Book Review: Knight Errant (Knights of the Flaming Star Book 1)

Amazon Cover (for audiobook)

Knight Errant (Knights of the Flaming Star Book One) by Paul Barrett and Steve Murphy

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON

Some days your past just won’t stay buried, not even among the stars….

The Knights of the Flaming Star are an elite space mercenary company, one of the best in the business, no matter which star system you’re in. But when an old friend turned arch-nemesis lays a careful trap for them, their leader Hawk falls right into it.

Well, he never could resist a pretty face. Or a good fight. And now he’s got both.

The Knights go from one end of known space to the other hunting down the people who are trying to smear their good name, chase down the folks that want to kill them, and maybe. Just maybe, bury the ghosts of their past once and for all.

Knight Errant is the first book in the thrilling space opera series Knights of the Flaming Star from rising stars Steve Murphy and Paul Barrett. With a Firefly-style band of lovable misfits and Star Wars-level action, Knight Errant is a rollicking space adventure story for a new generation.

 

MY REVIEW

A multiplanet ranging space opera with long-standing feuds, cyber-wear addicts, sleek spaceships, and mustard-eating aliens. Following the Knights of the Flaming Star as they do good provided a delightful couple days of reading.

Fun, if a little predictable to people who love this genre. One of the things I liked best is the good guys have to break into places quietly several times and not once were the obstacles they face the same – Everything from animals to old-fashion mechanical barriers, guards to locks. Great problem-solving!

I did find the cyber-magic a lot overpowerful and hope the next book has bad guys with these abilities. Superman needs to face off Superman. On the other hand, the equation magic is really, really cool!!!

Flash: When the Stars Align

Image from freedigitalphotos.net

“Second moon rising.” Leo glances over at me.

“I see it,” I grunt as I continue to mess with the wires.

“You sure about this?” Taurus asks from where he leans against a bula-bula tree.

“You’re here, aren’t you?” I mutter. “When do you ever leave the house if you aren’t sure about it?”

He laughs. “But are you sure, Virga?”

“By the stars, of course I am sure.” I press the last of the wires into place then snap the soldering stick and shake it to heat the tip.

“Our little Virga is always sure, you know that Taurus.”

“So help me, I will solder you mouth shut Leo if you call me little one more time.”

“Little girl, little life, little soft lips.”

“Little patience.” The tip of the stick turns blue, so I tap my glasses, activating the safety feature and they mold to my face.

“Big boobs.” I see Taurus gesture like I have mammillarias the size of a cow, big enough to weigh down his huge hands. Leo makes some gesture back that sets Taurus laughing again.

Gemini arrives with Sagittarius and the first question out of her mouth is, “Did I miss anything?” Her fear of missing out was high.

“Is the city still lit?” Leo waves at the sprawling slums rising into rundown tenant shacks to somewhat sturdy worker class apartments, and finally the soaring sparkling towers of the ultrarich, the few middle-class dwellings hidden under their glare.

“Of course it is,” Gemini walks over to beside Leo at the edge of the cliff, while Sagittarius sits down beside me. “Damn, this is beautiful. Are we sure about this?”

“What is it with everyone?” I ask, setting the spent stick on the purple grass. “Look, if you want to back out now, this is the last moment.” We hadn’t made the kick-off box until now to prevent the damn Pisces psychics from seeing anything. With the soldering done, all the links were clicking in place.

Sagittarius places his hand behind my neck and massages my tight muscles. “We aren’t backing out now. We’ve tried everything else. ‘A riot is the language of the unheard.’ – Martin Luther King Jr.”

“It’s not exactly a riot, Sag.” Taurus argued. “We are turning off the electric to four million people.”

“’A populous never rebels from passion for attack, but from impatience of suffering.’ – Edmund Burke.” Our resident archer moves behind my back and starts massaging me in earnest. “We are only applying a little suffering. It’s fall – not too cold, not too hot. But maybe we will wake the sheep.”

“Careful,” I say, “I hurt my left shoulder earlier, don’t rub too hard.”

“Well, I’m tired of waiting. You all may be of two minds about this,” Leo strides over to where I sat. “Give it here and I will set it off.”

