Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: SciFi

The ARIADNE CONNECTION by Sara Stamey, a SciFi Thriller set in Greece

The year is 2027 and planet Earth is angry. Pollution has gone viral, ravaging the global environment while corporate technocracy has invaded all aspects of the media using its sensory-loaded “NeuroLink” productions to commandeer the thoughts and will of the masses.

Radical climate swings, drought and famine, flood and pestilence take on Biblical meaning. And deep inside its core, the bowels of the earth are being rocked by a violent shift of its geomagnetic poles – a shift paired with cataclysmic seismic activity.

With planetary life headed for extinction, mankind reaches out to its “Gods,” both secular and non-secular, for salvation. At the same time whisperings on the NeuroLink claim that there is a savior among them. Saint Ariadne.

With the story of a lifetime in her sghts, NeuroLink celebrity Leeza Conreid calls upon “freelance import expediter” Peter Mitchell to take her into the dark heart of the militarized Mediterranean League’s territory. She’s confident that her history with Ariadne will give her the access she needs, but Leeza has more than a hot story on her mind. Broken promises and a perceived betrayal have warped her soul, launching her on a revenge-driven mission to expose and destroy Ariadne.

“Saint” Ariadne has her own plan. After pushing into alternative scientific frontiers using pulsed laser, electronic stimulation and a mysterious “tonic” water, she’s on the verge of finding a cure for a rapidly-progressing form of leprosy. But the ongoing electromagnetic upheaval is tapping into something primal in her DNA, and her life’s work as well as her “healing abilities” are under attack. With global salvation at stake, Ariadne must escape from the exile of her father’s house and place her trust in the talents of hard-drinking smuggler Peter Mitchell.

Destined to be a classic in the Speculative Fiction genre, Sara Stamey’s Cygnus Award-winning novel, The Ariadne Connection, takes the reader on a visual feast through the azure waters and rugged Mediterranean landscape of the Greek Islands while tapping into the deep roots of mythological tradition. And her use of well-defined, believable characters invites us to cinch our seatbelts tight and come along for the ride of a lifetime.

With a clever nod to movie blockbusters such as “The Fifth Element” and “Transporter,” Sara Stamey’s near-future novel The Ariadne Connection is a rocket-paced thrill ride that delivers complex, engaging characters in a laser-sharp plot.

October 30, 2015
The CYGNUS AWARDS for Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction 2015 Official Finalist List
The CYGNUS Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction. The Cygnus Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Awards International Writing Competitions.

We are pleased to announce the CYGNUS Awards Official Finalists List for 2015, otherwise known as the “Short List” from all the 2015 entries received. The Official Finalists Listing is comprised of works that have passed the first three rounds of judging from the entire field of entrants. To pass the first three rounds of judging, more than sixty pages of the works below have been read and been deemed worthy by the CBR judges of continuing in competition for the CYGNUS Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY positions and their prize packages.

Congratulations to the CYGNUS AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS and Good Luck as they compete for the First Place Category Positions:
- Alex McIntosh – The Limits of Control
- B.T. James – The Tales of New Atlantis: Book One “Summer School”
- Bruce Campbell – Coyote Calls Down the Gods
- Arlianne Napier – Divine Prophecy
- Bruce Campbell – Kidnap City–An ET Love Story
- C. A. Knutsen – Janus Unfolding: Emergence
- C. Edward Baldwin – Rememberers
- Charlotte McGary & Sharon Faiola-Petersen – The Dream Crystals of Gandara
- Steve LeBel for The Universe Builders: Bernie and the Putty
- Debra Erfert – Window of Death
- Deen Ferrell – Cryptic Spaces: Eight Queens
- Elisabeth Hamill – Song Magick
- James Wells – The Great Symmetry
- Janine A. Southard – Cracked! A Magic iPhone Story
- Jared Rinaldi – Bridge Burner Hyperion
- Jessica Schaub – Gateways
- John Yarrow – The Time Forward Project
- Jon D. Zimmer – The Secret Invasion: Book One of The God Chronicles Trilogy
- Julian Hoxter – Cutterjunk
- K. N. Salustro – Chasing Shadows
- Karen Musser Nortman – The Time Travel Trailer
- Earl Crago – Prince of Prism
- Kathrine Leannan – Fantasy
- KB Shaw – Neworld Papers: The Historian’s Tale
- L.S. Kilroy – The Vitruvian Heir
- Peggy L Henderson – Yellowstone Heart Song
- Rhett C Bruno – The Circuit: Executor Rising
- Rhonda L. Davis – Path of the White Wolf
- S. A. Carter – The Kuthun
- S.K. Holder – The Quest of Narrigh
- Rhett C. Bruno – The Circuit: Executor Rising
- S.M. Coan – Innerearth
- Sabina Khan – Realm of the Goddess
- Sydney M. Cooper – Forsaken Lands Book 1: Tragedy
- Timothy S. Johnston – The Freezer
- Timothy S. Johnston – The Furnace
- Tommy Partl – Mechanized
- V. Lakshman – Mythborn 2: Bane of the Warforged
- Yuan Jur – Citadel 7: The Gates of Wrath
Good luck to all the CYGNUS Awards Finalists who made the Short List as they compete for the First In Category Positions!

