February 2024 MBR The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Medusa: A Novel
Jessie Burton
Bloomsbury Press
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639732685, $17.99, PB, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Medusa-Novel-Jessie-Burton/dp/1639732683

Synopsis: Exiled to a far-flung island after being abused by powerful Gods,=
 Medusa has little company other than the snakes that adorn her head instea=
d of hair. Haunted by the memories of a life before everything was stolen f=
rom her, she has no choice but to make peace with her present: she is Medus=
a the Monster. But when the charmed and beautiful Perseus arrives on the is=
land, her lonely existence is blown open, unleashing desire, love -- and be=
trayal.

Critique: An impressive re-invention of the Grecian myth, author Jessie Bur=
ton's newest novel, Medusa" is an original, iconoclastic, and fun read from=
 cover to cover. Bringing her readers a new perspective to a classic story,=
 "Medusa: A Novel" is one of those stories that will linger in the mind and=
 memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finish and set ba=
ck upon the shelf. Original published in hardcover (2023), "Medusa: A Novel=
" this newly published paperback edition from Bloomsbury Publishing is unre=
servedly recommended for community and college/university library Literary =
Fiction collections. Of special note for personal reading lists is the "Med=
usa: A Novel" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $=
9.99).

Editorial Note: Jessie Burton (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessie_Burton)=
 is the author of "The Miniaturist", which was adapted into a PBS series, s=
tarring Anya Taylor-Joy. Jessie has written essays and reviews for The New =
York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Baen Books
www.baen.com

https://www.amazon.com/Protected-Species-Caine-Riordan-Book-ebook/dp/B0C323=
NX9Y

Charles E. Gannon's Protected Species (9781982193072, $26.00) adds to the b=
est-selling Caine Riordan series. Here, Caine and his companions have overc=
ome battles, aliens, and environmental attacks. They've even overcome the f=
erocious x'qao, who consider other species vermin and take pleasure in erad=
icating them. As Caine and his troupe make friends in their pursuit of surv=
ival long-term, they grapple with forces both natural and human that would =
rid the world of them. An epic story replete with battles, action, and intr=
igue makes for a compelling story.

https://www.amazon.com/Audible-The-Icarus-Twin/dp/B0CNKXSKW5

Timothy Zahn's The Icarus Twin (9781982193058, $28.00) tells of Gregory and=
 his partner Selene, who have a new job undercover, working with the Icarus=
 Group to locate teleportation portals that have been left behind by an ali=
en race eons ago. When the realize they are being stalked, they manage to l=
ocate and confront their spook; but when he turns up murdered, Roarke becom=
es a major suspect. Intrigue, aliens, and locating lost portals fuel a stor=
y replete in adventure and action.

https://www.amazon.com/Down-These-Mean-Streets-Dark/dp/B0CR6RHP7Z

Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell edit Down These Mean Streets: The Dark Side o=
f the City (9781982193126, $28.00), which offers stories by Correia and Eze=
ll, Marisa Wolf, Laurell K. Hamilton, and others. They each create a blend =
of sci-fi and hardboiled noir investigations that bring the darkness of urb=
an territory to life in a different way that embraces sci-fi and fantasy el=
ements. The result is a diverse collection of intrigue and noir problem-sol=
ving that a wide range of readers, from sci-fi to hardboiled mystery fans, =
will find thoroughly engrossing.

Ghost With Two Hearts
Michael R. French
Independently Published
9798370416842, $10.99 Paper/$9.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Two-Hearts-Michael-French/dp/B0BS8T6D5B

What constitutes happiness and satisfaction with one's life and choices?

In Ghost With Two Hearts, Adrian is nearly thirty and a successful software=
 coder, but feels he has little to show for his age. Disillusioned in love,=
 by his country's progression, and his place in the world, Adrian takes a l=
eave of absence. He walks out of his familiar world and journeys to Japan t=
o identify and return a stolen samurai sword to its rightful owner. Therein=
 begins his transformation process as his search for self and redemption ch=
anges his outlook on life and its purpose.

Readers who choose Michael R. French's tale for its promise of ghostly attr=
action may be surprised to learn that, along with matters of spooks and spi=
rits, are matters of the heart. The enlightenment process propels Adrian in=
to an unexpected marriage between Eastern and Western perceptions.

