![\"Semper](\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6223\/6293693789_d9883620d2_d.jpg\" "\\"Semper")
Semper Audacia is the story of a warrior; the last of her kind, defending her home world via an orbital outpost.\u00a0 The planet’s population too has dwindled and is just hanging on.\u00a0 Their ancient foe attacks and the last guardian springs into action accompanied by a battalion of ghosts; the memories of her fallen comrades.<\/p>\n
The odds are almost hopeless.\u00a0 Almost.\u00a0 She must try; it\u2019s what she does, it\u2019s what she is and has been all her life.\u00a0 But then a wrinkle \u2013 the enemy battleship transmits a valid \u201cfriendly\u201d code even as it\u2019s powering up weapons.\u00a0 If the enemy are finally responding to their pleas for peace, attacking the ship would fling her people back into eternal war.\u00a0 If it\u2019s a ruse, her people could be exterminated.\u00a0 She chooses a decidedly unconventional solution.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Semper Audacia is Mary Pax\u2019s first novella, and it comes on the heels of several short stories, including Plantgirl<\/strong><\/em>, Translations<\/strong><\/em>, and Small Graces<\/strong><\/em>, all of which are delightful reads and are available for free from Smashwords. B&N and iTunes.\u00a0 Mary employs a unique writing style which I would describe as \u201cLiterary Sci-Fi\u201d.\u00a0 Her economical prose is tight, active, and colorfully descriptive, yet draws upon the reader to participate in the story, not just observe it.\u00a0 It is not the type of reading that you can skim and understand but her writing is so vital that you don\u2019t want to skim it; it implores you, like a hot bath, to slide in and immerse yourself in the experience.<\/p>\n Each of the stories she offers contain unique and surprising elements. \u00a0Semper Audacia contained several moments that caused me to marvel at their uniqueness.<\/p>\n The book itself is very well written and edited.\u00a0 You\u2019ll find no amateurish stumbling blocks such as sentence fragments left over from an edit or transposed words that made it past a spell checker but are the wrong word for the context.\u00a0 Punctuation and grammar are \u2013 as far as I could tell \u2013 flawless.\u00a0 Her characterization and scene setting is clear and vital, but done without a single wasted word.\u00a0 Audacia is a professional grade release from an exciting new author.<\/p>\n Mary’s website is Wistful Nebulae http:\/\/mpaxauthor.blogspot.com<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 from here you may obtain all of her short stories in your preferred format.\u00a0 Her twitter ID is @MPax1<\/p>\nA Technical Review<\/h2>\n