Mecha Samurai Empire by Peter Tieryas

On October 21, 2018August 23, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Alternate Timeline, Science Fiction6 Comments

Mecha Samurai Empire Cover

Publisher: Ace

Publication Date – 18 September 2018

Prepare to experience one hell of an adventure in this follow-up to Peter Tieryas’s successful United States of Japan, in this incredibly exciting read that can best be described as The Man in the High Castle meets Pacific Rim.

Mecha Samurai Empire is set in an alternate version of our history, in which Japan and the Nazis won World War II. This change to the outcome of the war was a result of the creation of the mecha, gigantic piloted military machines which gave the Japanese an unparallel advantage against the American forces. In the aftermath of the war, America was split between Japan and Germany, who created distinct territories. The western states, including California, became part of the United States of Japan, with its inhabitants swearing fealty to the Emperor.

In the 50 years that followed the end of the war, the United States of Japan entered an age of prosperity and technological advancement, and the development of more advanced mecha made them the most feared and effective military power in the world. In addition to their military control, Japanese culture and custom has also been incorporated into American society, history has been rewritten and Japan’s wartime atrocities have been whitewashed.

In California, young student Makoto Fujimoto has only one dream: to become a mecha pilot and defend his country against the terrorists who killed his parents. Unfortunately, Mac lacks the grades or political connections to achieve a placement in the mecha pilot training course at the elite Berkeley Military Academy, and his attempts to pass the special military exam end disastrously. However, a chance encounter with rebel American forces allows him the opportunity to join up with a civilian mecha security company. While his new role might not provide him much action, it might ensure his future placement at Berkeley. But when Mac’s first mission goes horribly wrong, it might take all of his luck and skill just to survive.

Mecha Samurai Empire is an intriguing and exciting new novel from Tieryas and is the second book set in the United States of Japan universe. Mecha Samurai Empire is not a direct sequel to the first book, United States of Japan, but it does contain a number of the story ideas that Tieryas did explore in his first book, and includes appearances from some of its characters.

As soon as I saw this book in the store and found out it featured mecha battles in an alternate timeline, I knew I was going to have to read it. Because of the very enticing story concept, I did find myself going into this book with some very high expectations. After reading it I am very pleased to say that I was not disappointed in the slightest, as I found Mecha Samurai Empire to be an incredibly entertaining book that makes full use of its unique elements and likeable characters to create an addictive story. If you enjoyed the original United States of Japan, then you will definitely love this latest addition to the universe, that not only continues to highlight Tieryas’s marvellous alternate world, but which ramps the incredible mecha action.

The mecha are definitely the stars of this book, and the author spends a significant amount of time focusing on them and highlighting their importance in this new world. Most readers of this book are going to be looking for some electrifying mecha combat, and Tieryas delivers this in abundance. There is a huge amount of different types of mecha action, including training simulations, friendly competitions, small-scale battles between smaller mecha, larger battles between gigantic mechas and Nazi bimorphs (organic mechas), and there is even a large elimination tournament between various mecha pilots. I’m a sucker for a good tournament, but this had to be one of my favourite extended sequences in the entire book. Not only is there some incredible action during these tournament battles but the inclusion of multiple pilots allows the author to show off the various mecha battle techniques and fight styles as the competitors go at each other with a variety of close-combat weapons. I also really enjoyed an earlier sequence when the protagonist finds himself piloting a small crab mecha by himself and must overcome several cannibalised mecha piloted by fanatical American rebels. During these scenes Mac has to use all his training and skills, as well as the limited resources available to him in order to beat a larger force of opponents, and it is a very gripping scene to read. Aside from the awesome action scenes, Tieryas has also chosen to present the reader with a much more in-depth view of the mecha in his universe. The book contains the history of the mecha; the required training, simulations and the teamwork; discussion about famous mecha pilots; examinations of tactics and battle plans; mecha research; and even a look at the cultural impact of the mecha and the reverence shown to the pilots. All of this additional information is deeply fascinating and really adds a lot to the book as the readers are shown they are more than just weapons. If you’ve ever enjoyed the idea of mecha combat before, this is definitely the book for you.

While the mecha battles are one of this book’s best features, readers are also treated to an intriguing and memorable alternate history setting where the Axis powers won World War II and ended up taking control of the United States of America. Tieryas has done an absolutely amazing job of creating a version of America that has been under Japanese control for 50 years, and it is fascinating to see how the author imagines this world would look. In order to show the reader how the world came to be this way, Tieryas comes up with a clever alternate history of World War II and the years that followed it. For example, Tieryas explores how a different strategy during the war could lead to a different outcome. In this case, Japan joined the war by attacking Russia with the Nazis rather than America in the Pacific. There is also some clever mirroring of real-life history, as the two main victorious world powers, Japan and Germany, end up in a cold war after splitting their conquered territory between them.

In addition to the changes in histories, Tieryas has also been quite inventive when it comes to the impact that a Japanese conquest would have on the culture of America. While the Japanese influence on these territories in the book is quite noticeable, the author has come up with some captivating combinations between the two distinctive cultures. I personally though that the way Tieryas continued to provide the reader with a ton of detailed descriptions of the food his characters were having was a very nice touch, as this showcased just how prominent Japanese food is in occupied America, while also featuring some curious examples of fusion cuisine. It’s also interesting to see how much more advanced certain technology appears to be in this universe, a fact which can be attributed to the research into mecha technology and the fact that Japanese and Nazi scientists were able to operate with the world’s resources, including human test subjects, and a completely unchecked lack of morals. There is also a dystopian element around this whole country, as there are a range of elements that show how controlling and despotic the United States of Japan government really is. This is a continuation of the storyline from United States of Japan, and Tieryas continues to explore the nation’s hidden World War II war crimes, the rewriting of history, the use of propaganda, nationwide indoctrination, installed national pride and the fact that the characters are living in thinly disguised police state. All of this serves to be an amazing background to this book that is both intriguing to explore and adds to the dramatic actions of the characters.

The story of Mecha Samurai Empire is strongly driven by the character development of the narrator and the other protagonists as they attempt to find their place in the world. The main character and narrator, Mac, is an interesting focal character as the story is primarily set around his attempts to navigate this world and achieve his dream of becoming a mecha pilot. Due to his past and the tragedy he experiences, Mac has a lot of self-doubt and other emotional baggage. It is moving to see him getting through these barriers in order to become the hero his friends and country need. I also got really attached to several of the supporting characters, especially Nori, Chieko, Kujira and Kazu, who we get to see develop in a similar manner to Mac. Each of these characters has some distinctive character traits and motivations, and it’s cool to see how their personalities affect their mecha combat style. It’s also intriguing to see the various levels of indoctrination and love for their country that these characters have, especially when they start to experience the darker side of the country and at times infuriating military commanders. Another superb subplot is the relationship between Mac and Griselda, an exchange student from Nazi Germany. Despite being old friends, their relationship is constantly criticised or forbidden by the other Japanese or German characters, and the constant us or them attitude is an accurate mirror of similar relationships throughout history. It was a real treat to watch these characters develop throughout the course of the book, and the final fates of some these characters may leave readers reeling.

Award-winning author Peter Tieryas once again delivers another addictive and captivating story set in an alternate history version of the United States of America. Making full use of this clever and creative setting, Tieryas packs his story full of pulse-pounding action as his characters pilot giant mecha in a variety of well-written and exciting battles. With some real heart and emotional depth, Mecha Samurai Empire is so much more than its fun and memorable concept and comes highly recommended for all readers.

