Voices in the Snow

Voice in the Snow (Black Winter #1)

Let me start off by saying that I am a fan of Coates' work. She is currently the only author that I read all of her books because she wrote them, not because they are part of a series that I'm currently reading by an author. Despite this though, I liked this book, but did not love it. I suspect this is due to how many of her works are primarily ghost stories. Also, most of her works are not serialized where this one is the first in a series. These two facts are the crux of why I think I did not like this book more. I felt that it moved at a slower pace than her other works, but I am okay with this since I am expecting more stories to follow. I also felt that she was figuring out how to do other horror beyond the ghost story. Many times I wondered if this was in fact going to be a ghost story, so I struggled with what to expect. However, by the end of the book, I was pleased to see the direction she had taken the horror creature in. These thing being said, I am excited for the sequels. (Three are planned). I also feel the sequels will do better because this book has competed the set up and development of the horror creature and how this type of creature came into being in the story's world.

I also enjoyed the dynamic between the main character, Clare, and her host, Dorran, who had rescued her when she became stranded in a driving accident. It is very intriguing to see how their initial mistrust and barriers between each other breaks down as the story goes on. Dorran's back story was quite interesting and the revelations were quite satisfying. I look forward to finding out what is happening to Clare's family, who she was on her way to find when her accident occurred.

As a final note, Coates does an excellent job creating suspense and terror in this book, which is supplemented for the reader since the reader doesn't quite know what threat Clare is dealing with alongside her.

I'd recommend reading this story for those that like stories with ghosts, monsters, the paranormal, or the supernatural in general.While these genres may not fit exactly, this story will deliver many of the same thrills and chills that those genres do.

Rating:
Story: 3 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Settings: 3 Stars
Literary Quality: 3 Stars
Overall Quality: 3 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Darcy Coates
Publisher: Black Owl Books
Published: 18 November 2019
Page Length: 352
Genre: Horror
Sub-Genre: Monsters
Awards and Nominations: None

Dauntless

Dauntless (The Lost Fleet #1) (The Geary Verse #1)

Hands down, this is an amazing start to a military, science-fiction series that is also a personal favorite of mine. I have reread this book for the sixth time now. It has amazing re-read quality. The plot is very intriguing, with the action being pretty good and uniquely described. What makes this story so great though are the characters. The main focus is on an old military commander who is recovered from a century old survival pod. While he has been asleep, a hundred year was has ensued and the militaries of the two factions have become untrained and undisciplined mobs. When he finds himself in command of a stranded battle fleet, he has to navigate the intricacies of getting the fleet home and making it an effective fighting force once again. This is also accompanied well by how the author makes the journey of escaping enemy territory much more detailed than a simple A to B to C affair.

It is also worth noting that many military leaders during leadership training should read this novel. Having gone through such training, I can see how many of the values and insights in this book would be invaluable for the modern young Officer or NCO.

I'd recommend reading this story for anyone who likes space operas, military thrillers, and science fiction.

Rating:
Story: 5 Stars
Characters: 5 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 4 Stars
Overall Quality: 5 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Jack Campbell
Publisher: Ace Books
Published: 27 June 2006
Page Length: 293
Genre: Science Fiction
Sub-Genre: Space Opera, Military Fiction
Awards and Nominations:  None

Extinction Evolution

Extinction Evolution (The Extinction Cycle #4) (Extinction Cycle Universe #4)

By now anyone could guess that I'm a fan of this series. No one reads the fourth book of a series they feel meh about. What I like in particular about this entry is a few things. First, it makes the Variants seem more threatening. This is due to the number of characters that they manage to kill, but also because of the imposing Variant leaders that are introduced. The White King and especially the Bone Collector are very chilling. Second, this story makes the Variants seem not so bad in comparison to the next stage of their evolution, the Juveniles. I won't get into why these Juveniles are so scary, but much of the story is focused around the characters scrambling to find a way to stop not only the Variants, but these new forms as well. I have to say that not only was the action throughout this story very engaging and realistic feeling, but the plot was great as well. The action and the plot felt like they were in perfect sync with each other, supporting and feeding each other in a perfect harmony and dance. This story also doesn't hesitate from making so series altering changes and events. Plum Island will never be the same again and the cliffhanger in this story is huge. The author has already made humanity seems precariously perched on the edge of extinction before and then amazingly goes even further, making the peril feel real and pressing. Another great entry in the series and one that outdoes it's immediate predecessor, which was already very entertaining.

