Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts

07 November, 2021

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom - [Book review]

 Book Details:

Title: The Time Keeper

Author: Mitch Albom

Genre: Metaphysical Fiction, Science Fiction

Publisher: Sphere

Print length: 239 pages

Source: A copy from the local library












Blurb :

In this fable, the first man on earth to count the hours becomes Father Time.

The inventor of the world's first clock is punished for trying to measure God's greatest gift. He is banished to a cave for centuries and forced to listen to the voices of all who come after him seeking more days, more years. Eventually, with his soul nearly broken, Father Time is granted his freedom, along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time.

He returns to our world - now dominated by the hour-counting he so innocently began - and commences a journey with two unlikely partners: one a teenage girl who is about to give up on life, the other a wealthy old businessman who wants to live forever. To save himself, he must save them both. And stop the world to do so.

Purchase Link:


My Review :

The Timekeeper is not a timepass read, but a story/concept with a moral. It is science fiction that takes us through the lives of 3 people Dor, the inventor of time, an old businessman, and a teenage girl.

While Dor is a curious person exploring and measuring the time for the first time in this world, Victor is a millionaire who is trying to defeat his death to cancer. Sarah is an intelligent girl best in academics, but dealing with her insecurities and struggling to keep up with everything going on.

It is interesting to learn about Dor, his experiments to measure time with sticks, water, and shadows. The love between Dor and Alli seems eternal. I feel pity for girls like Sarah who are intelligent but feel insecure when they don't meet society's standards.

Victor is an ambitious businessman. At last, he realizes that he cannot defeat death with money/power and only love can give the satisfaction needed for any human being. 

The moral at the end of the story and how these stories connect to each other is an interesting premise.

Even though the theme is interesting, the execution doesn't seem to be great. The narrative and the shift between characters and time periods are a bit confusing. There are a lot of sci-fi elements that are unbelievable. 

There is some clarity missing about the characters and their intentions. That is the reason I am not very much impressed. 

I loved the climax though and it is a very satisfying end to the reader. I found it an interesting read. 

My Rating:

4/5

About the Author:

Mitch Albom is the author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, which have collectively sold more than forty million copies in forty-seven languages worldwide. 

He has written seven number-one New York Times bestsellers – including TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, the bestselling memoir of all time, which topped the list for four straight years – award-winning TV films, stage plays, screenplays, a nationally syndicated newspaper column, and a musical. 

Through his work at the Detroit Free Press, he was inducted into both the National Sports Media Association and Michigan Sports halls of fame and is the recipient of the 2010 Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement. After bestselling memoir FINDING CHIKA and “Human Touch,” the weekly serial written and published online in real-time to raise funds for pandemic relief, his latest work is a return to fiction with THE STRANGER IN THE LIFEBOAT (Harper, November 2021). 

He founded and oversees SAY Detroit, a consortium of nine different charitable operations in his hometown, including a nonprofit dessert shop and food product line to fund programs for Detroit’s most underserved citizens. He also operates an orphanage in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, which he visits monthly. He lives with his wife, Janine, in Michigan. Learn more at www.mitchalbom.com, www.saydetroit.org, and www.havefaithaiti.org.



Until next time,

24 April, 2021

The Institute by Stephen King - [Book Review]

 Book Details:

Title: The Institute

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Mystery, thriller, suspense

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Print Length: 577 pages





Blurb:

In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”

In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute.

Purchase Link:

Amazon

My Review:

My Review might be biased as this is my first audiobook ever. So, there will be a lot of difference in the experience while reading a book Vs listening to the book.

Coming to the audio narration, it is excellent and the narrator's voice brought life to the author's words. The story is unique and the concept is about psychic kids which is interesting for me to pick the book. 

I loved the characters and the details the author has put in. The research about psychic abilities and how they can help mankind is interesting to know. The pace of the story is perfect making it a good thriller. But, I felt, the last part after Luke reaches a small town in South Carolina is too much dragging. 

The story is thrilling for sure, but dragging at the end made it less interesting. The last few pages might have been edited and cut short. Other than that, everything else is just perfect for a mystery story.

