Heretics

Nel Bently #4

by V.S. Holmes

Without Earth, Nel has nowhere left to run

Hot-tempered Dr. Nel Bently is not cut out to save the world. After her last project ended in fire and death, Nel must put aside her distrust of just about everyone and embark on a lo-fi search for a deadly radio transmission.

Earth’s survivors are torn between the austere superpower of IDH and the high-tech grassroots Los Pobledores. At every turn more allies go missing and Nel questions where everyone’s true loyalties lie--and on which side Lin will fall when a line is finally drawn.

They need experts. They need firepower. But it looks like the only thing standing between Earth and devastation is Nel: archaeologist, asshole, and functioning alcoholic with anger issues.
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Genres: Science Fiction

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2021

About the author

V. S. Holmes is an international bestselling author of dark, speculative fiction, from fast-paced hard sci-fi to slow-burn gothic fantasy and everything in between. He has two finished series: Stars Edge: Nel Bently Books, a queer archaeological sci-fi, and the dark fantasy Blood of Titans. Smoke and Rain, the award-winning first book in his fantasy quartet, became an international bestseller in 2018. Travelers is also included in the Peregrine Moon Lander mission as part of the Writers on the Moon Time Capsule. In addition, he writes game content for Stone Blade Entertainment and published short fiction in several anthologies.

He is currently working on a folk horror, inspired by death, sex, and their Frisian and Celtic heritage.
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Beyond the keyboard, he lives in western Massachusetts, and like to garden, feed the birds, and watch the river change with the seasons. V worked as a contract archaeologist for over a decade before becoming an electrician. V is a trans guy, among other flavors of queer, and married to a fellow archaeologist. They enjoy quiet evenings with food, games, and films with a sweet lab-rottweiler, Rory and the not-so-quiet brown mutt, Millie.

Reviews

[HornFan2]

Never got into this one, not a genre that I read a lot in and made me think of Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra. Not my first read from the author V.S. Holmes but not a fan of her style of writing, simply written in spots, just slow at times, boring at times, then other times the writing works, feel like she pushes the envelope too much regarding, being believable or could the character really do that, based on how they are written by her.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Review

A powerful new entry into this exhilarating and inviting sci-fi series! Author VS Holmes has crafted a marvelous and emotionally-driven new narrative that highlights the struggle to go back home again, and how our past determines who we will become in the future. The world-building and the way the author wove in similar conflicts and struggles our own world is facing today into the very sci-fi-centric narrative was amazing to see come to fruition, and allowed readers to feel more connected to the narrative.

This book, much like the rest of the series, all blossomed from the incredible character development the author has created here. Nel is such a complex and engaging protagonist, as her often destructive personality clashes with others in her field and yet her sense of what’s right and wrong becomes a leading light in the darkness around her. The relationship between Nel and Lin felt not only passionate but real, as their personalities may clash often, but their love for one another is felt on a very deep level. The twists and turns the author took these two amazing characters throughout this novel will leave longtime fans reeling and on the edge of their seat for the next book in this series.

The Verdict

A memorable, heart-pounding, and engaging sci-fi read, author V.S. Holmes’s “Heretics” is a must-read sci-fi novel of 2021! The world-building and mythos that the author employs here, as well as the tension and mystery surrounding who Nel can and cannot trust, make for some truly entertaining reading. The cliffhanger ending leaves open a host of possibilities for the future of this series, and readers will be hard-pressed to find a more emotionally charged and action-packed sci-fi novel with an LGBTQ-forward roster of characters to get behind.

[Jean-Charles Garaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heretics by V. S. Holmes
This book was sent to me as an Advance Reader Copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It was my first attempt at a novel from V. S. Holmes, I am a SciFi fan and even if it took me some time to get into the story but the when it got going….
A very good novel, well written with catching characters even if of the strong type.
The story of Nel Bently an archeologist, repatriated from a destroyed planet, where she lost people very close to her slowly unveils while she delves, at some times reluctantly, into her relation with her partner, Lin, a girl born in space from a very influent if not ruling family.
The story is gripping, the plot which we felt was unfurling in the course of the book ends up being more complex or muddled reaching the end of the novel….. Some kind of cliffhanger but not really a disturbing one since one is definitely drawn in going further with the characters and their adventures in the next volume. I really enjoyed reading it.

[V.S. Holmes]

Hello! Just dropping by to share a bit of the inspiration and content warnings for this book! The Stars Edge : Nel Bently books are archaeological science fiction following a lesbian archaeologist as she explores, dismantles, and decolonizes her field and her world. I wanted to explore what it means to be human, and how where we come from--both as a species and as individuals--impacts where we're going. Heretics in particular was an adventure in coming home, and what "home" actually means. For Nel's inner world I wanted to examine the root of anger and how we can utilize it if we're not yet ready to let it go.

Content warnings:
- action violence (gunfights, threats, riots)
- political upheaval
- side character death
- adult language
- consensual w/w sex
- descriptions of human remains (recent)
- mild body horror
- alcohol use/abuse
- mention of pandemic events

[Sentinelle23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

🧡💚🛸🌎 A series to discover.

In the elevator, Nel (Dr Annelise Bently) nervously watches the holographic message flashing near her wrist.

Her girlfriend Lin is due to meet her at the gala night, but she’s late.

Annoyed, Nel enters the reception room...

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A great adventure for this volume 4 of the incredible adventures of archaeologist Annelise Bently/Nel !

Unfortunately I didn’t read the previous three volumes of the series which made it quite uncomfortable for me to read, not being aware of many previous events.

Despite my questions, I was able to appreciate the incredible character of Nel, as well as the turbulent history of this book !

A series to discover 💚

[Terry M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of action, lies, trust, danger and death with a political agender thrown into the mix. Nel, eventually allowed to go on a mission to her beloved earth, faces danger. Dar, her lovers brother disappears, their train  is attacked, a mission to find a stolen CPO. There are consequences to every action. Will Nel save the world she misses and loves so much and live to tell the tale? Read to find out.

[BookDragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nel Bentley is is an interesting character to read about as she heads into further misadventures. I find the dynamic between Lin and her to be well done that their interactions feel realistic as their personalities seem to be in contrast to each other. The salient point is Nel's underlying need to return to earth while facing the uncertainty in not knowing how to parse the truth from the lies that surround her. This makes it difficult for her to trust anyone in her current situation.
I was not expecting how the book ended and l really loved how Nel stuck to what she believed was right no matter what the cost in doing so. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
What will happen next?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Thea Kubicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book four of this series starts a little slow but quickly builds to a pounding pace. With mysteries piling atop of mysteries and not knowing who to trust, Archaeologist Dr. Nel Bentley has to dig for the answers to help Earth. A rare oddity (for me) to have the main character in a sci-fi space odyssey a woman, I find it refreshing and different.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably best to set aside two days for this segment of the PG15 saga involving archaeologist Annalise Bently who is trying to figure out what caused the destruction of Samsara.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Clare Rhoden · Rating 4 out of 5]

great to see all the strands come together. such a relief to find that Mikey (my favourite character!) did not die in vain or just for drama - read this and you'll see there's a twist that will blow your socks off.
The next book, from Lin's perspective, will give us some more background...

[Silver Surfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series improves with every book. I was totally engrossed until the ending I didn’t see coming. Nel and her trowel are certainly a force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure. Roll on the next one. Highly recommended.