Tag: Blog Tours

Book Tour and Review: Orbital Drop: A Union Empire Novel by Steve J. McHugh

BonnieReadsAndWrites11 Comments

Book Description

Book Review

Orbital Drop is the first book in the Union Empire series. It is fast-paced science fiction that fans of space operas and military-oriented interplanetary adventures will enjoy. This novel is of the same world as McHugh’s Wardens Series. It would be better to start with Blackcoat, a novella that is a prequel to the Union Empire series, and introduces Celine Moro, a Warden and the main character in Orbital Drop.

An orbital drop involves jumping from a spaceship in orbit to the ground, and that’s what Celine has been tasked to do, in order to find out why the child of a Union councillor was targeted for kidnapping.

My favorite character was Gigi, a synth, or robot, who has been given some human characteristics. Gigi provides a bit of humor to this battle-heavy book and becomes an important part of Celine’s team.

This is a story of intense action, betrayal, and revenge, with monsters to boot, and things are not always as they seem. The ending promises more books to come. Fans of McHugh’s Wardens series will enjoy this one and look forward to more.

As an aside for readers of this blog, while this type of science fiction is not my usual go-to, I see that the author has written some historical fantasy, which I am of course all about, and I definitely want to check that out, especially Infamous Reign, which addresses the mystery of the Princes in the Tower.

I was provided a free copy of this book via Zooloo’s Book Tours. My review is voluntary, and the opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Steve McHugh is a bestselling author of urban fantasy, historical fiction, and science-fiction. He has now published over 30 books, with his novel Scorched Shadows being shortlisted for Best Novel at the Gemmell Awards.

Steve was born in the town of Mexborough, South Yorkshire, but now lives with his wife and three daughters in Southampton.

Orbital Drop on Amazon

Blackcoat on Amazon

Infamous Reign on Amazon

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours

Book Reviews: Memoirs of a Karate Fighter

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Memoirs of a Karate Fighter

Novelist and former karate champion Ralph Robb recounts his experiences at one of Europe’s toughest dojos and provides an insight into the philosophy and training methods of a club which produced national, European and world titleholders. In a hard-hitting story, Ralph tells of the fights on and off the mat; his experiences as one of a very few black residents in an area in which racist members of the National Front were very active; and the tragic descent into mental illness and premature death of the training partner who was also his best friend.

BOOK REVIEW

This was an interesting and engaging memoir by Ralph Robb about his life as a member of the Wolverhampton YMCA Karate Club, his championship battles, his struggles against racism, and his fights in and out of competition. He also relates his determination to build a safer and better life for his family, and his beloved cousin’s battle with mental health issues.

Although I do not know very much about karate, I enjoyed reading about the karate competitions and especially the real-world situations in which Robb used karate to protect himself. Robb shares how karate helped him deal with everything from racist skinheads to drunks and mobsters in the real world. The story of his strong relationship with his cousin Clinton and Clinton’s battle with mental health issues is heartrending.

This is not just a book about a karate fighter. This is a book about a youth who comes into his own while dealing with racism and while cultivating a skill that would shape his life. It’s also about karate, its history, its varying styles, and some of the greats who have practiced and taught it. But most importantly it’s about the growth of a young man, from fighter to father, and the lessons he learned from karate.

This is a must read for fans of karate and those who enjoy coming of age stories.

I received a free copy of this book via Rachel’s Random Resources. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Purchase Links 

AMAZON UK  

AMAZON US

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ralph Robb was born and raised in the industrial town of Wolverhampton, England and now lives in Ontario Canada with his wife, cat and dog. A proud father of four, Robb works as an engineering technician and loves rugby, martial arts and a good book. His world is balanced by quality TV, global events, great outdoors and of course his grand-daughter. 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RalphRobbBooks

Twitter: @RalphSRobb

Webpage: www.ralphrobb.com

Blog Tour by Rachel’s Random Resources

MY GOODREADS REVIEW

MY AMAZON REVIEW (HELPFUL VOTES APPRECIATED)