Hoopla is one of the largest library sites in North America. It has taken a while, but now four out of five of Peter Kazmaier’s books can be downloaded from Hoopla, and it is likely the fifth book, The Battle for Halcyon, will be available soon. Hoopla is a bit different than other library apps such as Overdrive’s Libby. In contrast to Libby where the library has to purchase e-books, before they can be lent, Hoopla makes the whole huge Hoopla library available to the library patron and a library is only charged if the e-book is borrowed.
The first review of Coventry 2091 has just been posted on Goodreads. Here is the text for your convenience. I’m so pleased the reviewer enjoyed the story. The link to the Goodreads review is appended at the end of this post.
this book will reward you, delighting you at every turn as you adventure with the likeable[sic] cast. This is just the first book in the series, but I believe it deserves 5 stars
The fast-paced start of an unforseen [sic] odyssey!
Coventry: a penal colony where a tyrannical government sends undesirables. Those sent to the colony are never seen again; it is a place of no return. Sounds like a dark setting, doesn’t it?
It is imperative that I don’t spoil anything in this review, but this book, like Coventry itself, is not what it seems. Prepare yourself for an odyssey of science, adventure, and faith as you discover what awaits below the surface!
The author has a professional background in chemistry, and has consulted with others of various fields to tell this story – this is Sci-fi by a scientist, and as such there is a very convincing level of detail woven into the narrative. In fact, I found the the step by step details described as the characters interacted with both real and made up processes to be a bit too much in some places, but everything is skillfully described such that anyone can understand, and in the end, I found it quite rewarding.
That’s the word here: this book will reward you, delighting you at every turn as you adventure with the likeable [sic] cast. This is just the first book in the series, but I believe it deserves 5 stars. I especially can’t wait to see how the author handles the faith of the main character as the story progresses in future entries!
Parents, please be advised: there is some very mild language in this book, but nothing above the PG rating.
The universe is infinite, an infinite number of possibilities, times, and dimensions that are coiled together in what we might call reality. But when we are displaced from our own reality and shot into another, how might we react? What might we discover? This is exactly what Peter Kazmaier attempts to answer in The Halcyon Dislocation.
After a mysterious explosion and an experiment gone wrong, the university island of Halcyon is transported to a strange other world. Kazmaier blends a mixture of fast paced action with philosophical and scientific descriptions and discussions as main character David and fellow survivors explore their new surroundings. I’m instantly pleasantly reminded of sci fi classics like Planet of the Apes or Lost in Space. It was fun to see what strange creatures or landscapes the explorers would discover next, all while getting some interesting views on society. I look forward to seeing what new adventures await in the Halcyon series!
I’d definitely recommend this to any fans of Heinlein or Asimov.
Although I prefer holding a real book to reading a book on my smart phone, I have found e-books particularly useful for library borrowing. They allow waiting lists and automatic retrieval (no more pesky library fines).
I am gratified to point out to my friends in Calgary, that THE HALCYON CYCLE books are now available in e-book format at the Calgary Public Library … if you haven’t read, for example, THE DRAGONS OF SHEOL, why not check it out there for free?
Strangely enough, I read the third book before reading this, the second in the series. That was an interesting experience, but not a bad one. Suddenly, all the foreshadowing became references that I had inside knowledge of that the characters didn’t yet. Also, it was quite charming to see a couple that I knew as already married and established in their relationship first meet and fall in love. Theirs was a very interesting dynamic that I wasn’t expecting, knowing their future selves!
My favorite aspect of this particular book was probably that particular romance, because it was so sweet and charming. It reminded me somewhat of Aragon and Arwen from the Lord of the Rings if they met later in life instead of growing up together.
Another aspect of this book that I really like that also reminds me of The Lord of the Rings is the strong bond of friendship between the protagonists. While I haven’t yet read the first book to find out all of the friendship origins, I have seen how they have been tested and held true.
Also, it was great to visit this world (these worlds?) again, because it really is quite unique. There is something about it that combines fantasy, science fiction, and Biblical/apocalyptical [sic] together like the three strands of a braid.
Anyway, for anyone who likes speculative fiction, romances between immortals and mortals, and books in general, this is the series for you.
I received a copy of this book from the author, but was not required to give a favorable review.
The lag to get Peter Kazmaier’s books onto Apple’s iTunes site always seemed unduly long because (according to the distributor) the file requirements for the upload were so stringent.
Thankfully that has been solved and even the most recent book, The Dragons of Sheol is now available on the iTunes site. Why not check it out?
The main difficulty for me with the Halcyon Cycle has been the interval between books! On this occasion, (having previously written to ask when this was coming out) Peter kindly sent me a free review copy, which I found waiting for me on my return from a trip away. I was tired from my travels; so that made a perfect excuse to put my feet up and read – and I devoured over a third of the book in one day! After that, I decided I had better catch up on my other work and rationed myself quite severely. One tip: if, like me, it’s about 2 years since you read the last book I’d recommend re-reading that first. Maybe even re-read both. I found that I had become pretty hazy over some of the details: but I was so intent on following the story that I failed to notice the helpful glossary and maps at the back until I’d almost finished.
The book is very fast-paced, as Al and his friends engage in an increasingly desperate search to trace his wife and adopted son before they are lost forever in the terrifying abyss called Sheol. This leaves them less time for philosophical debate than in previous books. Nevertheless, the philosophical element is still present, covering such issues as the social bankruptcy of [tyranny], duty in the face of despair and whether the goodies are always good or the baddies irredeemably bad.
