Readers of this
blog know I am a big fan of Terry’s First Civilization’s Legacy Series. So much
so I made the first book in the series, Flank
Hawk, my FFB pick a couple of times. Where else are you going to get,
among other things, souled zombies? The second book in the series, Blood
Sword, was also mighty good. I am finally currently reading Soul Forge. I also have here the first
book in the Crax War Chronicles to
read. The second book in that series,
Relic Hunted, just hit the streets.
While there are
mystery elements to his First Civilization’s Legacy Series they
become quite pronounced in the short stories that make up Genre
Shotgun. In short, Terry knows what he is doing and has shown it in
multiple areas. Please welcome Terry to the blog for the first of hopefully
many more guest posts.
Hard
Luck Hank: Off-Beat SF with a Mystery to be Solved
Here
at Kevin’s Corner, reviews of
mysteries are common fare.
In
this guest post, I’m going to present an off-beat science fiction series, where
each novel has a mystery that the slow (in more ways than one) but steady
protagonist (Hank) struggles to solve. Add to that, a mix of interesting
characters with elements of humor and you have Hard Luck Hank.
Observing
the first novel’s title and cover, Hard
Luck Hank: Screw the Galaxy,
readers know they’re not getting anything run-of-the-mill. Hank is a thug,
living on the Belvaille space station, one of
the most corrupt cities in the Colmarian Confederation. He’s a mutant, whose
mutation makes him virtually immune to bullets, grenades, knives and more. Getting
shot hurts, but isn’t fatal. Yet, Hank isn’t indestructible or unbeatable—not
by far. Nevertheless, he is the go-to negotiations mediator for gang bosses and
the various nefarious organizations that permeate Belvaille.
Each
novel in the series has Hank thrust into a dire situation, where he has to
figure out what’s going on, who’s behind it, and what, if anything, he can do
about it. Seemingly random or insignificant events or situations enter the
storyline, which I enjoy, as they all tie together in the end. Although the
structure is the same, for each novel, Belvaille—and
the situation—has changed, often for the worse, so it’s never the same old
thing over again. Yes, there’s some of the ‘old’ that I enjoyed remains, but there’s
a healthy mix the ‘new.’
What
I like most about the Hard Luck Hank
books are the characters Hank interacts with, and his internal (and sometimes
verbalized) commentary, not only about himself, but the situations and the
actions of folks around him. The dialogue, especially between Hank and Delovoa,
a three-eyed, whacked out scientist mutant is especially entertaining. Delovoa is
one of Hank’s only friends…sort of, and appears in all four novels thus far,
and has a standalone novella where he’s the main character.
The
audiobook versions of the Hard Luck Hank
Series are a special treat. They bring an added dimension to the story. The
narrator, Liam Owen, gets Hank’s voice and patterns just right, making the
listen even more entertaining.
So,
if you’re looking for something fun and maybe a little out of your mainstream,
give the Hard Luck Hank Series a try.
To
learn more about Hank and what’s available in the series, visit the website: http://www.belvaille.com/
Terry
W. Ervin II ©2016
====
Terry W. Ervin II is an English and science teacher who enjoys
writing fantasy and science fiction. His First Civilization’s Legacy Series
(fantasy), Crax War Chronicles (SF), and short story collection, Genre Shotgun, are available in print,
ebook, and audiobook formats.
To contact Terry or learn more about his writing endeavors, visit
his website at www.ervin-author.com and
his blog, Up Around the Corner at uparoundthecorner.blogspot.com
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