We had our annual “fall back” exercise overnight, marking nearly the end of another year. With it, it’s time to bit farewell to another tranche--a very large one this time—of completed reading.
Robber Barrons, Nancy Schwartz, 2022.
I have mixed feelings about this. The premise is great, there is a strong female protagonist with interesting and realistic conflicts who’s on a version of the hero’s journey--doing it despite a memorably dysfunctional family, threats from shadowy forces, and the fate of many thousands hanging in the balance. The execution could be more polished, though. In particular, the dialog and plot were choppier than ideal, which was a bit of a distraction. Overall, a strong start and I hope the follow-up volumes build on the good parts of this. (I originally received this as an Aethon ARC.)
Smirk factor: Acceptable: 1 pt (The ARC copy wasn’t indexed, so I didn’t get an exact count. Not bad.)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt (Minor annoyances kept breaking my concentration.)
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts (Steven Pressfield does space opera?)
Total: 6/10
A Grimm Sacrifice, Jeffrey H. Haskell, 2022.
This is my fourth bite at the apple of Jeffrey Haskell’s Grimm (and also dark?) series. The book carries on the strengths and weaknesses of the previous books (see here) but at this point I didn’t mind the weaknesses as much and enjoyed the high points more. Haskell weaves an intricate and really interesting plot with the backdrop of a galaxy where the political maneuvering--from highest to lowest levels--may well kill you if the enemy doesn’t. We also get to see Jacob Grimm grow a bit as a character--there was a touch of vulnerability as he sees his previous team off to new and bigger things. Another solid entry in the franchise.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (1 smirk only!)
Immersion factor: Chest-deep: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1 pts
Total: 6.5/10
At least you don’t have Loki as a cubicle mate…although someone does.
The God Market, Dion Skye, 2022.
So what would happen if the struggle between historical religions had ended with all of the old gods working in a giant corporate structure set up by the Top Deity? Immured deep in Providential customer service is the Norse trickster himself, Loki. No quiet quitter, he wants out... A fun read, showing small-g gods’ all-too-human struggles against an impersonal and bureaucratic existence. Neat idea, good writing, and an interesting plot. drove this forward smartly. The one desire with this would have been for the plot to move forward in a little more sprightly fashion -- it takes a while to build. Awaiting the (inevitable) series, which will doubtless continue poking fun at the unholy combination of religion as big business.
Smirk factor: More than acceptable: 1.5 pts (Few or no smirks, generally solid use of words)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 7/10
There is, indeed, a LOT going on here. Also, those look like rifle rounds. And why are there donuts on the table?
Grandma Ethel’s Donuts & Hollowpoints, Christopher D. Schmitz, 2018.
This is a barn-burner in 49 pages, featuring the most interesting grandmother I’ve met since my own. The story opens with Grandma, freshly separated from her now evidence-bagged Glock, being driven away from a crime scene of her making. One of the officers asks her why she did what she did, and the story flows from there. It's about making your peace and settling scores. And a fast car. And donuts. Schmitz does short-form really well, writing with a wry humor. I’m eager for more.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2.0 pts.
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts.
Total: 7/10
Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne Series, Brandon Sanderson.
The Alloy of Law (2011)
Shadows of Self (2015)
The Bands of Mourning (2016)
Mistborn is a bit out of my regular lane. In a nutshell, this is a...western-steampunk-fantasy series? I enjoyed it on the strength of Sanderson’s writing skills despite some difficulty figuring out the convoluted background to the universe. Sanderson has done some arcane, detailed world-building and populated it with interesting if slightly cartoonish characters, chief among them the improbably-named Waxillium Ladrian. (The “Wax” in the series title.) Little makes sense until you sort out the system of “Allomancy” and “Feruchemy” which allow their users to manipulate or be manipulated by metals. References to the world’s past were plentiful but opaque, adding some confusion to the reading experience. Speaking of convoluted, the plot is complex and twisty, although still fun. Overall, solid and entertaining but unlikely to be a go-to in the library.
