Travis Siegel

Brynin on Nov. 02, 2012

I kept waiting for something useful to occur in this book. I've finished the book, and still, nothing useful. The story stops in the middle, but I'm not purchasing brynin 2 just to read the other half of the story (assuming it's just as badly written as this one). The story drags, has too many useless details, and will confuse most readers with the descriptions that try to convey futuristic happenings, but really only fall flat. I'd give this book a thumbs down, a single star, basically useless. If you're after a good read, skip this one. If you're excited by long drawn out descriptions, scenes of destruction, and complete lack of cause and effect, then by all means, purchase the book, but I think I'll skip anything by this author in the future.

Prince of Wolves, Book 1 The Grey Wolves Series on Oct. 31, 2013

This was an excellent book, but honestly, a proofreader/editor could do wonders for readability. There's tons of typos, gramatical errors, and missing words from sentences, I almost gave up several times when reading this one. However, I did stick with it, and I'm glad I did. It truly is an excellent story, and despite the writing errors, I'm planning on continuing the series. I only hope the rest of the books are better edited than this one was. If this book hadn't been free, I'd have been extremely upset, and likely not purchased anything else by this author. But, since it was free, I don't feel cheated, and so as a result, will likely give the second book in the series a try. If it is better edited than this one, then I'll continue on, if it's as bad as this one, that will be the last book I'll ever read by this author. In summary, 5 stars for storyline, 1 star for gramitical content. If typos, grammar, and sentence structure aren't things that bother you when they crop up, then you'll love this book, no doubt. If these things do bother you, the book is still worth reading, but it's a whole lot less enjoyable as a result.

Constellation on March 25, 2020
(no rating)
Very nice start to a series. It has everything a good scifi book needs, aliens, spaceships, space battles, future tech, and a good storyline to boot. I liked this one, and will read the second one in the series. (I don't have the third one just yet).

Wounded on April 28, 2021

I was a bit surprised to see this author wrote an urban romance, and normally, that's not my kind of thing, but I like this author, so grabbed this one, and found it to be quite amusing.

Cyborg Legacy (a Fallen Empire novel) on April 28, 2021

What happens to the soldiers after the war is over? We see a lot of it in our own present, but when those soldiers are modified to be nothing but killers, and have armor making them look all the more imposing, what's a retired soldier to do? Especially when someone starts hunting them down for revenge? Well, you can read this story, and find out. Cyborgs have always been interesting to me, (well, and mechs too), and this story is pretty good. It has plenty of light humor to go along with the heavy content, and while they didn't really act like battlehardened soldiers at the end, (it always puzzles me why nobody checks to verify the bad guy is actually dead, allowing them to show up again later), but what the heck, it makes for good reading anyway. Good story, if you like military scifi, you should add it to your reading list

Constellation on April 28, 2021

Very nice start to a series. It has everything a good scifi book needs, aliens, spaceships, space battles, future tech, and a good storyline to boot. I liked this one, and will read the second one in the series. (I don't have the third one just yet).

Against Time: A Seeders Universe Novel on April 28, 2021

Really good book. And, the start of a series. I'll be reading more in this series to be sure. Good story, great scifi, and a fun read, as well as a relatively quick one.

We Have Met the Enemy on April 28, 2021

Fairly decent story. I liked it.

The Wizard Warp: A Humorous Fantasy on April 28, 2021

Gamelit at it's best. Very nice story, and parts of it reminiscent of old 8-bit or text-based adventures. Very cool.

The Time Prize And Other Short Stories on April 28, 2021

Three stories, one time travel, one ghost, and one that's kind of a cross between the two. Interesting collection, and to be honest, pretty good stories. Ghost stories generally aren't my thing, though I found this collection to be rather interesting. If you like your ghost stories with a bit of mystery to them, or a time element, then you'll probably enjoy this collection. I picked it up on smashwords for free, though I don't know if this was one of those being offered for free because of the corona virus or not, but either way, it's a decent collection, and if you like time/ghost stories, you should go get your own copy and read it.

Long Shot: A Remnant of the Commonwealth, Book One on April 28, 2021

Ahh, very nice scifi story. Spaceships, (a bit light on the space battles), but there was some. Good military scifi stuff. I liked it.

