Not everything is as it seems in this sci-fi world... Recorder by Cathy McCrumb (Review & #Giveaway) #scifibooks @celebrate_lit

Thursday, December 2, 2021 - Leave a Comment

Welcome! I'm sharing my review of this new sci-fi as well as the tour giveaway below...

Recorder

(Children of the Consortium, #1)

By Cathy McCrumb

Adult Science Fiction, Christian

Hardcover, Augiobook & ebook, 367 Pages

November 9, 2021 by Enclave Publishing

Summary

The Consortium is All. But Recorder Can No Longer Obey.

Recorder has no family, no friends, and no name. Donated to the Consortium before birth, her sole purpose is to maintain and verify the records. A neural implant and drone ensure compliance, punishing for displays of bias.

Suddenly cut off from controlling technology, Recorder tastes what it means to be human. But if the Consortium discovers her feelings, everyone she knows will be in danger.

With no name, no resources, and only an infinitesimal possibility of escape, Recorder's time is running out.

Praise for the Book

"McCrumb achieves a fascinating coming-of-age story in a convincing far-future technical milieu containing credible characters with consistent and powerful motivations. Readers looking for hard science fiction with heart should snap this up." - Publishers Weekly

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My Review

RECORDER is a suspenseful story with a thrilling beginning, as the Recorder tries to figure out what happened on a research station and if the danger came back with her group on the ship. There are different classes of people, some of which have AI implants. There is space travel and medical advancement. There is a motley crew of characters. Overall, its a story full of sci-fi elements fans of the genre will love!

The beginning of this story literally blew me away. I loved getting to know the Recorder and then journeying along with her as she does her duty in recording what the team finds on a research station that has gone dark. The author did a wonderful job with immersing me right in this story and then ramping up the suspense and action as this story opens. I did miss that same intensity for most of the rest of the story, except at the end when it ramps back up. I think there could have been a more consistent undercurrent of danger. However, I really loved these characters and trying to figure out all the little nuances between their relationships. Recorder herself has quite a bit of character development as the story develops. The story felt like a good balance of both being character and plot driven. I also really liked the romance. There's good tension, humor and it slowly builds. There is also just a light touch on religion, but it's not a central part of the story and relates to a few characters who practice, which felt genuine. The concept of this story is really unique and poses a lot of interesting questions. I can tell there are a lot of opportunities for how this series can go. I'm very much looking forward to book two!

I did have a few issues with the story. One I mentioned above had to do with the threat of danger being stronger and more consistent. Another was that lack of presence of a lot of the ship's crew, particularly the ship's recorder. Then I felt like some of the characters' behaviors were off. Last thing was that the Recorder felt like she would move forward in her learning process and then start back a few steps. I think I just wanted her development to be a bit more consistent.

In the end, was it what I wished for? A very unique, intriguing plot, with great sci-fi elements, lovable characters and plenty of heart. Definitely worth the read!

Content: Some violence, including murder, but none of it overly descriptive.
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Celebrate Lit, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Cathy graduated from Biola University with a degree in English Literature and a love for stories. She and her husband, whom she met while writing letters to soldiers, have five children and currently live within the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. While writing is one of her favorite things to do, she also enjoys reading, long hikes and long naps, gluten-free brownies and raspberries, and crocheting while watching science fiction movies with friends and family.

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More from Cathy

When I was about three, my first imaginary friend, Sally from Clap-Hands-Land, threw a man’s hat in the air. At the time, I found her action uproariously funny, though I no longer remember why. As I grew older, speculative fiction—almost any variety of fantasy or science fiction—became my favorite stories to tell and read.

Once I had children, however, all I managed were practical lists on scraps of paper. I shoved down that desire to create until after my youngest was born, when a friend challenged me to write again. That first short story began a landslide of words and ideas about grace, worth, and the sometimes-bittersweet reality of daily life. Soon afterward, a story was born from a vivid dream set on a stark moonscape. As I wrote it down, the Recorder herself sprang into being, and Recorder became inextricably bound to her point of view.

For me, stories are fundamentally about possibilities. The tension between catastrophe and eucatastrophe plays out with relative safety on the page. I believe that when ideas and themes intersect, however, stories can reach deep within authors and readers. Indeed, if they do not touch the author, they are unlikely to impact anyone else. When failure, grief, and evil are contrasted with faith, hope, and love, the narratives inspire deeper connections with our own emotions, others, and God. Tales of light and dark challenge us with the opportunity to think through truths and lies without leaving home.

And yet, transformation itself isn’t safe, and therefore fiction can’t be, either. The risks inherent in change open the possibilities of growth and failure. Stories provide an exploration of becoming. They can open a divide through which we can glimpse something greater or worse than our own worlds. Fiction allows us a place where we can practice and triumph.

And maybe, perhaps, even throw our hats into the air.

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