Location: United States
Member Since: Aug. 22, 2011
Jim Bade
Books
This member has not published any books.Jim Bade's favorite authors on Smashwords
M.A. Harris
Latest book: Elgin. Published on November 13, 2011.
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Smashwords book reviews by Jim Bade
- Kindred Spirits
on Sep. 28, 2011
This is one of the best books I have read in some time! It has an excellent storyline that is fresh and unique, hard to do these days. It also has interesting and believable characters. There is plenty of action, verging on too much, and the twists and turns are often unexpected and keep the reader turning pages. The author obviously is well versed in the proper use of English, and while there are a few formatting errors, the book is easily readable, and pulls the reader in with well turned phrases and dialog. Overall a very enjoyable read! I am very much looking forward to reading more of Mr. Luke’s work!
- Transplant
on Sep. 28, 2011
Good book! Interesting, unique and a well planned storyline. I have not come to expect much of some of the free books. They are usually written with passion, but many of the authors have difficulty with using appropriate descriptive words, and matching different dialog styles with individual characters. Mr. Moreton does not have any of these issues. His characters’ dialog is just like life. Each individual has their own voice, their own fears and hopes, and their own personality. I particularly enjoyed the premise of the story, as well as the overall storyline. It kept my attention, and made me want to read more. That said; there were numerous typos and formatting errors. I am not sure if part of the problem came in the format conversion to the Kindle format, or just a lack of thorough editing. Another issue I had was with the science of the story. Being a hard science fiction reader for 40 years makes me a bit of a critic of stories that have obvious scientific errors in it. This one had several, and while they were easy enough to ignore, the errors did detract from the story. The only other small criticism I had was with the ending. While I appreciate that the author was attempting to bring closure, and give the reader some hope for the future, it felt a little abrupt, like the author just wanted to finish quickly. A better ending could have left the reader hanging, opening up a possible sequel, or adding more detail to the last bit of action. None the less, a fine book, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a unique perspective on a growing issue!
- Uprising
on Oct. 04, 2011
Many others have already said what I think, but I felt it worth saying again. The book was very well written, not just for a first novel, but for any novel. The dialog and charactors are believable, and the action easily kept my interest. All in all a well written novel. The bad? Well, the science of the book was pretty thin and unbelievable, as well as some of the social aspects. However, that didn't prevent me from really enjoying the read, and looking forward to the sequel. Fiction doesn't have to be believable to be fun to read!
- Dusk
on Oct. 17, 2011
Mr. Luke does it again. Like his last book "Kindred Spirits" the author makes every character both believable and likeable, or engenders hate and love in equal measures. The balance of good and bad, love and hate, is tempered by the amazing dialog between the main character and his son. The story is a mix of hard science fiction and fantasy, but leaning towards the science side. There is plenty of action, lots of thought provoking dialog, and twists that are unexpected but seem obvious after the fact. Mr. Luke manages to keep several balls in the air at once, and he does so without ever confusing the reader unintentionally. I have one very small complaint; it is the author's obvious interest in marshal arts. His fight scenes are good, but maybe a bit too complex to keep the reader's interest all the way through. Trying to visualize the twists and turns, and many maneuvers is sometimes difficult. None the less, Mr. Luke's skills as a writer and story teller are growing fast. I am anxiously awaiting his next novel, which I hope he will have the confidence to charge a fee to read, as I would be perfectly willing, even anxious, to pay!
- Shalilayo
on Oct. 24, 2011
This book is a must read for any and all vegetarians, and those who lean towards the idyllic spiritualistic lifestyle. Sounds all fruits and nuts, but it isn't. This is a great read, even for a meat eater like me. It contains mix of science fiction and fantasy, with a strong message that can not be ignored. The author makes great use of all the best elements of both science fiction and fantasy to create alternate worlds full of opposites. He also does a credible job of defining what we, as humans, would be like, if life were as simple as it is on the home planet of the original characters. Well written, good follow through with ideas and plot lines and worth reading on several levels. I look forward to more books from Mr. Mitchell.
- Moon Dreams
on Dec. 20, 2011
What a great book! In the spirit of the greats, this book had it all! A great story line, very unique, a lingering romance, good friends, action in abundance with just enough pause to build the story and characters. The author reallknows's how to build a story, bring it to multiple highs, and with diverse and believablcharactersrs. Just as good, the skill in editing is of a professional quality worthy of the best! I am VERY impressed with the author, and will read more of their books!
- Elite
on Dec. 30, 2011
The story was quite interesting, and the premises were reasonably well thought out. However, if felt like a young teen book, more fantasy than science fiction, and with a feel of a total lack of reality, both on the science side and the character sides. The characters were simple, predictable and socially immature, though likable and fun. The science was based on imagination and in no way on potential reality. Overall a simple and easy read, but needs to be polished.
- Trillion Dollar Family
on March 15, 2012
In general I am a Hard Sci-Fi kind of guy. I like space ships, aliens, fighting with lasers, the usual. This book has all that and more. The story is well written, has plenty of twists and turns (though a few opportunities were missed), courage, patriotism, and a love “angle”. The author takes his time in creating a believable, for the most part, story, where science has taken a front seat, but human intrigue and desires are not left out. I can’t say too much, so as not to spoil the story for others, but I am betting most of you will enjoy the book, be surprised a few times, and put the book down with a smile. I will surely be looking forward to reading other books by Mr. Skryler! Just one note, though this is a self published book, another pass through for misspelled/misused words (like went instead of when) is in order.
- Evoguía
on March 15, 2012
This was an excellent saga of the human mind and spirit. The story develops at a good pace, with spurts of excitement and surprise just often enough to catch the reader off guard. The characters were believable, if eccentric, and the story spanned just the right amount of time. There was also a strong sub-story line about racial and social injustice, though with a positive feel for the future, infused into the main plot. This is a worthwhile book for both the fantasy reader, and the hard sci-fi lovers. Lots of high tech, with descriptions that make them seem almost real, and plenty of mental highlights, with a dash of spirituality added in. Definitely a worthwhile read. There was, however, a minor annoyance. The spelling/misuse of words was bad enough to be distracting. Another edit round, or two, is definitely in order.
- Ever Onward
on March 15, 2012
Ever Onward was a fun read, plain and simple. Plain and simple also described the plot and characters. The story was reasonably well developed, though the characters were a bit underdeveloped. There were parts in the book that reminded me of a ghost story where the characters kept going back into the haunted house even though the ghosts told them to leave. Makes for some grand excitement, but you have to wonder how bright the characters are? Technically there were a lot of simple flaws, like in the opening of the book where the military was flying a B-17, in modern times (a B-17 is a WWII aircraft), or the capabilities, or lack of capabilities, of some of the weapons, and the near manic nature of so many gone bad and so few remained good. All those drawbacks aside, the book was an easy read, with lots of action, well written dialog, and interesting characters. Well worth a few hours of anyone’s time who has an interest in a post apocalyptic world.