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The Expanding Universe, Volume 4
Twenty remarkable stories. Twenty award winning & bestselling authors. One incredible science fiction collection to awaken your mind to infinite possibilities. Aliens, snipers, warships, royalty, intrigue. Battles fought with railguns, plasma beams, and blasters--with words--or even only within the mind.
The universe is expanding, and these are its fantastic stories, beyond our understanding, beyond time and space itself. What we do know should terrify us--and what we don’t know can kill us. Yet human courage will take us beyond our limits—far beyond in deep space. Maybe even closer to home where the boundaries exist only in our minds.
More than 500 action-packed pages of never-a-dull-moment entertainment! When you discover we’re not alone in the universe, will you be prepared? Grab your copy of The Expanding Universe Volume 4 today.
Information War by Craig Martelle
The first casualty, when war comes, is the truth.
Checkmate by Jonathan P. Brazee
Winning is everything, especially in war.
Breaker by David VanDyke
When the most notorious freedom fighter in human space is captured, his mission is over. Or is it?
Endpoint by Mikey Campling (credited as Michael Campling)
One mission will make or break Sergeant John Chapman’s career; it’s just a damned shame nobody told the enemy.
Unexpected Bounty by Terry Mixon
Zag the bounty hunter just wanted a beer. The universe had a different plan.
Messenger by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne & R.R. Virdi
Am I a man dreaming that I am a machine, or a machine dreaming of being a man?
Duty by Bill Patterson
The greatest problem with doing one’s duty sometimes is deciding exactly where one’s duty lies.
The Burden of Honor by Kevin O. McLaughlin (credited as Kevin McLaughlin)
Sir Drake returns home to rally his people against an ancient enemy. But threats far closer threaten to turn his mission to ashes before he can even begin.
The Spike by Nathan Mutch
When John McCormack emerges from the alien wreckage, only he knows what he leaves behind—and what he has brought with him.
Lights Out by Kayelle Allen
He can save mankind. After he does one important thing. Die.
Darkened Skies: Chancerian 3 by Drew Avera
Thrust into a life or death situation, the next decision Tawny makes could cost her everything.
Skin Suits by Justin Bell
Centuries after Earth's destruction, a descendent of the ancient planet makes one last attempt to rediscover his heritage, but when an insidious alien army stands in his way, his quest to find out who he was may just end the man he is.
Daughters of Ayor by David R. Bernstein
The Salvation One’s mission was to find a new home for a dying civilization, but a massive solar flare slowly kills all but one crew member.
One Last Battle by Timothy Ellis
The Yorktown Recon fleet is scouting the Cuba system in Earth sector, at the beginning of the last big sector war. A broken fighter pilot makes a choice, without knowing living or dying has consequences to the future.
Tuesday by Lyn Forester
A gambler. A prostitute. An orphan. On a toxic planet where people live in stacked cities, segregated by social status, a lot can happen in one day.
Mothers by C.M. Simpson
No warrior is so fierce as a mother with young; and, when mothers band together, enemies need beware.
Alaska’s Vengeance by J.L. Stowers
It should have been a simple rescue mission, but when an enemy vessel packing heat and a major grudge intercepts the warship Alaska's Vengeance, it's up to Captain Dani Devereaux and her crew to outsmart and outlast their ruthless adversary.
Sycorax by Jenetta Penner
An arrogant black market space trader, a broken down ship with an attitude, and a beautiful girl trapped on a deserted space station. What could go wrong? Probably everything.
Warp Three by David VanBergen
Even the best pilot in the galaxy can have a bad day when traveling at three hundred times the speed of light.
A Little Surprise by P.R. Adams
No plan survives first contact with the enemy.
The universe is expanding, and these are its fantastic stories, beyond our understanding, beyond time and space itself. What we do know should terrify us--and what we don’t know can kill us. Yet human courage will take us beyond our limits—far beyond in deep space. Maybe even closer to home where the boundaries exist only in our minds.
More than 500 action-packed pages of never-a-dull-moment entertainment! When you discover we’re not alone in the universe, will you be prepared? Grab your copy of The Expanding Universe Volume 4 today.
Information War by Craig Martelle
The first casualty, when war comes, is the truth.
Checkmate by Jonathan P. Brazee
Winning is everything, especially in war.
Breaker by David VanDyke
When the most notorious freedom fighter in human space is captured, his mission is over. Or is it?
Endpoint by Mikey Campling (credited as Michael Campling)
One mission will make or break Sergeant John Chapman’s career; it’s just a damned shame nobody told the enemy.
Unexpected Bounty by Terry Mixon
Zag the bounty hunter just wanted a beer. The universe had a different plan.
Messenger by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne & R.R. Virdi
Am I a man dreaming that I am a machine, or a machine dreaming of being a man?
Duty by Bill Patterson
The greatest problem with doing one’s duty sometimes is deciding exactly where one’s duty lies.
The Burden of Honor by Kevin O. McLaughlin (credited as Kevin McLaughlin)
Sir Drake returns home to rally his people against an ancient enemy. But threats far closer threaten to turn his mission to ashes before he can even begin.
The Spike by Nathan Mutch
When John McCormack emerges from the alien wreckage, only he knows what he leaves behind—and what he has brought with him.
Lights Out by Kayelle Allen
He can save mankind. After he does one important thing. Die.
Darkened Skies: Chancerian 3 by Drew Avera
Thrust into a life or death situation, the next decision Tawny makes could cost her everything.
Skin Suits by Justin Bell
Centuries after Earth's destruction, a descendent of the ancient planet makes one last attempt to rediscover his heritage, but when an insidious alien army stands in his way, his quest to find out who he was may just end the man he is.
Daughters of Ayor by David R. Bernstein
The Salvation One’s mission was to find a new home for a dying civilization, but a massive solar flare slowly kills all but one crew member.
One Last Battle by Timothy Ellis
The Yorktown Recon fleet is scouting the Cuba system in Earth sector, at the beginning of the last big sector war. A broken fighter pilot makes a choice, without knowing living or dying has consequences to the future.
Tuesday by Lyn Forester
A gambler. A prostitute. An orphan. On a toxic planet where people live in stacked cities, segregated by social status, a lot can happen in one day.
Mothers by C.M. Simpson
No warrior is so fierce as a mother with young; and, when mothers band together, enemies need beware.
Alaska’s Vengeance by J.L. Stowers
It should have been a simple rescue mission, but when an enemy vessel packing heat and a major grudge intercepts the warship Alaska's Vengeance, it's up to Captain Dani Devereaux and her crew to outsmart and outlast their ruthless adversary.
