Reviewed by Lexie Fox for Readers' Favorite

Shadows of Empire is a science fiction epic from author A.K. DuBoff which serves as the opening instalment of the Cadicle series. The book follows Wil Sietinen, who must juggle his roles as both an heir to the High Dynasty and as a soldier in the galactic military. Gifted with psychic abilities, expectations of Wil are immense, but when he is captured by the enemy he begins to learn the truth about his future and the world in which he was raised. With the threats against those he cares about growing with every day and a conspiracy that could change the fate of the galaxy ensnaring him, Wil must fight for the future of the Taran Empire.

The scope of the narrative and world-building on show in this novel is exceptional and truly earns the Cadicle series the right to be called an epic. From the first page, I found myself hooked into the web of intrigue, not just between worlds but between the factions on those worlds. A.K. DuBoff expertly guides readers through the plot whilst capturing their interest with exciting prose and compelling characters. Shadows of Empire sets a solid foundation for the rest of the series to build upon with a protagonist you’ll want to root for and beautifully created lore that serves as a stunning backdrop for an ambitious and provocative narrative. This is an unmissable adventure across a dynamic and nuanced galaxy. I enthusiastically recommend Shadows of Empire to science fiction fans in search of their next obsession.

Reviewed by Alex Ndirangu for Readers' Favorite

In Brian Penn's The Wall, it is 2099 in the United States, and decades have passed since the once-brilliant beacon of hope and freedom devolved into authoritarianism and enslavement, fueled by greed, negligence, and the desire for immortality. In 2050, science brought about the second-life protocol. This involved giving people a second chance at life after they died. But first-lifers lived dangerously, and leaders resolved to revoke second-life rights. Then Zion's ruler, Renatus, led all first-lifers into The Wall. But the process means taking the life of another—lives Renatus secretly harvests from the MiddleLand. The Middle lies behind a giant, almost square, translucent Wall towering a hundred feet and coursing 100,000 volts from old America's Northern Wyoming to former New Mexico and back. Here, Renatus' contraband laws and his near-invincible army rule with an iron fist, terrorizing a people deemed low-class to the point of hopelessness. In this desolate wasteland, we meet Asher, the last son of the Defiance. This 25-year-old contraband mule is set on finding his lost love (who is on the other side of the Wall) and making those responsible for her "death" pay dearly. But this is a world where any revolt against oppression is shattered, and resistance is met with painful executions. Asher must blindly march into the lion's den to reunite with Sarai and be the leader, the elite warrior he was born to be.
 
One of the many lessons I gathered from The Wall is that sometimes to survive you have to do things you'd consider dishonorable under normal conditions. There were several heart-wrenching moments, and this book kept me glued from the first pages to the last. Penn's characters evoke emotions, and the descriptions are so vivid that you can almost hear whining drones in the distance and sense the turmoil and carnage coursing through the coliseum. For every next minute he's alive, Asher must traverse trials set to kill in an instant and take down blood-lusting warlords and gladiators. Every step is fraught with disaster yet propelled by hope and determination. Every moving part builds to a climactic, worthwhile end, and the narrative is told by crafting together key players' perspectives, immersing readers even deeper in the moment. If you enjoy fast-paced action, adventure, thrills, and feats with the highest stakes, check out this award-winning dystopian novel by Brian Penn. I would not recommend it to sensitive readers because of the gory battle scenes.

Reviewed by Miche Arendse for Readers' Favorite

A futuristic cyberpunk retelling of a classic fairytale like no other finds Jack, a young woman born missing an arm and a leg, fighting for the survival of her family and herself. Into the BeanStalk by J. Paul Roe follows Jack on her treacherous journey as she tries to pay off her debt to a notorious gang of bikers and save her father from corporate slavery. All the while, it seems something far more sinister lurks above the city Jack calls home.

Into the BeanStalk by J. Paul Roe is an exciting new take on the classic story of Jack and the Beanstalk. I didn’t think I would love this book as much as I did, but between the relatable characters and the gritty setting, I couldn’t help but fall in love with it. While I usually don’t read cyberpunk books, I can safely say that this one has a familiar but different plotline, descriptive and imaginative world-building, and wonderful characters.

Jack is the kind of protagonist you root for regardless of the trouble she seems to get herself into, and while she may not be perfect, her flaws make her such an endearing character. Her struggles and motivations felt so real that I couldn’t help but become emotionally invested, and by the end of the book, it felt like I had been on one hell of an emotional rollercoaster. Into the BeanStalk is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Frank Mutuma for Readers' Favorite

Dev and Raya are from Solaran Prime, a distant planet from Earth. Right now, Raya is on Earth with new friends she has made who are like family to her. Did Dev make the right decision to leave her on Earth, and how will her two-year wait turn out? Meanwhile, she decides to study for her doctorate, and she is also scanning for signals from her home planet. Dev had thought of turning the Dauntless around before entering cryosleep to go back for his girlfriend, but he didn't. Back in Solara, he has to answer for stealing a ship to go after Raya. Will he be punished for it? In Solara, things are getting out of hand with the terrorists. To find out how things turn out with Dr. Raya and the hunt for the heartless terrorists, get a copy of Down Comes the Dark: Elemental Book 2 by Liane Mahugh.

