Blog - Page 20 of 38 - Gary David Gillen

Fifth to Die by JD Barker

The Fifth to Die by JD Barker.

The Fifth to Die by JD Barker, 4MK Thriller Book #2.

Introduction

In the Fifth to Die by JD Barker, the hunt for Anson Bishop the Four Monkey Killer has gone cold. The rest of Metro Chicago detectives of Sam Porter’s group are investigating other murders. They find a girl frozen under a lagoon and Porter’s fellow detectives and the FBI wonder if the 4MK has returned. Porter doesn’t think it is 4MK and searches for Bishop’s mother. His actions get him suspended. What will Sam Porter do when the answers he finds are more disturbing than he could have ever realized?

Summary

Fifth to Die by JD Barker starts with the Chicago Metro detectives investigating a murder of a girl found under the ice of a lagoon. There are multiple viewpoints in the novel with Porter as the main viewpoint. Sections of the novel end with a recap of the detective’s Evidence Board. The kidnapped girls have viewpoints to increase the reader’s tension until a viewpoint called The Man in the Black Knit Cap appears. Porter’s fellow detectives Clair Norton and Brian Nash also have viewpoint chapters as they investigate the recent murders. Edwin Klozowski (aka Kloz), the information tech guy helps them.

The recent murders have some similarities as the 4MK murders such as the actions of the murdered girl’s parents make them targets. But the differences in the cases lead Porter to conclude that 4MK is not the culprit. The FBI sends Special Agent Frank Poole to take over the investigation, and he has viewpoint chapters.

The plot splits when the captain suspends Sam Porter. Sam follows his lead about Anson Bishop’s mother that he discovered in the diary that Bishop gave him during the first novel. Detective Norton, Detective Nash, and Agent Poole follow their leads in the recent murders. The stories coincide until they are one step behind Porter. The solution goes back to Bishop’s diary. Porter finds out how and why Bishop ended up the way he did. A confrontation between Porter and Bishop ends this novel setting up the third and final novel of the trilogy.

Recommendation

Fifth to Die by JD Barker continues the 4MK story. It’s not clear at first how The Man in the Black Knit Cap and 4MKare connected, but that connection in time. I felt a juicy twist coming at the end of the novel, but Anson Bishop and his mother fooled me. Well done. The novel ends in a cliff hanger. The reader should treat books two and three as parts of one novel. I’m certain that the answers are coming in the next book and the answers will not be what I expect. That is an excellent thing. The Sixth Wicked Child is book three of the trilogy, published on August 27, 2019.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Fifth to Die by JD Barker, 4MK Thriller Book #2.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35721148-the-fifth-to-die

This is the link to my review The Fourth Monkey by JD Barker, 4MK Thriller Book #1

Detective Sam Porter is on the trail of the Four Monkey Killer. See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil, Do no evil. An eye, an ear, a tongue, and a body. Will he find the killer’s latest victim before it’s too late? Read and find out.

The Fourth Monkey by J. D. Barker

Writing Progress Report July 2020

Writing Progress Report July 2020.

This is my Writing Progress Report, July 2020.

Looking at the Manor house across Punderson Lake in Newbury, Ohio.

Writing Progress from June 2020.

I wrote three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for June 2020 linked below.

Writing Progress Report June 2020

Updated eight posts on my website to improve their SEO rating, to leave 43 posts to update.

In July 2018, I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City, totaling 99,981 words and 36 chapters. Completed pre-second draft (30 chapters long) in December 2018 at 89,072 words. Finished second draft edits for Chapters 26 and 27 in August, chapters 28, 29, and 30 in September, and chapters 19 and 20 in October. I reviewed chapter 21 in November and chapter 25 in December to complete the second draft edit. I started writing a new Chapter 1 in February 2020 and finished it in April 2020. The third draft will have 32 Chapters and I worked on third draft edits on Chapter 3 in June 2020.

