This is my new favorite in the Time Travel Genre. Owen McCoy is a fun, intense character stuck in extraordinary circumstances. As Owen and his companions are hurdled further and further back in time, they realize just how busy this little bit of Appalachia was throughout history. Some companions are lost, others gained, many dead. Cassie, Owen, and young Owen were my favorite characters. Cassie and Owen work in security for a local science lab, but much more has been going on there than they knew. The Flux happens in unpredictable waves, making it difficult for Owen to figure out what is going on, let alone stay alive.

I really enjoyed the pre-written history times. There’s mammoths and then dinos and a few unexpected things – deadly things! Owen & his crew passed through the days when the Cherokee populated the area, picking up a few companions like Inola. She’s an accomplished horse rider with a level head (something that is much needed for keeping people alive). She also has a good idea of what is hunting them now, and knows that it is near-impossible to kill. All very exciting reading!

My one quibble is that there are so few female characters and for the most part they are romantic interests. Cassie is very competent but there’s an unspoken deeper connection with Owen. Then Inola is an object of a blossoming affection. There’s a young kid Cassie and then a scientist’s wife… and perhaps 1 or 2 other ladies. So, yeah, we could use a few more ladies. After all, that’s why we even have history to muck with.

The pacing was excellent. I was never bored. There’s plenty of action but also quieter moments to balance things out. Owen has a darker side that he keeps in check with his need to protect people. He’s good at damaging humans, if need be, but he doesn’t enjoy it. This tale gives him plenty of opportunities to kill as well as to exert his self-control. He’s an interesting character & it was easy for me to connect with him, rooting for him throughout the entire book. 4.5/5 stars.

The Narration: Jeffrey Kafer gives a great performance narrating this book. He has distinct voices for all the characters, providing a variety of regional accents. I really appreciate how he managed to make multiple generations of characters sound related but not exactly alike. His female voices were good too. There were no technical issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.

The Flux ('Mancer #2)

by Ferrett Steinmetz

TL;DR: If you're looking for some truly original urban fantasy, particularly if you're a gamer, you need to try this series. The Flux was good I read it twice. It is the sequel to the equally awesome Flex, which you should probably read first. (I adored that book as well, and interviewed the author here.)

**WARNING: I tried to minimize spoilers of the previous book, but it may not be entirely possible.**

I absolutely loved The Flux. It's incredibly difficult to follow an awesome first book, but this book actually surpasses the first. The Flux continues the story of Paul, a bureaucromancer, whose belief in the power of rules is so strong that it actually bends the fabric of reality, granting him 'mancy. I adore Paul, and I'm slightly disturbed by how well I understand his perspective. He copes with stress by making lists, including lists of all the certain deaths facing him. He's hilariously uptight, sees the universe in terms of rules, and believes that "Paperwork was what made the universe fair."

All of the characters flawed and vibrant people. I loved how Steinmetz managed to create a character like Valentine, a goth videogamemancer who is very sexually demonstrative and comfortable in her body, without ever objectifying her. Part of that comes from Paul's narrative perspective, as Paul finds Valentine to be equal parts embarrassing and bemusing. I absolutely adored their dynamics. They argue constantly--as much as Paul is capable of arguing--and then "hug it out later." Standard conversation:

"You come up with half a plan, then expect me to pull a miracle out of my ass?"

"...can't you?"

"Of course I can, but you shouldn't expect that!"

Or:

"Oh, God," he muttered. "This is such a mistake."

"That's how you always say yes!" Valentine squealed, and tackle-hugged him.

This book also solved one of my (few) issues with the previous book. While Imani was simply a two-dimensional nagging ex in Flex, in The Flux, she comes into her own. I'm not exactly sure I like her, but the exploration of her personality and motivations humanized her to the extent that I think I want to. I also enjoyed the addition of Oscar the hyper-organized mob boss and K-Dash and Quaysean, the donut-bearing gangsters.

And then there's the 'mancy. This book is dominated by videogamemancy, but we also encounter a Fight-Club-mancer (he insists he's a Palahniuk'mancer), but there's also plenty of bureaucromancy, pyromancy, and origamimancy to add a bit of spice. While this book will be more fun if you're a fan of videogames or Fight Club, the first time I read through, I caught precisely none of the pop culture references and still loved it. (When I reread, I employed a bit of Googlemancy and once I understood what Tyler Durden, Alex Mercer, and JRPGs referred to, the book was infinitely funnier.)

Like its predecessor, while this book may be a little slow to get started, when the story picks up momentum, it's utterly un-put-down-able. Sure, there's plenty of mancy and mayhem, but it's also about family and children and the pangs of growing up. It's about a little girl who discovers that Daddy isn't superman and good doesn't always triumph. It's about how learning that have value only through the efforts taken to achieve them. It's about the struggle to raise a child, the balancing act to protect her while still letting her grow through the consequences of her actions. It's about the terrible pangs of being a parent:

"If you give up everything for your children's happiness, Paul, you can't teach them how to be happy."

It's about how seeing others around us as human is part of what gives us our humanity.  And all of that is packed into a thoroughly entertaining, engrossing story told within a thoroughly fascinating world.

And while the ending is utterly, utterly satisfying, I can't wait for the next book.

~~I received this ebook through Netgalley from the publisher, Angry Robot Books, in exchange for my honest review. Quotes are taken from an advanced reader copy and while they may not reflect the final phrasing, I believe they speak to the spirit of the novel as a whole.~~

Someone is stealing the vaccine for a galaxy-wide pandemic. Forensic investigator Luka Foxe has a hidden mental talent that's out of control, and security specialist Mairwen Morganthur has hidden skills and enough secrets to drag a ship from orbit. To solve the case, they must follow a convoluted trail with corrupt pharma corporations, murderous mercenaries, sabotage, and deadly space battles. With a rising body count, their only hope for survival lies in trusting one another. 

* * 2015 SFR Galaxy Award winner * * 2015 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award Finalist * * 

"Down on the farm there's plenty to do, like fixing machines and hosing out poo." It's a wacky rhyming tale of what happens when Rosie the dairy cow steps in to help with the hay harvest in the face of imminent rainfall. Lots of kid humor (like spinning the cat so her claws can cut the hay) and unique illustrations that merge photographs with digital drawings to create a lively, eclectic collage style.