in my own stories.
The book tells the story of men and women living in self-imposed asylum (hence the name of the book), away from the government that controlled most humans. It gives me the feeling of men and women running away from Orwell‘s Nineteen Eighty-Four. It also reminds me of several stories written by Terry Nation for Doctor Who — especially with John Pertwee (1970-1974) and Tom Baker (1974-1981).
I’d highly recommend it. I’m surprised that I’m not the only one who mixes science fiction with religion. The only difference is that my material’s not censored.
The book tells the story of men and women living in self-imposed asylum (hence the name of the book), away from the government that controlled most humans. It gives me the feeling of men and women running away from Orwell‘s Nineteen Eighty-Four. It also reminds me of several stories written by Terry Nation for Doctor Who — especially with John Pertwee (1970-1974) and Tom Baker (1974-1981).
I’d highly recommend it. I’m surprised that I’m not the only one who mixes science fiction with religion. The only difference is that my material’s not censored.
March 27, 2013
Firstly, I got my copy of this book through GoodReads First Reads.
I was a little apprehensive about reading this book as the cover suggested it could have quite a religious angle, which isn't really my thing. However, in the context of the storyline and the characters it works well and doesn't feel as though it's being rammed down your throat.
The storyline itself was quite involving and I really got to like Captain Chase and feel real empathy for him and his crew during their 'rehabilitation'.
Overall then, an interesting read and I look forward to the next in the series.
I was a little apprehensive about reading this book as the cover suggested it could have quite a religious angle, which isn't really my thing. However, in the context of the storyline and the characters it works well and doesn't feel as though it's being rammed down your throat.
The storyline itself was quite involving and I really got to like Captain Chase and feel real empathy for him and his crew during their 'rehabilitation'.
Overall then, an interesting read and I look forward to the next in the series.
March 3, 2014
**SPOILER ALERT**
Let me just say that if you can not quote multiple lines from Star Wars or if you would not stand in line for a Star Trek movie on its first opening night.... or if you don't even know the difference between the two.... then this book isn't going to interest you. It's a science fiction book, typically written, but well twisted into a Christian romance drama. (And I was just geeky enough to understand it and I actually enjoyed the romance, as usual.)
Basic plot/explanation:
There were only 2 main characters: Chase and Trista. The author included several other names for plot movement, but none were really important. (It was almost overload. Like when someone is lying and they add WAY too much detail into their story thinking that you'll believe it easier if there's more to hear.)
Chase and Trista are Believers in some alternate galaxy where Christ has died, resurrected, and risen and the world is awaiting His return, much like today. Their world has split into 2 factions: followers of Christ and followers of Satan. The Christ followers are in hiding and the Satan followers control the known world. Christ has given some of his followers special gifts that they can use to advance His cause (similar to our reality, except their gifts are "the ability to manipulate computers with the brain" and weird stuff like that). The bad guys want the good guys dead, much like today.
Chase and Trista are married, madly in love. Trista gets sent on a routine mission and gets captured by the bad guys. They implant mind-controlling computer chips into her brain, which involves some torturous procedures. They control her by inducing pain when she hears certain trigger words (like their word for God or her husband's name). The bad guys hope to develop the technology so they can control their entire population and manipulate any of the good guy-prisoners they happen to capture. In the meantime, they also hope to use Trista as bait to lure her husband, Chase, into a trap. They desperately want him because he is a strong Believer and his gift of computer control would help them advance their ability to control the world.
Everyone flies around in space ships. Chase gets captured trying to rescue Trista. He gets put on a special space ship designed for torturing its captives. They are trying to figure out what biological thing gives him the ability to control computers. (What they don't realize is that it's not biological, it's a gift from God.) Chase resists the torturous treatments, the prisoners in the ship riot and overthrow the crew. It happens that Trista is on the ship when it all goes down. Chase and Trista are miraculously reunited... BUT, her implanted computer chips have devastatingly erased her memory of her husband. (So sad. And such tender scenes as he realizes this and tries to reconnect with her.) The bad guys come. Chase gets away, but Trista is somehow stuck behind. The bad guys erase her memory AGAIN. This time the good guys set up a dangerous rescue attempt, led by Chase. They sweep in and kidnap her right under the bad guys' noses. They take her to their hiding place and let the people with God's gifts heal her, beginning with her husband, who uses his computer control gift to remove the implanted chips from her brain. Bad guys are temporarily subdued and Christ wins this battle. Queue romantic scene of reunited husband and wife Believers with lots of praying and praising God. (Very touching.) And *boom*-- room for a sequel.
