“‘Discovery’ is an integral part of the reading process. We pick up a book based upon some signpost, or a series of them, which promise to lead us on a path of discovery. We settle down with a book, turn the page, take that first step, and we discover…”

I wrote those words at the start of 2014, in the breathless glow of satisfaction that follows the completion of a reading experience in which book and reader have a tangible connection. It was my first experience with the ongoing, prolific output of husband and wife writing team Sharon Lee and Steve Miller and their Liaden Universe. I went on to read two more Liaden books in 2014, both focused on a young female protagonist named Theo Waitley.

Theo’s story, and that of the characters in Theo’s orbit, came to a rather abrupt cliff hanger ending in Saltation, a book I enjoyed in audio format. I immediately downloaded and started listening to its sequel, Ghost Ship, finishing nearly half of the audio book before getting distracted by other things.

Earlier this week I felt the urge to return to the doings of Clan Korval, and between work-related driving and mindless Saturday chores, I had the pleasure of completing Ghost Ship.

And a pleasure it was.

Continue reading Ghost Ship ~Sharon Lee and Steve Miller →

We all have books that haunt us, right? Those books that, for one reason or another, float at the edge of our consciousness, that appear in our peripheral vision but don’t quite seem to register on a regular basis but once in awhile make an appearance, reminding us that they are still there and we have yet to read them?

Voyage of the Star Wolf has been one of those books, and in a moment I will explain why. But first:

The Silk Road Convoy has existed for a long time, having built itself up to be the most profitable and most safe caravan in space. Its success makes it a tempting target for piracy, and thus the thousand-ship convoy exists to protect the lives and the goods of those companies and individuals who conduct trade between the stars.

The Morthan Solidarity would like nothing more than to strike a fatal blow to the Alliance, and the Silk Road Convoy is the ideal place to do just that. The LS-1187 is a destroyer-class Alliance ship that has yet to earn a proper name because both ship and crew are untested in battle. That will change soon after joining the Silk Road Convoy, but the name that they earn–Jonah–will set them on a dangerous quest for vengeance.

David Gerrold, famous for penning the script for one of Star Trek‘s most well-known episodes, “The Trouble With Tribbles”, brings a visual media sensibility to his writing, making Voyage of the Star Wolf a novel with a compelling pace. While not perfect in execution, Voyage of the Star Wolf was hard to put down and I found myself purposefully scheduling time during a busy week to read “just a few more pages”.

I am pleased that Voyage of the Star Wolf continued to haunt me over the past twenty-five years, it was well worth reading and I intend to seek out its prequel and sequel siblings.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Continue reading Voyage of the Star Wolf ~David Gerrold →