In June 2020, I submitted a new Chapter 1 of Assassin in New Marl City to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

In June 2020, I submitted the story “Am I Going Insane?” to the Introductory Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

Writing Progress from June 2020 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in June 2020.

In the past, I submitted the stories; Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.

Flash Fiction Stories I have submitted is Get to the Point, LARP Film noir, Space-Dog Confession, Wormhole Generator, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, and Popular Mechanics Re-brewed to magazines.

I submitted “Wormhole Generator” to Fireside in June 2020.

Also, I submitted “Runs with Scissors” to Flash Fiction Online in June 2020.

Magazine submissions for 2020 are 6 unique stories submitted 10 times with 0 accepted, 1 pending, and 9 rejections.

Events from June 2020.

I planned to attend the Ice and Fire Conference in Mount Sterling, Ohio on April 23 to 26, 2020.

They postponed the conference because of COVID-19. They plan to hold the conference from October 29 to November 1, 2020, and I plan to attend.

This is a link to the Ice and Fire Conference website.

Home

Writing Goals for July 2020.

I plan to write four blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for July 2020.

My next novel is named Cuba Liberto. I plan to write Chapter One in July 2020 and submit it to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. In July 2019, I started the third draft edit for my earlier Chapter One and used it in the first pages workshop at Confluence 2019. I plan to complete third draft edits for chapters 3 and 4 in July 2020.

Polish and submit the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.

Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus. to other short fiction magazines.

Writing Goals for July 2020 continued.

Put the novel, Assassin in New Marl City, into the writing program, Scrivener.

Buy an e-book cover for Assassin in New Marl City from Fiveer.

In July 2020, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account and update eight posts on my website to improve their SEO rating to leave 35 posts left to update.

Planned Events for July 2020.

I planned to attend is the Confluence Conference from July 24 to July 26, 2020, at the Airport Sheraton in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

They canceled the conference because of COVID-19. I plan to go to Confluence July 23 to July 25, 2021.

Link to Confluence’s website.

http://parsec-sff.org/confluence/

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, Book Four of the Wheel of Time series.

Introduction

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan is the fourth book of The Wheel of Time series. Our heroes leave the city of Tear and split into groups. Min learns about the volatile situation at the White Tower of the Aes Sedai at Tar Valon. Perrin, Faile, and Loial travel to liberate Emond’s Field. Nyneave and Elayne follow the Black Ajah to Tanchico. Rand, Mat, and Egwene head to the Aiel Waste to confront their destinies. Can Rand learn enough about his powers in time to defeat the Shadow Rising?

Summary

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan begins soon after the Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan ended. Tear has been taken and Rand wields the sword that is not a sword, Callendor. The first chapter of the book serves as a prologue, covering four different points of view.

Chapter One starts with Min arriving at the White Tower of Tar Valon. During the Dragon Reborn novel, Moiraine sent Min to explain the events that occurred in Falme to Siuan Sache, the Amyrlin Seat, the leader of the Aes Sedai. This introduces the reader to one of the four main plots of this novel, the volatile political situation of the Aes Sedai.

Chapter One continues with short scenes introducing three of the opposition characters in this book. Elaida is from the Red Ajah of the Aes Sedai. She is located at the White Tower in Tar Valon. Dain Bornhald is a Whitecloak. He is at Taren Ferry in the Two Rivers near Emond’s Field. High Lady Suroth is a leader of the Seanchan. She regrouped the Seanchan at Cantorin Harbor after their defeat at Falme.

Three groups leave Tear at different times. Perrin, Faile, and Loial follow the Ways to liberate Emond’s Field from Shadowspawn and Whitecloaks We meet the citizens of Emond’s Field for the first time since book one. Nyneave and Elayne take a Sea Folk ship to get to Tanchico to search for the Black Ajah. They meet a Seanchan ship’s captain named Egeanin, who is different than she seems. Rand, Mat, and Egwene head to the Aiel Waste to confront their destinies.

The four stories each conclude, setting up the events for the next novel in the series, The Fires of Heaven.

