Title: Cassastar Series: Cassastar #1 Author: Alex J. Cavanaugh Genre: Space Opera Pages: 246 Reading Level: Adult Content: PG (military subject matter and some violence)
This book is not what I expected it to be at all and I loved it. The words “Space Opera” are suitable to describe this but there’s something else in this story that goes beyond sci-fi, fantasy, and space war.
CassaStar tells the story of a young Cassian named Byron who is talented and troubled. All he wants is a chance to escape Cassa and become a fighter pilot so that his life can have some meaning. His only problem is that, when compared to everyone around him, he has a bad and arrogant attitude, but he is good at what he does … oh and he’s “special”. Then there’s Bassa, enter wise man/mentor, but that’s where I’ll stop. I don’t want to give too much away.
I must confess that as chicks go I’m not much for emotional outpouring which is probably why I like action, sci-fi, and fantasy, but this book has given me a whole new perspective. When considering the very nature of the Cassians, I don’t believe I would be viewed even half as well as Byron was and he was pretty much an outcast with undeniable skills. It’s one thing to make friends and to be able to mingle with your peers on a social level, but CassaStar takes social interaction and emotional bonds to a whole other level, plus there’s space ships and highly advanced technology involved.
This whole story is written in a very matter-of-fact way as to imply that everything that’s happening in the story is as it should be. You forget from time to time that you are not a Cassian and that you are simply reading a story. You are however supplied with a few moments that fill you with utter amazement as you imagine the pilots sorting through space and time and then going on grand adventures in their down time.
This is an action packed story, but it takes a while to get your heart rate going. Nothing is slow moving, but the author does take his time to really develop his characters and set up each scene for whatever it is that’s about the happen: a space battle, an emotional breakdown, a behavior evaluation, or even an intense dream. With all this story has to offer, I’m still shocked that it all boils down to a great buddy story. This book is about friendship in a way most people haven’t considered. When two men go into war willing to die or live for the other, exciting things happens.
This story is suitable for most audiences though young children may not have the maturity to understand it and many women will not be initially attracted to it. I would challenge men and women to read this story and find that they probably really enjoy it, even if it is for very different reasons.
I give this book a 5.
This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
This is one of those books that sat on my TBR list for so long, not because I wasn’t interested, but because I had a feeling once I started I wouldn’t want to stop, and I was right. I’m so glad the summer afforded me the opportunity to read this book without the constant interruptions I’m used to.
Spellbound tells the story of two girls who seem to live in completely different worlds, though they reside in the same town and go to the same school. The thing that draws these to ladies together is the pleasantly invading presence of the Alexander family. One of the girls could be “the one” this magical family has been looking for while the other will alter and change their lives in ways they hadn’t expected from a mere human.
Before I go into the why I loved this book, and I totally did, I just want to say that this author is amazing. I’d read her blog a bit before, but never really followed her writing; what a mistake. Her attention to detail and her respect for the diversity of her characters empowers me to be bolder in my own writing. She’s now one of my favorite authors and I’ll probably start stalking her a bit…Now back to the book.
Obviously from my last statement, you can surmise that the characters of this book are well-developed and likable. If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you know that YA is a struggle for me in general because of all the teen antics. This book was no different, but for some reason, I grew to like these characters and quickly got over there teen drama, especially when they started to face real physical and life-altering threats.
I like the way the setting aids the story. It takes place in a small town, but the world travels of the Alexander family plays a role in their daily lives. It’s sometimes easy to think that whatever is happening in the story will only affect their little town, but when characters star “popping up” out of the blue from around the world, it really puts matters into a global perspective.
I don’t usually go into too much detail about specific characters in my reviews, but I knew from the start I’d like Bryce, even if he didn’t start out in the best light and wasn’t around much. The descriptions of all the pretty people in this book had me shaking my head and remembering a few good times from high school when I dated basketball players. Ah, youth.
Then there’s the magical element of the story that goes beyond the surface. In this story, magic isn’t a separate entity that affects the character’s world; it’s part of their culture. There is a gray matter that I have been unable to clarify in the use of magic within this story, but I’m hoping the next two books (which I’ve already purchased) will straighten it all up. There are clear good guys and bad guys in the first story, but there’s foreshadowing that implies some characters and events will be more about picking sides than being right and wrong. Plus the ancestors of those with magic all seem to come from the same “people” but are dark and some are light…I can wait to read more.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes YA and or Fantasy and even a few who don’t. Anyone who appreciates cultural diversity in fiction will also appreciate this book, even if they’re not big into fantasy.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion, which has in no way affected the rating of this piece.
This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors and welcome to The ToiBox of Words. I’m your host Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse, and today I have a treat to share. A while back, I had the pleasure to interview a wonderful author named, Diamond Ryan. A good time was truly had by all, and here’s how it went down.
Toi Thomas:Hi thereDiamond! It’s so awesome to have you here at the ToiBox Blog. I’m excited to learn more about you and your work.
Diamond: Hi Toi. Happy to be here.
Toi Thomas:So tell me, who is Diamond Ryan?
Diamond: I am a previously published author. Red Stick Diaries is my seventh. My writing career began in my early years of high school, but it would be many years later before becoming published.
Toi Thomas: I think most writers start out pretty early; I know I did. For me though, I never knew I wanted to become an author. Seems like you knew back then.
Toi Thomas: Well before we dive into your special message today, let’s get to know you, the person inside the author.
Toi Thomas:Who is so you and why?
