This isn’t the review I tried to post, but here is what I might have said after reflecting more.
Well-known SF author Steve Brust recently posted a blog saying that every story he wrote was the result he was wondering about and wanted to explore through fiction. Spindown is a masterly exploration of the nature vs. nurture debate, especially in the context of war and violence. Are our violent tendencies the result of our genetic inheritance or they result of our being raised in a violent social system. This page-turner (I finished it the day after I started it) makes you think seriously on that question.
Thanks so much! I’m sure I’m repeating myself, but I’m very grateful for thoughtful reviews like this. I really hope it will eventually show up on Kobo (or anywhere else!).
Today is the day of my very first promotion on Bookbub (they accepted me for UK and CA, but not the US) – I’m happy to say that sales are through the roof for me on Amazon UK and CA. Spindown is the #1 sci-fi novel on all of Amazon Canada, and the #23 book overall! So I can’t help but share a bit of my excitement. My best single day of sales for any of my books ever, by far.
Yeah, BookBubs are the shizznit. I’ve applied about 75 times and got two US features and three international-only, which usually means CA, UK, AU and IN. These are all 99 cents specials, I don’t think it’s worth it for a free promotion. The ones in the US always have a very long tail, the international ones at least pay for themselves. I always run ads on BargainBooksy and other places when I’m doing an International-only BookBub to try to get the sales up in the US as well.
Daamn you Andy! I’m nearly done your book and I can’t wait to read the sequel! Outstanding ! I ended up staying up 2 hours past bedtime going, “OK,one more chapter…”. I’ll post a review on Kobo when I finish. Nice Job!
Finished it Thursday night. Bleary and eyelids heavy, but I finished it. The twists and turns in the last few chapters were great; normally I have stuff like that figured out fairly quickly but I didn;t quite catch the main baddie until nearly the reveal. I’m going to be looking at your other books now. I enjoyed this as much as the Expanse series and I REALLY like The Expanse.
I hope there’s a sequel in you because seeing the trials in the establishment of Samwise and their inevitable interaction with Earth and potentially other colonies would be very interesting.
I gave Spindown a go, and thought it was quite good. I was very into the last 3rd of the book, the world and character building worked to get me interested in the outcome. I did enjoy the “well, that escalated quickly” nature of the various crises that the crew had to deal with.
If there were another book in this series, I’d definitely read it.
Wonderful, and thank you! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. A review online (Amazon or wherever you got the book) would be greatly appreciated, if possible, even if it’s as short as the above post. Online reader reviews are the single best way to signal to other potential readers that the book is worth trying.