My Rating:

Four and a half stars

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Annex by Rich Larson

On October 13, 2018August 19, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn LGBT+, Science Fiction, Young AdultLeave a comment

Annex Cover.jpg

Publication Date: Orbit

Australian Publication Date – 25 September 2018

World Publication Date – 24 July 2018

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From exciting new author Rich Larson comes an absorbing young adult science fiction debut that makes use of creepy alien elements, excellent characters and fantastic LGBT inclusions to create a powerful and creative read.

When a gigantic alien ship arrives above Earth and isolates an entire city, all the children that are trapped with the aliens are kidnapped and infested with parasitic life forms, while the adults are clamped and inserted with mechanical devices that turn them into mindless drones.

For the small group of children that escape captivity, the disappearance of all the adults offers them a life of fun and adventure. Falling under the leadership of the charismatic Wyatt, this group of survivors, the Lost Boys, are living the high life, with their newly attached parasites giving them the ability to vanish objects for brief periods of time. While life is fun, they must continue to avoid the mechanical whirlybirds, the pod-like spaceships and the terrifying Othermothers hunting them in the streets.

For Violet, this new world allows her the opportunity to live the life she’s always wanted and to be the person she’s always wanted to be. But Violet’s new life on of the city streets changes dramatically when she finds a new escapee, Bo, and takes him under her wing. Bo has the most powerful parasite the group has ever seen and is capable of permanently vanishing larger objects. It also appears the alien invaders want him back and are deploying hordes of their creatures to capture him.

Sensing an opportunity, the Lost Boys use Bo to fight back against the aliens while trying to uncover what plans they have for the rest of the planet. Breaking into the massive hovering mother ship, Violet and Bo team up with the mysterious Mr Gloom to end this alien threat once and for all. But these two young people will quickly find that the biggest threat to them may be far closer to home than they realise.

Annex is the first novel from Rich Larson and is the first book in The Violet Wars series, with the second book of this intriguing series, Cypher, already on its way. This is a wonderful debut from Larson, which contains a surprisingly intense and at times dark story that will prove to be enjoyable to a wide range of readers.

There are a number of great features of Annex that readers will enjoy; however, one of the most noticeable features is the creepy and well-written descriptions of the aliens and events that the book’s main characters encounter. There are a lot of inventive and twisted creatures, technology and even body modifications that can be found throughout this book, and Larson’s skilled writing helps brings them to life in the reader’s imagination. I was particularly impressed, and a little freaked out, by Larson’s unique creation the Othermothers. The Othermothers are unsettling clones of the escaped children’s mothers, perched upon long skeletal metal legs, who chirp out random phrases in the mothers’ voices in an attempt to lure the escaped children to them and then capture them. Because of Larson’s descriptive writing, these creatures are horrifying and really stood out for me among the other alien antagonists the heroes encountered. Special mention should also be made of the shadowy Mr Gloom, a strange adult they encounter whose appearance is not quite human and who has a range of powerful abilities. I am not going to reveal too much about Mr Gloom because he appears about two-thirds into the book and I do not want to spoil too much about him. I did find him to be quite a fun character. Larson’s descriptions of Mr Gloom are fantastic, especially when it comes to exploring his shadow based abilities, which are a treat to read about.

In addition to the alien creatures and characters that are encountered through the book, readers should also keep an eye on the leader of the Lost Boys, Wyatt. Wyatt is at first presented as a talented leader who has managed to bring the Lost Boys together and keep them alive. However, there is much more to this character than he initially presents, and his real personality begins to be revealed to the heroes and the readers as the book progresses. This is some incredible character work from Larson, and the revelation of Wyatt’s true motivations and persona is done perfectly, resulting in some excellent dramatic scenes and some really dark twists. The author’s use of two separate point-of-view characters, Violet and Bo, works really well when it comes to viewing Wyatt, as the reader is able to observe his different manipulations, his moods and the cracks that appear in his outer façade. This is a very intriguing character that dramatically changes the narrative of Annex in a number of ways, and the scenes exploring Wyatt are some of the best written in the entire book.

One of the key aspects of Annex that will prove to be an interesting addition for the reader is one of the main protagonists, Violet. Violet is a tough–as-nails kicker of alien ass who is also a young transgender girl who has used the lack of adults following the invasion to finally live her life the way she always wanted to. This is an amazing portrayal of a transgender character, as the author creates a stimulating backstory for Violet that examines her past and explores how she became her current self while also exploring the fears and people that stopped her from fully expressing her identity. The book also explores how intrinsic this identity can be and how devastating attacks about identity can be, even during an alien apocalypse. Violet is a well-rounded character, and Larson skilfully displays her other fears, her independence, her new friendship with Bo and her relationships with the other Lost Boys. Violet helps to elevate this book to the next level and make it into a terrific piece of young adult fiction.

This book is an interesting addition to the young adult genre that definitely highlights the empowerment of young people. The human characters of this book are all quite youthful and yet manage to thrive in a hostile alien landscape that has incapacitated all of the adults. Watching these young people come together as a tight-knit group is an intriguing part of this book, and it is interesting to see the subtle techniques Wyatt uses to turn them into his own little army, such as with initiation rites, slogans and other forms of manipulation. Overall, watching this group overcome without adult help the obstacles of being among the aliens oppressing them is a great part of the book. This makes it an interesting read for the young adult audience, especially for those who love to see transgender characters in fiction.

Annex by Rich Larson is an excellent debut and is recommended for those younger readers looking for a science fiction adventure that they can relate to. With some creepy aliens, intriguing characters and a deep look at transgender issues among today’s youth, this is an exhilarating read from a promising new author.

My Rating:

Four stars

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Star Wars: Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, Volume 3 – The Burning Seas

On October 12, 2018May 2, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Extended Universe, Five-Star Books, Science Fiction, Star Wars20 Comments

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Writer: Charles Soule

Artists: Giuseppe Camuncoli

Daniele Orlandini

David Curiel

Java Tartaglia

Publication Date – 11 September 2018

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I have previously reviewed the second volume of this series here:

Star Wars: Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, Volume 2 – Legacy’s End

The creative team behind the amazing Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith series return with their third volume, The Burning Seas, which continues to follow the early adventures of one of fiction’s greatest villains, Darth Vader. This third volume contains issues #13-18 of what has to be one of my favourite current ongoing series.

This new volume is set one year after the formation of the Empire, and the Emperor is determined to show off the full military power he now commands. To that end, he dispatches Vader to the aquatic planet of Mon Cala, which has been resisting attempts to be completely incorporated into the growing Empire, and whose King appears to be receiving advice from a Jedi. However, this will not be Vader’s first journey to Mon Cala. Years ago, during the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi saved the planet from a Separatist invasion and supported the young Mon Calamari king’s ascent to the throne.

Leading a force of his Inquisitors to Mon Cala, Vader attempts to investigate the potential Jedi influencer, but the situation quickly devolves into all-out war. With Governor Wilhuff Tarkin leading the Imperial invasion, Vader and his forces attempt to locate the Jedi behind the unfolding events. How will Vader’s return impact the planet of Mon Cala, and what events will the mysterious Jedi’s actions have for the future of the galaxy?

In additional adventures, Governor Tarkin finds himself in the unenviable position of owing Darth Vader a favour. Vader’s request is a hunt with a twist: the hunter will be Tarkin, while the hunted will be Vader himself. Bored by a lack of challenges, Vader has tasked Tarkin to provide him with some worthy competition. Will Tarkin earn Vader’s respect, or will he and his team of mercenaries be the next victims of Vader’s rage? In addition, Vader has been tasked to investigate sabotage around the construction of the Death Star on Geonosis. As Vader encounters the creators of the Death Star, Commander Krenik and Galen Erso, he uncovers not only the saboteurs but also the full potential of the Death Star and the impact it could have on Vader’s position.

Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith returns with another fantastic and captivating volume that not only furthers the adventures of Darth Vader but also ties the series into the wider Star Wars universe while fleshing out backstories and lore not explored in the movies. In this volume alone several minor characters’ pasts are shown, the history between Vader and Tarkin is explored and there is a particular focus on the events leading up to the Rogue One movie. Dedicated Star Wars fans will love that the main story of this volume is set on the planet of Mon Cala and introduces several key Mon Calamari characters. The readers are gifted with new origin stories for Admiral Raddus, who leads the Rebel fleet in Rogue One, and a young Commander Ackbar, famous for the line ‘It’s a trap’, which highlight their early abilities and show why they were so determined to fight the Empire. Fans of the Clone Wars television show also get an intriguing conclusion to the three-part Water War arc of the show’s fourth season. During this television arc, Anakin Skywalker and his allies helped save the planet from an invasion and helped the young Mon Calamari King Lee-Char ascend to the throne. Now, in a reversal of this arc, Vader returns as an invader and his main target is the Mon Calamari king he once protected with his life. It is a compelling switch that creates some terrific drama and emotion during this comic book arc. Surprisingly enough, there is also a focus on the Mon Calamari cruisers, the large imposing ships that become a fixture of Rebel Alliance and the subsequent Resistance. Several of the plans underway involve the future of these ships, and the twisted priorities of a Jedi regarding them are quite chilling to behold. In addition to the main story of this volume, one of the issues is heavily involved in the construction of the Death Star. As a result, Vader interacts with several characters who feature in the Rogue One movie, and the creative team are able to suggest he had a lot more to do with the events of Rogue One than shown in the movie. This issue also sees Vader return to Geonosis, the main setting for the latter half of the Attack of the Clones movie, and it is very cool to see him return to this important location in his previous life.

On top of the above insertions into the Star Wars universe, the creative team also spend a significant amount of time in this volume exploring the relationship between Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. When both characters are introduced in A New Hope, Tarkin always appeared to be in command of Vader and appeared to be someone that Vader respected. It was an unusual relationship, considering Vader’s personality and his role as the Emperor’s apprentice. This volume creates a fascinating new narrative that shows when Tarkin was put in charge and why Vader allowed it to happen. This is first shown during the main story of this volume, when Governor Tarkin, who is leading the invasion of Mon Cala, requests Vader’s assistance to end the war quickly. Vader is shown in these issues to independent from Tarkin, who still shows the ability to get what he wants from Vader, even if it may cost him down the line. The creative team spend a good amount of time during the four issues that focus on the invasion of Mon Cala highlighting Tarkin’s tactical ability and ruthlessness, reminding the reader what a great villain Tarkin is in his own right.

The rivalry between Vader and Tarkin comes to a head in the sixth issue of this volume, when the two of them hunt each other on a wild planet. This is one of my favourite stories in the whole Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith series so far, as the two Imperial heavyweights go head to head in a true battle of the villains. This issue does an amazing job of highlighting the attributes of both characters. Tarkin’s cunning, intelligence and determination to win are in full display, while Vader is shown to be not only a destructive force but also a creative opponent who is able to surprise even Tarkin. The conclusion of this story is very clever and helps define the relationship these two characters have in the movie. The final issue of this volume finds Vader officially under Tarkin’s command, but shows that Vader is not as subservient as Tarkin would wish. The main focus of their rivalry in this volume is the Death Star, especially as Tarkin is convinced that his creation will make Vader obsolete. Soule laces some suggestions during this final issue that many readers will find extremely intriguing and puts a whole new light on Vader and Tarkin’s relationship, especially in the final exchange between the two, where Vader presents a prediction to Tarkin: ‘If you invest too much of yourself in this battle station – – it may end up your tomb.’ The exploration of the relationship between these two dynamic and iconic Star Wars villains is an exceptional part of this new addition to the fantastic series and a really cool feature for Star Wars fans.

For the first time in this series, the creative team tackle a large-scale Star Wars battle as the forces of the Empire attempt to invade or subdue the entire planet of Mon Cala. The battle sequences that are produced are breathtaking in their scope and execution, as the reader is treated to land battles, space fights, orbital bombardments, battles above, below and on the planet’s ocean surface and even a weaponised tidal wave which sweeps away masses of Imperial forces. The artwork of these battle scenes is really exceptional; especially the sequences set underwater, which offers an unique scenery backdrop not typically seen in other Star Wars comics. The creative team do a fantastic job showcasing the massive military capacities of the Empire and the pure devastation their newly created military machine can do. I also loved the clever and very entertaining way that the rogue Jedi Ferren Barr manages to use certain Imperial forces against Vader’s Inquisitors, in what has to be one of best examples of karma in the entire history of Star Wars.

As they have in the previous volumes, the creative team behind the Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith series go out of their way to showcase how much of a badass their titular character can be. In addition to the issue in which he powers through all that Tarkin can throw at him, Vader spends the rest of this volume cutting through opponents like they are nothing, including hordes of Mon Calamari and Geonosians. In addition to these fairly standard actions (standard, that is, for an all-powerful Sith Lord), Vader does some other extraordinary actions, whether it’s surviving explosive rock falls, attempting and nearly succeeding to push back a tidal wave, surviving at the bottom of the ocean and then subsequently taming and eventually killing a massive sea monster he encounters there using only the force, Vader appears like an absolute boss. He also has a fun reaction when his Inquisitors abandon their mission and attempt to save him from the bottom of an ocean, instead of being grateful, he calls them fools and makes it very clear that ‘I never need…RESCUE’. It is again captivating to watch how far Vader continues to move further and further away from the Jedi way, as even at the start of this series he had the potential to come back from the dark side. However, his actions in this book, such as the utter destruction of something significant and good that he previously created, re-imagining his previous battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi with devastating new details, and his slaughter of a whole brood of Geonosians that he compares to animals just like he previously did with the Tusken Raiders in Attack of the Clones, once again show how far he has fallen. I must also highlight the great artwork in this series when it comes to Vader. Not only are his exploits shown in full and exquisite detail but the artwork presents him in such a sinister light in every single scene he is in. This is another masterful portrayal of an exceptional fiction villain.

The third volume of the Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, The Burning Seas, is another outstanding addition to one of this year’s most consistent and entertaining comic book series. This specific volume features massive and intense battles, an intense fight for supremacy between Vader and the ruthless Tarkin, and the continued outrageous and destructive adventures of one of the greatest villains of all time. This entire run of Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith is definitely worth getting into, and The Burning Seas is easily the best volume of this entire series so far. A must read that comes highly recommended.

My Rating:

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If you enjoy Star Wars fiction, check out some of my previous reviews:

https://unseenlibrary.com/2018/08/12/star-wars-thrawn-alliances-by-timothy-zahn/

https://unseenlibrary.com/2018/05/30/star-wars-last-shot-by-daniel-jose-older/

Skyward, Volume 1: My Low G Life by Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett

On October 9, 2018August 23, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Five-Star Books, Science FictionLeave a comment

Publisher: Image Comics

Publication Date – 25 September 2018

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Those looking for the next amazing comic book adventure they can get addicted to should look no further than Skyward, one of 2018’s breakout hits, which takes away a fundamental force and replaces it with a sensational story.

One day, around the planet, gravity all but disappeared, and the one thing that was previously holding everything to Earth’s surface all of a sudden became a fraction of what it previously was. In the resultant chaos, huge swathes of the population simply floated away into the atmosphere. Those that remained were forced to adjust to a new world with different rules.