Last Requests (A Time Loop Short Story) on April 28, 2021

Not much of a time loop (imo), but a decent story nonetheless. If you like that sort of thing, it'll probably stick with you for a while, if you aren't interested in short stories that are about mundane issues, this probably isn't the story for you.

The Star Agency on April 28, 2021

I realize this was written in Uk english, and the fact that it was written for young adult readers does nothing to reduce the enjoyment a scifi fan will get out of this book, but I'm sorry, I just can't get around the whole no verb conjugation thing uk authors seem to have going on. It's always sat, even if it should be sit or sitting, I haven't a clue why this bothers me so much, but it just irritates me to no end. I don't mind the whole different words thing, holiday instead of vacation, and boot instead of trunk, but sat and span (instead of spun) just get to me in a way I can't explain. Anyway, enough of my griping. It's a good story if the british english doesn't bother you, and even though it's for a younger audience, I really enjoyed the story anyway, and I think most scifi fans would too, especially if they're the kind that like space adventures like I do. I've already obtained the other two in the series, and will be reading those too, just as soon as I can figure out where to put them in the reading cue.

Onward to Mars on April 28, 2021

Pretty good story, but it needs a serious proofreading round or two. Otherwise, it's a nice story for those who enjoy space and/or mars tales.

Martian Voices on April 28, 2021

This is a combination of factual information, and a story about first contact. It's actually pretty amusing, and definitely something that could happen. Very interesting. I like it.

Virtual on April 28, 2021

If you're looking for a good story to while away a few hours on a trip, or just to kick back and relax, this book would be an excellent choice, especially if you like AI or computer stories. This was excellently done, and I highly recommend it.

Qualify on April 28, 2021

Rather intense book. Very good story, and although it's a bit dark, it's an extremely well put together story. I'm going to add the rest of the books in the series to my to read shelf. It has some issues, (like why the asteroid can't be deflected, I mean, it's got 2 years before it hits, you wouldn't need very much of a push to get it off course. The book claims they did push it, but not enough. I don't know the math for this kind of thing, but a movement of only a few inches should be enough to push it far enough off course since it will have more than two years to build up distance from it's original vector, but I guess since the entire premise of the story is this thing hitting the planet, it had to be there, but still, I don't buy it, not with all the technology they brought to the table. Regardless, this minor irritant does nothing to detract from the enjoyment of the story.

Consequences: A Retrieval Artist Novel on April 28, 2021

Interesting book. At times, I was wondering what the story segment had to do with the overall view, but it's all tied together at the end, and it all makes sense. It's a good story, though if it didn't take place on the moon, I'm not sure we could qualify it as scifi, but that's a side note, for those who like their scifi on the hard side of things. Otherwise, it was a pretty decent mystery story, and even if you're not a scifi fan, if you're a mystery fan, you'll probably enjoy this one.

Junkyard (a Fractured Stars adventure) on April 28, 2021

This is the first fractured stars book I've read, but I have to say, if the rest are as amusing as this one, I can't wait to read them all. Great story, funny too, plenty of laught outloud moments. Quite the interesting collection of characters too. I like it.

Day Soldiers on April 28, 2021

Interesting story. I especially find it turning some of the myths about vampires and werewolves on their heads to be very nice story points. Very well done. Looking forward to more in the series.

Caroline d'Allégresse: A Valiant's Tale on April 28, 2021

Nice short story in the vein of LitRPG tales, only without the stats, but the story is short and sweet, I liked it.

Mistress of the Waves on April 28, 2021

Got this book years ago, and finally got around to reading it. :) Liked it too, didn't expect to based on it's description, but it's a pretty good tale, and one a surprising number of scifi fans will probably like as well. Like the world building, it's somewhat similar to Jack Campbell's Pillars of Reality series, so if you liked that one, you'll probably like this one too.

Extremes: A Retrieval Artist Novel on April 28, 2021

I liked this one, though it wasn't what I expected when I started reading it. I like that each retrieval artist series book is about as different as they can be from each other, each book is an entirely different location, an entirely new story, and (most of the time), entirely new cast of characters. Definitely keeps things interesting, and keeps the reader guessing. Plus, there's all kinds of aliens, space travel, new worlds, and much much more to keep the reader entertained. I don't think I've read a series before with so many moving parts that just fit so well. My hat's off to Mrs. Rusch for this entire series.

