Soul Augmented by Kas Smith

 

Soul Augmented is an interesting and thought-provoking cyberpunk and dystopian science fiction and the first in the Soul-Augmented Book Series created by Kas Smith.

Obsessed theoretical physicist Joshua Smith doesn’t realize just how much he loves his girlfriend, Savannah, until she falls into a coma following a spectacularly disastrous night. Savannah’s condition, however, is not unique. Around the world, millions of people fall into irreversible and inexplicable coma.

As Savannah lies unconsciously on her hospital bed, Joshua is racked with guilt for all the times he neglects her and chooses to spend his time and energy on his work instead of to her. Oblivious of the connection between the rise of natural disasters and the irreversible comas, Joshua vows to do everything he can to find a cure for her condition.

An unexpected visit from a representative of an extremely powerful secret society gives Joshua hope to save Savannah but he is yet to decide whether or not he is ready for the implications of his decisions.

Basically, this book has a common enough plot, a man who is so engrossed about his work that he forgets about everything else including the most important thing he has, the love of a great woman, until he lost it. What makes it exciting and interesting is the portrayal of a possible future of the planet. The rise of natural disasters, use of much, much improved and versatile mobile phone called in the book as genius control device, mode of transportation called octopede, and the ordinariness of augmented reality, everything that totally appeals to a science fiction enthusiast.

These same things, however, would deter other readers who prefer the usual and everyday things they see in their present reality. Having said that, I think it would be sensible to say that this book is great but only to a specific set of readers. May I also add that there are scientific terminologies that others would find unappealing like quantum teleportation and Higgs boson,

Being into quantum mechanics, I find this book very interesting that I plan to read the next book in the series very soon.

Congratulations to Kas Smith (@KasSmith_writer) on such a very interesting book. For more books by the author, click HERE.

Death Donor by Matt Ward

Death Donor is an exciting and suspenseful dystopian, techno-thriller written by Matt Ward.

At a time when the rich can opt to live for as long as they want and the poor sell their organs to feed their family, Samantha Jones, Special Forces veteran, is lucky to be employed as bodyguard by biotech billionaire Ethan Anderson. Anderson is the founder of Defying Death Industries whose vision is to rid the world of death and suffering by harvesting healthy organs from poverty-stricken citizens, who fall in line to sell body parts in order to survive, to improve the health and prolong the lives of wealthy individuals.

Fortunately for Sam, her job with Ethan allows her and her family to live a life that does not require selling vital organs. One night, however, Sam’s daughter is abducted and her body parts are sold. Her husband kills himself shortly after. Shaken by the immeasurable pain of her loss, Sam vows to take them down, all of them, the elites who play god.   

This is a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking story that questions the readers’ own moral values. It highlights the distinction between the lives of the rich and the poor and raises a very important question whether it is justifiable to exact revenge on oblivious individuals just because they are part of a biased system that favors the wealthy. The readers would find themselves rooting for Sam as she hunts down her perceived enemies while asking themselves if she is doing the right thing after all.

In addition to the very interesting plot is the set of well-developed characters. There is Ethan Anderson, the genius who doesn’t understand why other people would choose death when they have an option to live forever. Then, there is Sam who a lot of readers may sympathize with, and finally there is Sen. Schmidt who, I think is the most likable and relatable of all. Though I find some scenes a little too smooth for thriller, I enjoyed them nonetheless and though the ending is less conclusive than I hoped, it’s quite satisfactory.

Congratulations to Matt Ward (@mattwardwrites) on such an enjoyable book! For more books by the author, click HERE.    

My 2019 Book List

I have read 118 books in 2018. Just like the previous years, most of them are by independent authors and are self-published. As a professional book reviewer, sometimes I feel like reading books become ‘work’ which, technically, in my case, is true. So, when writing reviews becomes too tedious and stressful, I read for fun. The following list is that of books that I chose to read for personal amusement.

