Tag: novella review

Book Review: The Surfacing by Terrance Coffey

Categories Science-Fiction, Suspense, ThrillerLeave a Comment on Book Review: The Surfacing by Terrance Coffey

Book Details:

Author: Terrance Coffey
Release Date: January 17, 2024
Series:
Genre: Science-Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
Format: E-book 
Pages: 310 pages
Publisher: Helm House
Blurb:
Body snatchers.
Mind control.
An invasion almost too clever to be caught.
Read the most chilling sci fi suspense thriller in years…
A seemingly normal six-year-old named Kaden is concealing a profound mystery. He possesses an uncanny wisdom beyond his tender age, navigating the world independently, and wielding an eerie influence over those around him, even his parents.Yet Kaden is not alone in his inexplicable nature. In the quiet town of Lynch, Kentucky, peculiar occurrences spiral out of control. Mysterious chasms materialize from thin air, individuals of all ages vanish without a trace, and the populace succumbs to an eerie force, enveloped by an otherworldly blue haze.
Amidst the chaos stands Clay Krutcher, a disenchanted coal miner unwittingly holding the key to unraveling these anomalies. Little does he know, the fate of humanity rests squarely on his shoulders. Can Clay defy his own destiny, confront the inhuman force lurking beneath the surface, and save our world from impending annihilation? The countdown to The Surfacing has begun, and time is running out.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Surfacing by Terrance Coffey is a riveting and thought-provoking read. Coffey weaves a chilling tale of mystery, suspense, and existential dread that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

The story centres around the enigmatic six-year-old Kaden, whose seemingly innocent demeanour belies a profound and unsettling mystery. As strange occurrences begin to unfold in the quiet town of Lynch, Kentucky, Coffey masterfully builds tension and suspense, drawing readers into a world where reality itself seems to be unravelling.

What I found most compelling about The Surfacing is Coffey’s skilful blend of science fiction and psychological thriller elements. The concept of body snatchers, mind control, and an invasion from within is executed with precision and flair, creating a narrative that is both deeply unsettling and utterly captivating.

Overall, The Surfacing is a must-read for lovers of sci-fi suspense thrillers. With its gripping plot, well-developed characters, and spine-tingling atmosphere, this book is sure to leave readers eagerly anticipating Coffey’s next masterpiece.

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Book Review: To the Woman in the Pink Hat by La Toya Jordan

Categories Speculative-FictionLeave a Comment on Book Review: To the Woman in the Pink Hat by La Toya Jordan

Book Details:

Author:  LaToya Jordan
Release Date: March 1, 2023
Series:
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Format: E-book 
Pages: 85 pages
Publisher: Aqueduct Press
Blurb:
Jada Morris was the fierce and resilient leader of a social movement against the theft of young women’s uteruses before she committed a violent crime. Now, in 2040, the 24-year-old is serving time at The Center for Future Leaders, an alternative to prison for young leaders who committed crimes as a response to gender-based violence. The Center supposedly provides training, education, therapy, and reduced sentences to the convicted in order to return them to their communities as leaders. But as Jada begins her therapy, she realizes all is not as it seems, and memory is thorny at best. Can she trust her android therapist and the terrifying path down which she’s taking her? And what will she find at the other end?
Jordan’s novella is a gripping and terrifying look at our reproductive future that sends shudders through our reproductive present.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

To the Woman in the Pink Hat by La Toya Jordan is a powerful and thought-provoking novella that delves deep into the complexities of reproductive justice and the consequences of gender-based violence. Set in a chillingly plausible future where young women’s uteruses are stolen, the story follows Jada Morris, a resilient leader fighting against this injustice, who finds herself imprisoned for a violent act. As she navigates her time at The Center for Future Leaders, an alternative to prison, Jada confronts the true nature of the institution and grapples with her own memories.

Jordan’s narrative grips you from the start, weaving together themes of social activism, trauma, and the manipulation of memory. Through Jada’s eyes, we’re taken on a journey that challenges our understanding of justice and humanity. The android therapist adds an intriguing layer to the story, blurring the lines between technology and empathy, leaving readers questioning the reliability of memory and the intentions of those in power.

