Kindle Spotlight -- The Dark Victorian: Risen

Today we have a Victorian adventure by Elizabeth Watasin, The Dark Victorian: Risen. This is the first book in the Dark Victorian series.

Jim Dastard is not your usual detective. In fact, he's a talking disembodied skull who works for the Secret Commission, a government bureau that resurrects people from the dead and sends them to fight other eldritch threats to England. His latest partner is Artifice, a tall, statuesque woman recently brought back from the dead. The resurrected agents of the Commission have their memories erased at the beginning of their second life, so Art (as she comes to be called) has no idea who or what she was prior to her death. However, her new form does have certain advantages, like the ability to fly and become incorporeal, as well as superhuman strength and endurance. She'll need these advantages if she and Jim Dastard are to stop the villain who's been reanimating the dead and using them to commit murder throughout London.

The Dark Victorian: Risen provides a refreshing change to the steampunk formula. Art and Jim Dastard make a colorful duo and play off each other's quirks very well, and I even found the villain to be (somewhat) sympathetic. There isn't a whole lot of character development since, as I said, the agents of the Commission have amnesia and don't even know who they are--or were. Tantalizing hints regarding Art's past are provided via women who obviously know who she was, but Watasin has obviously chosen to save big revelations for later volumes.

There is one significant caveat which may turn off readers. The female characters are not shy about showing their attraction to one another, and lesbians abound in this story. If that doesn't bother you (or if you're a hotblooded male), by all means pick up The Dark Victorian: Risen. You'll find an engaging story within.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Dark-Victorian-Risen-Volume/dp/1936622017/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371420759&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Elisabeth+Watasin

Kindle Spotlight -- The Real Thing

Today we have a cyberpunk novel by Jacob Prytherch: The Real Thing.

Roman Rasnic, AKA the Black Cat, is a chemist turned black market peddler of a drug he invented called "Cupid." It allows people to experience the sensation of intense love towards whomever they want. This has proven quite profitable to him in future Japan. Unfortunately, it also causes him plenty of problems. Cupid caused one of Roman's marks to go insane and become dangerously obsessed with him. If that wasn't bad enough, his former business partner wants revenge on him, and his wife steals his supply of Cupid and proceeds to flood the streets with an even more dangerous version of the drug. Roman must track down the elusive Medea, rid Techosaka of the inferior concoction before any more people die from overdosing on it, and salvage what remains of his reputation. But no one is what they appear to be, and few can be trusted. Can Roman find redemption and true love for himself?

This could have been an excellent novel. Story-wise, The Real Thing is a gripping adventure, and Roman is a likable protagonist. Unfortunately, a complete lack of editing brings it down. I honestly don't think Jacob Prytherch put even the smallest effort into polishing this story. Typos and grammatical and formatting errors are all over the place. Because of the strength of the story I was able to keep reading to the end, but this kind of thing shouldn't have happened. 

Bottom line: If you can get past the shoddy editing, you'll find an engaging story. But at 99 cents, you get what you pay for.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Real-Thing-ebook/dp/B00D2PKOU6/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1370816280&sr=1-4&keywords=The+Real+Thing

Free Book Promotion -- The Game Called Revolution

From now until midnight tomorrow, download The Game Called Revolution for free on Kindle.

http://www.amazon.com/Game-Called-Revolution-1/dp/145387934X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366083252&sr=1-2

Revisiting the Classics -- Mobile Suit Gundam

Here it is, the one that started it all: the 1979 anime Mobile Suit Gundam.

The story takes place in the year 0079 of the Universal Century. Mankind has spread out across the solar system, taking up residence inside floating cities called Sides. One of them, Side Three, decides they've had enough of the Earth people calling the shots, and proceeds to wage a war of independence against the Earth Federation, even going so far as to drop one of the colonies on the planet. Side Three--now calling themselves the Principality of Zeon--gains an early advantage because of their mobile suits, giant robots with a pilot inside each one.

The first episode introduces us to Amuro Ray, a 14-year-old engineering prodigy who lives happily with his family on Side Seven. His world is changed forever, however, when Zeon attacks the colony and he discovers the Federation has been developing their own mobile suits there in order to turn the tide of war. In order to protect his friends and family, Amuro hops into the most advanced mobile suit ever created: The Gundam. Despite having never piloted anything like this before, Amuro learns quickly and soon becomes a member of the prototype Federation spaceship White Base, fighting alongside a crew of colorful characters. Does he have what it takes to defeat Zeon's greatest pilot, mysterious masked-man Char Aznable, AKA the Red Comet? Is Amuro truly a Newtype? Will he ever see his family again? Just who is Char? To find out the answers to these questions, you'll have to watch.

I've enjoyed the various Mobile Suit Gundam anime since I first started watching this one in high school, and it remains my favorite. Before 1979, giant robot anime were all about unique machines fighting evil. But with Mobile Suit Gundam, things changed. Giant robots were now merely another tool of war, and the distinction between good and evil wasn't so clear (a fact many Gundam characters found out the hard way). The soldiers in this war had to figure out just what they were fighting for, and whether or not they were on the right side. Furthermore, the series challenged us to decide if it's acceptable to force children to fight our battles. We may survive, but their innocence won't.

