Denali Deception. Ernest Dempsey, author (Enclave Publishing, 2017). Why did I keep seeing Nicholas Cage playing main character Sean Wyatt while I read this book? Ah, yes, because of the parallels with that crazy movie National Treasure, one of most disorganized cinematic experiences I’ve ever had! Maybe this tale is more believable than that movie at the beginning if you accept an archaeological organization run by James Bond types, but the ending was absolutely unbelievable and inexplicable, archaeologically speaking or otherwise.

The notes at the end show the author has done his history homework, yet he ruins the historical basis of his story because he doesn’t follow Clancy’s maxim: fiction has to seem real, whether real history is intertwined or not. That maxim is important, even in fantasy writing (within the rules of the fantasy world the author creates).

Nonsensical fun at least? Maybe for one book’s worth. If you like it, there’s a whole series—14 more books! If you compare the series to Sue Grafton’s, there’s nothing wrong with that, but I don’t think I could take Sean Wyatt for another thirteen stories. With National Treasure, we only had to endure Nicholas Cage’s character twice. With Sean, I’ll stick with just one book, thank you, even though it was a lot of fun if only for the history. Lincoln and Seward and an unbelievable conspiracy? A U.S. president who leads his own SWAT? And I didn’t even have any Jameson, let alone popcorn, like I did for the movie!

Fringe Runner. Rachel Aukes, author (Waypoint Books, 2016). Authors derive their plots from many sources—history, imagination, casual observation, and so forth. For this space opera, the author turned to the American Revolution, at least for how it began, because “the revolution” here continues after this first book in a series.

We have the Collective playing the role of the British, and we have the colonists who hate the Collective because they’ve had enough of their exploitation. Slavery plays a role too, softened by the use of “indentured” in place of the more common word. I haven’t quite figured out who plays Paul Revere, but Captain Reyne rides around space a lot, shouting the “Myrads are coming!” (they’re part of the Collective).

This is sci-fi so bad (in many ways) that it’s rollicking fun—much better than Star Wars. Caveat emptor, though: Like that movie franchise, hard sci-fi it’s not. And you might prefer The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

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Comments are always welcome.

Rembrandt’s Angel. Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot in their 21^st century reincarnations Esther Brookstone and Bastiann van Coevorden are the main characters in this mystery/thriller novel. Esther works for Scotland Yard in the Art and Antiques Division; Bastiann, her paramour, is an Interpol agent. Esther becomes obsessed with recovering “An Angel with Titus’ Features,” a Rembrandt painting stolen by the Nazis in World War Two. Bastiann tries mightily to keep her on an even keel and keep her safe. Together they move around Europe and South America as the story goes far beyond a search for the painting. Available in ebook format on Amazon and Smashwords and all the latter’s retail affiliates (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc) and in print format on Amazon or at your favorite bookstore (if they don’t have it, ask for it).

Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!

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