The Ice Lion (Rewilding Reports, #1) by Kathleen O’Neal Gear – Review

Tags

5 stars, Adventure, Book Review, Cli-fi, Ice Age, Kathleen O'Neal Gear, Post Apocalyptic, sci fi, series

About The Ice Lion by Kathleen O’Neal Gear

One thousand years in the future, the zyme, a thick blanket of luminous green slime, covers the oceans. Glaciers three-miles-high rise over the continents. The old stories say that when the Jemen, godlike beings from the past, realized their efforts to halt global warming had gone terribly wrong, they made a desperate gamble to save life on earth and recreated species that had survived the worst of the earth’s Ice Ages.

Sixteen-summers-old Lynx and his best friend Quiller are members of the Sealion People—archaic humans known as Denisovans. They live in a world growing colder, a world filled with monstrous predators that hunt them for food. When they flee to a new land, they meet a strange old man who impossibly seems to be the last of the Jemen. He tells Lynx the only way he can save his world is by sacrificing himself to the last true god, a quantum computer named Quancee.

**********************

Review of The Ice Lion

If you don’t read the blurb (which is an iffy representation of the book, by the way), when you start reading this truly awesome book, you might think this is a story about some prehistoric people. You will read about tribes such as the Sea Lion people, living off the land, struggling against both nature and each other. Then stuff gets thrown in. Like the zyme (a slime that covers the ocean surface). Like the name Hoodwink, which stands out among names like Lynx, Ice Giant, Bluejay, and Mink. And talk of the Jemen, the more advanced beings from that past. There is also a mysterious watcher, observing members of one tribe help another and wondering if he can hope.

It will become obvious that the story takes place far into the future, after man has brought ruin to his environment and caused an ice age. But the tribes don’t know this, because the live only for today and tomorrow.

Lynx is a young member of the Sea Lion tribe. He has been accused of cowardice, because his wedding party, including his wife, was slaughtered by Lions. As punishment, he is abandoned in the wilderness to experience a spirit quest. Survival means he may become a gifted shaman. Otherwise, he faces death. During his quest, Lynx meets Arakie, and old man that Lynx believes to be one of the Jemen. The reader knows there is both more and less to the old man. He is wise, but not all-knowing. He seems to be part archeologist, part biologist, part futurist. He really is quite enigmatic and I really like his place in this story. The travels of Lynx and Arakie will put Lynx in the position of changing the life of an outsider.

Quiller is Lynx’s friend. Ex-lover really. Disappointed when he decided to marry someone else, she is still determined to help him make it back alive. But first she must join a scouting group looking for the Rust people, their tribe’s mortal enemy. In doing so, Quiller will connect with the Rust people in an unforeseen way.

The icy setting with its mountains and ocean, provide a cold backdrop to the warmth of the peoples, who’s lives are going to be inescapably altered when paths cross and the past is excavated.

I loved this book with it’s juxtaposition of primitive people against a technologically advanced past. The people are in for some big changes and I am eager to see where the story goes.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book so that I could bring you this review.

**********************

Links

Add The Ice Lion to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase The Ice Lion (releases June 15):

**********************

Catapult (Cat Ship, #2) by Jody Wallace – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, cats, humor, Jody Wallace, pets, romance, scifi romance, series, talking cats

About Catapult by Jody Wallace

Lincoln doesn’t want trouble. Briar is trouble personified.

Lincoln Caster owes everything he has to the Trash Planet recycling plant that hired him, allowing him to lead an uneventful life for a change. When he’s asked to plan a heist from a less than savory rival factory, he wonders if his checkered past is the only reason he got the job. That is, until he realizes the priceless item he’s been asked to steal will save a top-secret generation ship full of cryopreserved humans…and freakishly intelligent cats.

But first Lincoln has to seduce—or at least fool—the rival factory’s sales agent, cool, competent Briar Pandora, who may or may not be leading a double life as a corporate mole. He’ll have to trust her with the truth…unless her own agenda results in them becoming targets of a vicious intergalactic corporation that will stop at nothing in its quest to hijack generation ships and sell off their parts—and their passengers, be they human or feline.

**********************

Review of Catapult

The combination of scifi, romance and cats is irresistible. And if the cats are, as the book blurb says, “freakishly intelligent”…..well, it is impossible not to open this book.

Lincoln Caster knows the generation ship Catamaran is in dire need of maintenance. Parts needed to keep the ship’s cryo-sleeping human and feline inhabitants alive are nearly impossible to find. So when fortune puts the needed part within reach (well, more of a very long and dangerous stretch), Lincoln will do what he can for the good of the ship. When an attempt to purchase the part fails, Lincoln will have to turn to illegal means.

Lincoln likes to live by the rules (Yay for Lincoln!). To him, the thought of stealing causes discomfort. However, he is joined by the talking cat Mighty Mighty and Briar, the former saleswoman from whom he tried to buy the part. They think stealing is the only way. There is a plan you see. Every time I read that some one (human or feline) had a plan, I braced my self. Further fiascos, running, danger and humor always ensued.

