Audible Book Review: Fear the Sky by Stephen Moss

This is a well written, engaging, first contact sci fi filled with alien technology and spies.
Fear the Sky
The Fear Saga, Book 1
By: Stephen Moss
Narrated by: R.C. Bray

Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
Release date: 03-03-15
Publisher: Podium Audio
Genre: Fantasy, Hard Science Fiction, Military
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
"Real science in Science Fiction. This is a must read for fans of SF." >(John S. Gertsch, Amazon Reviewer)
Perfect for fans of Peter F. Hamilton, Iain M. Banks, and Orson Scott Card, Fear the Sky is a hard-hitting sci-fi thriller that will have you looking at the stars in a different way.
In eleven years' time, a million members of an alien race will arrive at Earth. Years before they enter orbit, their approach will be announced by the flare of a thousand flames in the sky, their ships' huge engines burning hard to slow them from the vast speeds needed to cross interstellar space. These foreboding lights will shine in our night sky like new stars, getting ever brighter until they outshine even the sun, casting ominous shadows and banishing the night until they suddenly blink out. Their technology is vastly superior to ours, and they know they cannot possibly lose the coming conflict. But they, like us, have found no answer to the destructive force of the atom, and they have no intention of facing the onslaught of our primitive nuclear arsenal or the devastation it would wreak on the planet they crave. So they have flung out an advance party in front of them, hidden within one of the countless asteroids randomly roaming the void. They do not want us, they want our planet. Their Agents are arriving.
©2014 Stephen Moss (P)2015 Podium Publishing.

Review:
Neal Danielson is a civilian scientist who is monitoring space data. He identifies an object of question a distance away and requests military clearance for additional data. Although a handful of military leaders questions the data and conclusions, they initially set the report to the side. When eight meteor “rocks” spread out and fall to earth, Neal thinks this is more ominous than anyone will admit. Neal and a new friend scientist friend, Dr. Laurie West, step outside of authority to try to retrieve one of the objects. Laurie is on the investigating ship offshore while Neal waits in the hotel with the boat captain’s girlfriend, Dr. Madeline Cavanaugh.

Neal and Madeline are excited when they get an encrypted message that the scientist suspensions are correct. But then they listen as voices are cut off when the boat is vaporized. Neal and Madeline could report this to the Government authorities, but they realize they would be but into seclusion and no one would be able to share information with the public. Instead, they agree to go into hiding. This decision is affirmed when they get a secret note and then a visit from one of the eight aliens who have landed to infiltrate military levels before the invasion of their forces. Agent John Hunt does not agree with his alien leader’s decision to invade and take over Earth. He is only one against seven others, but he will do what he can to try to help the humans protect themselves.

The secret team is in a race against time to develop a vaccine to fight the biological weapon that the aliens plan to use. They have to risk pulling a General into their team to begin to develop a military weapon to target the alien satellites.

The aliens are each progressing in their assigned task. One agent, Lana, would just as soon begin to destroy the humans. She wants the aliens to target Neal and Madeline but is unable to prove they have knowledge of the alien presence. What will happen when the aliens realize they have been betrayed and have to move up their hostile attack? Do the humans stand a chance against the superior technology?

This is a story of alien technology and spies. I was fully engaged and enjoyed the ultimate team of scientists, doctors, military leaders, committed military officers, and aliens with superhuman abilities. I enjoyed the way the story developed and moved about different characters to keep the reader aware of what is going on. I expect that I will continue the series. I recommend this to readers who enjoy first alien contact and spy stories.

Audio Notes: R.C. Bray is a wonderful narrator who delivers strong voices and fitting energy for the characters. His narration always enhances my enjoyment of the work.

Source: 3/14/2020 Two For One Credit Sale at Audible. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Machine World, Undying Mercenaries, Book 4, by B. V. Larson

This is another good installment of this military sci-fi series.
Machine World
Undying Mercenaries, Book 4
By: B. V. Larson
Narrated by: Mark Boyett

Series: Undying Mercenaries, Book 4
Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 05-12-15
Language: English
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Hard Science Fiction, Military Space Sci-Fi
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell burners, Earth joined a vast empire that spanned the Milky Way. Our only worthwhile trade goods are our infamous mercenary legions, elite troops we sell to the highest alien bidder.
In the fourth book of the series, James McGill is up for promotion. Not everyone is happy about that, and McGill must prove he's worth his stripes. Deployed to a strange, alien planet outside the boundaries of the Galactic Empire, he's caught up in warfare and political intrigue. Earth expands, the Cephalopod Kingdom launches ships to stop us, and a grand conspiracy emerges among the upper ranks of the Hegemony military.
In Machine World McGill faces an entirely new kind of alien life, Galactic prosecution, and thousands of relentless squid troopers. He lives and dies in the falling ashes of the empire, a man of unique honor at the dawn of humanity's resurgence.
Machine World is a military science fiction novel by best-selling author B. V. Larson. (To find the first book in the series, search for Steel World by B. V. Larson.)
©2015 B. V. Larson (P)2015 Audible Inc.

