Discover New Releases Audiobooks in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

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Title: Reached

Author: Ally Condie

Narrator: Jack Riccobono, Kate Simses, Matt Burns

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-26-15

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Reached by Ally Condie, read by Matt Burns, Jack Riccobono and Kate Simses.

After leaving the society and desperately searching for each other - and the Rising - Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for but at the cost of losing each other yet again. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts, and things shift once again....

In this gripping conclusion to the number-one New York Times best-selling Matched Trilogy, will Cassia reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible and honoring a love she cannot live without?

Members Reviews:

Erratic, at times nonsensical, and oddly boring

While Ally Condie picks up the pace in Reached (after Crossed had been painfully slow and downright boring with its lack of plot and story movement), in her attempts to finally fill in gaps and tie up lose ends, she gets lost. Much of what happens in Reached simply doesn't make any sense logically or otherwise. Yes, some key questions get answered, but the plot doesn't appear well thought-out and seems rushed and erratic.

The allure Cassia seems to have on Xander and Ky is still a mystery to me after two books in the trilogy, and if anything, Cassia gets even more boring and less interesting in this final volume of the trilogy, where she focuses on art lala-land, while the world around her is in shambles. Xander is clearly the most compelling of the featured protagonists in this final book, but his development into basically the head medical officer - at 18 years of age - is ludicrous at best. The uprising and take-over -- drummed up over 2 whole books -- happens so secretly that the reader doesn't even notice, and the "Pilot" reveal is hardly to be taken seriously and seems like a true afterthought, so does the family reunion.

All in all disappointing, though for different reasons than volume 2. I should have stopped reading after the first book in this trilogy, Matched, which - despite a slow ending - was head and shoulders above the sequels.

Good ending to this trilogy

Reached brings the Matched trilogy to its conclusion. I loved the first two books a lot so naturally I was very nervous to be entering in on the final part in its journey. What I found was a book worth my time with characters so wonderfully developed that it brings the âlove triangleâ to a close in the most natural organic way I think Iâve ever read before.

Everything has been leading up to this moment, the moment when the Society will be overthrown. Our three characters are separated when the Rising finally takes place. Whatâs really cool about this is that we get to see three totally different views on the uprising. Three different regions, three different people doing three different jobs. I loved it! My only complaint that I have with this isâwhat was Cassia doing the entire time? The two boys both had jobs assigned to them by the Rising, but Cassia spends a lot of time doing something I am pretty certain was not officially sanctioned. That just seemed odd to me.

Right away I knew there was something off about the plagueâbut it turned out that the book didnât go as sinister as I was thinking in my head which was totally cool.

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Title: SIMPOC - Human Remnants

Subtitle: SIMPOC, Book 2

Author: Ray Jay Perreault

Narrator: Zachary Johnson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-16-15

Publisher: Ray Jay Perreault

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Joan Herl the commander of the space station Oasis and her husband Colonel Tom Herl contact Admiral Hagerly, who is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He, President Patterson, and the remainder of the government have taken refuge on the aircraft carrier Fittsburg in the middle of the Atlantic. The few remaining humans welcome the returning crew members from the moon colony Desert Beach.

One of the Oasis crew members, Dr. Julius Harold steels the key elements of the rogue computer and flees. They both have ulterior motives.

The remaining population of the human race must find a way to deal with the tremendous loss as individuals, humans, and for the entire planet.

After they have dealt with the aftermath and began putting their lives back together, the likely explanation for the sudden virus appears, and they must find a way to deal with the next great threat to their lives. The coincidence is too unlikely to believe. Now they have to band together and face the second direst impact to the human race.

Members Reviews:

Book 2

Any additional comments?

Another thrilling book in the SIMPOC series that reveals more of why the human race was all but wiped out! The adventures of the remaining people as they struggle to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones, prepare for the coming of forces possibly too great to imagine.

Okay

The series just doesn't do anything for me. It's only just okay.

- - Gifted copy thru audioblast - -

L.

Addictive series can't wait for the next book.

Would you consider the audio edition of SIMPOC - Human Remnants to be better than the print version?

