Kirkus, the gold standard of book reviews, has reviewed The Dragons of Jupiter! And you know what? They liked it! Here is their review in full:
“An entertaining sci-fi action novel with light overtones of dystopian and political thrillers.
In Holo’s debut, set in a future version of our solar system, two brothers find themselves divided by interplanetary war. Kaneda and Ryu Kusanagi are from Europa, a moon of Jupiter, and both are veterans of a past war against a tyrannical artificial intelligence that sought to conquer humanity. In that conflict’s aftermath, they’ve chosen different sides in a new struggle. Kaneda, who hates AIs, fights alongside soldiers called Crusaders as they seek to destroy Matriarch, a “quantum mind” AI who was once human. Ryu, however, is a commando warrior with the Dragons, who fight the Crusaders with stealth and cunning in an effort to protect Matriarch, who guides Europa’s society. Kaneda, however, sees her as a computerized dictator and his old way of life as a lie. The Crusaders pit their powered-armor suits against the Dragons’ enhanced reflexes and invisibility technology. The brothers’ personal conflict is played out on a grand stage with the fates of Europa and three other worlds—Earth, Luna and Jupiter—in the balance. The story sticks to a familiar adventure style, and the battle between the brothers is an old chestnut of melodrama, but it’s told with gusto and conviction. The vivid secondary characters mostly avoid falling into stock types, and some plot twists and moral ambiguity add a bit of sophistication. The strong action scenes are fast-paced throughout (although often harsh and gory), the dialogue flows well, and the fictional world is detailed, plausible and well-designed, from its planets to its spaceships. The author isn’t afraid to show the more grotesque sides of society, which may seem off-putting to some readers, as when characters debate the merits and flaws of using technology to reanimate dead soldiers. There are some typos and minor grammatical errors but nothing that readers will find particularly distracting. The story builds to a satisfying conclusion, and naturally, the author leaves room for sequels.
Well-written, sincere and undemanding military sci-fi adventure.”
– Kirkus Reviews
The review is posted here on the Kirkus website. I must say, I’m very happy with what they wrote. 🙂
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Holo Books
The Dragons of Jupiter – Sequel
Wow. I’ve started getting questions about a sequel to The Dragons of Jupiter. Now that by itself is pretty cool, and I really do appreciate those who’ve asked about it. Instead of throwing out answers at random, I thought it’d be handy to put all of the answers in one convenient place. So, here they are. Answers to questions you may or may not have. Please enjoy! 🙂
Will there be a sequel to The Dragons of Jupiter?
Yes. Absolutely, yes.
*UPDATE 11.14.21 (from HP): Maybe? Back when Jacob wrote this blog, Dragons was our first book and we were still very much tiny little indie authors who had no idea if this publishing thing was even going to work out.
Fast-forward to today, when Jacob has several books under contract with one of the giants of sci-fi publishing, Baen Books (and a few already released). As much as he’d love to continue the Dragons series, when you’re writing under contract, contract work has to take priority, and the Dragons world is so complex technologically that The Dragons of Mars isn’t the kind of novel he can write in spurts between contracted projects.
All this to say, for now, The Dragons of Jupiter is shaping up to be a standalone. We definitely still want to continue the series, but it ultimately comes down to lacking not only the time, but a sufficient stretch of time in which to do it.
What’s it called?
The working title is The Dragons of Mars.
What will it be about?
The ongoing struggle between machine life and human life will continue to drive the story. Many characters from the first book (those that survived, anyway) will appear in the sequel, as it will pick up roughly where the first left off. Deimos, the moon of Mars, will play a major role in the story.
What will happen in it?
I’m not telling. 🙂 But it’s fair to say I have a few surprising twists planned for this book.
When are you going to finish it?
Whoa there! 🙂 I don’t know. I haven’t even started the detailed outlining yet.
I’m currently working on another military sci-fi book called Humanity Machine. Expect lots of epic space battles in this one as well as an unusual take on what a future human society might be. Right now, I am devoting almost all of my writing time to making this novel as awesome as possible. Once the first draft of Humanity Machine is complete, I’ll decide on my next project. The sequel to The Dragons of Jupiter is on the short list of projects I want to tackle next.
Also, check my Humanity Machine short story to get a taste for what the novel has to offer.
FINISH IT FASTER!