It was just okay. It was a typical sci-fi plot. It had some great dramatic scenes (filled with laser beam guns and voice transmitter cell-phone type thingies -- oh, even some food that was just paste, like futuristic food in a tube). There was even a point where I HAD to read the next page because I could NOT simply move on unless I knew what happened (that's when Chase escapes the torture ship, leaving Trista behind and then the torture ship self-destructs-- *gasp* oh no! Did Trista die?! Page turner...).
So, as a romance novel: good job. As a drama: good job.
As a sci-fi book: meh, typical, kind of predictable.
As a Christian fiction book: so-so, hard to read because of all the crazy names.
Overall, I give it a 6 or 7-- but I am a sci-fi loving geek! So I got it.
Meanwhile, there were moments of brilliance in her writing. Like their expression for their triune God was "The Crown." I loved that. And they used code words and letters to symbolize Christ without having to reveal themselves when they were in disguise in the bad-guy world. One of their symbols was to imprint a regular business card, but embolden a lower case "t," a capital "E" and a capital "U." (tEU) The "t" stands for the cross, naturally. The "E" on its side stands for the 3 parts of God and also symbolizes the sword we are to arm ourselves with while we are fighting the Enemy. The "U" symbolizes the shield we are to don while we are in the midst of evil. All Biblical. They also had a praise phrase that I liked: Soli Deo Gloria. They used it much like we use "Hallelujah" or "Amen." It means, "Glory Be To God" or "Praise The Lord!" I liked that. :)
Where she failed:
Well, there are ELEVEN pages of explanations at the end. She has to use a dictionary-type reference for all the made-up words she uses. Like her weapons, communicating devices, and space ships all have weird names. I say if it takes ELEVEN pages to explain yourself, it's probably too complicated. However, in reading her explanations, I found a glimpse of her intentions and they were actually genius (just too complicated for us simple-minded folk to grasp). For instance, the head doctor on the torture space ship was named Dr. Adam Caiman. She explains that his name is actually "mad maniac" rearranged! Brilliant! Also, some of the mad doctor's orderlies were named, I thought unnecessarily, but it turns out they were brilliantly placed. Some of their names were: "Craser" which means "crush" in French; "Hart" which mean "hard" in German; "Grausam" which means "cruel" in German. Brilliant! She had a particularly cruel police officer-type dude that captured Trista and tortured her to get information about the Believers-- his name was Interrogator Gamead, which is actually "damage" rearranged (and he did lots of damage to Trista in his interrogation process). Brilliant! Good stuff. So just when I had written the author off, I find myself in love with her subtle brilliance!
In all, the book had its moments, occasional blips of greatness in between long paragraphs of blah-blah-blah. There were too many made-up words for me to keep track of and I had to just ignore them to make the book move forward. At the bottom, though, was a tender love story and the lovely truth: that God is in control of everything and He uses all of our circumstances to advance His cause... even in alternate galaxies, even in other worlds, even in sci-fi fiction books.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Let me just say that if you can not quote multiple lines from Star Wars or if you would not stand in line for a Star Trek movie on its first opening night.... or if you don't even know the difference between the two.... then this book isn't going to interest you. It's a science fiction book, typically written, but well twisted into a Christian romance drama. (And I was just geeky enough to understand it and I actually enjoyed the romance, as usual.)
Basic plot/explanation:
There were only 2 main characters: Chase and Trista. The author included several other names for plot movement, but none were really important. (It was almost overload. Like when someone is lying and they add WAY too much detail into their story thinking that you'll believe it easier if there's more to hear.)