Sycorax by Jenetta Penner
An arrogant black market space trader, a broken down ship with an attitude, and a beautiful girl trapped on a deserted space station. What could go wrong? Probably everything.
Warp Three by David VanBergen
Even the best pilot in the galaxy can have a bad day when traveling at three hundred times the speed of light.
A Little Surprise by P.R. Adams
No plan survives first contact with the enemy.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2018
50 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Craig Martelle
329 books7,888 followersVisit Craig's web page, craigmartelle.com for the latest posts and updates or find him on Facebook, Author Craig Martelle. Send an email to craig@craigmartelle.com to join his mailing list for the latest on new releases, information on old releases, and anything related to his books.
I see my other lives, a career in the Marines, those damn hand-written tests in law school, a business consultant, as if they're stories from a book. I see my books as if I lived there, as if I were friends with the characters. All things we remember are behind us, only those we imagine lie before.
I'm not sure which place I prefer, but I don't have to choose. They live together in my mind. My books have some award nominations, they have bestseller tags across multiple countries. I write about justice, honor, and loyalty because that's what I care about. My stories are mostly set within worlds that haven't been, but could be. We have to be ready for when those times come.
No matter where I went, I always had a book with me. Thanks to 21st Century technology, I now have hundreds of books loaded on my phone and always with me. This breakthrough allows me to binge read my favorites. How many books would I have read on deployments had I not had to have a physical book with me? I paced myself so I wouldn't finish too quickly.
We aren't encumbered like that now. I love the works of Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, JRR Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and so many more. I have been compared to Andre Norton and that is humbling - she was an incredible author with a huge list of novels to her credit. With every new book, I aspire to live up to those that you, the readers, have compared me to.
Through a bizarre series of events, I ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska. I never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year. But that's the way it is. It is off the beaten path. My wife and I get to watch the northern lights from our driveway. Our dog has lots of room to run. And temperatures reach fifty below zero. We have from three and a half hours of daylight in the winter to twenty-four hours in the summer.
It's all part of the give and take of life. If we didn't have those extremes, then everyone would live in the sub-arctic.
I see my other lives, a career in the Marines, those damn hand-written tests in law school, a business consultant, as if they're stories from a book. I see my books as if I lived there, as if I were friends with the characters. All things we remember are behind us, only those we imagine lie before.
I'm not sure which place I prefer, but I don't have to choose. They live together in my mind. My books have some award nominations, they have bestseller tags across multiple countries. I write about justice, honor, and loyalty because that's what I care about. My stories are mostly set within worlds that haven't been, but could be. We have to be ready for when those times come.
No matter where I went, I always had a book with me. Thanks to 21st Century technology, I now have hundreds of books loaded on my phone and always with me. This breakthrough allows me to binge read my favorites. How many books would I have read on deployments had I not had to have a physical book with me? I paced myself so I wouldn't finish too quickly.
We aren't encumbered like that now. I love the works of Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, JRR Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and so many more. I have been compared to Andre Norton and that is humbling - she was an incredible author with a huge list of novels to her credit. With every new book, I aspire to live up to those that you, the readers, have compared me to.
Through a bizarre series of events, I ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska. I never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year. But that's the way it is. It is off the beaten path. My wife and I get to watch the northern lights from our driveway. Our dog has lots of room to run. And temperatures reach fifty below zero. We have from three and a half hours of daylight in the winter to twenty-four hours in the summer.
It's all part of the give and take of life. If we didn't have those extremes, then everyone would live in the sub-arctic.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 19, 2019
Currently this review is just for the Nebula award-nominated novelette "Messenger" by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and R.R. Virdi, which has a Pacific Rim vibe going, but in a much darker way. Since I have a goal to read all of the Nebula nominees in the short fiction category that I can, and right now this whole SF collection is just 99c on Kindle, my inner cheapskate approved me buying the anthology, and I may even get to the other stories sometime. But no promises!
"Messenger" review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
"Messenger" takes the giant mecha vs. alien monsters subgenre of SF and gives it a Hindu god twist. Aliens land on Earth’s moon and, not long after, on Earth itself, first crashing into Bangalore, India and into the home of Arjun Shetty, recently retired from the Indian Army reserves. The alien crash instantly kills Shetty’s pregnant wife and child. Shetty, distraught, volunteers to become a Shikari (“hunter”), a hundred-meter tall cyborg warrior called Vishnu’s Vengeance made to fight the huge aliens that are now landing in greater numbers. But life as a giant godlike cyborg has its drawbacks, and Shetty ― and other Shikari ― begin to have difficulty functioning, some even hallucinating that they are the gods they are named after.
Wijeratne and Virdi vividly create the viewpoint of Shetty, struggling to maintain his sanity and fulfill Vishnu’s role as a protector of men … but it’s hard to keep that focus when Shetty is constantly called “Father” or “Vishnu” by his crew and sees humans as ants surrounding him. The woman who has become the Kali Shikari has an even more difficult time with her worshipful crew.
"Messenger" review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
"Messenger" takes the giant mecha vs. alien monsters subgenre of SF and gives it a Hindu god twist. Aliens land on Earth’s moon and, not long after, on Earth itself, first crashing into Bangalore, India and into the home of Arjun Shetty, recently retired from the Indian Army reserves. The alien crash instantly kills Shetty’s pregnant wife and child. Shetty, distraught, volunteers to become a Shikari (“hunter”), a hundred-meter tall cyborg warrior called Vishnu’s Vengeance made to fight the huge aliens that are now landing in greater numbers. But life as a giant godlike cyborg has its drawbacks, and Shetty ― and other Shikari ― begin to have difficulty functioning, some even hallucinating that they are the gods they are named after.
Wijeratne and Virdi vividly create the viewpoint of Shetty, struggling to maintain his sanity and fulfill Vishnu’s role as a protector of men … but it’s hard to keep that focus when Shetty is constantly called “Father” or “Vishnu” by his crew and sees humans as ants surrounding him. The woman who has become the Kali Shikari has an even more difficult time with her worshipful crew.
The Kali technicians have always been more than just technicians. They worship her. My children call me father, but Bay Six … We’ve all heard the stories. It’s no small thing to see your gods come alive. And servicing the Mother Goddess has always been more than just an oil change."Messenger" focuses on Shetty/Vishnu’s mental struggles with identity, made more difficult by the fact that his memories were wiped when he became the Vishnu Shikari … but not entirely. Less attention is given to his relationships with the humans he works with and his battles with the alien creatures, but it fits his sense of alienation. The narration is rather fragmented and sometimes near-incoherent, though in this particular case I’m inclined to view that as a feature rather than a bug. It’s a dark novelette, worth checking out, especially while the collection it appears in is priced at 99c.