From personal and political disillusionment and dissatisfaction to cross-cu=
ltural explorations and insights, the story traverses new discoveries and h=
aunting old habits, employing an astute observational style that is compell=
ing on many different levels: "Japanese priests, like the rest of their soc=
iety, were supposed to strive for perfection. Mr. Watanabe, much like Emiko=
, had given up on that. I wasn't unsympathetic. I knew from software engine=
ering how perfection could be a curse, if not an outright addiction."

As spirit Emiko interacts with Adrian and forces him into new definitions o=
f life, death, and purpose, readers absorb a very different form of ghost s=
tory that is embedded with philosophical revelation and self-discovery: "He=
 asked, "Mr. Green, are you familiar with the concept of wabi-sabi?" He ans=
wered his own question before I could hazard a guess. "The positive manipul=
ation of light, space and all living things, in order to achieve balance an=
d harmony."

"Balance and harmony," I echoed, with approval. "This is what you will find=
 in Kyoto. This is what I always come for. Not to interact with a rambuncti=
ous ghost."

The result is a ghost story, a love story, a cross-cultural exploration, an=
d a journey that will bring readers into alien worlds with its questions ab=
out moral integrity and personal objectives.

Libraries seeking literary ghost stories that operate a cut above the usual=
 haunting display will find Ghost With Two Hearts cultivates a different se=
nse of discovery via changing character perspectives and events that will p=
rove transformational to all involved. It is an easy, exceptional recommend=
ation to those who look for literary accounts of transformative encounters.

The AndroBiotica File: Nearly Human
David Gittlin
www.davidgittlin.com
Entelligent Entertainment, LLC
9798985860542, $3.79 eBook ($0.99 Amazon.com)

https://www.amazon.com/AndroBiotica-File-Nearly-Human-ebook/dp/B0CN5YSZL5

The AndroBiotica File: Nearly Human is a sci-fi novella that marries the ge=
nres of crime story, sci-fi, and technothriller. Two notes forewarn readers=
: it's written in the present tense, and its science is, David Gittlin admi=
ts at the start, 'wonky' at best. Additionally, certain words are intention=
ally misspelled.

Why these features? The proof of their effectiveness is in the pudding of a=
 plot that also introduces a wry sense of humor from its opening lines: "Wh=
at have you got for me, Faulk?" Observing my supervisor, Clive Borinsky, I =
wonder, for the four hundredth time, why he only calls me by my last name. =
Despite the holes in my science training, I am Deputy First-Class Investiga=
tor Derrick Faulk."

The story of a stolen file containing the key to producing highly efficient=
, nearly human androids evolves within a story that considers AI technology=
's use in the wrong hands, the moral and ethical dilemmas of manufacturing =
nearly human machines, and how endless possibilities for production and mis=
use emerge in a conundrum that immerses investigators in far more than a mi=
ssing document.

As questions of what constitutes humanity play out against the backdrop of =
a dangerous mandate and mission to retrieve the Androbiotica File, readers =
receive a vivid plot that moves from detective work to efforts to reshape t=
he world. Libraries and readers seeking sci-fi stories that hold the added =
value of moral and ethical dilemmas and detective escapades will find The A=
ndroBiotica File: Nearly Human replete with engrossing subjects and conside=
rations that make it highly recommended not only for sci-fi readers looking=
 for original writing but also book clubs that would discuss the moral and =
ethical boundaries of what makes us all human ... or not.

Baen Books
www.baen.com

Three excellent new arrivals from Baen provide sci-fi readers with involvin=
g stories that are hard to put down.

https://www.amazon.com/Light-Veil-Shattered-Star-Legacy/dp/B0CN1NYMYZ

Richard Fox's Light of the Veil: The Shattered Star Legacy (9781982193065, =
$26.00) tells of dock rat Jayce Artan, who ekes out a living that makes him=
 scramble for survival until he encounters an ancient force, the Veil, that=
 proves he is "Attuned" to his power. Here, he is given the rare opportunit=
y to journey beyond the Veil into another dimension, where he's tasked with=
 discovering a force equal to defying the Tyrant that threatens his world. =
Forced to confront different realities and consider their impact on his own=
, Jayce embarks on a journey that will change not just his life, but the un=
iverse around him. Fine characterization and swift action and battles make =
Light of the Veil an attraction to readers who seek action-packed scenarios=
.

