RaveThe Nerd DailyFor a shorter book, this story packs an incredible punch. Light Chaser comes in at 173 pages, yet it is epic and expansive, taking us through worlds and lifetimes in rapid succession. Rather than feeling rushed or lacking, the prose is razor sharp, carving out exactly what we need to understand the world and the technology while propelling us forward ... This is a book fans will come back to again and again, as each reading offers more details of things we missed or misunderstood. It may be a short story, but there’s no denying that it’s a powerful one.
Neil Sharpson
RaveThe Nerd DailyA stunning debut featuring a futuristic utopian nightmare that feels plucked from history ... a complex examination of identity, technology, power, and control ... Take out the artificial intelligence running the world and the book almost feels like historical fiction. Or even more frightening, a realistic near future. However, Sharpson makes sure that while we very much are rooted in the backwards country, we never forget all the ways the world has advanced around it ... a slow-burn novel that takes threads we didn’t even know we were holding and pulls them together as we careen towards a shocking end. This is a novel fans will want to read again, picking up the subtle clues overlooked the first time. The political commentary is timely but timeless. As the world divides around us in real time, it’s easy to see alarming similarities in leaders and policies taking shape. The story is layered and nuanced, filled with complicated characters that opens conversations rooted in our past, present, and future. It’s a brilliant mirror to our reality packaged in a fast-paced sci-fi plot.
Olivia Chadha
RaveThe Nerd DailyIn this fast-paced dystopia, Olivia Chadha transports us to a climate ravaged future in South Asia. Rise of the Red Hand is filled with complex characters, a deeply flawed and divided society, and technology with searing ramifications ... From beginning to end, Rise of the Red Hand is an intense ride. Chadha introduces us to the world layer by layer as Ashiva goes on a smuggling run. It’s a smart way to blend the details of the world without halting the nonstop forward momentum of the plot ... This mix of plot, world-building, and technology is consistent throughout every facet of the book, which all place it firmly in the hard science fiction genre ... Rise of the Red Hand throws the reader into the melee immediately and doesn’t stop, even when we reach the end. It’s a book that will leave readers breathless and ready to dive in again to catch the details they may have missed.
Sam J. Miller
RaveThe Nerd Daily... chilling ... [a] stunning and in-depth examination into the complexity of gentrification. Miller does an incredible job showing the vast array of perspectives this shift has on everyone in Hudson ... while this is supernatural fiction, the fact that this is how hate works will strike deep within readers and resonate long after the pages end ... For all of the heartbreak and misery we endure, Miller doesn’t give us a world without hope. Unlike other supernatural fiction, where there is a curse to break or a demon to slay, Miller gives the power to the individuals within the story, and in turn, us ... a ghost story, but it’s so much more. It’s a story about facing the worst in ourselves and deciding if we’re good enough. It’s about forgiveness and progress and compromise. It takes the very worst of humanity, our violent and bloodied histories, and gives us permission to choose not to be defined by them. The horror doesn’t hold back and at times this book can be gory and violent, but the truly chilling and horrifying elements are how human these ghosts are when they exact their vengeance ... Anyone looking for a book with layers woven in the plot and nuance written in every page will quickly fall in love with Miller’s writing, and fans of dynamic stories filled with spine-tingling terrors that propel them to the end will be equally enamoured. The Blade Between takes us on a ride into the dark depths of human nature, but it also shows us the power we have within ourselves to change and grow in all the ways that matter.