I’m sorry. 🙁
Time Reavers – Novel Origin
Here’s the setting. I’m in Stuttgart, Germany, and I’m waiting for the train to arrive at the main station. I look around and think to myself: You know, it would be really cool if I could freeze time and still move around. That would be a handy super power to have.
And boom. I had the idea for Time Reavers.
Seriously, that’s how it happened. It’s as dumb as it sounds.
Soon after that, I sat down in my hotel room and wrote a short story. This story eventually became the first and second chapters of Time Reavers. In it, the main character Nicole gets sucked into a pocket of frozen time (inside a Saint Petersberg subway station, no less), meets a rather quirky swordsman, and helps him fight a reaver.
Friendly looking fellows, aren’t they?
Around this time, I was in a major writing transition. Unsatisfied with my previous ten novels (and, naturally, my inability to get them published), I decided to completely rework my writing style. This process went about as smooth and painless as you’d expect (i.e. not at all). I chose Time Reavers to be the first experiment with this new writing style.
Oh, and just to make this even more difficult, I decided to write a contemporary fantasy novel instead of my usual military sci-fi stuff. No sweat, right?
Right …
But Time Reavers turned out to be the perfect novel for this transition. With most of the story taking place in the real world, I easily avoided many of my earlier pitfalls. I didn’t have to explain the world. Readers already understood it. Planes were planes. Cars were cars. For the first time in four novels, I didn’t have to describe what mnemonic alloy was.
Oh yeah, it felt good.
It became easy to cut the novel down to its core, streamline the prose, and deliver the scenes at a brisk pace. This allowed me to focus on the few fantastical elements, such as the whole freezing time thing, people with super powers, and the reavers.
Ah, yes. The reavers. Oh, did I have fun with these villains. Their basic design started by mixing a bunch of phobias I have. I figured if I find them creepy, other people might as well. By the way, I posed for that artwork. Don’t believe me? CHECK THIS OUT!
Yeah, that’s embarrassing. But at least it’s not as bad as The Dragons of Jupiter reference photos. No seriously. You see the Crusader with the thermal lance? The one on the right? This guy over here?
Yeah, that’s me holding a trash can. I kid you not. For the other two Crusaders, I was holding a paintball gun.
And I’m not showing those pictures. Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.
Anyway, even when Time Reavers was finished, it wasn’t really finished. Recently, the novel went through a major edit. I added a few extra action scenes (can never have too many of those), enhanced the role of a side character, cut some of the dead weight near the end, and … oh yeah, dropped everyone’s age by five years.
Yep. I turned Time Reavers into a Young Adult novel. After H.P. read the initial version, she recommended the change to YA. And while, at first, I wasn’t too crazy about it …
H.P. Holo: You should turn this into a young adult book.
Jacob Holo: Seriously? Isn’t it too violent for teens?
H.P. Holo: Pffffthttttttfffffffrrrp! Haven’t you read The Hunger Games?
Jacob Holo: The what games?
H.P. Holo: Oh, we have to fix this.
I eventually warmed to the idea. And now here we are, just about ready to publish our second novel. It’s going to be fun!
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Merry Christmas from Holo Writing!
Writing Techniques – The Prototype Story
Artwork by Robert Chew, a.k.a CrazyAsian1. Used with permission.
Today, I would like to share one of my absolute favorite writing techniques for getting a novel off the ground: the Prototype Story. Before I sit down to write a novel, I almost always write a Prototype Story, and sometimes write several.
So what is a Prototype Story? For starters, it’s a short story with a specific goal in mind. It’s a test of sorts, an exercise to see if certain elements from the to-be-written novel actually work on paper. The Prototype Story could focus on a specific character I’m having trouble with, a part of the world that’s challenging to realize, a location that’s just not clear yet, or really anything about the novel. Anything at all.
The trick is to take the element giving me problems and put it under a magnifying glass. The Prototype Story is the magnifying glass. These stories help me identify problems and fix them in a contained environment. So when I transition to the novel, I already know that aspect will work. Or, at least, has the capacity to work.
Let’s take a look at an example. Humanity Machine is the novel I’m currently working on, and it is by far the most ambitious novel I have ever written. It has some really crazy stuff in it that’s testing my skills as a writer. I’ve gone through seven outlines before settling on a final draft outline.