One major gripe: I wish I’d realized sooner that these build on a different trilogy set earlier in this world’s timeline -- presumably reading them first would have smoothed out my learning curve on what all of “that” meant. (These are numbers 4-6 in a series that also has a 7th, The Lost Metal, which will drop in November 2022. I got The Alloy of Law as a Tor.com freebie, presumably part of a marketing drive to drum up interest in the new novel. It worked, despite my confusion about the ferro-alu-chloro-oxymancy bit.)
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (Would you believe only 1 smirk in each book?)
Immersion factor: Damp: 0.5 pts (Having to tease out the arcane backstory and ‘magic’ system was annoying.)
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 6.5/10
As close as I get to literature, most days…
The Border Keeper, Kerstin Hall, 2019.
Ooofff. This was a fascinating and sophisticated book which could be tough to follow in spots. Hall builds a nuanced, complex world full of surprises and traps to snare the unwary: Mkalis, ”...where gods and demons waged endless war for dominion over 999 realms.” Patience is required to unwrap what’s happening. There is too much layered into this to do justice to it in a capsule review. Recommended for those seeking SFF that’s more on the literary side of the spectrum and who aren’t afraid of letting complexity unfold.
Smirk factor: More than acceptable: 1.5 pts (Little/no smirking but overweighted on baroque language.)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt (Kept wondering if there was a prequel I’d missed.)
Writing quality: High: 2 pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 7.5/10
The Nine (The Judas Files #1), C.G. Harris, 2019.
One of the more interesting things I read recently (and randomly, a Colorado Indie Author Project award-winner.) Caleb is hard to describe as a “protagonist” because while he’s the most sympathetic character in the book, he’s also dead, spending an eternity in Hell, and making a living smuggling in what pass for luxury goods from the world above. This is before Judas (yes, that Judas) recruits him to be a double agent inside Hell’s mischief-making service. Harris put a lot of thought and creativity into building a disturbing and awful vision for eternal punishment, which is offset by fountains of snark and a general sense odf dark humor which infuse the story.
Smirk factor: Acceptable: 1 pt (No specific count for this one.)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 6/10
Battle of the three covers:
This bad man has a beard that’s on fire, commutes through Hell on that Vespa, and damn well better be paying to attention to whatever the woman with the ball of flame in her hand is trying to tell him.
Resemblance to anyone’s children is strictly coincidental.
Terrible Cherubs: Tales of Sinners, Mistakes, and Regrets, Dead Pixel Publications, 2015.
An interesting collection of short stories united by macabre and offbeat themes: The Torso Farmer deals with the grimness of life--or the absence of it--on the production line in a “Reclamation” department. The Seven At Work follows the Deadly Sins as they work their, uh, magic? Inmate 399462 finds something they thought they’d lost in the death and suffering of Camp 24. A couple of stories offered genuine surprises: The Razor injects an unexpected supernatural aspect to small electrical appliances, and The Incident At The West Flatte Dairy Queen puts a new twist on male friendship. Sinner is a relentlessly bleak look at familial dysfunction. The remainder were less to my taste, but still all relatively solid: The Raven’s Claw spreads mayhem through the centuries, and The Dawning chillingly explores the question of what is real. Dueling serial killers collide in Flesh and Blood (of which there are, naturally, copious quantities.) The Dragon Is In The Details was a bit of a genre outlier, injecting a fantasy theme. And a trip to a Halloween party takes a deadly turn when it strays into The Dead Zone.
All in all, a worthwhile collection. As with any anthology, the quality varied a bit from story to story but importantly, the publishers were careful and there are no jarringly bad notes. The best of these stories are fine little gems, and even the ones I liked less were still well-crafted.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (1 -- one -- sole smirk.)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 6.5/10
Nanshe Chronicles, Jessie Kwak
Artemis City Shuffle (Book 0.5), 2021
Ghost Pirate Gambit (Book 1), 2022
Blood River Blues (Book 2), 2022
Cursed Saint Caper (Book 3), 2022
The Nanshe Chronicles follow the adventures of Lasadi and her growing crew of accomplices on the not-a-pirate ship-but-not-quite-legitimate-vessel Nanshe as they ping from caper to caper across known space. Kwak has constructed an expertly-drawn and lovingly-rendered set of characters, done solid world-building, and overlaid it all with creative plot twists and fun, precise and vivid writing.