More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.

The CYGNUS First Place Category award winners will compete for the CYGNUS Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Best Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 29, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.

The First In Category award winners will receive an award package including a complimentary book review, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.

We are now accepting entries into the 2017 CYGNUS Awards. The deadline is January 31st, 2017. Click here for more information or to enter. We have split CYGNUS Awards in to two separate competitions: Cygnus for Science Fiction and the OZMA awards for Fantasy. Visit our contest page for more information.

More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2015 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Ten genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.

Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
October 27, 2015
ENEMY of EXISTENCE by Yuan Jur, a science-fiction novel

Brimming with a fully dynamic set of characters and otherworldly energies, Enemy of Existence is the strong and inventive debut novel that introduces Juan Yur’s science-fiction space opera series Citadel 7.

Uniss and Dogg turn literary style on its head by greeting and then involving the reader in their story. Coming to Earth from the Superverse, they home in on 1960s outback Australia to seek out and commandeer the help of young Ben Blochentackle.

Uniss and Dogg engage and prepare Ben for the realities of the Superverse until he is able to digest the psychological and physical demands of the looming war. At the same time, Uniss and Dogg must find a way to satisfy the coercing unit of the Evercycle council, who are the creators of existence.

Ben’s human life changes forever when he joins Uniss and Dogg, right when he’s about to disclose his feelings towards his lady friend. Dogg’s painful timing in bringing Ben out to the Superverse is made worse when both Uniss and Dogg come to realize that Ben might not be who they thought he was. The reader finishes Enemy of Existence deeply satisfied but simultaneously left with many questions about what the future holds for the characters.

Yuan Jur utilizes his skillful craft of writing as he uses different perspectives throughout the book to open up various characters and their environments to the reader’s viewpoint. This particular development in Yuan Jur’s writing provides the reader with a well-rounded insight into the Superverse. The author is no stranger to breaking conventional norms with his quirky, unique writing style that will captivate readers.

Enemy of Existence breaks new ground in the science-fiction universe as readers are required to actively participate in unraveling the novel’s plot.

October 16, 2015
The GREAT SYMMETRY by James R. Wells, a Science Fiction Thrill Ride

At the dawn of the 24th Century, seven corporations or “families” known as the Sisters dictate every aspect of human life. “The Spoon Feed” spits out the latest curated news while Marcom, a marketing communications group, composes “The True Story,” their version of reality for public consumption. Tight control of information is necessary for total corporate domination of all planetary enterprises and the Sisters are willing to go to extreme measures to maintain their stranglehold on humanity.

Driven by a thirst for new information, exoarcheologist Evan McElroy makes a discovery that takes him outside of the perceived safety of the “True Story” and hurls him into the nearest glome, a wormhole-like space portal, where he runs for his life.

His discovery, an ancient artifact from the extinct Versari race, contains data with the potential to dismantle the control of the Sisters and destroy the carefully crafted society they’ve created. A discovery worth killing for.

From the first sentence to the last, The Great Symmetry is a science fiction thrill ride. Opening with Evan in the crosshairs and missiles of Affirmatix (a family of companies within the Sisters), he is forced to take a leap of planetary faith. Evan sends out a final coded message then, with the artifact safely tucked into his EVA suit, he steps out of his runabout craft and propels himself into deep space to escape obliteration by the Affirmatix.

With a dwindling oxygen supply his only hope is that expert pilot and longtime friend Mira Adastra will decode his message before death or Affirmatix takes him. But Affirmatix is already targeting all of Evan’s known associates and Mira has had her own run-ins with the Sisters. It’s only through the unlikely help of Evan’s ex-partner, Kate DelMonaco, that any of the three have a chance to make it out of Evan’s giant leap alive.

In this stunning debut novel, James R. Wells has assembled a great cast of interesting and complex characters embedded in a well-planned dual narrative. Pitting the infoterrorists – seekers of reality and truth – against the corporate, profit-before-people decision makers of Affirmatix creates a dynamic “good versus evil” scenario that allows for a deeper understanding of the motivations that drive each side. The shifting narrative also enables the reader to travel between unique environments that reveal rich and clever world-building components.