Recommendation

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordon is a great novel, but it is different than the first three novels in the series. The first three novels all ended with most of the main characters achieving success together in a specific location. Eye of the World ended at the Eye of the World, The Great Hunt ended at Falme, and Dragon Reborn ended at Tear. This novel is like the breaking of the Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien. There are four groups followed in this novel and each group comes to a climax at the end of the novel, but they will remain apart to pursue their individual goals in the coming novels. That is disappointing but necessary to tell the greater story. This world is big and now the readers will see more of it by following multiple storylines.

There are two parts of this novel I thought were brilliant. The whole series of chapters about Perrin’s journey and struggle against the Shadowspawn and the Whitecloaks at Edmond’s Field come to a satisfying conclusion. Chapters 25 and 26 cover the Aiel Ancestor History Sequence. The stories were complicated and resonated.

The first season of the Amazon Prime Video will adapt the first two novels of the series in 2020 or 2021. I will be interested to see how they adapt this novel in a few years.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9539.The_Shadow_Rising

This is the link to my review of Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan, Book three of the Wheel of Time.

Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, Book two of the Wheel of Time.

Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, Book one of the Wheel of Time.

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

Introduction

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell is a book in the five-book Write Great Fiction series published by Writers Digest Books. The subtitle of this book is techniques and exercises for crafting a plot that grips readers from start to finish. The author did not become a novelist until he learned how to create plots for his novels. A plot is a design for a novel. In the book, the author gives his advice about how to develop a satisfying plot for your novel.

Summary

I will detail my top three points raised in this book.

In chapter one, the LOCK system is how the plot is made simple. L means create a compelling Lead. O means create a compelling Objective that the character wants or desires. C means your lead needs Confrontation from an opposition. K means it is necessary for the book’s ending to create a satisfying Knockout for the reader.

In chapter seven, scenes are the essential building blocks of the plot. There are four chords or beats in writing a scene. The chords are action, reaction, setup, and deepening. The chords are mixed to create the scene.

In chapter nine, the character arc is what deepens the plot. The plot causes the character to change, and that change is what the reader desires. Change attacks the character’s core self. The layers of self are beliefs, values, dominant attitudes, and opinions. The deeper the change, the more profound the difference.

Each chapter ends with suggested exercises to expand on the chapter’s lessons. Appendix A has a helpful checklist of the critical points raised in the book. The sections are about plot, structure, plot ideas, beginnings, middles, endings, scenes, complexity, plotting systems, and revision.

Recommendation

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell is a useful book about writing. It is short and easy to read. I found three points that were the most interesting to me. The checklist in Appendix A is also helpful. His advice is sound but like other books I have read. The author has many books on the craft of writing and I plan to read more of them.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16903890-write-great-fiction—plot-structure

Worlds of Wonder by David Gerrold is his non-fiction book on the craft of writing, subtitled how to write science fiction and fantasy. Where should you start as a new writer? Use this book.

Worlds of Wonder by David Gerrold

Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody takes the books of Blake Snyder and applies his teachings to writing novels. She presents complete beat sheets and genre breakdowns of current and past novels. This is the link to my review.

Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

Another similar book on writing is How to Write Best Selling Fiction by Dean Koontz. This is the link to my review. The book from 1981, but the advice is still great.

How to Write Best Selling Fiction by Dean Koontz

Writing Progress Report June 2020

Writing Progress Report June 2020.

This is my Writing Progress Report June 2020.

What’s going on, Ollie?

Writing Progress from May 2020.

I wrote three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for May 2020 linked below.

Writing Progress Report May 2020

Updated eight posts on my website to improve their SEO rating to leave 51 posts to update.

