Story Review: Luck of the Draw by J.R. Handley and Corey D. Truax, From For a Few Credits More anthology

Spolier Free Summary: Luck of the Draw  by J.R. Handley and Corey D. Truax is the fifth story in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.  Ivan Petrov is a shadow of the man he was, and the man he was wasn’t much to begin with. Drunk, in debt, and in trouble with loan sharks, his life takes a turn when his association with said loan sharks makes him the perfect tool for Boudicca, a bounty hunter tracking a much bigger fish than a simple bookie. But Ivan’s trial in this new bounty hunter mission may just be the first step to his path to redemption.

NOTE: Corey and J.R. are both friends. I was also honored to be a beta reader for this project. These facts do not change my honest opinions of their work.

Character:  Ivan and Boudicca are solid characters. Ivan’s arc is the more interesting of the two. Ivan carries the story. His trial for forsaken to self-actualized is a great one. He’s witty, but he has flaws that both frustrate and charm.

Exposition:  While some might be hidden in the dialogue (backstory), the exposition on this story is wonderfully light. I’m not overwhelmed with info I don’t understand. All the info I need, I get just when I need it.

Image from J.R. Handley’s social media profile for review purposes under fair use doctrine.

World building:  I don’t know who reads what review first, so I have to keep reminding folks that I’m new to The Four Horsemen Universe, which was created by Chris Kennedy.  If anyone’s read the series and this anthology, I’d like to see what they think.  The fact is, I enjoyed this story in and of itself.  Sure, there were some terms I didn’t understand, but this story did a great job of helping me understand what I needed. Yeah, if I  knew more, I’d probably enjoy it more, but unlike some stories from this book, I don’t feel like I’m missing something.

Dialogue: This story doesn’t quite have the amount of clever banter I like in a story, but the dialogue is realistic and appropriate. There were a few zingers I liked, and this is the medium through which Boudicca and Ivan bond the most. That makes it a valuable part of the book even though it’s perhaps not the strongest.

 

Image of Corey D. Truax from his blog for review purposes under fair use doctrine.

Description: Heavy scifi fans would probably want more, but I was more than satisfied with the visualization of this story.  The movie theater in my head was more than happy with the descriptive beats and use of senses. Lots of stories focus on visuals and ignore the other senses. This story gives a sense of touch and sound as well.

Overall: This is another story that had a great Lethal Weapon feel. (I know I mentioned that in a previous story, but I’m not sure which off the top of my head.) I have to admit, I wish this story were another 20,000 words, but it’s a satisfying vignette. I consider this my third-favorite story in the entire anthology because of it’s character and charm.  Fans of a good ‘ol fashion 1980s buddy cop movie will love this.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Story Reviews: Boss by Scott Moon and Leverage by Josh Hayes, From For a Few Credits More anthology

Spolier Free Summary: It may appear as though I’m just piling stories together to catch up on reviews, but the truth is I don’t want to catch up. I need a solid cache of stuff to review. I don’t like Wednesdays to go by without a review because that’s one of the staples of this blog.  The reason, then, I am putting these two stories together is because I consider them two parts of the same story. I also think this was one of the stronger stories in the anthology. I’ll get to that later.  Boss by Scott Moon and Leverage by Josh Hayes are the third and fourth stories in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.

Johnny Boss is after his former team member Jessup, who reportedly killed a peacemaker and stole an immensely valuable slate (memory card). Everyone wants it; Jessup has it, and he’s hidden well.  Catching Jessup might be easy, but keeping him is hard enough with a rival company after him. The fact that Johnny’s XO is ready to make a play for the big chair isn’t much more helpful.  Mac was on his way to being a Peacemaker before one mission with a particularly brutal training officer caused him to decide otherwise.  The individual being brutalized? That would be one Jessup, who Mac discovers is on his planet and in much more trouble. These two stories fit nicely together to give a great narrative from two points of view.

