Between

by Joseph R. Lallo

Between is a new sci-fi/fantasy adventure from the mind behind The Book of Deacon, Free-Wrench, and Big Sigma. Philo Middleton wasn’t having a very good day. It began with him waking up strapped to a chair inside a strange, high-tech chamber. His mind was wiped clean, even his own name unfamiliar to him. And yet somehow things went sharply downhill from there. After being collected by Rill, a three-headed sea serpent with a curious set of dispositions, he learned he had somehow found his way to a place known by its many displaced residents as The Between. It wasn’t so much a location as a lack of location. Time did not exist there. The concepts of direction, distance, and gravity were subjective at best. Worst of all, with laws of physics dictated largely by whim, science and technology were nearly worthless. Those with a mind for magic held all the power, and those unfortunate ‘science-types?’ They did what they were told. Philo was quickly joined by a cast of characters unified only in their desires to survive and one day return to their homes. Along with Rill, he soon found himself either aligned or at odds with creatures like Trixie the mechanically-inclined demon, Mr. Stubbs the scheming hobgoblin, and the vampiric Duke. They worked as the all-purpose henchmen known as ‘fetchers’ for the adorably nefarious Overseer. If he wanted to survive, Philo would have to find a way to make himself useful, and if he wanted to escape, he would have to find people he could trust. Too bad the only thing rarer than a useful science-type was a trustworthy fetcher.

Genres: Fantasy

616 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2016

Reviews

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit hit and miss. I enjoyed the main story and I found the locations and characters great, for the most part. I felt Lallo over-used italics, and this started to grate on me towards the end. I was also disappointed by the ending. I felt the big fight was resolved too simply. Many of the characters in play by then didn’t make an appearance, or their appearance was not up to the scale of the character. For example, why was anyone scared of Heartcore’s army? They did absolutely nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the epic finale, but it just felt a bit too engineered in favour of the good guys. Also, what happened with Brankle? What was the point in all the Darva stuff and the recordings?

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding fun

Joseph R. Lallo has become one of my go to authors for stories with unique, memorable characters, and great re-read value. This book is no exception, and shows what he can do when he isn't worried about staying in a genre. Absolutely worth the price!

[April Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't rave about this enough! I've written, and then erased, three reviews so far because I just can't convey what I'm trying to say. I think I have a book hangover! I highly recommend it.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was silly fun, kinda nice to know other authors combine science fiction with fantasy as I do.

[Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of Science Fiction and Fantasy mixed into one. Absolutely enjoyed reading this, i could hardly put it down.

[Dawn Rousselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun quick fantasy read. Lallo is an author who writes obscure, whimsical novels. Love it!

[Jklstar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically fun read!!!

Love the world of The Between and its quirky and amusing characters.

Can't get enough of having so much fun so I started to read all over again!!! :)

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars In true Lallo fashion, he created some fun characters and then put them in an unlikely setting. The story was interesting and the resolution was satisfactory. I could have done without one of the characters being a lust demon and the associated suggestiveness, but anyone not as prudish as me wouldn't be bothered by it since nothing inappropriate happened on screen and was only ungraphically referenced.

[morbidflight · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a cute "trapped in interdimensional hell" story with some great characters and a(n understandably) simplistic dichotomy in how to deal with that situation.