Category Archives: ARCs

Why You Need to Read: “Chaos Vector”

The Protectorate: Book 2: Chaos Vector                               

By: Megan E. O’Keefe                                                           Audiobook: 19 hours and 5 minutes

Published: July 28, 2020                                                      Narrated by: Joe Jameson

Genre: Science Fiction/Space Opera

            “It’s been two years. Why would things escalate now?

            Graham smiled slyly. “Because you’re back, kid. Two years and some change was about the time you disappeared, about the time Icarion lost control of Bero. Nakata, Kenwick, Lavaux—they’re all tangled up somehow, and Harlan and his crew crossed paths with that lot,” (Chapter 6: Can’t Count on a Spy). 

            Cliffhangers have always been an interesting concept in storytelling. I’ve mentioned in previous posts that cliffhangers are excellent ways to keep the audience engaged in the narrative. There are several cliffhangers the storyteller can use, but depending on the narrative, one fits better than others. In the case of Megan E. O’Keefe and her The Protectorate trilogy, Chaos Vector—the sequel to Velocity Weapon—picks up immediately after the revelations in the first book. And, that includes both the plot and the pace.

            There are 4 protagonists in this book. First, is Sanda Greeve, who went from “Hero of Ada Prime” to suspected murdered of a Keeper. Now, she’s on the run to clear her name after a brief reunion with her family and to discover what is in the Keeper Chip that is embedded in her skull. After learning some about one of her fathers’ past, Sanda joins up with Arden, Nox and everyone else in Harlan’s crew in order to solve 2 mysteries with 1 person of interest, Rainier Lavaux. Second, is Biran Greeve, Sanda’s younger brother and one of the Keepers. Life as a Keeper begins to catch up with Biran as he does damage control, first for his sister and then for the Keepers; and, he begins his investigation into the missing Keeper, the stolen Keeper Chip, and The Light of Berossus, all while trying to figure out who among the other Keepers are his allies. Third, is Jules, whose circumstances and previous actions now have her working for Rainier Lavaux. She hides herself from her friends as she does everything she can to save one of them, but is she being played? Last, is Tomas Cepko, the agent from Nazca whom Biran hired previously. Now that his mission is complete, Tomas is given a new assignment; and, it’s Rainier Lavaux. All of the protagonists and the other characters are beginning to comprehend the effect their recent actions have on one another, for the rest of Ada Prime, and the Icarions. Not to mention, what happened to Bero? 

            The first plot in this novel carries over from the first book, only now there are more questions than answers. But, everything revolves around Rainier Lavaux, the wife of the murdered Keeper. Somehow, she knows about both The Light of Berossus and the Keeper Chip; but, which one will she go after? And, why is she so interested in Jules? The second plot revolves around the Keeper Chip lounged in Sanda’s skull. Sanda is on a mission to discover the contents on the Chip before Ada Prime’s enemies track her down and reclaim it. Meanwhile, Biran looks into which Keeper went missing and why that Keeper’s Chip stands out more than the other ones. There are 2 subplots, which develop alongside the 2 plots which enhances and expands the narrative. The first one focuses on Jules’ efforts to thwart Rainier Lavaux’s plans, which pulls Jules further into an intergalactic conspiracy that she never would have imagined getting involved in. The second subplot delves into the events of the past which may or may not have impacted the present. As everything converges, it begins to make sense. 

            The narrative is more straightforward than in the first book. There are 2 years that the narrative focuses on: Prime Standard Year 0002 (the past) and Prime Standard Year 3543 (the present). All of the narratives are told in the 3rd person limited in the present tense from the points-of-view of the protagonists. Unlike the previous book, the sequence of events allow the narrative to be followed easily by readers (and by listeners). The streams-of-consciousness of the protagonists not only give the audience a complete understanding of the revelations, but also make the characters reliable narrators.

