Sci-Fi

Soulmatch

by Rebecca Danzenbaker

coming July 29, 2025

(5 / 5)

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book. All opinions in my review are completely my own.

Soulmatch brings us to a future where souls can be identified, linking you to your previous lives and the benefits or consequences that come with it. Dystopian fiction has been one of my favorite genres for years, and this book did not disappoint. While the initial premise reminded me of some other popular series I’ve read, the idea of reincarnated souls was thought-provoking and different. I was honestly surprised at how quickly I was pulled into this world. It was a great blend of action, thrills, mystery and romance. Everything was so complex and intricate, keeping me guessing and second guessing about what would happen and how it all tied together. It was one of those books where when I finished, I felt an itch read it again right away just to see everything from the new perspective of knowing how it ends. It’s hard to believe this is the author’s debut novel, because it just felt so well done – I look forward to reading more of her books in the future!

Daedalus

The Nabukko Trilogy #2

by K.R. Gadeken

(4 / 5)

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the free review copy of Daedalus. All opinions are completely my own.

Daedalus is the 2nd book in The Nabukko Trilogy and picks up pretty close to where the first book left off. I think I actually liked Daedalus even more than the first book. It continues the feeling of mystery, with a lot of questions still not answered by the end of the book. I definitely have some theories though, and there’s a lot of clues along the way, so it kept my interest well. This book adds in an element of adventure that I really enjoyed. There was plenty of action and drama leaving me on the edge of my seat. It made the book really hard to put down. I also enjoyed the relationships between characters. I’m looking forward to reading the next book and a bit bummed I’ll have to wait a while to see what happens next.

May 8, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Sci-Fi Young Adult 0

Nabukko

The Nabukko Trilogy #1

by K.R. Gadeken

(4 / 5)

I received a free review copy of this book from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own.

Eff has been on her own for the past three months, wandering around a strange planet. She hardly remembers anything from before. When she finds a colony, Nabukko, maybe she can finally get some answers.

I’ll admit, this book first caught my attention because of the gorgeous cover, though I’m glad I gave it a chance because I enjoyed reading it. There’s an air of mystery throughout this book since our narrator, Eff, is experiencing memory loss. I liked the detailed descriptions of the strange planet, plants, and animals. We meet a whole cast of characters, and the variety of relationships that Eff develops was interesting. At times the story felt like it was dragging a bit, but given this is the first book in a series, I expect it’s also setting up a foundation for the next books. There was still plenty of excitement though, especially toward the end. The book ended a bit abruptly, with most of my questions not answered yet. I’m excited to see what happens in the next book!

May 5, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Sci-Fi Young Adult 0

Sunrise on the Reaping

by Suzanne Collins

(5 / 5)

Sunrise on the Reaping was a worthy addition to one of my all-time favorite book series. Rather than reading the book quickly, I found myself taking it slow, wanting time to process and take it all in. I was delighted by all ways it tied in with both the original Hunger Games trilogy and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It was a bridge between the books that I didn’t even know I needed. Anyone familiar with the series goes into this book with a good idea of how it’ll end, but that doesn’t take away from the impact it had. There’s some important messages here that were really thought-provoking.

March 21, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Hardcover Sci-Fi Young Adult 0

Meet Me at Blue Hour

By Sarah Suk

Coming April 1, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

Imagine a technology that could erase unwanted memories… In Meet Me at Blue Hour, such technology is a reality, using sounds recorded on a cassette tape.

This story was very thought-provoking and had a unique feel to it. It really dives into the “what if” scenario of this fictional technology, highlighting both the advantages and negative repercussions that come with it. There’s an impact not only for those that are erasing memories, but the other people who are connected to them and shared the memories. Even a day after finishing the book I can feel the impact of the message it had.

In addition to the first person accounts of Yena and Lucas, our two main characters, we also have chapters that are narrated by objects that made sounds tied to memories, such as a lawnmower or ice cream truck. They almost feel like witness testimonials. It was such an interesting way to portray that aspect of the story, and I liked the added depth it seemed to give.

This story definitely had a sad undertone to it, but I enjoyed the main characters and their growth through the book. I wasn’t expecting some of the directions things went along the way, which only added to my enjoyment of the story as a whole.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books, Quill Tree Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Meet Me at Blue Hour! I truly enjoyed the book and have provided my honest opinions.

February 11, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance Sci-Fi Young Adult 0

The Last Murder at the End of the World

By Stuart Turton

Narrated by James Cameron Stewart

Released today!

(4 / 5)

90 years ago, the Earth was covered in a deadly fog. The last of civilization, 122 villagers and 3 scientists, exists on a Greek island that’s surrounded by a protective barrier from the fog. On the surface, it seems like an ideal society. But then one of the scientists is murdered, triggering the lowering of the only thing separating them from the fog.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of The Last Murder at the End of the World. The narrator is British and was understandable. He used different voices to represent different characters, and while I didn’t necessarily love all of voices, it did help differentiate who was speaking in the story.

This book was an interesting take on a post-apocalyptic dystopian world. At first, I was a little overwhelmed by the number of characters who were introduced, but I quickly was able to get familiar with the key players. The narrator of the story is ABI, an artificial intelligence that is connected to everyone’s thoughts and can communicate with them, almost as a second conscience. The first quarter of the book concentrates mostly on world building and getting to know the characters, so it takes a while to really dive into the more exciting parts of the story, but I did like how descriptive it was. We end up in a murder mystery, but it all turns out to be far more complicated than expected. The book really took some turns that I was not expecting at all, and it kept me guessing about what really happened and who was involved. At times it could be a little confusing, trying to keep everything straight amidst the constant turns the story took, but eventually everything is fully explained. The story kept me interested and was hard to put down until I reached the end.

