Reviewed by Erin Britton

An explosive sci-fi thriller where magic and technology collide with devastating consequences

A Stellar Spy mixes espionage tension with the intrigue of near-future galactic exploration and the wonder of magic in this compelling tale of double agents, vengeful mages, and corrupt politicians.

A Navasi mage has attacked the Rose Palais, seat of the Rulani government, marking it with a cerulean blue shimmer that exposes the planet’s vulnerability. “I stare at the brilliance as it slices through the night, an illuminated sigil telling me everything’s changed.” Tessa Daevana—ex-wife of Premier Finn Daevana and mother of his two children, Morgana and Sage—rushes to the scene.

Tessa’s desperation to find out what has happened is certainly due to concern about her family, but it’s also due to duty. She’s the Planetary Security Counselor and is responsible for the safety of the regime and its figurehead. Despite this, Tessa has no desire to be swept up in the thirst for vengeance that is sure to consume Rula. “Save me from the bloodlust, the hawkishness, the need to punch back ten times harder.”

Of course, Tessa has to keep the reason for her reticence secret from those around her—she’s a sleeper agent for Elitha, a rival planet, “home to a host of unchipped Navasi, who have been taught to control their powers.” Every aspect of her cover has been planned to perfection, even her drab home. “Like every other facet of my life, it’s curated to portray a certain lifestyle, a certain milquetoast vegetable of a person.” And it’s worked well so far.

However, the attack on the Rose Palais prompts Finn to consider implementing Operation Paradoxum, a “way to destroy the magic of unchipped Navasi on the planet.” It’s supposed to be a doomsday plan to prevent planetary collapse, not a means of revenge against a lone attacker, and it has the potential to spread to other planets and effect chipped Navasi too, including Tessa.

The situation places her in an impossible position. “I stand on a precipice, under which roils a river of magma.” Tessa knows she needs to protect the Navasi throughout the Human Consortium, but she also still loves Finn and wants to safeguard their children. Which way will she leap from the precipice?

Maya Darjani has crafted a universe in the not-so-distant future that is both delightfully fantastical and recognizably human. A great deal of thought has clearly gone into the backstory of the Human Consortium, which was formed “after humanity escaped the gravitational well of Gaia and stumbled its way to interplanetary civilization.”

Such details establish the background to the story well and ensure that a certain sense of realism and logical technological progression is maintained throughout. The worldbuilding in terms of the individual planets is also richly detailed and convincing. For instance, “Rula’s a planet of ash and regolith, of granite and basalt. Indestructible like polymer, but as volatile as lava.” This makes it easy to imagine the environments that the characters face.

Darjani also ensures that the unusual combination of chimerical magic and technological innovation seems organic and flows throughout the story. While both are woven into the fabric of life on Rula, magic is strictly controlled—save for the escapades of the occasional would-be assassin—whereas technology is abundant. Amusingly, the latter even facilitates multilevel marketing: “Buy one, get the second half off on NanoImprove smoothies!”

On a more serious note, despite being the subject of far less suspicion than magic, Darjani stresses that technology can be equally dangerous. From the REALM machine—the gateway to a highly advanced virtual reality environment—found in every home hosting meetings between spies and their handlers to Operation Paradoxum comprising “a technological virus with an activated biological component,” there is peril lurking everywhere.

And then there’s all the espionage and counterespionage. A Stellar Spy is just as much a spy thriller as it is a sci-fi novel, and Darjani provides plenty of detail about the spycraft of the future. From clandestine meetings to dead drops to covert listening devices, all the key aspects of the spy genre are present, albeit in more advanced forms. There are also a few tongue-in-check nods to the classics: “Covert Ops 101, always keep blackmail material, even if you plan on never using it.”

As for the main spy, Tessa is certainly good at what she does, although she doesn’t like it. She ditched her handler and got out of the game years ago, assimilating into her fate life on Rula as best she can, but her conscience pulls her back in following the attack on the Rose Palais. “I have to make a choice. Protect my family, or prevent a war crime.” This sense of conflict permeates the story, adding to the tension.