You can pick up the first part of this show online. Unfortunately, Bandai--the distributor--went out of business and so the second half of Gundam is rare and hard to find. You can get it on Amazon but you'll have to pay an arm and a leg for it. If you can find it for a good price, though, I heartily recommend you get it. It has a strong story, memorable characters, and a powerful message.

http://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Gundam-Complete-Collection-Legends/dp/B005F96UNW/ref=pd_cp_mov_0

Kindle Spotlight -- Daymare

Today I have a novella by Gordon Bentley-Mix entitled Daymare.

The story takes place on a mining vessel in our asteroid belt. There are four crew members total: Marcus, his "partner" Bex, mentally unstable Janet and disgusting pig Jonno. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say there are only three crew members since Janet recently lost her mind in a very mysterious incident, leaving the other three to mine asteroids for The Company (yes, "The" is capitalized). Unfortunately, whatever broke Janet seems to be affecting the others as well, since they keep experiencing waking nightmares. Perhaps the mysterious crystal they find embedded in the asteroid they're mining can give them the answers they seek, but can they get to the bottom of this before the daymares drive them insane?

I found Daymare to be an engaging mystery. Since it's a novella and there are only four characters, there isn't a lot of character development. They spend more time trying to solve the conundrum of the daymares and don't talk about themselves that much. Sadly, the most developed character is the purposely unlikable Jonno. Also, as with Mortimus Walker and the Secret of the White City last week, there isn't a whole lot of conflict in this story. The characters are generally on the same page since they make it a point to keep Jonno out of the loop as they know how unhelpful he would be. Plus, their problem turns out to be easily solved in the end. Nevertheless, the compelling mystery kept me invested in the story until the finale.

http://www.amazon.com/Daymare-ebook/dp/B00CWM4HV2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1370038574&sr=1-1&keywords=Daymare

Kindle Spotlight -- Mortimus Walker and the Secret of the White City

Today we have a novella by Zach Turner: Mortimus Walker and the Secret of the White City.

The protagonist is, of course, the aging Mortimus Walker who has toiled all his life in anticipation of his sixtieth birthday. In this world people are divided into Ones and Twos. Ones work while Twos live the good life up in the White City. However, upon reaching the age of sixty, Ones have their brains transferred into young clones of themselves--thus becoming One-Twos--and then they can enjoy retirement. On the flipside, Twos start off on easy street and later go to work as Two-Ones.

The bulk of the story shows Morty as he and another group of Ones spend two weeks preparing for their brain transplant. They meditate, they exercise, they play videogames, and Morty even finds romance with fellow One Patti (the guy can still get it on even in his twilight years).

I enjoyed Mortimus Walker. It's well-written and well-formatted for Kindle. Some readers may be turned off by the lack of conflict in the story. For the most part, the characters enjoy their journey to the White City and there is almost no action at all. However, the surprising twist at the end makes it all worthwhile. I won't give it away, but I will say that it's worthy of an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

http://www.amazon.com/Mortimus-Walker-Secret-White-ebook/dp/B00CLJQFLG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369626117&sr=1-1&keywords=Mortimus+Walker

Revisiting the Classics -- Galaxy Express 999

Today I have dug up another anime gem for you: Galaxy Express 999. It was a TV series followed by several movies based on said TV series in the late 1970's. Since the TV series was recently released in America for the first time, I thought I'd do my part to help bring in new fans.

The protagonist is an adolescent boy named Tetsuro Hoshino who lives on future Earth. He spends his times in the slums living below the more well-off citizens, but dreams of boarding the famous Galaxy Express, an intergalactic train which travels the galaxy. One day he attempts to steal a ticket to board one of the space-faring locomotives but gets caught and subsequently chased by station security. He is saved by a mysterious woman with long blonde hair and a Russian-style fur outfit. She identifies herself as Maetel, and asks Tetsuro why he is so intent on boarding the Galaxy Express. He tells her he wants to travel to the Andromeda galaxy and acquire a machine body so he can kill the robotic Count Mecha who murdered Tetsuro's mother. Maetel offers to get him on board one of the trains, the 999, if he will allow her to accompany him on his journey. Tetsuro readily agrees and together they set out across the Sea of Stars.

I've always loved Galaxy Express 999. It, more than any other science fiction I've experienced, so completely captured the wonder of space travel. This is due in part to the whimsical, exaggerated character designs of creator Leiji Matsumoto. Characters run the gamut from beautiful, sorrowful women (such as Shadow and Claire) to comically deformed men (like Tochiro). The most compelling of 999's cast (namely Maetel, along with space pirates Harlock and Emeraldas) were so popular they got their own prequels and spin-offs. Furthermore, the haunting musical score and somber narrator give emotional and nostalgic weight to one boy's journey to become a man. And along the way, we must ask ourselves if it's truly worth becoming an android to live forever, or if, perhaps, human life has more meaning than we think.

Ultimately, though, words fail to do it justice. You really should check it out for yourself.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_8?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=galaxy+express+999&sprefix=Galaxy+E%2Cmovies-tv%2C235&rh=n%3A2625373011%2Ck%3Agalaxy+express+999