Review:
James McGill is one of the ‘undying mercenaries’ in the least respected Earth troop, Legion Varus. Earth is a lowly planet on the fringe of the galaxy that is controlled by the Empire. Legion Varus is the lowly of the mercenary troops that are sent out as expendable soldiers. They are known as the ‘undying mercenaries’ because they can be regenerated as they die in the field.

McGill gained rank moving from recruit to regular to specialist all while being known for stumbling into, and remarkably out of, trouble. He has a strange relationship with highly ranked Imperator Turov. She has pulled him into more than one bad situation where they then have to keep each other’s secrets. This leaves James in an awkward situation as she could order his permanent death at any time.

As Legion Varus prepares to go to another world confrontation, McGill faces hazing and testing but gains the rank of Veteran, the highest rank for enlisted soldiers. Now McGill is in charge of troops supporting the officers in battle. Fortunately, even though McGill seems to get into bad situations, he thinks fast under stress and tends to move his troops in the right format and direction.

Once again McGill and his friends and band of superiors face a new alien force of a distant planet. In addition to the indigenous Machine creatures, the Earth mercenaries find an old enemy, the Squids (see book 2). The Earth leaders think that they can win during the initial engagement but then some other alien ships show up and things go from bad to worse.

I enjoyed the creative plotting of these stories. I might have liked a little more development of the Machine aliens but still, they were interesting and the encounter with McGill is engaging. There is power corruption, some little bad language, and female entanglements that tend to follow McGill. All of this makes for an entertaining listen. I recommend the series for fans of military sci-fi.

Audio Notes: Mark Boyett is a consistently effective narrator for this series. He helps draw the listener into another realm and provides distinct voices and emotions. I totally enjoy this listening experience.

Source: 5/12/19 Audible April Credits. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goal.

Dust World: Undying Mercenaries, Book 2 by B. V. Larson 4.5
Tech World: Undying Mercenaries, Book 3 by B.V. Laron 4.5

Book Review: Gift From The Stars by James Gunn

This is interesting, hard science fiction with the requisite element of irony.

Gift From The Stars
by James Gunn

File Size: 903 KB
Print Length: 154 pages
Publisher: Reputation Books (December 30, 2013)
ASIN: B00FM2RFM2
Genre: Hard Science Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

The age-old question about alien existence and human contact is explored in a new way in this collection of six novellas, previously anthologized in ANOLOG magazine. When disillusioned aerospace engineer Adrian Mast buys a book at a remainder sale, the last things he expects to find in its appendix are alien spacecraft designs. With the help of the bookstore owner, Adrian tracks down the author—only to find him in a mental institution anguishing over the intentions of the aliens who sent the designs to him. By bluffing a bureaucrat intent on thwarting their progress, the two friends continue their quest for the stars and go ahead with the spacecraft designs. Having successfully launched their ship 15 years later, the questions that remain are: What were the intentions of the aliens? and Is mankind ready to face what's out there?

Review:
This is an interesting look at man’s quest to reach and explore the stars. It did not strike me as six novellas but as a continuing work.

Adrian Mast is a disillusioned aerospace engineer who left his ‘going nowhere’ job and opened his own consulting business. He comes upon a strange book at a local bookstore he likes to browse. The title is “Gift From the Stars” and in the appendix are what Adrian believes to be viable spacecraft designs. He questions the bookstore owner, Frances, about the author and publisher and her research reveals more mystery.

Adrian and Frances set off to find the author whom they locate in a mental institute. Peter is brilliant but paranoid as a result of his view of the alien ‘gift. Adrian and Frances trick a government bureaucrat into pursing the ‘alien’ plans for a remarkable energy source. The result ushers in a worldwide era of peace with free energy. From there, Adrian and Frances, joined by a young woman who was sent as a spy but becomes caught up in their quest, continue the goal of building the spaceship. They pull together a small team who build the ship and head into space. Although they hope to find the aliens they think invited them through the gift, they are a little surprised when they discover that Peter has programmed the computer to take the ship on the alien path. Along the way they are caught in a wormhole time warp which they have to escape. When they arrive to the apparent destination, there are many other ships, but no welcoming committee. Again they must explore to uncover the puzzles of the mysterious planet.

The story is engaging although a bit strange. It has a certain believability and kept my interest. The ending might be considered a bit of a letdown but it seemed an appropriate ‘landing’ for the author’s apparent purpose. The author manages to present differing views of man’s fear and boldness when faced with the possibilities of exploring space. Through the adventure there are different reactions, reluctance and dreams. I felt the ending left me, the reader, contemplating my feelings about the opportunities and experience of space exploration. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy hard science fiction with an appropriate amount of irony and humor.

I received this through NetGalley and it qualifies for my 2017 NetGalley and Alphabet Soup Challenges.