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A review by eg_m
Pets in Space 5 by S.E. Smith
5.0
4.5 Stars.
As always, the anthology is a total blast with some of the contributions stronger than others.
The King's Quest 3-stars
I generally like SE Smith, but this one was a little cutsey for me. I would not have read past the 2nd or third page if I hadn't enjoyed the author's other work. It does pick up and become a bit more action/suspense oriented, but the flashbacks got a bit confusing.
Dark Ambitions 4-stars
My first by this author, it was a bit hard to follow (it's part of a larger series) but once I sorted out who was who and what was what it turned into an intriguing and face paced read. I also loved the little flying squirrel, Sweetpea.
Return Voyage 5-stars
Gina and Treveor are great as couple working through their issues while gravitating to each other. There is plenty of action and suspense to keep the pages turning, but the star of the story is Verlaine, an alien version of emotional support/service god.
A follow on to the novel [b:Wreck of the Nebula Dream|17451666|Wreck of the Nebula Dream|Veronica Scott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362620826l/17451666._SY75_.jpg|24565426], it isn't necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this novella. I haven't, but after reading this story, it's moved to the top of my TBR.
General's Holiday 5-stars
Having read several of the Project Enterprise novels, I was delighted with General John Halliwell's HEA. Both the general and Naxe are over forty, so big plus there. Both are also action orient heroes who set out to solve one mystery only to find another. Naxe's 'pet' is a frog-like alien that is also her co-pilot. No spoilers, but this solid 4-star read jumped to 5 with a fantastic twist at the end.
Juggernaut 4-stars
Kick ass military heroine. Protective spy hero and his clever space dog. An archeological site with multiple secrets and dangerous traitor. Also, some nifty scfi tech.
Galactic Search and Rescue 4.5 Stars
Taz, a heroine with a 'super suit'. Rylondo, a hero with a menagerie of rescue animals. A rescue mission that turns into a battle with desperados. Hayta, mission oversight with more than one trick up her sleeve.
Reaper 5-stars
The evil doers in Regine Abel's universe are truly evil. The enhance human who fight them are the type of alpha protectors that make wonderful romance heroes. But what makes the story work is Bree - trapped for two decades she takes care of pack of creckels (alien creatures that as described sound a bit like small triceratops but with big intelligence and hearts). The creckels totally steal the show.
Pastfinders 3.5 Stars
A space age archeological dig. Advanced cyborg 'pets' that include something like a small griffin and massive six-legged warhorse. The story gets a bit bogged down in places but picks up in the second half as an evil conspiracy surfaces.
Mittens Not Included 4-stars
This starts little slow, the hero Layth coming across as more whiner than troubled. It picks up quickly when Meja appears with the genetically engineered and valuable kittens she rescued from destruction. From there it is a race to find good homes for the kittens while staying one step ahead of an evil corporation. No spoilers, but when Layth engineers the bad guy's comeuppance, it is a thing of beauty.
Finding Mogha 4-stars
A little confusing at the start, the romance between Dani and K'vyn was more than a little formulaic. Fortunately the creativity of the story overall was more than enough to keep the pages turning with a chicken loving hellhound, a crash landing on a dangerous planet followed by a race to save a planet of hellhounds from an evil human alliance bent on destruction.
Rate of Return 5-stars
Spacefaring werewolves.
As always, the anthology is a total blast with some of the contributions stronger than others.
The King's Quest 3-stars
I generally like SE Smith, but this one was a little cutsey for me. I would not have read past the 2nd or third page if I hadn't enjoyed the author's other work. It does pick up and become a bit more action/suspense oriented, but the flashbacks got a bit confusing.
Dark Ambitions 4-stars
My first by this author, it was a bit hard to follow (it's part of a larger series) but once I sorted out who was who and what was what it turned into an intriguing and face paced read. I also loved the little flying squirrel, Sweetpea.
Return Voyage 5-stars
Gina and Treveor are great as couple working through their issues while gravitating to each other. There is plenty of action and suspense to keep the pages turning, but the star of the story is Verlaine, an alien version of emotional support/service god.
A follow on to the novel [b:Wreck of the Nebula Dream|17451666|Wreck of the Nebula Dream|Veronica Scott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362620826l/17451666._SY75_.jpg|24565426], it isn't necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this novella. I haven't, but after reading this story, it's moved to the top of my TBR.
General's Holiday 5-stars
Having read several of the Project Enterprise novels, I was delighted with General John Halliwell's HEA. Both the general and Naxe are over forty, so big plus there. Both are also action orient heroes who set out to solve one mystery only to find another. Naxe's 'pet' is a frog-like alien that is also her co-pilot. No spoilers, but this solid 4-star read jumped to 5 with a fantastic twist at the end.
Juggernaut 4-stars
Kick ass military heroine. Protective spy hero and his clever space dog. An archeological site with multiple secrets and dangerous traitor. Also, some nifty scfi tech.
Galactic Search and Rescue 4.5 Stars
Taz, a heroine with a 'super suit'. Rylondo, a hero with a menagerie of rescue animals. A rescue mission that turns into a battle with desperados. Hayta, mission oversight with more than one trick up her sleeve.
Reaper 5-stars
The evil doers in Regine Abel's universe are truly evil. The enhance human who fight them are the type of alpha protectors that make wonderful romance heroes. But what makes the story work is Bree - trapped for two decades she takes care of pack of creckels (alien creatures that as described sound a bit like small triceratops but with big intelligence and hearts). The creckels totally steal the show.
Pastfinders 3.5 Stars
A space age archeological dig. Advanced cyborg 'pets' that include something like a small griffin and massive six-legged warhorse. The story gets a bit bogged down in places but picks up in the second half as an evil conspiracy surfaces.
Mittens Not Included 4-stars
This starts little slow, the hero Layth coming across as more whiner than troubled. It picks up quickly when Meja appears with the genetically engineered and valuable kittens she rescued from destruction. From there it is a race to find good homes for the kittens while staying one step ahead of an evil corporation. No spoilers, but when Layth engineers the bad guy's comeuppance, it is a thing of beauty.
Finding Mogha 4-stars
A little confusing at the start, the romance between Dani and K'vyn was more than a little formulaic. Fortunately the creativity of the story overall was more than enough to keep the pages turning with a chicken loving hellhound, a crash landing on a dangerous planet followed by a race to save a planet of hellhounds from an evil human alliance bent on destruction.
Rate of Return 5-stars
Spacefaring werewolves.