With its Kafka-esque view of an escalating, dominant corporate presence, James R. Wells’ The Great Symmetry echoes the timeless social messages of truth, freedom and sacrifice embraced by science fiction greats like Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, and the author’s own great grandfather H. G. Wells. Its powerful premise gives voice to the perils and challenges of our current society and reminds the reader that even the smallest person can change the world. A great read!

July 24, 2015
A stunning new Sci Fi novel: THE GREAT SYMMETRY at Super Launch Price of 99 cents!

If you could hold in the palm of your hand an object that could change the course of humanity’s future. What would you do?

Archaeologist Evan McElroy has made a discovery about an extinct alien race. But Evan’s corporate sponsor sees the potential to make huge gains if the new findings are kept completely secret. Step one of their plan is to kill the entire research team – starting with Evan.

As Evan flees for his life, his trajectory awakens a long-buried struggle. The Infoterrorists, who believe all ideas are screaming to be free, have been waiting for the right moment to take on the seven great families that control all of civilization. This could be their opportunity. Or, it could be time for millions to die.

“The Great Symmetry” is pure classic science fiction from the great-grandson of science fiction pioneering author H.G. Wells, James R. Wells.

CLICK HERE for the direct link to the Amazon Page and the 99 cents special! Hurry — Offer ends July 26st!

July 11, 2015
NEWORLD PAPERS: The HISTORIAN’S TALE by KB Shaw

A young man’s unique talents plunge him into the center of a revolutionary movement and force him to make decisions that could destroy his world, the peaceful Neworld with no concept of war or murder.

In a world where all forms of history are forbidden, Fallon becomes the Historian for a new age using his power of observation to unlock long-buried secrets and reveal the truth about Neworld’s origin. But truth, no matter how noble, has teeth as well as limits and those limits are tested as Fallon is forced to choose between the status quo and the potential destruction of Neworld society.

Through first-person narrative, K.B. Shaw’s engaging world-building novel introduces the reader to Fallon, a foundling who’s lived his first 17 “annums” as a ward at the Neworld school known as the “Mount.”

Fallon’s inferior status places him in the servant’s quarters rather than the classroom but his unique set of abilities and his hunger for knowledge give him hope as he anticipates the arrival of his 18^th annum – the date when he comes of age and claims his freedom.

His hope is crushed when, days shy of his legal liberation, the head of the Mount “sells” him into what he fears is indentured servitude. In reality Fallon’s time at the school has been closely monitored. His talent for rendering detailed drawings from his perfect memory makes him an asset to the revolutionary Solarist Movement. Those same talents mark him as a danger to the Council, the ruling body of Neworld. Fallon’s fate is now in the in the hands of the Solarists, as much for his protection as for their use.

In Neworld Papers Series 1: The Historian’s Tale the author has created a planet rich in textural detail from the native plants and creatures to the underground world where technology lies like treasure waiting to be unearthed. At times the pacing slows when Fallon is trying to make sense of objects and life forms that are foreign to him but using Fallon’s innocent and decidedly un-worldly point of view enables the reader to enjoy the journey and stand alongside Fallon as he encounters each new discovery with clear, unbiased eyes.

Author K.B. Shaw effectively uses Neworld Papers as a platform for deeper thought by providing moral dilemmas that continue to challenge mankind, not the least of which is the question of how truth, freedom and control can intersect to create a functional society.

Neworld Papers: The Historian is an engrossing Science Fiction novel with a thought provoking premise, awesome world building, and more than a dash of romance. An overall enjoyable read!

May 14, 2015
EDEN’S ORE: REVELATIONS by B. V. Bayly

An action-packed, dystopian science fiction series, describing a near-future, energy-starved world saved by the discovery of a crystalline ore with powerful properties. Creating the perfect Eden, however, comes with unexpected and dangerous consequences!

B.V. Bayly has crafted an action-packed story full of mystery and suspense in a near-future, dystopian world. The author has presented an intriguing premise in which an Eden-like Utopian civilization has been created by using an all-powerful ore that replaces depleted energy reserves. However, Eden is an oasis on a planet where many of its inhabitants exist in brutal and barbaric times; human life has little value and savagery runs rampant.

The core of Eden’s government is the Church of Humanity. The Patriarchs, the Church’s leadership, are under increasing pressure from several outside factions who are actively trying to tear apart or infiltrate them. One of the strongest and most dangerous factions is the corrupt and insanely violent Horsemen.

