Off the Bookshelf: SPACE DRIFTERS, The Emerald Enigma, by Paul Regnier

I know I said the next book would be A STAR CURIOUSLY SINGING, by Kerry Neitz, but I've been working on this one for a while -- it's my book for reading on my iPhone in line or waiting somewhere.

To be honest, I don't know if Paul Regnier is a Realmie, and/or if he's coming to this year's Realm Makers conference. However, this one qualifies because I heard about it at last year's conference. When the publisher himself takes the time during your pitch session to tell you about the book, that's a good recommendation. So officially this is another book in my trying-to-read-before-Realm-Makers queue.

Wanna snicker? Wanna catch a lot of SF geek/fandom/series inside jokes? Wanna laugh at cliches and stereotypes? This is the book. I mean, you gotta love a book where the 1st person hero's name is Glint Starcrost, and after a really close call with death, he talks about something being "severely ouchy."

It's your classic quest SF adventure, with evil nemeses and menacing cyborgs and over-the-top space weapons and stations and a beautiful, deadly space princess (who happens to be a lot smarter and a lot tougher than the captain) and weird creatures and great names for things, like the captain's beloved gun is called a DEMOTER -- yeah, all caps.

What's the Emerald Enigma? Well, it's a green stone that everybody wants, supposed to give lots of luck -- and fortune, and revenge, and healing, and protection and whatever you want -- and grant wishes. There's a major problem with the kind of  luck given and the wishes granted, and I'm going to leave you to discover what that is.

It's guaranteed snarky, snickery, groaning, I-can't-believe-how-stupid-he-is-and-that-I'm-still-reading-this! fun. Whether it's your reading-while-waiting-in-line book or sitting on your nightstand or for reading between innings, (Go, Tribe!) Read It! You'll be glad you did. Next up -- I promise! -- is Kerry Neitz's book. Followed by a book by Tosca Lee.