This is Piers Anthony’s first children’s book and it shows. It isn’t horrible, but Anthony doesn’t really know his audience and it alternates between middle grade and older and I kept having this feeling of dread that some of his more erotic work was going to break through at any moment. It didn’t, the book is pretty clean, but there isn’t much to really recommend for it either.

I have read a lot of Piers Anthony’s books in the past.  But this isn’t one that is worth reading.

Luckily I picked it up for for free.

Pandora Park Purchase Links: Kindle Edition

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Sanctus: A Novel by Simon Toyne

608 pages, 80 of 110 reviews are 4 or 5-star

If you are a fan of top-notch conspiracy fiction that keeps you up late nights turning pages—if the bestselling novels of Steve Berry, James Rollins, Dan Brown, Raymond Khoury, and Chris Kuzneski make your heart race faster—then remember the name Simon Toyne! Already a smash instant bestseller in the United Kingdom (“Intriguing and engaging…[with a] relentless pace” The Sun) Toyne’s Sanctus is, quite simply, one of the most extraordinary conspiracy thriller debuts in many years. In this electrifying, nonstop adventure, a young newspaper reporter, driven by the memory of her lost brother, uncovers a dark secret nurtured for 3,000 years by blood and lies by adherents of an ancient, unknown religion in a Vatican-like citadel hidden away for millennia from unwelcomed prying eyes.

There Will Be Dragons by John Ringo

752 pages, 40 of 51 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled

In the future there is no want, no war, no disease nor ill-timed death. The world is a paradise—and then, in a moment, it ends. The council that controls the Net falls out and goes to war. Everywhere people who have never known a moment of want or pain are left wondering how to survive.

But scattered across the face of the earth are communities which have returned to the natural life of soil and small farm. In the village of Raven’s Mill, Edmund Talbot, master smith and unassuming historian, finds that all the problems of the world are falling in his lap. Refugees are flooding in, bandits are roaming the woods, and his former lover and his only daughter struggle through the Fallen landscape. Enemies, new and old, gather like jackals around a wounded lion.

But what the jackals do not know is that while old he may be, this lion is far from death. And hidden in the past is a mystery that has waited until this time to be revealed. You cross Edmund Talbot at your peril, for a smith is not all he once was. . . .

(Also free is book two Emerald Sea)

On Basilisk Station by David Weber (Honor Harrington Series)

432 pages, 275 of 333 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled

Having made him look a fool, she’s been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin by a superior who hates her.

Her demoralized crew blames her for their ship’s humiliating posting to an out-of-the-way picket station.

The aborigines of the system’s only habitable planet are smoking homicide-inducing hallucinogens.

Parliament isn’t sure it wants to keep the place; the major local industry is smuggling; the merchant cartels want her head; the star-conquering, so-called “Republic” of Haven is Up To Something; and Honor Harrington has a single, over-age light cruiser with an armament that doesn’t work to police the entire star system.

But the people out to get her have made one mistake. They’ve made her mad.

(The second book in the series is also free, The Honor of the Queen)

Dollhouse by Anya Allyn (Dollhouse Trilogy)

294 pages, 95 of 120 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled

DOLLHOUSE is a dark, Gothic, Young Adult Horror.

Four teenagers chance across a mysterious, crumbling mansion in the depths of the mountains….

• One of them is about to vanish.
• One of them is lying about what he or she knows.
• None of them will escape the fate awaiting them in the terrifying Dollhouse beneath the old mansion–a place of nightmarish horrors and insanity.

A slow-burn nightmare, a world of supernatural darkness and strange secrets.

Six months ago, fifteen-year-old Cassie Claiborne reluctantly moved from her home in Florida with her social worker mom. In her new home–a remote, mountainous Australian town, Cassie meets new friends–Aisha Dumaj, Ethan McAllister and Lacey Dougherty.

For the first time, Cassie falls in love. The only problem is that the boy she falls for is her friend, Ethan–and he and Aisha are already an item. When Cassie goes on a school hike to Devils Hole with her new friends, she tries desperately to keep her feelings for Ethan secret.

Aisha disappears on the hike without a trace–with the police believing she was murdered.

When Cassie, Ethan and Lacey return to the mountains to search for Aisha–Cassie begins to realize she never really knew any of her friends. Everyone has their own secrets. She discovers the stranger lurking inside everyone she thought she knew.

The darkest secret of all waits beneath the old mansion in the mountains–a secret from which there is no escape….