Darjani provides real insight into Tessa’s thoughts, motivations, and doubts, establishing her as a conflicted and rather surly character who wants to do what is right and save as many people as possible. And despite all the lies and fake background details, she really does care about Finn and love her children. Such emotions exacerbate the difficulty of her situation.

Like all good spy novels, there are double agents and double crosses aplenty in A Stellar Spy, making it difficult to know who to trust and where things might be heading for Tessa. What’s more, the magic-filled action scenes are exciting and the exposition is well handled. A Stellar Spy is a stellar choice for your next read.

Thank you for reading Erin Britton’s book review of A Stellar Spy by Maya Darjani! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Melissa Suggitt

Imagine a world where your own thoughts can betray you and the enemy within is far more terrifying than the enemy outside.

“My name is Dray Quintero. I’m not the monster they claim.”

With this bold declaration, Michael C. Bland pulls us back into the heart-stopping dystopian world of this explosive trilogy. If you thought things were intense before, buckle up, because the author might have saved his best for last.

After a brutal, failed uprising against a tyrannical government, our hero Dray Quintero isn’t just imprisoned, he’s trapped within his own mind. Thanks to invasive neural technology disturbingly similar to the real-life Neuralink, Dray is tormented by relentless mental manipulations by the ruthless Agency. He chillingly remarks “The Agency had not only imprisoned my body, they’d hijacked my brain, repeatedly warping it.”

Set against the grim aftermath of the catastrophic OCB1 virus, America is now a shadow of its former self under Authoritarian rule, dominated by mandatory implants originally intended as salvation, now twisted into tools of absolute control. Dray, once a celebrated engineer whose innovations inadvertently fueled this dystopian nightmare, is now branded a traitor and enemy of the state. Throughout the story, his desperate quest to escape captivity, rescue his daughters Raven and Talia, and dismantle the surveillance monstrosity he originally built, fuels every adrenaline-packed page.

His daughters are pivotal to the emotional heartbeat of this novel. Raven is dynamic— scarred yet fierce and unyielding, driven by the unrelenting need for freedom—but Talia’s story captivates the most. Despite devastating injuries and forced participation in cruel experiments, she undergoes a compelling transformation. Initially a victim, she gradually learns to navigate and undermine The Agency’s network from within, declaring defiantly, “They totally whiffed things. They plugged me into their system…I’ve got fingers in the whole soup.” Talia’s arc evolves from passive victim to cunning adversary, reflecting the powerful resilience and adaptability of the human spirit in the face of tyranny.

Author Michael C. Bland’s characters are multi-dimensional, with unique quirks, personalities, and complexities that keep readers questioning their allegiances. Zion Calloway, Dray’s former friend and now merciless Agency leader, perfectly captures how easily power corrupts, coldly justifying his actions: “If you saw, you’d agree, though I’m not sure you’d have the stomach.” Kieran, an enhanced Agent struggling between calculated brutality and uncomfortable moments of humanity, along with Mina, Dray’s complicated and guilt-ridden wife, enrich the narrative’s moral landscape, reminding us how easily good intentions can be corrupted.

Perhaps most unsettling about the narrative is its uncanny resonance with today’s geopolitical tensions. Issues of invasive governmental surveillance, widespread misinformation, and civil unrest aren’t just fiction—they mirror the headlines we see daily. It feels eerily prophetic, turning speculative fiction into something unsettlingly close to reality.

The pacing is flawless too. Exhilarating action coupled with moments of profound reflection keep readers locked in. Bland’s portrayal of family dynamics under intense pressure is genuine and impactful, perfectly balancing edge-of-your-seat thrills with emotional authenticity.