I would have to say better because I love the way Zachary Johnson narrates.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alpha, I am liking the mobile version of SIMPOC.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, because I really enjoyed the first book and with the second book there is more human character development.

Any additional comments?

Great series, not to take away how the story is presented but I would have loved to learn more about the characters. I keep wondering how this story would have developed if this was a full fledged novel. But I understand that the author wants to stay spontaneous when he writes so I get why he wrote it this way. Not only I am looking forward for the next book in the series but I have my eyes on the other book about this series: "Virus: 72 hours to live" which is almost 10 hours long. I am in Audible heaven!!!

*I received a free copy of this audio book for an honest review.*

Mankind is on the brink of extinction.

This book continues the story started in SIMPOC, where humanity has been placed on the brink of survival by a virulent disease while the two thinking computers fight theor own battles for their agendas. With an action packed plot, interesting characters and compelling villains, this was an excellent continuation of the story, and I can't wait to get into the spinoff books.

Narration was handled quite well by Zachary Johnson, who did a good job bringing the characters and story to life.

I was volunaritly given a free review copy of this audiobook by the Author.

Great followup to Book 1

Would you listen to SIMPOC - Human Remnants again? Why?

In a couple years, sure.

What other book might you compare SIMPOC - Human Remnants to and why?

Aside from the first one, I don't know that I can...

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Title: INK: Black - A Dystopian Thriller

Subtitle: INK Trilogy Book 2

Author: Al K. Line

Narrator: Robert Jackson-Lawrence

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-10-15

Publisher: Al K. Line

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

There was love. And finally there was peace.

He found Lashae, the most beautiful woman Edsel had ever seen. For two blissful years they lived together in peace along with Aiden, the boy Edsel had promised he would care for.

There were nightmares.

Edsel couldn't come to terms with The Ink, the abomination that covered his body and stopped him from ever being able to forget the past.

Cover it up. Black - to obliterate the memories.

But could it really be that simple? All they could do was try. But as one nightmare began to fade, so a new one took its place. Peace is shattered and once again Edsel has to fight for his family. This time he would let nothing stop him from keeping them safe. But he was forgetting one important thing.

There is no escaping The Ink.

Members Reviews:

Nothing different from book one

Every writer who writes a series will have the same format from book to book. The first book was original, logical and flowed, pretty much. This four-hour book two is a total disaster. In the post-apocalyptic society, resources are limited, people stay to themselves, and Ink is still a point of salvation/shame.

Edsel is still psychological damaged over his inking. He is shy of showing his body and whines about his discomfort constantly. Now we must endure his traumatization of covering the red with black red ink. The process is so stressful for Lashae, his girlfriend, to leave for a timeout before she has finished inking with black.

I wish I took a time out too. We must endure hearing his same complaints about his physical discomfort as before; the drying, chafing, cracking of skin.

For some reason that is never explained, Edsel is on the most wanted list by the Eventuals. He is now a symbol of achievement for any Eventual for his capture. The action that follows is s a total repeat of book one; Eventuals recapturing and re-inking Edsel, Edsels escape to saves love ones; the lack of weapons/skill to defend himself, the travel difficulties in post-apocalyptic societies; blocked highways, gas shortage and walking; Edsel being the fox in the Eventuals fox hunt chase; he has a time frame to save his family, his physical discomfort from inking and leaving a comfortable home. This time, Edsels back is up against the wall with the threat of the Eventualsl inking/killing his family, not a dog this time, if he does not make it in time.

If you like the action of them running for their lives (which only starts in the second half of the book) from the same enemy, constricted by his physical condition, then buy it. I wanted a little more.

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Title: Coldwater

Author: Jeff Rovin

Narrator: Danny Campbell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-15

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The Ring of Fire: 25,000 miles of oceanic trenches, volcanic belts, and seismic plates circling the Pacific Ocean. Enough dormant power to reshape the world as we know it waits to be unleashed beneath the Earth's crust. Until now. In a matter of moments, entire swaths of America's West Coast slide into the ocean. Los Angeles becomes a crumbling ghost town. Refugee camps are littered with flyers for missing loved ones. The city is a scene of utter devastation and despair. Within Hollywood the military quarantines Coldwater Canyon due to the extreme damage; however, suspicions are growing that this is not the true reason why.