Bulari Saga, (#0-5 omnibus) Jessie Kwak
In case you’re some sort of heathen and missed it above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dILGN2ZXHWY
Novels:
Double Edged, 2019
Crossfire, 2019
Pressure Point, 2019
Heat Death, 2020
Kill Shot, 2020
Prequel Novellas (available separately as the Durga System Set):
Starfall , 2016
Negative Return , 2017
Deviant Flux, 2019
And, “Bonus Short Story:
Holiday
Fast forwarding a few years from Nanshe Chronicles, Kwak drops us back into the same universe and a slightly different cast of characters. Willem Jaantzen is a gangster with ambitions to go straight -- or at least something that looks like it. Scarred by tragedy, he dotes on his goddaughter -- the daughter of Lasadi and Raj from the first set of books -- who in turn is driven to find her own place in a dangerous, deception-ridden world. More fine writing brings to life not just a complex and ever-shifting set of plot lines but also the evolution of increasingly complex characters. We get to see not just what they do, but get increasing glimpses into who they are. And it’s great entertainment.
Kwak’s ability to sustain high standards over thousands of pages is exemplary. I wonder if this doesn’t have a lot to do with how the books are spaced out (no pun intended) across time -- giving her the space (sorry) to hone her writing in a way may indie/self-published authors don’t take or don’t have. When not writing for herself, Kwak is a professional copy-/ghost-writer (“with a novel-writing habit”) and offers advice to aspiring authors. Her discipline and skills shine through in this series of excellent stories.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (A grand total of 2 smirks given, both pretty appropriate, across 12 novels and novellas. Beyond impressed.)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts (Judicious plot twists keep things interesting.)
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 8/10
Quentin turns his back on his past.
Beware the Dog: Junkyard Dogs 1, Dominique Mondesir, 2022.
Full of entertaining British slang and a fresh take on dehumanized near-future corporate life. Quentin is a loser corporate drone who gets a fresh start when something goes dramatically wrong while he tries to fulfill a deceptively simple mission for his boss. Thrown in with the roving pirate gang the Junkyard dogs, Quentin faces the challenge of surviving a hostile world long enough to finally grow a useful pair. Will he do it? Sure, more or less.
The problem? Leaden, rough writing which distracts from and weighs down an otherwise promising storyline. This book needed much better, tougher editing than it got. From the first page:
”I hardly noticed it, as metallic-smelling smoke filled my nostrils and whirled around me like mist; my eyes tried not to focus on the bodies that lay unmoving around me. I tried to avert my eyes from their twisted and mangled forms, but it felt impossible to do so.”
Starts off well enough (nice mental imagery of metallic smoke swirling like a mist) but then we get the same thought twice followed by an oddly passive construction. Unfortunately, this sort of thing turned into a pattern, which then turned into a constant distraction and annoyance.
Smirk factor: 0verdone: 0 pts (12 smirks in 602 pages, about 6-7 too many, combined with other weaknesses.)
Immersion factor: Damp: 0.5 pts
Writing quality: Striving for Average: 0.5 pts
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 3/10
Cover may be unrelated to story.
The Xyania Project, J.V. Nolan, 2020.
A private aerospace company (with no Xs in its name) sends an expedition to gather precious muscovium from Pluto. On arrival, the small, volunteer crew finds life -- of a sort -- and promptly begins using the creatures to cultivate more of the mineral. And that’s it. 44 pages, with parts 2 and 3 (at least) to follow. The premise is solid, but the writing is weak -- Nolan introduces some early drama imperiling the crew, for example, but it’s presented as a deus ex machina rather than developed in a way that builds suspense and reader engagement. Dialog is ok, although rough in parts. And with the shortness of the story, we don’t see a lot of meaningful character development.