BASE Status: Online: An Unlikely Hero's LitRPG / GameLit Journey on April 28, 2021

Not a bad story overall. It's a rather basic tale, but it's interesting, and while predictable in places, it's still interesting enough to hold the attention, and best of all, it sports a disabled player as the main character. I realize LitRPG likes to do this, and that's great, but this is the first time I've seen a character with the issues this one has, great to see such matters handled fairly well. I can easily recommend this one to the LitRPG crowd. It won't be a fantastic tale, to be sure, but I'd wager most folks will like it well enough.

Thousand Tales: Extra Lives on April 28, 2021

It was a little slow to start, but overall, it wasn't a bad tale. Amusing, and definitely charting its own course. I'm still on the fence whether or not I'll read more in the series, since it was funny in parts, but it wasn't really the kind of story I tend to enjoy myself, though there wasn't actually anything wrong with the story as a whole, it just didn't fit my reading preferences. it seemed too disjointed for my tastes.

Sky Hunter (Targon Tales 1) on April 28, 2021

Not a bad book, a decent story to be sure, though I'm always puzzled why books like this think it's mandatory to have the female lead character undergo harsh experiences as character building exercises. Just once, I'd love to read a book about a strong heroine who didn't suffer at the hands of her captain, crewmates, prisoners, or unknown asailant. I don't understand why a female can't be a strong character based on her own merits, instead of because she wants revenge. Anyway, if you like space adventures, this one has a bit of that, if you like planet bound scifi, this one has some of that too, if you like chase scenes, battles, blowing stuff up, and all the other things that make a good science fiction story, then this book is likely to appeal to you in some way. It was good enough as a stand alone story, I don't know if I'll follow the rest of the series or not, since although it was a decent story, it just didn't grab me the way some of these kinds of stories do, though that could be from some of the scenes I didn't agree with in the book, or it could just be that I'm an old fart who hates that people are jerks no matter where you go, and would really like to see a little less of that in the books I read for fun.

SODIUM Harbinger on April 28, 2021

This was your typical alien invasion story, at least the kind where the aliens are stopped by a small group of people. It wasn't a bad story, though I wouldn't rate it as a must read or anything, still, if you're a fan of alien invasion stories, you could do worse than add this one to your reading list.

The Emperor's Edge on April 28, 2021

This book wasn't what I expected,having read others in the series before, but even though there wasn't any space action, it still was good enough to keep my attention focused for the whole book. I don't know if I'll actively search out other books in this series, but if I do run across them, I certainly won't mind reading them. it might be interesting to see what happens to the whole crew, and how they fit into the rest of the universe.

Apocalypse on April 28, 2021

As far as post apocalyptic stories go, this one isn't bad. and, as with a lot of self published material, it suffers from lack of a good editor, but overall, it's an interesting read. The story is definitely a good one, though in places, it's way too trite, and sometimes, explanations are cut short for no reason I can see. Otherwise, it's a good read, and I recommend it, though 3 stars is what I give it, still, it's better done than a lot of post apocalyptic stories I've run across, and I do intend to continue reading the series, should be interesting.

Bypass Gemini on April 29, 2021

This was an excellent read. I don't give many books 5 stars, and until now, none that were independently published. There's always grammar problems, spelling issues, or plot inconsistencies that cause me to downgrade their ratings. This book had very very few of these issues, well within accepted norms, even for professionally edited and published material. I am definitely going to read more by this author. I found this book on smashwords as a freebie, but you can be assured I will purchase others just as soon as I am able. Great work, and I recommend it to anyone who likes science fiction, fast paced action, or who wants to be entertained. I laughed many times because of the one-liners sprinkled liberally thru out the story, these were the best parts of the book. Some authors start out being amusing, and just overplay the amusing card way too much, but in this book, it was handled with some of the best mastery I've seen. It's rare you get a book that is entertaining, and an excellent story, and downright hilarious at the same time, but it was definitely done well here.