Chase and Trista are Believers in some alternate galaxy where Christ has died, resurrected, and risen and the world is awaiting His return, much like today. Their world has split into 2 factions: followers of Christ and followers of Satan. The Christ followers are in hiding and the Satan followers control the known world. Christ has given some of his followers special gifts that they can use to advance His cause (similar to our reality, except their gifts are "the ability to manipulate computers with the brain" and weird stuff like that). The bad guys want the good guys dead, much like today.
Chase and Trista are married, madly in love. Trista gets sent on a routine mission and gets captured by the bad guys. They implant mind-controlling computer chips into her brain, which involves some torturous procedures. They control her by inducing pain when she hears certain trigger words (like their word for God or her husband's name). The bad guys hope to develop the technology so they can control their entire population and manipulate any of the good guy-prisoners they happen to capture. In the meantime, they also hope to use Trista as bait to lure her husband, Chase, into a trap. They desperately want him because he is a strong Believer and his gift of computer control would help them advance their ability to control the world.
Everyone flies around in space ships. Chase gets captured trying to rescue Trista. He gets put on a special space ship designed for torturing its captives. They are trying to figure out what biological thing gives him the ability to control computers. (What they don't realize is that it's not biological, it's a gift from God.) Chase resists the torturous treatments, the prisoners in the ship riot and overthrow the crew. It happens that Trista is on the ship when it all goes down. Chase and Trista are miraculously reunited... BUT, her implanted computer chips have devastatingly erased her memory of her husband. (So sad. And such tender scenes as he realizes this and tries to reconnect with her.) The bad guys come. Chase gets away, but Trista is somehow stuck behind. The bad guys erase her memory AGAIN. This time the good guys set up a dangerous rescue attempt, led by Chase. They sweep in and kidnap her right under the bad guys' noses. They take her to their hiding place and let the people with God's gifts heal her, beginning with her husband, who uses his computer control gift to remove the implanted chips from her brain. Bad guys are temporarily subdued and Christ wins this battle. Queue romantic scene of reunited husband and wife Believers with lots of praying and praising God. (Very touching.) And *boom*-- room for a sequel.
It was just okay. It was a typical sci-fi plot. It had some great dramatic scenes (filled with laser beam guns and voice transmitter cell-phone type thingies -- oh, even some food that was just paste, like futuristic food in a tube). There was even a point where I HAD to read the next page because I could NOT simply move on unless I knew what happened (that's when Chase escapes the torture ship, leaving Trista behind and then the torture ship self-destructs-- *gasp* oh no! Did Trista die?! Page turner...).
So, as a romance novel: good job. As a drama: good job.
As a sci-fi book: meh, typical, kind of predictable.
As a Christian fiction book: so-so, hard to read because of all the crazy names.
Overall, I give it a 6 or 7-- but I am a sci-fi loving geek! So I got it.
Meanwhile, there were moments of brilliance in her writing. Like their expression for their triune God was "The Crown." I loved that. And they used code words and letters to symbolize Christ without having to reveal themselves when they were in disguise in the bad-guy world. One of their symbols was to imprint a regular business card, but embolden a lower case "t," a capital "E" and a capital "U." (tEU) The "t" stands for the cross, naturally. The "E" on its side stands for the 3 parts of God and also symbolizes the sword we are to arm ourselves with while we are fighting the Enemy. The "U" symbolizes the shield we are to don while we are in the midst of evil. All Biblical. They also had a praise phrase that I liked: Soli Deo Gloria. They used it much like we use "Hallelujah" or "Amen." It means, "Glory Be To God" or "Praise The Lord!" I liked that. :)
Where she failed:
Well, there are ELEVEN pages of explanations at the end. She has to use a dictionary-type reference for all the made-up words she uses. Like her weapons, communicating devices, and space ships all have weird names. I say if it takes ELEVEN pages to explain yourself, it's probably too complicated. However, in reading her explanations, I found a glimpse of her intentions and they were actually genius (just too complicated for us simple-minded folk to grasp). For instance, the head doctor on the torture space ship was named Dr. Adam Caiman. She explains that his name is actually "mad maniac" rearranged! Brilliant! Also, some of the mad doctor's orderlies were named, I thought unnecessarily, but it turns out they were brilliantly placed. Some of their names were: "Craser" which means "crush" in French; "Hart" which mean "hard" in German; "Grausam" which means "cruel" in German. Brilliant! She had a particularly cruel police officer-type dude that captured Trista and tortured her to get information about the Believers-- his name was Interrogator Gamead, which is actually "damage" rearranged (and he did lots of damage to Trista in his interrogation process). Brilliant! Good stuff. So just when I had written the author off, I find myself in love with her subtle brilliance!