The prose is sharp and evocative, pulling you into Jada’s world and keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very end. While the subject matter is undeniably heavy, Jordan handles it with sensitivity and nuance, offering moments of hope and resilience amidst the darkness. To the Woman in the Pink Hat is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the intersections of social justice, technology, and the human experience.

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Book Review: TOX by Harken Void

Categories Science-FictionLeave a Comment on Book Review: TOX by Harken Void

Book Details:

Author:  Harken Void 
Release Date: May 29, 2023
Series:
Genre: Science-Fiction
Format: E-book 
Pages: 123 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
The world is dead, suffocated by the greed and neglect of the very children it gave birth to, and humankind itself is dancing on a razor’s edge between survival and extinction.
Coghan, a young Breath Hunter, is sent out on his first mission to collect breathable air for the Dome, one of humanity’s last bastions. But in a world where a toxic atmosphere blocks out the sun, acid rain corrodes metal, and the wind blows away anything else remaining, a single misstep can be your last.
And when everyone looks only after themselves, whom can you trust? Can you hope humanity will learn from its mistakes?
Suit up with Coghan and brave through the toxic hell that is the legacy of a society that killed their own planet!

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

“Tox” by Harken Void is a hauntingly vivid portrayal of a post-apocalyptic world where humanity’s past indiscretions have come to roost. The narrative is a chilling reminder of the consequences of environmental neglect, and Void paints a bleak yet compelling picture of a world on the brink of total collapse.

The protagonist, Coghan, stands as a beacon of resilience in this dystopian landscape. As a Breath Hunter, his perilous quest for breathable air is a testament to the lengths humanity will go to survive. Void’s depiction of a sunless world, plagued by acid rain and a toxic atmosphere, is both harrowing and eerily plausible. Coghan’s journey is fraught with danger, but it’s his internal battle – a struggle between self-preservation and the remnants of human compassion – that truly captivates the reader.

Harken Void’s “Tox” is a masterclass in dystopian fiction. The narrative serves as a stark warning about the fragility of our environment and the potential consequences of unchecked human greed. With its riveting plot and thought-provoking themes, “Tox” is an essential read for anyone who cherishes our planet and believes in the power of redemption.

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Book Review: Twins Of Shadow by Abby Arthur

Categories Abby Arthur, Fantasy, High fantasyLeave a Comment on Book Review: Twins Of Shadow by Abby Arthur

Author: Abby Arthur 
Release Date: 1st January 2020
Genre: High Fantasy, Novella
Series:
Format: E-book
Pages: 104
Publisher:
Blurb:
A crown prince and his twin brother are secretly skilled assassins…
…killing for a cause they both despise.
A crown prince and his twin brother are secretly skilled assassins…
…killing for a cause they both despise.

Bound to a dragon by a powerful spell, Tarrek and Albree are sent on their deadliest mission yet: Overcome an archangel, capture an innocent snake whisperer and smuggle him across foreign soil, alive. If they fail to comply with the spell’s demand, it will drive them to insanity. Yet a deadlier force commands their attention when an ice-wielding slave trader freezes several civilians in a local village, ensnaring Albree’s love interest in the process. Will the twins choose to complete their near-suicide mission or fight insanity to save innocent lives?

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Book Review

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Twins Of Shadow by Abby Arthur is a fantasy novella about assassin twins. I was sold on the idea of the book as soon as saw the cover and read the sub-title as I am a big lover of assassins and the idea of twin brothers being that totally made me want to read it. And thankfully the book turned out to be good!

I appreciate the fact that it was a novella, which Is pretty rare for the genre where you get only these elaborate series. So you can get a taste fo the author’s writing in a comparatively short piece of work which was damn quick to read. Though obviously, it came with another set of problems – the world-building and the characterisation weren’t able to develop as well as they would have done in a full-length novel (there’s obviously a reason why fantasy books tend to be so long.) So it won’t be wrong to say that I really wished that the author would have explored the world further and given us some more character development making it a lengthier book, but well it is what it is.

