Westside by W.M. Akers – Review

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5 stars, alternative history, Book Review, historical, horror, mystery, New York City, scifi, W. M. Akers

About Westside by W.M. Akers

New York is dying, and the one woman who can save it has smaller things on her mind.

A young detective who specializes in “tiny mysteries” finds herself at the center of a massive conspiracy in this beguiling historical fantasy set on Manhattan’s Westside, a peculiar and dangerous neighborhood home to strange magic and stranger residents.

It’s 1921, and a thirteen-mile fence running the length of Broadway splits the island of Manhattan, separating the prosperous Eastside from the Westside—an overgrown wasteland whose hostility to modern technology gives it the flavor of old New York. Thousands have disappeared here.

Slightly built, but with a will of iron, Gilda follows in the footsteps of her late father, a police detective turned private eye. Unlike that larger-than-life man, Gilda solves tiny mysteries: the impossible puzzles that keep us awake at night.

Yet on Gilda’s Westside, tiny mysteries end in blood—even the case of a missing white leather glove. Mrs. Copeland, a well-to-do Eastside housewife, hires Gilda to find it.  When Gilda witnesses Mr. Copeland’s murder at a Westside pier, she finds herself sinking into a mire of bootlegging, smuggling, corruption—and an evil too dark to face.

All she wants is to find one dainty ladies’ glove. But as she begins to see the connection between his murder, her father’s death, and the darkness plaguing the Westside, she faces the hard truth: she must save her city or die with it.

NOTE:  The blurb has been edited for length.  See retail sights for more details.

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Review of Westside

When I started reading Westside, I called it a ‘quirky little book’ – after a few chapters. Quirky, yes, but using just that one word does not do justice to the book. So here are a few more:

Unusual – the setting and plot of Westside are truly unique. I crave true originality in books, and when such imagination is expressed in a book, I must tell the world! The setting is an alternative early 20th century New York City. A wall divides the East from the West because the West started to go weird. Really weird.  Houses started sinking, vegetation took over, rust overtook everything rustable and people started disappearing. But Gilda Carr loves her home and would not even consider changing where she lives.

Interesting – Good thing Gilda is a Westsider, because she makes a compelling heroine. Five-foot-tall, solver of tiny mysteries. “Those impossible puzzles that burrow into our brains like splinters and keep us awake at night.”  Because big mysteries are dull. Interesting philosophy. Also interesting is the fact that a peace loving petite detective suddenly becomes a gun-toting, body-slamming big mystery solver.  Gilda’s evolution was swift but, strangely, did not seem out of character.  In all fairness, the big mystery started with a tiny mystery.  The Case of the Missing Glove.

Action-packed – the story takes place over just a few days. It felt like longer, not because the story dragged, but because there was so much crammed into it. And not always neatly crammed, but messy, sloppy, what-the-heck-is-going-to-happen-next? crammed.

Which leads me to twisty. Reading the first few chapters, I could never have imagined how things would play out. Not even close. If I can’t guess the ending of a book, I call it a good one!

Colorful – so many big characters, dark corners, loud music and stormy skies. Imagine the Aurorae Borealis only more colors. And louder. Beautiful and fascinating and I just couldn’t take my eyes away from the page.

Genre-bending – okay, that may be a given, if you read the blurb. Historical, mystery, scifi, and horror. Take your pick, you will find it all in Westside.

So to summarize:  unusual, interesting, action-packed, twisty, colorful, and genre-bending. When I put those all together, I get Quirky! 5 stars!

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Cats of War (Central Galactic Concordance) by Carol Van Natta – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, Carol Van Natta, cats, mystery, pets, Pets in Space, romance, scifi, scifi romance, series

About Cats of War by Carol Van Natta

A tarnished military Subcaptain, a repair technician hiding from her past, and two genetically engineered cats join must forces to save an important factory.

Military Subcaptain Kedron Tauceti counts the days until he can leave the rare metals factory and his current duty station as the liaison to the galactic government’s Criminal Restitution and Indenture Obligation system. The post was protection—and punishment—for exposing a theft ring during his previous assignment. He’s more than ready to get his career back on track on a new base halfway across the galaxy, even if it means leaving behind the one person who makes him want to stay. Not that he’s told her, because technically, he’s her warden.

Former financial specialist and current indenturee Ferra Barray, hiding from her past, only has three months to go on her restitution sentence. She’s lucked into a tech repair job. If she keeps her head down, she’ll soon be free to figure out her future. Unfortunately, the local shark behind every illegal scheme in the facility wants her to steal for him, and she’s running out of excuses. And now the heroically handsome Tauceti, who she hoped could help, is transferring out.