Twenty years later, humanity has adapted to its new low-gravity reality. For some, such as Willa Fowler, it’s the only way of life they have ever known, and Willa excels at navigating the skies above Chicago. Living with her father, Nathan, a brilliant scientist traumatised by the events that sent his wife tumbling into the skies, Willa scrapes a living as a high-speed delivery girl with a number of risky and dangerous tricks up her sleeve. But when her father reveals he has a way to bring gravity back, Willa doesn’t believe him and instead plans a meeting with Roger Barrow, her father’s rich former research partner, who has created much of the technology that allows the world to survive its new situation. Descending to ‘The Streets’ of Chicago, the lowest level, inhabited by its richest citizens, Willa quickly discovers that Barrow is not the saviour she thought he would be. Instead he is determined to keep gravity from returning, and will go to extreme lengths to stop Willa and her father.

This is one of the first comic book works from Henderson, whose main claim to fame is as showrunner for the Lucifer television show. The artist, Garbett, is probably best known for his work on the comic Loki: Agent of Asgard. Together, this new team has created an incredible new comic book series that has already been picked up by Sony for a potential feature film, and it will be intriguing to see how this challenging and creative series will be adapted to the screen. This first volume contains issues #1-5 of this new series.

Skyward contains an excellent story that examines life in a different and catastrophically affected version of Earth while also presenting an action-packed adventure with a wild protagonist. The central idea of this series, the removal of gravity, is a crazy concept that allows for an exceptional overall package that combines great storytelling with incredible and unique artwork. Throughout this first volume, there is a great combination of humour, action, character development and powerful emotional moments, all set within a fascinating new world shown in great artistic detail.

It was quite intriguing to see the various ways in which a lack of gravity could affect the world that we live in. Henderson and Garbett have come up with a range of different ways for the characters in this book to navigate around the skyline, and it is interesting to see the range of tools that are shown in the artwork. The creative team has done an amazing job highlighting the various ways that the lack of gravity has affected the world, from food production to water gathering to human mobility. One of the more intriguing aspects of the new world is the way in which guns have become obsolete due to the recoil pushing shooters back through the air, making it an ineffective weapon and more dangerous to the user than the target. That said, the protagonist, Willa, has some more extreme and effective uses for the gun she carries around with her. Perhaps the most intriguing idea presented in Skyward is the location known as The Streets, the lowest street level of Chicago, where the city’s richest inhabitants live in a state of denial at the changes that have happened and are trying to live like there is still gravity. This includes wearing grav-boots to keep them stuck to the ground and forcing a man with no legs to sit in a wheelchair rather than floating in the air as he would prefer. There are also some crazy inventions, like a magnetised hem to keep a dress from rising up. These inhabitants of The Streets are absolutely terrified of the sky and have a very different lifestyle from the people living in Chicago’s skyline, who have embraced the new world. One funny scene involves Willa traumatising an obnoxious bouncer by wrecking his grav-boots and making him float up into the sky a little. Overall, this is a fun new world to set this great story in and has a lot of potential for future volumes of this series, where additional changes to day-to-day life are no doubt going to be revealed.

The artwork in Skyward is just gorgeous and is definitely a key highlight of this incredible book. The creative team have done an outstanding job showing off the low-gravity concept in art form, creating some fantastic scenes and drawings. Most of the characters are shown floating around and navigating the air, which creates some amazing panoramas of the city from high above for the reader to enjoy. All the characters, even those rich individuals trying to ignore the lack of gravity, are shown with their hair floating up in the sky, and multiple scenes have various liquids floating in the air around the characters attempting to have drinks. It also means that fight scenes are constantly surrounded by droplets of blood that float around the characters and add a whole new sense of realism and brutality to the story. The artistic highlight of this book has to be the incredible and exceptional drawings of the storm in low gravity that becomes such a massive part of the background in the later part of the volume. Due to the effects of the low gravity, the storm manifests itself as a gigantic ball of water in the sky, surrounding several high-rise buildings. The first drawing of this is amazing, and the following scenes which show the main characters navigating around this bubble and creating massive pockets of air are just fantastic, and represent some exceptional comic book art. I was also suitably terrified by several of the drawings in this volume, from the opening scenes which show multiple people being lifted away by the low gravity, to the horrifying shot of the planet Earth and its new artificial ring, made up of planes, cars, ships, other debris and of course multiple dead animals and humans that have not decayed in their 20 years in orbit. Lee Garbett and the creative team have outdone themselves in Skyward and I cannot speak highly enough of the artwork in this book.

The main character, Willa, is an excellent protagonist for this series. As a character who has never known what it’s like to live in a world with gravity, Willa’s antics through the air are pretty crazy and she does some amazing and unpredictable things throughout the book. Whether it’s using a gun to gain rapid altitude and to come down again, or blowing out a window underwater in a low-gravity storm of water after creating an air pocket with her oxygen tank. The constant incredulity of the other characters as she does these things is very amusing and makes it quite clear that these actions are not the social norm in the new world. My favourite quote of the books is when the antagonist, realising that Willa is about to blow open a window with her gun says ‘She wouldn’t…’ while Willa’s friend who is being held hostage responds with ‘Oh, she would.’ I must again return to the artwork of Skyward when it comes to showing off this main character. The artists do a fantastic job highlighting the joy on Willa’s face as she flies around in the upper city; she looks like she was born to float. I also loved the drawings that show off her crazy antics, from the early sequence which shows her using a gun to blast off away from people attacking her, to that fantastic scene where she blows open the underwater window. The drawings themselves are incredible and really show off the action, while the looks of shock and amazement on the faces of onlookers tell a whole new story. Henderson and Garbett have created a perfect main character and protagonist in Willa, and I can’t wait to see what she gets up to in future volumes of this series.

Skyward is an incredible new series from the fantastic team of Henderson and Garbett. I really enjoyed the central concept of a lack of gravity, as it allowed the creative team to present a bold and exceptional new setting for this exciting and powerful story. I really cannot hype up the artwork of this series enough, and I love the various ways that the artists show off what impacts these gravitational changes would have to everyday life on the planet. An outstanding five-star start to a series with incredible potential, this is the perfect read for current comic book readers and a great starting point for those trying to break into the medium.

My Rating:

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Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton

On September 27, 2018August 19, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Five-Star Books, Science Fiction, Thriller7 Comments

Publisher: Macmillan

Publication Date – 4 September 2018

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From one of the modern masters of the space opera comes a rich and ambitious piece of science fiction that that examines an exciting potential future for Earth and the intriguing adventures that could come as a result.

In 2204 AD, humanity has advanced by leaps and bounds and spread out among the stars. Utilising advanced teleportation technology, next-gen computers and cutting-edge biotech, humanity has created a number of new and varied societies controlled by a handful of powerful corporations. However, everything is about to change. Out in the furthest reaches of human expansion, explorers have found a crashed alien craft. While this is not humanity’s first contact with an alien species, the sinister cargo found onboard the crashed ship reveals a dangerous alien agenda. Determined to ensure humanity’s survival, the Connexion Corporation assembles a task force to examine the craft and assess the potential threat that it could cause. Led by Feriton Kayne, the task force is made up of Kandara Martinez, Yuri Alster, Callum Hepburn, Alik Monday and their assistants. While on paper this group are the perfect people to investigate this potential threat, there is one significant problem: one member of the team is a hostile alien infiltrator. As the team gets closer to the alien ship, secrets from their past are revealed and the future of the human race hangs in the balance.

Hundreds of years later, Dellian and his team of genetically enhanced soldiers are born and raised on a planet, far away from Earth. An alien threat has forced humanity into hiding among the stars and pushed them to the edge of extinction. As the young soldiers grow up, they encounter lessons from the past and discuss the legendary Five Saints who first encountered the invaders.