Kitt as Catwoman in Batman, Wikipedia
Diamond: Many people have compared my looks to the beautiful and talented Eartha Kitt, whom I am a huge fan of. In my youth, I wondered how someone could see any familiarity, and thought it was a bad thing to be compared to someone older. It is only through living have I learned the appreciation for her talent and the legacy she leaves behind.
Toi Thomas: When I was younger I didn’t like being compared to other people either, but it’s what we as humans do. We compare. Our minds look back through our database of knowledge to help us understand the things around us. Sorry for the nerd rant. I like being compared now, just to see what people come up with…Oh and I do see a resemblance.
Toi Thomas:What makes you geek out?
Diamond: Learning new things. I love research and development and expressing myself through art.
Toi Thomas: I too enjoy learning new things as long as it’s not something being forced on me. I’m not really an artistically talented person, but do I enjoy torturing canvases with my paint brush. I have a feeling that you are not only artistically talented, but probably master multiple mediums.
Toi Thomas:What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years?
Diamond: I didn’t have a single favorite… but I loved reading the leather bound Reader’s Digest short stories. Those tales, took me places.
Toi Thomas: My dad loves Reader’s Digest, and he used to read them too me as a kid.
Toi Thomas:In terms of interviews, whose brain are you just itching to scratch?
Diamond: I would love to sit down with Morgan Freeman, I am and have been impressed with his mind.
Toi Thomas: Good answer. I’m sure Morgan Freeman would have some good stories and lessons to share.
Toi Thomas: Now that we know a little more about you, the person, let’s learn about you, the author, and dive into your special message.
Toi Thomas:So whacha got for me today?
Diamond: RED STICK DIARIES is a 5 book miniseries about the near death escapes of a heroine, and the political struggles of surviving within the confines of the law… when those serving the law are the most guilty.
Toi Thomas: Oh, a miniseries. That’s cool. I guess it would be like reading a serial all at once or a graphic novel, without the pictures of course.
Toi Thomas:So who’s starring is this 2 dimensional script read ofRed Stick Diaries?
Diamond: The main characters are one female heroine of determined strengths, and a male counterpart who seeks his own meted out revenge and justice and the chaos that ensues at the loss of that power and control.
Toi Thomas: One woman and one man- I have a feeling this will be love hate relationship.
Toi Thomas:What’s so special about this story that’s going to reel in the readers?
Diamond: This is a fictional story… based on a true experience. One in which familiar realities turn dark and gruesome right before your eyes. The most frightening reality discovered within is, that all you believed could be shattered with the realization that we all are vulnerable. And at any given time… could become the next victims.
Toi Thomas: Honing in on universal truths is harder than people might realize, but you’ve captured one. Everyone is vulnerable to some degree, which is something anyone can relation to. Well done.
Toi Thomas:Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?
Diamond: I write from a spiritual place within. Moved to moods of the characters, and I divest myself within them.
Toi Thomas: Well, so you’re an emotional writer. I’m afraid I’m a bit technical until the story’s complete. Then I look back and see what’s there. I like that you let the characters take control. I bet it makes for quite a bit of drama.
Toi Thomas:What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?
Wikipedia
Diamond: Terry McMillian, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes… to name a few. I love the fact that they write with such poetic freedoms and honesty.
Toi Thomas:I enjoy getting caught up words that take me to far off lands and tell magical stories, but sometimes you need a serving of realism. These authors make even the harshest reality bearable and poetic.
Toi Thomas: Now this is where the questions get a little kooky; are you ready?
Diamond: YISI! Yeah, I said it.
Toi Thomas:If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Wikipedia
Diamond: Actually… Red Stick Diaries… when it becomes one! [laughs]. Hmm, great question… the rest of my life? Shawshank Redemption. But my list goes on from there.
Toi Thomas: Yeah, that’s a good one; so hard to turn away from…Hey, you could ask Morgan Freeman about his experience on the set of this film. 😉
Toi Thomas:When the soundtrack of your life is playing in your head, what songs express your glee and what songs bring out your rage?
Diamond: Glee: Waiting On The World To Change by John Meyer.
Rage: ….I’ll have to get back with you on that… I don’t really have one. But it saddens me every time I re-visit a song I wrote for 911. “The Day The Angels Cried”
Toi Thomas: Of course you write songs too. I bet “The Day The Angels Cried” is a lovely, if not meaningful song.
Toi Thomas: Let’s play zombie urban survivor. What 3 things do you need to survive a black-out in Central Park the day zombies attack?
Diamond: Vin Diesel, The Roc, and… LLCool J … I just figure they’ll always be prepared.
*The latter to repopulate the world, you know in case we’re the last two survivors. [chuckles].
Toi Thomas: Hmm, well I think you covered that one.
Toi Thomas:What’s the most fun experience you’ve ever had, to date?
Diamond: Asking the captain if I could relieve the helm of a USS Destroyer…and he let me! #nonenlisted!
Toi Thomas:That’s pretty cool, though I don’t think I could it. Just the idea of having all that power and responsibility for even a second would be too much. My fear; your fun.
Toi Thomas: Last question of the day; here we go.
Toi Thomas:Not that you can see into the future, but in your opinion, what does the future hold?
Diamond: I believe as much as I desire. I expect to continue writing books and leaving deep impressions in the sand for future generations.
Toi Thomas: What a positive outlook to have. I wish you all the best.
Toi Thomas:Thank you so much Diamond for spending time with me today.
Diamond: You’re welcome. It was fun.
Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. For more fromDiamond Ryan, check out these great links:
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Title: Cassastar
Diamond: RED STICK DIARIES is a 5 book miniseries about the near death escapes of a heroine, and the political struggles of surviving within the confines of the law… when those serving the law are the most guilty.
