Author of Fiction
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Review of Sound, by Shelley Workinger
0144 days
by Andrew Carlson
in Book Reviews
Shelley Workinger delivers another great novel with Sound, the finale (?) of the Solid series.
The story starts with Clio dealing with the fall-out of the events from Settling, and then jumps into the new event to deal with.
The pace of the novel is fast—something we’ve come to expect and enjoy with these books. Turn to the first page and buckle up for the ride. If you’ve read the previous two stories, you’ll feel like you’ve been dropped right back in the camp and haven’t missed a beat.
I won’t spoil any part of the plot, but will say that the climax sneaks up on you. You’re waiting for it and then BAM! And through dealing with the crisis du jour, Clio and her friends resolve their issues, tie up the past and look to the future.
If I have only one criticism, it’s that I think we could have learned a lot more about Clio and her circle of friends. Of course, that would require 2-3 more books.
Although this is the conclusion to the Solid trilogy, I hope that Shelley will consider starting a new trilogy to take readers on a continuing ride through the next stage of Clio and her friends’ lives.
On my ‘scientific’ rating scale of 0-100 degrees Celsius, with 100 degrees being boiling (red-hot awesome), Solid reaches 95 degrees C. A great read!
Blind Sight
3458 days
by Andrew Carlson
in Book Reviews
I want to thank Eliabeth Hawthorne and Ermisenda Alvarez for asking me to review their Blind Sight novels (Through the Eyes of Aniela Dawson & Leocardo Reyes) that are to be released March 1st.
Blind Sight is a unique and very engaging pair of books. (Yes, pair.) It’s the same story told from the perspective of two different characters who start on seprate paths that later start interacting and finally come together as one at the climax.
Each book could stand on it’s own as a good novel and be read independent of the other. The protagonists each follow their own arcs through their story–Aniela’s shown from her perspective, Leocardo’s shown from his. But the two books read together as one are much more meaningful than the individuals. The combination of the two gives the plot multiple dimensions that make it that much more captivating and enjoyable. Imagine a movie shot from two different camera angles (two different characters’ points of view) and you get to watch both versions. That’s Blind Sight.
You, the reader, see the arrival of Leocardo and his sister, Odette, on the island of Edaion and watch them try to adjust to their new world. Meanwhile, you see Aniela adjust to her young adult life as a member of one of the most established families on the island. And as their paths start crossing, with Odette and her gift as the common element, you watch Ana and Leo discover each other’s past while coping with the present situation. And they’re mutual desire to help Odette ultimately brings them together as love interests. (No spoilers–you’ll have to read to see how it turns out.)
I definitely recommend Blind Sight. Put both of these novels on your to-read lists! The hardest decison you’ll have to make regarding Blind Sight is which one to start with.
Tom’s Awesome Review of Sue’s Fingerprint
0562 days
Please take a minute to read Tom’s review of Sue’s Fingerprint from TopShelf Reviews.
When mysterious goo begins turning up all across America the Department of Homeland Security sends veteran Ted Stevens to look into the matter. Ted and a small team of scientists uncover the government’s worst fear, an alien life form with the ability to clone itself into any living mammal it comes in contact with. Now, it’s a race against the clock as Ted and his team must contain the situation and keep the truth from the public to prevent global panic.
With so many questions still unanswered, the team is suddenly faced with a human clone – Sue. As other clones are rounded up it’s up to Ted to keep them safe until he can figure out where they came from and why they are here. With no memory or knowledge of anything before their transformation, the clones are isolated on an abandoned air base and forbidden any contact with the outside world. They look to Sue to bring them together.
Over the course of time Ted witnesses the love and concern their charges share for one another and his team, demonstrating the humanity within this clone community. Meanwhile government officials fear a sinister alien plot and contemplate how far to take their ‘damage control’ protocols, leaving Ted and his small band desperate to find the truth.
Faced with a decision to trust in the human spirit or tow the government line, what Ted must do will irrevocably change all their lives. But, ultimately, it will be Sue’s fingerprint that decides the fate of the clones, and quite possibly mankind.
This science fiction work is a fantastic story of relationships, trust, and our most universal desire for freedom. It’s a story to share with your whole family.
20-year veteran scientist, Andrew Carlson makes his author debut with Sue’s Fingerprint, a young adult science fiction containing more warmth and charm than you’ll find in most novels in the genre. It’s difficult to believe that this is his first offering because the story flows with a grace that puts many mass-market veterans to shame. Clearly science plays
a role in explaining the fiction but the creativity makes it a certain page-turner.
Carlson’s ability to build his characters in a way that connects them with the reader is something many accomplished authors find difficult. He clearly establishes Ted and Sue as main characters but deftly introduces a supporting cast of people you probably know from your day to day personal experiences. Carlson avoids common rookie mistakes with plot and
character development, keeping the story lines smooth, logical, and easy to follow. The fast pace and concise approach naturally introduces enough suspense to make it nearly impossible to put down.
While it may be billed as a book for young adults, this older adult thoroughly enjoyed Andrew Carlson’s maiden voyage with a hope that he’ll continue this path, and that someone takes a chance to see what this story would look like on the big or small screen.
