Review: Dark Horse by Michelle Diener

Some secrets carry the weight of the world.

Rose McKenzie may be far from Earth with no way back, but she's made a powerful ally--a fellow prisoner with whom she's formed a strong bond. Sazo's an artificial intelligence. He's saved her from captivity and torture, but he's also put her in the middle of a conflict, leaving Rose with her loyalties divided.

Captain Dav Jallan doesn't know why he and his crew have stumbled across an almost legendary Class 5 battleship, but he's not going to complain. The only problem is, all its crew are dead, all except for one strange, new alien being.

She calls herself Rose. She seems small and harmless, but less and less about her story is adding up, and Dav has a bad feeling his crew, and maybe even the four planets, are in jeopardy. The Class 5's owners, the Tecran, look set to start a war to get it back and Dav suspects Rose isn't the only alien being who survived what happened on the Class 5. And whatever else is out there is playing its own games.

In this race for the truth, he's going to have to go against his leaders and trust the dark horse. 

***

Okay, so I can be shallow. I requested this one because of the pretty cover and the intriguing blurb. That said, there's nothing shallow about Dark Horse.


The thing I love most about this book is everyone, and I mean everyone, has an angle. Some wear it on their sleeve and others surprise you, sometimes not for a good long while. With several races and political agendas, nobody fits neatly into their role. So many times I found myself muttering no, no, no as something amazing I didn't want to see twisted the plot and ramped up the story.

My favourite character is Sazo, the AI. There's something so chilling and unpredictable about him. He's also inquisitive, immature and very,very likeable.

Rose and Dav are great together. This isn't a Mars Needs Moms trope novel at all. No contrived setup puts them together.

Dark Horse is action packed and full of surprises and backed up by a comfortable and well-built world.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Equilibrium by CS Sealey

Generations after the Spirits abandoned the world, two mortal empires stand on the brink of a final battle to end a centuries-old conflict. Ayons in the north, Ronnesians in the south.

Washed up on the shore of a foreign land, Angora is thrust into a war not her own. Proclaimed one of twelve legendary mages – representatives of the Spirits – she is charged with protecting the innocent with magic beyond her imagination. However, when her allies mercilessly misuse their own powers, she begins to wonder which side of the conflict is the more righteous.

After the abduction of their ruler, the Ayons launch an invasion capable of destroying the Ronnesians once and for all. As the war rages on, Angora's friends fight bravely as strongholds fall before the mighty crimson wave of the Ayon army.  

But when all seems lost for the Ronnesians, a spark of hope is found in an infamous assassin and a fragile rebellion rising from the dust.

***

I began reading Equilibrium when the first instalment was offered on Netgalley and have been hooked, working my way through the first four episodes as they released. When the complete edition came up, I celebrated with cake and requested it. Episode 5 will be out this week and 6 two weeks after that.

In Equilibrium, Sealey shares her amazing rich and balanced world in six parts if you go through the serialized version. Each Episode is in itself a great story with a huge cliff-hanger, which I loved. Knowing the next instalment was just a couple of weeks away only added to the tension of the wait.

I also love Sealey's writing. She easily immersed me in the story without overloading detail or losing me in overdone descriptions. I became fond of so many characters on both sides of the conflict. Some I lost, some surprised me. All were well developed. Even secondary characters brought much to the story and remained memorable and true throughout the book.

Equilibrium is one of my very top 'sword and castle' fantasy finds of the past few years. The richness of character, detailed scope of setting and consistent storytelling voice set Equilibrium apart for me.

So very fitting Equilibrium ends with wind and water. Not the violent clash with which it begins but instead something soft and final. I think I held my breath through the last dozen chapters to the point where drawing a full breath hurts.

Thank you to Netgalley and Momentum for the opportunity to read Equilibrium.

Review: Equilibrium Episode 3 by CS Sealey

The Ronnesians are forced to answer for their deception, which comes at a deadly price.