The company that has the needed part has a board member (Briar’s arch-enemy) who is trying to sell the very part under the table. So add treachery to desperation and you get one mess after another.

And while all this is going on, Lincoln and Briar are – guess what? Yep, falling for each other. Opposites attract. Lincoln is reserved and straight-laced. Briar is bold and outrageous. They complement each other perfectly.

Mighty Mighty (or just one Mighty for short) is ever entertaining. Full of ‘good’ ideas that are naturally superior to any human ideas, Mighty takes charge. Sort of. Granted, Mighty can read and influence human minds,and spontaneously teleport. But truly, there is only so much a 5-kilogram (in case you are wondering, that’s about 11 pounds) 4-legged creature with no opposable thumbs can do. Since most of the galaxy is unaware of the existence of sentient cats (and it is best to keep it that way), Mighty needs his human friends to succeed. There is one particular hilarious scene where Mighty accidentally ‘inhales’ and forgets that he is supposed to remain unseen. Oops!

Catapult stands alone, but if you have read Catalyst, you will be familiar with some of the characters. This is the perfect book for cat-loving, sci-fi romance readers who appreciate a good laugh!

**********************

Links

Add Catapult to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase Catapult:

**********************

Prevent the Past, #2 3) by Rebecca Hefner – Two Book Reviews

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, paradox, Rebecca Hefner, romance, scifi, series, time travel

About A Destiny Reborn by Rebecca Hefner

Lost in a timeline that was never theirs…

Thrust into a world they barely comprehend, two time travelers are forced to survive with only each other as allies. Claire Finch, the kind, bubbly scientist, has sacrificed her hidden dreams for the cause: to prevent the apocalypse and save the world. Cyrus Montgomery, a tough, stoic soldier weary from the battle scars of war and barren dystopia.

Together, they traverse the unfamiliar circumstances, both fighting and denying their mutual attraction.

But destiny can be manipulated by unseen forces, and as they navigate the uncharted timeline, they discover a united strength they never possessed apart…and learn that true love ultimately prevails if the warnings of the past are heeded with caution and diligence.

**********************

Review of A Destiny Reborn

If you are going to read any of the books in the Prevent the Past series, read A Destiny Reborn. This one can be read as a standalone. (Although, I recommend the entire series).

Before they time traveled, Claire and Cyrus were already attracted to one another, although neither had let on. When their trip to the past took them even further into history than intended, a great relationship between the friends may be the last thing they are thinking of. But it may prove to be the most important asset.

Claire and Cyrus working together to figure out how to live in the past is what made me fall for these characters. And while the romance was a foregone conclusion, I enjoyed the evolution of their friendship into something much more. I also enjoyed the connection to a younger version of Marie from book 1.

Throughout the story, the reader wonders how Claire and Cyrus are going to make it back to the mainstream of the story and connect with their friends. (Actually, you only wonder if you have not read book 1.) Being complicated, time travel cannot easily fix things. The final outcome for Claire and Cyrus and what it will mean for their friends proves to be perfect.

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

**********************

About A Timeline Restored by Rebecca Hefner

Eli Hernandez spent decades cultivating an image of fear and domination as the nefarious leader of the New Establishment. Yet, deep inside, he still clutches onto the barest hope that his irredeemable soul has vestiges of virtue.

Alora Castillo lost everything one fateful day long ago as Eli looked on, unable to stop the carnage. Resolved to detest him, she must forge ahead when they are thrust together as unlikely allies.

As the ragtag team of time travelers strives to reconnect with their leader, dark forces hide behind the scenes, manipulating fate as the cycle carries on.

Determined to succeed and prevent the past, the team battles the evil regime, unwilling to accept failure. But accepting the yearnings of the heart requires forgiveness—a concept Alora dismissed long ago, no matter how fervently she secretly longs for Eli’s embrace.

**********************

Review of A Timeline Restored

Alora and Eli seem to be the most unlikely couple. Alora views Eli as the enemy that destroyed her family. While Eli has done terrible things in his past, he wants the same thing as Alora – to prevent the catastrophe of the evil regime.

This is, perhaps, the most complicated story line of the series. In it, a group of people from the future work out how to live in the past while they plot and plan to save the earth from President Edward Randolph. Throw in enemies working against them who are also time travelers, plus that whole time paradox issue and you have plenty to sink your teeth into in A Timeline Restored.

While the blurb for this book talks about Eli and Alora, readers should know this story includes the rest of the Lainey’s scientific time traveling team (except for Claire and Cyrus from book 2). Each character has his or her very important role to play in saving the world.

Eli and Alora do have the biggest part of the story. Their love/hate relationship (or is it hate/love) is tempestuous and passionate, stormy and exciting. Both Alora and Eli will need to change how they view each other if this is ever going to work out. Of course it will work out. This is a romance. But the journey is bumpy.

Full of exciting action and steamy romance with a few twists that will sneak up on you, this series is best read in order. Plus there is that whole time travel thing. Read these books out of order at your own risk of paradox.

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

Links

Add books in the Prevent the Past series to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase books in the Prevent the Past series:

**********************