Still, for a debut work, the book is pretty good, the writing decent, the characters were not overly relatable but I liked them enough to be happy to follow them on their journey and the plot was really good. So, given the length of the book, I’d definitely recommend it to all fantasy lovers.

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Book Review: Oddity Of The Magicus Eye: Patterns (Part #1) by Patrick Malum

Categories Fantasy, Patrick Malum, Science-Fiction Fantasy, Serial, Space Fantasy, Young AdultLeave a Comment on Book Review: Oddity Of The Magicus Eye: Patterns (Part #1) by Patrick Malum

Author: Patrick Malum
Release Date: 26th September 2019
Genre: Science-Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult, Space Fantasy, Serials,
Series:
Edition: E-book
Pages: 75
Publisher: WordBuzz Publishing
Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Elenah Lockwood dreams of what lies beyond her boring world of Etheron. With a mind fuelled by amazing, fantastical stories of the vast and sprawling galaxy, she needs only one thing: an opportunity.
Her older brother, Teveran, is destined to go where she cannot and lead the greatest fleets of the revered and indomitable Forty-Ninth Council. But there’s war and unrest, and it frightens him more than anything.
And then there’s the kind and unassuming butler, Gilgan, who has seen the worst of what the galaxy has to offer and is now seeing signs of the very worst happening again. All is not well on Etheron — and in the galaxy — for a sickness swells in the murky galactic depths and it all begins with the Forty-Ninth Council.
The day the Council descends on Etheron begins like any other day . . .
PATTERNS is the first episode of ODDITY OF THE MAGICUS EYE, the monthly space fantasy from the emerging young author Patrick Malum. Prepare for a tale of war, galactic politics, and ancient magic told like nothing else before it.

REVIEW

★★★★

Oddity Of The Magicus Eye: Patterns by Patrick Malum is the first episode in the serialised fantasy series Oddity Of The Magicus Eye. This is a very quick read and proved to be a complete entertainer. I enjoyed each and every bit of it.

I enjoyed this book from start to end. It moved pretty fast and the tension was evident throughout all chapters making it a page-turner that I wanted to read in a single sitting. The plot was really good and the ending was perfect. I am now eagerly waiting to start with the next episode!

The writing was on point and complemented the plot well. The characterization wasn’t over-complicated and I really appreciated it because the characters were all pretty relatable and likeable (enough for me to have enjoyed reading and knowing more about them.)

Another thing I’d like to mention here is that I was really impressed by the author’s taste in designing this book, something that is always lacking in self-published books. The editing was also in place as was the proof-reading. The book looks gorgeous and compels the reader to pick it up because of how neat and professional it looks. It screams amazing things right from the cover and coupled with that intriguing blurb, the author has got the recipe for a really good book which is equally good on the outside as it is on the inside.

I’d recommend this book to all sci-fi and fantasy readers as it’ll appeal to everyone who loves adventure and action coupled with space and magic. And the fact that it is in the form of short monthly episodes makes it all the more appealing.

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Novella Review: Nika: A Seychatka Novella by D.H. Gibbs

Categories D.H. Gibbs, Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult1 Comment on Novella Review: Nika: A Seychatka Novella by D.H. Gibbs

29380359Author:  D.H. Gibbs 
Release Date: 1st March 2016
Series: –
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Edition: E-book
Pages: 96
Publisher: Sandphics Creations

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

Taken off the streets Nika is thrown into an unknown world where she’s held captive. As an orphan, she has been on the run and must find her way out before they discover her secret. But these people held the knowledge of her family and who she is. Will she be able to find out before her secret is revealed? After hundreds of years, Demyan has finally found the rightful ruler of his race. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know who she is and is doing everything in her power to escape him. Time is running out and Demyan has to convince Nika to take her rightful place otherwise the battle will be lost and his race extinguished.