In all, the book had its moments, occasional blips of greatness in between long paragraphs of blah-blah-blah. There were too many made-up words for me to keep track of and I had to just ignore them to make the book move forward. At the bottom, though, was a tender love story and the lovely truth: that God is in control of everything and He uses all of our circumstances to advance His cause... even in alternate galaxies, even in other worlds, even in sci-fi fiction books.
Soli Deo Gloria!
January 22, 2013
The Circeae Tales is planned to be a 10 book science fiction/dystopian series. I’m fairly sure that Asylum is the first book even though it doesn’t really read like it. Then again science fiction is notorious for just dropping the reader into a situation to scramble to catch up to what is going on. Trista is a Ghost (rebel) and captured by the Legacy (the government) and used as a guinea pig for the Legacy’s new rehabilitation program. The Legacy released news that Trista has been executed and their doctors from the Experimental Medical Agency implant memory and pain controllers into her brain to make her think that she is loyal to the Legacy. She believes her name to be Krissa and has little memory of her parents and no conscious recollection of her husband. She has terrible headaches whenever Ghosts or her husband, Chase, is mentioned. The doctors orchestrated this on purpose to keep her on a short leash.
Chase, while trying to track down Trista, has also been captured by the Legacy and sent to a prison ship where he will be rehabilitated (aka tortured) daily. When the prisoners riot and take over the star ship, they find themselves with an unplanned prisoner – a systems analyst who was working on the ship’s computer systems at the time of the discourse. This systems analyst is none other than Krissa, whom Chase recognizes immediately.
I found the premise to be quite interesting and the government’s actions to be satisfyingly horrifying. However, for some reason, I had a very hard time getting into this story. Part of it may have been that there are SO many characters to keep straight right from the beginning of the book. There is an appendix in the back of the book listing characters and places to help keep these things straight but I unfortunately didn’t find it until I had finished the story.
I also would have liked a bit more of the back story and some explanation as to who this Prince is, that the Ghosts are loyal to and why he is considered an outlaw to the Legacy. Maybe that will come in future installments of this series. The book could use another read through by the editor, but all in all this was a decent first read from new author Ashley Hodges Bazer. If you like science fiction and/or dystopian settings you are sure to enjoy this book. There is also a hint of romance but not enough of the typical romantic plot to put off those who do not enjoy romances.
Chase, while trying to track down Trista, has also been captured by the Legacy and sent to a prison ship where he will be rehabilitated (aka tortured) daily. When the prisoners riot and take over the star ship, they find themselves with an unplanned prisoner – a systems analyst who was working on the ship’s computer systems at the time of the discourse. This systems analyst is none other than Krissa, whom Chase recognizes immediately.
I found the premise to be quite interesting and the government’s actions to be satisfyingly horrifying. However, for some reason, I had a very hard time getting into this story. Part of it may have been that there are SO many characters to keep straight right from the beginning of the book. There is an appendix in the back of the book listing characters and places to help keep these things straight but I unfortunately didn’t find it until I had finished the story.
I also would have liked a bit more of the back story and some explanation as to who this Prince is, that the Ghosts are loyal to and why he is considered an outlaw to the Legacy. Maybe that will come in future installments of this series. The book could use another read through by the editor, but all in all this was a decent first read from new author Ashley Hodges Bazer. If you like science fiction and/or dystopian settings you are sure to enjoy this book. There is also a hint of romance but not enough of the typical romantic plot to put off those who do not enjoy romances.
July 29, 2016
Asylum was an excellent science fiction novel; fast-paced, full of action, with a touch of clean romance. It very clearly had a good vs. evil kind of theme.
I thought the plot was quite interesting – medical implants to rewrite a person’s memories. I don’t know if that’s even plausible, but, it is science fiction, and some of yesterday’s science fiction is today’s fact, so you never know.