https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Time-Trials/dp/B0CSKR4KNL

M.A. Rothman and D.J. Butler's Time Trials (9781982193157, $18.00) is a pow=
erful contrast in time whereby Marty, once a gifted scholar and now a small=
 businessman, is drawn to a unconventional dig in Egypt which involves a ti=
me travel expedition for the truth. Excellent characterization tempered wit=
h engrossing time-travel trouble make this book a winner.

https://www.amazon.com/Among-Gray-Lords-Indrajit-Book-ebook/dp/B0CGMCV66G

D.J. Butler's Among the Gray Lords: Tales of Indrajit & Fix (9781982193133,=
 $28.00) is a compelling swords and sorcery story that will draw readers of=
 mystery, adventure, and fantasy alike as it embeds intrigue with a high-st=
akes quest through an ancient city to return an old friend to life. Indraji=
t and Fix are heroes that move between competing, deadly milieus as they as=
sess the price of friendship, death, revenge, and their own safety in an en=
vironment fraught with thieves and clashing special interests. Readers inte=
rested in action and intrigue in their sci-fi scenarios will relish Butler'=
s embrace of drama and mystery here.

Ming & Leopold: A City in the Sky
Arlene Klasky
Klasky Cuspo Inc.
9798218298333, $15.99, PB, 254pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ming-Leopold-City-Arlene-Klasky/dp/B0CNQHPF9L

Synopsis: The year is 2299, and Ming and Leopold are Good Witches. Though t=
hey appear to be eighteen and twenty-one, they have actually lived a millen=
nium. Leopold, born in Russia, became an orphan at age twelve. His cruel au=
nt and uncle sent him away as a child to be a soldier in the Russian army.

He and Ming are in love, but Leopold's PTSD from war strains their relation=
ship. The couple arrive in NYC after leaving the jungles of Brazil.

A war between Good Witches and Dark Witches ensues. Zoltan Janka, leader of=
 The Dark Witch Nation, plans to control all Electrical Energy Plants in NY=
C and beyond. Janka's objective: to rule Planet Earth and subjugate humans =
by denying them electricity. The world is on the brink of an Electrical Ene=
rgy Apocalypse!

Critique: "Ming & Leopold: A City in the Sky" by Arlene Klasky is an origin=
al and deftly crafted fantasy of love, sacrifice, and hope. A fun read from=
 start to finish, and set in the future, "Ming & Leopold: A City in the Sky=
" is a fantasy that will especially interest fans of witches and wizards an=
d is unreservedly recommended for personal, highschool, and community libra=
ry Fantasy fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Arlene Phyllis Klasky (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlene=
_Klasky) is an American animator, graphic designer, producer and co-founder=
 of Klasky Csupo with Gabor Csupo. In 1999, she was named one of the "Top 2=
5 Women in Animation" by Animation Magazine. She is most known for her work=
 with Nickelodeon in the 1990s and 2000s.

Robotic Ambitions
Lesley Conner, editor
Jason Sizemore, editor
Apex Book Company
https://www.apexbookcompany.com
9798223970637, $24.95, PB, 358pp

https://www.amazon.com/Robotic-Ambitions-Lesley-Conner/dp/B0CLXNC7K1

Synopsis: Whether striving to protect the family they've chosen, searching =
for meaning amid the chaos of the world, or questioning what it is that mak=
es one alive, robotic ambition can mean many different things.

Collaborative compiled and co-edited by Lesley Conner and Jason Sizemore, "=
Robotic Ambitions: Tales of Mechanical Sentience" is a compendium of twenty=
-five short stories by authors who explores the nuance of sentience manufac=
tured and evolved within mechanical beings. These are stories that, collect=
ively, peel back the metal exterior and takes a hard look at what is inside=
.

Within these stories will be discovered original tales of robots defying th=
eir coding for a chance at love, resisting societal norms so that they may =
experience art and pleasure, and searching for their place in a world that =
was not made for them, but rather was made to use them. These are stories a=
bout striking out on your own, building something new amid destruction, and=
 doing whatever it takes to make sure you survive.