The Price of Freedom isn’t just a fitting end to a gripping trilogy; it’s a provocative exploration of our present-day fears about freedom, power, privacy, and the ethical dilemmas posed by technology’s relentless advance with limited checks and balances. As you race toward the finale, ask yourself this: How far would you go to protect democracy and bodily freedom when both are threatened? And where would you draw the line between safeguarding liberty and becoming the very thing you fear?

Thank you for reading Melissa Suggitt’s book review of The Price of Freedom by Michael C. Bland! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Chelsey Tucker

A sci-fi thriller full of unexpected twists where bioengineering and murder-machines are just the beginning

Titan’s Tears unfolds predominantly on an Alaskan island, housing one of the world’s most influential companies, Eccleston Evolution. Specializing in bioengineering and environmental rehabilitation, Eccleston Evolution’s headquarters is enveloped by the Pleistocene Reserve—an expanse that serves as a sanctuary for de-extinct species: mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, dire wolves, and more. The driving force behind decades of technological and biological progress is the company’s founder, Sophia Eccleston, a figure unapologetically aware of her wealth and influence. “She knew she was rich and powerful and made no attempt to hide it and every attempt to flaunt it.”

Belle, mysteriously lacking memories of her life before arriving, finds herself in the remote Alaskan town of Kobuksville. An invitation from Sophia for a job offer thrusts Belle into an unfamiliar world. There are many peculiarities that arise when Belle arrives at St. Olga and makes the trek up to the headquarters, eventually prompting her to question the true nature of her surroundings: “Are you trying to build Jurassic Park?” Embracing the role of a nanny to Sophia’s blind daughter, Juno, Belle gains insight into the day-to-day operations at Eccleston Evolution. As she navigates her responsibilities, she senses that things are awry, especially within the product development wing.

In parallel, we follow Seth, residing in Oregon, over several decades. Despite losing the most precious people in his life, Seth remains a diligent worker, persisting because he must. As time unfolds, he grapples with the repercussions of his choices but persists in fulfilling the necessary tasks, fueled by an irrational hope of reclaiming the light in his life. Until one day, a true glimmer of hope is bestowed upon him, he can see his wife again if only he completes a few tasks for a mysterious Sam. Seth’s mission brings him to Alaska. 

The author effectively anchors the futuristic narrative in historical scientific breakthroughs, highlighting such advancements as cloning, regenerative growth, and cross-species transplants. Leveraging past scientific achievements as a foundation, the story intelligently traces the trajectory of bio-evolution influenced by human interference, particularly through Sophia’s perspective: “Sophia, be careful of this new god you’re trying to elevate. It may be less forgiving than the one you’re trying to demote.”

The most thrilling moments of the book emerge when assumptions about characters’ intentions and identities undergo a dramatic overturn, immersing readers even deeper into the narrative. The continuous shifts in perspective in nearly every chapter maintain a sense of unpredictability, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty about whom to trust. The distinction between heroes and villains is not always crystal clear, injecting a layer of mystery into this fascinating blend of genetics and artificial intelligence within the realm of science fiction.

The fusion of biology and artificial intelligence is executed perfectly to enthrall sci-fi enthusiasts and captivate an even broader audience than that. Titan’s Tears closely relates to our reality, depicting a plausible future full of apprehension and intrigue.

Thank you for reading Chelsey Tucker’s book review of Titan’s Tears by Chad Lester! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Erin Britton

Past and present collide with deadly consequences in Blood Fortune.

A dual-timeline novel in both 1518 and 2057, Brock Rivers’ Blood Fortune is an action-packed and conspiracy-laden mashup of the science fiction and historical fiction genres. Grounded in historical legend and characterized by innovative futuristic technologies and scenarios, it centers on a satisfyingly complex secret behind a treasure with its origins in the distant past and its consequences in the near future.

