Children's Book Review - Zog's Big Question: An Interplanentary Tale of Wonder, Belief, and Big Questions by Adam Rice, illustrated by Mac Rice

Zog's Big Question: An Interplanetary Tale of Wonder, Belief, and Big Questions by Adam Rice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun, sweet sci-fi tale that simplifies a complicated concept.

Zog’s Big Question by Adam Rice and colorfully illustrated by Mac Rice delves into the quandary of faith versus science and helps young readers come away with a more comfortable understanding of this complex concept. Zog is a young Questling on the planet Luminos, where the inhabitants are cute, blue, water-drop-shaped creatures with triangular arms and legs and two expressive antennae. They also base their lives and culture on scientifically-proven facts and eat the bounty of the Knowing Fruit Tree. While they may sound comical, they exude a calm and friendly persona that children will find fun and completely non-threatening. Zog has heard that the inhabitants of the planet Terra accept some big ideas without scientific proof, and, finding this totally perplexing, decides to investigate the curious rumor in person. So, he leaves his home in a “borrowed” spacecraft and travels to Terra to see the truth for himself.

While the story was not what I expected, I enjoyed it nonetheless, finding clarity in the simple explanation of how and why faith and science can be complementary. However, I do think a more specific book description, or blurb, regarding the focus on faith is needed as the one provided is so broad, it is a little misleading. I appreciated that while the central characters on Terra, Sam and Max, come from a Catholic-like church, the story emphasizes all religious traditions and not just those of a Christian viewpoint. I liked that the children took Zog to a secular institution for answers, too.

Zog is engaging, and children will easily relate to his curious nature. The illustrations are rendered in calming blues on Luminos, with one drawing very reminiscent of a setting from the movie Avatar, and, once Zog is on Terra (Earth), greens are emphasized, too. At over 40 pages, it is more of a chapter than a picture book, and would be suitable for reading aloud at home, in Sunday school, or in religion classes. I would definitely like to see Zog return in future stories to tackle other adventures.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.


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Children's Book Review: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches From Outer Space! by I.S. Noah

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches From Outer Space!: by I.S. Noah
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A delightful children’s SciFi adventure story with amusing political aspects until the children and the adventure were left behind.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches from Outer Space! by author I.S. Noah starts out as a fun and entertaining children’s science fiction adventure with amusing political overtones, but it unexpectedly deviates completely from the children to focus on political satire. The plot is exciting and clever, but a couple of dark moments may make it iffy for younger readers.

The main plot, the children discovering a small alien spacecraft hidden in a forest cave while on a hike and finding out it is that of an alien offspring who has left his parent’s craft without permission to hunt for Big Foot, is delightful. The author crafts a fun tale of the Wilson children: the put-upon older teenage sister, Violet, and her rambunctious and irreverent younger brothers, Brad and Willys, and Violet’s soon-to-be-shellshocked BFF, Pamela Edison. The writing is easy to read and full of laugh-out-loud scenes, many containing relatable, true-to-life interactions among the siblings. Pamela, an only child fresh from a stint as a camp counselor, had no idea what she was getting into by agreeing to help Violet babysit the two Wilson boys.

I loved the aftermath of the Wilsons notifying the feds that they had found Goobex 3’s spacecraft with the ensuing visit, testing, and interrogation in the “Men in Black” style secret underground base. The author includes so many special touches, such as Agent Orange’s unusual effect on people, the ten sniffer dog teams comprised of some less-than-traditional breeds (one’s a PUG), and enough bodily fluids mentioned to thrill the heart of any 10-year-old boy. The author tells a great story for this age range, and yet, underlying the adventure is a dark theme: Willys’s trauma for what he believes he’s inadvertently done to Goobex 3.

The political aspects of the story begin light-heartedly with the author mimicking Trump’s verbal patterns to an amusing “T.” But, as things progress, the children’s involvement is dropped, and the plot focuses solely on how the author envisions Trump’s “first contact” would unfold. While there are unexpected and funny consequences to Trump’s negotiations with the Goobex, I believe younger readers would lose interest in the story before getting to them. This last quarter of the book includes some additional dark images, such as a general shooting a raccoon out of a tree only because he could do so and bystanders drowning when January 6th-type crazies riot outside the Goobex spacecraft. Can children read about these things? Of course. They represent reality. However, these images were left hanging and uncommented upon. Thankfully, the author does wrap up all these events, though, putting everything back into place as if they’d never occurred. But the bottom line for me is what started as a fun children’s adventure lost its way by crossing genre lines and perhaps trying to widen its target audience too much. Still, I would definitely read more by this author.