Magic of Thieves: Legends of Dimmingwood, Book 1 on April 29, 2021

According to goodreads, I'd read this book back in 2014, only I don't remember a thing about this book, so either I didn't read it, (possible, but not likely, since I'm very careful about adding books to the read category after the major fubar with my initial import from shelfari, or the book was so mundane, I simply forgot the story entirely. Well, unfortunately, the second possibility is quite likely. The story isn't a bad one, but it's not exactly a memorable one either. If you're looking for a new series to read, don't give this one a pas on my say so, but if you want something with lots of action, high society, and lots of memorable scenes, I'd say give this one a pass.

Magnet on April 29, 2021

I liked this story. It was considerably better than Faith, (of course, it's hard to be worse) and I even liked it better than imperfect (that one kind of dropped you off at the end of the block with no forwarding address), and it was actually a complete story that was enjoyable (was wondering of Mr. Adams was capable of writing short stories that were worth reading). It's the story of a space fighter pilot who gets blasted (not quite into oblivion) in his craft. He (obviously) survives, and gets a lesson in mortality in the process. Not a bad story really, and the only one I'd actually recomend of the three. It kind of bottomed out at the end though, when you're informed the whole battle was basically a wash, and this Magnet guy was the only one hurt on the human side, and one alien ship was too, but I've come to expect such nonsense from this author.

Faith on April 29, 2021

I certainly hope this isn't the best work in the collection of short stories that take place in the Lacuna universe. As a stand-alone story, it doesn't offer much. If you like death stories, I guess it's worth reading, but for me, it was a waste of time. Told from the point of view of a little alien girl, it tries to offer up a quandry of a little girl wrestling with her understanding of the universe when her mother dies when she is just 9 years old. Since they lived in (basically a concentration camp) her mother used her body to get extra food for the little girl from the guards, and when she died, the priest explained all about the balconies in the sky where the mother is now looking down on the little girl watching her. Well, duh, then the priest is surprised when the girl enters the cremation furnace, and activates it? Yeah, I don't think so. Perhaps there's more to the story, more subtext, or additional lessons I didn't take away from it, but honestly, the only thing this sort of story does for me is make me not want to read anything else by an author. I'm sure there's some deep meaning buried in there somewhere, and folks will think me dense for not getting it, but I'm a practical sort, and reading about kids commiting suicide just isn't my cup of tea.

Lacuna on April 29, 2021

If you're the kind of person that is a stickler for details, then give this one a pass. Sorry, but it doesn't take 15 seconds to cross 56,000 kilometers at 0.1 light speed. Various other numbers were totally wrong, editing was terrible (I sincerely hope his editor did a better job on the rest of the books in the series). The story was very good, the plot lines were a bit contrived, but they fit well together anyway, and although I agree with another reviewer here that details were skimped on for portions of the story, overall, it wasn't a bad story. I'll likely read the others in the series, (and after all, that's why free books are free isn't it?), but I won't be looking for professional quality writing while I do so.

A Diamond in My Pocket on April 29, 2021

I got this book for free from smashwords. As soon as I finished it, I promptly went and purchased books 2 and 3 in the series, as they were listed in the same series on smashwords. Unfortunately, it turns out there's actually 4 books in the series, so I found the fourth book by accident, so had to make a separate purchase for it, but it's all good now. I've completed the whole series, and would recommend it for nearly anyone. I guess there's those who wouldn't like it, but I can't think of any off hand. I enjoy a good story, and while writing style certainly makes a difference in the telling, I am not usually bothered by little things as other readers seem to be. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire series, and in fact, read all 4 books in just 2 days. It's an excellent series, and while there are parts scattered here and there that could benefit from professional editing, I found those parts to be few and far between, and only 1 that actually caused me to pause and complain to myself for a few minutes before continuing and enjoying the rest of the series to the utmost. I agree with other reviewers that the whole series rocks, and in the fourth book, the flashbacks from Chris' point of view did drag a bit, and I wondered why that portion was necessary, but otherwise, I have have no complaints with the entire series. An excellent read (as I've already stated) and I highly recommend the entire collection to anyone who enjoys a good story.

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