Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Some really exciting titles to look forward to! - thanks for the dip into these ones - I've got quite a few n my TBR now!

Thanks to NetGalley, Orion and the authors for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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There are some awesome stories in this sampler and I'm super excited to read and review them!

The Two-Faced Queen particularly sounds right up my alley!

Rating: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I found it a bit difficult to define which books were part of the sampler but overall they each had merits even though there was a bit too much emphasis on fantasy over science fiction for my normal tastes. A good selection even so.

A fantastic selection of Orion's upcoming fiction - have checked out quite a few of the titles mentioned and will definitely be stocking them in my store when it reopens! :)

This is a fantastic sampler into the sci-fi novels Orion has available for the upcoming months - each of the stories revealed enough detail to captivate you.

Inscape by Louise Carey: 5 stars
The first book: Inscape by Louise Carey is a futuristic sci-fi, which follows Tanta and her colleagues who have to retrieve a stolen hard drive, outside of the safe zone of InTech’s borders - will her team succeed in their mission or die trying? It’s very fast paced and plot driven. 5 stars, would read the whole novel.

The Two Faced Queen by Nick Martell: 4 stars
When I first started reading this book, it felt quite hard to get into and the world building was a tad lacking - it felt like you were being thrown into the deep end. This is explained by the fact it’s the second book in a series. I would still recommend as the story is intriguing, but think I’ve been spoiled for the plot of the first book.

This Fragile Earth by Susannah Wise: 5 stars
This was 100% my favourite book in this sampler. It follows Signy, Matthew and their son, Jed, who begin to experience a glitch in technology - the power goes out, the water tastes funny, drone devices begin failing. Is this a temporary blip, or perhaps the end of the world as we know it? This story was action packed, and the sample left the story on a cliff hanger, making me anxious to know the outcome. I will definitely be requesting this novel.

Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore
Decided against reading this one as it is the fourth instalment of the Graceling series, which is on my TBR, so I do not wish to spoil it for myself.

I always love samplers, including this one.

What a great way to check out what books suit each reader. There are some great ones here that I have requested and read the whole book, with much satisfaction.

This sampler put me in the mood for reading. I loved the little snippets we got from each of the books and I am very intrigued. Thank you to Orion for approving me for this sampler.

I didn't realise this was going to be a book that would show up in my list when I downloaded it so I'm having to leave a review.

Love, love, love Orion books. Really looking forward to these! Sci-Fi/Fantasy is one of my favourite genres, and you guys do some brilliant ones. Very excited to read and review on my Bookstagram.

Fantastic insight into what books to look out for over the next few months.
I love how you get the sample chapters included.

A great bite of some upcoming reads. As a sampler, the formating was a bit difficult to navigate but the excerpts made it worth the effort to persevere. I've added some to my tbr as a result.

This is so cool because I don’t always read sci fi but it’s really interesting so I love being able to read a couple of chapters of different books to see if I like them and can get into the writing! Thanks so much for putting these together!

The Orion science fiction and fantasy sampler has a fascinating selection from this year's books, including from writers such as Louise Carey. My personal favourites are Nick Martell's The Two-Faced Queen and Susannah Wise's This Fragile Earth, I might be imagining it, but there were fewer books in this particular sampler than the others. Very much enjoyed reading what was on offer.

I am so glad I checked out this sampler as I now have three great reads to add to my TBR. Inscape is a really tense techno-thriller that amps up the atmosphere right from the off. The Two-Faced Queen is an interesting tale of a supposed King-Killer attempt to clear his family name which really drew me in despite being part two of a series I was completely unaware of. I didn't know what to think of Fragile Earth to begin with but it developed into an eerie technological eco-drama that I am interested to see play out. I didn't find Winterkeep that appealing personally. It was too dreamy and surreal to grab me but I can see a lot of other people delving into its fantastical world and easily getting lost within. A great batch of books and I can't wait to pursue them further!

Some really interesting looking titles to come in the next 6 months, looking forward to many of them.

A great glimpse of some upcoming Sci Fri titles from Orion. Just enough to get you interested in what's to come

Thank you for giving me this sampler to read, although on this occasion none of these stories were really my thing.

Various science fiction (science fantasy) based short stories. I love these quick reads. I'll recommend these to my students. Many bold ideas. Some not as interesting as the others. Overall, a fun read.