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The Reanimate Saga #2
AfterDeath
William Butcher is still dead, but maybe that’s not so bad.
He’s found a home among the crew of the AfterLife survey ship Mictecacihuatl. Together, William and the crew prevented a massacre and (maybe) headed off a war with an alien species. Things are looking up for the undead pilot and war veteran.
For 600 years, AfterLife has maintained a division between the living and the dead. Now the crew has been chosen to escort the new Earth Ambassador to peace talks with the alien Rannit. What should be a simple job becomes anything but when assassination attempts, conspiracies, and a hidden saboteur threaten everything William and the crew have fought to bring about.
Negotiating peace may depend on breaking down AfterLife’s strictures against co-mingling the living and the dead. How will AfterLife respond to exposure of their carefully hidden secrets? The leviathan corporation is known for its ruthless pursuit of the bottom line. With the very fate of humanity at stake, AfterLife may have to loosen its grip.
For the reanimates of AfterLife one thing is certain. You only die twice.
He’s found a home among the crew of the AfterLife survey ship Mictecacihuatl. Together, William and the crew prevented a massacre and (maybe) headed off a war with an alien species. Things are looking up for the undead pilot and war veteran.
For 600 years, AfterLife has maintained a division between the living and the dead. Now the crew has been chosen to escort the new Earth Ambassador to peace talks with the alien Rannit. What should be a simple job becomes anything but when assassination attempts, conspiracies, and a hidden saboteur threaten everything William and the crew have fought to bring about.
Negotiating peace may depend on breaking down AfterLife’s strictures against co-mingling the living and the dead. How will AfterLife respond to exposure of their carefully hidden secrets? The leviathan corporation is known for its ruthless pursuit of the bottom line. With the very fate of humanity at stake, AfterLife may have to loosen its grip.
For the reanimates of AfterLife one thing is certain. You only die twice.
- GenresScience Fiction
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2021
10 people want to read
About the author
B.L. Craig
3 books21 followersLearn more and sign up for updates, free books, giveaways, and stories on the BL Craig Author website.
B.L. Craig is the pen name for married writers Brandy Todd and Lorne Craig. The Reanimate Saga is their first foray into serious fiction. The couple lives in Eugene, Oregon with their teenage son, the most obnoxious cat in the universe, and eight trained rodents.
Brandy Todd holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a PhD in Educational Leadership. She is an Old SLUG Queen (never former, once a Queen, always a Queen, darling) , trainer of robot car racing rodents, blogger, and ninja level jig-saw puzzler. In her professional life she researches science education motivation in middle-school aged girls.
Lorne Craig is a redneck raconteur with a talent for improvisational song lyrics and bawdy limericks. He likes reading, board games, Dungeons & Dragons, home improvement, and caffeinated beverages.
In his professional life Lorne tells other people how to make stuff. Then they make the stuff. It’s a good thing.
B.L. Craig is the pen name for married writers Brandy Todd and Lorne Craig. The Reanimate Saga is their first foray into serious fiction. The couple lives in Eugene, Oregon with their teenage son, the most obnoxious cat in the universe, and eight trained rodents.
Brandy Todd holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a PhD in Educational Leadership. She is an Old SLUG Queen (never former, once a Queen, always a Queen, darling) , trainer of robot car racing rodents, blogger, and ninja level jig-saw puzzler. In her professional life she researches science education motivation in middle-school aged girls.
Lorne Craig is a redneck raconteur with a talent for improvisational song lyrics and bawdy limericks. He likes reading, board games, Dungeons & Dragons, home improvement, and caffeinated beverages.
In his professional life Lorne tells other people how to make stuff. Then they make the stuff. It’s a good thing.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 15, 2021
Fun read with a strong premise and well-drawn characters. As a book editor, I typically withhold at least 1 star when I see multiple typos and grammatical errors. Although the book certainly could have benefitted from a good copyedit, the strong pacing, delightful ensemble protagonists, and solid worldbuilding are good enough to earn that star back.
The fresh and energetic writing style also makes the story stand out. Although written by a married couple, the author voice and style remains smooth unlike many other "partnered" novels. My wife (who I've worked with on a few novels) interviewed the female part of the team for an unrelated article my wife wrote concerning that author's day job. After hearing that her interview subject had published their first novel (AfterLife), she downloaded and shared it with me.
Book one naturally had to carry most of the weight of developing characters and setting, which it did well, allowing its sequel, AfterDeath, to really have fun with the characters and action plot. These are very good authors. Even the flaws in editing aren't the really bad kind, just those that all writers make and never catch themselves.