Fledgling by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

528 pages, 71 of 87 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled

Theo Waitley has lived all her young life on Delgado, a Safe World that is home to one of the galaxy’s premier institutions of higher learning. Both Theo’s mother, Kamele, and Kamele’s onagrata Jen Sar Kiladi, are professors at the university, and they all live comfortably together, just like they have for all of Theo’s life, in Jen Sar’s house at the outskirts of town.

Suddenly, though, Theo’s life changes. Kamele leaves Jen Sar and moves herself and Theo back into faculty housing, which is not what Theo is used to. Once settled back inside the Wall, Kamele becomes embroiled in faculty politics, and is appointed sub-chair of her department. Meanwhile, Theo, who has a notation in her file indicating that she is ”physically challenged” has a series of misadventures, including pulling her best friend down on the belt-ride to class, and hurting a team mate during a scavage game.

With notes piling up in her file, Theo only wants to go ”home,” to the house in the suburbs, and have everything just like it used to be.

Then, Kamele uncovers evidence of possible dishonest scholarship inside of her department. In order to clear the department, she and a team of senior professors must go off-world to perform a forensic document search. Theo hopes this will mean that she’ll be left in the care of the man she calls ”Father,” Professor Kiladi, and is horrified to learn that Kamele means to bring Theo with her!

Moon Dance by JR Rain (Vampire for Hire #1)

256 pages, 422 of 536 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled, Audiobook is discounted to $1.99 with purchase of Kindle Book 

Mother, wife, private investigator…vampire. Six years ago federal agent Samantha Moon was the perfect wife and mother, your typical soccer mom with the minivan and suburban home. Then the unthinkable happens, an attack that changes her life forever. And forever is a very long time for a vampire. Now the world at large thinks Samantha has developed a rare skin disease, a disease which forces her to quit her day job and stay out of the light of the sun. Now working the night shift as a private investigator, Samantha is hired by Kingsley Fulcrum to investigate the murder attempt on his life, a horrific scene captured on TV and seen around the country. But as the case unfolds, Samantha discovers Kingsley isn’t exactly what he appears to be; after all, there is a reason why he survived five shots to the head.

A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo (Legacy of the Aldenata)

359 pages, 4 of 6 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled

“WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE . . .

With the Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the peaceful and friendly races of the Galactic Federation offer their resources to help the backward Terrans—for a price.

Humanity now has three worlds to defend.

As Earth’s armies rush into battle and special operations units scout alien worlds, the humans begin to learn a valuable lesson: You can protect yourself from your enemies, but may the Lord save you from your allies.

(Also free is Gust Front, the second book of the series.)

The Last Praetorian by Mike Smith (The Redemption Trilogy) 

405 pages, 235 of 302 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled

Commander Jonathan Radec is a man desperately trying to escape from the mistakes of his past.

Now the owner of Vanguard Shipping, his primary concerns are trying to keep his ships flying and his crew alive. However, the shadowy Syndicate organisation has set their sights on the Commander and his business, having sent a beautiful assassin to kill him. To make matters worse, she’s become the target of his infatuation, much to the dismay of his ex-girlfriend. Recently elevated to President of the Confederation, she’s still very much in love with him and capable of making his life a living hell.

Surrounded by a galaxy beginning to tear itself apart, with enemies on all sides, he’s now also unwillingly tasked with trying to save the Confederation – for which he has little regard. Jon has little going in his favour, except a crew consisting of the elite of the old Imperial Navy, all of whom would fight to the death for him, and a past that possibly makes him one of the most dangerous men alive.

The Last Praetorian is a Science Fiction adventure/romance, which tries to answer the question: “Can you ever find redemption for the mistakes of your past?”

1632 by Eric Flint (Ring of Fire)

553 pages, 51 of 60 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled

“The Ultimate Y2K Glitch….

1632 In the year 1632 in northern Germany a reasonable person might conclude that things couldn’t get much worse. There was no food. Disease was rampant. For over a decade religious war had ravaged the land and the people. Catholic and Protestant armies marched and countermarched across the northern plains, laying waste the cities and slaughtering everywhere. In many rural areas population plummeted toward zero. Only the aristocrats remained relatively unscathed; for the peasants, death was a mercy.

2000 Things are going OK in Grantville, West Virginia. The mines are working, the buck are plentiful (it’s deer season) and everybody attending the wedding of Mike Stearn’s sister (including the entire membership of the local chapter of the United Mine Workers of America, which Mike leads) is having a good time.

