Saturday 4 July 2009

The Ardly Effect

A few years ago I reviewed a book called 'The Ardly Effect' by Mitis Green. It was a book I really enjoyed and had been keeping an eye out for any future books - which sadly haven't been forthcoming.
However, I've discovered that it's now a free pdf download from brambling books - so if anyone wants to read a great space opera which doesn't take itself too seriously, and will keep you in stitches, you can download it here.

This is a copy of my original review (back in issue 9!):
"I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I'd never read anything by Mitis Green before, but the title sounded like the sort of fiction I enjoy. What I didn't expect was a wonderful page turner laced with laugh-out-loud humour. I really enjoyed this book. Having read a few of the latest SF from the big names recently, it was a refreshing surprise to find something so good from someone I'd never heard of before.
So what's it about then? Well, a war of course. A war generations old between the populations of two moons. The lush, cosy moon 'Edenia' and the harsh, brown-grey 'Horridoa'. Our story takes place mainly on the starship Marshia inhabited by hundreds of crew including the scientists Kwait and his daughter Streemly, the government official West, Captain Phoenix, Commander Apricot and two of the captured enemy. Marshia is sent off to investigate some missing drones, and what follows is a wonderfully written space opera adventure as Marshia and her crew set off to discover 'who are we?' and 'where do we come from?' Mitis has managed to write a book silly enough so that just about anything can happen, whilst at the same time, making it all sound completely plausible.
I really did enjoy this book, and will be looking out for the future two episodes of 'The Two Moons Trilogy'. If you like a good SF Space Opera, that's not afraid to be funny and occasionally very silly, read this book, you'll enjoy it."

1 comment:

Vera Sepulveda said...

Very Enjoyable!

I read the first three chapters this morning - a nice change of pace from my current reading (1950's body-snatcher paranoia.) Thanks, Ian, for sharing it with us.

Vera