Quality Self-Published Work Review

[ralphkern]

Following from Brian's thread about SP work, I thought I'd post some reviews of novels that I have personally found to be excellent. All are, of course, welcome to add any they spot.

My intention is not to foster a debate between the relative merits of SP vs TP, but simply highlight some excellent works which might be overlooked due to their SP status.

My own personal criteria for adding to this thread is it must be an SP work, be of a high standard and not from a Chronner.

First up for me is Xenophobia, a novel by my current favorite author, Peter Cawdron.

As mentioned, Cawdron is my current favorite author and I have found all of his books to be of the highest quality. I have not read anyone who has quite his same skill in painting picture with words. There are no grammatical errors or typos in them I have seen (the most oft quoted reason for not considering SP).

I have decided to include only one of his works, although all that I have read so far are fantastic and often exhibit different skills. My Sweet Satan is a deliciously spooky version of 2001 that actually gave me the chills. Anomaly is an excellent science based story about first contact with aliens and Galactic Explorations is a highly imaginative far future set of 4 linked novellas covering, well, Galactic Exploration. All of his books would fall under Hard Science Fiction as their primary category in that they are impeccably researched and realistic.

Xenophobia is in my opinion Cawdron's most rounded work where he showcases all of his considerable talents in one book.

The POV character, Elizabeth Bower is a Doctor for Medicine Sans Frontiers in a war torn nation when the US army unit assigned to protect her hospital is suddenly given orders to pull out. Unfortunately, the hospital is besieged by rebel forces and it is clear that their withdrawal will lead to the massacre of the patients and staff. A small team decide to stay behind and escort who they can to friendly lines.

Through their unreliable communications, they realize that the reason for the withdrawal order is because a huge alien vessel is closing on Earth with unknown intentions.

Fending off skirmishes from the rebel forces they begin the long trek to safety while trying to learn what is going on in the wider world.

The novel combines two threads. A deeply human one which is somewhat relevant in our current political situation. Refugees fleeing from war, death, torture and rape and a much larger scale one, that of first contact with an alien race. And by alien, I mean truly alien. The aliens are plausible, but incredibly different from anything I have read before. The characters are often faced with interesting ethical dilemmas in relation to both aspects.

The final quarter of the book... well I'm going to resist the urge to give any spoilers but it is awesome. The conclusion is fascinating and satisfying. Clearly the book is designed as stand-alone, but it both answers the main questions a reader will have about the aliens and their motivations while still leaving enough to have you hungering for more. In my opinion, this isn't leaving things open for a sequel, simply that all good SF makes one ask questions and wonder. This is in a similar vein to Clarke and Reynolds.

While this isn't an action orientated book (contrary to what it may seem in the title) - the set pieces are tense and thrilling. One part particularly stands out when some characters are used as sport by a sadistic warlord. The military aspects are realistic, compelling and convincing. While I'm no medic, many of the scenes with Bower acting in her capacity as a doctor have an air of authenticity to them.

The technical side. This is an ultra close 3rd person, which I must admit is usually not my fave POV as I generally find it too claustrophobic. However this is written so well it overcomes my natural inclination for a bit of a wider perspective. It helps that Bower is such an appealing character - that trace of arrogance which a person in her position would need to excel at her job yet moments showing her caring side. As mentioned, there are no SPAG errors and it shows itself as being tightly edited.

If someone has an interest in 'realistic' first contact novels, medical stories, war stories (as opposed to action stories), I can't recommend this highly enough.

 

[tinkerdan]

I have read his Trixie & Me (Galactic Exploration Book 2)

Amazon.com: Trixie & Me (Galactic Exploration Book 2) eBook: Peter Cawdron: Kindle Store

It's a quite interesting and well written shorter novel that uses a bit of unreliable narrator; because there is a bit of an I got you at the end.

The author definitely has a unique style that comes through with his portrayal of alien life forms.

 

[ralphkern]

The four novellas form a linked quartet with 1 (Serengeti)and 3 (Savannah) more loosely linked than 2 (Trixie and Me) and 4 (War). War continues directly from T&M.

