Review by adria_charles -- Zedgur by A. E. Nienow
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adria_charles
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Review by adria_charles -- Zedgur by A. E. Nienow
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Zedgur" by A. E. Nienow.]
3 out of 4 stars
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In the future humans now inhabit Mars and are defined as the race “Martian”, other planets are occupied by more races of different aliens, travel is as fast as the speed of light and planets are ran by governments, as countries were once on Earth. Zedgur, by A.E. Nienow, absorbs the reader in a futuristic crime novella that you can’t put down. This book is a quick read, but A.E. Nienow doesn’t disappoint. Filled with adventure, plot twists, and an assertively bellicose heroine that you can’t help but admire.
Alice Winters is a veteran of the Martian Military turned Private Investigator. Although one might think that a switch in roles would bring excitement, Alice Winters’ life is all but that. Living on the northern hemisphere of Mars, Alice is tasked with investigating the infidelities of morally inept individuals. Her life is a balancing act, as she tries to stay a float amongst the bills she can’t pay. One day her dismal life is turned upside down when her government needs her once again.
Minister Bishop’s daughter, Samantha, has allegedly been raped on the planet Zedgur. Although she confirms these allegations, others question their validity. Zedgur is a planet that holds highly precious and expensive minerals. Jakarta, the President of Mars, is working on being a part of a treaty with other planets that would allow Mars to partake in the extraction of these valuable minerals, but Jakarta is in fear that these allegations will leave Mars on the outside looking in. Alice is called to do a final investigation to find out what exactly transpired. Upon heading to Zedgur, Marigold, an old friend of Alice’s from the military, is chosen to accompany her for reasons that are uncertain to Alice. Arriving at Zedgur, Alice is introduced to different alien races along her search, including an aqualid named Ezer and a mechanid named Nix. The three become partners and help come to realize truths that need to be revealed. As Alice dives deeper into the mystery of what happened to the politician’s daughter, she becomes uncertain of what her government really needed her for and comes across secrets that she never thought possible. With time running out and a political conspiracy unfolding, Alice needs to find a way to reveal these secrets without getting kidnapped or worse, killed, by those she thought she could trust. Will Alice really be willing to do what is necessary for the love of her planet? Even at the expense of others?
Being a novella I was impressed with how much detail and plot twists that Nienow was able to put into the story. The introduction and description of Alice is what drew me in. Her stubbornly aggressive and blunt personality helped bring the book to life. Nienow introduced her in such a way that I found myself not being able to put the book down, in anticipation of what was to come. As the book progressed, there was never a dull moment. I loved how almost every page had something new. Whether that was a new character, evidence, or drama occurring, it truly kept me engaged.
There were some grammatical errors that I found while reading that distracted from the story. In addition, I wish that the characters’ back-stories were more established. With Alice’s character, the reader gets a glimpse as to why she left the military and some of her current life situations, but I felt like there was more to her than just what was introduced and would have liked to known more of what made her who she is. Nix and Ezer, have such little character development that I feel it would have been more impactful to hear some of their back-stories. In addition to Nix and Ezer, Nienow introduces the evolution of many other wonderfully imagined alien races, that I would have appreciated the opportunity to know more of how they came to be.
Overall, I enjoyed this fast paced adventure filled novella. I would give Zedgur a 3 out of 4 stars. This author was able to develop an intensely suspenseful crime story, in a futuristic setting, although I will say I wish the characters were developed more and that there were less grammatical errors, but the overall read was highly entertaining and I wouldn’t mind reading it again. Those looking for a quick read, who find pleasure in crime and science fiction novels, will find that this book will not disappoint. I would not mind reading more from this writer.
******
Zedgur
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
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In the future humans now inhabit Mars and are defined as the race “Martian”, other planets are occupied by more races of different aliens, travel is as fast as the speed of light and planets are ran by governments, as countries were once on Earth. Zedgur, by A.E. Nienow, absorbs the reader in a futuristic crime novella that you can’t put down. This book is a quick read, but A.E. Nienow doesn’t disappoint. Filled with adventure, plot twists, and an assertively bellicose heroine that you can’t help but admire.
Alice Winters is a veteran of the Martian Military turned Private Investigator. Although one might think that a switch in roles would bring excitement, Alice Winters’ life is all but that. Living on the northern hemisphere of Mars, Alice is tasked with investigating the infidelities of morally inept individuals. Her life is a balancing act, as she tries to stay a float amongst the bills she can’t pay. One day her dismal life is turned upside down when her government needs her once again.
Minister Bishop’s daughter, Samantha, has allegedly been raped on the planet Zedgur. Although she confirms these allegations, others question their validity. Zedgur is a planet that holds highly precious and expensive minerals. Jakarta, the President of Mars, is working on being a part of a treaty with other planets that would allow Mars to partake in the extraction of these valuable minerals, but Jakarta is in fear that these allegations will leave Mars on the outside looking in. Alice is called to do a final investigation to find out what exactly transpired. Upon heading to Zedgur, Marigold, an old friend of Alice’s from the military, is chosen to accompany her for reasons that are uncertain to Alice. Arriving at Zedgur, Alice is introduced to different alien races along her search, including an aqualid named Ezer and a mechanid named Nix. The three become partners and help come to realize truths that need to be revealed. As Alice dives deeper into the mystery of what happened to the politician’s daughter, she becomes uncertain of what her government really needed her for and comes across secrets that she never thought possible. With time running out and a political conspiracy unfolding, Alice needs to find a way to reveal these secrets without getting kidnapped or worse, killed, by those she thought she could trust. Will Alice really be willing to do what is necessary for the love of her planet? Even at the expense of others?
Being a novella I was impressed with how much detail and plot twists that Nienow was able to put into the story. The introduction and description of Alice is what drew me in. Her stubbornly aggressive and blunt personality helped bring the book to life. Nienow introduced her in such a way that I found myself not being able to put the book down, in anticipation of what was to come. As the book progressed, there was never a dull moment. I loved how almost every page had something new. Whether that was a new character, evidence, or drama occurring, it truly kept me engaged.
There were some grammatical errors that I found while reading that distracted from the story. In addition, I wish that the characters’ back-stories were more established. With Alice’s character, the reader gets a glimpse as to why she left the military and some of her current life situations, but I felt like there was more to her than just what was introduced and would have liked to known more of what made her who she is. Nix and Ezer, have such little character development that I feel it would have been more impactful to hear some of their back-stories. In addition to Nix and Ezer, Nienow introduces the evolution of many other wonderfully imagined alien races, that I would have appreciated the opportunity to know more of how they came to be.
Overall, I enjoyed this fast paced adventure filled novella. I would give Zedgur a 3 out of 4 stars. This author was able to develop an intensely suspenseful crime story, in a futuristic setting, although I will say I wish the characters were developed more and that there were less grammatical errors, but the overall read was highly entertaining and I wouldn’t mind reading it again. Those looking for a quick read, who find pleasure in crime and science fiction novels, will find that this book will not disappoint. I would not mind reading more from this writer.
******
Zedgur
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: "Turka Bella" by Jonathan Feldman