In a faintly dystopian 2057, where both technological advancements and covert curtailments to personal freedoms appear to have progressed rapidly, Doctor Roland Mathias is the Director of Technology at a top-secret government facility known as the Vortex, which is hidden beneath the New Mexico desert. His major achievement is the rather frighteningly advanced Minerva AI system: 

“… he’d built Minerva into an incredibly powerful and intelligent system. Its primary functions were monitoring worldwide communications and creating weapon technologies. With each passing year, the system improved its capabilities through progressive learning algorithms. It became a better, more evolved version of itself by way of its own cognitive decisions.”

In 1518, a bloody conflict rages in the Gulf of Mexico as conquistadors with impressive warships and advanced weapons lay siege to the Hall of Huitzilopochtli. The Aztecs understandably fear that the Spanish have “come to steal Huitzilopochtli’s great treasures and poison [their] hearts” and so prepare to mount a counterattack. Meanwhile, under the leadership of elite warrior Zolin, a group of 100 Aztecs are dispatched to the Caves of the Mother to hide their people’s treasures.

Back in 2057 but far from the sterile wonder of the Vortex, Max Winston is contending with a monster hangover and contemplating how he’s going to escape from the consequences of the night before: “He owed money to the bank, and he’d certainly managed to piss off the wrong sort of people.” Running away seems like the easiest option, so he decides to meet up with his friend Kevin and head to the derelict West Texas ranch that had previously belonged to his aunt.

While Max expects that running away will help him escape the vengeance of a deadly biker gang currently seeking his blood, he and Kevin soon discover a cave, and it launches them on a treasure hunt that could have monumental implications for themselves and the wider world. 

Can the pair avoid the Renegades long enough to enjoy the treasure? How are Lucia Rodriguez, Max’s accountant, and Minty Jackson, a private detective of the old school who happens to be a good friend of his, involved? What actually happened to the Aztecs? And what does the Minerva system have to do with any of it?

There is so much going on in Blood Fortune that the action comes thick and fast and the story progresses at a cracking pace. Brock Rivers has crafted a genre-defying novel that at first glance seamlessly combines science fiction with historical fiction but actually encompasses far more than that. Indeed, there are also action, thriller, gritty urban crime, political, classic noir private eye, and speculative fiction aspects at play in the story.

The plot set in 1518, which follows Zolin and his band of fellow Aztecs—both friends and foe—as they seek to stash the treasure in the Caves of the Mother, is particularly innovative and compelling. The author seems to have done a good deal of research into Aztec history and traditions, meaning that fact and fiction are nicely intermingled here. I wished more and more of the book had been set in this historic period.

In terms of the plot set in 2057, the near-future setting is again very well evoked. Things are sufficiently familiar that the environment and circumstances of thirty-something years hence are plausible, while the ingenious technological advances that Rivers introduces also make things seem futuristic and exciting. The danger posed by unchecked AI is scarily realistic and technologies such as the digital projected imagery shielding a covert construction zone and appearance-altering medications are innovative but certainly feasible.

Saying all that, Max Winston is arguably the focal character of Blood Fortune and his strand of the story could almost be set in the present day, save for him making a living building hoverbikes. Rivers highlights the unequal outcomes of development here, as Max and his friends have benefited from the various technological advancements in some ways but nowhere near as much as the government or corporate entities. In fact, in addition to introducing high-tech marvels, Rivers takes pains to show the downsides of technology for ordinary people, such as Kevin’s job loss.

Max, Kevin, Minty, and Lucia are a great bunch of characters and it’s impossible not to root for them against the Renegades. While their dialogue isn’t always the most natural, it does convey plenty of humor, danger, and urgency. They end up in plenty of scrapes and deadly situations during the course of the book, but they rise to the occasion. As for the Renegades, their beef with Max and their ongoing conflict with Los Cuervos add peril and discord to the story, although some of the focus on them may have been better directed toward the Aztecs or Minerva.

Blood Fortune is a suspenseful and exhilarating book. The combination of reimagined history, imaginative science fiction, and realistic near-future events works really well, offering a multitude of storylines that keep the questions and dangers coming as the book proceeds at breakneck pace.  