Smirk factor: Acceptable: 1 pt (Only 1 smirk but only 44 pages, so it could go either way.)
Immersion factor: Damp: 0.5 pts
Writing quality: Below-average: 0.5 pts
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt (I guess? It’s kind of a bye at this point.)
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt (The idea is neat.)
Total: 4/10
Grimdark Magazine Issue #32, Beth Tabler, Ed. 2022.
GdM falls somewhere between Nightmare Magazine and Darkness Wakes or Terrible Cherubs on the Horror/SF/SFF as a Serious Thing scale. This issue offers five fiction pieces, of which Daniel Polansky’s Sticks and Stones was my clear favorite for its sophisticated and subtle approach to a bloody and pointless gang war. Pop Squad is a horrifying view of a future which is kept child-free with gratuitous violence. A Place Where Stars Should Not Be and Baby Teeth imaginatively deal with different aspects of faith and magic, while Snow White, Green Mantle is an update on classic fantasy themes with a dark and violent twist. I confess I only skimmed the nonfiction: a series of articles, reviews and interviews, which were well-done but were about being grim and dark but not the actual thing. Still, the stories alone are well worth my $4.99 a month through Patreon.
Smirk factor: More than acceptable: 1.5 pts (Lots of lovingly crafted words.)
Immersion factor: Chest-high: 1.5 pts
Writing quality: High: 2 pts
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt (Averages in the non-fiction.)
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt (Averages in the non-fiction.)
Total: 7/10
Pulp Reality 2: An Action & Adventure Publication, Charles F. Millhouse, Rose Shababy, Mary Ann Millhouse, Eds., 2021.
If there were any more pulp in this, it would be a tree. This is a selection of stories with throw back themes, best read through grainy black and white filmstock. For my money, Fancy Cat was head and shoulders the best of the volume. Except for The Wind Up Kid, which I struggled to get through, the remainder were decent. The volume’s weakest point is inattentive editing: we have “council” (a board of people) used instead of “counsel” (advice); a pair of high heal shoes are abandoned; and someone hopes their lie isn’t “prevalent” but apparently doesn’t mean widespread, and probably others I didn’t bother to highlight.
New Flesh On Old Bones: a touch of swashbuckling derring-do, opening the collection on a strong note.
Nightvision: Murder: highly stylized 1930s superhero solving crime and rendering justice! (With an ”!”)
To Race The Moon: working title, Werewolves of the Western Front.
Snow Chase: a simple security job goes violently sideways.
The Legend Of The Fancy Cat: finely-drawn ghost story with a twist. No cats were involved.
Kings Of The Crustaceous Period: gives “Deadliest Catch” a whole new meaning.
The Wind-Up Kid: brought to your dusty Old West town by a traveling show.
Ace Anderson And The Curse of Doctor Atomika (Part Two): in which our heroic adventurer uh...please consult the summary of part 1 and read from there.
Editing issues aside, this is a generally fun collection and worth the price of admission.
Smirk factor: Acceptable: 1 pt (Too many unforced editing errors.)
Immersion factor: Damp: 0.5 pts (YMMV, possibly a little too much.)
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 5/10
Darkness Wakes, Various, 2021.
If Nightmare Magazine (see below) tries to show that horror can be Taken Seriously, this is a compilation of horror as, well, fun. My favorite was the otter story, while the final story struck me as underdone and not written as well as everything else. The quality of the stories varies a bit, and they’re united by not taking themselves too seriously. None of this is literature, but that’s not the point. It shows to good effect what even a basic anthology can bring to the table (e-reader?) in terms of quality.
In The Caverns of Madness: Nazi archeologists play a stupid game, win a stupid prize.
It Lays Screaming Under Lochmere: Exploring an idyllic haven awakens a foul force. Darkness ensues.