Lord General Archis Varren, intent on avenging the murder of his predecessor, has traced the assassination contract to the Ronnesian Mayor Challan, one of Queen Sorcha’s most valued supporters.

Meanwhile, Vrór viciously attacks the Ronnesian capital of Te’Roek, luring Angora back from her self-appointed mission in the north. The two Leikas finally come face to face and their ensuing battle takes them far from the city. But is this fight one Angora can possibly win?

In the aftermath of the attack, Varren hatches his plan to cripple Queen Sorcha’s power at its very source and the equilibrium begins to tip.

***

Episode three takes us from a magical invasion of the Ronnesian palace to a major shakeup in the balance between Ronnesia and Ayon. In my reviews of Episode 1 and Episode 2 I talked about Sealey's rich and easily digested writing. Love her style. Nothing impedes my enjoyment and understanding of her story. She easily carries me through the pages.

If you haven't read a serialized novel before this is a great one with which to start. Each piece is well thought out as not only a self-contained tale but also grabs you from the previous one and leaves you *needing* the next.

Favourite things? Zoran Sable of course though we only check in with him in Episode 3.  King Samian becomes my second favourite character.

And the thing that happened to that character at the end? I'll only say I've gone to a happy place in my head with an alternate ending where it doesn't hurt so much. I'll be in an accepting state of mind for Episode 4.

I promise.

Review: Equilibrium Episode 2 by CS Sealey

As their empire faces crushing defeat, the Ronnesian mages are forced to make an impossible choice.

Three years since the last of the twelve legendary mages were revealed, the politics of war have shifted. Determined to try for unity, King Samian reaches out to the Ronnesians with an offer of marriage, a bloodless end to the war and a vision for a peaceful future. Yet Queen Sorcha is wary of deception.

While politics governs the leaders, others are moving in secret to deal the Ayons a fatal blow, in the hope of tipping the balance permanently in the Ronnesians’ favor.

But instead of faltering, the Ayons swiftly retaliate and the first wave comes crashing down. As the northern defences strain and begin to buckle under the force of the crimson army, the Ronnesian mages are forced to break the unwritten rule to save their empire from destruction.

*****

Episode 2 is (of course) the second of six episodes in CS Sealey's serialized novel Equilibrium. The scope grows and the stakes rise. 

I have to say Sealey's writing is a real treat. Her prose is strong and clean while remaining both easy to understand and vivid. I feel like I don't have to work to keep up yet she keeps the pages turning and the action intense. Whether a battle or a simple argument, conflicts are clear and balanced without leaving me feeling shortchanged on anything.

I'm also intrigued by the mercenary/assassin, Sable. We first meet him in Episode 1 and in this episode his part in the plot brings him closer to the primary characters. I have all sorts of ideas how he might fit in and look forward to seeing if any of them are correct.

Looking forward to more magic and mayhem. Equilibrium continues to be a very enjoyable read.

Review: The Last Quarrel: Episode 4 by Duncan Lay

Fallon and Prince Cavan are getting closer to the truth. They are tantalisingly close to discovering who is really behind the evil inside the country. Or is this all a trap and they are merely about to blunder into it? Meanwhile Bridgit, without her husband and son, is discovering that she has also left her fears behind and, just when they most need it, her enslaved people are getting a most unlikely leader …

**

This is shaping into a really enjoyable series. With each episode, the stakes rise and Fallon and Bridgit's problems get much, much bigger. Each episode is well paced, building on the tension of the previous and as with the others, the ending had me jump right into the next.

I also like the world Lay has built grows with each episode without losing its roots in the settings and places of earlier episodes.

No idea how everything will work out but I will find out very soon. Lay has surprised me so many time all I can do is hold on tight and keep reading.

Review: Equilibrium: Episode 1 by C.S. Sealey

The Spirits' ancient equilibrium is brought into being when the twelfth mage is finally found. But Angora is unlike those who have come before her and she refuses to blindly accept her fate.