Wes Harding is a FEMA field director who has stayed behind, searching the wreckage for survivors. He's finding mostly bodies, many with an odd similarity: the rib cages have been sliced open, their respiratory systems meticulously removed. The only thing that's clear is that something more is going on here. With the help of dedicated activist Hannah Lonnegin and hippie scientist Dr. Bernard Dumas, Harding must get to the bottom of the mystery.

Members Reviews:

Sci fi is normally not my go to genre but this was fun! The idea of finding corpses with lungs missing ...

What an interesting read! I was a little worried when it started out and had a military feel but that quickly moved on to a more apocalyptic story. Much more my style!

Funnily, this is my second novel about Coldwater canyon. I may have to visit this place. Or stay way, way away since both were based around horror. This is more sci fi but there are definitely some horror type moments in this but for the most part it is an apocalyptic with sci fi.

Sci fi is normally not my go to genre but this was fun! The idea of finding corpses with lungs missing made me quite curious about what the characters were going to find. All kinds of horrific things flitted through my mind, but it took me quite some time to figure out the whys behind the corpses.

The characters are all quite rich. With the amount of action that is going on in this they have to be or they would be erased by the drama. Dumas was my favorite though. He just stands out! All of the characters are quite unique but the villain of the story is amazing. I love a good villain!

I really enjoyed the narration for this one. Danny Campbell had the perfect voice for how I pictured Dumas but he does the other characters just as well. He has a raspy voice that is actually very calming with a hint of a smile that makes me feel like he enjoyed narrating just as much as I enjoyed listening. Very good production as well. A little slow in between some parts. Listening at a rate of 1.3 cleaned that up.

The ending was pulled off wonderfully. Everything comes together but there are other questions involved now. It seems like Jeff Rovin finished the story but left it open just enough for a sequel.

Received by author, through audiobookreviewer.com, in exchange for an honest review.

Five Stars

Gripped me from beginning to end. Really worth the read.

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Title: Vanguard of Man

Author: JD Lovil

Narrator: Phil Williams

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-16-15

Publisher: JD Lovil

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

What if humanity was threatened with extinction if they stayed on Earth? In one universe, disaster has struck the Earth.

An Earth that may be ours has a storm of calamities: financial collapse, encroaching ice age, multiple volcanic eruptions. To top it all off, someone nukes a few cities, and the pandemics that we have long dreaded wipes out major cities.

In the midst of disaster and martial law, one group looks to preserve the future!

The world infrastructure has collapsed, and a beleaguered group of scientists seek a safe place from which to save the human species. Earth is no longer a safe basket to keep all of humanity in. We must reach the stars.

Build great generational colony ships. Create a more-than-human crew to man the ships.

In Ark City, they create cryopods to ship the millions of people left to new colonies around other stars. To crew the ships that will take them there, they create the Vanguard. Immortal, almost indestructible with intelligence beyond measuring, they are the perfect crew - if they can last the centuries of the voyage without losing their human essence in the process.

Members Reviews:

Innovative Science Fiction

The third in the Worlds of Man series, all of which are connected but can be read alone or out of order. âVanguard of Manâ explores an end-of-world scenario and the power of science to save humankind. After a series of disasters, the earth is uninhabitable and a group of scientists must take to space, where they create a fully functioning, living colony.

The drama here comes from both the plot and the immediacy of the disaster, but also from the character development and interaction. Well written and thought provoking, âVanguard of Manâ combines hard science and exploration of character to create a unique and innovative science fiction novel that does not rely solely on devices or fantasy to engage. It explores character as well as any novel, and is absorbing and challenging in the best sense of the word. Science fiction fans will love it, but even those who are not hardcore scifi lovers will find a great deal to think about here. âVanguard of Man,â like all 3 of the Worlds of Man series, is the type of book that will have you thinking about it long after you've finished reading.