Bookworm: Eldritch powers and bullying turn out not to mix well, at least for the bullies.
Glitch Goddess: A cultural sanitation worker goes hunting in the Cathedral of Disillusion.
Patient Zero: Are you ready to host a little action? I mean really play host...
What Lies Beneath The Lake: College students, an isolated cabin, have I seen this movie?
Ollie The Otter Eats People: Catchy title. Serial killer meets devil otters at a water park.
Original Thirst: Vampire life is complicated, ok?
Possibly the single best sentence I read in the last few months:
“Dalton’s death had done nothing to assuage the bloodlust of the army of otters or the flow of otherworldly beasts of some Lovecraftian B-list that continued to bubble up from the dark corners of the water park. ”
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (1 smirk, used acceptably; generally pretty good words otherwise.)
Immersion factor: Damp: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 6/10
Nightmare Magazine, Issue 120 (September 2022)
“Horror and Dark Fantasy” are on the menu with this magazine (or is an e-zine or just a zine?) Kiera Lesley’s darkly hilarious Concerning the Upstairs Bathroom was the star for me. It’s a letter written by the old owner to the new buyer of a house, apologetically explaining that they’ve bought a house that has not so much a demon of a problem -- it’s an actual demon. In the plumbing. The other high point was a non-fiction article exploring the role of being lent “a ratty paperback or burned out VHS tape” as an introduction to horror. Along with these were two other short stories, a poem, and profiles of the authors whose fiction was featured -- nothing bad although mildly interesting at best. All in all, not a bad way to spend an hour or so of reading. We’ll see if future issues deliver the same quality.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (No smirks, generally very high-quality words.)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Total: 6.5/10
CBT For Depression: A Comprehensive Guide On How To Enhance Your Thinking, John Lucas, PhD., 2021.
Lucas has written a bare-bones overview to the topic of CBT and its application to depression. The outlines are familiar ones, although book was a bit of a slog despite its short length (86 pages). Accurate but not necessarily insightful prose deadened the reading experience: One of the closing sentences notes “Anyone considering CBT should find a qualified professional.” Well, yes. That's also about as empathetic as this gets, which is odd for a book about therapy.
The book would have benefited from more material and a longer, more thoughtful gestation -- there’s a section on recognizing and dealing with “panick” attacks, which is the sort of error that doesn’t increase faith in the product. Good for a very quick, generally superficial overview before diving into other sources.
Smirk factor: Acceptable: 1 pt (No smirking per se -- but less than inspired word choices abound.)
Immersion factor: Bone dry: 0 pts
Writing quality: Below-average: 0.5 pts
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt (Nonfiction. Did not develop interest in the topic very well.)
Innovative/interesting: Below-average: 0.5 pts
Total: 3/10
The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester, 1956.
This is vintage SF. This was a re-read and was a much richer but ironically less enjoyable experience than the first time. “Gully” Foyle is introduced as a shipwrecked spacer who barely escapes death, and dedicates himself to revenge on a ship which passes him by in deep space rather than rescue him. From this stark beginning, Bester takes us into a world turned upside down by the widespread ability to teleport. On another level, though, it’s business as normal for human nature, as Foyle both illustrates and discovers. Interesting and a quick read, it’s written with vintage style and sensibilities but still speaks to today’s world.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 7/10
Planetside, Michael Mammay
Planetside (2018)
Spaceside (2019)
Colonyside (2020)
A trio of mil SF/space opera novels following the misadventures of Col. Carl Butler. Planetside sees Butler called to a space station orbiting a protracted planetary warzone to investigate an officer’s disappearance. He finds, naturally, much more than he’d bargained for -- there are a couple of definite Apocalypse Now vibes going on. Spaceside opens with Butler, put out to pasture as a corporate security executive, tasked to investigate an odd and troubling network breach. Copious blowback ensues. Finally, Colonyside opens with Butler, now a disgraced recluse, called to a newly-settled colony to investigate the disappearance of a CEO’s daughter. Once again, he’s thrust into the middle of a dark, twisted situation where not everything or everyone is even close to being what they seem.