Content warning: Death of young alien, killing of wildlife, mass deaths in a crowd, negative portrayals of Republicans, President Donald Trump

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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Book Review: Basilisk (Starship vs Alien Creature War, #1) by Scott Bradley

Basilisk: A Starship vs Alien Creature War Novel by Scott Bradley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Exciting military science fiction tale of a brutal conflict between two warring planets that escalates when the mythical aliens known as the basilisks get involved.

Basilisk by Scott Bradley is a riveting military science fiction story about a brutal conflict between two warring planets, Kari and Rhea, that suddenly threatens to annihilate both when one side decides to introduce a mythical alien creature known as basilisks into the battle. Skylar Solace, the daughter of the renowned captain of the Kari starship Dragon, is foundering in her studies to become a starship officer. So, when the planet Rhea attacks and decimates one of Kari’s space stations and its more than 2,000 souls aboard, she and her best friend, Trudi, with passions high (A LA STARSHIP TROOPERS), enlist in the Marines. But all the training in the world can’t prepare Skylar for the terror she feels going into battle. Not only must she fight the enemy, but her own paralyzing fear as well. Adding to her emotional struggles are the rampant rumors that Kari’s leader, President Alder, may be responsible for starting the war for personal gain.

While initially appearing to be a passionate and gung-ho recruit wanting to prove herself to a cruel, unfeeling father, Skylar Solace turns out to be a remarkably complex character struggling with a lot of baggage. I had some difficulty connecting with her, especially when she froze during her squad’s first engagement with the enemy, possibly contributing to the death of a marine under her command. However, as the story unfolded, she grew on me as she matured and grew into the kind of protagonist that her command saw as a competent and canny leader, able to cut through the smokescreen of subterfuge of Kari’s power-hungry and corrupt politicians. She goes from acting like a schoolgirl when confronted with her current crush to fighting through excruciating pain and the mind control caused by the bite of the all-too-real alien Basilisk.

Corporal Solace is supported by a plethora of teammates besides Trudi, such as the mercenary Levi and the ever-contentious Coma. Many characters come and go as they fall in the many shipboard skirmishes, and the squad is re-formed over and over. Skylar slowly comes to trust herself, learning a hard lesson when she relinquishes command to a less talented squad member in a moment of weakness.

The story starts in high gear as Skylar’s squad boards a Rhea Corvette, and the author does a bang-up job describing and choreographing the ensuing chaos they experience as they breach the hull under fire and meet the enemy head-on. Capturing an enemy combatant, a Kari insurgent, readers get their first hint that the virtually unstoppable Basilisk of lore might not just be a myth, and their involvement in the Rhea-Kari war is a much larger threat to everyone, giving off fresh ALIEN vibes for the rest of the book. I found the story exciting and entertaining, but there were a few places where the action lagged with unnecessary repetitions of explanations or character introspection, typos, and incorrect word usage.

I recommend BASILISK to readers of military science fiction, especially those who enjoy strong female protagonists.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.


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Book Review: After the Darkness by Justin Richman

After The Darkness by Justin Richman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An action-packed post-apocalyptic tale where danger comes from every direction!

After the Darkness is a riveting new post-apocalyptic tale featuring terrifying, seemingly indestructible aliens and the desperate human survivors of a city. Society quickly collapsed with the coming of The Drifters, aliens that feasted on the human inhabitants of the planet. The handfuls of survivors huddled together in small groups to maximize their resources while they scrounged the remnants of their broken city for critical leftovers from the past and avoid detection by the predatory invaders. Izzy and her dog Shadow work together as a team, locating and retrieving useful and necessary supplies for their camp situated on the town’s outskirts. But when a roving band of lawless scavengers arrives, making the abandoned local prison their base of operations and claiming the entirety of the city as their territory, Izzy discovers the real threat to their survival may not be The Drifters but her fellow human beings.

Wow! This story is one exciting sequence of events after another from start to finish. The action kicks off on page one with Izzy’s capture by the evil leader of The Reavers, followed by an attack from the alien Drifters, and things never let up from there. The plot is tense as one threat after another presents itself, and Izzy, Shadow, her friend Matt, and a surprise benefactor work to overcome insurmountable odds. The author makes their successes believable and their losses shocking and heartbreaking. A horrifying twist is that victims of The Drifters can be infected, resurrected, and used to lead the aliens back to their former compatriots’ hiding places, where they help exterminate all those they encounter.

