FREE Book Reviews

||1|| >>ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES<< Sci-Fi

I've been writing for 20 years, off and on. I was terrible at it starting out, terrible at it half way through, and somewhere between the last time I checked to the last time I got dressed down by a scathing review, I've come out...all right.

That is not the case with these authors.

I wanted to dedicate a page to authors that are MORE than worth your time and your support. Some are young (as young as 13, out there killing it! Some are older but have a few shortcomings here or there). But despite what you may see on the surface, they hold a lot of potential and taking a minute to read them is NEVER a waste.

None of these authors can submit or give payment to fall onto this list. They come from the critiques I've done. As such, I'm not beholden to them. I owe them nothing and I gain nothing from promoting their works.

I present you with ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES. Rough on the surface but amazing when you stop to think about it. And well, there are some who aren't even all that rough at all.

I rake them over the coals in reviews and critiques, not because I'm mean or dismissive, but because things in need of polish only get that with some sandpaper.

1. Unauthorized To Love By Passmetheadobo (Passmetheadobo)

Status: On going. Currently on chapter 13

How did I find this author? Well, I judged a science fiction category. We're forced to read 5 chapters per story.

What's the story about? Well, that's just it, it's not 100% clear yet. The story is about a robotics engineer in charge of making robots more 'life-like' who herself is nearly robotic in how she behaves. She perfects the code so well that she starts to actually envy how well the robots can mimic human emotion, as she herself has been in deep depression for so long that she no longer knows what it feels like to be emotionally balanced. While she lacks the capacity to love and truly care for others, her robot that she's FORCED to keep starts following out his programming (too well) by pretending to be her love interest. But that's not all. There is a rogue robot out there, KILLING other robots (and occasionally humans, too). Wait till you find out WHY!

What I like the most about this story (author)? It's unexpected. A LOT of it is unexpected. So there are days when I read it and I was like, "Wait? What?" 😕 but then I'd get to the end of the chapter and I'd be like, "Wait! What!!!!" 🤯

Shortcomings. There are two. I'll be honest, they are big ones. Firstly, the first few chapters (well, most of the story) employs Third Person Omniscient. That's right. Start backing up slowly. What's Third Person Omniscient? Oh, nothing. It's just the most DIFFICULT POV to pull off well after First Person Present. That problem presents itself here. The first chapter hammered me. I could barely make it through. Because of the POV, we get no steady guide to lead us into the story. In fact, our first guide doesn't really make it far. So you're stuck in a free fall, scrambling to find a guide to take you into this new world. I hated it for that fact but five chapters is five chapters so I kept moving. By chapter two, it hits the ground running and you're swept away. Man oh MAN what a fun story. Now I'm okay with it (it's not too strong the farther in you go) and it works well, too overall. I'm glad I was forced to read five chapters because I never EVER would have made it to the end of chapter 1 on my own and that's a real shame. This story is 12 chapters strong and I'm gonna be honest, I'm sorta fan girling. The second shortcoming? (sigh) *whispers* cringy dialogue. It's not often, thank goodness, but when the robot that is infatuated with the MC starts calling her 'baby' and 'honey' or what have you, a part of me dies. But it's not too often. The situations are sweet and even sensual, so the actions fit well but it's just the...addressing the MC with those terms that has me gritting my teeth. But I'll be honest, there were times there when I kinda hoped (crossed my fingers) that the robot would get to 3rd base and get lucky. Judge me all you like!!!

BEFORE YOU START: Wait, don't rush over there to read this just yet. Before you start, do yourself a favor—DON'T read that blurb. It's so spoilery that I want to take the PC used to type it up out back and shoot it. For real. Leave that blurb alone if you want to have ANY elements of surprise in this fun little story. BTW, there's a huge 'this is a lewd book' warning at the front of the story. Hahaha. ignore that. I'm 12 chapters in and have yet to see any indication that there's going to be a robot orgy any time soon. Not...*cough* not that I was waiting on one. 😳

The fact that this book has only like 183 reads to the date of this tells you how underappreciated this story truly is.

BTW, I really wasn't waiting on one. Please believe me! I wasn't! 😳 😳 😳 I mean, if one comes, cool, but.... I'm not WAITING around for it. For—for real.