Release Date: 12/07/16
Publisher: Century
SYNOPSIS:
The Emperor is dead, and the remnants of his former Empire are in retreat. As the New Republic fights to restore a lasting peace to the galaxy, some dare to imagine new beginnings and new destinies. For Han Solo, that means settling his last outstanding debt, by helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee’s homeworld of Kashyyyk.
Meanwhile, Norra Wexley and her band of Imperial hunters pursue Grand Admiral Rae Sloane and the Empire’s remaining leadership across the galaxy. Even as more and more officers are brought to justice, Sloane continues to elude the New Republic, and Norra fears Sloane may be searching for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. But the hunt for Sloane is cut short when Norra receives an urgent request from Princess Leia Organa. The attempt to liberate Kashyyyk has carried Han Solo, Chewbacca, and a band of smugglers into an ambush―resulting in Chewie’s capture and Han’s disappearance.
Breaking away from their official mission and racing toward Kashyyyk, Norra and her crew prepare for any challenge that stands between them and their missing comrades. But they can’t anticipate the true depth of the danger that awaits them―or the ruthlessness of the enemy drawing them into his crosshairs.
REVIEW:
Sadly I have to say that this outing for the Star War’s Universe is a title that I personally felt didn’t need to be published. It was lacking material, felt full of fluffy stuffing with no substance and all round left me thinking that this was a title that would have been better being condensed into more of a short story rather than a full title.
Yes if you’re a War’s fan you might like this but for the options that were available during the time period, it’s a book that really could have had way more going for it than was delved into. All round if you have to read this book, borrow it from the library and save your money as for me, its got to be a bargain bucket offering to even make it worth considering for any reader. A huge disappointment and sadly a book that I will not associate with Chuck’s usually stellar work.
Release Date: 10/09/15
Publisher: Century
SYNOPSIS:
Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The second Death Star has been destroyed, the Emperor killed, and Darth Vader struck down. Devastating blows against the Empire, and major victories for the Rebel Alliance. But the battle for freedom is far from over.
As the Empire reels from its critical defeats at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance―now a fledgling New Republic―presses its advantage by hunting down the enemy’s scattered forces before they can regroup and retaliate. But above the remote planet Akiva, an ominous show of the enemy’s strength is unfolding. Out on a lone reconnaissance mission, pilot Wedge Antilles watches Imperial Star Destroyers gather like birds of prey circling for a kill, but he’s taken captive before he can report back to the New Republic leaders.
Meanwhile, on the planet’s surface, former rebel fighter Norra Wexley has returned to her native world―war weary, ready to reunite with her estranged son, and eager to build a new life in some distant place. But when Norra intercepts Wedge Antilles’s urgent distress call, she realizes her time as a freedom fighter is not yet over. What she doesn’t know is just how close the enemy is―or how decisive and dangerous her new mission will be.
Determined to preserve the Empire’s power, the surviving Imperial elite are converging on Akiva for a top-secret emergency summit―to consolidate their forces and rally for a counterstrike. But they haven’t reckoned on Norra and her newfound allies―her technical-genius son, a Zabrak bounty hunter, and a reprobate Imperial defector―who are prepared to do whatever they must to end the Empire’s oppressive reign once and for all.
REVIEW:
Chuck for me is an author that I either really get behind with a novel or one that leaves me feeling a little out in the cold and whilst I do tend to have a lot of fun reading the books that expand the universe, this one left me feeling a little cheated as it felt a little off kilter as (with it being the opener in a series) had to deal with a lot of issues of bringing the cast together alongside the greater universal effect of the fall of the Empire.
It’s a hard book to read and whilst I did make it through I did find that the overall effect of the novel was fairly muted not giving me a breakneck pace that I wanted. Yes there were moments of pulse thumping action but for me, these were few and far between leaving me trudging along a lot of the time. Here’s hoping that it picks up in the second book now that a lot of the background and hard work has been established in this one. However if there’s no real character development, I won’t be returning for the third.
Release Date: 09/05/13
Publisher: Abaddon
SYNOPSIS:
Five years ago, it all went wrong for Cason Cole. He lost his wife and son, lost everything, and was bound into service to a man who chews up human lives and spits them out, a predator who holds nothing dear and respects no law. Now, as the man he both loves and hates lies dying at his feet, the sounds of the explosion still ringing in his ears, Cason is finally free.
The gods and goddesses are real. A many-headed pantheon—a tangle of divine hierarchies—once kept the world at arm's length, warring with one another for mankind's belief and devotion. It was a grim and bloody balance, but a balance just the same. When one god triumphed, driving all other gods out of Heaven, it was back to the bad old days: cults and sycophants, and the terrible retribution the gods visit on those who spite them.
None of which is going to stop Cason from getting back what's his...
REVIEW:
I love an Urban Fantasy Story that’s a little different to the norm, some are cutting edge, some take the reader into a world that they never expected and some lead the way in a new direction. What this title by Chuck does is delivers a murder mystery to the reader by bringing in a whole set of characters that leaves the reader feeling uncomfortable, not purely because of the otherness about them but because of their abilities to mess with the minds of mankind.
It’s hard hitting, it’s straight to the point and thrusts the reader into a tangled web right from the get go. It’s definitely hardcore and whilst this book wasn’t for me, I think that there will be a fair few out there that will love this style (perhaps the best way to describe it is a Marmite book, you’ll love or hate it.) The lead character within has flaws, he’s made hard choices, sacrifices and above all else indentured himself into this dark world for pure motives.
Throw him into the darkening despair that the opening sequence gives to him alongside the wonder of whether he’s mad or not all round gives the book a flair for the dramatic.
Release Date: 10/11/11
SYNOPSIS:
Coburn's been dead now for close to a century, but seeing as how he's a vampire and all, it doesn t much bother him. Or at least it didn't, not until he awoke from a forced five-year slumber to discover that most of human civilization was now dead but not dead like him, oh no. See, Coburn likes blood. The rest of the walking dead, they like brains. He's smart. Them, not so much. But they outnumber him by about a million to one. And the clotted blood of the walking dead cannot sustain him. Now he's starving. And nocturnal. And more hacked-off than a bee-stung rattlesnake. The vampire not only has to find human survivors (with their sweet, sweet blood), but now he has to transition from predator to protector after all, a man has to look after his food supply.
REVIEW:
I love a good horror story that takes an established convention and then turns it on its head so when I heard about this story from Abaddon where you had a Vampire fighting Zombies to protect his food supply (the humans) I was really looking forward to it landing. Firstly because I thought it was a clever idea and secondly because it was appearing in an established series so I thought that most of the world building was done so that the tale could get down to the real nitty-gritty of the story.
Sadly however the story that I read fell far short of my expectations. Why?
Well, the principle character of Coburn was detestable as well as arrogant with no redeeming traits for me. I really didn’t care about him and when you added what felt like smart alec dialogue as well as prose this rather than encouraging me in, left me feeling cheated and annoyed. A great shame to be honest as I loved the concept but one bad book does not sower a series so here’s hoping that the next one picks up.
