Tag Archives: Treason

Adventure, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Bell, Odette C.: A Plain Jane 3 (A Plain Jane) (2012)

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Plain Jane - 3
Cover art Stock photos:
Earth from Space: Dean Neitman
Fashion woman: Romangorielov
Realistic planet: Merydolla
Alien Desert Canyon in the Clouds: Algol
Sunset in alien planet: Frenta
Licensed from Dreamtime

We now come to the final installation of the A Plain Jane trilogy.

At the end of A Plain Jane II Jane had been called before the Senate to defend herself against the allegations made by Senator Cooper. He had charged her with treason and wanted her stripped of all rights given to her by the Galactic Senate. Things took a bizarre twist and the Senate realised what was really going on with Senator Cooper. This is where II left off – With the Senate in complete disarray and Jane falling.

What a thriller, what a thriller ;). All joking aside, what follows in A Plain Jane III is in fact an example of how excellent writing can draw the reader in. Odette C. Bell does action well. She(?) has all the way through the trilogy.

We get any and all questions we might have answered. What the Darq are is one example. The Paran technological superiority also gets explained. And, finally, we find out whether or not Jane manages to keep the Darq from destroying the Galaxy as she knows it.

Some of the story is downright silly, but you know, that is just part of the fun of reading. In some ways A Plain Jane is a soap opera, but in others it is a fantastic action story taking a person (Jane) through one identity crisis after the other. Not only Jane has to come to terms with who and what she is. Lucas is also having to admit a few unpleasant truths about himself and is going to have to figure out exactly what he is made of.

So, Yeah! I think I can wholeheartedly say that I have found Odette C. Bell’s entry into my life entirely charming in the good-old fashioned US way.

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My reviews of A Plain Jane I and A Plain Jane II

Adventure, Science Fiction

Anderson, Tim: The Flowery War (2012)

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Cover art Luca Oleastri

The Flowery War by Tim Andersen is an odd novel. Not weird just odd. Yes! I know I am talking about science fiction.

Putting my finger on its oddness is a difficult task. Part of it could be that I get this “old” feeling from it. It is as if it has been written in a different era, yet the copyright page does say 2012. There is this Asimovian or Herbertian feeling about it without the feeling of any copying going on.

I love the protagonist. Unlike a great deal of “heroes” of fiction, Goshan Fenn is this awkward guy who is trying to carve a name for himself rather than live off his mother and grandfather’s fame. Going into the same area (alien contact) kind of complicates that for him, but he is determined to make a go of it. His new boss is the kind who could care less who a person has for parents. Either you do things Mr. Smith’s way or you can expect a ton of trouble.

I love the intelligence that is expected of me as a reader. I tend to be offended when an author seems to equate fantasy/science fiction with dumbing down stuff. I also hate it when authors have to show off just how incredibly smart they are. Tim Anderson treads that line perfectly.