Houses of Common

by Derick William Dalton

In the 22nd century, pilgrims leave Earth for nearby planets that terraformers have crafted to meet their needs. Ranyk is a smart-mouthed alien, the best of the world-builders employed by the US government—and he always completes his assignments solo, pushing to the deep recesses of space for the good of colonists and to avoid his growing fame.

Until he’s handed an on-planet assignment in Ireland, of all places, as an undercover international student of aquaponics. His real plan? To pull scientists and their families out of a country careening toward civil war—and off Earth, to a world of their own—before a martial law lockdown ends their groundbreaking discoveries.

Risking his life is no novelty for Ranyk. He’s been battered by asteroids, nearly incinerated in volcanoes, and has out-piloted pirates. But political espionage on Earth is more dangerous than anything he’s encountered before, and he’s completely ill-equipped for such delicate matters. Now he must figure out who to trust and who to eliminate, or it will mean his freedom, the safety of forty thousand colonists, and the lives of his friends.

Genres: Science Fiction

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 13, 2011

About the author

Derick is a former high school biology teacher and currently treats patients as an urgent care physician assistant. As a result, he flavors stories with precocious teens, plausible new technology, and delightfully messy medical scenes. He also designs fantasy games, thanks to cross-pollinated fascinations with Tolkien and mathematical probability.

He lives in Washington with his wife and kids. He’s planning a mountain bike trip on Mars, and will be backpacking from Imladris to Lothlorien when he finds a good map.

Follow his project updates on Instagram @d.w.dalton, at DWDaltonAdventures.com, and his game releases at thegamecrafter.com/games/lone-wilderl...

Reviews

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The early chapters introduce us not only to two of the main protagonists, the earth friendly aliens from Rildj, Sckiik and her brother Ranyk, but also flags the what to expect from the book as a whole. We first meet Sckiik as she is successfully thwarting an assassination attempt on her ambassador for whom she works as security, so expect some remarkable fight scenes to come. And the arrival back on earth of the expert terraformer, Ranyk, from another successful mission throws us into a swift interchange of wise cracking dialogue and lack of respect for convention. These two great characters are joined by a number of other (mostly) human friends, enemies and colleagues as unexpected attacks, murders and full scale battles break out around them - and none of them knows why. As the story unfolds, the mystery deepens growing into an intergalactic conspiracy. But to what purpose? And who is behind the disparate events?
Well formed characterisations which develop as the plot unfolds, a good smattering of scientific explanation, excellent fight scenes both up close and personal as well as in space craft battles, rapid verbal opinionated repartee, twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, hopes, fears and a pinch of guilt, this is a fast paced book which demands the reader's ongoing attention.
The only thing missing is the ending making continuation book, Meaner Sort, the next must_read

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ranyk and Sckiik - delightful brother/sister duo

I'm not usually a hard sci fi reader. I tend to get lost or am underwhelmed with the storyline.

There are places in HOUSES OF COMMON that I did get lost (or at least was confused as to my whereabouts for awhile) but the saving grace, to me at least, was the brother/sister duo of aliens Ranyk and Sckiik. Droll, at times laugh out loud funny, alien but with enough universal characteristics that I could still identify with them, I liked the book because I liked these characters.

I could really tell the varied expertise of author Dalton (research, science, medicine) by the areas he focused on in his story. I'm glad it wasn't just hard science.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to read about aliens, terraforming, politics, and hard sci fi with broad strokes of humor.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Heather Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expect the unexpected when you read this book! What you'll find is deep philosophy, engaging characters who develop as you read which takes you along for their very often real, emotional, action packed rides. The book itself flows between the characters and what they're gong through separately while always maintaining plot line cohesion, there is action and romance, family and science. At several junctures there were plot twists that truly were unexpected (a rare treat with many books these days) The characters both human, alien and in fact...intelligent Bonobo and family are complex, and interesting. The story also reflects many things happening in our time right now, but puts it to the tune of science fiction, civil wars, espionage, diplomacy gone wrong, and it will keep you both guessing and entertained, wanting to keep going. This book is a gem and I highly recommend it. It was quite a thrilling journey that I cannot wait to continue.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol)]

DNF at 20%

*Book source ~ Kindle Lending Library

Ranyk and his sister Sckiik are from the planet Rildj. They live and work on Earth. Well, Ranyk sorta does since he does terraforming of planets, so he’s not around all that much. Sckiik is some kind of secret agent protecting the Rildj Ambassador from being assassinated.

This is a confusing book that travels at warp speed. It’s hard to keep up with the snappy dialogue and the various plots going on don’t seem to have much in common. The science is boring to me, there’s very little background, so I was kinda just dropped into the story and I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe at some point I’ll give this another go, but not any time soon.

[Diann Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I didn't know better, I never would have guessed that "Houses of Common" was Dalton's first novel. He is, hands down, the best new writer I've read in years--and better than some long-time pros I've read lately! The plot races like rapids through a canyon, with all the twists and turns "rapids" implies; the well-researched science fact melds seamlessly with science speculation; the array of human and non-human characters are developed to a psychological depth and breadth that allow you to feel you've known them all your life (my favorite is Ranyk, the smart-mouth alien terraformer); and Dalton's storyteller "voice" is clear and confident. I can't wait for the sequel!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a slow burn with a big pay off. If you want something that just spells it all out for you, then you and Houses of Common *may not* be right for each other (maybe, but it's worth a look). However, if you want a layered interwoven plot with compelling characters and solid hard science, then you've found your next read. It's clear that the author has done his homework and created a very cool future of interplanetary espionage coupled with the struggles and challenges of the every man (and chimp).