Everything changes when Ferra discovers two genetically modified cats. Saving them takes incredible risks. She doesn’t know what she’ll do if she can’t convince Tauceti to rescue the cats and keep them until she’s free to come for them.

But when trouble erupts at the factory, it might just be the cats who save them.

NOTE TO READERS: Cats of War debuted in the limited edition Embrace the Passion: Pets in Space 3 anthology. It has been edited for clarity, but is substantially unchanged from the original.

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Review of Cats of War

This is the second time I have read Cats of War. The first time, it was part of the Pets in Space 3 anthology. Now available as a stand alone novella, the second time reading this story, I enjoyed it just as much, if not more than the first time. Like the book, my review has not changed substantially from the first time I wrote about it. 😊

Cats of War by takes place in the galaxy of telepaths, telekinetics and patterners where not having those skills seems to be a major handicap, but having them puts one on the CPS radar. In this story, we have two people who have avoided the CPS trap, but find that sometimes, using your talent for good is worth taking the risk.

Our hero, Kedron, is a quiet nerd (I do love the quiet nerds!) who is trying to stay under the radar until he can get off this planet. He has noticed Ferra, but is not sure if he should open up to the lovely techie. He is pretty sure he should not. That doesn’t keep him from saving up week’s work of technical issues that will require her attention.

Ferra is the heroine who is dodging a past by doing time – voluntarily – as an indentured worker. Kedron is definitely out of her league, but when his repair requests put them together, she can’t help but think he is more than he appears to be.

Their mutual attraction goes unnoticed, mostly, until circumstances force them to spend more time together. Whether it is fixing technical problems with dubious causes, saving animals or fending off the gangster indenturees, Kedron and Ferra make a good team. I think you could say they have chemistry.

Wait – I haven’t mentioned the critters yet. Cats. Flying cats. Flying chameleon cats. Flying chameleon telepathic cats. How cool is that?! The cats are some of the animals that needed rescuing and they quickly worm their way into the hearts of Ferra and Kedron and the reader.

I am a big fan of the Central Galactic Concordance series, but the two Pets in Space stories, Pet Trade and Cats of War may be my favorites. Sci-fi reading animal lovers, this book is for you!

Thanks to the author for providing a copy of Cats of War in exchange for my unbiased interview.

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Maestra Rising (Project Enterprise #8) by Pauline Baird Jones – Cover Reveal with Excerpt

Tags

Cover Reveal, excerpt, favorite series, Pauline Baird Jones, scifi, scifi romance, series, space opera

What’s that you say?  You need a good scifi adventure.  With a pretty dollop of romance.  And you could use a little quirkiness?  It sounds like you are saying that you need a Pauline Baird Jones / Project Enterprise fix?

In that case, I have good news.  Today I have a cover reveal of the soon-to-be-release Project Enterprise novel – Maestra Rising.  It will be out on June 18, but you can pre-order it today. In fact, I recommend it.  For today, here is a sneak peak at the cover (love it!) and at an excerpt from the book.  Thanks to Pauline Baird Jones for giving us this tantalizing taste of what is to come!

About Maestra Rising

She’s a gifted scientist. He’s a robot with a human mind. Can they save a lost ship and find love among the stars?

Nivi awakes from cryosleep plagued by guilt. The scientific genius had hoped her people would avoid war if she went into cold sleep, but she learns her sacrifice was in vain. And now a vicious enemy approaches a stranded Earth spaceship. Desperate to reactivate the technology she needs for the rescue, Nivi enlists the help of an attractive robot with a human consciousness and wisdom beyond his years…

Moose survived slavery but never forgot the feeling of worthlessness it forced upon him. After living in the body of a robot for years, he sees an opportunity to help the brilliant Nivi if he becomes human once again. In a new body with new dangers, he worries that the genius scientist will never see him as more than the robot he once was.

Outnumbered by a relentless foe, Nivi and Moose attempt to put their desires on hold to ensure humanity’s survival.

With time running out, can they defeat the enemy and enjoy a future filled with love

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Excerpt from Maestra Rising

Here is an extended excerpt about Arian and Coop from Found Girl: Project Enterprise 6. You’ve all been wondering when they are going to be rescued! Well, this is the book where they try. But as you can see, if you read the excerpt, they are in a LOT of trouble because thing are heating up where they are.

Please note this is an unedited version because I (Pauline) couldn’t wait to share it.