Izzy, the heroine of the story, is initially relegated to less vital roles in her hidden community when the head of their camp dismisses her skills and potential value. Still, she perseveres and proves herself more than capable over and over. As if the day-to-day, hand-to-mouth existence of the camp isn’t dire enough, the kidnapping of one of their members sparks a chain of events that pits them against the evil Reavers entrenched behind sturdy prison walls. Not only does this amp up the suspense, but it forces Izzy to face all the fears Hawk embodies.

This author’s writing just keeps getting better and better. The plot is well-paced, and the storylines are tight and focused. The settings are vivid and easy to visualize, putting the readers right in the scene with the characters. I highly recommend AFTER THE DARKNESS to readers who enjoy thrilling post-apocalyptic tales of action, adventure, and suspense.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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Review Tour & Giveway: Stellar Heir (Stellar Heir, #1) by Scott Killian

 

STELLAR HEIR

Stellar Heir, Book One

by

Scott Killian

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by

Goddess Fish Promotions.

Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Science Fiction
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Page count: 392 pages

SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

SYNOPSIS:

Jael Ked’Korhva hadn’t anticipated becoming the galaxy’s most wanted.

 

He hadn’t planned on picking up a strange alien artifact, either, but once it was clasped around his wrist, Jael was granted extraordinary abilities. His senses were heightened, his reflexes faster, and he could now regenerate from damage that would spell the end for others, which was a boon, considering he was just a derelict scavenger.

 

That was until forces from every corner of the stars wanted Jael’s artifact for themselves, and they’ll stop at nothing to take it back. What initially appears as a boon swiftly transforms into a weighty charge. Yet, it's a charge Jael accepts without hesitation, understanding the catastrophic potential should the relic fall into the wrong hands.

 

Prodded onward by visions of an ancient ally and a mysterious enemy, Jael becomes a pivotal piece in a vast interstellar play of power and dominion.

 

An action-packed space opera, perfect for science fiction fans of Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio or The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey.

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ENJOY AN EXCERPT:

Jael’s world shifted, reality melting away as the woman’s touch transported his consciousness across the vastness of space. The galaxy unfurled before him, countless stars and vibrant worlds. 

A creeping darkness emerged from the fringes, seeping into the cosmic fabric like spilled ink. Jael watched in horror as the void engulfed entire star systems, extinguishing their light with terrifying efficiency. 

Planets that once teemed with life withered under the encroaching shadow. Lush forests crumbled to ash, oceans boiled away, and sprawling cities crumbled into dust. The screams of billions echoed across the vacuum, abruptly silenced as the darkness consumed them. 

Stars flickered and died, snuffed out like candles in a gale. Nebulae collapsed, their swirling colors fading to a dull, lifeless gray. The galaxy’s spiral arms now resembled dark skeletal fingers reaching into nothingness. 

As the last remnants of light faded, Jael found himself suspended in an endless, inky void. The darkness was not still, but writhed and pulsated. Shapeless entities, darker than the blackness surrounding them, twisted and coiled through the emptiness. 

The woman’s voice echoed in his mind, “This is the future that awaits if you fail. The enemy comes, and with it, the end of all things.” She moved in close and placed a hand on his cheek. “Find me on Dusrist before it is too late.” 

As the woman began to fade, behind her, another figure began to materialize. A shadow Jael hadn’t thought about in years. 

Jael’s breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding against his chest. The figure’s face slowly came into focus—a sharp jawline, weathered by time and countless wars, gray, ashen skin, a tell-tale sign of genetic alteration and eyes that Jael would never forget. Those predatory, multi-pupiled eyes that had haunted Jael’s nightmares since he was a child.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Scott Killian grew up in California, where he consumed every bit of sci-fi and horror media he could find. Delving deep into the works of Thomas Harris, Stephen King, and H. P. Lovecraft, to name a few, those dark portals in his mind were opened, and his obsession with the macabre began. Storytelling, in any form, is his greatest passion. Scott can be reached via email at saltnsulfurpublishing@gmail.com. 

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REVIEW:

5 stars!

Outstanding beginning for this fresh, action-packed space opera. 

