Book Spotlight: The Lightbound Saga Trilogy by S.G. Basu

 

 

13-year-old Maia is a land-dwelling Solianese living on the planet of Tansi. She has been raised by her doting grandfather. Her mother, Sophie, supposedly deceased, is accused of being a traitor who fought for the Xifarians who have subjugated Tansi. Loathing her family’s history, Maia has put herself into self-exile, vowing to steer clear of the temptations that led her mother astray. But when she is drafted into a peace summit by the Xifarians, she must walk into Xif, the planet she has always wanted to avoid. Here she meets loyal teammates Kusha, Dani, Nafi, and Ren, as well as Miir, their team mentor who is as accomplished as he is temperamental. As Maia and her teammates thwart a plot to harm the underwater settlements on Tansi, she also discovers Sophie was not a traitor but a hero. Sophie sacrificed herself to save Tansi by breaking the dark heart within Xif that would have destroyed the Tansian system.

 

About the Author

 

S.G. Basu is an aspiring potentate of a galaxy or two. She plots and plans with wondrous machines, cybernetic robots, time travelers and telekinetic adventurers, some of whom escape into the pages of her books. Although she's an engineer by training, writing has been her passion since childhood. Her other loves include extra-hot lattes, fast cars and binge-watching sci-fi movies. Find out more about the futuristic worlds she creates at sgbasu.com. She can also be reached at sg@sgbasu.com.

Books by S.G. Basu:

The Lightbound Saga series (YA Dystopian Science Fiction)

Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy

Maia and the Secrets of Zagran

Maia and Regency Protocol

The Lightbound Saga 3 Book Bundle

The Firefly League-A Lightbound Saga novella

Elementals-The Serial Thriller (Paranormal Science Fiction)

Population Morpheus (Near Apocalyptic Science Fiction)

Jumpers (Paranormal Thriller)

You can visit the author’s website at www.sgbasu.com or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

 

 

TV Series review: Sherwood

 

I was initially put off watching Sherwood because I read a couple of iffy reviews. However, upon looking at the cast list, I decided to give it a go. It was well worth it but perhaps not for the reasons the producers would have wanted. Let’s start with the cast. You can’t go wrong with a stellar cast that includes David Morrissey, Robert Glenister, the ever-watchable Lesley Manville, Joanne Froggatt, Claire Rushbrook, Claire Holman, Philip Jackson (was there ever a better Inspector Japp?), the ever-lovely Lindsay Duncan, Kevin Doyle, Alun Armstrong, Adeel Akhtar, and many other familiar faces. Their performances were so true to life, as one would expect from these acting stalwarts.

The plot (inspired by true events) was something else. Sherwood, Nottinghamshire, a forest, one almost expects Robin Hood to appear. He does not but a bow-wielding killer does and someone with links to the past, the old miners’ strike of the 80s, is murdered in the wee hours. Said bowman then proceeds to terrorise a few people who seemingly don’t have any links to each other, or do they? It doesn’t take long for the police to get a DNA sample and the identity of the killer, which fractures a community already riven by old grievances over the scab labour and the ensuing police and miners battle in the past. Information comes to the surface about a police informant planted in the village to foment trouble who never left but stayed and created a new life for themselves. Are the killings related to someone searching for the identity of this person, who caused a lot of trouble. Ultimately the killer’s real motive was rather weak, not related to this dark secret, and left the ending quite flat.

However, the strength and utter beauty, if one can call it that, lies in the performances and the character portrayals. These are so riveting that you sit on the edge of your seat, you cry with them, bite your nails with them, and wonder how their story will end. I have to mention Adeel Akhtar who most superbly plays Andy Fisher, a train driver and train enthusiast. He had lost his wife to suicide, and his only son just got married. In a terrible moment of anger and despair, he kills his sharp-tongued new daughter-in-law by accident, and from that moment on his tragic life unravels at an alarming rate. Adeel deserves an award for his rendition of Andy, a man ripped apart by grief, guilt, shame, and anguish. He had me in tears! I defy anyone to remain dry-eyed as you watch this superb performance.

Performance value is high, as one would expect from a BBC production. There is nothing skimpy about any aspect. Audiences of a certain age will remember the Thatcher years and how the unions were dealt with. For those new to this part of history, the flashbacks are well done and incorporate actual news footage. Looking back on it now, a 21^st century audience might wonder what all the fuss was about, and people could work if they wanted to. But it was not so simple back then. The series lays out the drama of those times very well and the fractured relationships people had in this little ‘once a mining village.’ This element also gives impetus to the healing that can come after a tragedy if people are willing to take a step towards reconciliation. In that respect, the plot threads come together, making this an eminently watchable series. I will certainly be on the lookout for season 2. Don’t miss this one.

 

Book Spotlight: Erica Rosen MD Trilogy by Deven Greene

 

 

Book 1 Unnatural: Dr. Erica Rosen is perplexed when she sees a young Chinese girl with blue eyes in her San Francisco pediatrics clinic. The girl’s mother, Ting, is secretive, and Erica suspects she has entered the country illegally. Later, Erica encounters Ting’s son and discovers he has an unusual mutation. Erica learns that Ting’s children underwent embryonic stem cell gene editing as part of a secret Chinese government-run program.

 Book 2 Unwitting: Dr. Erica Rosen’s world is turned upside down after a suicide bomber explodes amidst a large crowd entering Oracle Park baseball stadium, near her San Francisco home. Many are killed or injured, and police have no leads in solving the case. Erica becomes involved after a teacher of young autistic men contacts her. The teacher believes her students are involved in the bombing but is afraid to contact law enforcement. She reaches out to Erica, who has experience with special needs children. 

Book 3 Unforeseen: Pediatrician Erica Rosen is stymied when two of her patients don’t respond to medicine as expected. When other patients later develop strange, unexpected illnesses, she is determined to get to the bottom of it. Meanwhile, the department’s newest pediatrician, Dr. Nilsen, appears to be trying to steal her patients. Erica suspects he is after her job as the clinic director. She also discovers Dr. Nilsen has become romantically involved with her trusted assistant, Martha. One evening, while looking for patient information on Martha’s desk, Erica comes across a list with the names of some of her patients. A boy who recently became ill with a mysterious malady is on the list and has an asterisk by his name. What does that mean?

 

Fiction writer Deven Greene lives in the San Francisco Bay area. Ever since childhood, Deven has been interested in science.  After receiving a doctorate in biochemistry, she went to medical school and trained as a pathologist. She worked for several decades in that field before starting to write fiction. Deven incorporates elements of medicine or science in most of her writing. She has published several short stories. Her debut novel, Unnatural, is the first book of the Erica Rosen MD Trilogy, and was released in January 2021. Unwitting, released in October 2021, is the second Erica Rosen MD novel. Unforeseen is the final book in the Trilogy. Visit her website at www.devengreene.com or connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.