September 23, 2018
The Expanding Universe 4: Information War - a review by Rosemary Kenny
he 4th Expanding Universe, sci-fi anthology contains 20 wonderfully varied tales, including Breaker by David VanDyke, Endpoint by Mikey Campling, Darkened skies by Drew Avera, Skin Suits by Justin Bell and one of my favourites, Information War, by Emperor of the Expanding Universe, Craig Martelle.
Research journalist Kenny Freeman gets the scoop of a lifetime when the President of the United States asks for people to fund a collection to upgrade space-craft and weapons to retaliate a supposed alien invasion, but first decides to check the facts. Getting in touch with Captain Woods, (who has the unenviable task of making the first resistance with poorly-equipped troop carriers as the only ones available on Sol).Kenny agrees with his editor and the Press Secretary (the latter having a verbal war with the Secretary of Defence) to wait and see what happens and Captain Woods is allowed to make a peaceful first contact with the aliens - with surprising results!
How does it end - you'd never guess, but you can believe it's a fantastic conclusion to a story that 's out of this world!
he 4th Expanding Universe, sci-fi anthology contains 20 wonderfully varied tales, including Breaker by David VanDyke, Endpoint by Mikey Campling, Darkened skies by Drew Avera, Skin Suits by Justin Bell and one of my favourites, Information War, by Emperor of the Expanding Universe, Craig Martelle.
Research journalist Kenny Freeman gets the scoop of a lifetime when the President of the United States asks for people to fund a collection to upgrade space-craft and weapons to retaliate a supposed alien invasion, but first decides to check the facts. Getting in touch with Captain Woods, (who has the unenviable task of making the first resistance with poorly-equipped troop carriers as the only ones available on Sol).Kenny agrees with his editor and the Press Secretary (the latter having a verbal war with the Secretary of Defence) to wait and see what happens and Captain Woods is allowed to make a peaceful first contact with the aliens - with surprising results!
How does it end - you'd never guess, but you can believe it's a fantastic conclusion to a story that 's out of this world!
September 25, 2018
A fantastic chance to get aquainted with 20 great writers for a bargain price. I enjoyed all the stories, and though I have my favorite authors, I'm sure you will find your own. So dive in now! Rather than pick and choose, I'll briefly review the first four of these great stories.
Information War by Craig Martelle
When a big story breaks what shoud you believe? The first thing you hear? Why are there so many conflicting reports? Why do news channels feel the need to spin the news for us, tell us what we have already heard first hand, sometimes twisting the words to suit political views? Where does the truth lie amidst all the "reporting"? That is part of the premise of this story.
Aliens have attacked one of our distant outposts in space. Or have they? Reporter Kenny Freeman is trying to guage the reaction of the crowd. The people are angry, frightened, watching the president's speech claiming attack. The facts are sketchy, and there is no video.
Kenny keeps a private notebook. This is where he writes the story he wishes he could publish. He isn't sure what the facts are, but he is sure the people aren't hearing them. He will file his story like the other reporters, but Kenny is different. He is determined to investigate. He wants to know the truth!
Come along with Kenny and find out how far one has to go to uncover the truth behind the speeches and headlines. Are there any winners in the information war?
Checkmate by Jonathan P. Brazee
In the future weapons companies show off their products in live televised battles, paid soldiers, live rounds, ratings dollars! Great action, well written and suspenseful story.
Jorge, Tasha, and Isaac are a team, where working together can mean your life. If MilTech wins the day against the Valks there might even be a bonus. Their work requires they train hard, keep their weight down for the port. All they have to do is make it through the day without getting shot, without getting zeroed, count on Lettie's plan, and fight like mad. All this for a payday.
The Valks have it out for MilTech, and they have a no lose reputation. Is there any chance for this team to survive the brutal battle ahead?
Breaker by David VanDyke
Humanity's fight for freedom never dies. Even in a world populated by clones the heart of freedom still beats as is so eloquently illustrated for us in this story.
Straker is the most famous freedom fighter in history, until he set himself up as a supreme ruler and was overthrown. He was sent to live in exile on an isolated planet. Then he rebelled.
Straker was caught. Now he is aboard a ship on his way to prison. During the trip Lazarus intends to interrogate Striker. He is determined to find out why the man became a rebel once more. What was Striker's ultimate plan? Who will win this battle of wits?
Endpoint by Michael Campling
With writing that brings you inside the story along for the ride, step by step with his characters, this story delivers heart- stopping action, and emotion. Graduation day, pass the final test and be a Cutter, or the team loses and you wash out, nothing at all.
Sergeant John Chapman, team leader for the exercise, has everything riding on today. They all do, but it means more to John than a lot of the others. He is following in his sister's footsteps. Elizabeth died on her testing day. She never made it tp the Cutters. John has to make it for both of them. He doesn't believe that she made a mistake resulting in her own death. If there is a chance to find the real reason today, John will find it.
The team should do fine. They are all good at what they do. They have trained hard and they are ready. The difference is this is with live ammo. John and his team will be facing an unknown number of bots, several models and ages. The bots won't have live ammo but it will do damage, enough hits, and you will be termed "dead". John's team has to get past the bots on the battered destroyer The Pride of Titanan, floating in space, get the old engines running and fire up the ship.
Every team faces the same test. Today the rules have changed!
Kindle Unlimited edition
Information War by Craig Martelle
When a big story breaks what shoud you believe? The first thing you hear? Why are there so many conflicting reports? Why do news channels feel the need to spin the news for us, tell us what we have already heard first hand, sometimes twisting the words to suit political views? Where does the truth lie amidst all the "reporting"? That is part of the premise of this story.
Aliens have attacked one of our distant outposts in space. Or have they? Reporter Kenny Freeman is trying to guage the reaction of the crowd. The people are angry, frightened, watching the president's speech claiming attack. The facts are sketchy, and there is no video.
Kenny keeps a private notebook. This is where he writes the story he wishes he could publish. He isn't sure what the facts are, but he is sure the people aren't hearing them. He will file his story like the other reporters, but Kenny is different. He is determined to investigate. He wants to know the truth!
Come along with Kenny and find out how far one has to go to uncover the truth behind the speeches and headlines. Are there any winners in the information war?