A unique, mind-bending sci-fi

As the description states, this book takes place on a colony ship that is transporting what our main protagonist, a Vanguard named Eric(a nano-infused immortal man,) calls "breeders" (aka normal humans,) to populate other planets and keep humanity alive among the stars. The story concept and first person perspective was refreshing. This hard sci-fi takes a different look at the possibilities of man, from the tumultuous/apocalyptic consequences on earth to populating alien (and sometimes hostile) planets. But what is most fascinating about this story is Eric. As a main protagonist he is unique, since he is essentially immortal, and very near to a god. His journey for knowledge and purpose in a life of eternity isn't often explored in an omniscient character, most likely because nobody has the guts to try writing one, but JD Lovii does, and I think he pulled it off. This is a mind-bender of a book.

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Title: Mail Horror Bride

Subtitle: One Nation Under Zombies, Book 1

Author: Raymond Lee

Narrator: Mark Westfield

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 07-24-15

Publisher: Crystal-Rain Love

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

From Russia, with love....

How do you destroy your enemy? Go for the heart then take over the brain.

The Z1219 virus, created by Russia's most skilled scientists, is the deadliest biological weapon in history. Harbored in the human bloodstream, it remains undetected until detonated. Once it's detonated, the host becomes a walking corpse with only one goal: eat everyone.

And now it is in America, packaged in the mail-order brides the Russians shipped over to destroy us all.

With the disease now running rampant and no cure yet discovered, it is every uninfected person for himself.

Homes are destroyed and the families inside them torn apart. Relationships can help or hurt, as those left uninfected discover they are not entirely untouched by the disease.

Follow a group of strangers as they struggle to do anything necessary to survive without losing their humanity in the process. Some will win this challenge. Most will lose.

It's a new world, and the zombies aren't the only monsters. They're just the easiest to recognize in a country gone horribly wrong.

Members Reviews:

Loved this!

Thousands of Russian mail order brides were sent to the US with a deadly virus injected into them. It wasn't till the Russians pushed the kill button that the virus activated and the mail order brides died and became Zombies. Only thing is that the virus can be spread through sex and/or biting, so every man they had sex with got the virus, though it wasn't activated in them till they died. When the virus is unleashed, it's so fast and unexpected that the US is taken by surprise. Within a matter of days the country is overrun and all that's left to do is survive!

This was such a pleasant surprise! The name and cover are a bit off putting and made me think this was a cheesy Zombie book, but believe me when I say that it's not!!! It's a story of survival, it's a journey through the minds of people left amid chaos.

We have a cast of multiple characters so I'm not going to go through them all. I will say that they are all well written and developed. They are quite a colourful cast too!! We have Raven, a teen who is on holiday with her family when the outbreak happens. She is looking after her 9 yr old sister but she succumbs to the Zombies and poor Raven carries that guilt with her. We have Maura, who is crazy with a capital C!! She goes to her exes house intent on revenge because he left her for a Russian mail order bride. Of course she finds him in a bad way. This girl is seriously crazy but I'm not going to say what she does because that would spoil it!!!Lol. We also have Cruz, a Hollywood actor who hears voices in his head when he doesn't take his medicine! Throw in a fugitive and a girl with no remorse and you have the cast of this!!

The plot, while definitely fictional, is totally believable. I mean the idea of a dormant virus being injected into unsuspecting girls could happen! It just wouldn't reanimate them ;)

Anyway, this was a seriously excellent survival tale. It's not the blood and guts Zombie book but one of focusing on the characters and the aftermath of the virus! We get to see the outbreak happen, then we get to see different groups surviving and ultimately meeting up.

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Title: Technos

Subtitle: Dumarest Saga, Book 7

Author: E. C. Tubb

Narrator: Rish Outfield

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-24-15

Publisher: Wildside Press LLC

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

A dying man's last words brought Dumarest to Loame, "the garden planet". Its name was a mockery - Loame's gentle citizens could only watch in horror as their fields were ravaged by a mutated vine that destroyed all it touched. They were sure the acid-dripping vine was the work of their enemy world, Technos.

Technos was not a world open to outsiders, but Dumarest is not a man who takes no for an answer. As a fugitive, as a prisoner of war, as the captive bedmate of a queen, he continues his quest, seeking an answer to the question that is his life's obsession: "Have you ever heard of a planet called Earth?"