Excellent entertainment! Mammy crafts believable characters, and drops them into challenging -- if not completely twisted -- plots. These stories kept me turning the page, looking to see what new trouble Butler was going to get into and how he was going to get out of them. Mammay’s world is one of secret agendas, full of people acting out hidden motivations, and overlaid with corruption and cruelty. All of this sets up a nice contrast against which to appreciate Butler’s finely-drawn inner conflicts. Written and released at a deliberate pace, these are very solid evidence that taking your time can pay dividends in a quality reading experience.
Smirk factor: Acceptable-plus: 1.5 pts (11 smirks across 3 books/1100 pages)
Immersion factor: Shallow: 1 pt
Writing quality: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Character/plot development: Above-average: 1.5 pts
Innovative/interesting: Above-average: 1.5pts
Total: 7/10
A Hymn Before Battle (Legacy of the Aldenata and/or Posleen War*), John Ringo
Earth is threatened by the Posleen, a sort of galactic locus swarm spreading mass destruction wherever they go. Unfortunately, the planet’s alien allies are only slightly less questionable. This is a vintage (relatively anyway) military SF entry, part of a series. The story was alright, characters were a bit on the shallow and formulaic side. Not badly done, but it suffered by comparison with some of the really good things I read around the same time.
Smirk factor: All clear: 2 pts (1 smirk, looked correctly used.)
Immersion factor: Damp: 0.5 pts
Writing quality: Average: 1 pt
Character/plot development: Average: 1 pt
Innovative/interesting: Average: 1 pt
Total: 5.5/10
* Posleen War #1 Oct 2001 - mass market paperback, 2013 reissue carries “Legacy of the Aldenata” tag.
Honorable Mention
Among several stand-alone reviews I’ve not gotten around to finishing, one is dedicated to J.S. Morin. Morin is talented, evidently disciplined, and so very prolific. I got sucked into the extended dance remix “Black Ocean” universe thanks to Jefferson Smith’s inclusion of four volumes of it in his “smackdown”, reviewed here. I have this started, but it’s not ready for prime time. Since I read these titles over the last several months, I want to throw them in as well, although without—for the moment—cover art thumbnails or reviews. It’s a quality franchise.
Black Ocean: Mercy For Hire, Complete Collection Missions 1-16, J.S. Morin
Mercenary Intentions (# 0.5)
Wayward Saint (# 1)
Behind Blue Skies (# 2)
House of the Orion Sun (# 3)
Break the Chain (# 4)
The Least Dangerous Game (# 4.5)
Sunshine of Your Cult (#5)
Walks Like A Magician (#6)
Hotel Caledonia (#7)
Eye of the Pharaoh (#8)
Cirriculum Vitae (#8.1)
Ship With No Name (#9)
No More Mr. Nice Girl (#10)
Magic’s Little Helper (#11)
Mortanian Rhapsody (#12)
Our Little Secret (#12.5)
The Girls Are Back In Town (#13)
Stuck In The Astral With You (#14)
Lair of the Dog (#15)
Empathy for the Devil (#16)
Kubu’s First Date (#16.5)
Achieving Harmony (#16.8)
Black Ocean: Astral Prime Collection, J.S. Morin, M.A. Larkin
Shadow Planet: Mission 1
Wizard Zero: Mission 2
Shielded Sun: Mission 3
Prime Guardian: Mission 4
Tour of Darkness (Book 4.5)
Systemic Treachery: Mission 5
Astral Messiah: Mission 6
Parallel Enforcers: Mission 7
Multiversal Truth: Mission 8
What Kane Did (Book 8.5)
Void Kraken: Mission 9
Stellar Rampage: Mission 10
Core Threat: Mission 11
Terminal Gambit: Mission 12
Four Fists, No Deal (Book 12.3)
The Good Human (Book 12.4)
Two Roads Diverged (Book 12.5)
More to follow!