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book turned out to be too much for me. If you like being challenged by many different tangents and unpronounceable names then this one is for you. For me, the minute attention to every detail big or small proved to be too distracting. It is obvious this author is very intelligent and skilled and has geared this book towards like minded readers. Although this book is way above my level, I cannot fault this work of art for my own shortcomings. It took skill and brilliance to create this storyline.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel, please!

While I found the story interesting enough, and the (occasionally VERY deadpan) delivery definitely appeals to me, I'll have to admit that it was the cast of characters that really got me hooked.

I rate this book only 4/5 because I didn't care much for the (abrupt) ending. I felt there were too many issues left unresolved to make this a standalone story.

Meaning I'm desperately waiting for the sequel(s) to be published!

[PJ Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Ranyk, he was a very personable character and seemed to have a good heart, unfortunately the others didn't develop enough to care about them, otherwise it was exciting and fast paced, with plenty of twists to keep you interested.
It had a good ending too, not abrupt with a huge cliffhanger, which I think suited this story.
*This was free in return for an honest review, my opinions are my own.*

[Kendra Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Houses of Common was a difficult read at first. It's set in a futuristic Washington D.C. At first, it seems to jump around a lot and doesn't seem to connect. But if you give it a chance, it all does come together nicely about a third of the way through. It ends in a huge cliff hanger, which means I will be reading the second book, Meaner Sort.

I received a review copy of this book.

[Jennifer Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many threads woven into this complex and thrilling Sci-fi. Dalton paints a realistic, though imaginative world and gives readers a unique protagonist they can respect and fall in love with. Highly recommend if you enjoy an intelligent sci-fi with a killer ending!

[Petro johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title makes you think of a thriller, but it is not it is more than that.
Besides being science fiction it is intriguing the story tells of trust and friendship as well. found it hard to put down. Was a bit disapointed that it is not a complete story but a part of one.

[Della Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodread

This book has 3 book in one. They kinda go together. Somethings I have a hard time understanding things. It draws you in and keeps you there. Reminds me of House of Common. I would recommend this book.
I received a free copy for an honest review.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

For his first book it was slow to start but I became invested in the characters quickly. I found myself talking with family about the story line. I would recommend this book to anyone. Will be reading the rest down the road…. Sincerely, Sheila

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not get into this book. I was confused from the first page.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author gets an extra star for good writing, but I didn't love this book. It did keep my interest, so it wasn't a burden to read it, but I found it confusing at times, and later somewhat pointless. It might have made more sense if it was longer. Thus one is forced to read the next book to wind up some of the ongoing threads. But I'm not going to do that.

Any problems? Not really. There is no vulgar language. There are a number of references to alien sexual attraction that I found unnecessary. It was a little too much.

I will not read this book again.

[Read Ng · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a free ebook via Book Review 22. My first book from Book Review 22.

Not a strong start for me. The biggest problem is this (early?) release has a formatting issue on my iBooks. The line breaks and page numbers occur as they occur and it makes for some glitches in the reading flow. The most disruptive were the page number references written in the text. The sudden scene jumps combined with the e-formatting just irks me. It does not make for a welcoming feel. Maybe I should have looked for a Kindle Edition.

I don't have a lot of familiarity with the Irish Republic, so I have been just scrapping by with the start of this story. Okay, I'm obviously an American. It is a bit of a struggle for me at this point. For me, getting past the first 20% was the hardest. The story is taking off now.

Finished it, but felt like I had to drag myself through it. It may have just been me and perhaps I should give this another try, in a month or so. Or at least read some of the character specific work.

The biggest problem for me is that it reads like episode 6 of a long story. Starts with little character/universe background and finishes at the commercial break. And I am new to this author and his universe. I am not a fan of stories that don't stand apart as a complete work. (It comes across as an author more interested in selling books than telling a story.) I did not know what to expect on the next page, since I had little reference to provide continuity. Takes some of the fun out of trying to outguess the author to the end.

Have a GoodReads.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this ebook from Book Review 22 in exchange for an honest review. This book is for hardcore SciFi fans who like science and political intrigue with sarcastic humor thrown in. There is violence so it may not be appropriate for more sensitive readers. While this can be read as a standalone, the story is not finished and you will need to read the next book if you want to know more.

The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat that info here. It took a bit to get used to the back and forth between what at first seems as completely unconnected storylines except for the fact they revolve around a brother and sister. Can they figure out why they are being targeted and survive to reunite?

There's a lot going on in the storylines from multiple characters and locations. While I overall enjoyed the book, it was difficult to read as it did not flow smoothly. The storyline would abruptly change to that of a different character and I wouldn't realize it for awhile. That meant a lot of going back and forth to figure out who the current dialogue was involving.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may be one of the hardest reviews I've written. Why? Because I'm not really 100% sure what to say.

I liked bits and pieces of it, like the stunt that was pulled at the beginning with the tank of water, but for the most part I was confused. The first chapter or so I really liked, to me it promised to be an exciting story, but it quickly devolved? I think that's the word I want.

The whole story kinds of put me in mind of a comedic James Bond. Here's this alien that's a genius, doesn't play by the rules, yet given a super flimsy undercover assignment that he never should have been given in the first place.

Maybe there was to much going on? I'm not sure, maybe. Shrugging my shoulders, I'll just say I was confused and let it go at that I think.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Houses” is an elaborate sci-fi adventure tale complete with assassinations, pirates, betrayals, and genocide.

Read full review in the 2014 September issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Katie J · Rating 3 out of 5]

An alien working for the U.S. Government. There is plenty of action.
The names are unique, which I like, however, I wish that there was a
pronounciation key.