I've really enjoyed the saga so far and am looking forward to continuing along with the next books in the series.
The fresh and energetic writing style also makes the story stand out. Although written by a married couple, the author voice and style remains smooth unlike many other "partnered" novels. My wife (who I've worked with on a few novels) interviewed the female part of the team for an unrelated article my wife wrote concerning that author's day job. After hearing that her interview subject had published their first novel (AfterLife), she downloaded and shared it with me.
Book one naturally had to carry most of the weight of developing characters and setting, which it did well, allowing its sequel, AfterDeath, to really have fun with the characters and action plot. These are very good authors. Even the flaws in editing aren't the really bad kind, just those that all writers make and never catch themselves.
I've really enjoyed the saga so far and am looking forward to continuing along with the next books in the series.
November 2, 2022
I NEED A WAY TO PUT ANOTHER HALF STAR!!
This book was a step up in terms of action and intrigue than the first one. And I loved the first one. This has been a VERY GOOD series and glad I was given the chance to read the first one for free. (I bought the next two.)
Having said that - there are a couple of nit-picky things about the writing.
First - the switching constantly between first names, last names, nicknames, and formal names. An example is one character is called Capt. Marin, Isabella, Bella, Marin and one other nickname that I can’t recall right now. Multiply this by 7 characters - it gets a little tricky at times. Be a lot nicer if they just stuck with one method and left the other names inside the dialogue - with context clues to help us follow along. As it is now - there are portions of the book where I kinda need a cast of character lists.
*Minor Spoiler Alert
So I lied a little. This is probably a bit of a spoiler. Administrator Perlin is excellently written but underutilized. Is he a villian? A good guy? What’s his angle? How much does he know? Is he here to help? I mean - it’s a fantastic character and perhaps this is all a setup for the next books - but we need more of this character.
Finally - the book(s) (so far) have been akin to the Battlestar Galactica series in that - you have a front burner issue that the immediate book is about while a larger plot is developing in the background. It’s well thought out and works very well in the book… EXCEPT ONE THING…
No deep thoughts or questions YET about what does it uniquely mean to be human? And what exaactly is lost when a person dies and is reanimated? Maybe that ‘s coming.
Still - none of these issues detract from what has been a fantastic series so far.
This book was a step up in terms of action and intrigue than the first one. And I loved the first one. This has been a VERY GOOD series and glad I was given the chance to read the first one for free. (I bought the next two.)
Having said that - there are a couple of nit-picky things about the writing.
First - the switching constantly between first names, last names, nicknames, and formal names. An example is one character is called Capt. Marin, Isabella, Bella, Marin and one other nickname that I can’t recall right now. Multiply this by 7 characters - it gets a little tricky at times. Be a lot nicer if they just stuck with one method and left the other names inside the dialogue - with context clues to help us follow along. As it is now - there are portions of the book where I kinda need a cast of character lists.
*Minor Spoiler Alert
So I lied a little. This is probably a bit of a spoiler. Administrator Perlin is excellently written but underutilized. Is he a villian? A good guy? What’s his angle? How much does he know? Is he here to help? I mean - it’s a fantastic character and perhaps this is all a setup for the next books - but we need more of this character.
Finally - the book(s) (so far) have been akin to the Battlestar Galactica series in that - you have a front burner issue that the immediate book is about while a larger plot is developing in the background. It’s well thought out and works very well in the book… EXCEPT ONE THING…
No deep thoughts or questions YET about what does it uniquely mean to be human? And what exaactly is lost when a person dies and is reanimated? Maybe that ‘s coming.
Still - none of these issues detract from what has been a fantastic series so far.
June 13, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It was my first attempt at a Sci-fi-Space Opera novel from B. L. Craig, who tells here the story of the struggle to reach a peace agreement between human and Aliens (so called Rannits), the deal being arbitrated by the AfterLife (a commercial, profit orientated company) using “Undead” beings that human beings who have been resurrected…..
The whole Peace Agreement negotiation process is being complicated by differing political motives, family feuds and also a major unknown as to Who had been responsible for the war in a first instance and as Who is trying to torpedo such a deal, featuring some characters doing their best to redeem themselves, other seeking revenge….
The story revolves around the feelings of the various parties to such a devastating war, which saw some losing their lives or their family, friends or lover, their honor or humanity and now need to come to terms with the consequences of the war and start anew.
The book brings an interesting, innovative light on what could become of Death in a very advance society, where it is feasible to resurrected some of the deceased and afterwards of their interference with remaining human (or Aliens) beings.