As Revelations – Book 2 in the series – begins, Commander Nate Reinhart of The Church of Humanity must come to terms with his own guilt over watching one of his best men, Gabriel, the hero from Book 1, get caught in one the largest explosions the commander has ever witnessed. The explosion happened at a weapons facility while Gabriel attempted to detonate a shard of black ore.

Now, Nate puts his entire team at risk of attack from the enemy to rescue Gabriel. When they extract Gabriel from the crater caused by the blast, it is still underdetermined if he is alive or dead. As Nate’s team takes Gabriel into the forest for cover, they come upon the remnants of a second team of wounded soldiers who had been stationed outside the weapons facility. One of the few remaining soldiers reveals to Nate that they’ve been attacked by two squads from their own platoon. Soldiers in their own ranks may have betrayed them, becoming their most dangerous enemies.

Given Nate’s growing misgivings from his own dealings with the Church, he must now face the fact that he no longer has any confidence in the Church leaders and suspects that their motives aren’t to be trusted. Gabriel may be in mortal danger and unable to protect himself in his current, comatose state. Nate decides to let the Church leaders believe that Gabriel is dead, turning to his most trusted allies for help in healing and protecting the young man.

As events continue to unfold, Nate realizes that The Horsemen have succeeded in spreading their corruption, infiltrating the leaders of the Church and weakening the Patriarchs. As he waits for Gabriel to awaken, Nate must choose whom he can trust as he battles against the forces of good and evil. Only the Spheres, with their secret sanctuaries and strong desire for independence, can offer an alliance with Nate in this battle for the hearts and souls of humankind. Nate must lead his team into the bowels of the dark and uncivilized zones to find the source of the Horsemen’s power.

Readers will be drawn into the Eden’s Ore series with its engaging characters, complex relationships, nonstop action, and its strange dystopian world with interesting and powerful new twists.

Reviewer’s Note: Reading Eden’s Ore: Revelations is like traveling back to a futuristic world to visit old friends and make new ones. I recommend that readers begin with Eden’s Ore: Secrets, the first in this compelling top shelf series, and have Book Two close at hand for immediate immersion into the sequel.

May 8, 2015
JANUS UNFOLDING: EMERGENCE by C.A. Knutsen

In the remote town of Frazier, Washington, a house fire burns so inexplicably white-hot that the firemen are forced to retreat. There are no known materials used in home construction or interior decoration that can explain the heat and ferocity of the blaze. Upon closer examination of the charred remains of the structure, the firemen discover a body burned so completely that only bones survived. And in the surrounding property, they find the comatose bodies of three professional assassins, clearly laid out for the authorities.

From that intriguing beginning, author C. A. Knutsen draws the reader into alternating stories in Janus Unfolding: Emergence—one placed slightly into the future, and one placed roughly in present day. Chapters flip back and forth from a crime scene investigation that initially stumps the authorities to a description of the childhood of a gifted boy named Jimmy, who exhibits unusual intellectual and physical prowess. The reader soon learns that the Jimmy, who became the adult Jim Post, a reclusive rich man about whom little is known, was killed in the house fire.

Determined to find answers, Jim Post’s business partner, Jeff Pierce, along with the help of the Frazier and Seattle police detectives as well as an Artificial Intelligence program named Martha, work to discover why anyone would murder a man who had no enemies and who had dedicated his life to making the world a better place in which to live. The mystery of exactly what happened in those woods will keep readers eagerly turning the pages.

This novel is, however, far more than a typical whodunit and crime scene investigation; it is a novel about the evolution of mankind. It is also a novel about the reactions of mankind once it learns of that evolution. Readers are drawn into the lives of each of the characters in the book, and are curiously compelled to find out what will happen to them, and whether as a species, Homo sapiens can accept the changes happening within our own societies.

The extensive chapters of the main character’s childhood would make for slow reading if they weren’t essential to eventually understanding the theme of Janus Unfolding: Emergence. However, Knutsen’s accurate portrayal of martial arts scenes will appeal to those who have an interest in the subject. Similarly, readers who enjoy a dash of science fiction in their whodunits will find the descriptions of DNA sequencing and evolution of our species fascinating.

This intriguing novel is not one that fits squarely into the mystery genre, or that follows the standard formula and plot for either a mystery or a SciFi novel. However, readers of both genres will find it a compelling and thought-provoking novel that crosses new boundaries. Highly recommended.

April 10, 2015
CATENAE by S.E. Curtis

Debut author S. E. Curtis has penned an intriguing science fiction novel about one family’s fight to defend humanity’s natural timeline. The family, consisting of two generations of noble fighters, has been tasked with guarding the time continuum of all reality, ensuring that no one can alter it in such a way to change the course of history.