This is an absolutely spectacular piece of science fiction from bestselling author Peter Hamilton, who has once again created an elaborate and captivating space opera. Hamilton has written a number of large-scale science fiction novels since his 1993 debut. He first gained prominence with the Greg Mandel trilogy, which followed the adventures of a psychic detective in a dystopian future. Hamilton followed this up with his first epic space opera series, The Night’s Dawn trilogy, which focused on souls of the dead coming back and possessing multiple human planets in the far future. He continued with additional space operas, such as the Commonwealth Saga, the Void Trilogy, The Chronicle of the Fallers and the standalone novel Fallen Dragon, as well as the children’s fantasy series, The Queen of Dreams. Salvation is the first book in Hamilton’s brand new trilogy, The Salvation Sequence, with the adventure continuing in the future releases, Salvation Lost and Saints of Salvation.

Salvation is an impressive and compelling read that combines a powerful and well-written story with a brand new, large-scale science fiction universe. This story is told from of variety of different time periods set throughout Earth’s future. The central story of this book is set in 2204 AD and features the exploration crew from the Connexion Corporation examining the crashed alien ship. This storyline is narrated from Feriton Kayne’s point of view and is the only first-person narration in the entire book, except for a short flashback chapter examining Feriton’s infiltration of a different alien spacecraft. Salvation also features five additional storylines that are set across various time periods. Four of these storylines are presented as tales from the other four main characters in the 2204 AD timeline, Kandara Martinez, Yuri Alster, Callum Hepburn and Alik Monday. Each of these flashback narratives is given its own significant chapter; for example the first of these flashback chapters lasts for 140 of the books 526 total pages. The fifth storyline is set far in the future, and features a different group of characters who are living in the aftermath of these past adventures and is told across several shorter chapters. The author makes spectacular use of these multiple time periods and combines them together into an excellent overarching narrative. A significant amount of detail and a huge number of supporting characters are packed into this book, which falls just short of overwhelming the reader but creates the feeling of a massive universe with quite a lot going on.

Each of Salvation’s separate plotlines offers the reader a drastically different story to enjoy, and presents them with several unique adventures in one novel. The storyline in 2204 AD is an intriguing first contact and exploration story that works incredibly well as the overall narrative that ties all the other storylines together. The first flashback storyline is set in 2092 AD and features the story of how Callum Hepburn and Yuri Alster gained their antagonism towards each other. It also shows the earlier days of Connexion and the darker side of their newly formed technology and world influence. This first story is told from the point of view of Callum, Yuri and Callum’s wife, Savi, and features a thrilling spy tale that also reveals the unique and extreme form of criminal punishment that resulted from the new technology. The second of these storylines is set in 2167 AD and focuses completely on Yuri as he searches for a missing person taken by the new and shadowy underworld that has taken shape amongst the stars. This is the first of the flashback storylines to hint that an alien species may have nefarious plans for humanity, and also features some cool examinations of the power and tactics that Yuri and Connexion use.

The third storyline is a complex murder mystery storyline set in 2172 AD that focuses on the secretive FBI agent Alik Monday and presents another fantastic mystery with some unique science fiction elements. The fourth storyline is set in 2194 AD and follows badass mercenary Kandara Martinez as she investigates corporate sabotage on the Utopial home planet. This is a high-action thriller storyline that also examines the Utopials, a human society seeking to create a cultural utopia, while also going into genetic surgery in a big way. The highlight of this storyline has to be the intense fight between Kandara and the mercenary Cancer, who had been a shadowy figure in some of the previous storylines. The final prequel story follows the 2204 AD timeline narrator, Feriton Kayne, in 2199 as he infiltrates the large spaceship belonging to the Olyix, an alien race that humanity came in contact with some years before. This is one of the shortest stories, but it contains the most detailed examination of the Olyix, who have appeared in several of the previous stories.

In addition to the stories set in and before 2204 AD there are also several chapters are set in the far future of humanity. This timeline starts in 583 AA (After Arrival) and features the remnants of humanity as they prepare to fight back against the alien menace that pushed them away from Earth. This is a rather intriguing storyline that examines children being turned into tight-knit teams of soldiers as they prepare for the war to come while also providing some hints about the events of the main storyline. Each of the above stories are fairly self-contained and do an amazing job of showing off the sheer complexity of Hamilton’s new universe, while at the same time providing a series of unique and captivating tales across time.

Each of the prequel timelines has a storyline that could be considered either a murder mystery or thriller. By themselves, each of these storylines is very well written and contains compelling mysteries and action packed sequences that are more than enough to keep the readers hooked to the book. However, the real highlight of these prequel timelines is the way in which the play into Salvation’s larger mystery that is explored within the 2204 AD storyline, namely the identity of the alien race attacking humanity and which of the members of the research team is an infiltrator. I really loved the way that these prequel stories hinted at the main mystery while also exploring the history of the main characters in an attempt to show their personality or a critical point in their lives. The final twists in the 2204 AD storyline are very surprising and serve as a fantastic payoff for Salvation’s overall narrative.

The author has also included a significant amount of science fiction elements throughout the book that are presented in considerable detail. It is fascinating to see Hamilton postulate how Earth may develop in the near future and the advanced technology that they would start to utilise. The multiple timelines also come into play for this element of the book as they allow the reader to see the progression of technology over the years. What is most interesting about this is that the main pieces of technology don’t change; instead the next generations of the same device are revealed throughout the book’s various stories before the technology eventually plateaus at its highest level. The science fiction elements also come into play in several intriguing ways. For example, they allow for some very creative mysteries, including a murder in a house containing teleportation gates that result in the victims being spread across multiple locations, including New York, the Moon, Mars and the Antarctic, creating a murder investigation with several unique complications. The advent of space travel and other technology also allows the creation of some inventive new societies. From futuristic utopias to desolate prison it is absolutely fascinating to watch these societies come together. Overall the science fiction elements are a fantastic part of this book and add some intriguing elements to all of the book’s interconnected stories.

Peter Hamilton has produced another elaborate and powerful piece of science fiction space opera in Salvation. With a new and unique universe that contains some fantastic and detailed new elements and multiple timelines that are combined together into an outstanding novel, this is an absolutely amazing read. Epic science fiction at it’s very best, Salvation comes highly recommended and is a spectacular start to an exceptional new series.

My Rating:

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Throwback Thursday – Canberra Weekly Column – The Barrier

On September 20, 2018August 15, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Canberra Weekly Column, Science Fiction, Thriller, Throwback ThursdayLeave a comment

The%20Barrier%20Cropped-page-001.jpg

Originally published in the Canberra Weekly 3 August 2017.

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My Rating:

Four stars

Jinxed by Amy McCulloch

On September 16, 2018August 20, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult3 Comments

Jinxed Cover.jpg

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date – 9 August 2018

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Creative young adult fiction author Amy McCulloch returns with a fun and compelling techno-thriller that takes an incredible and entertaining look at the potential future of your favourite devices and combines them with a unique idea of how to make them even more user-friendly.

In the near future, the must-have technological device is the baku, your brand new best friend. Bakus combine all the features of your smart devices and internet connection with a constant companion in the form of a robotic animal that is customisable to your needs and price range. Low range bakus take the form of small creations like insects, while the most advanced baku are created to look like birds of prey or large land animals. Not only are bakus the most popular form of communication device, but in this day and age, even basic bakus are needed to fully experience day-to-day life.

Lacey Chu has big dreams of working for Moncha Corp, the company which designs and creates the baku, as well as working for her idol, Moncha’s founder, Monica Chan. However, the only way to achieve that dream is to get accepted into the exclusive Profectus Academy, the elite tech school whose graduates become the designers, coders and creators of the next generation of baku. When Lacey is rejected from the academy and can no longer afford her dream baku, she is crushed. That is until she finds Jinx, a ruined cat baku that appears to have been abandoned at the bottom of a canyon. Bringing it home to fix, Lacey’s fortunes appear to immediately turn around when her application for the Profectus Academy is suddenly accepted and Jinx is listed as the advanced baku she is required to have for classes.