Avery Dixon and Luke steal the show for their bravery. Overall, a bit lengthy but a satisfying thriller.

My Rating: 4/5


About the Author:

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His first crime thriller featuring Bill Hodges, MR MERCEDES, won the Edgar Award for best novel and was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award. Both MR MERCEDES and END OF WATCH received the Goodreads Choice Award for the Best Mystery and Thriller of 2014 and 2016 respectively.

King co-wrote the bestselling novel Sleeping Beauties with his son Owen King, and many of King's books have been turned into celebrated films and television series including The Shawshank Redemption, Gerald's Game, and It.

King was the recipient of America's prestigious 2014 National Medal of Arts and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for distinguished contributions to American Letters. In 2007 he also won the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He lives with his wife Tabitha King in Maine.

Until next time,


24 January, 2017

The Journey to Magmatic by Ya'akov Halevy - [Book Review]

Book Details:
Title: The Journey to Magmatic
Author: Ya'akov Halevy
Genre: Scifi, fantasy, children's fiction
The length of the book: 132 pages
Source: A free e-review copy from the author

Blurb:

An adventure beneath the earth’s surface

An ancient legend tells of a long-gone continent called Magmatic, buried in a volcanic eruption due to human greed and environmental destruction. Tulip and her little brother Noonie heard the fable from their father, a scientist who anticipates earthquakes. They'll soon find out that the legend is real.

An adventure packed with thrills, humor and surprise

On a field-trip to an advanced scientific pod, Tulip and Noonie find themselves beneath the earth’s surface. Deep underground, they slowly uncover the true source of earthquakes, and how the ancient legend is linked to the real environmental dangers facing the planet.

A fantastic voyage into the earth's belly

In their journey they encounter mythical animals, magnificent sights, great dangers and a world that blends imagination and reality. Together with their companions – a kind-hearted crustacean and a humanoid mindreading computer – they must learn to cooperate and rely on each other if they want to survive… and save the world.

Two children on a mission to save the planet

Will Tulip and Noonie overcome the dangers lurking in the Magma Sea, deep in the belly of the Earth? Will they escape the Monster Crab and the cruel mutants? How will they decipher the ancient prophecy and silence the deadly drill? And will their love for each other survive the voyage? A fantastic adventure about friendship, courage and environmental responsibility. You'll read it with bated breath.
My Review:
I usually don't like Scifi stories but picked this up as it is related to earthquakes and children. The blurb is interesting too. This is the story of 2 brave and inquisitive children who get trapped in a scientific pod which is designed to go to the core of the earth to find the source of earthquakes. What do they experience in their journey? Can they survive and find the source of the earthquakes and stop it? This forms the remaining story.
The story starts well in an interesting way. It is lovely to read about the brother and sister relationship, their courage, their trust to each other and their intelligence. But, later it becomes too much of fantasy. Since the story is set in 2050, it is acceptable but mind reading capabilities of the computer and the incredible concept of the pod which protects itself from extreme weather conditions are unbelievable. There are some inherent messages and morals in different chapters of the book, which are good. I felt bored after reading 50% of the book and skipped a few pages in the middle. The climax is good. The book cover is great and the title is apt. The flow of the events is fine, but editing can be tighter. I would recommend this to sci-fi and fantasy lovers.
My Rating: 3/5
PS: I have received this free e-review copy from the author for review and this is my honest opinion on the book. 
Purchase link:
Until next time,

11 September, 2016

Ashia by L E Thomas - Book Spot Light



Science Fiction/Fantasy
Date Published: August 13, 2016

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Plagued by nightmarish visions of apocalyptic battles and burning victims crawling across the desert sands, the slave girl known as Shanda has been trying to keep her growing gift hidden from her abusive master as she knows being able to see images of the future is a cursed gift carrying the King’s ultimate punishment.
But as her tribe seeks solace from the deadly raids by the Mazomi Clan in their magical airships by moving toward the legendary Spire of Ashia, Shanda discovers her past will soon clash with a dangerous future.
A new epic tale full of adventure and discovery by the author of Star Runners, Ashia brings you a story of a world mired in secrets, oppression and a decades-old cover up that could alter the course of events for the entire planet.
This book is a sci-fantasy novel.