Steller Heir is the first novel in author Scott Killian’s new science fiction adventure series of the same name, and it was absolutely a thrill-a-minute, hit-the-ground-running debut! Great characters, witty dialogue, amazing alien beings, a compelling mission to save ALL, and vivid imagery that made me feel I was there all combined to deliver an exciting epic of a space opera. 

Jael Ked’Korhva is the main character and the young captain of the scavenger ship, Zigzagunda. Along with his humanoid simian sidekick, Goni Tinge, they scour space for items of value. However, a mysterious bracelet, an artifact from the ancient past, once clasped around Jael’s wrist, changes everything. Not only is every pirate, mercenary, and alien death squad on their trail to get the power of the artifact for themselves, but it has shown Jael the future fate of the galaxy should he fail to stop what’s coming. 

I enjoyed Jael’s narrative so much. He’s witty, smart, and relatable, and Goni is entertaining with his banter, enthusiasm, and single-mindedness on a couple of issues, such as food. I loved their interaction, camaraderie, and relationship with the Zigzagunda, especially the banter and rivalry with Goni. The action sequences are tense and easy to follow because they are so well choreographed. Descriptions are fluid and easy to visualize. The author’s alien beings are diverse, imaginative, and often horrifying in their extreme physical strangeness and interactions. 

The plot goes from 0 to 60 from the very first chapter, and there’s little downtime; the tension just keeps building. Told from multiple points of view, readers follow the action from the different angles of the story. The good guys, on occasion, stray left and right of what’s moral but who you can’t help rooting for from the start. Then, there are the bad guys, the VERY bad guys. And yet, there are those you won’t be able to categorize yet – are they going to fall on the side of good or evil? Thankfully, the second book in the series is shown to be scheduled for publication in March of 2025 because there’s so much more story left to unfold. 

I recommend STELLAR HEIR for science fiction readers who enjoy space opera action and adventure.

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

November 19: The Reading Addict
November 19: Country Mamas With Kids
November 26: The Faerie Review
November 26: The Avid Reader
December 3: Of Books and Bookish Things
December 3: Our Town Book Reviews
December 10: fundinmental
December 10:Guatemala Paula Loves to Read

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The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Book Review: Caution Earth by Gary R. Beebe, Jr.

Caution Earth by Gary R. Beebe Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A clever social commentary, political satire, and cautionary tale wrapped in an imaginative sci-fi reality show adventure.

Caution Earth is a new science fiction novel by Gary R. Beebe, Jr., but it is also a very funny social commentary and political satire revealing basic truths that serve as a cautionary tale.

Qunot is the executive producer of the most popular and only true reality television show on the galactic stage called Caution Earth. However, after eight successful seasons, early cancellation looms as viewer ennui is setting in with the lack of forward progress in character development. To save his job and lavish lifestyle, he’s got to stimulate the show’s story arc. He’s got two seasons left in the show’s contract, and with Earth on a short approach to societal and environmental collapse, he’s not going to fulfill his obligation. Additionally, galactic laws prevent his direct intervention (think Star Trek’s Prime Directive but with deadly consequences for the violators); Earthlings don’t know they’re the subject of the once-popular reality show or even that intelligent life exists. Qunot is caught between a rock and a hard place until he identifies the perfect patsies to put his rescue plan into effect.

The description of the planet Durnita’s entertainment industry, its movers and shakers, and their sycophants are reflective of how readers have come to view Hollywood, as are the laser-hewn images of politics and the mainstream media. Earth is characterized as having advanced its technological capabilities beyond its evolutionary development, poised on the brink of self-destruction.

The story is well-told, with insight and unceasing humor. I laughed out loud at the description of a politically manipulated cause-righteous Earthside agitator as “a douche canoe environmentalist” appropriately named “Douchious.” The aliens’ super-secret spacecraft, the Wingate, is supported by Olsen, the ship’s drama queen AI, who provides many of the funniest bits of dialogue. Geese, it turns out, are alien beings Qunot stranded on Earth centuries earlier to serve as his eyes, ears, and informants, to point him and his television crew to the most show-worthy filming opportunities, and their leader, Mr. Goose, is beyond over it. I enjoyed the author’s play on cultural references, such as the mention of George Orwell being an alien, and was intrigued by the appearance of “angel” numbers; I had to look that up. On the other hand, while the narrative is consistently clever and entertaining, there is a lot of repetition of the state of politics or the human condition, which seemed to overdo driving the plot points home, at least for me, and really slowed the story down.

I recommend CAUTION EARTH to readers of science fiction, political satire, and social commentary.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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