Down Comes the Dark by Liane Mahugh is a must-read! Sometimes science fiction can be tedious because of too much jargon, but not this book. I was hooked from the first chapter to the last. Despite this being the second in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. The plot flows flawlessly, leaving no room for confusion for the reader. Liane also utilized suspense to great effect, which kept me on the edge of my seat. The fast-paced narration kept me intrigued and entertained. The characters are also well-developed, and the reader will appreciate the easy-to-understand language used, which makes the book accessible to all kinds of readers. I cannot wait to read something else by this talented author.

Reviewed by Doreen Chombu for Readers' Favorite

The year is 3324, and Earth’s colony planets have been at war with an alien species they call the Hrum. Their enemies are unusual because they act like mindless attack berserkers, who know how to use advanced weapons, but do not understand basic tactics. The humans have sent messages to the Hrum but have never received a reply. A few space military personnel have noticed this odd behavior but decided to keep it a secret from the public. One of the officers involved in this cover-up, Jaxton Drake, comes from a family of military officers who have proven to be formidable and reliable players in the war against the Hrum. His sister, Natalie, continues to be a master tactician for her ship, and his brother, Ryan, is a fearless marine ready to fight for justice and face any opponent. Their father, Senior Admiral Drake, is an admired leader with powerful connections. Will they ever defeat their unpredictable enemy or discover why the Hrum act strangely? Grab a copy of Hrum by Austin Davis to enjoy this entertaining story.

Hrum is the first installment in The Drake Chronicles, and I loved everything about this book. Austin Davis uses mystery and adventure to intrigue readers and keep them engaged. The book has a smooth flow and does not contain boring technical jargon like other science fiction novels. The story is told from multiple points of view, giving the reader an overview of what is happening with different characters. The book has family drama, romance, military strategizing, and political tension, which are all plot lines that will keep you entertained. I loved the natural chemistry and casual camaraderie between the characters. The conversations, jokes, caring personalities, and details like the characters having nightmares about the war humanized them and made me relate to their problems. The book is a great introduction to this new series, and I hope to find out what happens next because I am hooked. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves science fiction. Great work.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Time Trials is a work of fiction in the science fiction and time travel adventure subgenres. It is intended for the young adult reading audience and was penned by the team of Jon McConnell and Dayna McConnell. In this thrilling high-concept work which features family drama and exciting schooltime intrigue, we meet our protagonist Finn Mallory who is plagued by guilt following the deaths of his parents. A new club at school holds the answers he seeks when he discovers that they take part in competitive time travel, but little does Finn realize that the corruption and danger within these games are second to none.

Jon and Dayna McConnell are bang on the money with this work of YA science fiction that will certainly please readers looking for a unique approach in their next adventure. Beyond this, there are so many other excellent developmental elements that make the work fully formed. These range from the intricate emotional journey that Finn undergoes as he works through grief and blame to the conspiracy-riddled mystery of the timekeepers and their cutthroat approach to such a volatile and world-altering technology. Add to this the slick dialogue and ensemble cast of other club members and competitors stopping at nothing to succeed, and you have a novel that stays engrossing from its opening chapter right through to the satisfying temporary conclusion, which once more leaves the way open for future books. Science fiction fans and YA readers will surely rank The Time Trials as one of the best books they read this year.

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

The Bush Clinic by Stella Atrium is a speculative fiction novel and the first book in Atrium's new Tribal Wars series. The Bush Clinic is unique in that it harnesses the powerful evocation of futuristic human off-planet space colonization against a social structure that has gone backward to resemble a time before man had ever even landed on the moon in our real-life timeline. Women are relevant only in so far as they are useful and necessary, but not for more, in a rural tundra valued outside the bush for one reason: they are ripe for exploitation. This is science fiction in the context of space, time, the introduction of hybrids and interesting new 'animals', and the human post-pioneering of the planet Dolvia. Really, this is literary fiction that follows two women in the age-old battle of fighting gendered violence and subjugation in a world made hostile against them by men, corporations, and choice.

The Bush Clinic is a difficult read, particularly as a man of color raising daughters of color, having spent my own entire childhood in a third-world country. The parallels Stella Atrium draws between the commodification of tribal people and ethnographic feudalism for and against human/human-hybrid/alien-hybrid is a stomach-churning piece of 21st-century realism. I know what living under martial law looks like. I know what the refugee experience feels like. I know what it means to be viewed in a foreign land as 'other' and 'less than'...and Stella Atrium nails it. The pacing of the novel proceeds as a slow and steady burn. We meet a female physician named Dr. Greensboro who has more agency than the youthful Dolviet protagonist Brianna Miller, but Greensboro is still ruled under the warring clouds of greed and patriarchy. As readers are given time to witness the horrors of all manner of violence, we are also provided a near photographic depiction of the planet it occurs on. The Tribal Wars series is an ambitious undertaking but, based on its introductory novel, it's likely to be a brilliant one.

