Blanchland Blues
by Tom Dell'Aringa
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Pub Date 4 Feb 2022 | Archive Date 14 May 2022
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Description
Since being dishonorably discharged from the Star Corps, pilot John MacAlister has been struggling to make ends meet with less-than-legal cargo runs across the cosmos. He’s desperate to get his life back, but every time John thinks he’s found that “one last job,” some new disaster lands him back at square one.
After he crashes on the Moon, John finds himself in debt to a shady lawyer who makes him an offer he can’t refuse: Locate teenage runaway Meryl Amelson and bring her back or rot in jail. John knows whatever they want her for can’t be good – but what choice does he have? At least that’s how he feels until he meets his target.
Deep in the inhospitable Blanchlands of Kaldikar-6, John discovers smart and scrappy Meryl is the only witness to a murder ordered by the very same officer who kicked John out of the Star Corps.
For the first time since his dishonorable discharge, John has a purpose. Despite facing impossible odds, he vows to protect Ril and expose his former commander’s corruption no matter the cost.
The only challenge? Living long enough to actually do it.
Blanchland Blues is a fast-paced, grounded, and witty science fiction adventure sure to instantly win over fans of Andy Weir’s The Martian, Michael Ruben’s The Sheriff of Yrnameer, and the timeless humor of the late, great Douglas Adams.
Advance Praise
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can't put it down...even being the kindle version
The first scene will get your attention and will keep pulling you through this tale. If you are looking for something fresh, look into this book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sci-Fi pulp in the best sense of the term: a ripping good yarn.
Sporting an interesting cast of characters, crisp, punchy dialog that feels natural, and a tight plot that never fails to move forward, Blanchland Blues is a fast-paced, fun ride. Dell'Aringa does all this against a backdrop of a society that feels futuristic enough to pull us out of the everyday and grounded enough to feel familiar. I really enjoyed this tale and I will be on board for the next one.
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9780996537766 |
| PRICE | US$0.99 (USD) |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Lisa S, Librarian
Blanchland Blues is a fun space pulp read. Take the worst smuggler ever and his robot Alivs who are tasked with finding one missing girl. What could possibly go wrong? Other than the fact if they fail John goes to prison for a very long time.
Louise H, Reviewer
This was such a wonderful read, a well written sci-fi mystery with an air of Douglas Adams about it. John, Alvis and Ril are superbly crafted protagonists, I quickly found myself fully invested in their stories. A great cast of supporting characters provide extra depth and interest to the tale. Despite his overenthusiasm, Hogan was definitely my favourite amongst these.
The world-building was solid and examined issues prevalent in society today. The story wasn't overly descriptive and left much to the reader's imagination but it did provide everything one needed to be able to follow and understand the plot, the settings, and the motivations of the characters. I loved the snarky banter between Alvis and John, it added a nice touch of levity to the book but also gave a good contrast to some more serious or emotion-filled scenes.
With themes of redemption, chosen family, racism (speciesism?) and community Blanchland Blues just has so much to offer. The prose flows smoothly, the dialogue was both easy to assign and felt natural and the plot moved along at a good pace. This was the first book I've read by Tom Dell'Aringa and it has left me wanting to read more by him.
Paul V, Reviewer
I haven't read this author before. His bio says he likes good characters, and I think he created some here. This is not the kind of story I'd normally pick up, but I liked this. I think those seeking a good sci-fi tale with some humor will like this one.
Thanks very much for the free review copy!!
Reviewer 554257
Even though science fiction is not high on my reading agenda I did appreciate Tom Dell'Aringa's style with a mix that includes aliens, a wolf herder, the drug industry, human suprematists, murder, and two robots that almost steal the show.
A review thanks to NetGalley.
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