Members Reviews:

Gritty fun sci-fi

I liked it. I haven't even read any of the other books, just book 7. I found the main character likeable in a tough 'gunfighter from out of town' kind of way. The sci-fi is fun, and interesting. The story is pretty fast paced, and the world building interesting.

Would recommend picking it up. I was pleasantly surprised.

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Title: Dead Cells

Author: Adam Millard

Narrator: Luke Smith

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-13-15

Publisher: Adam Millard

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

As a prisoner in one of the most brutal facilities imaginable, Shane Bridge thought that he'd seen it all. Surrounded by murderers, rapists, gangsters, and pedophiles, Shane had managed to survive his three years in one piece. With parole just around the corner, and his wife and daughter at home awaiting his return, Shane has high hopes for the future. When a new inmate is brought in, carrying with him a deadly virus, Shane soon realizes that his plans, his release, and his very survival are in jeopardy. With the virus spreading, turning guards and inmates into flesh-eating zombies, it's up to a few survivors to figure out how to escape the facility, how to get along - and how to stay alive.

Members Reviews:

ExZellent!!

Shane is an average man. He's never been in trouble before but now finds himself in prison. One stupid action has caused him to spend time in jail with murderers, rapists, gangsters

and paedophiles. He is up for parole soon and looking forward to getting back to his life with his wife and daughter. But when a new inmate arrives, bringing with him a deadly virus, it's up to Shane and a handful of survivours, to get out alive!

I have to admit that the concept of an outbreak in a prison really enticed me. Despite reading a lot of Zombie books, I never gave any thought to what would happen in a place where you are locked up! This is a new aspect of the genre for me, and I totally loved it! Imagine having a Zombie outbreak happen but you are locked up in a prison, with no hope of escape!! That is exactly what happens to Shane. He has to navigate the locked rooms and find an escape before it's too late.

I really liked Shanes character. He made one stupid decision but is paying the price. Despite his stint in jail, he wants nothing more than to put the past behind him and look after his wife and daughter. When the outbreak happens, his one thought is always of his family. That's what sees him through, and I admired his strength and tenacity.

The plot was fast paced, though I would of liked a little more back story on the origins of the virus. It just kind of happens and we get no idea from where or how? I also wanted a little more of an in depth look at the characters. There are quite a few but we don't get a sense of who they are. Also the time it took people to turn to zombies changed all the time, some changed quickly, while others it took days. Now I know that maybe the virus progressed but it should of been explained more. Other than that, I loved the idea of the outbreak in the prison. Even with the things I wanted, the story kept my attention throughout, and I was rooting for Shane all the time.

In all this is a action packed and addictive read. The setting was perfect and added extra tension. There were plenty of edge of your seat moments! I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to book 2!

This is my first listen by Luke Smith, and thought he did a great job. Easy to listen to and follow, he held my attention throughout.

*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

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Title: The Nephele Ship: The Trilogy Collection

Subtitle: A Steampunk Adventure

Author: Luke Shephard

Narrator: Steve Williams

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-17-15

Publisher: Our Pack Press

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The complete collection of The Nephele Ship series!

This boxed set includes all three volumes. Follow the crew of the Nephele Ship through:

Volume One - The Frozen Workshop:

After a catastrophe that covered half the world in inhospitable ice, a team of treasure hunters finds a lead about a mysterious workshop said to contain miraculous and wondrous inventions that could be worth fortunes.

When the rival guild of archaeologists known as Antimony Eye turns their attention on the same workshop and will do anything it takes to get there first, Captain Austin Strallahan and his crew must think quickly and act even quicker to assure their arrival at the workshop before the Eyes, who seem to know something more about this stash than the captain does...

Will the Nephele Ship reach the treasure in time?

Volume Two - The Fire-Beasts:

Captain Strallahan and the crew of the Nephele have arrived at the mythical workshop, but when they go inside, they will find much more than just dolls! Steam-powered automatons, human-sized dolls, and even something that might not belong to this world, all await them in the bowels of this madman's sanctuary.