The Ayons have mysteriously retreated from a far-reaching southern offensive, ordered back by their newly crowned king. 

In the aftermath of this battle, Angora is washed up on the shore of a foreign land, bruised and battered, determined to keep her past a secret from all. Rescued from slavers, yet immediately falling prey to others, she is thrust into a war not her own.

Proclaimed one of twelve legendary mages, Angora is charged with protecting the innocent with magic beyond her imagination. 

But a dark future awaits her and her friends as the Ayon threat begins to swell once more in the north.

***

Personally, I'd find writing a multi-POV, two warring nations, episodic fantasy novel a grand and intimidating task. With different kinds of magic, people and places not always what they seem and a ton of world building and placement of characters within not to mention grabbing the reader's attention and endearing us to the right characters AND doing it all in the first instalment is no small achievement.

Episode 1 of Equilibrium proved to me these insecurities are my issues entirely. Sealey puts all these pieces together in a balanced way, settling me in to her world and presenting an intriguing introduction to the story. Her intimate knowledge of her world and characters is clear and I appreciate how solid her pace and tone is. I understand Equilibrium has been in the works for several years and I felt her mastery of this work in her consistency through the chapters.

Equilibrium has been serialized into six parts. This first one follows young Angora though we meet the mages of Ayon first and get to know them before we learn they are set to be the enemy. Sealey gives us a good sense of the internal challenges in both Ayon and Ronnesia, both have good and bad, equilibrium, in themselves. I found this balance to be well presented since I like both sides thus far.

This instalment puts Sealey's players in place and introduces us to both sides. They have been at war for a long time and both suffer their own turmoil.

Ambitious? Yep, you bet but so far quite digestible and I've enjoyed watching Sealey's world take shape. I look forward to more magic, intrigue and fantasy in the next instalment.

I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Dragonfly by Erica Hayes

Carrie Thatcher is a tough Imperial counter-terrorism agent. Her mission: pose as a sexy cyber-thief to entrap the notorious rebel Dragonfly, who’s planning a heist on the space station Casa de Esperanza – an orbital casino on the fringe of Imperial space.

And this assignment’s personal: Dragonfly murdered her closest friend, and she’s in no mood to show him mercy. Even getting stuck with the partner from hell—Malachite, her sociopathic ex-lover and the Empire’s most dangerous agent—can’t dampen her relish for the kill.

With Carrie’s expert weapons skills and penchant for cracking codes, insinuating herself into Dragonfly’s confidence should be easy. But is he the ruthless killer she was led to believe? Or has her precious Empire deceived her? With Malachite watching her every move, the slightest flinch in loyalty means death.

Carrie is soon racing to uncover an audacious treachery that will shock the Empire to its core … if she can stay alive for long enough to expose it.

***

This one caught my eye when I was browsing the publisher's website. It looked like a good fit for the scifi/adventure tear I've been on and I sure enjoyed it.

First off, I appreciated the well layered main characters Carrie and Dragonfly. Both have pasts, presents and goals which are revealed as they develop. Revelations and challenges make them more complex and real while stripping them down to who they really are. Not only are they they sums of their experiences but they also have the effects of those experiences peeled away for us. Make sense? Good.

I also really liked the strong, pushy, self-centred urban fantasy first person heroine in a romantic scifi. It's a very empowered POV I always enjoy and even in moments of weakness Carrie remains sturdy. This book holds to urban fantasy right down to the "someone is good with animals and has a furry pet" bit. Perfect.

Hayes direct and descriptive writing pushed me to stay engaged with the story and didn't let up its hold on the action or settings. She gives us smells and scents (yes, Hayes definitely shows us the distinction), dirt, sweat and so many unique bits of tech, security and booby traps the world she built is both amazing and immersive.

Loved this read! Recommended for both UF and scifirom readers. Excellent action doesn't let up and won't let you put it down.