Book Probe reviews sci-fi books so you don’t have to. Buy these. They’re good.
The Illustrated World of Tolkien by David Day
This is a very cool hardcover where artists talk about Tolkien and how his work inspired their work.
It’s also a handbook of Tolkien creatures and characters.
Reading the artists’ insights and seeing their interpretations of these legendary figures is a joy, and their creativity is infectious.
Like Gollum and the One Ring, you will need to grab this right away.
It’s also possible that possessing this book will drive you bonkers like Gollum. But don’t throw it into a volcano. It’s too precious.
Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights
This is an anthology of fantasy adventure stories, and they are good stuff whether you play the game Dragon Age or not — it’s classic, good ol’ fashioned fantasy action, with elves and magic and monsters and such.
This book could get newbies into playing Dragon Age, so then it would be doing its job. If you’re already playing the game, this book is tailor-made for you because you already know where Tevinter is.
I have a tiny criticism of the book’s title.
The book title, “Tevinter Nights,” seems to suggest that these stories will be dark and sexy, but they are not. Well, any more than usual for Dragon Age stories. Maybe I’m thinking of “Baywatch Nights” starring the legendary David Hasselhoff.
Black Leviathan by Bernd Perplies
This one is Moby Dick, but with dragons.
There. You just bought a copy.
If you didn’t, dude, I don’t think I can help you.
The fanatical ship captain hunts The Firstborn Gargantuan, which I have to say is a better name for Moby-Dick than “Moby-Dick.” Sorry, Herman Melville.
Besides all that, this is an absolutely thrilling fantasy adventure, with dragons and fighting and more dragons. You know, the good stuff.
Voice of the Sword by John Paul Catton
This is the first book in a trilogy, and luckily, the other two books are already out, so you don’t have to wait for author John Paul Catton to eat, sleep, or spend time with his family while he’s writing them.
It’s good stuff. It’s clearly inspired by some genres of anime, and Catton’s writing shows the affection he has for those works; here, he has made his own in book form.
The female hero is an incredible character, a high school student caught in between a war between factions that include creatures from Japanese mythology. The story contains outlandish action, weirdness, and outlandishly weird action.
Creating the tone of the visual medium of anime with just words, I would imagine, would be an uphill struggle, but the author makes it happen in excellent fashion here.
I can’t wait to read more from this author; luckily, he has plenty of published works to keep me going. But that doesn’t get him off the hook. Back to work, Catton!
Ruthless (Eye of the Beholder Book 3) by Sarah Tarkoff
You’ll need to read the first two books in this series first, but I recommend that you do that because they’re good.
I’ll wait right here.
Hey! See, what’d I tell you? Good stuff.
This one is about a woman fighting against a government conspiracy that convince people that the Great Spirit saved humanity and now we’re living in a post-salvation world where you toe the line or you get got (I’m paraphrasing.)
Author Sarah Tarkoff has done this style of awesomeness before and I did not know it until after I had finished the series — Tarkoff wrote for some of my favorite things: The TV show Arrow and the Arrowverse cartoons The Ray and Vixen.
The story is mind-bending and thrilling, with deeply detailed characters. Book 3 is cathartic and exhilarating, a worthy conclusion and a terrific, satisfying finale.
Puzzler’s War (Tarakan Chronicles #2) by Eyal Kless
Author Eyal Kless is a classical violinist, but he can whomp up a sci-fi adventure novel, too.
This one is a sequel to the first one, so you’ll need to read that one first. This one I like better. That is to say, the first one is really good, too — but this one ramps up the action and the adventure, and the motley crew of companions mucking about in a future where everything went into the pooper.
(That’s the technical definition of a dystopia, by the way.)
It’s fun, thrilling, and well worth a read.
Warlord (Makaum War #3) by Mel Odom
This story is the third in a series, but it’s not vital to read the first two. I recommend that you do, because they’re fun like this one is fun.
This series reminds me of the Mack Bolan Stony Man series, the paperback action novels that 80s kiddos like me found in dog-eared copies from our libraries or in pristine, good-smelling copies from Waldenbooks.
I mean that comparison as a high compliment. These books are sci-fi war novels with gritty intensity and bombastic action and quotable dialogue while the heroes blast aliens.
I haven’t read much from the author Mel Odom, but now I need to. Preferably, while listening to an 80s movie soundtrack on cassette.
EDIT: My mind is blown. After I finished writing this review, I looked up Mel Odom. He has FOR REAL written Mack Bolan books. That is awesome. Now I have even more books to dig up.
Scarlet Odyssey by C.T. Rwizi
This is a heroic quest story with a ragtag group of misfits, which is the best kind of misfit group.
It’s the launch of a series by young African writer C. T. Rwizi, and the world here is inspired by cultures and myths of sub-saharan Africa (according to the book’s PR information).
It’s a thrilling, fanciful debut, crammed full of imaginative world-building and excellent dialogue. You can tell that the author had a very fun time writing the book; the imagination positively leaps off the page.
I look forward to seeing what’s next. But in the meantime, this one is worth re-reading.