Arriving in the academy, she finds it a very different place than she imagined. The students and faculty are obsessed with Baku Battles, the academy-sponsored fights between bakus that help determine a student’s rank and prestige in the academy. Finding herself drafted onto a Baku Battle team, Lacey starts to learn all about the inner workings of the baku. The more she learns, the more she begins to realise that something is very different about Jinx. Jinx is not the usual mindless machine; Jinx can think for himself, has his own personality and is even starting to communicate with Lacey. As Jinx begins to mess with parts of Lacey’s life, she begins to fully comprehend the implications of Jinx’s existence. What shadowy secret lies at the heart of Moncha, and will Lacey and her friends be able to save Jinx from them?

Amy McCulloch is a well-established young adult fiction author who has written a number of books since her 2013 debut. McCulloch also writes under the name Amy Alward and mostly focuses on young adult fantasy novels as part of her Potion and The Knots Sequence series. Jinxed is her first foray into the science fiction genre and represents an exciting techno-thriller that explores an intriguing piece of future technology and the exciting adventure that happens around it.

The overall story of Jinxed is an excellent mixture of science fiction, thriller and teen drama elements, all set within a captivating academy background. As a result, throughout the book, there is a ton for the reader to enjoy as they are introduced to the technology around the baku and see the narrator investigate a conspiracy centred around the creation of Jinx, all while dealing with the highs and lows of school life. It is a fun combination of different story elements that works towards a great overall narrative. I was able to work out what one of the twists was going to be quite early in the book, but it didn’t really impact my enjoyment of the story. There are some great moments throughout, as well as a surprising ending that makes me very curious to read any sequels that McCulloch brings out.

The baku are an essential part of this story and are a really interesting element that McCulloch has chosen to use. Many science fiction and technology based authors are currently attempting to predict what the next big piece of technology will be in the world, with many of them focusing on what the next ground-breaking piece of communications technology will be. While many of these suggestions seem quite plausible and seem to support the current trends in technology, this is the first book I’ve seen that suggests combining a person’s smart device with a robotic pet. The narrator suggests that the fiction justification for the creation of the baku was to give people a companion that is both helpful and which also limits their dependencies and addictions to mobile phones and smart devices. It’s a rather fun concept and it is cool to see how McCulloch imagines how these creations would work.

The baku are broken down into various levels of sophistication, from the basic models which look like insects and can only do the most basic of tasks, to the ultra-sophisticated versions which come in the form of some very powerful creatures. It is also intriguing to see how many of the book’s various characters start to care for their bakus like they are real animals, and the bond that they form as a result, even if their bakus aren’t sentient. The bond that forms between Lacey and Jinx is fairly unique, however, as Jinx is an early form of artificial intelligence, and it is nice to see it develop through the course of the book as Lacey risks her life to help Jinx. There are a few great scenes which show Jinx trying to come to grips with his existence, whether he is helping other bakus, questioning how baku are made, or by attempting to exist among a group of real life cats. A truly intriguing postulation about future technologies, McCulloch has created a unique and fascinating idea that works well within this narrative.

Most of the action of this book is contained within fights between the bakus rather than between any of the human characters. This is mostly done in the Baku Battles tournament at the school, where several bakus fight each other in a free-for-all brawl. I love a good fictional tournament, and each of the bakus has various techniques. As a result, the fights within the book can become quite fun and energetic as eagle, boar, tiger, cat and frog bakus all fight in various ways. I also enjoyed the scoring concept that McCulloch came up with for this tournament, as the surviving team receives all the points, but their opponents can steal them if they can repair their team’s bakus sufficiently by the next day. This is an intriguing stipulation for a tournament which allows McCulloch to show off several scenes of the narrator doing advanced repair work. These tournament battles do a good job of moving the plot along and work into the books various elements very well, whether by giving the narrator access to certain locations to investigate secrets, or by bringing her closer to or further apart from other characters in the books, to allowing a closer examination of the workings and mindsets of the book’s technological elements.

Amy McCulloch’s latest book, Jinxed is a high-octane technological thriller that makes use of amazing science fiction elements to create an enthralling adventure. Aimed for a young adult audience, the lack of any substantial violence, except between the book’s distinctive robotic animals, makes this a perfect read for a wide range of younger readers. At the same time, the intriguing concept of future technology and its wide range of applications, including for high-stakes gladiatorial battles, makes it intriguing for an older readers. This is an absolutely fantastic book from McCulloch. I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next.

My Rating:

Four and a half stars

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Star Wars: Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, Volume 2 – Legacy’s End

On September 12, 2018May 2, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Extended Universe, Five-Star Books, Science Fiction, Star Wars17 Comments

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Writer: Charles Soule

Artists: Giuseppe Camuncoli

Daniele Orlandini

David Curiel

Publication Date – 12 June 2018

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Writer Charles Soule and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli return with an action-packed addition to the new and compelling series which follows the Dark Lord of the Sith in another sinister adventure in the newly formed Empire.

Legacy’s End is the second volume in the new Star Wars series, Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, which observes the shadowy journeys of fiction’s favourite villain immediately after he turned to the dark side of the force. The first volume of this series, Imperial Machine, followed on directly after the events of the third prequel movie, Revenge of the Sith, and contained Vader’s initial mission for the Empire, acquiring the materials to forge his first red-bladed lightsabre. It also featured the formation of the Emperor’s Inquisitors, the group of force users who, while not quite Sith, have fallen to the dark side of the force and are now being used to hunt down the remaining Jedi.

Set immediately after the events of the first volume of this series, Legacy’s End continues to focus on Vader’s service to the Emperor and his multiple missions to obliterate all threats to the new Empire. Vader has begun his training of the Emperor’s Inquisitors and is using his destructive teaching techniques to turn them into dangerous hunters. Reviewing the list of Jedi whose destruction is a priority for the Emperor, Vader notes one name that stands out from the rest: Jocasta Nu, the former librarian of the Jedi Temple. Despite her minor powers in the force, the Emperor views her as one of the most dangerous threats in the galaxy. This is because Madam Jocasta has an unsurpassed knowledge of the hidden lessons of the force and the powerful secrets and weapons that the Jedi are protecting, which could be used by or against the Sith.

Teaming up with the Grand Inquisitor, Vader prepares to engage in the hunt for the elusive librarian. There is just one problem: Jocasta Nu is already on Coruscant and has managed to infiltrate the Jedi Temple. Perhaps the most important secret of the Jedi lies hidden in the archives, and Jocasta plans to ensure that the Sith will never have access to it. But when Jocasta is discovered by Vader, the two force users must engage in a desperate fight, with the future of the Jedi in the balance. While Vader has the pure power, Jocasta has plenty of tricks up her sleeve and her entire archive at her disposal.

In another adventure in this volume, Vader finds himself also being hunted by a mysterious foe. Someone wants him dead, and the trail leads straight to the top of the Imperial Navy. Who is trying to kill him, and how will Vader react when he finds the people responsible?

This is a fantastic second outing from the team of Soule and Camuncoli, who team up with new artists Orlandini and Curiel for Volume 2 of this fantastic series. Soule is an experienced comic book writer, with significant work for both DC and Marvel under his belt, and is actually the man responsible for recently killing off Wolverine and Cyclops in two separate X-Men storylines. Soule has also written several different Star Wars comics, including two limited series and the entire 31-issue run of Star Wars: Poe Dameron. Legacy’s End collects issues #7-#12 of the Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith series, with a third collected edition currently set to be released in the next few days.

This new Darth Vader series is an intriguing and entertaining series that takes place inside Disney’s new canon universe. This book contains elements from the movies, while also being strongly associated with the Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels animated shows. As a result, it is a perfect series for dedicated fans of the Star Wars universe, although more casual fans of the movies will also enjoy this series, especially if the prospect of seeing Darth Vader kicking ass and taking names appeals to them.