The book ends on a high note: but this is very evidently the calm before the storm. Key questions remain unanswered; and the eventual outcome is far from certain. Will good ultimately triumph over the evils that may arise from the depths of Sheol, from within the ranks of the Ancient Ones, or from Earth itself? Is there going to be another trilogy? I won’t be satisfied until I see the next series.
A reader of Peter Kazmaier’s first book (The Halcyon Dislocation) state that “Kazmaier hurls readers into a world with shady morals, dubious friendships and exotic surroundings.” Kazmaier’s most recent manuscript, The Dragons of Sheol, is also worthy of this praise.
The exotic setting, in this case, is the continent of Abaddon which resembles a giant continent-sized crater with a ring of coastal mountains and the Abaddon plain some ten kilometers below sea level. The high air pressure and the penchant for wizards in one area of the continent (the Mutandi Highlands) to create all kinds of bizarre and dangerous lifeforms, fills this continent with exotic and dangerous plants and animals.
We had heard of Abaddon in Kazmaier’s second book (The Battle for Halcyon). Now the reader gets to explore this world in an adventure in which Albert Gleeson tries to rescue his kidnapped pregnant wife and adopted son.
The manuscript is just entering the editing stage. The book itself is slated to be published in 2019.
Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to family, friends, and readers. Find out what’s new with author Peter Kazmaier and his writing.
Peter and Kathy wish you …
Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year
Inns, Castles, and Towers
Inns, castles, and towers are part of the literary fare that make fantasy stories so interesting. The Prancing Pony in The Lord of the Rings, The Silver Swan in Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World, and even The Phoenix in Steven Eriksen’s Gardens of the Moon provide a “home away from home” with good food, drink, and a place to meet new characters as part of a journey quest. These venues contribute much to the ambience of the story.
Kathy and I had a chance to spend two weeks in Germany (Peter was on business, but we also had time to spend with family, sightseeing). Germany, like England, has many traditional inns. The food was uniformly excellent, the beer fine, and the wine of a very high quality.
My most recent book, The Battle for Halcyon, also has quite a bit of action that take place at an inn (The Golden Goose). It helps to add authenticity to writing if one can experience these fine establishments first hand.
My next (fourth) book is called Descent into Abaddon and is the third in The Halcyon Cycle. While in Germany I had a chance to visit a well preserved castle called Die Altenburg. The header picture of this newsletter shows a bridge crossing a dry moat to the main gate of the castle. Inside there was a beautiful keep shown below. Both of these helped me imagine a fortress and keep in Descent into Abaddon which play a critical role in the adventures. The tower in Descent into Abaddon is much bigger than the one pictured below, dwarfing the walls of the Abaddon fortress. Travelling in Germany seems to make writing easier (especially if you write science fiction that reads a lot like fantasy) and I’ve come back with renewed enthusiasm to get my next book finished.
Reconnecting with friends is one of the things I like best about sending out these periodic newsletters. If you have a few moments during this busy season, please send me an email note and let me know how you’re doing. Merry Christmas!
The Wolfsburg Ruins – Origin of the Name ‘Wolfsburg Imprints’
As you may have noticed, although my books are published by Word Alive Press, they are also listed under Wolfsburg Imprints. The name is derived from a castle ruin, depicted here, in south western Germany. With the uncertain and ever changing world of book publishing, it seemed like a good idea to have one place where all my books can be found and listed. I am deeply grateful for your encouragement, your reviews, your book ratings, and your interest in my writing.
Kay MacLeod, a fantasy writer from England, has put together writer’s advent calendar, featuring two writers per day up until Christmas. My book, The Halcyon Dislocation will be featured on December 19th. Why not check out her site and see the creations of the many fine writers featured. You can even vote on your favourite featured book and have a chance to win a free copy.
What Peter’s Been Reading
The Game Changers
The Game Changers is a powerful and moving book that gives a snapshot of the lives of key leaders, healthcare workers, and teachers in Uganda as they struggle to solve the huge problem of mother-and-child deaths during pregnancy and delivery. Through the lives of front-line workers, Dr. Jean Chamberlain-Froese (the founder of Save The Mothers) and Patricia Paddey (a journalist) provide heart-wrenching accounts of the magnitude of the problem as well as a look at the courageous men and women who are working to solve it in East Africa.
This book will move you and also give you a sense of hope as you see the commitment of these Ugandans, see how their deep faith moves them to action, and marvel at the progress that has already been made. It will also leave you (as it did me) with a profound sense of gratitude that we are not forced to go through the same trials here. The Gamer Changers is worth reading several times and can also be picked up and read in short sittings. I highly recommend it.
No Free Lunch
This brilliant book by William A. Dembski on specified complexity and the implications for intelligent design is a superbly written book that follows his other seminal work, The Design Inference. Dembski comprehensively analyzes the criticisms levelled at the arguments made in The Design Inference and then graciously explains in great detail why these counter arguments are flawed. The wealth of information in this book and the breadth of subjects covered, mean that reading only a few pages at one sitting gives me a great deal to think about.
The Codex Alera
I read all five volumes of Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera fantasy series this summer and really enjoyed the some 3000 pages of action-packed adventure. Butcher, better known for The Dresden Files, shows great imagination and each volume follows seamlessly from the last. If you like fantasy linked to a roman legion setting, then I think you might like this series (particularly if you like long series with many characters and intricate plot lines as I do).
A reader of Peter Kazmaier’s first book (
Wolfsburg Imprints 