CabeX (A Project Enterprise Story) by Pauline Baird Jones – Review

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aliens, favorite series, Pauline Baird Jones, robots, scifi, scifi romance, series, space opera

Review of CabeX

CabeX was human, then became robot and is now back to human again.  Savlf was trapped for who knows how long in an evil spider’s web.  Both led lives of isolation from other flesh and blood humans.  These are characters who used to be human who went through physical and emotional trauma are now fully human again.  But they are having a hard time with it. 

So, let’s put them together on a mission to save another ship in another galaxy where they may or may not be able to communicate with home or the other ship.  If that won’t get them to work through becoming human again, I don’t know what will. 

Fans of the Project Enterprise series will appreciate learning more about CabeX and Savlf (Lost Valyr) and their hopefully happy ending.  Who am I kidding?  You know how this goes.  Of course it is going to be happy!  The question is, can they rescue Boomer (Cosmic Boom) and his shipmates while getting to that happy point?

CabeX is an all-alien story.  By alien, I mean non-Earthlings.  With no characters that hail from Earth, there is a noticeable lack of the pop culture references I have come to adore from this series.  Which means there is less humor.  But this void is filled with more intenseness from CabeX and Savlf.  There is nothing like looking at the galaxy through the eyes of aliens to help us appreciate our humanity.

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book.  My review is my honest opinion.

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About CabeX by Pauline Baird Jones

CabeX transformed into a human to save the galaxy. But when he falls for a woman who could betray him, can he also save his human heart?

Savlf escaped the spider’s web but can she elude a past she doesn’t remember? Can she prove to the CabeX—and herself—that she can be trusted?

While they search the distant part of the Garradian galaxy for a lost ship, they discover their biggest challenge might be navigating their feelings for each other.

If they can survive that long.

Can love—swirling between two people who have no concept of its power—break through minds and take over hearts? Or are they so broken that loving and being loved is beyond their grasp?

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Activation Degradation by Marina J. Lostetter – Review

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5 stars, Book Review, Marina J. Lostetter, robots, scifi, space opera

About Activation Degradation by Marina J. Lostetter

When Unit Four—a biological soft robot built and stored high above the Jovian atmosphere—is activated for the first time, it’s in crisis mode. Aliens are attacking the Helium-3 mine it was created to oversee, and now its sole purpose is to defend Earth’s largest energy resource from the invaders in ship-to-ship combat.

But something’s wrong. Unit Four doesn’t feel quite right.

There are files in its databanks it can’t account for, unusual chemical combinations roaring through its pipes, and the primers it possesses on the aliens are suspiciously sparse. The robot is under orders to seek and destroy. That’s all it knows.

According to its handler, that’s all it needs to know.

Determined to fulfill its directives, Unit Four launches its ship and goes on the attack, but it has no idea it’s about to get caught in a downward spiral of misinformation, reprograming, and interstellar conflict.

Most robots are simple tools. Unit Four is well on its way to becoming something more….

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Review of Activation Degradation

Facts are slow to be revealed to both the reader and to main character – Unit Four.  A newborn robot only knows so much.  So facts are not pertinent – at first.  The story starts slowly but picks up steam as soon as Unit Four gets into its ship to start on his mission.   As the details of the robot’s existence come to life, so too does the reader’s awareness that the creators haven’t revealed all the facts that might apply to a certain robot.

Activation Degradation is a fascinating story of birth, life and a not-so-sure expiration date.  One of the things that I appreciated is the lack of a ‘past’ for Unit Four.  As humans, we tend to constantly look to the past.  Sometimes, the best and only thing to do is to forge ahead and not be constrained by tradition.  Unit Four understands this better than most.  And because it does, Unit Four is not limited by its past. 

When Unit Four encounters the enemy, it’s life will expand exponentially.  The enemy is not what it was led to believe.  For that matter, Unit Four is not what it was led to believe.  Unit Four has many decisions to make.  Decisions that may help him fulfill his preordained destiny or may change his life in unimagined ways.  I know what I am hoping for. 