In short, this novel is a beast. So, instead of diving straight into the novel itself, I tested parts of it in a short story. Enter “Humanity Machine – Athens Assault,” a short story set in the fiction of Humanity Machine. By writing this story, I was able to test out some of the more bizarre elements of the world. This really helped me get a feel for them. For someone who primarily writes science fiction, this is a great way to test out the dynamics of a new “rule set” if you will.
And while “Humanity Machine – Athens Assault” is a fun action short (at least I think so), it didn’t have to be any good at all. My only goal was to get comfortable with the world I would portray in the novel. Humanity Machine has so many unusual tech elements that I wanted to see how they meshed together. If the story completed sucked, but I got a feel for this strange high tech world, then mission accomplished!
There are plenty of other applications. For example, I may focus on a secondary character that’s giving me problems. In order to get a feel for the character, I’ll often pick an event from their past and write a short story about that event from their perspective. The story doesn’t have to be good, but I guarantee it will help me realize the character’s voice when it comes to writing the novel.
In summary, the Prototype Story is my go-to tool when I’m having problems with a novel. There’s almost no literary problem it can’t solve.
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The Dragons of Jupiter – Novel Origin
It’s 2006. I’m on assignment in Germany. The weekend has arrived, and I’m bored. It’s a cold, wet, miserable winter day. The hotel has no internet, and I can’t understand a word on the television. Well, except for “Ich möchte ein Bier, bitte.” I had that phrase down solid.
I decide to write.
That’s how The Dragons of Jupiter began. In a German hotel. It’s kind of weird when I think about it. I had already penned ten novels by that point, none published, some better than others, but my overall style was lacking. I had too much Tell, not enough Show. Sickening amounts of exposition bogged down my prose. The writing had two basic modes: explosions and exposition.
That had to change, and that change began with a short story: two teams of super soldiers fighting it out on the moon. I had a lot of fun writing the story. I rummaged through my mental garbage bin, stealing ideas from previous novels, throwing them in wherever and whenever.
I loaded the story up with cool tech, showing the weapons and gear in action rather than ponderously explaining everything. I focused on creating an example of asymmetrical combat: two sides with very different fighting styles and equipment, but still roughly equivalent in power.
Many of the elements in The Dragons of Jupiter made their first appearances here. The Dragons, invisible space ninjas that they are, were in full display, sniping and backstabbing like champs. The Crusaders, with their bulky armor and devastating weapons, also made a showing, gunning down anything in their path. In fact, most of the tech went unchanged in the transition from short story to novel. Locations and political entities like Europa, the Federacy, the Lunar State, and even New London made the switch pretty much as is.
The characters, though. Yeah, umm, there’s no hiding it. They were flat. Flat like cardboard. The story had explosions and cool tech, but no soul. It also had a really depressing ending (and that’s assuming you even cared about the characters). At the time, for some bizarre reason, I believed my upbeat endings were the reason I couldn’t sell stories, so I decided a change of pace was in order.
Yeah, in the short story, all the Dragons get slaughtered. Spoilers.
This was my first and last experiment in depressing endings, just to set the record straight.
I was generally happy with the result. When I got back to Michigan, I printed off some copies and shared them with a local writers group. The result was nearly unanimous. They hated the story. One of the writers said my characters were “stupid dildo heads.” He used exclamation points.
Ouch.
They also found all the tech details confusing, said I should tone it down and make it simpler.
Yeah, not going to happen.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There are times you should listen to the advice of others. And then there are times when you just go with your gut. I went with my gut on this one and got a second opinion. I shared the story with some friends who read a lot of sci-fi, and wouldn’t you know it? They had a very different reaction. The story wasn’t perfect. Far from it, but they saw what the writers group had not: the seed of a bigger and better story.
And, with some encouragement and a lot of hard work, that seed eventually blossomed into The Dragons of Jupiter. Oh, and just to be on the safe side, I stuffed it with even more ridiculous tech details than the short story. Because, you know, that’s just how I roll with it sometimes.
If I had listened to that writers group, I would have never written the novel, never self-published it, and you can forget about a sequel.
Instead, it’s full speed ahead! Not only did H.P. and I publish The Dragons of Jupiter, but we’re going publish Time Reavers before the year is out.
And we’re just getting started!
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The Dragons of Jupiter – 15 Reviews! Average of 4.8 Stars!