Checkmate by Jonathan P. Brazee
In the future weapons companies show off their products in live televised battles, paid soldiers, live rounds, ratings dollars! Great action, well written and suspenseful story.
Jorge, Tasha, and Isaac are a team, where working together can mean your life. If MilTech wins the day against the Valks there might even be a bonus. Their work requires they train hard, keep their weight down for the port. All they have to do is make it through the day without getting shot, without getting zeroed, count on Lettie's plan, and fight like mad. All this for a payday.
The Valks have it out for MilTech, and they have a no lose reputation. Is there any chance for this team to survive the brutal battle ahead?
Breaker by David VanDyke
Humanity's fight for freedom never dies. Even in a world populated by clones the heart of freedom still beats as is so eloquently illustrated for us in this story.
Straker is the most famous freedom fighter in history, until he set himself up as a supreme ruler and was overthrown. He was sent to live in exile on an isolated planet. Then he rebelled.
Straker was caught. Now he is aboard a ship on his way to prison. During the trip Lazarus intends to interrogate Striker. He is determined to find out why the man became a rebel once more. What was Striker's ultimate plan? Who will win this battle of wits?
Endpoint by Michael Campling
With writing that brings you inside the story along for the ride, step by step with his characters, this story delivers heart- stopping action, and emotion. Graduation day, pass the final test and be a Cutter, or the team loses and you wash out, nothing at all.
Sergeant John Chapman, team leader for the exercise, has everything riding on today. They all do, but it means more to John than a lot of the others. He is following in his sister's footsteps. Elizabeth died on her testing day. She never made it tp the Cutters. John has to make it for both of them. He doesn't believe that she made a mistake resulting in her own death. If there is a chance to find the real reason today, John will find it.
The team should do fine. They are all good at what they do. They have trained hard and they are ready. The difference is this is with live ammo. John and his team will be facing an unknown number of bots, several models and ages. The bots won't have live ammo but it will do damage, enough hits, and you will be termed "dead". John's team has to get past the bots on the battered destroyer The Pride of Titanan, floating in space, get the old engines running and fire up the ship.
Every team faces the same test. Today the rules have changed!
Kindle Unlimited edition
October 25, 2018
Overview:
Today my book review will be a bit different, I’m going over a massive collection of short stories in this anthology. I was included in Volume 3, so I was confident in the quality I would find. Since the collection has 31 short stories, we couldn’t review them all. My co-host for the Sci-Fi Shenanigans Podcast, Chris Winder, picked the ones we reviewed. Click here to listen to us break down this anthology. To keep it fresh, I’ve added some here that we didn’t discuss. I hope that you enjoy my selection! This is my third review of an anthology, but I like this format for such reviews. If anyone has a different or better format to review an anthology, please comment below! I’ll include the actual summary of the story from the blurb and then write my thoughts on the story separately and conclude with an overall review of the collection.
Information War by Craig Martelle:
Summary: The first casualty, when war comes, is the truth.
My thoughts: I’m torn on this one because if I rated the overall body of work of the author I would sing this one to the stars… but I have to rate the presentation. I loved Martelle’s Darklanding Series, and his Kutherian stuff looks intriguing enough that I bought the first book to give it a chance. Keep in mind, what works for some won’t be appreciated by others. This is entirely subjective. Having said that, I found the story premise to be more preachy than I would normally like. Some of the larger theme fit squarely into my worldview, but I prefer escapism in my reading… even when the bias agrees with me. The larger message seemed to be about trying to discover the truth in a post-truth world when sound bites are all that matter. That was what we saw from the goings on down on earth, but it was what happened in space that sold me. In the inky darkness of the void, this story stood out for me. Some of the discussion about the alien invasion had shades of Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers.” I like that vibe in this story, it allowed the sleight-of-hand to make the final reveal amazing. It was the normal first contact trope, but he delivered it in a way that caught you off guard. There were parts where the overuse of acronyms slowed me down a little bit, but in all fairness that could just be my brain injury getting in the way. Finally, the conclusion on the earth side of things was exactly what I expected. This is really a mixed bag for me, but I’m glad that I stuck with it. There wasn’t a whole lot to say about the world building since it’s a near future story that builds on what is already our reality. However, when it comes to describing the interaction between the aliens and the Space Force pilot Martelle shines. Those scenes show why I’ve enjoyed some of his other works. I wasn’t a fan of how busy the story felt, but if it was flushed out into a full-length novel I would probably buy. I give this story 4 out of 5 grenades! If this was flushed out into a novel, I could see giving it five out of five grenades and buying the next book in the series.
Unexpected Bounty by Terry Mixon:
Summary: Zag the bounty hunter just wanted a beer. The universe had a different plan.
My thoughts: In full disclosure, I heard Terry talk about this on his weekly podcast, The Dead Robot’s Society. I’m a Patreon of his podcast, and we’re buddies on Facebook, though we’ve never met in person. This is important since I want you to be able to weed out any potential biases. I also found some Easter Eggs in there, maybe because I’m aware of some of the inter-author fun that inspired them. Now that we have that out of the way, we’ll get into the story itself. It started out brilliantly, and only got better from there! The main character is basically a Sci-Fi version of Hellboy, which was hilarious! His name is Zag, and he’s a massive Minotaur like alien from Borel. He’s a bounty hunter, and a tall one at 2.5 meters, who just wanted to find a nice quiet place to hunker down and drink a beer. Sadly, for him, though it inspired an excellent story, he picked the wrong planet. Like most bounty hunters in the science fiction trope, he rides in a ship that looks like garbage but has an engine that makes it a force to be reckoned with. The ship had a Millennium Falcon feel for me, with a more humorous vent. The ship had features which I thought hilarious, like an alarm that functioned much as what we have on our automobiles. For some reason, that just struck me as uproariously funny. The story overall was a fast-paced adventure about an adventurer in the wrong place at the wrong time. One whose notoriety finally caught up to them, as a bad guy he’s never heard of assumes that Zag must be there hunting for him. This unintentionally leads to him teaming up with a thief, whose name pairs well with his own. The action was fun, it kept the pace moving and left you wanting more when it was all over. I had to read the story twice because the first time I was so engrossed in what was happening that I forgot to take notes. It was lighter on the details than I like, but I’m aware that I prefer more than most readers. The author, Terry Mixon, gave you just enough to make the story fun and I never felt like it was lacking. Overall, the story didn’t take itself too seriously in the and being opened up the possibility of more from these adorable characters. It didn’t so much feel like amending, as it did the beginning of something even more exciting. As I’ve said, and it’s worth repeating, I will read more by this author. I enthusiastically give this story 5 out of 5 grenades! Heck, the short story alone is worth the price of admissions for this anthology.
