Ron CollinsReviews

Collins, Ron. Starflight. Skyfox, 2016. Stealing the Sun 1.
Starflight’s hero, Lt. Cmdr. Torrance Black, is an officer on a ship that will establish humanity’s first efficient FTL system. But saboteurs onboard object to corporate control of the technology, and some of his fellow officers have motives less than honorable. Then, there are signals from interstellar space that may be from an alien civilization, but his bosses want to cover them up. All this intrigue puts his career in jeopardy, threatens his love life, and sets a bad example for his young engineering protégé. Author Ron Collins is a journeyman author who developed this novel from a story originally published in Analog. Before his writing career took off, Collins worked as an aeronautical engineer. Sadly, believable engineering is largely absent here. One would like to know more than one does about how this mission plans to extract large amounts of material from Alpha Centauri A to build its star drive. 3.5 stars.½

The first story of the book, The White Game, was so terribly good, that I could not go on reading. I had to digest it first. I am not from America, I am from Europe. So I did know the stories about Rosa Parks etcetera. But this story really brought it home to me..
After that, I took the stories one by one. They did not have such an impact on me like the first one, but they certainly did have an impact.
Of course there are stories which I liked the most.
The first one, as I think I have made clear. The Ten Days of Newtonmas, about sexual harassment and what you could do against it. Hero #8, so heartbreakingly sad.

This was a good selection of scifi stories which I enjoyed. Great for an afternoon of reading. Not heavy on the emotions except for Fraternization, which was a tearjerker.

This was a good selection of scifi stories which I enjoyed. Great for an afternoon of reading. Not heavy on the emotions except for Fraternization, which was a tearjerker.

A good book of thought provoking short stories. I was not sure I would like them after I read the first, but the stories seemed to grow stronger as I read. Retrospectively, I am not certain whether that was because of my understanding and acceptance of the author's techniques, or whether the best stories were at the end.

The stories were set in several different time frames, ranging from the present through the 19th and 20th Centuries. They all focus on interactions between powerless people and people with power. The resolution of those interactions provides the author's insights. The stories have plot reversals, and surprises but the surprises are not the main point of each story.

This was an Early Reviewer Book for me, so I was not charged for the book, and I promised to give an honest review, which I have done.

Not to bad

Overall I enjoyed the book. It could use some edits, and I'll admit I was bugged that it ended so quickly. I may grab a collected Edition later on.

But overall I very much enjoyed reading this. The storyline is an interesting one, and I'm curious to know more about this young man and the path he has been set down. And the World At Large.

Good old-fashioned Sci-fi that reminds me of the Classic serials. The pace is a little slow early in the novel, but the story picks up by halfway and finishes quite nicely. I've read some of his fantasy books, but the author's Sci-fi writing is definitely worth a look. The action sequences at the end were like watching a movie. Looking forward to the sequel.

So, I won't be properly reviewing these books until I'm done with the entire series, as they are so short there just isn't much to write about individually, but I will say that if you've ever wondered what a high fantasy story would be like if you cut away all the extraneous storylines and characters and just got right to the meat of the story, this is for you, as that is exactly what Ron Collins is doing with these books.

The war between the mages has begun, but can Garrick stay out of the way long enough to control his new godly powers?

Garrick is hired by the viceroy of Caledena to transport an unusual pet for him. To do this he must travel to the distant deserts of Arderveer and obtain the creature from the mage known as Takrill. But Garrick has other motives. Still struggling with being god-touched, he journeys to Arderveer in hope that Takrill know of a way to remove this curse, and he can return to his ordinary life. But all is not that simple. The journey is fraught with dangers, demon like creatures that are drawn to Garrick’s power. Then of course there is the mage war. Garrick may not want to get involved, but the orders certainly have their eyes on him.

This series is gearing up to be one fantastic saga! This is the second book of the eight part series, and it is equally enjoyable as the first. I'm beginning to really get to grips with the characters, and learn more about the magic and workings of the world. The story is a very exciting one, it’s very fast-paced and the introduction of many of the new characters is very well written - I particularly like Darien, Garrick’s singing, forever chatting travelling partner. If you read book one of Saga of the God-Touched Mage, then you’re in a fantastic ride in book two.

There are some things about this book that I find particularly interesting. As someone who really enjoys fantasy, I always love those unique little quirks that makes a book stand out. In this book magic can be recognised because of the smell. Now this may not be wholly unique, but that is something I've never come across. Garrick’s magic smells of honey, and he recognises the smell of the Koradictine and other mages’ wizardry. I also loved the demon type creatures that attack Garrick and Darien, they’re described in great detail and make very spectacular and creepy baddies.

There is plenty of action, and there are lots of scenes that you can imagine as a big budget Hollywood film. The plot remains interesting throughout, and as with the previous book, it’s left on a cliffhanger that definitely leaves you looking for more.

“He tried to pull away, but his hand wouldn't let go. He inhaled the animal in great gulps. It filled him, its magic rushing through his body.
Then the unicorn was a withered husk on the ground, its mottled fur covered with maggots, its horn charred and broken.
Bile rose in Garrick’s throat.
The judges’ arms rose, and smiles appeared on their thin lips.
Above him, a hundred dragons circled, carrying horses that dripped with fresh blood.”

If that doesn't peak your interest and have you running out to buy it I don’t know what will! It’s a great little book, my one complaint being again that like the previous book it is very short. It feels like it’s only just started and then it’s over and you’re awaiting the next book. But it is turning out to be a fantastic series, and with plenty more books on the way, you’re sure to get your fill of the adventures of Garrick and Darien.

The beginning of an epic fantasy that looks set to develop into a fantastic series!

Synopsis:

Garrick is an apprentice to the mage Alistair, he works hard and his life is set out for him. But not everything is right in the world. There are stirrings of war between the mage clans, and the Torean mages are in danger. All this Garrick is unaware of, as he innocently walks the local barmaid home, but tragedy strikes and in order to save the life of the lovely girl he is given the power of the gods. He saves her life, but at what cost?

Review:

I really enjoyed this one! I love a good fantasy novel and just seeing the cover had me intrigued. It’s very short and it feels like we’re just getting the beginning of what is about to happen, but that just made me want more! I am currently about to start book two and I can’t wait to see how the story develops,

There are loads of unique elements about this that I enjoyed. I also liked the different layers to the story, it’s not all just about Garrick dealing with these horrific powers, it’s also about the Torean mages being massacred and the other houses banding together in order to eradicate them. It’s certainly action packed, and flows really well. There are no boring chapters, it moves at a good pace and it’s well written. The different characters stand out and it definitely leaves you looking for more.

It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of epic fantasy, and there is lots of potential for the story to go in different directions, with battles and magic galore. The story is well written and unique, though very short - luckily the next volume has just been released and so you don’t have long to wait. If however you are looking for something of a longer length, then perhaps awaiting an omnibus edition would be preferable!

A fast read that left me wanting to know what happens next. And interesting story about magic and mages and the wars between them.

It was good but I have a feeling that it is missing some meat. Everything happen too fast and, since I am french, it was difficult for me to read (I dont ussualy have difficulty reading in english). It was my firts book of this style. I am not sure if I will try the second.½

The MC separates from his friends temporarily in the 3rd novelette in the series. The antihero spends most of this one trying to find his path. He picks up a new companion along the way and a character from the first book makes an appearance. The planewalker is also more forthcoming.

A got a copy of this book on LibraryThing in exchange for a review. It's an action-packed tale of a young man's struggle with magic and desire run amok. It's the first episode of a serial. I think it's well-written and worth checking out, but it's not quite my cup of tea. If you're into stories with a lot of mage battles, though, go for it!

The second installment of the series starts off well. The pace slows for a chapter or two, but then picks back up quickly. Just like the first novelette, Trail of the Torean has an exciting ending. I love the Darien character, he's witty. Also, the supernatural element feels less like vampires (yes!) in this book. I'll be looking for the next one.

LT Member Giveaway

Garrick is an apprentice mage. While visiting town, he sees the girl he likes and walks her home. On the way, a dreadful accident causes him to plead for help. A mysterious voice offers to help him and he accepts. But is this new power a good thing or a bad thing? How will this affect his life?

This was a quick read, but packed full of action. Nicely written and the main character is full of mystery. The author leaves the reader hanging and wanting more. I would recommend this book, especially if you want a shirt quick read between books or if the reader doesn't have much time. I will be looking for the rest of the series.

3.25-3.5 Stars
A new dark fantasy serial with an awesome cover illustration. This ebook starts off a novelette series, so think of it as one of those stories included in a sci-fi pulp magazine. There's mages and gods, a cursed being similar to a vampire, and the work ends in a good spot. It is brief. I would like to see all the stories in one condensed book.

LT Member Giveaway½

I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for a review.

A ne'er-do-well mage apprentice plays a nasty trick on a mage of a different order to impress a barmaid. When the barmaid nearly dies, he promises anything to save her life. Promising anything is generally a bad idea, especially when beings of power are listening. He becomes something akin to a vampire and must feed on life to exist.

The story stops before it becomes even remotely interesting. I can't care for the apprentice; he brought this situation on himself and now he's unable to do the right thing and kill himself. He thinks solely of his own good. The larger picture -- the conflict between mage orders is predictable and dull. Also there was a misspelling at the end that made me flinch.

I don't intend to read anything more in this series.

What would happen if nano surgery changed everything? Interesting story, the end is quite quick and felt like it didn't resolve everything though.

A love story involving the search for magicman.½