Here’s the next installment in my, “Books Off the Shelf” series. So Many Books, So Little Time! I will attempt to give you an idea on some books you might enjoy or not enjoy quite as much without ruining it with too many spoilers.
I’m also trying to give the books a one to ten rating with ten being amazingly the best (or let’s be honest one of the best) books I have ever read and you need to go home sick to buy and read this book without delay and a one being please don’t bother even looking at the cover of this drivel. Storm Ring (Zero Point Light Book 1) by Stephen J. Carter Rating 7.5 out of 10 Centrifugal winds and spinning tsunami-like waves … Woken from what should have been a short-haul hiberstasis, six travelers discover their starship convoy was attacked by unknown forces. Brought by ship’s computer to a little-known world, Nebura, they have to choose between returning to the last-known location of their convoy, or going onworld, issuing a beacon, and waiting for rescue. A simple plan ... what could possibly go wrong? Except things aren’t looking so great onworld either – Nebura is succumbing to a virulent environmental stilling. Getting to the only safe place left on the planet means crossing the world-encircling, lightning-filled storm ring – the stuff nightmares are made of. And given the presence of a megalomanical Siqdori leader with big plans and out for revenge, said ring of storms will be the least of their worries … “Storm Ring” is the 1st book in the “Zero Point Light” SF series, and promises a roller-coaster ride of hope-killing storms, coercive space exploration, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. Well, Storm Ring certainly is a rollercoaster of a SciFi ride. From beginning to end, the world of Nebura is full of unexpected, unsuspected surprises. The further I read into this book, the more Carter seemed to pull back the veil revealing more and more intrigue and excitement. As you can read in the synopsis, six space travelers end up marooned on Nebura. They promptly find that the world is sick with some kind of stilling that affects both the people and the world itself. To make matters worse, there is something of a crazy man with delusion of grandeur (I always want to use that line, but you really need just the right place.). While fleeing from said delusional man, they find that this world has far more mystery to offer than just the stilling. Without offer too much spoiler, I’m just going to throw out the phrase, “advanced, ancient civilization.” For me, the beginning of this book almost started too quickly. I wasn’t looking for a prolonged prologue or anything, but I found myself lost a good amount at the start. I would have liked to see a bit more background. Some of the characters actions and interactions felt scripted and unnatural. About half way through, Carter really seemed to find his writing stride, though. Some of the “big reveal” moments in the last half of this book are really cool. I was on a trajectory to only give this book a 6 or 6.5 out of 10, but the pure “cool factor” toward the end was a nice redemption. I’m excited to read the second book in this series and see how some of the factors discussed toward the end are fleshed out. It’s one of those books that ends with you wanting to flip the page for the next chapter, not a cliffhanger, exactly, just a need to know. Pick up a copy, and let me know your thoughts. Also, if you would like to be the first to hear about other great books, feel free to sign up on the right. I’m giving away the first two chapters of my debut novel, MIST FALCON, as well. I’d love to send it to you, so please do sign up. Read with Joy. |
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