Sad to say that I can only give Carlson’s story five stars because it’s one you definitely have to try. It’s just in time for the holidays and will make a wonderful family experience.
Not only am I flattered and honored by this review, but I also love how Tom recorgnized the all-ages appeal of my book. I wrote the book to be enjoyable for teens and adults. So I’m happy that he mentioned it.
And I also like his suggestion that my book be made into a movie! If anyone wants to help me make a connection with someone in the film industry, I’d be thrilled! 
I certainly live in the right city for it. But alas, there’s probably not enough violence and nudity for Hollywood. It’s still a cool story though!
Please visit Tom’s blog and support him and his reviews! Thanks!
NovelOpinion’s Review of Sue’s Fingerprint
0582 days
Please take the time to visit Tammy’s review of Sue’s Fingerprint at her NovelOpinion Blog. Her review is spot-on!
Tammy correctly understood my intent in writing my book and it’s message. Here’s an excerpt from her review:
This type of story is my favorite type of Science Fiction. An event that produces extraordinary results which could prove disasterous. A team of scientists experimenting, speculating and debating the purpose of the event and the government trying to conceal and control it. In the case of Sue’s Fingerprint, the presence of the clones poses the obvious risk of panic. The unknown is an automatic enemy and the people closest to these clones are rightfully wary however, with time, they cannot see anything other than human behavior and emotion from them.
The story becomes a type of analogy to human rights. Rights of the innocent. In the case of the clones, are they genetically different from their original counterpart? If not, then do we have the right to lock them up and treat them as the enemy?
I have to give the concept of this story a 4+ star rating. The 3.5 star final rating is due to the lack of complexity in some of the characters. I also found the telling of the story to be a bit simplistic as well.
Having said that, I have worked with several people in the scientific community. Oftentimes these men and women tend to dumb things down a bit for us regular folk. Andrew D. Carlson has an extensive background in science and there is a possibility that that is the case.
In conclusion I like where Mr. Carlson is going. This is his debut novel, there was meat in the story. I am going to be watching him because I have a feeling he is going to be one of my favorites.
I recommend this to all fictions lovers, science and other!
Please visit Tammy’s blog and follow her reviews. Thanks!
Nina at Death Books and Tea
0598 days
I want to thank Nina from Death Books and Tea for her awesome review of Sue’s Fingerprint!
You can read her review at Death Books and Tea. Please visit her (and Katy’s) website to read reviews! You can find a badge for her blog further down on this page (on the right). You won’t be dissapointed!
You can also follow Nina on Goodreads. Add a comment telling her how much you liked her review of Sue’s Fingerprint! 
Stay tuned for more reviews
0636 days
Maybe it’s presumptuous… but I think more reviews of Sue’s Fingerprint will be coming soon.
Look at ComaCalm’s Corner, Blatant Biblioholic, The Book Geek and Goodreads over the next few weeks!
Also coming early next year (when my book works it’s way through their respective queues), reviews by Inklings Read and Kevin at Sift Reviews
Review of The Chosen by Shay Fabbro
2640 days
by Andrew Carlson
in Book Reviews
First; a little background. I met Shay on Twitter. She found me through my tweets about my book, Sue’s Fingerprint. She read my profile and discovered another scientist-turned-author.
I put her book, The Chosen, into my to-read queue and finally got around to reading it.
The Chosen is an Earth-and-other-planet-based science fiction story. It’s a story of youth pre-destined to save the galaxy. The story lines on each of the planets progress independently until they converge as planned by the Guardians. The five Chosen on each of four planets are selected by their Guardian to be special students. They know they are special on their home world, but they have no idea about their greater purpose. Only the Guardians know.
Most of the book follows the journeys and development of the Chosen on their planets. We learn about their strengths and weaknesses, and we see them interact with their teachers and each other. This view of each planet and each student sets up the story for the conclusion when they come together for their greater purpose.
The story moved at a good pace; slow enough to learn the characters, but fast enough to stay interesting. At times, however, the names and individual identities of the characters were confusing. The author is juggling 24 main characters, along with the supporting cast on Gentra and the other four planets, so it was hard to remember the names of the characters and their traits in the early parts of the book. Some were more memorable than others. By the end of the book, I had a more clear picture.
As I approached the end of the book, I kept waiting for ultimate goal for which The Chosen were pre-destined. As the pages went by, I thought there might be a quick Ender-type ending where the Chosen reached their goal without really knowing they had until it was over. But that’s not how it ended. The book was clearly written as part one of at least two in the series. The Chosen ended like a to-be-continued cliffhanger. I didn’t get any resolution to the converging stories which I had expected. I wish this first book would have ended with some more defined milestone that could stand on it’s own; such as “training is complete, now prepare for your journey together”. Instead, it felt like the book simply ended, like a tv program that ends during a commercial break.
The imagery and character descriptions in The Chosen were very well written. I could easily picture the scenery and action described in the book. Shay’s imagination is very vivid and she can paint a wonderful picture.
If you like fiction and fantasy, this is a good book, and a good series for you.
On my scientific (geeky) rating scale of 0-100 degrees Celcius (0 being frozen, 100 being red-hot boiling), The Chosen is 70 degrees C