            The style Megan E. O’Keefe uses in Chaos Vector flows from Velocity Weapon. There is a political conspiracy that is starting to unravel, but the majority of the citizens seem focused on the continued conflict between 2 feuding nations. This conflict reflects the mood of this novel which is distraction. The leaders of Ada Prime do not want their citizens to worry about “threats,” so they make announcements about falsehoods to keep everyone “calm” as they continue to work on a cover-up instead of addressing the conflict. This leads to the tone of this book which centers around the idea of duty. Some of the characters are more willing to follow up on their obligations than others including their superiors. It remains to be seen whether or not the characters’ choices will have negative consequences for the rest of the galaxy.

            The appeal for Chaos Vector have been positive. Fans of Velocity Weapon will be pleased to know that the author presents a strong and fast-paced sequel to this familial space opera. Science fiction fans and anyone who is interested in an intriguing space opera should read this series, especially with the third and final book in the trilogy—Catalyst Gate—releasing this summer (2021)! If you cannot read the book, then you can listen to the audiobook like I did. Once again, Joe Jameson does an excellent job narrating this story, and I hope he does the next book!

            Chaos Vector is a strong and an entertaining sequel to this underappreciated space opera. Both the characters and the plot develop as answers lead to more questions. Everything Megan E. O’Keefe has written in her story guarantees a promising conclusion to this trilogy! Don’t wait any longer, start reading The Protectorate! 

My Reading: Enjoy It (4.5 out of 5). 

Why You Need to Read: “Fugitive Telemetry”

The Murderbot Diaries, #6: Fugitive Telemetry

By: Martha Wells

Published: April 27, 2021

Genre: Science Fiction

            But whatever, now I just needed intel for threat assessment so I could figure out if GrayCris had killed the dead human or not and go back to my happy boring life on Preservation Fucking Station, (Chapter Three).

            I LOVE MURDERBOT! And, I’m so happy that both Martha Wells and TorDotCom continue to write and to release stories about this snarky, astute and loyal rogue SecUnit. Following up on the success of the Murderbot novel, Network Effect—which, I haven’t read yet—fans get to read, Fugitive Telemetry, the next novella in the series, whose story takes place AFTER the events in Exit Strategy and BEFORE the events in Network Effect. 

            Murderbot, the rogue Security Unit, is starting its new life on Preservation Station after rescuing Dr. Mensah from GrayCris. However, that is easily said than done. Dr. Mensah is experiencing P.T.S.D., certain members of her team still don’t trust Murderbot—for example, it can’t use its name because it might scare everyone off—and, oh right, there was a murder of human and Station Security is trying to figure out what happened. Murderbot is worried that GrayCris might have something to do with it and decides it’s going to investigate the scene so it can go back to adapting to its new life. Whether or not it wants to admit it, Murderbot wants to continue protecting Dr. Mensah and her team. It would never admit it, but it feels both welcomed and needed by them.

            The plot in this novella focuses on the murder mystery at Preservation Station. Who was the dead human? Who wanted him dead? Is there a connection between the dead human and GrayCris? Regardless, Murderbot is willing to work with Station Security—through its own methods and strategies—to put its humans at ease. The subplot in this novella is Murderbot becoming acclimated with its new life. While it is no longer a SecUnit for hire, Murderbot is not one to relax—although it wants to very much. In order to adapt to its new life, Murderbot has to compromise with Station Security, Dr. Mensah, and its instincts. 

            The narrative is told from Murderbot’s point-of-view in the past tense. The name of the series is more than a hint as to how the narrative is presented, which is in the format of a report that recounts all of the events after they occurred. Given that Murderbot is an A.I., the narrative includes the sequence of events based on its stream-of-consciousness, which makes it a reliable narrator. This brilliant narrative technique presents a straightforward and hilarious narrative that can be followed by readers easily.

            The style Martha Wells continues to use in her Murderbot series reminds us that diaries are private for a reason. Murderbot keeps track of his actions and activities in a way sci-fi fans believe an A.I. would when necessary. And honestly, if all reports were written the way the author has written for her protagonist, then they all would be just as entertaining to read. The mood in this novella reflects a dark comedy—or, a style of comedy that points out a subject matter that is too serious to present straightforward. There is a “dead human” and Murderbot has no intention of using euphemisms because everyone else is “upset” about it. The tone reflects agency, especially Murderbot’s. Say whatever you want about it, but Murderbot knows A LOT about humans, which is why it is so reliable to its allies. 