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Summon the Stars – Anthology – Review

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5 stars, Book Review, Carysa Locke, cats, Christina Westcott, Erin Hayes, Libby Doyle, romance, S.J. Pajonas, scifi, series, short story, space opera

About Summon the Stars

Summon the Stars is a thrilling space opera anthology dedicated to badass heroines on action packed science fiction adventures, and the scoundrels—that is, heroes—who love them.

An Unforgiving Desert by S. J. Pajonas

When their class ship is hijacked during the final exam, and Skylar and Kalvin are marooned in the desert, they have a long way to go to make it to safety, if they don’t kill each other first. Will they make it out of the unforgiving desert in one piece? Part of the Flyght series.

Pirate Spark by Carysa Locke

Vashti has spent her entire life trying to prevent the war she foresaw in her nightmares. Having failed, she must now find an advantage for her people, or watch as it rips the galaxy, and her people, apart. Part of the Telepathic Space Pirates series.

Outer-Rim Rescue by Libby Doyle

Ex-cop Jane Mwanda is in over her head as she tries to rescue a runaway teen from a criminal gang on a dangerous planet. When a man she’d thought was her enemy offers help, they embark on perilous adventure to bring the girl safely home.

The Rogue’s Heart by Erin Hayes

Faced with a failing heart, space pirate Clementine Jones and her crew must come up with the cash to buy her a new one in a brutal, unforgiving galaxy.

Spacer’s Third Law by Christina Westcott

Stranded at an isolated space station, Bru Thorsson must hire a second licensed pilot for her salvage ship before she’s allowed to undock, but the only candidate for the job is a burned out ex-marine who is still reliving the horrors of the war and doesn’t want the job, leaving Bru one last desperate option—shanghai him. Part of The Dragon’s Bidding series.

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Review of Summon the Stars

Imagine one story that combines scifi and romance and then take that times 5.  Each of the 5 short stories tells a complete tale.  There are no cliff hangers and no need to read the rest of the series.  Though you may be introduced to a series that you now need to check out.

Erin Hayes is the only author I had not yet read, though she was on my Amazon wish list.  The Rogue’s Heart starts to read as a YA, with the heroine being quite young.  But Clementine is in a very mature situation.  In this case the space pirates are basically corporate spies, stealing information.  One case puts the pirate crew in a moral situation unlike any they have previously experience.  Doing the right thing is a favorite subject for me.

Libby Doyle’s Outer Rim Rescue starts quietly enough with the heroine, Jane, hired to find a kidnapped young woman.  From there, things snowball with Jane herself needing some help out of one sticky situation after another.  An unexpected hero helps out and then they take a ship all over the solar system.  Lots of action in this one!

Carysa Locke’s story, Pirate Spark, which takes place in her Telepathic Space Pirates series, is the only one that may suffer from lack of series knowledge.  Having read only one of the series, I stumbled across several references that I was unfamiliar with which were not well-detailed.  However, this did not prevent me from enjoying the story.  The old woman who finds herself back in a young body has the most interesting combination of wisdom and daring. 

S.J. Pajonas and Christina Wescott also contributed stories that are parts of series, though both of them stand very well on their own.  In Pajonas’s An Unforgiving Desert, Skylar and Kalvin will learn that first, second and even third impressions often miss the mark.  The story of survival could happen in any genre, but the scifi aspect of the desert may make you appreciate the Sahara.

Westcott’s Spacer’s Third Law was probably my favorite, but that is because I am already a fan of The Dragon’s Bidding series and because it has a sentient cat.  Yes, Lilly the cat can communicate telepathically.  Oh sure, the rest of the story is good too, but …. cat!  Bru’s and Eric’s reluctant path to romance is also quite charming.

Space opera fans, this book is for you. Especially if you like a little romance in your scifi. 

Thanks to Ms. Westcott who sent a copy of this book my way in exchange for my honest review.

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