Thank you for reading Erin Britton’s book review of Blood Fortune by Brock Rivers! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Andrea Marks-Joseph

Rescuing his daughter from the moon has one man caught up in a multiverse of his romantic past and space travel’s future.

“Imagine…being able to step off the earth and onto the moon in one motion. Instantaneously.” That’s what Gillen thought he’d been working on for all these years: developing a portal from earth to the moon, making lunar travel and “multi-planet dwelling” possible. But after visiting his workplace, his teenage daughter Allaire disappears, having accidentally turned a dial that zapped her through the machine.

When his team contacts Allaire through a video chat, they discover it’s not as simple as sending her back through the portal, because their tech has been mixed up and messed with. Everything spirals out of control when the video feed shows her leaving the room she’s in—wherever that may be—guided by a man who looks exactly like Gillen, after which the portal locks. They then find a cryptic message questioning the true location of their paired portal. Where did Allaire teleport to, who did she just disappear with, and why? Gillen doesn’t even know where to begin asking questions.

What follows is a twisty sci-fi thriller rooted in Gillen’s family dynamics, lamenting long-lost loves, and parenting through grief. I enjoyed every second of this wild, magnificent story. The flashbacks Gillen experiences (to meeting his first love Danielle; to before Allaire’s mom Cate suddenly died) really emphasize the feeling of traveling between timelines and between worlds. I often had to pause to grasp the emotion of what was happening—sometimes for the breathtaking romance of the line; other times, at the haunting horror of the scene.

Whether emotions are up or down, this is quite a sensational read, filled to the brim with sucker punches that advance your emotional investment. All the Moonlight on Earth is slick and emotional, dramatic in a way that feels relatable; dialed up all the way. I was struck by how much heart and humanity is packed into a book exploring the most expansive and elaborate possibilities of science fiction.

All the Moonlight on Earth begins as a father-daughter tale, of a duo grieving in a visceral, transportative way, but each doing so alone. Grief, for both Gillen and Allaire, feels like a teleporting experience in itself, as they relive the overwhelming pain of Cate’s death, over and over again. Gillen also wrestles with the heartache of losing what he considers the love of his life, Danielle, who he knew before meeting Cate, through this story—most notably when parallel universes collide and an alternate version of his old life comes crashing down on him.

As a reader who spends a significant amount of time following future tech and innovation trends led by companies like Gillen’s in real life, I was delighted by the way the science and business side of this story was told. It feels true to the industry and electric with excitement at the introduction of each new concept. Even right down to the very end, Muehlbauer left me wide-eyed and breathless at the implications of the technology in this book. I felt equal parts sickened and elated by the accuracy, and the disturbing likelihood of All the Moonlight on Earth’s twisted villains (though they may call themselves visionaries) in our own world.

As brilliant as its science-fiction technology is, we are invested in All the Moonlight on Earth because the stakes are high and heavy for Gillen in every direction he turns, especially when he learns that they were “building in the wrong place, gazing back at the wrong planet…” The heart of this story is the people Gillen loves and has loved throughout his life. Because of the depth with which we connect with his heart, ours often drops at the story’s twists and turns.

I highly recommend All the Moonlight on Earth as a book club selection. You’re going to want to discuss everything about it! I kept wanting to share new progressions as I was reading: from the futuristic technology to the devastating and disorienting plot twists, to the complex love stories and the way you cannot imagine how you’d feel or what you’d do in those situations.

Though filled with so much tenderness and tumultuousness, this is what makes All the Moonlight on Earth most fun: You really cannot see each new development coming. Even if by some chance you did, the twists hit you in the most unexpected moments, knocking you back at full force each time. I often had to pause, while Gillen gasped on-page, to recalibrate what it all means and consider the multiverse implications.

Readers should be aware of content warnings for fatal car accidents, possible suicide, kidnapping, grief, losing a spouse or child, and difficult pregnancy. Cate, who is seen in memories all throughout this book, has a chronic pain condition that plays a significant role in Gillen’s view of her. As a reader whose body experiences a lot of the same inexplicable debilitating pain as Cate, including the sudden inability to move and the occasional limp, reading her from Gillen’s perspective had my reactions fluctuating between discomfort and disappointment. At first, Gillen adores her and they enjoy enthralling sex, knowing she has a limp because of pain, but it seems like after he sees her in pain for longer periods of time, he can only pity her. That is hard to read, not because it’s true of many in reality, but because it isn’t always clear if the novel knows that these are not heroic characteristics. Gillen describes Cate as “fragile,” “frail,” and having “a body uncooperative for daily living.” Gillen is not a perfect character, and I don’t think he’s meant to be. He indulges in acts of infidelity and secretly longs for his friend’s girlfriends, so it is possible to wrap these thoughts in with his view of his late-wife. Though uncomfortable, the experience feels authentic and not necessarily offensive to me, but this might be something for another disabled reader to consider depending on their headspace.

Jesse Muehlbauer has written an intensely emotional and endlessly captivating story that’s great for readers with an interest in the ethics of space-travel venture capital and high-stakes scientific advances—and a delicious parallel universe long-lost-love story. Thrilling, thought-provoking, a must-read.

Thank you for reading Andrea Marks-Joseph’s book review of All the Moonlight on Earth by Jesse Muehlbauer! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Melissa Suggitt

 In an America overflowing with corruption, one man’s rebellion will unite the oppressed to rise.

The Price of Rebellion is a disconcerting look at what can happen when society becomes complacent about those in power. How far are you willing to allow your government to go in the name of protecting its people?

Dray Quintero is on the run from The Agency (formerly the NSA), and he and his rebel companions, including his daughter Raven, aren’t safe for long.

The world experienced a deadly pandemic, and with no cure in sight, scientists took a radical step by installing implants into the entire population’s eyes to neutralize the virus. The use of these implants took a dark turn when the same government who swore the implants were for the greater good began to use them to spy without consent.

After his broadcast exposing the United States government for violating its people and their privacy, Dray is public enemy number one. The Agency will do everything in its power to discredit and silence him, while he will do everything in his power to bring justice to the masses.

Hitting hard and fast with the action, the story begins with a shot of adrenaline as Dray and his crew attempt to extract information about The Agency, with nearly dire consequences. This sets off a chain reaction that pushes Dray further apart from the rebel cause he has joined, aptly named The Founding Fathers. As his ideals clash with theirs, and The Agency is hot on their heels, Dray and Raven will be forced to face their past and their demons. Will they succeed in their mission? Can they earn back the trust of the public and bring down the oppressors? Or will they fail, dooming Americans to a life “shackled to surveillance?”

Action-packed and bursting with high-tech gadgets, robots, and plenty of fight scenes, author Michael C. Bland has created a thrilling and provocative dystopian tale.

As a reader who tends toward horror and thrillers often, I read a lot of dark and dreary things; very little gets under my skin. However, The Price of Rebellion made my skin crawl more than once—there’s just nothing quite like a government conspiracy. In this case, the knowledge that as a citizen you have very little power over your own life, and your privacy, is one of the most terrifying things I can think of.

At multiple points throughout the story, the reader is told that if the government continues with its plan, it will control generations. I get literal shivers at the thought of losing freedom over my mind and body like that. The worst part is I don’t know if this is fiction or reality. Government surveillance already exists, who is to say this concept isn’t that far off?

Bland does an incredible job of conveying emotion throughout the novel, particularly in the most heartbreaking moments. Considering the story is full of high intensity for much of the plot, that’s not an easy thing to pull off. His dramatic timing and ability to build tension throughout chapter after chapter is remarkable.

This book is Tom Clancy meets George Orwell, and I don’t know if I can think of a more bizarre, yet perfect combination. I eagerly await the final book of this trilogy.

Thank you for reading Melissa Suggitt’s book review of The Price of Rebellion by Michael C. Bland! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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