            So far, the appeal for Fugitive Telemetry have been positive. Several other readers and fans have given this novella 4- and 5-star reviews. This latest novella is an excellent addition to the series and the science fiction canon. And, with Network Effect winning this year’s Nebula Award for Best Novel, fans can relax because they are not the only ones who love this series. In fact, we can expect at least 3 more Murderbot books in the future. Where will those books fall within the series? We’ll have to wait and see.

            Fugitive Telemetry is a humorous murder mystery story that happens to be about a prickly A.I. who refuses to admit that it cares about humans. Fans can rest easy because neither the author nor her protagonist have lost their spark in this latest entry. Newcomers to the series have no idea what they’re in for and they should be prepared to binge read the series, and then wait for the next book with the rest of us. Now, I have to read Network Effect!

My Rating: MUST READ IT NOW (5 out of 5)!!! 

Thank you TorDotCom for sending me an eARC of this book!

Why You Need to Read: “Shards of Earth”

The Final Architects Trilogy, #1: Shards of Earth

By: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Published: May 27, 2021 (U.K.)/August 3, 2021 (U.S.)

Genre: Science Fiction

            The Architects had discovered that humans existed. The war, that had raged for eighty years and cost billions of lives, had been fought without the knowledge of one of its parties. And on becoming aware of humanity, the Architects had simply vanished. Nobody knew where they went. Nobody knew where they had come from or why they’d done what they did. They had never been seen again, (Part 1: Roshu, 3: Solace). 

            There is always that one author whose books you try to make time to read because you’ve heard nothing but excellent things about their books. However, for some reason, you buy, and you start reading one of their books, and for some reason, you don’t get to finish it. So, what do you do? Well, in my case, you get asked to participate in a book tour for the author’s upcoming novel, Shards of Earth, the first book in The Final Architects Trilogy. Finally, I could delve into this author’s creative mind. 

            The main characters in this novel are the crew of the ship, Vulture God, scavengers who travel throughout the galaxy and perform jobs for payment. The captain of the Vulture God is Rollo Rostand, but one of the protagonists is the ship’s navigator, Idris Telemmier, who is an Intermediary, a genetically modified individual who was used as a weapon to fight against the Architects 40 years ago. Idris still suffers from PTSD and keeps both his past and his abilities to himself. That is until Myrmidon Executor Solace, a Partheni soldier and agent, tracks Idris down with a “proposition” for him. Idris knows he can’t evade Solace forever, but before he can confront her, the Vulture God accepts a job no one else wants. The good news is the Vulture God completes the job. The bad news is the crew stumbled upon something HUGE, which forces them to become fugitives. Another protagonist is Havear Mundy, an Intervention Board agent, who has been tasked with tracking down the crew of the Vulture God to learn of their “activities.” The rest of the crew—Kris (another protagonist), Olli, Barney and Medvig—develop alongside Idris, Solace and Havaer. While they are all different races and have separate histories, they are terrified of the Architects.  

            The plot of this story focuses on the long-term aftermath of an alien invasion of a different sort. The Architects invaded the galaxy, but instead of simply dominating humans and the other races, they destroyed planets in a way which leaves the survivors shaken. After several decades, the Architects left and the societal galaxy has changed, but there have been signs that the Architects have returned. The question is: should the news go public? Not to mention, who is left that knows how to fight them off? There is one subplot that deserves the most attention and that is the various factions—both political and religious—who are fighting for dominance and have their own views about the Architects and the rumors of their “return.” Between the cults and the stereotypes all of the races have about each other, you are left wondering how they all would survive a 2nd invasion. This subplot develops alongside the plot at an appropriate rate. This is because the world is fleshed out as the story develops.

            The narrative is told from the points-of-view of Idris, Solace, the other crew members of the Vulture God, and Havear in the 3rd person limited. This means the reader knows what is happening to the characters from one of their perspectives. While there are moments where the characters present their memories and their past experiences, the narrative is presented through their streams-of-consciousness in the present; and, their experiences and knowledge of their race and their history make them reliable narrators. Yes, the narrative is heavy at times, but it can be followed by the reader(s). 

