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