A brief precis of these stories is that they cover three exploration missions, one 'up' out into intergalactic space, one into the center of the galaxy and one out towards the edge. The three ships are crewed by clones, which means despite the fact they are separated by incredible distance and time, the captain of one is also the same as the captain of the other two. I suppose this is a trick so that in each novella he doesn't have to spend word count on introducing different characters. (Or a commentary on the fact that the same 'person' is altered by their subjective experience)

Out of the four of them, (if one chose to pick them apart,, although reading them in their entirety is advised) I found Serengeti to be the best. It covers the mission out into the emptiness between Galaxies.

 

[ralphkern]

Stephen Moss - Fear The Sky

This is mostly a copy and paste of my Amazon review.

Fear the Sky is a refreshingly original take on the alien invasion story. If I had to draw comparisons to give prospective readers an inkling of what is involved in this story – For the military and espionage side, take the early Tom Clancy and Frederick Forsythe novels. Throw in the Terminator (well, eight of them) as the antagonists and a spot of Gregory Benford for the pain staking research into the science.

The story opens with eight…somethings impacting the Earth’s surface, but causing no damage. It becomes clear that they contain alien agents whose objective is to scout and sow dissent for a follow-up full-scale invasion. To talk further about the plot would be spoilers which I won’t go into, beyond saying that there is a lot of research into the science and engineering behind defeating the aliens, intrigue, and once it kicks off… lots of action.

So what else is good? Firstly the editing, normally a negative of self-published books is generally excellent. I note that some early reviews give the book a bit of a hammering on this subject. I presume the author has rectified these as he has been informed about the errors. There is still the odd homonym and double word in there, but to be blunt, no more than I would expect in a traditionally published work.

Secondly the research is compelling and complete. Clearly a lot of stuff Mr Moss has creative license on such as the technology of the aliens. But the bits that use real world technology seem fairly authentic. Some of it is a logical extrapolation of what is currently in service. Other bits are purely based on real world military technology and exhibit a painstaking level of research.

Finally the action, when it kicks off in the third act is some of the best written and exciting I’ve read in a long time.

This brings me to the point where I have to add balance to this otherwise glowing review. The second act is looooooong. This is where humanity is developing counter-measures to the alien invasion. Now personally, I actually quite enjoyed the depth this provided. Critically, I must say that it slowed the book down a lot. I probably took a day to read the first act, a week to read the second and another day to get through the third act. Not due to length but more because the slowness of the plot at that point slowed my reading. I will however say, I never reached the point where I thought I would give up on it, merely it was a lot of technical and espionage stuff without much action.

In summary, I give this book 5 stars. I will add the caveat that a reader may be put off by the second act but please persist as you will be rewarded by an absolutely thrilling finale. I have no reservations about buying both the follow-ups to this book and if the author were to try his hand in any of the three genres that make it up, science based story, thriller or hard sci fi I will buy them.

Additional:

This is an ensemble novel following multiple POVs.

For those who like the idea of a novel following the structured development of humanity both using what they have now and integrating new and advanced technologies that are both developed and captured (think the old X-com PC games) will definitely enjoy this.

The trilogy is now complete and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole lot. The antagonist is truly evil, not because of the race, but just because she is wrong... however I would say that the finale, while very logical in its representation of the final conflict (1500 pages build towards a cataclysmic few moments of battle) may be wanting a bit more of a lengthy pay off. This does make sense to me as both sides bet everything on final gambits which will end the conflict, one way or the other.

Stephen Moss is one to watch in the future and again, a testament to the high quality product coming out of the SP arena.

 

[ralphkern]

Isaac Hooke: Flagship (A Captain's Crucible: Book 1)

While I'm a hard SF man through and through, I have enjoyed some military SF; Honor Harrington, The Legacy Fleet, The Lost Fleet and our own Droflet's Uncommon Purpose being the main contenders. Considering them, they have all either brought something new to the mix, or simply done it very, very well.