THEN, EVERYTHING CHANGED….

When the dust settles, Mike leads a small group of armed miners to find out what’s going on. Out past the edge of town Grantville’s asphalt road is cut, as with a sword. On the other side, a scene out of Hell; a man nailed to a farmhouse door, his wife and daughter Iying screaming in muck at the center of a ring of attentive men in steel vests. Faced with this, Mike and his friends don’t have to ask who to shoot.

At that moment Freedom and Justice, American style, are introduced to the middle of The Thirty Years War.

Night of Wolves by David Dalglish (The Paladins #1)

218 pages, 96 of 110 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled

Wolf-men, savage creatures given humanoid form in an ancient war, mass along the Gihon River. Led by their packleader Redclaw, they seek to cross the river and claim a land of their own, slaughtering those that would stand in their way. Two paladins, Jerico of the god Ashhur, and Darius of the god Karak, must helm the desperate defense against the invasion. Their friendship will be tested as their gods resume an unending war, and their very faiths call for the death of the other. Together, friend or foe, they must face Redclaw’s horde.

In the Heart of Darkness by Erick Flint and David Drake (Belisarius Saga)

480 pages, 32 of 35 reviews are 4 or 5-star, Lending Enabled

The Malwa Empire has conquered 6th century India and is forging the subcontinent’s vast population into an invincible weapon of tyranny. Belisarius, the finest general of his age, must save the world. Guided by visions from a future that may never be, he and a band of comrades penetrate the Malwa heartland, seeking the core of the enemy’s power. And when Belisarius leads the forces of good, only a fool would side with evil.

_______________

I have not read any of these books, so they may not be any good.  Some of the books from previous Free Book posts or previous Kindle Deal posts are still available.

As always please check to make sure the books are still free or on sale before you “buy” them. Prices can change quickly.  This may be a one day offer. Pick it up quick. If you do buy a book and realize later you have been charged for it, here is a guide on how to return a kindle book.

The post 14 Free Science Fiction or Fantasy Kindle Books appeared first on Bookwi.se.

The Uninvited Guests: A Novel (P.S.)
$1.99 until 5/27 Was $14.99

We Live in Water: Stories
$1.99 until 6/3 Was $14.99

Northline: A Novel (P.S.)
$1.99 until 5/27 Wfas $14.95

The Mirage (P.S.)
$1.99 until 6/3 Was $15.99

Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing (P.S.)
$1.99 until 5/27 Was $13.99

The Tell (P.S.)
$1.99 until 5/27 Was $14.99

The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow: A Novel (P.S.)
$1.99 until 5/27 Was $14.99

The Great Lover: A Novel (P.S.)
$1.99 until 5/27 Was $13.99

Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting (P.S.)
$1.99 until 5/27 Was $14.99

Everything Beautiful Began After (P.S.)
$1.99 until 5/27 Was $14.99

A Fierce Radiance: A Novel (P.S.)
$199 until 5/27 Was $15.99

The post 14 Harper Perennial Kindle Books – $1.99 Each appeared first on Bookwi.se.

As more and more letters fall and are subsequently outlawed, the peaceful and law-abiding (to a fault) society gradually grinds to a halt, eventually becoming a totalitarian state. Only one thing can save them, but you’ll have to read it to find out.

The whole thing is clever, light-hearted and written in whimsical prose. There are a few logical gaps in the story, but they are easy to ignore because of the way the plot is advanced–indirectly, by written letters between characters. Near the end of the book, when only a handful of legal letters remain available and people cheat with phonetics, it got tedious to read simply because of the concentration required. It might have worked better as a short story, but overall it’s a fun read.

Ella Minnow Pea: a Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn Purchase Links: Paperback, Kindle Edition

The post Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn appeared first on Bookwi.se.

Deal Price: 99 cents each

Caught on Cameraby Kim LawCustomer review: “It takes the reader on a journey through the personal cost of fame.”

Deal Price: $1.99

Audiobook is discounted to $1.99 with purchase of Kindle Book

Science Fiction & Fantasy Daily Deal Teens Daily Deal Dawnby Octavia E. ButlerAmazon.com review: “A stunning story of alien contact by one of science fiction’s finest writers.”

Deal Price: $2.99

It’s a Mall World After Allby Janette RallisonCustomer review: “The romance is sweet and the characters are good role models.”

Deal Price: $1.99

The post Kindle Daily Deals – May 17 appeared first on Bookwi.se.