So far, The Dragons of Jupiter has received 15 reader reviews: 10 on Amazon, 3 on Goodreads, and 2 on Smashwords. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with an average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5. It’s absolutely wonderful to hear from people who enjoyed the story, and that certainly makes all the hard work feel worth it. Here are some excerpts from recent reviews:
“An excellent futuristic military science fiction novel that does not just deal with the larger struggle between planets but the personal struggle between the main characters.”
“I finished it very quickly and when I did have to put it down, I looked forward to being able to get back to reading it.”
“This book contains a lot of action (and gory violence!), some drama, and a whole lot of suspense and thrill. It was well-written and even contains some passages that make you think about family, what it means to be a human, the concept of God, and religion.”
I’m particular happy to receive that last comment. Not bad for a novel that’s 90% about action and explosions, I think. 🙂
On a more personal note, H.P. and I arranged to have the local library carry my book. And wouldn’t you believe it, but there is a waiting list for my book at the library! Granted, it’s not a huge waiting list, just three people in the queue last we checked. But still. Seriously. A waiting list for my book? This is awesome! Piece by piece, word about my book is spreading, and this is how it makes me feel.
Oh yeah, I brought out the big smiley face! But don’t think that H.P. and I are just going to sit back and relax. Heck no! We’ve been hard at work. Not only are we getting close to releasing Time Reavers, but we’re also working on a revised cover for The Dragons of Jupiter. Robert Chew’s artwork still takes center stage, but H.P. and I have learned a lot about what goes into a good cover, and we’re putting those lessons to work with an improved graphic design.
I think you’re going to like it!
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Time Reavers: Cover Preview!
Daniel held a single finger to his mouth. They were close to where Nicole had been when time stopped, next to the frozen subway train just emerging from the tunnel.
Nicole hardly breathed. She strained her ears. Every little sound they made was like thunder in the silence, but on the very edge of hearing …
It was a most peculiar sound. Like someone furiously typing on an old-fashioned typewriter: distant, but heavy and metallic. The sound grew louder and seemed to come from the closest train tunnel.
Nicole looked at Daniel, who was suddenly all business.
“Reaver,” he whispered.
“What’s a reaver?” she whispered.
“You’ll see. Don’t worry. I’m a professional.”
“For some reason, I’m still worried!” she whispered, following him closer to the subway car.
Daniel reached into his trench coat. There was a brief metallic whisper and suddenly he had a long, elegantly-curved sword in his hand.
The rapid metallic clicking grew louder. Daniel had to speak up so she’d hear him.
“Stand back,” he said, grasping his sword two-handed and lowering his stance. “No need to panic. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
Nicole shuffled back from the subway car, but bumped into a frozen pedestrian and almost tripped.
The sound continued to crescendo.
“Is it supposed to be this loud?” she shouted.
“Must be a big one!” Daniel shouted back. Nicole thought she heard an uneasy waver in his voice.
The metallic chattering grew louder and louder as the reaver came closer.
“How big do they get?” Nicole shouted, putting hands over her ears.
But Daniel didn’t respond. He lowered his sword slightly and turned around. What Nicole saw then scared her more than anything so far. Deathly fear covered every inch of his face.
Excerpt from Time Reavers, by Jacob Holo
Oh yeah! Here we go again! The cover art is almost complete. Robert Chew, a.k.a CrazyAsian1, brings his impressive talents forward once more. Please enjoy this small preview of the awesome artwork that is to come. 🙂
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The reavers lurk outside our reality, watching the Earth with hunger and malice.
The boundaries between our worlds are falling. The guardians at the gate are dead.
The reavers are almost here.
The Dragons of Jupiter – New Amazon Reviews! Five Stars!
Two new five star reviews for The Dragons of Jupiter! That makes three on Amazon.com!
Review by: ChemTeach
Great Action Story
Jacob Holo is a wonderful story teller. Even in this futuristic setting with all kinds of cool tech toys for the warriors, the characters’ personalities still pop. There is not one false or phony turn in this action-packed story of two brothers. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-constructed plot with great characters.
Review by: John Bingham
Really good cover to cover
I bought it to check out a new author and was really glad to see we have a young and upcoming author who has a great way with sci-fi and keeping it interesting. The story line was easy to follow and moved along without dragging. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!
Both reviews are for the paperback edition. You can see the reviews here on Amazon.com.