I found the whole practice on the Straightjacket to be quite brutal and horrific, but it was meant to be. Thankfully it was not described in too much detail. I really felt Chase and his crew who were imprisoned there.
I loved the character of Chase and particularly appreciated his dedication to his wife. I wish we saw more of that kind of commitment in marriages today.
I really thought the two underlying messages of the story were well-carried out: 1) the Crown is in control of all situations and can work them out for good for those who follow Him and 2) love is very powerful. It can best be summed up by this verse from 2 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” Everything Chase tried to do was because he loved his wife and when he was working with the assistance of the Crown, he was successful.
If you go to the author’s website, you will discover that Asylum is actually part of a 15 book series, and while this is the first book penned in the series, it is really meant to be the 14th book of said series. So, when you read it, if it doesn’t sound like the first book of a series, that’s why. It will be interesting to find out what happens before and after Asylum. I’m looking forward to it.
I gave Asylum 4 stars out of 5. If you like science fiction and clean romance, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this novel by Ashley Bazer.
I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
I thought the plot was quite interesting – medical implants to rewrite a person’s memories. I don’t know if that’s even plausible, but, it is science fiction, and some of yesterday’s science fiction is today’s fact, so you never know.
I found the whole practice on the Straightjacket to be quite brutal and horrific, but it was meant to be. Thankfully it was not described in too much detail. I really felt Chase and his crew who were imprisoned there.
I loved the character of Chase and particularly appreciated his dedication to his wife. I wish we saw more of that kind of commitment in marriages today.
I really thought the two underlying messages of the story were well-carried out: 1) the Crown is in control of all situations and can work them out for good for those who follow Him and 2) love is very powerful. It can best be summed up by this verse from 2 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” Everything Chase tried to do was because he loved his wife and when he was working with the assistance of the Crown, he was successful.
If you go to the author’s website, you will discover that Asylum is actually part of a 15 book series, and while this is the first book penned in the series, it is really meant to be the 14th book of said series. So, when you read it, if it doesn’t sound like the first book of a series, that’s why. It will be interesting to find out what happens before and after Asylum. I’m looking forward to it.
I gave Asylum 4 stars out of 5. If you like science fiction and clean romance, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this novel by Ashley Bazer.
I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
January 21, 2013
Chase Leighton is a starship captain embroiled in a protracted conflict between the “Ghosts” and the “Legacy.” During the course of the conflict, his wife Trista is captured by Legacy forces and he risks everything to rescue her from her plight. When he finally catches up to her, she does not recognize him, and claims that her name is Krissa.
This book can be described as Christian Science Fiction. The allegory used is familiar to those educated in the Christian faith, yet the story is good enough to stand on its own. This is part of a series now encompassing ten novels, but is new to me. Reading this is a bit like jumping into a story that has already started, missing lots of background, but things move at a fast pace and keep the reader’s interest.
The medical ethics, or lack of them, exhibited by members of the Legacy tampering with Trista’s mind is explored in length. The temptation for Chase to exact vengeance for the mistreatment of his wife is also examined.
These medical experiments illicit comparisons in the reader’s mind with Nazi experiments during World War II, or perhaps Cold War era brainwashing techniques tried by the Soviets.
Despite the good story, I found the characters’ use of “Soli Deo Gloria” as an everyday phrase to be a stretch. However, this is the first Christian space opera I have ever read, and it proved to be an entertaining and fast read. At the time of the writing of this review, the book is available on Kindle for $3.99, a substantial discount off the hardcover and paperback editions.
4 stars out of 5
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
This book can be described as Christian Science Fiction. The allegory used is familiar to those educated in the Christian faith, yet the story is good enough to stand on its own. This is part of a series now encompassing ten novels, but is new to me. Reading this is a bit like jumping into a story that has already started, missing lots of background, but things move at a fast pace and keep the reader’s interest.
The medical ethics, or lack of them, exhibited by members of the Legacy tampering with Trista’s mind is explored in length. The temptation for Chase to exact vengeance for the mistreatment of his wife is also examined.
These medical experiments illicit comparisons in the reader’s mind with Nazi experiments during World War II, or perhaps Cold War era brainwashing techniques tried by the Soviets.