Image of Scott Moon taken from his website.

Character:  Mac stood out from the group, but the characters in both of these stories all have a depth that’s rare in short fiction. In fact, both of these stories are pleasantly character based. Boss is a man trying to keep control.  Mac is a man who sticks to his principles, which is why I’m drawn to him.  I like neutral character arcs, and Mac is a great example of how it’s done.  Sorry, that was probably author-speak.  I like stories that revolve around characters who change others.  Think about the arc to Winter Soldier.  Cap’ didn’t change, but his actions changed others. Mac has that same feel, so if you like the kind of story where a man stands up for what he believes in, this is your story. The complexity increases because the characters’ motivations are clear. There’s probably only one true antagonist. The rest are just folk trying to get by.

Exposition:  Both of these stories were fantastic here. I got the background I needed without slogging through backstory. Sure, I need a bit of info to keep me from wondering what was going on, but I only got the explanations I needed. The fact that these stories were so tight and well controlled really makes me believe these two authors worked closely together on the project.  I don’t know if they did or not, but I sure think so.

World building:  I wasn’t as lost as I was in the other ones. Sure some of the terms had me checking what I knew, but not too many. It’s possible that these characters are more connected to the rest of  The Four Horsemen Universe, which was created by Chris Kennedy,  but if it is, it would only be a bonus to fans of the universe.  These stories (standing together) are worth reading alone.

Image of Josh Hayes and family taken from his blog. 

Dialogue: Hayes was probably a bit stronger than Moon in this regard, but they both probably could have been a tad better. It wasn’t stilted or jarring in either story, but there were points where the dialogue was clearly just a chance to give a bit of exposition.  Stilted? No.  But I’d say forced in some places.  Again, it’s not a criminal amount. In fact this is the only real place I have any negative criticism for these stories. One might have a little forgiveness for this seeing as though the stories are relatively short (and tiny when you’re someone like me used to reading 400-page monsters.

Description: I think I’d have liked a bit more detail.  The visuals were great.  It felt like a movie theater in the action sequences.  But just a touch of description here or there would have taken these stories to an even higher level.  That said, if I’m asking for a bit more, fans of hard science fiction are probably going to feel like there isn’t enough.  I was happy with it though.

Overall: These stories stand out from the anthology because they are connected. (As far as I’m a novice in the world. Every story here might be connected, but I don’t see how other than they’re all in the same universe. Fans of deeper stories will like the combination of these tales, and they’ll be rewarded with clever endings and great hero moments.  I like this story combo more and more as I think on it, and that’s always a sign of a good story.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Story Review: Where Enemies Sit by Rob Howell, From For a Few Credits More anthology

Spolier Free Summary: Where Enemies Sit  by Rob Howell is the first story in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.

Frasier MacKenzie is on trial for the death of an entire colony of Saidar, but his hatred for the species isn’t why he killed them all. The trail isn’t to decide his fate; that’s already been determined. Rather the trial is an opportunity to bring to light secrets that must be uncovered.

Character:  This felt a lot like A Few Good Men with a twist in which Jessep’s role is taken by someone who must need to speak that truth. (I feel you should have to watch A Few Good Men to get the reference. I mean, it’s a great movie.)  That said, MacKenzie isn’t the power of presence Jessep was. Then again, if Nicholson played a plaster wall, that wall would be the most interesting wall in history, so perhaps the comparison is unfair. Unfair or not, the plot of this book felt much like AFGM, so it’s fair (in my mind) to compare the characters. The truth is, this piece (while having some action) is far more about the trail in which MacKenzie is forced to only speak.  Being a fan of proactive characters who are sympathetic, putting a character in this situation made it hard to connect. He has his moments, but his actions during the drama of the trail didn’t grab me. However, the end caught me off guard and yanked at my heart strings. That deserves mention. It would be unfair to call MacKenzie boring.  He’s actually very sympathetic.  If you like crime drama or the trial portion of Law and Order, you’d love this story.  Add to that some great action, and you’re really on to something.  That said, trial stories aren’t usually my bag.

