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Welcome!! My name is Paul Lappen. I am in my early 60s, single, and live in Connecticut USA. This blog will consist of book reviews, written by me, on a wide variety of subjects. I specialize, as much as possible, in small press and self-published books, to give them whatever tiny bit of publicity help that I can. Other than that, I am willing to review nearly any genre, except poetry, romance, elementary-school children's books and (really bloody) horror.

I have another 800 reviews at my archive blog: http://www.deadtreesreviewarchive.blogspot.com (please visit).

I post my reviews to:

booklore.co.uk
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I am always looking for more places to post my reviews.

Sunday, June 18, 2023

Ocellicon: Future Visions

 Ocellicon: Future Visions, A.G. Russo

 

In a near-future Earth, the military is now in control. This isn't any specific military, like America or China, but The Military, in general. They said "No" to politicians who were about to launch nuclear weapons. The military now spends lots of time rooting out "bad apples" in its ranks. The charges can range from anarchist terrorism (not everyone is happy with military rule) to pedophilia (lots of it). That's where Major Annalouise Farrell comes in.

 

Farrell had a very unpleasant childhood, but rose to become a military lawyer with a perfect record in the courtroom. After winning an "unwinnable" case, she and another lawyer are sent to a base in the Middle East to deal with a bunch of very minor cases. The judge that goes with them is Colonel McCrae. Sexual mores have changed by a lot, so he is able to find many women to satisfy his strong libido. He and Farrell simply do not get along. Soon after they arrive, an attack, directed at them, convinces them that something very unpleasant is going on. Can "it" be stopped in time? Who is still standing at the end?

 

This story is surprisingly good. The society-building feels very plausible, and it has lots of good characters and good writing. Will there be a Part 2?

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