I'd recommend reading this story both for any apocalypse nut and for anyone who likes zombies and monsters in general. Fans of military action and contagion thrillers should also enjoy this.

Rating:
Story: 4 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 4 Stars
Overall Quality: 4 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 19 Oct 2015
Page Length: 414
Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Horror
Sub-Genre: Monsters
Awards and Nominations:  None

Ghost Camera

Ghost Camera

Despite being a novella, this is how ghost stories are done. I first stumbled on this book a few years ago before a deployment and I plowed through it late one night on ship. It had me spooked for sure and those can be some dark hallways at night. Before I found this book I had been searching for a decent ghost story, one that had actual ghost in it that were present, menacing, and not revealed to be fake at the end. Darcy Coates finally ended this search for me and I became hooked on her Haunting of such and such House novels.

The basic idea is that a woman finds a camera, one which shows ghosts in its photos. The woman and her friend notice this, but as they begin to take more pictures, they realize the ghosts are noticing them back and starting to come after them. The way that the author describes the ghosts and their pursuit makes them really come to life (some comment about puns or whatever goes here). Despite the short length of the story, the two main characters are also surprisingly well fleshed out and don't just seem like ghost fodder. The settings are okay, but they just serve as the backdrop for nasty ghosts to stalk and prowl upon. As far as literary quality goes, this author remembers that horror is the main focus. The writing holds itself high accordingly but doesn't get lost in the weeds with over complex or deep writing. Scares and the chase are the main focus of this novel and they are done exceedingly well.

I also really liked how the author provided the resolution to the story. Many horror stories end with everyone being killed off with perhaps a lone survivor that no one will believe and the horror threat still out there or acting like an unstoppable terminator. This one definitively stops the ghost threat and provides solid resolution to the story and for the characters. The lore behind the Ghost Camera was also very intriguing.

I'd recommend reading this story for those that like stories with ghosts, the paranormal, or the supernatural in general. It does far better than most ghost stories out there and is a great example of horror.

Rating:
Story: 5 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Settings: 3 Stars
Literary Quality: 3 Stars
Overall Quality: 4 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Darcy Coates
Publisher: Candlebreak
Published: 19 July 2014
Page Length: 144
Genre: Horror
Sub-Genre: Ghosts
Awards and Nominations: None

Horrorstör

Horrorstör

Coming to this book, I did have somewhat mixed feelings about whether or not to pick it up. Some people seem to love it and others seem to hate it. Having read it, I find that I'm somewhere in the middle. So the basic idea is that there is an American knock-off IKEA that sells cheaper products. In Ohio the is a particular IKEA that has some strange things happen with increasing frequency while the store is closed. As a result, one of the managers gets some "volunteers" together to see who is breaking in at night and catch them. Needless to say, ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties ensue.

So here's the bad. First, the characters are mainly okay. They aren't too deep and anyone who works retail could easily put themselves in their shoes. The limited cast only really sees the main two characters getting any sort of development or really any page time. The extras, after being introduced, don't really appear much after the chaos ensues except for a few pages where something bad can happen to them. I also didn't like how these extras stories didn't really get resolved although this could be explained over easily if a sequel were to explore this. As for the story, it starts out strongly, but then kind of just drops off and feels rushed. The reveal of the terror is great and the portion with the main character being restrained to the chair is chilling. The author does a good job getting into the psyche of someone not able to move. But after that, it's just kind of a race to escape the store, try to get others out, and a little bit of exposition about why the store is haunted and a glimpse at the other side. The amount of building up didn't match the juice yielded from the squeeze. Not to mention the villain just kind of gets "dealt" with and there is never any explanation of how he and is insane domain led to him and it having supernatural ghost powers.

However, these negatives are what hold it back from greatness and this is a greatness that certainly could have been achieved. This is probably why it was an award nominee after all. While the characters and story are just okay, the setting and premise is where this story really shines. Admit it after all, the concept of a Haunted IKEA is what drew you to this story in the first place. At the beginning of each chapter there's an advertised Swedish product. Once the haunting begins these products take on a sinister tone and look like medieval torture devices. The reader can easily imagine themselves in the story simply because many of us have been in an IKEA, which is pretty uniform in appearance across the country. Whereas other horror stories have to describe the setting to you and might succeed in allowing you to insert yourself if they have a great author, this one simply requires you to imagine the IKEA that you've actually been in.