This series primarily focuses on Vader and chronicles his early rise in power following his conversion to the dark side of the force. Legacy’s End continues to examine his new role and position within the newly formed Empire. Not only is he leading the fight against the remaining Jedi; he is also brutally training the Emperor’s Inquisitors and taking a commanding role in the imperial military complex. Legacy’s End also does much to highlight Vader’s mindset in these days and to reveal the hateful creature that he has become. For example, the first scene shows him chopping off the arms of several of the Inquisitors as a training exercise in order to teach them about loss, a lesson he claims they will never forget. There are also several scenes where Vader is shown meditating, and the dark and twisted creature that appears as a representation of his inner self is an ugly and scary sight to behold. The team behind this series do a fantastic job showing Vader’s sheer power and anger in several devastating battle sequences where he powers through his opponents with the maximum amount of brute force and zero concerns about collateral damage. In these scenes his power is not limited to the destruction he causes with his lightsabre; it highlights the devastation he can unleash with the force and even with his fists. For example, there is one memorable scene in which he punches a powerful droid to death when his lightsabre proves to be ineffective. There are also several great interactions between Vader and the Emperor, and it is absolutely fascinating to see the twisted master-and-apprentice relationship that they have, especially as it is a major part of this series. Overall, this volume continues to highlight Vader as a powerful badass, as well as showing him as a complex character, in order to create a powerful and addictive narrative.

This volume also contains some interesting connections to the rest of the Star Wars universe. Not only are the early days of the Empire once again shown, but the series makes use of the Inquisitors, who were introduced in the Star Wars Rebel’s animated show as key antagonists. It is great to see the formation of this group, as well as their early interactions with Vader, as none of this was really shown in the animated show. However, the most intriguing part of this whole book was Jocasta Nu, the Jedi Temple’s librarian. The character of Jocasta is fairly minor one that hasn’t been explored much before in the Star Wars canon. She appeared briefly in the second prequel movie, Attack of the Clones, played by late Australian actress Alethea McGrath, and was a minor character in a few episodes of the Clone Wars animated show. It is therefore very cool to see her in action in this series, and curious fans will be able to see what she is capable of for the first time. The team behind this volume cleverly showcase her talents as a librarian and archivist rather than as a great Jedi warrior, and her methods of fighting against Vader are quite fun, involving several unusual Jedi weapons, such as a blaster powered by a lightsabre. These scenes are pretty awesome, and interactions with Vader once she knowns he is Anakin Skywalker are very intense, especially when she realises that the terrifying figure hunting her was once one of her former comrades. I also found the exchanges between Jocasta and the Grand Inquisitor to be quite intriguing, hinting at some more of the Grand Inquisitor’s past as a Jedi and Temple Guard, much of which has yet to be revealed in the extended Star Wars universe.

The overall story within this volume is fantastic and it is backed up with some spectacular artwork. The second part of this volume, which focus on Vader being targeted by assassins is incredibly fun, especially the battle scene in which mercenaries who believed themselves capable of defeating a standard Jedi are completely overwhelmed by Vader’s insane battle tactics. However, the main storyline with Jocasta is the most impressive part of the volume and contains some memorable scenes. The conclusion of this storyline is the best part of the entire entry, and it will ensure all Star Wars fans will respect the courage of the Jedi librarian.

Legacy’s Fall, the second volume of Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith is an amazing continuation of this outstanding series. Vader continues to shine as a sensational villain, and the creative team have done an excellent job showcasing this complex character as well as the sheer destruction and power that he possesses. If you love to see the antics of a great villain, this is the series for you, as the early and most destructive battles of one of fiction’s most popular antagonists are shown here with some breathtaking artwork and fantastic storylines. I have already ordered the third volume of this series and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

My Rating:

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If you enjoy Star Wars fiction, check out some of my previous reviews:

https://unseenlibrary.com/2018/08/12/star-wars-thrawn-alliances-by-timothy-zahn/

https://unseenlibrary.com/2018/05/30/star-wars-last-shot-by-daniel-jose-older/

Phantom by Leo Hunt

On August 29, 2018August 19, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn LGBT+, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young AdultLeave a comment

Phantom Cover.jpg

Publisher: Orchard

Publication Date – 9 August 2018

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From bestselling author Leo Hunt comes an electrifying and fast-paced young adult science fiction adventure that takes an intriguing look at the future of technology, as well as the crime and consequences these advances could lead to.

In the far future, humanity has built towers and skyscrapers up in a major way, leaving the ground far below. The rich and powerful live in the City, the highest level of construction, far above the poisoned ground. Up in the City, luxuries such as sunlight, clean water, jobs and corpbloc homes are available to its hardworking corporate-owned population. Those who do not have money live in the undercity slums, where the sun never shines and poisoned water is flooding up from the ground.

One of the inhabitants of the undercity is orphaned teenager Nova, who earns a living going up into the City and stealing from the corporate workers. In a world where everyone has technology implanted in their heads, a skilled hacker like Nova can obtain everything from money to information. Nova’s most important tool is Phantom, a powerful program created by the shadowy anticorporation hacker, the Moth, which hides the identity of hackers while they commit their crimes.

While Nova is only just scraping by, her skills have caught the attention of the Moth, who has a dangerous job for her. The Moth needs Nova to infiltrate the powerful Bliss Inc and uncover their most treasured corporate secret. Posing as a prospective assistant for the CEO of Bliss Inc, Nova goes deep undercover, changing her identity and her appearance to sneak in. However, her mission is about to get far more complicated then she could have ever imagined. Caught between the dark secrets of Bliss Inc and the mysterious ambitions of the Moth, Nova is going to be lucky to get out of this heist alive.

Phantom is the latest book from young adult author Leo Hunt and represents his first foray into the science fiction genre. Hunt’s previous works have mainly focused on the fantasy and horror genres, with his 13 Days of Midnight trilogy featuring a young man who develops necromantic powers. Phantom is an interesting new direction for Hunt, who has created a fantastic piece of young adult science fiction with strong techno-thriller elements.

This book is contains an intriguing science fiction story that takes the reader through a unique futuristic city and presents them with a thrilling and technology driven adventure. Phantom’s story contains a superb combination of story elements which come together to form an entertaining and fast-paced plot with compelling pieces of betrayal, technologically assisted espionage and corporate intrigue. There are a few good twists throughout the book, but I did find that one of the big reveals towards the end of the book was a little easy to predict as a result of the author only utilising on a small number of characters throughout most of the narrative. This was more than made up for by the shocking and deeply intriguing reveals that followed the protagonist uncovering the hidden secret motivations of the book’s various antagonists. All of these hidden surprises result in some great story elements and have a strong relation with the book’s focus on technology.

Phantom is intended for a young adult audience, and it works well as an absorbing and exciting introduction into science fiction and technology-based thrillers. Younger readers will love the interesting examination of the potential future technology and will find the exciting adventure storyline quite fun. The violence contained within the book is not too graphic whilst also allowing for some strong action-packed scenes. There are some minor mentions of mind-alerting technology and substances, but nothing too inappropriate for the younger audience. There are also some subtle but important LGTB elements that come into play later in the story, and Hunt handles these quite well. Overall, I would recommend this book to all teenagers, and even some younger readers, who will find a lot to enjoy in this wonderful book.