The Burden of Honor by Kevin McLaughlin:
Summary: Sir Drake returns home to rally his people against an ancient enemy. But threats far closer threaten to turn his mission to ashes before he can even begin.
My thoughts: This story started out a little mysteriously, but the world grew on me the deeper in I got. The main character, Sir David Drake, was what you’d expect if Horatio Hornblower jumped out of the Age of Sail and into the Spacefaring Age. Speaking of, the whole story had a bit of the sailboat vibe. The author used his naming convention to say a lot about who and what everything was. His ship, the HMS Armistice, is a good place to start. Who names a warship something so soft as “truce?” He also named his main character after a Vietnam veteran, turned science fiction author and the planet they landed on after a ship that the Germans sunk in the early days of WWI. Kevin McLaughlin, Even better, the main polity was the Star Kingdom, which evoked vibes of David Weber’s Honorverse. He tops his excellent naming choices off with a nautical vibe that kept me intrigued, down to the ship having a steering wheel that any pirate would’ve been proud of. Even his use of the term sailing master for what seems to be his second-in-command brought back images of sailboats in space. The culture that he described would’ve fit in at the height of the United Kingdom’s empire when the nobility ruled the world. I laughed when he had the Admiralty drinking hot tea in the afternoon. This was definitely a different take on the standard trope of the war against the AI. There were a few typos that drew me out of the story, I suspect this was a dictation fail that made it through the editing passes. Normally, that sort of thing doesn’t jar me out of the story, but this time was different. Why was it different? Because the story was so good, that those typos made me remember that I wasn’t really there. Again, this was a story whose ending felt more like the beginning of something even bigger and better. When the author writes this series, I’ll buy them in a heartbeat. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I would enthusiastically give this story 4 out of 5 grenades! If it weren’t for the typos, it would be a perfect score. Also, I would be willing to give this author’s other books a chance.
Messenger by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne & R.R. Virdi:
Summary: Am I a man dreaming that I am a machine or a machine dreaming of being a man?
My thoughts: The story was easy to jump into, but I had to take some of the references to Indian culture on faith. Luckily, this is the part of the globe where the authors are from! We were able to learn something about the modern world while reading an awesome science fiction adventure. The main character is a former soldier, who volunteered to become something more so he could avenge his family. He becomes a robot and struggles to maintain his humanity in the face of an enemy bent on destroying everything he holds dear. In a desperate gamble to save the world from an alien invader, becomes one of the Skikari, and assumes the identity of Vishnu’s Vengeance. There were plenty of references to recent discoveries in modern science, including the real-life Oumuamua that recently did a flyby of Earth. There were a few subtle references to Arthur C. Clarke and Garden of Rama, which fit for the setting. In case you didn’t know, Clarke spent his twilight living in writing and Sri Lanka. This story felt like it was more of a hard science tale than I normally read, it was extremely accessible for an intellectual neophyte like myself. Even with those references to real science, the story stayed true to the military sci-fi that I know and love. They excellently captured the chaos that is a modern battlefield, enough so that you could almost smell the smoke and the stench from your hopes and dreams burning in front of you. They evoked a visceral imagery that put more seasoned authors to shame, and I can only hope that I’m that good someday. We watch the main character struggle to balance who he was with who he has become, though this didn’t slow down the pacing of the story. The writing was good, nay excellent, but it seemed more like the authors used British English over what an American might normally see and hear. Speaking of language, the authors did an amazing job. Every turn of phrase had a lyrical vibe to it, so much so that I stopped to read out loud so I could hear it again. Seriously, their prose was on fire! These two are going places, and I’m just glad I get to say I saw them at the beginning. There was some switching of tense that was a bit confusing, but I think that it had to happen. That confusion helped show the dichotomy of the main character; man and machine in a struggle to see who survives. I definitely want to see more from this world, and from these authors. I enthusiastically give this story 5 out of 5 grenades! And if you don’t agree with me, you’re probably in league with the aliens! Okay, I was joking… I think? But this was another story that made the price of admission worth every penny.
Checkmate by Jonathan P. Brazee:
Summary: Winning is everything, especially in war.
My thoughts: The story was another that is hard to review for me, the author is another veteran whose work has come highly recommended to me. I’ve read the sample of his The United Federation Marine Corps and was hooked enough to buy the first few books in the series. That said, let’s dive into this review. I was confused about who the main character was, for most of the story I thought it was Jorge and then at the end, I realized I was wrong. I think it was someone named Isaac, and the confusion cut out a lot of enjoyment from the story. In this world, armies are replaced with merc companies who fight in an arena to settle scores while being watched by the folks back home. There is definitely a learning curve for this story, and I just don’t think it was long enough to fully realize itself. Given that he listed people’s heights, it seemed like everyone was extremely short. I briefly wondered if it was an army of little people or non-humans. I was never given an answer to this, so I was just left with the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. In the story, the military forces are able to use teleportation which was a lot of fun. It is in a new trope, but the author used in a new way. Forces were able to pop in and out of the battlefield as needed, giving the moves a chess-like tactical significance. I liked that there was a limit to the energy available, limiting how often they could use teleportation during the battle. The generals, who are called engineers, reminded me a little bit of Enders Game. I make that connection in a good way, though I know Orson Scott Card is an acquired taste for some. The ending was a little bit unexpected, but because the story didn’t really grab me I just didn’t care. I’m also going to do my rating on this one a little bit different because I rate the prose as a solid 4 out of 5 grenades but the story was only a 3 out of 5. The only reason I’m writing this review because I avoid negative ones is that I feel like there was something here worth exploring. If this short story was expanded into novel length, I would definitely give it a shot. I feel like with more words, the author could’ve done this concept justice, and I’d be singing a different tune.