Robots and AI are more than tools for humanity. They have their own goals, =
dreams, and aspirations.

Critique: An impressive anthology that includes original robot-oriented sci=
ence fiction stories by Lavie Tidhar, Premee Mohamed, Oghenechovwe Donald E=
kpeki, Jason Sanford, and twenty-one others, "Whether striving to protect t=
he family they've chosen, searching for meaning amid the chaos of the world=
, or questioning what it is that makes one alive, robotic ambition can mean=
 many different things. Robotic Ambitions: Tales of Mechanical Sentience ex=
plores the nuance of sentience manufactured and evolved within mechanical b=
eings. It peels back the metal exterior and takes a hard look at what is in=
side.

Within these pages you will discover stories of robots defying their coding=
 for a chance at love, resisting societal norms so that they may experience=
 art and pleasure, and searching for their place in a world that was not ma=
de for them, but rather was made to use them. These are stories about strik=
ing out on your own, building something new amid destruction, and doing wha=
tever it takes to make sure you survive. Robots and AI are more than tools =
for humanity. They have their own goals, dreams, and aspirations.

This anthology includes stories by Lavie Tidhar, Premee Mohamed, Oghenechov=
we Donald Ekpeki, Jason Sanford, and many more. Whether striving to protect=
 the family they've chosen, searching for meaning amid the chaos of the wor=
ld, or questioning what it is that makes one alive, robotic ambition can me=
an many different things. Robotic Ambitions: Tales of Mechanical Sentience =
explores the nuance of sentience manufactured and evolved within mechanical=
 beings. It peels back the metal exterior and takes a hard look at what is =
inside.

Within these pages you will discover stories of robots defying their coding=
 for a chance at love, resisting societal norms so that they may experience=
 art and pleasure, and searching for their place in a world that was not ma=
de for them, but rather was made to use them. These are stories about strik=
ing out on your own, building something new amid destruction, and doing wha=
tever it takes to make sure you survive. Robots and AI are more than tools =
for humanity. They have their own goals, dreams, and aspirations.

Critique: "Robotic Ambitions" is an impressive, thought-provoking, and ente=
rtaining anthology that includes original stories by Lavie Tidhar, Premee M=
ohamed, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Jason Sanford, and 21 others. While als=
o readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Ki=
ndle, $8.99), "Robotic Ambitions" is especially and unreservedly recommende=
d for community and college/university library Contemporary Science Fiction=
 collections.

Editorial Note: Jason Sizemore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Sizemor=
e) is a writer and editor from the Appalachian hills of southeast Kentucky.=
 He edits and publishes science fiction, fantasy, and horror at Apex Books =
and the genre short fiction zine Apex-Magazine.com

Out of Body
Christopher John Chater
https://www.christopherjohnchater.com
Chater Publishing
9780996596312, $9.99, PB, 207pp

https://www.amazon.com/Out-Body-Christopher-John-Chater/dp/0996596313

Synopsis: Harley Baker's obsession with the afterlife leads him to experime=
nt with astral projection, but when he doesn't take the necessary precautio=
ns before an OBE, he comes back to find that a demon has taken over his bod=
y.

While in spirit form, Harley watches the impostor romance the girl he's cru=
shing on, ace his college exams, and impress his best friend with opportuni=
ties for wealth beyond his wildest dreams.

Not only does Harley have to figure out how to get his body back before he'=
s trapped in the astral plane forever, but he has to stop the demon from a =
plan that will veil the world in darkness and enslave the human race.

Critique: An original and deftly crafted suspense thriller of a fantasy nov=
el from start to finish, "Out of Body" by Christopher John Chater is a rive=
ting and fun read that will be of particular and special interest to fans o=
f supernatural fantasies that are liberally laced with humor. While also av=
ailable for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fans, "Out of B=
ody" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Scien=
ce Fiction & Fantasy collections.

Editorial Note: Christopher John Chater (https://christopherjohnchater.blog=
spot.com) has successfully pursued his lifelong dream of writing novels. Hi=
s books include: The Traveler's Companion, Omegasphere, Aquarius Rising, Ou=
t of Body, and the award-winning series Dating in the Apocalypse.

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 (dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal=
muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review