            The style Adrian Tchaikovsky uses for Shards of Earth is part hard science fiction and part space opera. Readers can tell this story is a space opera—the mention of spaceships, galaxies, space battles, etc.—from the Prologue. The hard science fiction becomes noticeable when readers learn about the genetics of each race and the ecosystems of each planet. Yes, it is A LOT of information and scientific terminology, but the world-building that comes from it presents a believable galaxy (could it be our future?). Plus, there is a Glossary which readers can consult while they read the book. In addition, the author’s take on the factions as part of the war’s aftermath is believable. Think about it, during the last 20 years of global events—including the COVID-19 Pandemic—how much has religion and politics changed? In fact, it’s creepy how accurate the cult following of the author’s factions reflect the ones in our present day. The mood in this novel is an ominous one because the signs of the threat are there, and the individuals must decide on what they are going to do about it. The tone in this novel focuses on the self-imposed options of all of the characters within the story. Many of the characters in this story come from races and/or planets where certain “orders” are expected to be followed by those in charge. However, when “bigger” things are at stake, shouldn’t there be a choice for everyone regardless of societal expectations? In fact, why is free will such a difficult concept for some of these factions and races? 

            So far, the appeal for Shards of Earth have been positive. I say this because this book have been released in the U.K. with an upcoming release in the U.S. later this summer. As I mentioned earlier, I am participating in a book tour, so I received an eARC of this book. I can tell you that the hype surrounding this book is real, and fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s previous books will appreciate this one. And, as a fan of both Megan E. O’Keefe and Martha Wells, I highly recommend this book. Yes, this is the 1st book in a trilogy, and with the way this book ended, you’re going to be anxious to read Book 2 when it comes out. While there were moments where familiar sci-fi tropes appeared, the story was worth the read.

            Shards of Earth is an informative and an exceptional story about alien invasions, feuding factions, and eugenics. I’m glad this book tour gave me the opportunity to read this book in advanced, which allowed me to complete a book by Adrian Tchaikovsky! So, which of his books should I read next as I wait for the next book in this series?   

My Rating: Enjoy It (4 out of 5). 

Reading Check-In: May 29, 2021

My schedule is starting to clear up, so here’s another update to what I’m reading.

What are you currently reading?

I should be halfway through this eARC by the end of this holiday weekend.

What will you read next?

I’m very anxious to start this eARC.

I will be reading this while listening to the audiobook.

As I mentioned earlier, I have more time to start reading again, and I have A LOT of catching up to do! Next weekend, I’ll be posting reviews again.

What you reading right now?

Most Anticipated Reads of 2021: Summer Edition

My workload is starting to lighten a bit and that means I can get back to reading, and I have A LOT of catching up to do! Here are some of the many books I will be reading throughout Summer 2021! Is it safe to call this my Summer Reading?!

I’m still reading my way through…

Next book on my list is…

I might have to read this book while listening to the audiobook edition.

Finally, I can start reading this book!

My excitement for this book hasn’t waned.

I just won a print edition of this book from FanFiAddict! Thank you!

It feels like I’m the last blogger to read this book.

I haven’t forgotten about this book!

Thank you to J.C. Kang for sending me a copy of this book.

I need to know what happens next in this series!

I’m not going to include ALL of the books I’ll be reading this summer in this post because it would be never-ending! That being said, I will be reading these 10 books throughout the summer. And yes, I will be writing and posting reviews for ALL of them, so be ready to read them!

Which books will you be reading throughout the summer?

Reading Check-In: May 15, 2021

Another update to what I’ve read this week.

What did you finish reading?

Earlier this week, I finished Chaos Vector. I listened to the audiobook while double-checking my eARC. And, just in time too because Orbit sent me an eARC of the 3rd and final book in this trilogy, Catalyst Gate. I’m looking forward to the battle sequences that will occur in that book.

What are you currently reading?

I’m about 20% through Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I will be participating in The Write Reads’ Blog Tour for the release of this book. It’s the first time I’ll be participating in a blog tour, so I’m both excited and nervous because this is one of the most anticipated sci-fi books of the year! Not to mention, the only book I’ve read by the author so far was the 1st half of The Tiger and the Wolf (which, is a brilliant fantasy novel, and I need to finish that and the trilogy).