Overall:
First, I need to start with the presentation of the book. I was a huge fan of the cover art, it was a perfect balance of cool imagery and room for the writing (title name and author name) to shine through. As I’ve mentioned before, I am colorblind so your mileage may vary. If you hated it, start a discussion in the comments and we can talk about it! I love telling people how wrong they are! With that out of the way, let’s talk about the anthology itself. I enjoyed this anthology, though it was so massive that it wasn’t a quick read. At 478 pages of epic sci-fi goodness, you’ll get hours of entertainment from this collection of short stories. I couldn’t finish it in one sitting, though not for lack of interest. It was just too big for that, not when you have little ones running around demanding things like food. As with the anthology format, the stories will be a hit and miss. I really loved about 75% of them, with Terry Mixon, Kevin McLaughlin, Kayelle Allen and Yudhanjaya Wijeratne/R.R. Virdi’s story being worth the price of admission. If those were the only three stories in this collection, I’d still pay full price and demand more! Yes, hyperbolic but I really did love them that much. One of the things I loved about this anthology was that it was a perfect balance of established authors and some who were still making their bones. One of the things that make this series of anthologies so special is how professional it is, it shines indie authors in a good light. Despite the talk, most of the indie authors who stick around or producing quality stuff. I love that this anthology helps dispel the myth that all indie writing is garbage. Our community will always be indebted to Craig Martelle for his work on this front. Why does it matter to you, if you’re not an author? Because you can guarantee your only reading the best, that you got your dollars worth out of this purchase.
When you read my reviews, keep in mind that I was just giving you a sampling of what was there and you should be your own arbiter of all things amazingly awesomely bookish. What I hate, you may love and vice versa. Let’s be real that is normal for an anthology, and part of what makes them useful. You get exposed to new takes on things and see the world from multiple perspectives. I’m confident that you’ll find you like more stories than you would normally skip, hence my recommendation. Even though one of them wasn’t my thing, there were parts of it that I really loved. Like always, I went the spoiler-free approach. What does this mean for my overall ranking? I really enjoyed this collection, and happily, recommend it. Many of you have commented that I give a lot of higher reviews, but that’s intentional. I choose to study authors who do it better than I could, hoping to learn from the seat of the masters. I also like to find new voices, to see the world from another perspective. Because, seriously, I want to hook you from the first page! I want to weave the action in such a compelling way that you want to jump into the armor yourself. This leads me to screen my books before buying them. Life is too short to read books that you don’t like. Luckily, my tastes are diverse, and I enjoy the classics too. I just only write reviews on the science fiction stories I’m reading. Overall, this is a book I would happily recommend, and some authors I will definitely read again. I freely give this novel a 5 out of 5 grenades!
PART TWO REVIEW: https://jrhandley.com/2018/10/22/book...
Today my book review will be a bit different, I’m going over a massive collection of short stories in this anthology. I was included in Volume 3, so I was confident in the quality I would find. Since the collection has 31 short stories, we couldn’t review them all. My co-host for the Sci-Fi Shenanigans Podcast, Chris Winder, picked the ones we reviewed. Click here to listen to us break down this anthology. To keep it fresh, I’ve added some here that we didn’t discuss. I hope that you enjoy my selection! This is my third review of an anthology, but I like this format for such reviews. If anyone has a different or better format to review an anthology, please comment below! I’ll include the actual summary of the story from the blurb and then write my thoughts on the story separately and conclude with an overall review of the collection.
Information War by Craig Martelle:
Summary: The first casualty, when war comes, is the truth.
My thoughts: I’m torn on this one because if I rated the overall body of work of the author I would sing this one to the stars… but I have to rate the presentation. I loved Martelle’s Darklanding Series, and his Kutherian stuff looks intriguing enough that I bought the first book to give it a chance. Keep in mind, what works for some won’t be appreciated by others. This is entirely subjective. Having said that, I found the story premise to be more preachy than I would normally like. Some of the larger theme fit squarely into my worldview, but I prefer escapism in my reading… even when the bias agrees with me. The larger message seemed to be about trying to discover the truth in a post-truth world when sound bites are all that matter. That was what we saw from the goings on down on earth, but it was what happened in space that sold me. In the inky darkness of the void, this story stood out for me. Some of the discussion about the alien invasion had shades of Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers.” I like that vibe in this story, it allowed the sleight-of-hand to make the final reveal amazing. It was the normal first contact trope, but he delivered it in a way that caught you off guard. There were parts where the overuse of acronyms slowed me down a little bit, but in all fairness that could just be my brain injury getting in the way. Finally, the conclusion on the earth side of things was exactly what I expected. This is really a mixed bag for me, but I’m glad that I stuck with it. There wasn’t a whole lot to say about the world building since it’s a near future story that builds on what is already our reality. However, when it comes to describing the interaction between the aliens and the Space Force pilot Martelle shines. Those scenes show why I’ve enjoyed some of his other works. I wasn’t a fan of how busy the story felt, but if it was flushed out into a full-length novel I would probably buy. I give this story 4 out of 5 grenades! If this was flushed out into a novel, I could see giving it five out of five grenades and buying the next book in the series.
Unexpected Bounty by Terry Mixon:
Summary: Zag the bounty hunter just wanted a beer. The universe had a different plan.
My thoughts: In full disclosure, I heard Terry talk about this on his weekly podcast, The Dead Robot’s Society. I’m a Patreon of his podcast, and we’re buddies on Facebook, though we’ve never met in person. This is important since I want you to be able to weed out any potential biases. I also found some Easter Eggs in there, maybe because I’m aware of some of the inter-author fun that inspired them. Now that we have that out of the way, we’ll get into the story itself. It started out brilliantly, and only got better from there! The main character is basically a Sci-Fi version of Hellboy, which was hilarious! His name is Zag, and he’s a massive Minotaur like alien from Borel. He’s a bounty hunter, and a tall one at 2.5 meters, who just wanted to find a nice quiet place to hunker down and drink a beer. Sadly, for him, though it inspired an excellent story, he picked the wrong planet. Like most bounty hunters in the science fiction trope, he rides in a ship that looks like garbage but has an engine that makes it a force to be reckoned with. The ship had a Millennium Falcon feel for me, with a more humorous vent. The ship had features which I thought hilarious, like an alarm that functioned much as what we have on our automobiles. For some reason, that just struck me as uproariously funny. The story overall was a fast-paced adventure about an adventurer in the wrong place at the wrong time. One whose notoriety finally caught up to them, as a bad guy he’s never heard of assumes that Zag must be there hunting for him. This unintentionally leads to him teaming up with a thief, whose name pairs well with his own. The action was fun, it kept the pace moving and left you wanting more when it was all over. I had to read the story twice because the first time I was so engrossed in what was happening that I forgot to take notes. It was lighter on the details than I like, but I’m aware that I prefer more than most readers. The author, Terry Mixon, gave you just enough to make the story fun and I never felt like it was lacking. Overall, the story didn’t take itself too seriously in the and being opened up the possibility of more from these adorable characters. It didn’t so much feel like amending, as it did the beginning of something even more exciting. As I’ve said, and it’s worth repeating, I will read more by this author. I enthusiastically give this story 5 out of 5 grenades! Heck, the short story alone is worth the price of admissions for this anthology.