In July 2018, I completed the first draft of my novel Assassin in New Marl City, totaling 99,981 words and 36 chapters. Completed pre-second draft (30 chapters long) in December 2018 at 89,072 words. Finished second draft edits for Chapters 26 and 27 in August, chapters 28, 29, and 30 in September, and chapters 19 and 20 in October. I reviewed chapter 21 in November and chapter 25 in December to complete the second draft edit. I started writing a new Chapter 1 in February 2020 and finished it in April 2020. The third draft will have 32 Chapters and I completed third draft edits on Chapter 2 in May 2020.

In May 2020, I submitted chapters 29 and 30 of Assassin in New Marl City to the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio library.

Writing Progress from May 2020 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in May 2020.

In the past, I submitted the stories; The Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.

I have submitted Flash Fiction Stories; Get to the Point, LARP Film noir, Space-Dog Confession, Wormhole Generator, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, and Popular Mechanics Re-brewed to magazines.

I submitted “Runs with Scissors” to Daily Science Fiction in May 2020.

Also, I submitted “Wormhole Generator” to Flash Fiction Online in May 2020.

Also, I submitted “Sleeping Sickness” to Strange Horizons in May 2020.

Magazine submissions for 2020 are 6 unique stories submitted 8 times with 0 accepted, 3 pending, and 5 rejections.

In May 2020, I wrote the Flash Fiction, “Principled Rouge” from a computer-generated prompt.

Events from May 2020.

I planned to attend the Ice and Fire Conference in Mount Sterling, Ohio on April 23 to 26, 2020.

They postponed the conference because of COVID-19. They plan to hold the conference from October 29 to November 1, 2020, and I plan to attend.

This is a link to the Ice and Fire Conference website.

Home

Writing Goals for June 2020.

I plan to write three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for June 2020.

Polish and submit the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.

Add submissions to Fireside Magazine in June 2020.

Writing Goals for June 2020 continued.

Put the novel, Assassin in New Marl City, into the writing program, Scrivener.

Buy an e-book cover for Assassin in New Marl City from Fiveer.

In June 2020, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account and update eight posts on my website to improve their SEO rating to leave 43 posts left to update.

Planned Events for June 2020.

I planned to attend Marcon in Columbus, Ohio from May 5 to 8, 2020.

They canceled the conference because of COVID-19. I plan to go to Marcon from May 7 to May 9, 2021.

This is a link to the Columbus Marcon website.

http://marcon.org/

I planned to attend is the Confluence Conference from July 24 to July 26, 2020, at the Airport Sheraton in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

They canceled the conference because of COVID-19. I plan to go to Confluence July 23 to July 25, 2021.

Link to Confluence’s website.

http://parsec-sff.org/confluence/

Network Effect by Martha Wells

Network Effect by Martha Wells, Murderbot Diaries Book 5

Introduction

Network Effect by Martha Wells is the first novel of the Murderbot Diaries Series. The earlier stories are a series of four novellas that complete a self-contained single story. The protagonist of the diaries is a SecUnit (Security Unit), a part organic and part mechanical cyborg, or as she calls herself a Murderbot. In this story, Murderbot must solve a complex mystery or risk the deaths of her human clients.

Summary

In Network Effect by Martha Wells, Murderbot has completed her mission as described in the earlier four books for the PreservationAux Group. Murderbot looks to Dr. Mensah as its primary client. It serves as a Survey Security Consultant to members of the group. On a survey, unknown hostiles attack them and Murderbot names them as Targets, but only to itself. Murderbot had hacked its governor module so can ignore the programming the Company used to create it. Murderbot eliminates the Targets, but there will be more. The Survey ship ends up in a mysterious solar system. Who are the Targets and why does someone summon the Survey ship are the mysteries that Murderbot must solve? The lives of its clients depend on finding answers.