What will you read next?

From one highly anticipated book to another one. As some of you know, I begged for this book after my request for a galley was rejected. Both the author, and his publicist, sent me a galley in exchange for a review before the book’s release date. The Empire’s Ruin, which is Brian Staveley’s first book in his new series, releases in July. Not that I’m complaining, but I’ll go from reading a space opera to reading an epic fantasy. This is going to be an entertaining summer!

It’s interesting how the next 2 books I’ll be reading are by author’s whose books I haven’t been able to read until now. That being said, I’m excited to do so because I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about their stories! It is lame that I waited until their latest series to start reading their works, but I’m glad I’ll be able to share my thoughts about them!

Which books from you TBR piles are you reading right now?

Book Haul: Indie Bookstore Day Edition

On Saturday, April 24th, it was Indie Bookstore Day (and my younger brother’s birthday)!

The purpose of Indie Bookstore Day is to support your local and/or your favorite indie bookstore by purchasing merchandise and/or books from them.

One of my favorite indie bookstores is Strand Bookstore in Manhattan, New York! Besides being a bookstore with 5 levels of books, several events take place there on a weekly basis. Before and during (and soon, after) the pandemic, I’ve attended several events where authors would discuss their books, have book signings and participate in live Q&As! Even now, with the pandemic, Strand has managed to keep everything up and running.

The Strand decided to have a 30% sale on their ENTIRE store! I couldn’t miss out on this deal, so I delve into book shopping. And surprisingly, I was in more control than I thought I would be.

These are some of the books I bought! If you’re familiar with these titles, then you’ll notice something interesting about the books I bought!

Here’s the answer behind my purchases!

Now, I can read this series without worrying about the gap between the books!

After winning the 3rd book in a giveaway with the author’s signature, I had to buy the 1st 2 books in this trilogy!

Finally, I have ALL 4 books in The Nine Realms! I’m hoping that Tor plans on publishing a 4-in-1 Collector’s Edition of this series in the near future!

And, I couldn’t help myself, I had to get a tote bag with one of The Strand’s most infamous quotes!

Did you participate in Indie Bookstore Day? If so, then what did you buy? What’s your favorite indie bookstore?

I’m looking forward to when I can visit the Strand Bookstore again!

Reading Check-In: May 1, 2021

I’ve managed to get some reading done this week.

What did you finish reading?

I LOVE MURDERBOT! Another excellent novella about our favorite snarky robot! I’m aiming to reading Network Effect this summer, finally!

What are you currently reading?

I’m still listening to Chaos Vector, and I hope to finish it within the next 1-2 weeks.

I’m back to reading Shards of Earth. The good news is because I haven’t made too much progress, which means I still remember everything that I’ve read so far.

What will you read next?

FYI: The title for Book 5, which is the last book in this series, has been released. It’s available on a certain website!

I am WAY behind on my reading (for reasons I’ll get into when the time is right). These are 3 of several books I hope to start reading by the end of the month.

Reading Check-In: April 24, 2021

Hello everyone! This week’s post is another update on what I’m reading.

What did you finish reading?

I finished this book some about 2 weeks ago, but I haven’t written my review of it yet. For those of you who’ve read Middlegame, you will recognize the title of the series (The Up-and-Under) and the author’s name, A. Deborah Baker (a.k.a. Seanan McGuire’s pseudonym). This story follows two young children from opposite sides of the same community who come across a wall, climb over it, meet each other in a new world, and make their way through it while meeting everyone who resides there. The next book, Along the Saltwise Sea, comes out later this fall. Even if I don’t get a galley of this book, then I plan on preordering it.

What are you currently reading?

I was hoping to finish this book sooner so I would have my review ready BEFORE next week’s release. Tor.com was kind enough to approve my request for this galley, and I thought I had to read Network Effect before reading this novella. After a few of my fellow bookbloggers clued me in that this story takes places before the novel, I started it immediately. I LOVE MURDERBOT, and I’m aiming to finish this story and to have the review written and posted very soon!