The Burden of Honor by Kevin McLaughlin:
Summary: Sir Drake returns home to rally his people against an ancient enemy. But threats far closer threaten to turn his mission to ashes before he can even begin.
My thoughts: This story started out a little mysteriously, but the world grew on me the deeper in I got. The main character, Sir David Drake, was what you’d expect if Horatio Hornblower jumped out of the Age of Sail and into the Spacefaring Age. Speaking of, the whole story had a bit of the sailboat vibe. The author used his naming convention to say a lot about who and what everything was. His ship, the HMS Armistice, is a good place to start. Who names a warship something so soft as “truce?” He also named his main character after a Vietnam veteran, turned science fiction author and the planet they landed on after a ship that the Germans sunk in the early days of WWI. Kevin McLaughlin, Even better, the main polity was the Star Kingdom, which evoked vibes of David Weber’s Honorverse. He tops his excellent naming choices off with a nautical vibe that kept me intrigued, down to the ship having a steering wheel that any pirate would’ve been proud of. Even his use of the term sailing master for what seems to be his second-in-command brought back images of sailboats in space. The culture that he described would’ve fit in at the height of the United Kingdom’s empire when the nobility ruled the world. I laughed when he had the Admiralty drinking hot tea in the afternoon. This was definitely a different take on the standard trope of the war against the AI. There were a few typos that drew me out of the story, I suspect this was a dictation fail that made it through the editing passes. Normally, that sort of thing doesn’t jar me out of the story, but this time was different. Why was it different? Because the story was so good, that those typos made me remember that I wasn’t really there. Again, this was a story whose ending felt more like the beginning of something even bigger and better. When the author writes this series, I’ll buy them in a heartbeat. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I would enthusiastically give this story 4 out of 5 grenades! If it weren’t for the typos, it would be a perfect score. Also, I would be willing to give this author’s other books a chance.
Messenger by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne & R.R. Virdi:
Summary: Am I a man dreaming that I am a machine or a machine dreaming of being a man?
My thoughts: The story was easy to jump into, but I had to take some of the references to Indian culture on faith. Luckily, this is the part of the globe where the authors are from! We were able to learn something about the modern world while reading an awesome science fiction adventure. The main character is a former soldier, who volunteered to become something more so he could avenge his family. He becomes a robot and struggles to maintain his humanity in the face of an enemy bent on destroying everything he holds dear. In a desperate gamble to save the world from an alien invader, becomes one of the Skikari, and assumes the identity of Vishnu’s Vengeance. There were plenty of references to recent discoveries in modern science, including the real-life Oumuamua that recently did a flyby of Earth. There were a few subtle references to Arthur C. Clarke and Garden of Rama, which fit for the setting. In case you didn’t know, Clarke spent his twilight living in writing and Sri Lanka. This story felt like it was more of a hard science tale than I normally read, it was extremely accessible for an intellectual neophyte like myself. Even with those references to real science, the story stayed true to the military sci-fi that I know and love. They excellently captured the chaos that is a modern battlefield, enough so that you could almost smell the smoke and the stench from your hopes and dreams burning in front of you. They evoked a visceral imagery that put more seasoned authors to shame, and I can only hope that I’m that good someday. We watch the main character struggle to balance who he was with who he has become, though this didn’t slow down the pacing of the story. The writing was good, nay excellent, but it seemed more like the authors used British English over what an American might normally see and hear. Speaking of language, the authors did an amazing job. Every turn of phrase had a lyrical vibe to it, so much so that I stopped to read out loud so I could hear it again. Seriously, their prose was on fire! These two are going places, and I’m just glad I get to say I saw them at the beginning. There was some switching of tense that was a bit confusing, but I think that it had to happen. That confusion helped show the dichotomy of the main character; man and machine in a struggle to see who survives. I definitely want to see more from this world, and from these authors. I enthusiastically give this story 5 out of 5 grenades! And if you don’t agree with me, you’re probably in league with the aliens! Okay, I was joking… I think? But this was another story that made the price of admission worth every penny.
Checkmate by Jonathan P. Brazee:
Summary: Winning is everything, especially in war.
My thoughts: The story was another that is hard to review for me, the author is another veteran whose work has come highly recommended to me. I’ve read the sample of his The United Federation Marine Corps and was hooked enough to buy the first few books in the series. That said, let’s dive into this review. I was confused about who the main character was, for most of the story I thought it was Jorge and then at the end, I realized I was wrong. I think it was someone named Isaac, and the confusion cut out a lot of enjoyment from the story. In this world, armies are replaced with merc companies who fight in an arena to settle scores while being watched by the folks back home. There is definitely a learning curve for this story, and I just don’t think it was long enough to fully realize itself. Given that he listed people’s heights, it seemed like everyone was extremely short. I briefly wondered if it was an army of little people or non-humans. I was never given an answer to this, so I was just left with the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. In the story, the military forces are able to use teleportation which was a lot of fun. It is in a new trope, but the author used in a new way. Forces were able to pop in and out of the battlefield as needed, giving the moves a chess-like tactical significance. I liked that there was a limit to the energy available, limiting how often they could use teleportation during the battle. The generals, who are called engineers, reminded me a little bit of Enders Game. I make that connection in a good way, though I know Orson Scott Card is an acquired taste for some. The ending was a little bit unexpected, but because the story didn’t really grab me I just didn’t care. I’m also going to do my rating on this one a little bit different because I rate the prose as a solid 4 out of 5 grenades but the story was only a 3 out of 5. The only reason I’m writing this review because I avoid negative ones is that I feel like there was something here worth exploring. If this short story was expanded into novel length, I would definitely give it a shot. I feel like with more words, the author could’ve done this concept justice, and I’d be singing a different tune.
