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Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)
Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)
Sylvain Neuvel | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (20 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

The title of this is what drew me. Sleeping Giants? Sounds right up my alley. It has been a long time since I read a sci-fi novel that wasn't heavy on the romance/erotica also. However, this novel was captivating. I know there are novels out there told through interviews and the like but I have never read them before. Therefore, it was something new and different. I honestly felt I would have enjoyed the novel more if it had been written more traditionally. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. As someone who loves to thoroughly research things, I almost felt that I was the narrator going through all the relevant information I have collected to put the story together. It was appealing.

Style aside, it also has an interesting plot. Giant robots and recovered technologies are nothing new, but the author weaves a stories that grabs your attention and keeps you turning each page. I was hooked until the very last page. In fact, once I finished, I sat in a daze wrapping my mind around everything I had just taken in.

If the description interests you, I highly recommend that you read this novel. I understand it is not expected to be published until April 2016. It is definitely worth the wait.
  
This starts with Kira trying to get to one of her enemies destroyed ships so she can salvage parts and other things from it, making her way through a field of broken ship parts to get there. She finally makes it on board and salvages several parts but not without incident, heading back to her ship to find out something is now broken and they need to head to a station to buy the part. While there she comes to the rescue of some children and draws the attention of the Tuann, a race of beings who claim she is one of them. She is coerced into going with them to one of their planets by the leader of the group, Graydon, and lots of things come to light - including an intense attraction.

I actually got quite into this, more than i expected to considering sci-fi is not really my type of thing. Loads of stuff kept happening and kept me entertained. Secrets came to light, a romance was blooming, people thought dead were coming back out of the woodwork...

It was really well thought out and written and we learnt things about Kira in dribs and drabs that kept us guessing about her and what happened in her past until we learnt even more. It was great. The ending had me intrigued enough to go and buy book 2 straight away.

I'll admit that the above is mostly down to the romance that was slowly brewing between Kira and Graydon and the little fact that he's not letting her leave - which I find quite funny, because Kira was ready for killing him about it, and because I am excited to see what happens there romantically.
  
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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Godeena in Books

Jun 5, 2019  
Godeena
Godeena
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
In this military, science fiction adventure, Godeena, Croatian author Stjepan Vareševac-Cobet delves into a world of modified soldiers, and alien monsters in this imaginative sci-fi fantasy adventure.

Brigadier Henry Broncon is sent to gather prisoners from a high security prison to complete a military mission that guarantees certain death to any of those who attempt it. But what’s it matter? Henry is a Cyber and modified with cybernetics. He won’t die. And what of his team? They’re dangerous prisoners who don’t even deserve to live. They’ll not be missed. Without this mission, they were never going to escape their prison sentences anyway.

I did find some sentences and point of view changes a little jarring, which took me out of the story at times, but I appreciate the author is from another country and can write in two languages, which I can’t, so kudos for that. However, it is most likely because of this I also found the sentence structures of the dialogue stilted, and at times felt that some of these dangerous, violent prisoners were talking a little bit too well-to-do sounding for my liking.

That said, the author has a fantastic imagination and managed to write a fully formed adventure surrounding a group of hand-picked, hardened criminals, with no choice than to go on a fatal mission of which there may be no way back. It’s even got a touch of romance, too.
  
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe
Lauren James | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book is not AT ALL what I expected. As others pointed out, the summary sounds like a Sci-fi romance. This is totally not what the book is.

But I loved it.

When her parents died, 11 year old Romy became the commander of The Infinity, a space shift with the mission to create a community of humans on Earth II. Flash forward 6 years, and she struggles to keep the ship afloat as the ONLY person on her ship. So when NASA says they're launching a new ship to catch up with her and keep her company. she's eager to meet its crew. Then she begins receiving emails from J, the lone crew member out of stasis on the other ship, The Eternity.

But something doesn't feel right and eventually, all sorts of crazzzzyyyy stuff happens that makes he wonder about J, Earth, and her future.....which seems further away than the planet she's never lived on.

There's so much that went on in this book, that I may have to read it again, but I liked how unique Romy is and how she handled the situations thrown at her. Breadcrumbs of the past are peppered throughout the story, making me unable to put it down until I knew what was going to happen.

Like Romy, I was on edge and waiting for the world to shatter.
And I didn't see the end coming.

I WOULD 100% RECOMMEND.
  
Dark Empathy (Compound Series #1)
Dark Empathy (Compound Series #1)
Katy Morgan | 2018 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
DARK EMPATHY is the first book in an action-packed world where some people have special abilities. It's not all good though, as they can be captured and taken to The Compound, where they will be assessed and who knows what else...

Henry is a Captain of a Retrieval Team and is sent to capture an escaped asset, Bastian, an empath. Empaths are exceedingly rare but, as Henry and Bastian find out, Bastian is not the only one.

This story is full of twists and turns, although the big bad is identified easily enough. It's more the machinations of the Compound, and the people within it, that make this story so interesting.

There is a slight romance between Henry and Bastian but it doesn't take over the book. In fact, they go from being colleagues to declaring love. This is definitely an action book first and foremost.

One thing I would say is that internal thoughts and monologues are written within parentheses, instead of italics as is more common. Once I became used to this, it was okay, but it did throw me for a while.

On the whole, this was a thoroughly enjoyable book that gives the usual Sci-Fi Talents a twist that I have no hesitation in recommending.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!