Exposition:  This story had a justifiable amount of exposition considering the 1st person narrative scenes. Here, Howell cleverly uses high action scenes to break up the drama of the trail.

World building:  Again, I’m new to The Four Horsemen Universe, which was created by Chris Kennedy.  If anyone’s read the series and this anthology, I’d like to see what they think.  I knew what I needed to know for the scope of the story.  It’s unfair to hold authors on a guest anthology to a standard that demands going over material that’s likely covered in the main series. I wasn’t lost, but I probably didn’t get the same pay off for some of the reveals as one who knows the series better.

Dialogue: The dialogue of this book was not bad. The problem with that is that it’s a trial story, so the dialogue has to be amazing.  Think about the famous trial movies?  For every one out there, you can probably name at least one popular quote from the movie. (Example: You can’t handle the truth!) The truth is, it’s be quite a while since I’ve read Where Enemies Sit, but it’s been even longer since I’ve seen AFGM, and I can still probably rattle off 40% of that movie. I remember the end if this story clearly, and the end made the story work.  What I can’t remember is most of what was said or spoken during the trial, and I feel that hurt its potential.

Description: This is probably the strength of this story. If I compare the action portion of this story (the sequences between bits of the trial), the action is fast and furious, and the description is just how I like it. Even the scenes of the trial have a perfect balance of detail and movement. I think this is a strength for this author.

Overall: Fans of trial stories will find this story interesting, and the ending is powerful enough for any fan of science fiction. The action in the story is fun and compelling.  The trail portion probably doesn’t hold up to die-hard fans of that niche, but for fans of action sci-fi, the trial provides a nice sort of balance to the action and helps give context to the scene. I also think that fans of the universe will have more of an emotional connection to the history of the characters or at least those species, which would only help to add value to what is already a solid story.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Story Review: Butch and Sundance by Peter Cawdron, From For a Few Credits More anthology

Spolier Free Summary: Butch and Sundance by Peter Cawdron is the first story in the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More.

Manning is a bounty hunter on what seems to be a routine job until everyone else starts shooting at him.  Just what does his bounty have or know that has guilds and assassins alike chasing him. The truth sets him on an adventure that would rival any legend of any age.

Character:  Manning reminds me of Roger Murtaugh from Lethal Weapon. He has some depth for a story this short, and that’s always nice to see. He was a strong enough character to keep me turning the pages. He was sympathetic and proactive, and as long as you have characters like that, I’m going to at least enjoy your story.

Exposition:  Most of this was hidden in the dialogue, and hidden fairly well. Short stories don’t have a lot of space, and in a story that short, exposition has to hit the chopping-room floor. Weber did this well.

World building:  The unique aspect of this anthology is that it’s all from The Four Horsemen Universe created by Chris Kennedy.  I have to admit there were a few things that would probably make more sense if I had read any of the books in the series, and this will be true of each story in the anthology I read. That said, there isn’t a ton of world building in this story. It relies on fans of the world to understand the details.  While I noticed there were things in this particular story that I couldn’t catch up on, I didn’t miss any of the data. I got enough about things relevant to this story to know what I had to know.

Image taken from Mr. Weber’s web site for review purposes.

Dialogue: There’s some cool banter in this book (which helps me with the whole Murtaugh feel (which is a compliment). Yes, there is some exposition here, but that’s no more than any book offers, especially for background information. The quick exchanges between characters though are pretty fun.

Description: I have to acknowledge it’s been a pretty good while between when I actually read this story and today. I can’t recall the detail. I know it didn’t frustrate or bore me (I’d have remembered that), so I wasn’t buried in useless detail to show off a world I’m not familiar with. I do feel like I would have like a bit more description, but it might just be my opinion on the anthology as a whole more than this individual story.

Overall: This was a fast-paced little story that was pretty solid. I can’t say it blew me away, but it was a nice read for someone wanting something quick (maybe a waiting in an airport or eating lunch). Manning is the strongest aspect, so I’m going to support stories with solid characters. It was a decent lead-off story for the anthology, but it didn’t really rise above the pack. If you like Lethal Weapon or cat-and-mouse action, you’ll like this story.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

September Book Cover of the Month Midway Update

Greetings all,

With just about seven days left in this month’s bracket, I thought this would be a good chance to update you all on how things have been progressing. Unfortunately, this is a very slow month. How slow? It’s in the running for the least-voted (full month) competition. (December didn’t have a full 32 entries.)

933 votes so far. Now, as few votes as we’ve had, I will say it’s a very close fight.

For a Few Credits More, edited by Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey, has had the lead for a few days now.

Most Voted on so far: Scars of the Sand by Frank Dorrian has the most total votes so far with 74.

Least Voted for: Seeds of Blood by C. Chancy. This cover only has a total of seven votes. I think it’s deserving of more than that even if the voters feel it’s not deserving of the championship.

The other good news is that the championships are the closest round. There are essentially three books right in the hunt for the championship. Credits, Sand, and The Festival of Tiral and Ember by Logan Miehl are all within three “finals” votes of each other. This means if either book gets three people to vote them all the way through, they’re right back in the winners’ circle.

A quick reminder of how the tournament works. The easiest way to win is to have the most people vote for you in every round. The trick is you have to have the most people vote you through in each round, all the way to the final.  As an example, 100 people could vote someone through to the finals, but that doesn’t do a cover any good if he doesn’t win the first round. It’s not total votes. It’s not simple championship votes. The winning cover has to have the most votes in each round of the competition.
Since this is such a slow month, ANYONE can win if they can get nine people to vote them all the way through to the championships.

 

This will be the only update for this type of bracket. It’s been an amazing tournament to watch thus far, and I hope readers continue to support their authors by voting, liking, and sharing the bracket with as many people as possible.  You can vote at this address!

I’ll announce the winner is just seven days!

Thanks for reading,

Matt

The September Book Cover of the Month

Happy first everyone! (In my opinion this one took way to long getting here!) If you’re curious or new, check out the Book Covers for December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, and August.

September’s bracket has 30 new books. Last month’s second and third place, Black Ruins Forest by Karen DuBose and Lucky or Not, Here I come, by Gerry Orz, have a second chance to win the monthly title.

You can vote all the way through the tournament, supporting the covers you like best through each round. I like to make sure people get the credit they deserve, so please show your support. Please vote and share as much as possible to get people a chance to pick their favorite.

As always, I’d appreciate it if you tag the authors and artists if you know them. I try to tag or friend every author I can, but sometimes it’s hard to track someone down. Max participation is a huge deal to me. The more people who vote, the more recognition these authors and artists receive, and I want this to be as legitimate as possible.

Image taken from Pixabay.

If you are the author, let’s remember to be good sports! 1) Please feel free to message or contact me at any time. 2) Please feel free to like, share, text, ask for support, and call everyone you know. I absolutely want max participation. However, if you’re going to offer giveaways or prizes, please offer them for voting, not just voting for you.

Also, while your summoning your army of voting soldiers, please make sure you ask them to vote in every match. Part of the idea of this is to get exposure to as many artists and authors as possible. By all means, if you can get 1,000 people to vote for your book, do it. Just please also send some eyeballs to the other matches.

A final note to authors and artists: I currently have links to the books’ Amazon pages. If you’d prefer I switch that link to sign up for your newsletter or like your social media page or whatever, just send me the link and let me know. I want this to help you. I want this to be as helpful as possible, so whatever you need me to do to facilitate that, just let me know.

I hope you keep having fun. Please, vote, share, and discuss as much as possible.

All you have to do now is head over here to vote!

Thanks for reading,

Matt