I will also point out that this story does make a great commentary on modern labor and the differences and impacts of hourly and salaried work. It also features commentary on both the effort put for to succeed in life as well as how many people in life are trying to overcome a very difficult position despite exerting themselves. For every successful person there are hundreds supporting them to get to that level of success and trying to make it themselves to varying levels of exertion and success based on their circumstances. This book will make you see your own life in a different perspective and appreciate what you have if only for a moment.

So in the end, it's a decent enough story that you shouldn't get your expectations up for too much. If you can come to it seeking a moderate, novel horror thrill, then it will serve you just fine.

I'd recommend reading this story for those that like stories with ghosts, the paranormal, or the supernatural in general.

Rating:
Story: 3 Stars
Characters: 3 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 3 Stars
Overall Quality: 3 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Grady Hendrix
Publisher: Quirk Books
Published: 23 Sep 2014
Page Length: 240
Genre: Horror
Sub-Genre: Ghosts
Awards and Nominations:Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Horror (2014)

Extinction Age

Extinction Age (The Extinction Cycle #3) (Extinction Cycle Universe #3)

This entry in the series continues the great standard of quality that I have come to expect from it. While the first book always has it's unique place in the series, I would argue that this book outdoes the second book. Picking up in the aftermath of Operation Liberty with the survivors stuck in the sewers, I found the flight from New York City to be chilling and riveting. The story thrives from there with numerous great plot lines. I found the USS Truxton plot line to be ominous and very engaging. It was intriguing to see how Ellis and Kate come up with the next bio-weapon against the Variants. Seeing how various government and military bunkers and safe locations are picked off and overrun one by one also raises the stakes and makes the reality of how bad humanity is losing quite apparent. What I liked most of all was the ending though. It was intense, unexpected, and had the dramatic and rapid climax that will not fail to leave readers very satisfied and filled with emotion. I love that this series won't hesitate to kill characters off in a manner that is both meaningful and keeps the story moving forward freshly. I also appreciate how the series pays attention to the fact that it can't count on an endless supply of manpower, resources, and ammunition to keep populating the narrative. It highlights and brings front and center the fact that there is less and less out there for humanity, and the author, to make use of as the series goes forward. Without a doubt, I can say now that this series is perfect material to be adapted into a TV Series. One can easily see how it could be translated into an episodic format that delivers both great story and amazing action.

I'd recommend reading this story both for any apocalypse nut and for anyone who likes zombies and monsters in general. Fans of military action and contagion thrillers should also enjoy this.

Rating:
Story: 4 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 4 Stars
Overall Quality: 4 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 16 Jun 2015
Page Length: 356
Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Horror
Sub-Genre: Monsters
Awards and Nominations:  None

Extinction Edge

Extinction Edge (The Extinction Cycle #2) (Extinction Cycle Universe #2)

After the initial entry started the series off great, I'm very pleased to see that this story doesn't succumb to sequel-itis. Whereas the first story explored the origins and beginnings of the outbreak, this story sees the outbreak having devastated most of the country. With the main characters now located on Plum Island, this story explores how the government reacts to the rapidly dissolving situation. The main story-lines see Beckham and Horn going to Fort Bragg to attempt to rescue Horn's family, the same pair going to participate in Operation Liberty to retake American cities, and an incident on Plum Island and the chaos that unfolds there and surrounds Kate. Without giving away too many spoilers, I can say these story-lines are filled with great action, plenty of emotion, and are the stuff that movies are made of. I also appreciated how well the characters are developing, the introduction of new ones (Meg!), and the ability for characters to be killed off as well. Again, no spoilers.

I'd recommend reading this story both for any apocalypse nut and for anyone who likes zombies and monsters in general. Fans of military action and contagion thrillers should also enjoy this.