Flagship is another example of excellence in the sub-genre.

The basic premise is that a task force is exploring a star system a long way from home. A number of ships detached from the fleet go missing and Commodore Jonathan Dallas of the Callaway investigates. This rapidly turns into a desperate struggle for survival as the Callaway encounters aggressive aliens, intent on destroying them. The admiral in overall charge of the expedition fleet, due to the Fog of War, doesn't believe that the aliens are out there, prompting a struggle for dominance within the fleet between him and Dallas.

At first, I was a little confused with the militarization of the expedition, however this is covered satisfactorily when the true objective of the expedition is revealed.

So far, so basic... so what did I like about it?

Firstly, and most widely, the battles and technology were tactically interesting. Rather than two ships parking next to each other and giving the space age equivalent of a broadside, they use their environment to great effect and with careful consideration. A lot of thought has been put into the fact that the ships would jockey for any tactical advantage they could gain and that makes for thrilling scenes.

The crew dynamics smacked of realism within a disciplined uniformed environment, despite the science fiction elements. Dallas's job isn't to be the friend of his crew. Inspirational, yes. Respected, yes. A mate? No. As a leader, he switches between collaborative and directive. In many ways, he reminds me of Edward James Olmos's excellently portrayed Commander Adama from Battlestar Galactica in other words, he is no Marty Stu. He gets things wrong and doesn't always have the answers.

There are more nods to realism in this than in many similar books. It's no Stephen Baxter book, but then it doesn't purport to be.

I learned once I got going on this book that the Captain's Crucible series is a sequel to a previous series, The ATLAS series. While I'm sure I would have got more out of the book had I read them, this series is designed to that it can be read independently and it takes place many decades after.

Overall, I was very impressed and would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the books I mentioned above.

As with the others I've reviewed, the quality control is excellent.

 

[ralphkern]

Robert Campbell - Trajectory

A compelling, suspense filled example of hard science fiction.

I came across Robert Campbell’s Trajectory series a few months ago while looking for a book to take with me on holiday. To say I was impressed would be an understatement.

This is Mr Campbell’s first novel, however it is handled with the deftness and confidence of a seasoned author.

The story begins with four mining ships returning to Mars from the asteroid belt. After one of them is destroyed in mysterious circumstances, the subsequent investigation shows the three surviving vessels are being stalked by… something.

As this is a realistic depiction of space, the ships are limited by just what they can do to evade or overcome the threat, and this adds immeasurably to the tension. The crews, mission control and recruited citizens have to get creative with the tools they have to hand which gives the necessary agency, so we’re not simply watching the ships being picked off but following their desperate attempts to survive.

The characterisation particularly stands out. The professionals involved are… well, professional yet have their own distinct and rich personalities. Due to the make-up of the world building, each ship is managed slightly differently, yet are clearly the product of the same space agency. This also allows the author to explore different responses by the ships: one tries to evade / hide (no mean feat in the emptiness of space), one tries to fight and one tries to run. I won’t say which is successful, but the decision on how to face the threat is consistent with the make-up of the crews. Also, something I really like is the fact there are no disposable characters in this ensemble work (read Redshirts who exist simply to die). I wanted them all to survive… sadly they don’t. To have that kind of buy-in even for the second tier characters really shows skill in engaging the reader.

As mentioned, and needs emphasizing. This is a realistic depiction of space flight; it is worth noting for prospective readers that drama is handled in one of two ways… either something kills you FAST or the threat / problem grows to a crescendo at a slower pace. In other words, don’t read the book expecting military SF style broadsides and boarding actions. I would hesitate to use the phrase ‘slow burning’, because that would give the wrong impression that the book is somehow boring or drags – it most assuredly does not. Think tension and suspense culminating in fast paced scenes.

I unreservedly recommend this book. If I had to draw parallels, I would suggest Andy Weir’s, The Martian, the opening act of Pushing Ice by Alistair Reynolds or Stephen Baxter’s NASA trilogy.