Despite the good story, I found the characters’ use of “Soli Deo Gloria” as an everyday phrase to be a stretch. However, this is the first Christian space opera I have ever read, and it proved to be an entertaining and fast read. At the time of the writing of this review, the book is available on Kindle for $3.99, a substantial discount off the hardcover and paperback editions.
4 stars out of 5
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
June 3, 2013
Like so many other books I've read lately, I have mixed feelings about this book.
I enjoy sci-fi though I don't read a lot of it lately. I began reading the book & was greatly confused from page one - there's a lot of name, place, technology dropping, some of which is explained (relationships with one another) but most of which is not explained. I kept feeling like I was being dropped into the middle of a series with no warning, but nowhere on amazon or goodreads is there any mention of this being part of a series, though multiple other reviews do mention that it is part of 10 book series. I even did research on the author's blog, and other than a vague mention of this book being part of a series, I don't know if this is true or not.
The book eventually establishes itself, and I was drawn into the world and liked the Christian elements in the book, which were really well done. They are written that a Christian will pick up on them, but for someone who just wants to enjoy a story, they can just enjoy the story.
I really liked Krissa/Trista, but about halfway through the book I started struggling to finish reading the book, as well written as it was. There's just too much cruelity in the book for me to really enjoy it - there's a lot of torture, a lot of experimentation, and a lot of stuff that just doesn't sit well with my sensibilities. If I hadn't specifically requested this book for review, I wouldn't have finished it (and I honestly had to skim some parts or it would've given me nightmares).
I received this book to read free as part of the book sneeze program & was not paid for my review.
I enjoy sci-fi though I don't read a lot of it lately. I began reading the book & was greatly confused from page one - there's a lot of name, place, technology dropping, some of which is explained (relationships with one another) but most of which is not explained. I kept feeling like I was being dropped into the middle of a series with no warning, but nowhere on amazon or goodreads is there any mention of this being part of a series, though multiple other reviews do mention that it is part of 10 book series. I even did research on the author's blog, and other than a vague mention of this book being part of a series, I don't know if this is true or not.
The book eventually establishes itself, and I was drawn into the world and liked the Christian elements in the book, which were really well done. They are written that a Christian will pick up on them, but for someone who just wants to enjoy a story, they can just enjoy the story.
I really liked Krissa/Trista, but about halfway through the book I started struggling to finish reading the book, as well written as it was. There's just too much cruelity in the book for me to really enjoy it - there's a lot of torture, a lot of experimentation, and a lot of stuff that just doesn't sit well with my sensibilities. If I hadn't specifically requested this book for review, I wouldn't have finished it (and I honestly had to skim some parts or it would've given me nightmares).
I received this book to read free as part of the book sneeze program & was not paid for my review.
February 6, 2013
This is one of those books that you cannot get away from no matter what you do. Trista is married to Chase and they are a member of a group called Ghost. She goes out on a run that was intended for her husband only to be kidnapped. She's held prisoner and so much happens between the time she is kidnapped and the time that Chase comes back to his right mind. He's then captured and sentenced aboard a ship called the Straighjacket. They had been kept apart for so long that they lost a year of their marriage and their first anniversary.
This book is a complete emotional roller coaster ride. You've certainly got to sit down and read it. I couldn't manage to get myself away from the computer long enough. I might had moved about 10 minutes throughout the whole book.
This book is a complete emotional roller coaster ride. You've certainly got to sit down and read it. I couldn't manage to get myself away from the computer long enough. I might had moved about 10 minutes throughout the whole book.
April 13, 2014
DNF.
I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't. I don't feel that it was written poorly. I just think it was a personal thing. I had a hard time buying into the world building, and I couldn't connect with the characters. I felt that there were too many characters with strange names, and it just let me confused.
Many thanks to Book Look Bloggers for a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't. I don't feel that it was written poorly. I just think it was a personal thing. I had a hard time buying into the world building, and I couldn't connect with the characters. I felt that there were too many characters with strange names, and it just let me confused.
Many thanks to Book Look Bloggers for a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 6, 2013
I enjoy scifi movies and shows, but this was the first book I've read in the genre. LOVED it.
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