BOOK REVIEW: "Universe Ocean" by Timothy J. Lytle

Podnar has always killed for the Dominion. It’s all he’s ever known. But one day he misses his mark.
That event changes everything, lifting the veil on a lifetime of lies. When the Dominion discovers that he knows the truth they execute the worst possible punishment for a telepath: Exile. Condemned to live out life on a planet where he is the only sentient being, the Halfac manages to survive until he encounters Harlow Cavalear. Podnar uses the human to carry out a desperate plan to destroy the Corsujian race. But instead of wiping out one race, he unleashes a terrible threat upon every species in the universe.
As Harlow struggles to find his role in the war, he begins having strange visions, repeatedly finding himself transported across time and space into the mind of a foreign entity. The experiences are hazy and dreamlike, but each episode is followed by real and intense headaches. And there was something else behind the pain, past the unsettling fear of unknown origin, a raw internal emotion he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
As the mental backlash caused by the visions grows increasingly unbearable, Harlow can’t help but wonder if they have something to do with the war raging around him. But the real question was: could he figure out why they kept happening before they killed him?

While I read a lot of science fiction, I haven't been a huge fan of the books for a very long time. I watch the films and movies, but the books were always the last on my TBR list. Funny, because every time I read a sci-fi book, I find myself drawn in immediately with the new worlds created seemingly from nothing but pure imagination.
Universe Ocean might be one of the grandest ones I've come across as a reviewer. Based on exile and war, you could call it a space version of Lord of the Rings, which was based off of war as well. But Universe Ocean isn't just an allegory, it's a beautiful, if dark, space opera.
Podnar is a telepath forced into exile, the worst thing for someone who needs mental contact with other living beings. His voice and his heart immediately make him a sympathetic and recognizable character, strong and vengeful.
Harlow is a human and seems easily manipulated, but you learn not to judge him by his first impression. He's daring and resourceful, a great supporting character.
The story is entertaining, but it also makes you think. Think about war, about trust and about your leaders. About lies and desperation.
A great book, especially if you like both war and sci-fi!

4/5--a very interesting read!

Purchase Universe Ocean via:

Official site (has all purchase links and the site has an in-depth look inside the author's mind)

BOOK REVIEW: "Compile: Quest" by Ronel van Tonder

In the year 2036, solar storms batter Earth crippling electrical infrastructures across the globe. Night falls and the ensuing pandemonium claims millions of lives, catapulting the world into chaos. 
In the midst of this global turmoil a hero emerges. The altruistic SUN Council intercedes, constructing enormous domes on each continent to protect the world’s population from the radioactive CME’s of the incessant solar storms. 
But not everyone makes it to the domes. In an attempt to survive the deadly radiation, hundreds of thousands of people dig into the earth, living in squalor under an oppressive military dictatorship. 
Now centuries later, the final stage of the SUN Council’s plan to decimate the world’s population approaches. But as victory glimmers on the horizon, two women from discordant halves of this new world start to unravel the conspiracy.

When we think of the greats of the science fiction genre, the first name that comes to mind is Issac Asmiov. He reinvented the genre and gave us a lot of information to process.
When we find ourselves thinking of the greats in the next decade, we will inevitably mention Ronel van Tonder, whose debut novel Compile: Quest is a feast for the imagination.
The story centers around a world in turmoil, even though some of the inhabitants have no idea that things were not always this way.
You have your typical elements, like a corporation trying to control everyone, robots as personal assistants and vicious war raging behind the scenes. But you have your unique points, particularly that the hero isn't a hero: it's a heroine. Two of them, actually. The two women chosen by the author to stop the SUN Council and end the war are as different as night and day, yet offset each other perfectly.
This world she created is frightening and somehow beautiful in its strange, cybernetic way. I love the lifestyles with robots and medical pods, all the strange things that, in 2014, don't seem to be that fictional.
Reading this is like going into a virtual reality machine, actually, and you won't want to leave once you've entered.

5/5--a new age of sci-fi.

Purchase Compile: Quest via:

Goodreads
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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Ronder Scott

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

When I am writing, I become at peace with myself. Writing characters' dialogue is my passion. If it wasn’t for writing, I don’t know where I would be.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

Langston Hughes, Robb White, Truman Capote and many others. I enjoy all types of books today, but I mostly love thrillers with a crime theme to them.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel The Painted Catch?

I was inspired by the current events going on around us. That so many people tend to block out just to have peace in their normal everyday lives. I felt the same type of way about war and I wanted to display that in the novel.

4. Will we see a book similar to this or featuring any of the same characters?

As of now nothing is on the table. I have decided to continue my graduate studies at the University. I will be finished in December. Then I can hash out a new book idea for The Painted Catch part II.

5. Were any of the characters based on real people?

No just people I sketched out in my mind.

6. Why choose terrorism and soldiers as your main focus?

They are a part of our well-being. They have huge tasks to keep us safe. They are responsible for us and sometimes bad things happen to good people.

7. Can you tell readers about your other works?

My other works are the same: suspense driven, and focused on a major theme. They are controversial somewhat but that is how I see the world when I write. Things can get very one-dimensional if you have an insane way of approaching life. But the events are never mundane, they keep you on the edge of your seat at all times.

8. Would you like for the paintings you created in the story to be real?

Yes of course, that is a dream of mine; to see my work on the big screen or as a television series.

9. What do you mostly want readers to take from The Painted Catch?

I want them to leave with thoughts of great writing. I don’t want them to be paranoid but I do want them to know that things do take place covertly but in plain sight. I want them to take away to never be a victim and never let anyone try to make you believe there is only one way of doing something. To every “no” there is always a “yes” and vice versa.

10. Would you like to see the series in theaters or on TV? If so, what actors would you like to see play your characters?

I don’t know about the all of the characters to play the roles but I believe there is great writing for a dominant male lead like Tom Cruise or Denzel Washington or Columbus Short even. I don’t discriminate at all. There are some hefty actors out now that could take on the role of Shane.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

That’s a great question, yet I don’t want to sound cynical.

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

Writing right now does not pay my bills so I do a slew of other things. Writing is my true passion. I wish I could make an honest living doing just that so now I opened a small deli inside the Shell gas station where I am head chef and I am working on my last semester of Master’s in Communications at Texas Southern University. I also teach classes in my spare time for a private school curriculum.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

No, it’s a secret until I am ready to share it with the rest of the world. I really want to develop this next story into something beautiful like The Painted Catch.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

Stephen King.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

I am a great cook. I am a hopeless romantic and I would like to write more romance in the future. I love fantasy and thriller movies.

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