Excerpt


The Royal Guard surged forward like a living wave. Grev cut through the men, his sword slashing through their flesh like a rabid animal. He ignored his tiring muscles. He couldn’t feel the wounds from counter attacks, his blood igniting like the fires of the stars.

Spinning, he hurled guards into their comrades, using the close quarters of the hall to his advantage. He yelled as a knife penetrated his bicep. Without stopping, he yanked the weapon from his body and hurled it through the face of an attacker.

A force hit him from behind—an arrow piercing his back. He fell to his knees, swinging his sword with his remaining strength. A blade hit his forehead, splitting his skin. Warm blood spilled into his eyes. Strong hands clasped his shoulders, preventing him from falling into darkness.

“At least, you cannot have my wife,” Grev breathed, his muscles failing as the guards restrained him to the floor. “She has fled beyond your reach.”

The Baron stepped forward, a torch in his hand.

“Oh, no, my dear Captain, we already have her.” He held the fire close to Grev’s face and laughed. “The Captain of his Royal Guard. Bah!”

Blunt force thumped into the back of his head and darkness took him.



About the Author





L.E. Thomas lives in Georgia with his wife and rescued dog where he is currently working on his next novel.


Contact Links

  

 Purchase Links

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Until next time,

13 July, 2016

The Black Gaurd by C R Daems - Book Spot Light





Science Fiction 
Publisher: Talon Novels
ISBN: 978-1497558687
ASIN: B00JGF7XIC
Pages: 273

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As the least favored child, it was no surprise when Rivka's father selects her, at age six, to comply with the country's conscript law. Sent away to the military to be raised and trained, she struggles to keep from falling into an abyss of despair. Only when she adopts a new friend's dream of becoming a member of the elite Black Guard does she find a new reason to live.

Few make it into the Black Guard, but Rivka is determined. Yet when she makes it and is sent on her first mission, to protect a ruling family during a revolution, she discovers to her dismay that the Black Guard may not be as perfect as she had believed. Thus Rivka begins a journey that will change her and the Black Guard forever.

Other Books in the Series:


Publisher: Talon Novels
Published: December 2015
ISBN: 978-1519424655
ASIN: B018UGBMMA
Pages: 245





Dragon Sapir is back, and the Jax Military will never be the same.

The Jax Contract Committee has released Rivka to take assignments, and her first involves her in a plot by several Systems within the Helix collection of systems to destroy the Jax. As the plot spreads, she is given assignments to combat the threat. Soon she becomes the JCC's problem solver for ill-advised and potentially ruinous contracts the JCC is forced to accept, including one by the United Freelands who is seeking revenge on her for their embarrassing defeat on Suryah.

Rivka has become the agent of change, an essential evolution if the Jax is to survive.


About the Author



Clem Daems is a native of Chicago, Illinois and a graduate of the University of Arizona. He served twenty-two years in the US Air Force. Since then, he has worked as a software engineer, course developer, and adjunct professor, teaching mathematics and Computer Science.

He has always been an avid reader of Science Fiction/Fantasy but never had an interest in writing or being an author. So, it was surprising when he began his first novel, several years after his retirement, at age seventy. His first novel, co-authored with Jeanne Tomlin, "The Talon of the Raptor Clan"--recently reissued as the "Talon of the Unnamed Goddess"--was a 2010 EPPIE finalist in Fiction/Fantasy.

Clem is an award winning author and an active member of the Science Fiction Writers of America.

His hobby--a life-long one--has been Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Clem is currently retired and living in Tucson, Arizona with his lovely wife of fifty-plus years.

He would enjoy hearing from you on any topic: his books, the characters, writing with a co-author, Kung Fu, his website (crdaems.com) or (talonnovels.com), life after retirement, or...

Contact Links



Purchase Links

Book 1

Book 2

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Until next time,


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