The best and most compelling features of Phantom are the amazing technological elements that form a significant part of the plot and which take a particularly intriguing look into humanity’s reliance on technology and how we are likely to advance in the future. In this potential future, everyone has neural implants inserted in them at birth that act as a mobile connection to the internet as well as a phone, music player, bank card and personal identification all in one. This is an interesting thing to examine, especially as humans are constantly getting closer and closer to incorporating our personal technology into our own bodies. Hunt does a great job presenting some of the potential benefits and problems that humans could experience with this sort of technology, and takes a stimulating look at that the ways that it could impact on our lives. Quite a few things are explored throughout Phantom, from examinations of how this technology will influence human identity to how it could be abused for criminal reasons, such as stealing money, hacking someone to take control of their body or producing technology that mimics recreational drugs. Other technological questions come into play later in the book and result in some deep emotional scenes as well as some interesting questions about ethics and the nature of humanity. These fictional technological elements represent some truly fascinating ideas from Hunt that readers will find very captivating.

In addition to Hunt’s intriguing postulations about future technology, another compelling story element is the inventive and imaginative setting for the story. The entirety of Phantom is set within a fictional metropolis that is constantly being built up and is split between the soaring spires of the rich and the sprawling slum-like undercity where the poor live. Throughout the story, the protagonist journeys from areas of the city flooded with poisoned water and inhabited with humans and animals that have never seen sunlight, to the very top of the city, above the clouds. There is a detailed exploration the city’s disparate economic zones, and significant time is spent interacting with the populace in both these areas, resulting in some fascinating comparisons. This is an amazing setting for this science fiction and technology focused story and represents another intriguing look into the future by Hunt.

Leo Hunt’s latest book, Phantom, is an absorbing and thrilling tale of adventure and crime in a futuristic city. Containing some extremely enthralling technological elements and a fantastic city setting where the differences between the rich and poor have never been more obvious, this is another outstanding release from Hunt that will be perfect for those younger readers looking to break into the science fiction or techno-thriller genres.

My Rating:

Four stars

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Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

On August 18, 2018April 11, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller6 Comments

Early Riser Cover.jpg

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date – 2 August 2018

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One of modern literature’s quirkiest writers returns after a six-year hiatus to produce the eccentric and incredibly entertaining new release, Early Risers.

In an alternate version of our Earth, the entire world freezes over each winter, plunging the planet into a deep cold for the entire season. Humanity has adjusted to this different climate by developing ways to hibernate each winter, sleeping through the long, cold months in specially designed habitations and ensuring that their bodies have enough stored fat to keep them alive. Only a few weird and unconventional individuals choose to ignore their bodies’ need to sleep, and instead spend winter awake. One such group are the Winter Consuls, a collection of misfits and rogues responsible for ensuring the safety of the sleeping population, whilst also patrolling against the horrors of the winter world.

In Wales, Charlie Worthing is about to experience his first winter as a new recruit in the Winter Consuls. His first mission sees him drawn to Sector Twelve, base of the powerful HiberTech company and one of the most disreputable areas of the country, known for its controversial Winter Consuls. Trapped within this sector, Charlie must contend with all the dangers that winter can hold. Between the cold, his desire to fall asleep, the stamp-collecting addicted Villains, the mindless and cannibalistic Nightwalkers and the possibly mythical WinterVolk, Charlie is unlikely to survive his first winter.

However, all these threats pale in comparison to the damaging potential of a viral dream being passed around the inhabitants of Sector Twelve. When Charlie starts to have the same dream, he finds himself thrust into a dangerous conspiracy with world changing consequences. As Charlie becomes a target, he must work out who in this unforgiving world he can really trust, and who is using him to further their own aims.

Jasper Fforde is an exceptional author who has produced several novels since his 2001 debut, all of which were remarkable and very different from your standard read. With an unusual style and superb skill, Fforde’s work is reminiscent of some of the novels produced by authors such as Terry Pratchett or Lemony Snicket. Fforde has created some enjoyable and addictive reads over the years, including Shades of Grey, the Nursery Crime Division books and his exceptional Thursday Next series. Early Riser is a standalone novel that takes the reader to another unique alternate Earth and presents them with an intriguing and very original story.

Fforde has a pattern of creating unique worlds to act as settings for his entertaining narratives. These worlds often have elaborate rules and details that make the book’s story very distinctive. For example, Shades of Grey is set in a world where people can only perceive limited shades of colour and social hierarchy is determined by how many shades and hues a person can identify. The Thursday Next series is set in an alternate version of Earth where the Crimea War never ended, time travel exists and journeys into the literary world is both possible and heavily policed by characters from famous books.

Fforde continues this trend in Early Riser, creating another detailed alternate Earth setting. This version of Earth experiences exceedingly cold winters and humanity has to hibernate each year as a result. This is an absolutely eccentric and inventive concept, and it is fascinating to see how Fforde adapts a new fictional world around it and looks at how humanity has adapted to having to hibernate. Like several of his other books, the story of Early Riser is set within this world’s version of Wales. There is a focus on different types of technologies, especially those that help people successfully hibernate, different buildings and new societal norms. One example of this is the concept that, in this colder world, larger, fatter people are more desirable and socially acceptable as they are more likely to survive their hibernation period, whilst skinny people, or those who choose not to hibernate, are seen as detrimental wastes of space. Fforde further backs this up by creating an inventive alternate history for the world, including some funny and satirical depictions of an appropriately altered entertainment world. Many elements of these alternate histories and new social norms are told directly within the story, but Fforde also fleshes out these ideas with a huge range of extra and very humorous details in footnotes and in-universe book excerpts at the start of every chapter.

Fforde has also ensured that Early Riser is particularly memorable by filling his story with a range of interesting and creative characters and threats. Throughout the book, the protagonist encounters and examines the history, background and lore behind the threats roaming around the winter. These include the Villains, aristocratic thieves who are the descents of British nobility who act in a stereotypically upper class way and are obsessed with stamp collecting and obtaining domestic servants through force. There are also Nightwalkers, humans whose minds failed to withstand the hibernation process. As a result, the Nightwalkers have been reduced to a zombie-like state and are potentially cannibalistic, although their urges can be controlled with comfort food. Fforde has also included the mysterious WinterVolk, supernatural beings who reside in the winter world and have certain powers and tendencies. There is particular focus on the Gronk, one of the newer WinterVolk, and the author includes discussions about the Gronk’s formation, its first appearance, its habit of taking the unworthy and only leaving behind their carefully folded clothes in the snow, all while singing Rodgers and Hammerstein hits. In addition there are a range of wacky side characters throughout the series. These side characters usually have some sort of zany quirk or a distinctive characteristic that proves to be entertaining for the reader whilst the protagonist often has to play straight man. The standout example of this has to be the two one-eyed women who are both trying to get the protagonist on their side and who share an interesting connection with each other. All of these imaginative literary inventions combine into one substantial and unforgettable story that will charm the reader with its quirky and fun nature.

While it is easy to focus on the unusual and humorous inclusions that Fforde has filled Early Riser with, readers will also enjoy the book’s compelling story. The narrative is very stimulating and enjoyable, as it initially focuses on the protagonist’s introduction to life in the winter world, and then shifts to him attempting to unravel the conspiracy surrounding Sector Twelve. Like many of the other inclusions within this book, the conspiracy is very complex and a tad strange, but it works well as the focus for a central investigative narrative. Readers will enjoy the journey to the end of the mystery, and there are a few interesting twists along the way. Overall, I thought that the inclusions and elements mentioned above worked well with the mystery, and while many of the solutions and suspects are bizarre, the book’s many unique inclusions do not overwhelm the story, but instead enhance it, resulting in a great story.

Jasper Fforde has once again produced a distinctive piece of literature that stands out thanks to its elaborate and original concept, its many fun story details and inclusions, and a solid and gripping central story. Some readers may find the plot and story elements a bit weird, but this book will easily charm those who get in to Early Riser’s unashamed quirkiness and silly nature. This is definitely one of the most inventive books of this entire year and a creative and exceptional new read from a fanciful and fantastic author.