1. Surprise Me by Sophia Kinsella

2. The Giver by Lois Lowry

3. Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by

4. Acceptable Risk by Robin Cook (reread)

5. Hidden Riches by Nora Roberts (reread)

6. Sands of Time by Sidney Sheldon

7. IQ84 by Haruki Murukami

8. The Zahir by Paulo Coelho

9. The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

10. Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

11. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (reread)

12. Little Men by Louisa May Alcott (reread)

That looks like a short list, doesn’t it? Well, if you want, you may add your book to that list. Here is the list of the books I read and reviewed in 2018. Mainstream books, however, are not reviewed. They are popular enough as they are and some are even overrated and don’t need reviews for promotion.

1. Srepska by LucasSterling

2. You Can’t Pigeonhole Meby David M. Hood

3. Maggie ElizabethHarrington by D.J. Swykert

4. But My Brain Had OtherIdeas by Deb Brandon

5. Kitty Hawk and theIcelandic Intrigue by Iain Reading

6. Curses of Scale by S.D.Reeves

7. God is Alive and Wellby Dr. Robert Walker

8. Confessions of theHeart by Canaa L. Lee

9. Dawn of the Chrysalisby Sam B. Miller II

10. Sex and the Women byHeini Grunbaum

11. The Xeno Manifesto byBrysen Mann

12. Dodging Satan byKathleen Zamboni McCormick

13. Smith by Sam Miller II

14. Fiery Rivers by DaefydWilliams

15. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

16. The Bridge in the Fogby Marc Remus

17. The Simple Little Ruleby Mike Ellerkamp

18. The Witch’s Journey by Elaanie S.

19. Contract Pending by AlMarsiglia

20. A Chicken in the Windand How He Grew by Frank South

21. Madam Tulip and theBones of Chance by David Ahern

22. You Can’t Do That, YesI Can by Michael Attardi

23. Four Grams ofAffliction by Patricia M. Gunn

24. Brand Real by Vasken Kalayjian

25. Eyes Don’t Lie byCrystal Dawn Mason

26. Kitty Hawk and theTragedy of the RMS Titanic by Iain Reading

27. Marriage God’s Way byScott La Pierre

28. Tabikat by HarrietRedfern

29. Nightmares, The Lost Lullaby by Jason Segel

30. Pillow Talk: The Legend of Lorelie Begins by Daria J. Wagoner

31. Katseye by HarrietRedfern

32. Deadly Highway by J.Stewart Willis

33. Stop Whining; StartWinning by Tom Anslett

34. Driving in Reverse by LindsayWincherauk

35. Genna’s Ghost bySheldon Newton

36. Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

37. Living with Uncertaintyand Still Enjoying Life by Karen Kay Dunn, M.A.

38. Patrick Kearney: TheTrue Story of the Freeway Killer by Jack Rosewood

39. The Manifesto Murders by Nick Airus

40. Invasion of the Ortaksby Sveinn Benonysson

41. That Place of Knowledgeby Phillip Shalka

42. The Wave and the Dropby Cindy Spring

43. The Golden Peacock byLauren B. Grossman

44. Hell Holes by DonaldFiresmith

45. The Fatness by Mark A.Rayner

46. Somewhere a Tree Growsby Kipling Keats de Magi

47. Voyage of Pearl of theSeas by Ruth Finnegan

48. A Distant Eden by LloydTackitt

49. Squelched by TerryBeard

50. Witchstone by VictoriaRandall

51. Bosnian Phoenix byMiljan Peter Ilich

52. The Language Thieves byMarc Remus

53. None Notches by TJSpencer Jacques

54. A Father Offers His Sonby Scott La Pierre

55. Kitty Hawk and theMystery of the Masterpieces by Iain Reading

56. American River:Currents by Mallory M. O’Connor

57. Angels among Us by Hannah Conway

58. World, Incorporated byTom Gariffo

59. Gone by Michael Grant

60. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

61. Revival from the Shoulder by Paul Juby

62. No Peace After War byClaire St. Hilaire

63. Highly EffectiveTeaching Strategies by Marc Hoberman

64. Fighting to Win byNicole Flockton

65. Eden Shrugged by EdmonMcGhee, Jr.

66. Tales of Gold by TLMarmon

67. Law of Attraction Masterby Steven Marie

68. Opus Singularis by RobertEarl Means, Jr.

69. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

70. When Angels Play Pokerby Maura O’Leary

71. Meditations from aPastor’s Heart by Jerome A. Jochem, M.S., M. A.

72. A Side of Faith byKrista Phillips

73. Templar Secrets byAndreas Economou

74. A Reunion in Time byRussell F. Moran

75. Spirituality in the 21stCentury by Frank P. Daversa

76. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

77. First Family by AliceLangholt

78. Chanctonbury by NatashaMurray

79. Accidents Happen bySharon Karaa

80. Empty Desk by JanetCall

81. Roadmap to the End ofDays by Daniel Friedman

82. McDowell by William H.Coles

83. Beyond Wealth to Long-Term Prosperity by Naseem Mariam

84. King of Time by SkySommers

85. Days of the Giants byRJ Petrella

86. A New Vision by MoriahMorningstar

87. The Ghost Writer byDamon Norko

88. Story Bends by S.D.Henke

89. The Crystilleries ofEcholand by Dew Pellucid

90. Garbageman by Erik Dean

91. Earthships, Book 2 byBonnie Jane Hall

92. Paralytic State bySteven Orlowski

93. Spin by Tina Sayward

94. Messed-Up Men of theBible by Tina and Dave Samples

95. For the Man in White byTyler Martin Sehnal

96. The Influence ofMilitary Strategies to Business by M. D. White

97. The Legacy of Job’sWife by Cynthia Koelker

98. Serpents and Doves byG. Lloyd Helm

99. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

100. The Easter Make Believersby Finn Bell

101. Vagrant by Janet Post

102. Chip’s World: Complex#31 and the Caretaker by Thomas Hill

103. Cyber-Thought Police byKyle Robertson

104. Ink by Amanda Anderson

105. The Mighty Blue SavedChristmas by M.A. Baer

106. Psychopath by JeffereyDawson

107. Chronicles of Pangea:Eve by Jay Mathis Horne

108. The Witch of Endor:Vampires by R.K. Wheeler

109. Unleash the Power ofYour Mind by Aaron Powell

110. At the Mouth of a Canonby Kevin Annett

111. Thomas Wildus and theBook of Sorrows by J. M. Bergen

112. Octavio and the Lotusby N. Pojk

113. A Bloody Book by ChrisBowen

114. The Watchmaker’s Doctorby G.M.T. Schuilling

115. The Uprising by MarcRemus

116. I Can See Peace by Julie Penshorn

117. The Woodspeople by Marc Remus

118. Of Zots and Xoodles by Zarqnon the Embarrassed

If you want to add your book on next year’s list, you may CLICK HERE. The blog author, however, reserves the right to refuse books that are beyond her field of expertise.  

The Cloud Seeders by Jamie Zerndt

The Cloud Seeder is an action-packed, fast-paced dystopian novel written by Jamie Zerndt.  

Thomas and his younger brother Dustin are water cops for the Sustainability Movement. It has been nearly 12 months without rain and their duty is to give tickets to people who are caught wasting water and committing other Unforgivables. They have not seen their parents, whom Dustin believes are away doing research, for over a year and it is Thomas who looks after her younger brother.

When Dustin catches a fever at a party, Thomas takes the opportunity to ask for a long vacation. Together with Thomas' girlfriend Jerusha, the brothers pack for a trip to California where Thomas says their parents are. Along the way, however, the trio encounters various problems which lead them to Twink, someone whose address is circled on their father’s map.

This is a fast paced story that keeps the audience engaged. There is a surprise at every chapter and hints are dropped like bait being dangled at the reader to keep on reading. The book is teemed with interesting terms like Unforgivables, Leftovers, Bootleggers, Water points and Drying.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I found it amusing and entertaining but at the same time scary. The banters between Jerusha and Thomas and between Thomas and Dustin made it amusing while the thought of living with a very limited water supply made it scary.

The author described a dry and chaotic world, where neighbors tell on each other to earn water points, very successfully that reading made me feel extremely thirsty. The writing style was conversational that made for easy reading. Moreover, the author created lovable characters like Thomas, Dustin, Jerusha and Twink, and though I liked Jerusha for her rebellious spirit and smart tongue, my favorite was Dustin, the sweet little boy who turned into adult in a very short period of time.

Congratulations to Jamie Zerndt (@ZerndtJ) on such a great book. Click HERE for more of Jamie Zerndt’s books.