Currently, I’m still listening to the audiobook (while re-reading the chapters in my galley), and I’m 75% done with this book. I believe I know what could happen by the end of this book. However, the cover reveal for Book 3 has me wanting to finish this book A.S.A.P.!

What will you read next?

Without getting into too much detail, I received an eARC of this book early. I’ve been meaning to read the books this author has written for a long time. In fact, I’ve read the 1st half of The Tiger and the Wolf, and I haven’t finished it yet (READ IT). I started this book, and so far it’s a space opera experience I won’t forget anytime soon. I’m looking forward to reading this book through. And yes, my review for this book will be SPOILER FREE.

This week’s Book Haul!

Do I have to explain how excited I am for this book?! The Broken God is supposed to take place right after the events at the end of The Shadow Saint. All I know about this book is that Cari returns as one of the main P.O.V. characters. And, the author announced recently that the series has been expanded to 5 books! Yes, I’m excited about that, and I’m curious as to what will happen between the end of this book and the end of the series.

This Week’s Book Haul (April 4-10, 2021): NetGalley Edition

We are familiar with posts about Weekly or Monthly Book Hauls, or new arrivals of books. These books can be ARCs, purchases and/or gifts. Sometimes, there are stories surrounding these book hauls, but most of them don’t need to be told. I’m taking the opportunity and I’m using this week’s book haul to discuss some lingering and continuing issues I’ve been having with NetGalley.

Request Rejected

Most of us remember when we had our requests rejected. This is a scenario I’m still familiar with: request a book, have that request rejected, search other opportunities to receive an ARC (Goodreads giveaways, Bookish First, etc.) and fail in that, purchase the book the week it’s released.

‘Read Now’ Quota Reached

Those of us who check NetGalley daily and/or receive the newsletters know what I am talking about. You receive an email and/or you’re browsing a galley site and you realize that you can download the book immediately. However, you’re NOT in front of your computer and you are unable to download the galley from your mobile device, which means you’ve missed out on receiving the galley. On top of that, your request is rejected; so, you wait until you can purchase the book.

Request Pending (even with the ‘Read Now’ selection available)

This happens more often than NetGalley wants to admit. You request a galley and it’s pending. Then, a few weeks later, the publisher gives the book a “Read Now” status. So, you access your NetGalley account hoping to download the book, only to notice that your request is still pending. You can’t cancel the request and there is no way around downloading the book due to its “status,” which leaves you feeling more annoyed because you were so close to obtaining the galley that you wanted.

In this case, after entering numerous giveaways, the author of Firebreak, Nicole Kornher-Stace, mailed an ARC to me (Thank you SO MUCH for doing that for me)! Firebreak is one of my most anticipated books of 2021, and I’m honored that the author decided to mail me an Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review, which I will be doing sooner rather than later (after I read the book of course)!

I should mention that this is NOT an issue with Edelweiss+. In fact, there have been times when I’ve had a request rejected only for the publisher to allow for the “Download” option for anyone who is interested. This change overrides the any previous status. If Edelweiss has this override, then shouldn’t NetGalley?!

Galley I Forgot to Download BEFORE the Archive Date

This one was my fault. I heard about this book from other bookbloggers, and I my request was granted almost immediately. Unfortunately, I did NOT download the galley by the archive date. Honestly, I might have misread April (Apr. on NetGalley’s website) for August (Aug. on NetGalley).

I still wanted to read this book, so I bought it! This book is a translation of a trilogy about Norse mythology. Since Norse myths are the stories to read at the moment (I still have to read both Northern Wrath and The Witch’s Heart), I decided to add this one to the list. I want to do a Norse-themed read through before Norsevember 2021!

So, why did I write this post? I wanted to let readers, bloggers and reviewers know that they are not the only ones with these issues on NetGalley. I believe that all of these issues are common knowledge, but for some unknown reason, NetGalley has yet to address the issues surrounding their available galleys. I understand some of it goes back to the publishers’, but they are NOT the ones running the site.

Have any of you had similar and/or different experiences with these galley sites? What did you do? What are your other options for gaining ARCs and galleys? And yes, I’m looking forward to reading ALL of these books!