Robert Campbell is one to watch.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Robert Campbell - Trajectory

And here's the link to it on Amazon UK.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B018R7TV5W/?tag=brite-21

 

[ralphkern]

Thanks Brian, my bad!

 

[ratsy]

Great, more to read now! Actually really looking forward to Trajectory.

Hmmmm. These names look familiar...perhaps the authors are all 'Explorers'...

 

[ralphkern]

Yes, this is less a review thread... and more a kidnapping list!

 

[ralphkern]

For US customers, Rob Campbell is discounting Trajectory to $0.99.

 

[Theophania Elliott]

The Derring-Do Club and the Empire of the Dead by David Wake. Disclaimer: I know the author. However, if I didn't think this was any good, I wouldn't be recommending it.

"Why can't saving the British Empire involve embroidery?" In a ripping yarn with everything from Austro-Hungarians to zombies, the world is under threat from evil forces. Luckily, the plucky Deering-Dolittle sisters, Earnestine, Georgina and Charlotte, are on hand to save the day. Unfortunately, they are under strict instructions to avoid any adventures... ...but when did that ever stop them?

Steampunk/light alternative-history sci-fi sort of thing.

The three Deering-Doolittle sisters have been sent away to finishing school after the incident with Charlotte and the cadets; lessons are interrupted when all their schoolmates are massacred. The sisters must then fight to save the British Empire from destruction by the forces of evil. There are zombies, airships, and we finally learn exactly what it was that the cadets were teaching Charlotte.

This is a light-hearted (massacre of an entire school, minus three, of young ladies notwithstanding) romp that's excellent if you want a fun read. The story bounces along at a cracking pace, alternating between the three sisters. It's got the best sex scene I've ever read (and my husband and I read it live in a pub and got someone to snort beer: result), and at least one genuinely poignant moment.

If you're looking for deep and significant meaning, or complex characterisation, go and look somewhere else. If this book were food, it would be... those chocolates with the fizzy bits in, I think.

The following books in the series - The Derring-Do Club and the Year of the Chrononauts and The Derring-Do Club and the Invasion of the Grey - are equally good; in fact, Chrononauts is my favourite of the three.

 

[ralphkern]

Jay Allan - Duel in the Dark

When Marty Stu fought Mary Su

To my discredit, this was the first Jay Allan book I’ve read - and most assuredly, it will not be the last.

Two space nations, the Confederation and the Union, are at an impasse following a series of brutal wars - The Confederation has superior technology, while the Union fields a larger military.

But, the Union sees an opportunity to break this stalemate by enlisting the aid of a distant third power, the Spartan-like Alliance.

Far out on the frontier, the highly respected but untested Captain Tyler Barron’s Confederation ship, Dauntless is being refitted after a long patrol. In Alliance space, the war weary but elite Commander Katrine Rigellus is given command of the Invictus. She is dispatched to probe Confederation space and ascertain whether joining the Union’s efforts is in the interests of the Alliance.

I appreciate that’s a lot of factions to get one’s head around, but ultimately, it serves as the background for the main story – that of two excellent, highly competent captains leading their ships in battle against each other without any other support. In other words, a duel.

When I first started reading this, the first thought that crossed my mind was that Barron was a Marty Stu character – highly competent, unflappable and always has the answer. This is often a trope in military SF.

What wasn’t a trope, was that Rigellus is ALSO a Mary Su. Both characters are an equal to each other. Roughly the same page time is given to both – and I’d be hard pushed to say who I was rooting for more. They are both charismatic in their own different ways but I’d say Rigellus takes it by a notch.

When the two clash in battle, they use interesting and varied tactics to try and take each other out. They lead each other into a series of traps or direct combat. Just when you think one has the edge over the other, the other fights their way back into the game.

The writing is visceral, especially the ground combat elements and the universe is well-realised and the technology well-thought through.

Again, just to reflect on the characters – it takes some writing for one sympathies between both leads.

In order to give prospective readers an idea of the type of book they’re in for – think a military space opera like David Weber’s Harrington series, Isaac Hooke’s excellent Captain’s Crucible or even Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.

