Gates of Mars (Halo Trilogy #1) Book Blog Tour, Review, and #Giveaway #LoneStarLit

Posted July 2, 2020 by Lynn in Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews / 2 Comments

GATES OF MARS
The Halo Trilogy #1
by
CLARK HAYS AND
KATHLEEN McFALL
Genre: Science Fiction / Detective (hard-boiled) 
Publisher:  Pumpjack Press on Facebook
Date of Publication: June 16, 2020
Number of Pages: 336
Scroll down for the giveaway!

IN THE AGE OF SURVEILLANCE, HOW CAN A PERSON GO MISSING? 

The year is 2187. Crucial Larsen, a veteran of the brutal Consolidation Wars, is working as a labor cop on Earth. The planet is a toxic dump and billions of people are miserable, but so what? It’s none of his business. He’s finally living a good life, or good enough. But then Essential, his beloved kid sister, disappears on Mars. When Halo—the all-powerful artificial-intelligence overseeing Earth and Mars on behalf of the ruling Five Families—can’t (or won’t) locate his sister, Crucial races up-universe to find her. 

 

In the Choke, the frigid, airless expanse outside the luxury domes, Crucial uncovers a deadly secret from Essential’s past that threatens to shatter his apathetic existence … and both planets. Blending science fiction with the classic, hard-boiled detective story, Gates of Mars is a page-turning, futuristic thrill-ride featuring a gritty, irreverent anti-hero, Crucial Larsen. The first book of the Halo Trilogy, Gates of Mars is the eighth novel by award-winning authors, Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall. 

 

PRAISE FOR GATES OF MARS:

“An indelible introduction to an interplanetary saga and its sublime characters.” —Kirkus Reviews


“The authors’ imaginations again run wild, this time a science fiction/detective series looking at what our lives may hold in the not too distant future if everything that can go wrong does go wrong. And they’ve done it with their trademark undercurrent of humor that lifts an otherwise dreary future into something resembling—do I dare say?—hope. Their best work to date. And the giraffes? You’ll have to read Gates of Mars to find out. I’m already wishing they could write faster.” —Renee Struthers, East Oregonian newspaper

 

“With twists and turns true to some of the best noir detective pieces—but with an other-world setting and futuristic society—along with psychological insights and connections, Gates of Mars is a riveting, unexpected story, filled with intrigue and change. Sci-fi and detective story readers alike with find Gates of Mars one of a kind, worthy of avid pursuit.” —Midwest Book Review 

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While not the only genre I’ve been reading or watching during the pandemic, science fiction is certainly what is bringing me the most comfort. From The Expanse to Aurora Burning, all I want is some great space battles, some peril in the vacuum of space, and some prescient tech that is just on the verge of I want it\need it now. And Gates of Mars ticks off all those boxes and more!

 

One of the aspects of science fiction that I’m most drawn to is that it encourages crossing with all the other genres. McFall and Hays have skillfully blended together a hard-boiled detective novel with futuristic sci-fi tech, set the majority of the action on Mars, and added dash of action\adventure and humor. The writing is visual and lush, bringing the everyday in 2187 to life. The jeopardy which the characters experience throughout the novel is palpable and heart-racing. I was enthralled from start to finish.

 

The world building is on point in this novel. Here’s a list of some of the aspects that I really enjoyed/am very terrified could be very real very soon. (And my fellow sci-fi fans/junkies/geeks will know what I’m referencing here!):
  • Sheetmeat gyros. Future food always fascinates me!
  • Mushrooms are the major building materials.
  • Halo, the all-knowing computer system is somewhere between HAL and AIDAN.
  • Ocular communications devices (OCD) for everyone. You get an eye implant! You get an eye implant! Makes carrying around a laptop obsolete.
  • Targeted ads on the OCD. I already see targeted ads on social media from shopping online. Imagine those ads popping up even more frequently. The more you slow down or notice the ads, the more they appear on your eye feed. 😲
  • Terraforming on Mars with a side of Jurassic Park recreation of extinct animals.

I could go on! There are so many enjoyable aspects in Gates of Mars that will fill the sci-fi void in any reader’s heart!

 

Characters in Gates of Mars are well-developed and realistic. Crucial, our main detective, is an apathetic hero, living his life, minding his own business, maintaining an emotional distance from the day to day dreary life on Earth. But then his younger sister’s disappearance drives him to Mars, where he must confront the emotions and reality he’d rather ignore. (I’m so there with Crucial about ignoring reality!) Nothing like having to deal with an ex-girlfriend, a missing sister, and a potential conspiracy to mess up the silence that he most desires! My favorite character in the novel is Sanders, the Martian representative assigned to assist Crucial while on Mars. I wish I could tell you ALL ABOUT HIM. But that would spoil your fun! I’ll leave it at his deadpan delivery is just my sense of humor.

 

On the important to me side of reading, I can report to you, dear reader, that the ending of Gates of Mars is an actual ending and not a cliff hanger that frustratingly stops in the middle of a scene. We have a conclusion to the novel while setting up the rest of the trilogy.

 

The imagination of McFall and Hays must have been running at light speed while writing this book! Well-developed worlds, believable characters, and prescient ideas have me anxiously excited for the next installment of The Halo Trilogy.

 

Thanks to authors Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing this opportunity to review Gates of Mars. I received the novel free in exchange for my honest review.

 


Clark and Kathleen wrote their first book together in 1999 as a test for marriage. They passed. Gates of Mars is their eighth co-authored book.
 

Connect with Kathleen

Goodreads ║ Amazon ║ Facebook ║ Twitter

Connect with Clark



————————————-

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!
TWO WINNERS: One Winner: First edition copy of A Very Unusual Romance 
One Winner: All four books in The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection 

June 29-July 8, 2020

(U.S. Only)

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FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY.

 

Or, visit the blogs directly:

 


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7/2/20
Excerpt
All the Ups and Downs
7/2/20
Review
Chapter Break Book Blog
7/3/20
Review
Books and Broomsticks
7/3/20
Review
Bibliotica
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Posted July 2, 2020 by Lynn in Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews / 2 Comments

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2 responses to “Gates of Mars (Halo Trilogy #1) Book Blog Tour, Review, and #Giveaway #LoneStarLit”