Book Review: Crater Trueblood and the Lunar Rescue Company

Crater Trueblood and the Lunar Rescue Company
By Homer Hickam
Thomas Nelson, 2014
English, 336 pgs

Description:
The Earth is devastated and the worst elements of humanity are determined to take over the moon. It's up to the settlers of the harsh, gray moon to fight back.

Kidnapped by an evil group intent on the destruction of the world and capture of the moon, Maria Medaris, co-leader of the moon's richest and most powerful family, initially fights for her life, but is soon dazzled by the promises and enticements of her captors.

Crater Trueblood, once rejected by Maria but still in love with her, and Crescent, a female bioengineered warrior fiercely loyal to Crater, use their cunning and deadly skills to come to her aid.

But will Maria be on their side when they get to her? And what of the Earth itself which is in the crosshairs of a destruction not seen since the massive extinction of the dinosaurs?

The fate of two worlds hangs in the balance.

Review:
I selected to review this book without realizing it was a part 3 of a series.  I have not read the first two books so I was a little confused about some things at the beginning, but I picked up on the series lingo pretty quickly. The characters had already been developed in the previous books (I assume) so there isn't a lot of motivation description and there is a little history when appropriate. I didn't fully understand all that was going on, but I picked up on enough to be able to continue reading it.

I think there were lots of scenes that just were not exactly necessary. For example, when Petro and Crescent steal the tug and are caught, there is a scene where they're in holding and talking about a wedding, then they're out because Petro picked the lock and then they're right back in the tug. Could have left this out and it would have been just fine. This is just one of a bunch of scenes that really didn't add anything to the book.

From the beginning, Crescent is worried about a secret and I assumed it was her feelings for Crater. I won't spoil anything in the story (assuming it's never discussed in the previous books), but when it was revealed I thought it was pretty far fetched and kinda didn't like her much after that.

Maria is an okay character. It took me a while to realize her motivations and intentions. For that, I feel she's pretty well developed in the book.

I think it's an okay read. If you've read the other books, of course you'll want to read this one as it ties up the story. I wonder though if there isn't one more story that can be told from the book!

I received a copy of the book from BookLook Bloggers for the purpose of a review on this blog and a commercial book seller website. No additional compensation has been, or will be, received and I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: A Moment in Time

A Moment in Time
By Tracie Peterson
Bethany House, 2014
English, 320 pgs


Amazon Product Description:
Alice Chesterfield is a woman pursued. Having survived an attack that left her scarred and her father dead, she is never free from the fear and memories of the man who is responsible.

Texas seems to be an answer to Alice's prayers, and when she has the opportunity to relocate to a ranch near Dallas, Robert Barnett captures her attention. Unlike any man Alice has ever known, Robert doesn't worry about the obstacles that stand in their way--and he hardly seems to notice the scar she bears.

But there are storm clouds gathering; devastating information about her family comes to light, threatening Alice's peaceful sanctuary. Disillusioned, Alice must learn to place her trust in God as she seeks a measure of peace for her future...and for her heart.

Review:
This is less a sequel and more a logical continuation of the previous novel, A Sensible Arrangement. Jake accepts the call to Texas to work for Marty's sister's farm but Marty doesn't want to go with him so she and Alice stay in Denver to help out at the orphanage. They do what is necessary to keep the children cared for and to help pay part of their room and board there. Alice is still in peril from the men who harmed her and killed her father and through their pursuit she learns something about her family that shocks her and causes her to question everything she has ever known.

After they both decide to follow Jake to Texas, Alice meets and instantly falls in love with Marty's nephew, Robert. He is trying to figure out what he wants in life and who he wants with him in this life. (By the way, why was it acceptable for a man to wait until late 20s to do this and women were supposed to be settled before 20 or risk being called a spinster or old maid?) Anyway, there are a lot of farm/ranch scenes. Alice is learning to tend animals and a house, all new to her since she was raised in a city and a wealthy home.

I like how Marty and Jake are still main characters, even though the story is Alice and Robert's. Marty has a lot to figure out and deal with in her marriage and faith.  There is a lot of "Texas slang" which gets a little overdone at times and a little of the theology and preaching, while not incorrect at all, gets preachy and sometimes doesn't fit with the scene it's in.

The third book in the series, due in September, promises to wrap up all the story lines that were left "hanging" in this book.

I received a copy of the book from Bethany House in exchange for a review on this blog and a commercial website. I was not required to write a positive review and no additional compensation has been received or is expected.