The story begins in present day, when beautiful, young Tamara Decaire, a second-generation Family member, is injured in a battle against her enemy. She quickly time-travels back to a present-day hospital ER for treatment. Danny Nolan, an ER surgeon who works the night shift, struggles to save her life. Though her unusual wounds don’t appear to be fatal, she is also presenting symptoms of some type of toxic poisoning. He makes a risky decision to treat her as if she has been poisoned, thus saving her life. However, in the process he has temporarily damaged the tiny nano-processors inside her body that give her the extraordinary powers she uses to fight her galactic enemies.

Upon awakening, Tamara realizes that her ability to fight off her assassin is temporarily weakened. She enlists the help of Danny to get her out of the hospital and moved to a location where she can recover. Thus begins a race against Time to identify Tamara’s powerful, elusive enemies, in which Danny travels into the future and to other planets with the aid of Tamara’s Family members.

S.E. Curtis has written an action-filled adventure that is sure to engage science fiction readers. The author describes a world built on the fascinating premise that all of history is connected, in a cause and effect continuum, back to the origins of reality itself. Those continuums, called catenae, must be protected against any type of modification. The Family, whose members squabble and fight in engagingly human ways, must ensure that no catena is altered in such a way that it changes the course of history. To do that, they must guard their own catena, to ensure their own survival and thus the survival of Reality itself.

The author seems to have left open the possibility of more books, making Catenae, hopefully, the first novel in what should become a very popular series.

Warning of Adult Content: This novel contains non-graphic depictions of rape and torture that may offend some readers. There is a description of repeated rape and torture of the main character in exposition, in the first part of the book. However, the events are not graphically depicted, just told.

April 2, 2015
CYGNUS Grand Prize Winner Lands 3-Book Contract with TITAN

Chanticleer Book Reviews is honored and proud to announce that Bennett R. Coles, CYGNUS Awards 2013 Grand Prize Winner, was contracted by Titan Books for a three book deal for his Astral Saga series.

Titan Books is known for its Doctor Who series, Gregory Benford and Larry Niven collections of Ringworld, Timescape, Shipstar fame, George R.R. Martins & Hugh Howey’s Wasteland series, William C. Dietz of Legion of the Damned series, along with other sci-fi powerhouses. And now Bennett R. Coles, Chanticleer Communty Author, SciFi !

Virtues of War debuts in the Titan Spring 2015 catalog and will be represented by Titan at all the major book trade shows.

The immensely talented Fred Gambino created the cover art for the military science fiction novel from Bennett Coles for Titan.

A sci-fi thriller of physical and psychological combat, Virtues of War sends readers hurtling through space to find that our warlike nature has survived intact into the 26th century. Click here to read the rest of the review.

We are looking forward to reviewing the second book in the Astral Saga Trilogy.

Here is the catalog copy for Virtues of War:

Lieutenant Katja Emmes is a platoon commander who was transferred last-minute to be the leader of the 10-trooper strike team carried aboard the fast-attack craft Rapier. Although fully trained, she has never led troops in real operations before, and she is haunted by the shadow of her war-hero father.

Sublieutenant Jack Mallory is fresh out of pilot school, reluctantly doing his duty in the mysterious world of extra-dimensional warfare while pining for the glamour of a fighter pilot position in the space fleet. Day-dreaming his way through life, Jack is in for a rude awakening.

Lieutenant Commander Thomas Kane is poised for promotion, and he knows that this six-month deployment in command of Rapier is the single, best chance to secure his rise to stardom within the Astral Force. He has already learned that performance alone isn’t enough and actively dabbles in the subtle politics of his professional world, but he will learn that there are far more dangerous foes than the ones he can see.

Set far enough in the future to present a society that has evolved and splintered from our own, Virtues of War is a sci fi novel that reveals the traits common in any age, and ultimately looks at the heart of what makes us human.

Ben Coles, an officer with plus 15-years experience in the Canadian Navy, demonstrates a crisp writing style, an impressive knowledge of military tactics and techno jargon, and an imagination crossed with a study of physics that has produced believable weaponry and space travel of the future. Way to go, Ben!

Here is Ben at the Chanticleer Awards Gala receiving his award. Photo courtesy of Elaine Dillon–all rights reserved.

Whose work will be awarded the next Cygnus Grand Prize Award? You can’t win if you don’t enter!

Click Here for information about the Cygnus Awards for Sci-Fi Writing Competition.

January 24, 2015