I happily pass him up the activator, taking a little enjoyment at watching the pompous ass juggle the hot object. After pulling his cardigan over his hand, he turns it over in his hand and nods. Returning to his previous position overlooking Skyfall, he announces, “Now they must hear us.” He snaps the switches close, completing the circuit.

After a few moments, with the skyline lights remaining unchanged, he turns the switches to their previous positions carefully then snaps the again. The rapidly switches them back and forth between what he obviously thought were the on and off positions. “Nothing’s happening!” he yells before yeeting the device over the cliff.

I’m not even mad.

I lean against Sagittarius and just say, “Wait for it.”

“Everything is in the right place.” Taurus reaffirms behind us.

Seconds later, a quarter of the Needle, the skyscraper belonging to the Greens, the FirstLanders family owning the terraforming machines who are inching the creation of agricultural land to maximize food prices without anyone *important* starving, flicks off. The west side slums follow. The Crown Cathedrals, owned by the Christians – purveyors of news, entertaining, and publishing, darken one after the other with their surrounding tenant slums. Only the Avery Tower is left of the ones we could figure out on the electric grid how to access.

The lights turn off from the bottom to the top, one floor at a time, with matching rays shooting out of blackness running through the poor sections as though reaching for the full moon opposite us. There will be no banking tomorrow until that gets sorted out. To the East side, the Vella Conglomerate remain shining. Of course the family running the government and governmental services made sure their stations were updated as soon as the rebels in Home-at-Last showed the weakness in the utility structure, but they didn’t bother spending the money they collected in taxes to protect anyone else.

That is going to come back to bite them if the Christian press agents interpret the clues we left for them to find correctly. Some FirstLander infighting will only help the cause.

“We did it.” Leo says.

“Of course we did.” I snap. “Have a little faith.”

Sagittarius stands, “Now we go. I shall miss you. ‘We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.’ – Tim McGraw.” He holds out a hand to help me up, which I need after being huddled over the switch since the first moonrise.

After shaking out my legs, I say. “I shall miss you too Sag, Bull.” I nod to each. “Gem.” I grab her in a huge hug.

“Virga.” She holds me tight in return.

“Hey, what about me?” Leo opens his arms wide.

I walk away to where I left my backpack giving him the finger behind me.

After the last year, I’m ready to go back to being just Elisa, electrical student at the Vella Training Grounds where Sagittarius had recruited me for his rebellion cell.

Being Elisa again would be nice. At least until those in power figure it out. Best guess, I might live to see tomorrow’s nightfall. If they find Leo first, we won’t last until dawn.

Behind me, I hear motors start for the richer members of our group. Taurus will be going back to wherever he came from on foot. Like me, he was recruited for just this mission. I slide on my backpack and turn around to stare at the half-lit cityscape. Fires brightened some of the darker areas as the riots start.

I did that. Me and Taurus really. We had the know-how they needed.

Now we are on our own again and their super-secret cell will hide among the rich and wealthy.

I shall miss Virga and all the excitement she brought to my life for the last year.

But I shall miss Elisa more. The me from birth.

I drop my IDs on the ground with the two of the trackers the elite put into workers, one for me and one for Taurus. He dug out mine and I dug out his before the bigwigs got here.

“This is the last moment.” I tell myself, looking at the pile. Am I really going to do this?

I pour acid over the batch. “Rest in peace Elisa.” I drop the plastic container that held the acid onto the pile then pull out my two backup solder sticks. Cracking them, I drop them onto the flammable acid and walk away quickly from the cliff and from my life in Skyfall.

(words 1,246; first published 12/24/2023)

When the Stars Align series

  1. When the Stars Align (12/24/2023)
  2. Against the Sky (1/7/2024)

Flash: What are they really trying to sell?

Image from freedigitalphotos.net

“Telly off.”

“Hey, I was watching that.” Karter complained to his mother.

She picked up two dishes, then stacked a third between them, showing off her skills as a human waitress. “And I told you, no screen time until your studies are done for the day.”

“I got it done, mostly. And what I didn’t finish isn’t important.” He flopped over on the floor to look up at her. “Consumer awareness is complete yesteryear.”

His mom’s eyes twitched, and her lips formed a flat line. “Fine, then tell me why that commercial, selling a car I couldn’t afford on two years hustling tables, and certainly not something you can buy at your age, showed up in your feed?”

“Um … because it is cool?” Sitting up, the fourteen-year-old looked around the room for clues. “Maybe related to a new three-dee-show?”

“That is a start. The HyundaiHondaHover is used a lot in Fifteen Rings over Cylan, but reverse the logic.” The adult lifted the plates. “I’m drop these into the cube and set dinner heating, but I expect a better answer by the time I get back or you will be on screen blackout tomorrow.”

“Aw mom, no, tomorrow is MechBattle.”

“Karter, this is important to me, and I believe it will be important to you in the future. Use that implant and gray matter to come up with something.” She stopped in the threshold and looked back. “I’m not being unreasonable. I know that is what you are thinking. But remember, I’m your mom. I’m always on your side even when it doesn’t feel like it. The sellers, with those commercials and ads, are not. Know who is your opposition and who is your support system.”

He rolled his eyes but activated the EdYou screen.

***

Karter made his way to the kitchen after the dinner ding came through. He discovered the reason why his mom hadn’t came back immediately was she had been folding laundry. Tucking his head down, he sat at the table. That folding and delivery chore should have been completed by him two days ago.

The near-beef stew with a side of real bread from her work smelled delicious. Automatically he reached for her hand across the small table.

“We remember to be grateful in the small things for they build the best parts of our lives. We remember to be grateful in the small acts for they build the best friendships of our lives. We remember to be grateful for the small ideas for they build the best principles of our lives. Confirm.”

“Confirm.” Karter solemnly closed the grace. Dropping his mom’s hand, he dug into his fourth calorie allotment of the day.

She let him eat about half before asking, “Do you have the report ready?”

“Hm, maybe. Obviously if it is an officially registered commercial, they are either advertising, selling a product or service, or marketing, selling a concept or reputation. Since we aren’t in the position to buy, under proper targeting for advertising, I shouldn’t have seen the flying car commercial.” He tore two more pieces of bread off his slice and dropped them into the soup and stirred it. “So the question is, what are they marketing?”

“And you had speculated maybe a movie or telly show.”

“But that isn’t right, because product placement would be doing the reverse, unless it is selling nostalgia like using old cars in shows.” He scrunched his nose. “Since the HyundaiHondaHover is a newer line, only two years old according to the implant download, and they are pushing next month’s model, the new show is selling the car, not the car selling the show. Like you said, reverse the logic.”

“You do listen to me sometimes. Good to know.” His mom smirk turned into a smile. “I appreciate your thinking so far. But you haven’t answered why are they dropping a commercial for a private car into the feed of a family only able to afford public transportation, and not even the special services like individual taxi and flame jumps, only the mass transport.”

“Well, if it isn’t advertising, it has to be marketing.” Karter used the last of his bread to empty the bowl, then jammed it in his mouth before he continued talking. “I don’t think it is the concept. We are aware of the flying cars using the flame streams to triple their speed. I’m sure they want to drop that in every now and again, so if we ever get insta-rich, we want to pick up one immediately. But the HyundaiHondaHover ads came on three times today, and there were another couple for the MercedesCadallicWind. I could see one or two every few days, but five in one day is a lot to aim at someone my age.”

“Just how long were you on screen today?”

“Um, do you want me to answer that or finish the report?” Karter asked hopefully.

His mom pinched the bridge of her nose. “Finish the report.”

“Since it isn’t a concept, it has to be reputation.” He pushed his bowl to the center of the table frowning. “They want us to WANT flying cars even when we can’t afford them. They want us to desire things beyond our ability, to make them more valuable to people who can afford them because other people can’t. Make some people feel better when other people are hungering after the idea they have access to, the small ideas. But this twists the small ideas, corrupting people’s principles with envy, instead of the pillars of support, growth, and beauty.” Karter looked at his mom. “That is some premium grade therapy-need.”

“Yes, and they also take it further.” His mother stacked her bowl into his and stood up from the table, moving the dishes over to the washer cube for loading. “They will sell you models of the cars, clothing with the design, and posters for the walls, all to keep you aware of what you want but can’t have, and have you pay for the privilege because they own the idea and image. But, you know, Consumer Awareness is a boring, unimportant subject. It’s okay to blow it off and support the mega-corps products.”

“Mom, I haven’t been dipping on the psychology classes; reverse-pysch is complete yesteryear.”

“I accept correction.” Having finished loading and activating the washing cube, his mom leaned against the counter. “But I do have one last inquiry before you put away the laundry.”

Karter rolled his eyes and groaned.

“Are you going to continue to dip on the Consumer Awareness?”

“Do you think that they will continue to hit me up to ride the envy flame?”

“They hit you five times today.” She shook her head in annoyance. “No screen time tomorrow until ALL your studies are done. But, let me tell you as someone with a few more years living the marketing stream, they hope you don’t bother with your studies, and if you do, they hope that they can wear you down with a constant stream. They want you to want a flying car really badly. And other stuff like it.”

Karter glanced around their small eating room before he said, “I would like a flying car.”

“So would I.”

(words 1,206; first published 12/10/2023)

Book Review (SERIES): The Interdependency

John Scalzi knows how to write. If you like science fiction, the Interdependency is for you.

The Interdependency series by John Scalzi

  1. The Collapsing Empire
  2. The Consuming Fire
  3. The Last Emperox

Amazon Cover

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE COLLAPSING EMPIRE

Our universe is ruled by physics. Faster than light travel is impossible—until the discovery of The Flow, an extradimensional field available at certain points in space-time, which can take us to other planets around other stars.

Riding The Flow, humanity spreads to innumerable other worlds. Earth is forgotten. A new empire arises, the Interdependency, based on the doctrine that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It’s a hedge against interstellar war—and, for the empire’s rulers, a system of control.

The Flow is eternal—but it’s not static. Just as a river changes course, The Flow changes as well. In rare cases, entire worlds have been cut off from the rest of humanity. When it’s discovered that the entire Flow is moving, possibly separating all human worlds from one another forever, three individuals—a scientist, a starship captain, and the emperox of the Interdependency—must race against time to discover what, if anything, can be salvaged from an interstellar empire on the brink of collapse.

 

MY REVIEW for THE COLLAPSING EMPIRE

When an Empire is built on certain things, like regular crops, the backs of serfs, or an intragalatic Flow (think gulf stream or jet stream – where people used the quick travel benefit long before they understood how fluid dynamics on a global scale worked), and the certain things break, The Collapsing Empire results.

John Scalzi has nailed this tragic tale with his normal snide humor (toned down just enough for the disaster about to ensue).

It’s a tale as old as time. Viking populations grew doubling and tripling during a couple centuries of warm weather and active crops in the north; when the weather changed stopped, Vikings started raiding instead of trading as their people starved to death and eventually escaped to warmer climates except for a few hardy souls unable to leave their home. The Incas, Feudal Europe, and the Roman Empire all fell because plague wiped out communication (messengers) and food production (serfs/slaves) – it didn’t matter if the healthy rich remained when all the fields are fallow.

Now the Interdependency will fall as the Flow slows and stops.

The results will be hideous for a culture artificially sustained for a thousand years by forcing interdependency between systems – no single system can survive on its own by design. A far-flung gestalt of independent (yet interdependent) space stations and bio-domes on inhospitable planets are about to be cut off from everything. Machines will fail as unavailable parts will prevent maintenance; food unable to grow in certain bio-spheres will mean rampant malnutrition as various required nutrients are not consumed (like citrus/vitamin C and scurvy); … the list goes on.

Mr. Scalzi has done an excellent job of setting up the world of The Collapsing Empire. I’m almost scared to follow this dark rabbit hole, even though I think he will concentrate on the areas where humanity will survive and succeed rather than the systems doomed to failure. The fact remains the world-building setup of this first novel of the series establishes the second and third world-building levels of the collapse and I will know what is happening “off-stage” without him needing to show it. (Great job!)

The question I hope will be asked by someone in book two is “If the Flow’s collapse can be tracked, can we predict where and how it will turn back on again?”

Note: One of the main characters speaks nearly exclusively with the f-word. I’ve run into this in about three or four books now by different authors. I really hope it is a phase the publishing industry gets over soon, because *tiresome*.

Note: One of the main characters uses money and position to force people into a situation where saying “no” to sex is impossible – people who work for this particular MC’s family mostly (think skanky boss). If the MC was male, readers would be up-in-arms. It should be no different because the MC is female. But she isn’t the sympathetic part of the MC cast (another female and male hold those slots).

The cast has two sympathetic, compassionate people (who you hope end up with each other). And two power-hungry monsters (and their clans) who hate each other and will be using the chaos of The Collapsing Empire to continuing their long-standing feud.

 

Amazon Cover

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE CONSUMING FIRE

The Interdependency—humanity’s interstellar empire—is on the verge of collapse. The extra-dimensional conduit that makes travel between the stars possible is disappearing, leaving entire systems and human civilizations stranded.

Emperox Grayland II of the Interdependency is ready to take desperate measures to help ensure the survival of billions. But arrayed before her are those who believe the collapse of the Flow is a myth—or at the very least an opportunity to an ascension to power.

While Grayland prepares for disaster, others are prepare for a civil war. A war that will take place in the halls of power, the markets of business and the altars of worship as much as it will between spaceships and battlefields.

The Emperox and her allies are smart and resourceful, as are her enemies. Nothing about this will be easy… and all of humanity will be caught in its consuming fire.

 

MY REVIEW for THE CONSUMING FIRE

The slow moving doomsday continues its avalanche down the slope of time at the Interdependency. The End doesn’t appear, but the teaser at the back of the kindle indicates we will return to this last bastion of humanity next round. Instead we get to see the Emperox in all her glory doing the backdoor maneuvering to save as much of humanity as possible and the forces in the Empire arrayed against her. We visit the scientists and see how science is always improving/changing theories as new information becomes available. And important to me: the skeevy relationships are replaced with consent.

Overall I like this book better than the first one. The characters continue to be developed. And the layers to the universe world-building are getting deeper and deeper. But not one moment do you think this is going to end up well, it is just a question of how bad will it be – remaining true to the premise.

 

Amazon Cover

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE LAST EMPEROX

The collapse of The Flow, the interstellar pathway between the planets of the Interdependency, has accelerated. Entire star systems—and billions of people—are becoming cut off from the rest of human civilization. This collapse was foretold through scientific prediction . . . and yet, even as the evidence is obvious and insurmountable, many still try to rationalize, delay and profit from, these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has ever known.

Emperox Grayland II has finally wrested control of her empire from those who oppose her and who deny the reality of this collapse. But “control” is a slippery thing, and even as Grayland strives to save as many of her people form impoverished isolation, the forces opposing her rule will make a final, desperate push to topple her from her throne and power, by any means necessary. Grayland and her thinning list of allies must use every tool at their disposal to save themselves, and all of humanity. And yet it may not be enough.

Will Grayland become the savior of her civilization . . . or the last emperox to wear the crown?

 

MY REVIEW for THE LAST EMPEROX

While there is life, there is hope.

The Interdependency will fall. A failed experiment that lasted a thousand years, rising from the ashes of its predecessor and the predecessor before then. Humanity continues, but living in interesting times means no guarantee of a large portion of humanity continuing.

Unless we work at it, together. Science needs groups work. Creation requires group work. Saving people requires group work. Selfishness can only exist within the construct of acknowledging community is the strongest human survival trait. The Interdependency was built on this concept, a lesson taught in every classroom, every business, every guild.

Some people don’t listen to lessons.

Will the willful ignorant prevail or will those that fight the good fight even when faced with defeat continue?

Thus ends the Interdependency series – read to find the answer.

Flash: Red Skies at Night

Photo from Unsplash

The world exploded on July Fourth, and not in a good way but in an anti-independence day kind-of way. The aliens didn’t care about our drama. Not about Trump having secret documents in a bathroom, not about training AI by stealing creativity instead of programming grunt-work, and certainly not whether kids or guns are more important to have in the classroom. The aliens brought their own drama.

It’s like when the neighbors down the street have a screaming argument in the yard. Only in our skies.

Problem is, just like the neighbors, they didn’t stay down the street. They landed.

(words 100 – first published 7/2/2023)