Recommendation

It was worth the wait for a Murderbot novel. The book was enjoyable and hit all the marks a reader could expect. Murderbot was snarky, compassionate to her clients, and resourceful. The plot of the novel was hard to figure out at the beginning, but explained later. There are passages where Murderbot recounts old events, sometimes as transcripts. The reason for this makes sense. The book comes to a satisfying conclusion and sets up the next adventure for Murderbot. Fugitive Telemetry will be Book 6 of the Murderbot Diaries and published on April 27, 2021. The series continues, and I plan to stay on the ride.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page for Network Effect by Martha Wells.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47902784-network-effect

This is the link to the Goodreads page for Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53205854-fugitive-telemetry

This is a link to my review of All Systems Red by Martha Wells, Book 1 of The Murderbot Diaries.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Book Review of Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, a series of four novellas. SecUnit calls herself Murderbot. She has feelings of companionship for her human employers. What lengths will she go to protect them?

Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

City of Bones by Martha Wells

Introduction

In the City of Bones by Martha Wells, Khat is a krisman living in the city of Charisat on the edge of the Waste. Ancient Mages created the krismen to live in the Waste. Khat has come to the city to earn his fortune in the relic trade with his human partner, Sagai. The Warders, mages who serve the Elector of Charisat, want to use relics to solve an ancient mystery. Will Khat help them even though the empowered relics could destroy the world?

Summary

City of Bones by Martha Wells’s main character is Khat. Khat is a krisman, a type of marsupial with a pouch created by ancient mages in the time the Waste was formed. The krisman is at the bottom of the social order. The Warders of the Elector of Charisat don’t believe they are people because they don’t have souls according to them. Khat leaves the safety of his people’s Enclave to earn his fortune in the human cities. He teams up with Sagai, a human, to sell relics in the city of Charisat.

Khat needs a big score to pay off a debt, so he agrees to guide the Patrician to ancient towers called Remnants. The central mystery of the book is the mystery of why the ancient mages built the Remnants. The viewpoint characters are Khat, Sagai, and the Patrician. Khat wants to find a place where he belongs, Sagai wants to protect his family, and the Patrician wants to solve the mystery. Can they accomplish their goals without destroying the world?

Recommendation

City of Bones is a great self-contained single novel, and they haven’t published a sequel so far. Khat is an interesting character. He deals with prejudice, misunderstanding, and identity. His redemption arch is why I recommend this novel. The first chapter is difficult to understand on a first reading. There are many characters, many ideas, and much world-building packed in it. Once the focus is on Khat, Sagai, and The Patrician, then the novel proceeds relentlessly to the end. Khat is knocked out too many times and recovers too quickly. I’m glad I decided to read this novel after I read the author’s Murderbot Diaries.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page for City of Bones by Martha Wells.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6599368-city-of-bones

This is a link to my review of All Systems Red by Martha Wells, Book 1 of The Murderbot Diaries.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

This is the link to the Goodreads page for Network Effect by Martha Wells. They published this Murderbot novel on May 5, 2020.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47902784-network-effect

Writing Progress Report May 2020

Writing Progress Report May 2020.

This is my Writing Progress Report May 2020.

Happy birthday to me. New phone, DQ, and Reese’s. Perfect.

Writing Progress from April 2020.

I wrote five blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my writing progress report for April 2020 linked below.

Writing Progress Report April 2020

In July 2018, I completed the first draft of Assassin in New Marl City, totaling 99,981 words and 36 chapters. Completed pre-second draft (30 chapters long) in December 2018 at 89,072 words. Finished second draft edits for Chapters 26 and 27 in August, chapters 28, 29, and 30 in September, and chapters 19 and 20 in October. I reviewed chapter 21 in November and chapter 25 in December to complete the second draft edit. I started writing a new Chapter 1 in February 2020 and finished it in April 2020. The third draft will have 32 Chapters and I will start the third draft edits in May 2020.

Writing Progress from April 2020 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in April 2020.

In the past, I submitted the stories The Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, Get to the Point, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, and Popular Mechanics Re-brewed to magazines.

I submitted “Space-Dog Confession” to Daily Science Fiction in April 2020.

I submitted “Sleeping Sickness” to Flash Fiction Online in April 2020.

Magazine submissions for 2020 are 5 unique stories submitted 5 times with 0 accepted, 2 pending, and 3 rejections.