Rating:
Story: 4 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 4 Stars
Overall Quality: 4 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 22 Feb 2015
Page Length: 371
Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Horror
Sub-Genre: Monsters
Awards and Nominations:  None

Star Wars: Wraith Squadron

Star Wars: Wraith Squadron (X-Wing #5) (Legends, New Republic Era #7)

With the conclusion of the Isard and Rogue Squadron storyline, Lucasfilm decided to bring on a new author, Aaron Allston. Continuing the series, they use Wedge Antilles as the continuing focal point and introduce a new squadron for him to create. Whereas Rogue Squadron was an established unit with all new pilots, this story features both a new concept for a squadron and instead of the best pilots, picks the best of the washouts or trouble makers for its pilots. With a focus on being commandos first and pilots second, it presents an interesting approach to the war between the Empire and the New Republic and is quite fun to read about. I was also pleased to see the Warlord Zsinj threat explored, first introduced in a novel published before this series came out and then later mentioned repeatedly in Stackpole's books. This novel was very engaging, with plenty of great combat and excellent new characters and development. It also sets the stage or contribute to a decent amount of the continuity.

I'd recommend reading this story both for any Star Wars fan and for anyone who likes sci-fi in general. Fans of action and adventure should also enjoy this.

Rating:
Story: 4.5 Stars
Characters: 4.5 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 4 Stars
Overall Quality: 4 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Aaron Allston
Publisher: Bantam Spectra
Published: Feb 1998
Page Length: 416
Genre: Science Fiction
Sub-Genre: Space Opera
Awards and Nominations:  None

Lost Valley

Lost Valley (Extinction Survival #1) (Extinction Cycle Universe #1.5)

Having read much of the Extinction Cycle series, I was very pleased to see that spin-offs were occurring. This spin-off does not disappoint. Set during the events of the first book (Extinction Horizon) through to slightly afterwards in the sequel, it doesn't need to worry about establishing the universe. Instead it can focus on introducing its characters before showing other perspectives around the country of the first book's events. Best of all, it does this by putting the characters in some nerve-wracking situations. The hotel scenes I think were a perfect example of this and very riveting. This book also highlights and explores the threat of infection much more so than the first book. The infection of wildlife predators is also quite interesting if only fleetingly explored. All in all a great entry to the series and one that doesn't pale in comparison to its parent series.

I'd recommend reading this story both for any apocalypse nut and for anyone who likes zombies and monsters in general. Fans of military action and contagion thrillers will also enjoy this.

Rating:
Story: 4 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 3.5 Stars
Overall Quality: 4 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Walt Browning
Publisher: Great Wave Ink Publishing
Published: 4 Apr 2019
Page Length: 317 pages
Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Horror
Sub-Genre: Monsters
Awards and Nominations:  None

Extinction Horizon

Extinction Horizon (The Extinction Cycle #1) (Extinction Cycle Universe #1)

I personally love post-apocalypse stories and am disappointed to see how saturated the genre has become. Because of this, I appreciate it all the more when a good book comes along that defies the mediocrity and delivers a great story. Seeing the initial creation and outbreak of a viral contagion and how it spreads across the world is always fun (when fictional of course). Adding in a military perspective that is fresh and vibrant is great when combined with a fresh take on the apocalyptic threat. Most stories with viral contagions see zombies take over the earth. This however has its roots both in human qualities, science fiction, and disease that combines to make a fun new monster for the genre. The characters are quite enjoyable too. It was immensely satisfying to see both a logical and emotional reason for how and why the virus was created. This reason is both damnable yet completely understandable and even relatable.

I'd recommend reading this story both for any apocalypse nut and for anyone who likes zombies and monsters in general. Fans of military action and contagion thrillers should also enjoy this.

Rating:
Story: 4 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 4 Stars
Overall Quality: 4 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 6 Dec 2014
Page Length: 351
Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Horror
Sub-Genre: Monsters
Awards and Nominations:  Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Horror (2015)

Star Wars: The Bacta War

Star Wars: The Bacta War (X-Wing #4) (Legends, New Republic Era #6)

After the dramatic resignation of Rogue Squadron at the end of the third book, this story sees the Rogues literally going rogue and forming their own military. Seeing how they take the fight to Ysanne Isard and their former comrade is very fun. The final climax has a great space battle and provides a very satisfying conclusion to the Stackpole books in the X-Wing series (Aaron Allston will follow with his Wraith Squadron books). I especially liked how all the loose ends were tied up and the story also had some unexpected turns occur, keeping it fresh.

I'd recommend reading this story both for any Star Wars fan and for anyone who likes sci-fi in general. Fans of action and adventure should also enjoy this.

Rating:
Story: 4.5 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 4 Stars
Overall Quality: 4 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Michael A. Stackpole
Publisher: Bantam Spectra
Published: Feb 1997
Page Length: 368
Genre: Science Fiction
Sub-Genre: Space Opera
Awards and Nominations:  None