Thank you to Tantor Audio, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the audiobook free review copy of The Last Murder at the End of the World! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

May 21, 2024 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Mystery Sci-Fi 0

Academy of Breath and Fire

By Kristofor Hellmeister

(4 / 5)

Mercroft Academy – a prestigious school with a unique and powerful technology. Harlen – son of a politician and student in Mercroft’s newest class of students. Dupont – former Mercroft student and current FBI agent investigating a triple homicide. Academy of Breath and Fire is a book that combines young adult, sci-fi and crime mystery into a complex story. And if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free!

This story has a lot to it and really kept me thinking about what mysteries would be revealed and who was involved. At times it felt a little long, but the chapters are fairly short, and since they alternate points of view between Harlen and Agent Dupont, it keeps things interesting and the story moving. Harlen’s part feels more like a young adult story, while Dupont is trying to solve a crime mystery, with both stories revolving around the mysterious academy and technology, overlapping with each other. The technology presented in the story is very unique and interesting, especially with its connections to the intricacies of the English language. I had some theories along the way that turned out to be true, but they weren’t completely obvious. The book ended with me feeling like I still had some questions that went unanswered. Maybe there will be a sequel? Or is it just to keep me pondering about what the possibilities could be?

Thank you to the author for the free review copy of Academy of Breath and Fire. All opinions in my review are completely my own.

January 23, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Mystery Sci-Fi Young Adult 0

Chicano Frankenstein

By Daniel A. Olivas

Available on March 5, 2024

(3 / 5)

Chicano Frankenstein is inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and takes place in the near future. In this world, people can donate their bodies for reanimation after they die, helping maintain a dwindling workforce. Memories are wiped and physical features are changed, and parts from multiple donors can be combined, making them a different person. But there’s a lot of controversy surrounding reanimation, especially within the US government.

This book was an interesting combination of the Frankenstein, modern politics, latinx culture, and marginalized populations. The story follows an unnamed reanimated man and Faustina, who have a budding relationship. Intertwined through their story are various interviews and presidential conversations discussing the reanimated and what rights they should have in our society. It has a similar feel to recent political controversy, so this book probably won’t be for everyone.

“The man” seemed to have a very logical, almost a robotic, feel to him, and he actually reminded me a lot of Star Trek: TNG’s character, Data. It’s understandable though, given that he has no history or family, and basically became a clean slate only 3 years ago. Through his interactions with Faustina, I think his character grows, and he starts to feel more human.

The book has a very abrupt ending, leaving me feeling like there were things I still didn’t understand or feel were resolved. It felt like things were starting to get really interesting, to suddenly come to a screeching halt. Maybe that’s the point, since it keeps you thinking, but it just didn’t work for me. In the end, the book fell a bit short for me, but it definitely had some interesting concepts in it.

Thank you to Forest Avenue Press and Edelweiss for the free review copy of Chicano Frankenstein. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

December 1, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Sci-Fi 0

Baby X

By Kira Peikoff

Coming March 5, 2024

(5 / 5)

In the not-so-distant future, embryos can be created from the DNA of any two people with something as simple as a saliva sample. Most pregnancies begin with the selection of an embryo with optimal genetics. But there’s a new kind of crime happening – stealing DNA from celebrities to have their genetic offspring without their permission.

Baby X follows three women who are connected to embryo selection: Quinn, a surrogate mother; Ember, who is working to protect the DNA of a famous musician; and Lily, an aspiring journalist whose mother is going through the selection process, but Lily feels inferior for being conceived the traditional way. At first it took me bit to feel acquainted with each character since they are going through different experiences, but I quickly grew to like all of them. I enjoyed the various side characters as well, and even the more villainous were interesting – I loved to hate them.

The book has a fast pace to it. Split into four parts, the first part takes place in the span of a year, and the plot gets more complicated as things continue. I’ll admit, I had a hunch about some parts a while before they were actually revealed, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. Things were complicated enough that there were still plenty of surprises along the way.

Overall this was a really interesting book to read. It felt like a future that could very well happen and was an interesting take on genetics and how future generations could be affected. It was different, thrilling, and satisfying.

Thank you to The Quick Brown Fox & CO, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the free advance copy of Baby X. My review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

November 27, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Sci-Fi Thriller 0

Freezing Reign

By L.A. Goff

(4 / 5)

Freezing Reign is a young adult dystopia book with elements of romance, sci-fi and thriller. The book is divided into 3 parts, the first taking place during an apocalyptic disease, and the next 2 parts taking place 12 years later.

The story follows the perspective of 18-year-old Mirari. She’s a relatable character that I enjoyed following over the course of the book. The book is well written, and the action throughout kept my attention. I thought the concept was interesting, and I enjoyed that I was able to experience the actual apocalyptic event in the first part of the book. The resulting world was also very interesting, and experiencing from Mirari’s perspective worked well. Some of the parts felt a little too hard to believe, but given the nature of this type of book, I guess I can’t expect everything to be completely realistic.

The book is the first in a series but does not end in a cliffhanger. However, it does have an epilogue that hints at what the next book will be about. Overall, I enjoyed this book and am interested in where things go next in the series.

I received a free review copy of this book from Hidden Gems Books, but my review is voluntary and contains my own opinions.