All in all, an excellent read, and one I highly recommend this book to fans of the above, and it might fill a gap now Weber has turned more to Space Opera politics than military action.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MCZZTPS/?tag=id2100-20

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MCZZTPS/?tag=brite-21

 

[ralphkern]

Felix R Savage - Freefall

A fantastic and imaginative near future SF.

Freefall begins in 2011 on the last space shuttle mission, piloted by Jack Kildare. Unfortunately, things don’t go so well and, following the loss of Atlantis, Kildare has the dubious honour of being the only astronaut to be sacked from NASA.

Meanwhile, a discovery around Europa suggests an alien spacecraft has arrived in the Solar System. This prompts a race to design and build a crewed vessel to investigate.

What follows is the intrigue and trials which go into creating an interplanetary mission in our time – at a rush, using only ‘real’ technology which is available off the shelf or in development. The only problem is not everyone agrees how it should be done, and some disagree violently.

This book reminded me of Stephen Baxter’s NASA trilogy, Voyage, Titan and Moonseed, where a group of astronauts, scientists and engineers attempt to realistically bootstrap together a spaceship in short order. The main difference is that rather than reading as a technical manual, the characters are explored in as much detail as the technology. None of them are perfect, all have their foibles and they’re entertaining to follow.
One of the things I enjoyed is that the bad guys are covered in as much depth as the good. They are sympathetic, even likable and that makes them even more dangerous.

Overall, this is an excellent and original book, of the type we don’t see a lot of – Realistic character driven hard SF. As the book takes place in our time, it has a fair few cultural references which work magnificently in grounding the story.

An important thing to realise is Freefall is this is the first in a four-part series – One which the authors are turning out in quick order. This book is about them designing and building the spacecraft. The next book, Lifeboat, is where the investigation into the alien vessel begins. This first part kept me gripped, and I cannot wait to get stuck into the next.

In this book and series, Felix Savage, and Bill Patterson, who I understand is the science consultant, are quickly cementing their place as an awesome team in the Indie publishing field. The production values are excellent and I’ll give this book an unreserved 5 stars.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/193739624X/?tag=id2100-20

 

[ralphkern]

Just a note - I'm betaing Robert M Campbell's third Trajectory novel at the moment. They are simply amazing pieces of work. The first was probably my top read last year, and the second certainly in my top 5 (only losing places because the shiny newness of discovering someone was gone).

I thought it would be tough to top them...

He's managed it.

 

[Theophania Elliott]

I got given Demonyka for review the other week. Really enjoyed it: a fun read. Sort of in the same neighbourhood as the Dresden Files and Sandman Slim, only lighter. But... darker. With explosions. Like black popcorn.

Paul Moore runs a magic shop and brokers deals with demons; then there's a skin-borrowing witch a worried demon, and a really big problem. Book ensues. Recommended if you want a fun read with blokey humour; not recommended if you have delicate sensibilities.

Ignore the awful cover. The title doesn't do it justice either.

I gave it four stars because I like my fiction just a bit deeper, but hey, it's good black popcorn! A solid four stars for a fun read.

 

[tinkerdan]

I did read the sample for this one::

I got given Demonyka for review the other week. Really enjoyed it: a fun read. Sort of in the same neighbourhood as the Dresden Files and Sandman Slim, only lighter. But... darker. With explosions. Like black popcorn.

::I don't usually read much of this genre, however this one was quite engaging.
Unfortunately the price and off-genre nature put me off enough to remember I have a stack of other things to read.

It's not an exceptionally bad price; I'm just cheap especially with new authors.

 

[ralphkern]

Duel in the Dark is currently free to celebrate the release of the third book in that series!

 

[Biskit]

It's not an exceptionally bad price; I'm just cheap especially with new authors.

Currently down to 1.99 on Amazon uk.

 

[tinkerdan]

Sold::

Currently down to 1.99 on Amazon uk.

::it is now in my kindle.