Overall:
First, I need to start with the presentation of the book. I was a huge fan of the cover art, it was a perfect balance of cool imagery and room for the writing (title name and author name) to shine through. As I’ve mentioned before, I am colorblind so your mileage may vary. If you hated it, start a discussion in the comments and we can talk about it! I love telling people how wrong they are! With that out of the way, let’s talk about the anthology itself. I enjoyed this anthology, though it was so massive that it wasn’t a quick read. At 478 pages of epic sci-fi goodness, you’ll get hours of entertainment from this collection of short stories. I couldn’t finish it in one sitting, though not for lack of interest. It was just too big for that, not when you have little ones running around demanding things like food. As with the anthology format, the stories will be a hit and miss. I really loved about 75% of them, with Terry Mixon, Kevin McLaughlin, Kayelle Allen and Yudhanjaya Wijeratne/R.R. Virdi’s story being worth the price of admission. If those were the only three stories in this collection, I’d still pay full price and demand more! Yes, hyperbolic but I really did love them that much. One of the things I loved about this anthology was that it was a perfect balance of established authors and some who were still making their bones. One of the things that make this series of anthologies so special is how professional it is, it shines indie authors in a good light. Despite the talk, most of the indie authors who stick around or producing quality stuff. I love that this anthology helps dispel the myth that all indie writing is garbage. Our community will always be indebted to Craig Martelle for his work on this front. Why does it matter to you, if you’re not an author? Because you can guarantee your only reading the best, that you got your dollars worth out of this purchase.
When you read my reviews, keep in mind that I was just giving you a sampling of what was there and you should be your own arbiter of all things amazingly awesomely bookish. What I hate, you may love and vice versa. Let’s be real that is normal for an anthology, and part of what makes them useful. You get exposed to new takes on things and see the world from multiple perspectives. I’m confident that you’ll find you like more stories than you would normally skip, hence my recommendation. Even though one of them wasn’t my thing, there were parts of it that I really loved. Like always, I went the spoiler-free approach. What does this mean for my overall ranking? I really enjoyed this collection, and happily, recommend it. Many of you have commented that I give a lot of higher reviews, but that’s intentional. I choose to study authors who do it better than I could, hoping to learn from the seat of the masters. I also like to find new voices, to see the world from another perspective. Because, seriously, I want to hook you from the first page! I want to weave the action in such a compelling way that you want to jump into the armor yourself. This leads me to screen my books before buying them. Life is too short to read books that you don’t like. Luckily, my tastes are diverse, and I enjoy the classics too. I just only write reviews on the science fiction stories I’m reading. Overall, this is a book I would happily recommend, and some authors I will definitely read again. I freely give this novel a 5 out of 5 grenades!
PART TWO REVIEW: https://jrhandley.com/2018/10/22/book...
July 22, 2019
I read Messenger by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne and R.R Virdi. It's a different take on the mecha vs. giant monster story, a blend of Pacific Rim and Neon Genesis Evangelion. I would definitely be interested in more stories in this world.
October 24, 2018
"Lights Out"
This book boasts some real heavy hitters in the sci-fi writing world. But I really bought the book to read Kayelle Allen's "Lights Out." This story introduces the Ultras and the Ghosts as warriors locked in a war to save or to destroy mankind. The Ultras were created by man to serve—to build, to labor, to fight their wars. Then the Ultras—who are immortal—became strong enough t revolt. Ghosts are humans who agree to be reanimated after death in order to continue the fight. Ghosts kill Ultras and then are "reborn" by having Ultra blood pumped into their bodies. In "Lights Out," the humans convince the Ultras that they would like a peace council. Treachery abounds, however, and a ghost captures Pietas, leader of the Ultras. Then the ghost is himself made prisoner when he is forced to accompany Pietas into exile on a planet on the edge of the universe. Their opening story is told from the ghosts' point of view.
I am not one who reads science fiction normally, but I loved this so much I picked up the first two books in the Bringer of Chaos series.
This book boasts some real heavy hitters in the sci-fi writing world. But I really bought the book to read Kayelle Allen's "Lights Out." This story introduces the Ultras and the Ghosts as warriors locked in a war to save or to destroy mankind. The Ultras were created by man to serve—to build, to labor, to fight their wars. Then the Ultras—who are immortal—became strong enough t revolt. Ghosts are humans who agree to be reanimated after death in order to continue the fight. Ghosts kill Ultras and then are "reborn" by having Ultra blood pumped into their bodies. In "Lights Out," the humans convince the Ultras that they would like a peace council. Treachery abounds, however, and a ghost captures Pietas, leader of the Ultras. Then the ghost is himself made prisoner when he is forced to accompany Pietas into exile on a planet on the edge of the universe. Their opening story is told from the ghosts' point of view.
I am not one who reads science fiction normally, but I loved this so much I picked up the first two books in the Bringer of Chaos series.
October 12, 2018
This is a book with several stories concerning soldiers who find themselves in seemingly impossible and adverse conditions. These conditions lead to very graphic depictions of the human condition on the verge of death and death itself. The conditions that are written by the authors are very very believable, even though they are written with science fiction in mind, and the characters are very well thought out, very well developed, and very well suited for the particular environment that they are placed in.
November 3, 2018
kindle unlimited, I have read some of the other compilations, main thing for me is not really into space operas really, but there were some interesting stories along with the not so interesting but I did cut some slack since mainly pulled it to see what Mikey's story was, plus since amazon says a 3 is 'bad' didn't want to go down that road again, and with anthologies added into mix of not being overly fond of space/military opera, but was 'enough' interesting ones to be okay though okay is a 3, see what I mean, 3 should NOT be negative review, so giving it a 4.
December 9, 2019
Mixed bag. Some of the stories were absolutely brilliant (Skin Suits, Checkmate, Messenger, Alaska's Vengeance). Others weren't quite as good. Overall, a strong collection and great examples of how SF, especially military SF can be engaging.
October 17, 2018
Some of the stories were pretty good, others not so much. It's hard to remember which ones after so many stories and authors.
January 25, 2019
A stunning collection of short stories. All so different and yet all resonated with me. I'm struggling to choose a favourite!
February 10, 2019
Anthology, some stories I liked quite a bit, others I liked OK. The sub-title is accurate.
May 5, 2020
Really, I only read The Messenger.
February 18, 2025
Twenty stories, so a fair value for the cost. My favorites, due to characters, storytelling, dialog...
"Checkmate" by Jonathan P. Brazee
"Breaker" by David VanDyke
"Unexpected Bounty" by Terry Mixon
"The Burden of Honor" by Kevin McLaughlin
"The Spike" by Nathan Mutch
"Lights Out" by Kayelle Allen
"Daughters of Ayor" by David R. Bernstein
"A Little Surprise" by P. R. Adams
"Checkmate" by Jonathan P. Brazee
"Breaker" by David VanDyke
"Unexpected Bounty" by Terry Mixon
"The Burden of Honor" by Kevin McLaughlin
"The Spike" by Nathan Mutch
"Lights Out" by Kayelle Allen
"Daughters of Ayor" by David R. Bernstein
"A Little Surprise" by P. R. Adams
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews