Reviews from the Based Book Sale
Post will update as I review 'em! Reviews also posted to Amazon.
The Based Book Sale is a sale of alternative fiction, largely in the scifi/fantasy domain, over Thanksgiving weekend. All books are for sale either completely free, or for $0.99. I’ve taken it on myself to review as many books from it as I can read over the weekend, particularly ones lacking Amazon reviews as of time of reading. Here you go!
The Santara Commentaries by Michael P. Marpaung.
Military Sci-fi meets Wyvern Riders. Epic and Awesome.
5 stars
Imagine the tactical military sci-fi of Jerry Pournelle, e.g. in Janissaries. Take that tactical mindset, put it in the mind of an amnesiac protagonist, and have him direct a motley crew of 17th-century soldiers including swordsmen, musketeers, cannon, wyvern cavalry, elemental magic blasters riding pegasi, and more, against an evil empire. Set this all in an alternate history version of the many islands of Indonesia.
Epic? Yes. Awesome? Yes. Wargame-nerd well thought out strategies, tactics, and battles? Definitely in this book.
I had the worry reading through it that the protagonist would have too much plot armor for the military realism to come through. I would say that's not the case. The book goes through its twists and turns, with epic battles, military strategy, and practical politics. And I never saw the ending coming.
Fans of tactical military S.F. and fans of fantasy battles in the style of Lord of the Rings will all find something to love in this book.
Heartwarming, Epic, and massively entertaining
5 stars
Imagine you had limited change-the-past time travel. What would you do with it?
Somehow, Henry Brown’s answer to this question is different, and more heartwarming, than any I’ve previously read. We end up with a coming of age story from late childhood to adulthood, happening across multiple decades and timelines of the past century of U.S. history and beyond. But this isn’t to say this is just some story about adolescent romance and having Junior High friends. The stakes are high, and we have an epic multi-timeline time travel save-the-world story on top.
This is not a book for those who faint at anything which contradicts the prevailing political correctness of 2024, or whatever the current year is when you read this review. Henry Brown’s respect for the wisdom of the past, the pluses and minuses of every decade the story visits, and the ups and downs of US culture shine throughout the story. If you’re someone who respects the past and can admit that every decade gets things wrong, including your own, this is a book for you.
NOT-IN-AMAZON-REVIEW A slightly non-review aside: one of the gripes I have about systems which reward serialized content (I’m looking at you, Amazon) is that they end up gamed by endless non-terminating serials which go nowhere. This isn’t the case here. The stories have a definite progression and bring things to an ending, and paying $0.99 cents for the 1500+ pages of fun, action, and adventure this occurs in is a steal.
Infinite Singularity by Jonathon Blasner (is he
under one of a million pen names? Mysterious!)
Rudy Rucker and Cixin Liu meet Dan Brown
5 stars
Occasionally, I read a novel for which I am clearly the target demographic, and I feel compelled to give it five stars.
The book starts with discovery--an earth-shaking one in the style of Rucker or Liu's fiction. The motivation of the character is well-written and the nuts-and-bolts discovery process is gripping and interesting--not an easy feat in writing!
We quickly shift to a Dan Brown type thriller, as the protagonist realizes the earth-shaking implications and the potential effect on his real life from bad actors, and the rest of the world in the wrong hands. Keeping himself alive and his discovery under wraps becomes a driving motivator.
We then go into the interstellar part of the story, something I've been a sucker for since E. E. Doc Smith's Skylark of Space. Here you may disagree with the protagonist's choices, or find the dialogue excessively utopian, but they are presented in a well-motivated way.
None of the above are spoilers if you read the product description--but what might be news is that they're all fairly well executed.
While I give it five stars, there are a couple considerations that might give someone pause:
The main character is an atheist, which only comes out in two lines of the book. But the two lines are unnecessary and unnecessarily insulting to those who may not agree with him, and should perhaps have been edited out.
There is a steamy scene or two, going on perhaps multiple pages which I skipped through. It appears to be necessary to the plot, but you may dislike the level of prose attention it receives.
All in all a great book, with well-considered moral and practical theorizing regarding excessively powerful discoveries.
My review of Space Pirates of Andromeda ($0.99 for the weekend!) is here:
My last two books are also on sale as part of this sale. God Emperor Trump is *FREE* Friday, Saturday, and Monday ($0.99 otherwise) and The Return of Woke-Masmoke is $0.99. If you like ‘em, give ‘em a review!
My newest publication, out today:
Wow! Thanks for the review, Brian. And as to whether or not Jonathan Blasner is me... I will only say I do not have a million pen names. I believe the number is closer to fifty.
Hi Brian. This is a pleasant surprise. Thanks for the kind words. And I'm glad you enjoyed The Santara Commentaries :)
Do you mind if I use your review elsewhere (eg my Substack)?