Reviewed by Essien Asian for Readers' Favorite

Everything just stopped working. Cell phones, computers, cars, and anything that needed a computer chip to operate just shut down and died. That wasn't the scary part; it was the total absence of information. Nobody knew what had happened to all the people but some say you'll find answers in the city and that is exactly where Ulysses is going. He has not heard from his mother since the world went silent and he will not rest until he finds her and brings her home. Despite the appeals from his neighbors to stay in the safety of his home, he heads for the city. On this quest, he will make new allies and discover a deadly conspiracy of global proportions. If not stopped, this will change the world as we know it in Drew Samuelsen's Restart: Book 1.

Restart takes an unusual approach to an apocalyptic event in this science fiction story. Unlike similar works where your senses are overloaded by extreme violence, this storyline follows the path of intellectual decline. It is refreshing to note that the primary character in the novel is barely a youth. Drew Samuelsen uses some enterprising storytelling to integrate the reader into the gradual coming-of-age process that Ulysses undergoes as the story progresses. The suspense is palpable from the first chapter of the novel, subtly ramping up to a rather impressive climax. An aspect of the novel that caught my attention was the variety of gadgets on offer. What I would give to have a fuel-less vehicle that propels itself. The potential romantic subplot between Ulysses and Maxine shows promise. Samuelsen combines spine-tingling mystery with breathtaking action to create the spellbinding novel that is Restart. This is a science fiction gem in every sense of the word.

Reviewed by Melanie Kennedy for Readers' Favorite

The Eros Machine by R. Prior is a science fiction novel exploring the age-old question: are we alone in the universe? Doctor Stuart Graham has spotted something extraordinary in a photo taken of the asteroid Eros. It seems there’s something alien on the asteroid, and it’s moving steadily closer to Earth. Before long the object is making contact with humans and is graciously offering technology beyond their wildest imaginations. As many would surmise, an alien presence brings out the true nature of humans, and before long tensions escalate toward World War III erupting. With all that on humanity’s plate, they need to contend with another alien species invading the solar system – ready to start a fight with humans and benevolent aliens alike. The real question arises: is it better to be alone in the universe?

R. Prior has created a thrilling scenario of earthlings meeting aliens. The Eros Machine explores what would happen and how we’d act if humans and aliens ever made contact. Prior was spot on in describing what humans would do with unimaginable power, and how quickly it would go wrong. Prior creates an emotional connection with the reader by writing in the first person which keeps you engaged and invested. The book contains technical terms and concepts, but Prior does an effective job of not making them confusing or turning them into complex jargon that a non-rocket scientist like me would not understand. This is an exciting novel about space and aliens and can be enjoyed by young adults and grown-ups alike.

Reviewed by Nicholus Schroeder for Readers' Favorite

Antuna’s Story: The Antunite Chronicles Book One is a sci-fi novel by Terry Birdgenaw. Set millions of years ago, when dinosaurs walked the Earth and giant sea creatures swam the oceans’ depths this story is about the displacement of a few animals to a distant planet and their new life there. But this isn't about the largest or strongest from the animal kingdom trying to survive on a foreign planet; the animals that were teleported are primarily from the insect kingdom. Antuna, an ant, makes new friends moments after the teleportation incident. The unlikely pairing of a spider, termite, ant, and more proves that all manner of insects and arachnids can co-exist on their strange planet. Tensions between groups of the tight-knit community begin to rise, however, as old grudges and instincts resurface. The line between friend and foe blurs and those at the top of the food chain are in for a rude awakening as some species are evolving at alarming rates in both intelligence and cunning. This is Antuna’s story, a tale of how these different species came together to build a civilization and how they tore it down.

What a read. At first glance, I thought this would be a mildly entertaining book as it’s about insects and I believed that having bugs as the characters would lose its uniqueness and get boring. I was wrong as the characters were written, dare I say, better than characters of the human variety. There's just much more at stake for them and Terry Birdgenaw demonstrated that in their development and his writing. The character Spifry may have proven himself to be trustworthy, but other characters still have their innate fear of the arachnid despite their newfound friendship. The plot also cleverly weaves in the typical behavior of these insects and that made the whole book more immersive and grounded for me. The pacing was just right and I loved how their civilization steadily grew as I read, as opposed to major changes between chapters. The steady pacing really drove home the impact of the book’s final acts. Overall, a great read. It’s fresh and interesting. I wholeheartedly recommend Antuna’s Story: The Antunite Chronicles Book One to fans of the sci-fi genre.