Awesome! Two more five star reviews and two more satisfied customers! And you know what this means? Yep, I’m breaking out the big smiley face!
So who’s in the mood for an action-packed novel? The Dragons of Jupiter is a tale of two brothers who must face each other in a war-ravaged future. If you like your sci-fi novels full of intense battles and bitter, personal conflicts, then this book is for you.
Those who enjoy calm, sedate novels full of peace and harmony may wish to look elsewhere. 🙂
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The Dragons of Jupiter: Another Reader Review! Five Stars!
I just got my first Amazon.com reader review for The Dragons of Jupiter! Here it is.
Review by: L Ingraham
Rich and Original
Very good read. This book takes you on a wild roller coaster ride through the Solar System with action and adventure at every turn. Jacob Holo paints a detailed picture of the future that is rich in story and original in its content.
The review is for the paperback edition and can be seen here.
Again, what can I say? I think I can call this another satisfied customer. Thank you, L Ingraham. I’m very happy you enjoyed the book!
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Time Reavers: Cover Color Studies!
Time Reavers – The monsters are real, and time is their weapon.
Fed up with bad teachers and daily fights with her sister, sixteen-year-old Nicole Taylor yearns for something better. Sadly, she’s in for a letdown, because the world ends next week.
Nicole discovers she has a rare gift. She can bend time around her and even stop it completely. With her powers awakening, she must face the Reavers: horrific killing machines that exist outside our time. The Reavers know about her now and have unleashed their cruelest hunters.
Plagued by nightmarish visions and ambushed by terrifying monsters at every turn, Nicole has one chance to stop their genocidal invasion. With help from a chain-smoking pyrokinetic, a neurotic sword-wielding assassin, and an icy Goth chick with a crossbow, she may stand a chance. But the Reavers are tireless foes, and Time is on their side.
Oh, man! This is so exciting!
Robert Chew (a.k.a. CrazyAsian1) has been hard at work rendering the front and back covers of Time Reavers, a young adult urban fantasy novel. Above, you can see the first color study of the front cover. Seriously, how cool is this?
The color studies look great. Robert and I are going to play around with the colors a little bit, and then he will begin the detailed painting. The reavers look absolutely fantastic. I’m so happy with how they are taking shape. These creatures, implacable combinations of metal and flesh, have been swimming around in my head for years, and it’s so gratifying to see their artwork take form.
When designing the titular villains of the novel, I made a very conscious decision to make them intelligent. These are not brutish monsters. They’re an army. They engage the heroes with coordination and purpose. They will lay ambushes. They will fake an attack to throw defenders off balance. Not only can they outfight the heroes, they can outthink them as well. It is their intelligence that makes them a truly formidable foe.
Here’s the back cover color study featuring the Mantis: general of the reaver invasion.
Just look at that face! This is not a guy you want to meet in a dark alley!
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Time Reavers: Back Cover Rough Sketches!
Time Reavers – The monsters are real, and time is their weapon.
Fed up with bad teachers and daily fights with her sister, sixteen-year-old Nicole Taylor yearns for something better. Sadly, she’s in for a letdown, because the world ends next week.
Nicole discovers she has a rare gift. She can bend time around her and even stop it completely. With her powers awakening, she must face the Reavers: horrific killing machines that exist outside our time. Nicole may be the only one who can stop their genocidal plan, but the Reavers know about her now and have unleashed their cruelest hunters.
Plagued by nightmarish visions and ambushed by terrifying monsters at every turn, Nicole has one chance to halt their invasion. With help from a chain-smoking pyrokinetic, a neurotic sword-wielding assassin, and a Goth chick with a crossbow, she may stand a chance. But the Reavers are tireless foes, and Time is on their side.
I am really enjoying this part of the project. It’s fun getting to see my characters for the first time.
Robert Chew (a.k.a. CrazyAsian1) continues his exceptional work on the cover art for Time Reavers, a young adult urban fantasy novel. This time, he’s provided some rough sketches of the back cover. Unlike The Dragons of Jupiter, Time Reavers will feature separate art for the front and the back.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce the Mantis: general of the Reaver army and main antagonist of the novel. He’s about a friendly as he looks, and wow, does he look cool or what?
As always, Robert has provided multiple sketches to help us zero in the final design. Here’s another version. It’s really hard to choose my favorite!
Wickedly cool, huh?
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