For a star rating and a full review please visit InD'tale Magazine online, October 2016 issue. http://indtale.com/reviews/historical/my-bonny-heart-pirates-progeny-1

The 4 laws of conformity have maintained a functional society for generations: 1) Continue making units; 2) Protect all units already made; 3) Expand the knowledge base; and 4) Maintain variation in thought. Helen strives to follow the last 2 laws in her scientific studies.

 

I quite enjoyed this tale of non-organic beings and their well-organized society. Helen and Lorenzo often join Eve and Roberto for dinner and discussion. Helen is a bit fascinated by the local DNA-based life forms, but the topic is considered a bit gauche. Nevertheless, Helen and her lab assistants (Ivan and Lorraine) want to continue their observations.

What Helen and her assistants discover is rather disturbing to not only herself, but to her society. It was pretty cool how the author had the main character discovering this long-forgotten truth and how her immediate friends and colleagues react. It’s akin to when humans started accepting that the Sun, and not Earth, was the center of the solar system.

 

 

I’ve read Perreault’s SIMPOC books, but this is my favorite of his works so far. Definitely some food for thought there. What if a society developed so far and forgot their origins, only to discover them later?

 

I received a copy of this audiobook from the author at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

 

Narration:  Christopher M. Allport did a good job narrating this book. His female voices were believable and his story-telling style was straight forward, letting me sink into the tale without being hung up on vocal theatrics.

Note: While this is Book 2 in the series,  it works fine as a stand alone story.

 

Commander Leopold Harnessy is leading a mission to test a new FLT (Faster Than Light) technology. The humans of planet Horizon hope to find old Earth and perhaps resettle her but first a test ship must be sent to see if the new tech works. If it does, then larger ships could be sent the same way. The Horizon humans left Earth many, many generations ago but they still revere her. Now, they wish to reclaim that heritage.

 

Harnessy must leave his family on Horizon as he undertakes this possibly dangerous mission. His daughter Rose asks him a serious question about Earth during the send off ceremony. Harnessy hopes to find the answer to it and many other questions. When Harnessy & crew arrive at Earth, she is healed of all the environmental damage that forced humans to leave her so long ago. However, Harnessy and his shipmates are met with a surprise.

 

The author did a great job for such a short story. There’s plenty to consider in this compact tale. I was quickly drawn into the tale. There’s some big questions the main character has to consider, both before he leaves Horizon and once he gets to Earth. While the story moves swiftly along, it has depth.

 

I received a copy of this audiobook from the author at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

 

Narration:  Christopher M. Allport tossed in some real ship sounds for when the ship AI is answering questions or announcing something. Each character was distinct and the the female voices were realistic. He also performed an old lady and a little girl with success.

The Progeny - Tosca Lee NOOOOOO this book ends on one HELL of a cliffhanger. I want to cry because I don't think the next book in the series is out until next year...



This book was SO frigging good. Descendants of Elizabeth Bathory the Blood Queen being hunted by descendants of her supposed victims. Secret societies, paranormal elements, and twist and turns galore. We are thrown into the action from the get go, and it just never lets up. Who to believe, who to trust. This book read like a Dan Brown novel. Beautifully written, fast paced, and with wonderful characters that I REALLY can't wait to read more about.

I REALLY REALLY REALLY need book two NOW!

Emily wakes up from surgery remembering nothing of her life before that moment. Exactly as planned. All she has left is a message she wrote herself before said surgery telling her to stay low. She thought that relocating to the middle of nowhere would help, but still finds herself very quickly all over the world being hunted down for memories she no longer possesses.

 

While I really liked the premise of this book I had some problems with it while I was reading it. The whole revenge plot seemed so farfetched, considering that everything happened 400 (!) years ago. I understand that it would be the kind of thing that would start a blood feud, but this isn't the Middle Ages anymore, it is time to realize that these people that are being hunted cannot, for one reason or another, be blamed for what happened.

 

These and some other points aside, it was a very action packed story that was never a moment dull. They travel to a lot of different places/countries, so if you like that in your stories, you will enjoy this novel. I had some minor issues with the love interests in the story, but nothing too bad. Since I heard this series is only going to consist of two books, I'm certainly planning on reading the next book as well!

 

The progeny is the first in a duology titled 'Descendants of the Blood Countess'.

 

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!