Events from April 2020.

I planned to attend the Ice and Fire Conference in Mount Sterling, Ohio on April 23 to 26, 2020.

They postponed it because of COVID-19. They plan to hold the conference from October 29 to November 1, 2020, and I plan to attend.

This is a link to the Ice and Fire Conference website.

Home

Writing Goals for April 2020.

I plan to write three blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for May 2020.

Polish and submit the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.

Writing Goals for May 2020 continued.

Put the novel, Assassin in New Marl City, into the writing program, Scrivener.

Buy an e-book cover for Assassin in New Marl City from Fiveer.

In May 2020, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account and update ten posts on my website to improve their SEO.

Planned Events for May 2020.

I planned to attend Marcon in Columbus, Ohio on May 5 to 8, 2020.

They canceled it because of COVID-19. I plan to go to Marcon in 2021.

This is a link to the Columbus Marcon website.

http://marcon.org/

The next conference I plan to attend is the Confluence Conference from July 24 to July 26, 2020, at the Airport Sheraton in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Link to Confluence website.

http://parsec-sff.org/confluence/

Phantoms of Ruthaer by Jason McDonald

Phantoms of Ruthaer by Jason McDonald, Stormy McDonald, and Alan Isom

Introduction

Phantoms of Ruthaer by Jason McDonald is a fantasy with a ghost story and a murder mystery. Hector De Los Santos and the bounty hunting group named Damage, Inc. are called to Ruthaer for a side job. Hector’s crew is human archer Dave Blood, half-elf tracker/healer Aislinn Yves, and elf empath Hummingbird. They get more than they bargained for when they get to Ruthaer. The mysteries of the town are complicated. Damage, Inc. must fight ghosts, zombies, demons, and vampires to solve the mystery. Ancient dragonkin points to the solution and to the greater mystery involving Hector and Dave. Will they defeat the phantoms, or will they all die in the attempt?

[Reserved for Phantoms of Ruthaer Book Cover]

Summary

Phantoms of Ruthaer by Jason McDonald is set in the same fantasy world as the author’s Cayn trilogy. The locations and characters are different. The only character mentioned in this book from the Cayn trilogy is Jasper Thredd. He is a mage and a member of Damage, Inc. but does not appear in this novel. Jasper has some connection to the trio of Hector, Dave and Robert. Robert is another character mentioned but not met in this novel.

At the beginning of the novel, Hector bails Dave out of jail. Damage, Inc. has business in Ozera, but a job in Ruthaer comes first. They pick up Aislinn and Hummingbird and sail to Ruthaer. Aislinn is from Ruthaer and is responding to the request of Tallinn, the sea ranger she knew as a girl. Once they get to Ruthaer, they face the mystery of what happened to the monks. Lord Francis and Father Blackwood helps them. There is a fog over the town. They fight ghosts, vampires, and spiders to get to the heart of the mystery. A ghost ship and the mysterious Count Dodz complicate the mystery. There are plenty of more thrills and reversals as Damage, Inc. uncovers mystery after mystery.

Recommendation

Phantoms of Ruthaer by Jason McDonald is a great genre mash-up novel. There is a mystery, a ghost story, and a fantasy adventure in the novel. The bounty hunting idea is like the Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski. Damage Inc. is paid for killing magical creatures like the Witcher. The mystery is hard to solve, and the ghosts are real in this adventure. It also reminded me of John Carter from Mars concerning Hector, Dave, and Robert’s interaction with this fantasy world. I want to see more adventures with Damage, Inc.

I received this novel as a beta reader. After they release the last book, I will update this post as necessary.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page for Phantoms of Ruthaer.

[Reserved for Phantoms of Ruthaer Goodreads Link.]

This is the link to the Goodreads page for Blood of Cayn.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47145155-blood-of-cayn

My review of Blood of Cayn, the Cayn Trilogy Book #3. It’s the thrilling conclusion of the Cayn Trilogy. The plague has returned. Will Xandor’s crew find the cure or will everyone die?

