Space Opera Fans discussion

Greetings Space Opera Fans!

A kidnapped prince, a school band competition and an electric cat that eats everything in sight! Yessirree! This is our young adult friendly pick that y'all can discuss with the young people in your lives! And best of all, this book is by one of our active community members, so you can pester the crap out of her with questions ask Steph for the inside scoop so you'll appear outright sage when you discuss this with your young'uns.



"What is the secret of the hollow moon? Join intrepid young heroine Ravana O'Brien in a fast-paced and witty science-fiction mystery of interstellar intrigue. Having fled civil war sixteen light years away, Ravana and her father now live in the sleepy commune of the hollow moon, a forgotten colony ship drifting around Barnard's Star. Yet the evil priest Taranis, the dark architect of destiny, has returned from the dead. What began as a minor escapade to rescue her erratic electric pet soon leads Ravana and friends on an incredible planet-hopping voyage into the shady dystopian world of politics, terrible music and rebellion! Hollow Moon is an adventure for all who relish a dose of humour and practical astrophysics with their fantasy, for young adults and adults young at heart..."

Are you reading Hollow Moon? Why not shout it out if you're reading it so you can find a book buddy, and then drop your thoughts into the discussion thread below. Just be kind, please, and use the spoiler .html to hide the worst of the spoilers so those who aren't as far along as you are don't get the surprises revealed.

Be epic!
Anna Erishkigal

I've got it! I'll be reading along with this one...

Just downloaded a sample to see if will be reading along. I'm a nook and kobo girl and it wasn't in nook store so took me a bit to remember to check smashwords.

D.A wrote: "Just downloaded a sample to see if will be reading along. I'm a nook and kobo girl and it wasn't in nook store so took me a bit to remember to check smashwords."

Hi - It should be available pretty much everywhere. Links etc. are here... http://www.wyrdstar.co.uk/books/hollo...

I think maybe it's a country issue (I'm U.S.); I can read the smashwords file on my nook just fine.

ETA: No, wasn't a country issue. The ebook on goodreads just has an isbn13 that isn't on U.S. Barnes and Noble (but is on Smashwords). For goodreads links to work, needs an ebook edition with bnid 2940033263530 — which I added at Hollow Moon if any other nook users find that helpful (or want to use the Barnes and Noble purchase links on goodreads or other sites).

I forgot to mention that I'm very honoured my little book has been chosen as a group read. I'm rather proud of Hollow Moon; but please don't let my lurking presence dissuade anyone from saying what they really think! I'm well aware the book doesn't quite fit general expectations of YA fiction (there's no romance, for instance; it's more about friendships), for which I make no apologies...

Hey, Steph ... since we've put you on the hot seat, can we hit you up for an Awesome Author Interview?

Questions: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Introverts! Unite! And we'll all have a party! Quietly. At home... :-) Yeah, not gonna let you do that :-)

Anna wrote: "...And we'll all have a party! Quietly. At home..."

Hmm... The results of yesterday's election in the UK have dampened my mood somewhat but I'll have a think.

Trying to read it at work this week. Managed to break the 40hr barrier this time. Will try to get a review out in a week or so. :D

Its a fun novel so far. Def. a great way to get everyone into sci fi and all sorts of adventures.

I'm loving that naughty electric cat :-)

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Yay! Awesome Author Interview with Steph Bennion! Read it HERE:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

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Lots of fun and a great gateway book to get kids to read. Will definitely let my niece and nephew look at it once they are old enough.

I will convert them to sci fi nerding if its the last thing I ever do. :P

Fiannawolf wrote: "I will convert them to sci fi nerding if its the last thing ..."

Which is what this category is all about :-) Indoctrinate, assimilate...

Yeah ... I'm really enjoying this book as well! I'm about halfway through it (life always intrudes) and trying to get it finished before the end of the month so I can post my review in the thread.

Fiannawolf wrote: "Lots of fun and a great gateway book to get kids to read. Will definitely let my niece and nephew look at it once they are old enough..."

I'm glad you liked it. I think sci-fi should be fun. When I was plugging it to agents many years ago, I tried to sell it as a YA book, but in retrospect I think it's more for early teens (12+), like the first few Harry Potter books. Does that sound about right?

Steph wrote: "...Does that sound about right? ..."

Maybe "middle grade"?

D.A — not one more promotion on my feed drowning out my friends puh-leeeeeese!!!! wrote: "...Maybe "middle grade"?..."

Hmm... You tell me. That description isn't widely used in England. Is it early teens?

Steph wrote: "Hmm... You tell me. That description isn't widely used in England. Is it ea..."

"Middle grade" = "Middle School" = "Junior High" = usually 8 to 12-ish years old = younger than YA or Teen audience but right on the border of being YA/Teen.

Link to goodreads genre page for middle-grade is https://www.goodreads.com/genres/midd...

Link to one of the big five U.S. publisher's "middle grade" books http://www.penguin.com/middle-grade/

The only problem with a middle grade tag is you have a lot of scientific terms in there which would stump a middle grade reader. But I can definitely see Grades 6-8 enjoying the book because the concerns of the kids has a lot of school-age drama intermixed with the space opera.

D.A. wrote: "Middle grade" [...] = usually 8 to 12-ish years old..."

Ah... So 'middle grade' is equivalent to UK primary school. That'll teach me not to do research. I was aiming for secondary school readers, which falls in line with what Anna says. When 'New Adult' became a thing, it left me scratching my head wondering if I really knew what 'Young Adult' was.

Anyway, it seems my month is up. Anna, you're doing a grand job with this forum. Thank you for giving me the chance to parade my wares!

You're welcome! Hope next time one of our community members needs to buy a gift for a young person in their life, they'll think of one of our great Space Opera YA books :-)

Indoctrinate ... Assimilate

A day late and a dollar short ... but here's my review of Hollow Moon.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...