Deep in the tunnels of the Phoenicopterian’s central planet, the intermittent ticking echoed off the walls, seeming to reach up and out into space itself. That was the plan, according to Arian, Captain Jackson “Coop” Cooper thought a touch gloomily, as he followed his bird guide down and then down some more through the dull and rather damp tunnel system. Waiting wasn’t really his thing and Pappy—General Boyette—wasn’t a great wait-on-events guy either.

Hope had been, well, not high. Not Pappy’s skill set either. But Arian’s SOS beat trying to hoof it home in a hundred years or more—if they managed to elude the fleet of vicious storks hungrily pacing outside this sanctuary. He suppressed a memory of his fight with the storks and the men who had died. He hadn’t watched the video of that fight, hadn’t wanted to watch it again. He’d been there, so it already played on an almost constant loop inside his head.

Pappy had watched it because that’s what commanders of men did. He’d never seen the old man come out of a briefing that pale.

They’d been brainstorming an alternate plan ever since, trying to learn from the skirmish and do better the next time, if the SOS didn’t work or help didn’t come in time. Ideas for what to do better or different were thin on the ground and now—well, that’s why Pappy had sent him here.

They passed into the fountain room, then out again. That damn fountain was the only way he knew he was almost there. Like the Phoenicopterians, all the tunnels looked alike to him.

The tall double doors opened at their approach. The first time he’d been here, he’d wondered if they were all on the menu. He was glad they hadn’t been, but finding out they were kind of friends had not helped that much.

The guide stopped, letting him enter on his own. The room had morphed from weird dining room to echoing space with nothing but the Urclock and then into a sort of not-fun home away from home for them. Not that he felt comfortable doing anything but hugging Arian when anyone could walk in at any time. And often did.

The Phoenicopterians had moved in a couple of chairs, a bed, and a work station so Arian could be comfortable during her vigil. Somehow they’d managed to accommodate her other needs without her needing to get too far away. Pappy let him spend as much time here as events allowed.

Or when there was bad news.

She looked around, as if she sensed him coming. His breath caught and his heart kicked into high. Her smile lit her face until she saw his eyes. He hated that he’d been the one to erase that smile. It was the first thing he’d fallen for—

“It’s—” She stopped, her head turning to the side as Hoteimai—him or her, Coop still wasn’t sure—entered, moving toward them with that peculiar flamingo-like gait. Coop had been around them long enough to be able to tell when they were worried. Like now.

Arian’s fingers tightened around his, but her voice was calm. “They’ve broken through again? Haven’t they?”

The large bird raised and lowered its long pink neck in a nod.

“Not big enough for a ship to get through. Yet,” Coop added because what they’d done once the storks could do again, particularly when the array had already been damaged.

She nodded, her glance straying toward the Urclock. He didn’t want to look, but he couldn’t help it. The third symbol still blinked red, then yellow. They’d had some hope when the seven signal came on, but then nothing. At this point, if anyone answered the signal, could they get here in time to help them?

Suddenly the Urclock pulsed, light coming from the symbols and it also seemed to come from the surface of the thing, too. Arian’s eyes glazed for a few seconds and then it was over. Coop blinked in the bright light, his grip on Arian tightened as she swayed slightly.

“Was that…them?” he asked.

Instead of answering, she looked at the Urclock. It had changed. Arian’s symbol still blinked yellow and red, and another one had joined in hers. One and seven were yellow. And the rest were red. Not blinking red, but solid red.

“What does that mean?” Coop asked. Maybe red didn’t mean the same thing to this tangram thing…

“The Tangram can not form.” Hoteimai’s tone was flat, almost resigned, as if it had expected this.

“It’s been a long time,” Arian said, her brows creased. “But the One is active. She—” Arian’s gaze turned dreamy, distant. “The Maestra will not stop trying.”

Despite her words, her wide worried gaze met his. He managed a crooked grin for her.

“So, maybe we won’t be home by Christmas, but Easter for sure.”

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Maestra Rising is the eighth novel in the epic Project Enterprise sci-fi romance series. If you like gripping adventures, captivating characters, and emotional out-of-this-world encounters, then you’ll love Pauline Baird Jones’ thrilling saga.

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Pre-order Maestra Rising at Amazon (releases June 18):

Other purchase links here: http://paulinebjones.com/books/maestra-rising/

Purchase books in the Project Enterprise series:

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About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Pauline Baird Jones never liked reality, so she writes books. She likes to wander among the genres, rampaging like Godzilla, because she does love peril mixed in her romance. Loves chocolate, bacon, flamingoes, and mid-century modern anything.