While the novel has a catching atmosphere, is packed with action, with interesting characters, it is unfortunately plagued with too many editing errors. One really gets the feeling that it is the result of a Vocal Transmission to Text, it definitely deserves being verified by a native writer. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed reading it and would advise others (after re-editing) to reading it
It was my first attempt at a Sci-fi-Space Opera novel from B. L. Craig, who tells here the story of the struggle to reach a peace agreement between human and Aliens (so called Rannits), the deal being arbitrated by the AfterLife (a commercial, profit orientated company) using “Undead” beings that human beings who have been resurrected…..
The whole Peace Agreement negotiation process is being complicated by differing political motives, family feuds and also a major unknown as to Who had been responsible for the war in a first instance and as Who is trying to torpedo such a deal, featuring some characters doing their best to redeem themselves, other seeking revenge….
The story revolves around the feelings of the various parties to such a devastating war, which saw some losing their lives or their family, friends or lover, their honor or humanity and now need to come to terms with the consequences of the war and start anew.
The book brings an interesting, innovative light on what could become of Death in a very advance society, where it is feasible to resurrected some of the deceased and afterwards of their interference with remaining human (or Aliens) beings.
While the novel has a catching atmosphere, is packed with action, with interesting characters, it is unfortunately plagued with too many editing errors. One really gets the feeling that it is the result of a Vocal Transmission to Text, it definitely deserves being verified by a native writer. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed reading it and would advise others (after re-editing) to reading it
October 3, 2022
good book … excited for more
January 4, 2024
4 stars, Amazing story
AFTERDEATH (THE REANIMATE SAGA #2)
by B.L. Craig
After reading #afterlife #thereanimatesagaseries I knew I had to keep reading the series. I liked the story and getting to know all of the members of the cast. There were a few things I didn't care for, such as the heavy blasphemy included in this novel. There is no need for that kind of language in any book. I think a book (especially one like this that is set in a science fiction, dystopian world, especially when no one seems to observe any sort of religion in it) could have used made-up words or words that don't sound as harsh that still get their point across at highly exciting moments in the book. As much as I would love to give this book as a gift, I fear that it's not possible for that reason.
Another thing I didn't care for was the explicit description of catastrophic injuries to children. It doesn't matter that they were alien children, children are children and I'm not ready for the vivid descriptions of that.
The final thing I had an issue with, was the lack of editing in this book, I feel like I read the book 2 or 3 times in one sitting, because of having to go back a page or reread the same words time and again to ensure that I derived the appropriate meaning of passages. The pages also didn't break in an even manner, such as "Navy man" on one page and "ages" on the next page, instead of "Navy man-" and "ages" on the next page. If I weren't so into the story, I would have skipped this one.
There are reanimates, drones, atypes, slabs, bots, dead, undead, and humans. The story is original, has a lot of military science fiction and aliens in it, along with a ton of gore, and let us not forget the usual MM or FF love interests, that so many of today's books feature, thankfully, those were not explicit.
I received a complimentary copy of #afterdeath from #blcraig #megabunnyproductions I was not obligated to post a review.
AFTERDEATH (THE REANIMATE SAGA #2)
by B.L. Craig
After reading #afterlife #thereanimatesagaseries I knew I had to keep reading the series. I liked the story and getting to know all of the members of the cast. There were a few things I didn't care for, such as the heavy blasphemy included in this novel. There is no need for that kind of language in any book. I think a book (especially one like this that is set in a science fiction, dystopian world, especially when no one seems to observe any sort of religion in it) could have used made-up words or words that don't sound as harsh that still get their point across at highly exciting moments in the book. As much as I would love to give this book as a gift, I fear that it's not possible for that reason.
Another thing I didn't care for was the explicit description of catastrophic injuries to children. It doesn't matter that they were alien children, children are children and I'm not ready for the vivid descriptions of that.
The final thing I had an issue with, was the lack of editing in this book, I feel like I read the book 2 or 3 times in one sitting, because of having to go back a page or reread the same words time and again to ensure that I derived the appropriate meaning of passages. The pages also didn't break in an even manner, such as "Navy man" on one page and "ages" on the next page, instead of "Navy man-" and "ages" on the next page. If I weren't so into the story, I would have skipped this one.
There are reanimates, drones, atypes, slabs, bots, dead, undead, and humans. The story is original, has a lot of military science fiction and aliens in it, along with a ton of gore, and let us not forget the usual MM or FF love interests, that so many of today's books feature, thankfully, those were not explicit.
I received a complimentary copy of #afterdeath from #blcraig #megabunnyproductions I was not obligated to post a review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews