Catskinner’s Book
My most gripping reads are almost always the ones where the very premise itself grabs my attention in a choke hold, and such is the case here. Long-time loser James Ozwryck finally has a life: a small apartment, a regular job, and a steady income. There's even plenty of time for video games. It might not be much, but it's his. And to keep it, all he has to do is let a demon borrow his body from time to time. You know, to kill people. It's a pretty sweet deal.
– Jefferson Smith
Check out the IOD Report here.
More info →Strange Places
After a lifetime of constant warfare with the nuns who run the orphanage, 13-yr-old Tayna learns a shocking truth: her parents are still alive. But the tearful reunion every orphan dreams about seems unlikely, because her mom and dad are in grave peril, trapped in a world of magic. And that means it's now up to her to save them. All she has to do is bust out of nunnish prison, get herself into the other world, and then figure out where they are. Plus it might be useful if she knew their names. But compared to being an orphan? This should be a piece of cake.
Oath Keeper
In a world that has known only peace, a Warrior-King has arisen. His Gnome army swarms unhindered through the Forest. Refugees scatter. And the Three Avatars of the Dragon have chosen sides in their contest to either restore the peace … or to shatter it for all time.
In the midst of this chaos stands Tayna, a runaway orphan from the streets of our world, who must make an impossible choice: find the parents she had thought were long dead…
…or embrace her destiny and save the freaking world.
The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree
When a famous writer is murdered, his estranged son Ross returns for the funeral and is quickly plunged into the unfamiliar community of fantasy geeks and role playing nerds. And when he learns that the fantastical world of his father’s fiction actually exists, Ross quickly crosses over to hunt the killer down, but soon realizes that he may have jumped the gun, because now he’s lost in a world of gunslingers and monsters where the rules make no sense.
And he hasn’t read the books.
More info →Brotherhood of Delinquents
Tam, Kern, and Merrik are all failing at life: a homeless thief, a disgraced baker’s apprentice, and an incompetent smith. But witnessing a strange ritual in the middle of the night sets them on a collision course with destiny—and with each other. Accused of crimes they did not commit, the boys must band together to clear their names. And in the process, they just might have to do something useful, like battle monsters and save the city. But frankly, that sounds a lot like work.
Second Skyn
We've all seen the story of the hero whose consciousness is backed up on a computer drive and later re-animated into an unfamiliar world of the future. But what if he's reanimated the Tuesday after his death and charged with the murder of his wife? And then, what if later that same day he's reanimated again, only this time under his secret porn identify, and given the chance for revenge? I'll tell you what happens: awesome happens. Two versions of the same man, both investigating the same murder from different ends. And only one of them can live.
– Jefferson
If you enjoyed Altered Carbon, you'll love this.
More info →Strictly Analog
In a decaying world where even your pet ferret has a live-to-net video feed, some problems require a guy who couldn’t leave a bit-trace if he tried. In that case, you go to Lomax. Ex-military, tough as nails… And strictly analog.
A compelling world that I couldn't help but slip into. It's a believable future with touches of grunge and decay that give this noir detective story a real bite of authenticity. Lots of fun.
—Jefferson
Check out the IOD Report here.
More info →Malus Domestica
The Improbable Rise of Singularity Girl
A scientist’s life is thrown into chaos when a grad student’s suicide turns out to be more than it seemed, and ends up triggering a singularity breakthrough in AI computing. What follows is a tour-de-force adventure in politics, technology, and human achievement, with some epic smack-down battles to top it all off.
A welcome reversal of the usual AI story that gets bigger, badder, and bolder as it unfolds. Funny, engaging, and surprisingly well grounded in computer theory.
— Jefferson
Check out the IOD Report here.
More info →