Will they be able to escape with the greatest treasure - their lives? Will the Nephele and its crew survive?

Volume Three - The New Capital:

Captain Austin Strallahan of the airship Nephele is not a hero, under normal circumstances. Faced with a disaster that could wipe life off the planet, though, he has no choice but to take his crew and meet it head-on! In the frozen workshop they met the fire-beasts, who have caused the whole problem. With a little help from an enemy and the appearance of an unexpected ally, they might just succeed in saving the world.

But, will they live to tell the tale? Find out in the finale of the Nephele Ship trilogy!

Members Reviews:

Great read, but glaring oversight

I really liked this book. It was a great story, and very creative. The characters were well designed, and the steampunk-technological aspect was great! However, there is one glaring issue: one of the characters who dies in the middle of the book is in the final battle. Still, a great read that I would recommend to any steampunk fan.

A fun, action packed adventure

The series was a fun read full of adventure and action from beginning to end. I liked the characters and cared about what happened to them. I wish the trilogy counted as book 1, and that more was to come. Would love to read more of this crew's adventures.

Excellent fast paced story.

Excellent story with a fast paced action story line. However, it is like three short stories stuck together.

Four Stars

A very good read!

Aaargh.

Truly. Awful!

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Title: Lallia

Subtitle: Dumarest of Terra: No. 6

Author: E. C. Tubb

Narrator: Rish Outfield

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-29-15

Publisher: Wildside Press LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi: Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

Aboard the small trading ship Moray, Earl Dumarest headed into the Web, a region of space twisted and wrenched out of shape by the dense remnants of dead suns.

He had no money, no goal, and no tomorrow - only his memories and an undying hope. Somewhere in the vastness of the galaxy he would find the person who could hear his question: "Have you heard of a planet called Earth?" - and answer, "Yes."

Members Reviews:

If Earl Dumarest is an existential hero, then he must meet a fair share of Femme Fatales.

It seems that the cliches and tropes that define the Dumarest cycle are coming together in this book. We have Earl Dumarest on his quest for Earth and getting a scant clue that might propel him forward. We have the one-dimensional characters acting as a foil for Dumarest's quest. We have the greed and stupidity that kill people through indifference and oversight. We have Dumarest knowing on first inspection who is the fool and who he should ally with. We have Dumarest's speed and ruthlessness. But, now, for the first time, we have Dumarest learning the significance of the ring he received two books back, which, if you've read the latter books, you know, holds the secret of the affinity twin, which the Cyclan want ever so desperately.

The book starts with the normal Hobbesianism of the Dumarestiverse - life being particularly nasty, bitter and short there - with a spacer being brained in a bar on Aarn. Dumarest doesn't hesitate to intuit that this means a job has opened up somewhere. He uses the opportunity to sign on with the most-run down ship in the Web - that portion of the galaxy where Dumarest happens to be this time.

The story is set on the ship with some time-off for adventures on various planets. It is stipulated that the ship is run-down and the captain and crew is on the edge.The ship takes passengers and freight as it can. One passenger is a portly gem merchant who seems helpful.

On a religiously backward planet, Dumarest fights for the life of the title character, Lallia. She's clairvoyant, which can happen in the Dumarestiverse. She, of course, immediately falls in love with Dumarest, declares herself married to him for as long as she wants, and casually offers to others challenges that he will fight to the death on a wager.

My distaste with this book comes from this character. Lallia is by turns too weak and submissive, and, then, too conniving and egocentric. Obviously, Lallia is the trope of the femme fatale and that is the role staked out for her by Film Noir potboilers and detective stories. In my first entry in this series of reviewing my way through the Dumarestiverse, I compared Dumarest to Phil Marlow. [SeeThe Winds of Gath: The Dumarest Saga Book 1.] If Dumarest is Marlow, then he has to have his fair share of "dames" who love him but are always looking out for number one.

The final score is Dumarest ends up in a fight to death for Lallia, a fight to the death with some kind of space beast, and a fight to the death with an agent of the Cyclan. He barely survives being shipwrecked. He finds out about the "affinity twin formula" in his ring.