Blood of Cayn by Jason McDonald

My review of City of Cayn the Cayn Trilogy Book #2. It’s a suspenseful adventure. The plague story begun in the first book takes our heroes to Cherigov, a human city overrun by orcs. They must defeat the orc king, or the plague will devastate the land.

City of Cayn by Jason McDonald, Alan Isom, and Stormy McDonald

My review of Son of Cayn, the Cayn Trilogy Book #1. Xandor the ranger’s mission is to infiltrate a caravan that is smuggling soap. Soap? Yes, soap. Xandor’s crew must determine where and why the soap is being smuggled.

Son of Cayn by Jason McDonald, Alan Isom, and Stormy McDonald

Last Emperox by John Scalzi

Last Emperox by John Scalzi, The Interdependency Sequence Book #3

Introduction

In Last Emperox by John Scalzi. Cardenia Wu-Patrick is the current Emperox of the Interdependency. She is coronated as Grayland II and her reign starts with a crisis. The Flow connects the star systems of the Interdependency, and the Flow is collapsing. She faces a looming disaster when the dependent colonies of the Interdependency will become isolated. What can she do about the collapse of the Flow and can she get the ruling class to agree to her solutions?

Summary Part One

Last Emperox by John Scalzi has four main characters.

Cardenia wants a solution to the collapse of the Flow connections between the stars of her Empire. The Flow is a wormhole network that connects the different stars of the Interdependency. Humans can only live on the surface of the planet called End. All other colonies are space stations or enclosed stations on planetary bodies. The trading clans head the Interdependency. Each clan owns a star system and has a monopoly on one product. They trade the products between the clans, and no colonies are independent. Cardenia’s clan is the Wu clan holding the system of Hub. The Wu clan created the Interdependency and every Emperox for the last thousand years has been a member of the Wu clan.

The Nohamapetan clan opposes Cardenia’s rule. Nadashe Nohamapetan had been accused of the attempted assassination of Cardenia and was imprisoned for the crime. She escaped and is on the run. Nadashe wants to keep the status quo of the clan system. What that means is that the leaders of the clans will get transferred to the End system and the rest of the people will be left isolated in their home systems to perish.

Summary Part Two

Kiva Lagos oversees the Nohamapetan clan’s finances by Cardenia’s rluing, which causes conflict with the Nohamapetan clan. All Kiva wants is to lead the Lagos clan and to retire with her girlfriend, Senia Fundapellonan. But Cardenia wants Kiva to help her capture Nadashe while Nadasche wants Kiva to release the Nohamapetan fortune to her. They both thwart Kiva’s plans.

Flow physicist Count Claremont of the End system predicts the collapse of the Flow by his calculations. Flow Physicist Marce Claremont, his son, continues his father’s work and is Cardenia’s closest advisor and becomes her paramour. Marce wants to transfer all of humanity to the End system. He believes that the solution is somewhere in the data and he continues his search for the solution.

The fate of the people of the Interdependency rests on the actions of these four characters.

Recommendation

Last Emperox by John Scalzi is a great ending to the Interdependency trilogy. I did not want the ending to go the way it did, but it was the correct ending for the series. All the ideas begun in the first book led inevitably to the resolution in the third book. That makes the trilogy a successful series to me. On reflection, I like a story best that is true to its nature, and this story is true to its nature. The three books were consistent, funny, and interesting.

All together the three books total 948 pages. They could have published the trilogy as one long book but this isn’t epic fantasy so I appreciate getting a book every year. The characters come to a satisfying concluding arc. There could be other stories in this series, but probably not with these characters and their conflicts. I am looking forward to the author’s next series.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page for Last Emperox by John Scalzi.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38322550-the-last-emperox

This is a link to my book review of The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi, Book 2 of the Interdependency Sequence

The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi

This is a link to my book review of The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi, Book 1 of the Interdependency Sequence

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi