REVIEW: CassaFire by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaFire by Alex J. Cavanaugh
Publishing Information: Paperback;
Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press; 28 February 2012
ISBN: 978-0-9827139-4-5
Series: Book 2 in the Cassa series
Copy: Provided by Publisher
Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities.

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…"

It seems like just yesterday when I reviewed the debut novel from Cavanaugh, CassaStar. and I remember liking the book as it was a great debut and had lots of room for sequels and further adventures. In this second installment, CassaFire, the story leaps ahead a few years to tell what feels like a completely different story, but with old friends.

When we catch up to our hero he has left his life of a frontline fighter pilot and taken up the less dangerous life of a shuttle pilot for a scientific vessel. Byron is haunted by his past and this is his way of dealing with the events from the first book. He is broken and damaged and doing his best to keep life in check. I really enjoyed Cavanaugh's writing in this book. The characters are deeper and the emotions are no longer just skin deep. A lot of new characters are added to the mix as well as some alien races that were missing from the first book. Byron has grown up and become responsible while still keeping his edge as the best pilot around.

Of course, CassaFire has action and Cavanaugh writes that well too. The battles are written much better this time around. In fact, there is nothing wrong with Cavanaugh's writing, if anything he has improved and told a tighter story with more complex characters. His craft has visibly improved. My only complaint is that there was a huge build up to a final confrontation and it didn't really live up to my expectations. That said it was still a satisfying conclusion and there is plenty of room for more action and adventure in the next installment.

As I stated in my first review for CassaStar, CassaFire is a great book perfect for someone looking for a light space adventure with a great characters and story. Highly Recommended. CassaFire is available next Tuesday.

Plot 7/10
Characters 7.5/10
Style  7/10

Overall  7.5/10

REVIEW: Enterprise of Death by Jesse Bullington

Enterprise of Death by Jesse Bullington
Publishing Information: Paperback; 24 March 2011
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN 10: 0316087343
ISBN 13: 978-0316087346
Standalone
Copy: Out of pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "As the witch-pyres of the Spanish Inquisition blanket Renaissance Europe in a moral haze, a young African slave finds herself the unwilling apprentice of an ancient necromancer. Unfortunately, quitting his company proves even more hazardous than remaining his pupil when she is afflicted with a terrible curse. Yet salvation may lie in a mysterious tome her tutor has hidden somewhere on the war-torn continent.

She sets out on a seemingly impossible journey to find the book, never suspecting her fate is tied to three strangers: the artist Niklaus Manuel Deutsch, the alchemist Dr. Paracelsus, and a gun-slinging Dutch mercenary. As Manuel paints her macabre story on canvas, plank, and church wall, the apprentice becomes increasingly aware of the great dangers that surround her. She realizes she must revisit the fell necromancy of her childhood . . . or death will be the least of her concerns..."

When Bullington's The Sad Tales of the Brother's Grossbart arrived on bookshelves, I quickly ordered it and then devoured the novel as it was something fresh and yet spoke to the darker side of what I imagined the middle ages were. In Enterprise of Death, Bullington returns to that dark time in human history. This time around, we have a young woman as the protagonist and I think Bullington did an excellent job of bringing her to life. She seemed plausible and real. She is joined by a small group of individuals that help her and slip in and out of her life. However, they really had a hard time capturing my imagination and as I continued to read, I found myself loosing interest in the quest and the cast.

It is probably why I can't give a shining review of Enterprise of Death. my interest began to wane half-way through the story. Where his debut novel had great characters, Enterprise of Death's cast is lackluster at best. The plot is interesting, but without really caring about anyone in the story, I found myself drifting on to other thoughts. While I can't recommend The Sad Tale of the Brother's Grossbart high enough, I have to say stay away from this particular novel. Enterprise of Death just does not keep you interested.

With that said, I do look forward to Bullington's next novel what ever that novel may be. He is very talented but Enterprise of Death was not an entertaining read for me and that is what I look for in a novel.

Plot 7/10
Characters 4/10
Style 5/10

Overall 5/10

REVIEW: King of Plagues (Joe Ledger #3) by Jonathan Maberry Kindle Edition

King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry
Publishers Information: Kindle
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffen
ISBN 10: 0312382502
ISBN 13: 978-0312382506
ASIN: B004H1TM1Q
Series: Book 3 In the Joe Ledger Series
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "Reeling from the tragedy at the end of Ledger The Dragon Factory, Joe is pulled back into the DMS after the Royal London Hospital is destroyed in a terrorist attack. The group The Seven Kings is responsible, and they hit with more attacks, paralleling the seven plagues of Egypt, and go after Ledger and the DMS."

It has been a while since I last checked in with Maberry's Joe Ledger, but I am glad I did. Ledger has faced off against lab created zombies and human/animal hybrids already but after the death of his beloved he is drawn back in to face the latest threat, the biblical plagues from Egypt. Even with Ledger reeling from the loss of his girlfriend, he does his best to get back to work and stop the bad guys from taking over the world.

One thing that I really enjoyed about this particular novel was one chapter was sent in the present day while the next was set at the very beginning as the plans for global domination by the evil group known as the Kings begins to take shape. It allowed us a glimpse behind the curtain as recent events caught up with the past. While not exactly a mystery it did have a fairly mysterious feel to it. It was a nice effect and if the action won't keep you reading late at night (and it will) then the mystery should. However, when things are finally revealed, I did feel as though the big "secret" could have been kept a little longer as it lessened the impact of the ending, but only slightly.

The Kings are an eclectic bunch of individuals and their individual motivations for being apart of the group is interesting none are more interesting than the Queen, who heads the group and her lover, Sebastian Gault. Between the mystery that is the queen and Gault (and Toys) we have several worthy opponents for Ledger to tackle. Those of you Ledger faithful may recall that Gault and Toys have a history with our hero Joe.

Joe also has a new partner, Shadow, his well trained canine companion. It was a nice addition to the story line and something you rarely see in our adventure books these days. Shadow's introduction into the series is great. As a huge dog lover I thought it was a perfect fit and partner for Joe. There are also a few more new characters that have been added to the series and I look forward to learning more about them as the series continues. The story should continue as there is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. Fans of the series should enjoy these newest edition to the legend that is Ledger. Recommended.

Plot 8/10
Characters 8.5/10
Style 7/10

Overall 7.5/10