Review

Nika by D.H.Gibbs is a Young-Adult Fantasy read that is sure to capture your attention right from the start till the very end.

This book is a real example of how really powerful novellas can be. This is, of course, the first book in a series, but I definitely loved it and will be keeping an eye out for the other parts in this series.

The main character was likable and relatable and the other secondary characters were also good. I liked the writing of the author as its simplicity made this book a very easy and a quick read.
I liked the basic concept of the story about how Nika was the long lost heir of her family, which she was completely unaware of. And I especially liked how she was made aware of everything and how well she adapted to her new surroundings. I see a lot of potential in this series and can’t wait to read the next part!

I liked this book quite a bit and would recommend it to all the YA and Fantasy lovers.

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Novella Review: The Unfortunate and Odd Life of Bennett Monroe by S.M. Baker

Categories S.M. Baker, Science-Fiction4 Comments on Novella Review: The Unfortunate and Odd Life of Bennett Monroe by S.M. Baker

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Book Cover

Author: S.M. Baker
Release Date: 15th November, 2016
Series: The Wayfarers Chronicles
Genre: Science-Fiction – TIme Travel,
Edition: Ebook (EPUB)
Pages: 
Publisher: Self

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Time, such a fickle and immovable thing. Everyone is bound to it will and pull; unless you happen to be Bennett Monroe, time traveler by consequence, not by choice.
For as long as he cares to remember Bennett Monroe has been able to travel through it time. Forced to work for a madman he reluctantly calls his master Bennett and his companion Cynthia twist and change events throughout time in order to realize their masters goal, of which Bennett remains uncertain.
The past has a way of haunting you, Bennett’s however has a tendency towards trying to kill him.
Join Bennett and Cynthia as they stumble and rip their way through time; acquiring the knowledge of who Bennett is, and what they both will become.

Review

The Unfortunate & Odd Life Of Bennett Monroe is a really enjoyable novella.

It is a story of a not-so-common young man who lives a life full of adventures, filled with odd situations and circumstances. Bennett Monroe has the ability to travel through time and works on assignments given to him by the master that are responsible for keeping the timeline from ripping itself and the whole world apart.

For these strange, and sometimes dangerous, assignments he occasionally works with Cynthia, another time-traveller and a friend of sorts. But now that Monroe has failed in an assignment, he is left with no other option but to take drastic actions with the help of his only friend and confidante.

I liked the unique plot and storyline and enjoyed reading about Bennett and Cynthia’s adventurous lives. This is a time-travel story, but the author has done a great job in adding a new twist to it and making it all the more interesting. So I’m pretty sure that no matter how many time-traveling stories you’ve already read, this one will not fail to fascinate you.

The simplicity of the author’s writing style made this book a very quick and a reasonably pleasant read. I was drawn into the story right from the beginning and was not able to put it aside until the time I finished reading the last sentence.

This book has a very simplistic plot, but the characterization was really well done. I obviously liked the main character, Bennett Monroe, but I also liked Cynthia’s character a lot. And to top it all off, Bennett’s backstory was really well done and made this book all the more interesting and emotionally engaging.

I absolutely loved reading this book! It is a light-hearted Science-Fiction read and I’d highly recommend it to everyone who wants to read a decent time-travel novella.

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Novella Review: Home Is Where The Start Is (Roseland #1)

Categories Book Reviews (by Genre)3 Comments on Novella Review: Home Is Where The Start Is (Roseland #1)

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Author: Eric Ugland
Release Date: January 29, 2015 
Series: Roseland Series
Book: Book 1
Genre: Contemporary Detective Fiction | Cozy Mystery | Cozy Paranormal 
Edition: E-Book (mobi) 
Pages: 113
Publisher: Air Quites Publishing 
Source: Author 
Buy it here: Amazon

Blurb

When Ginger Mitchell finds out her mother committed suicide, she packs up her life as a Vegas “dancer” (hey, somebody’s gotta do it) and drives her cherry-red SUV straight home to Portland. Without a disapproving mom to rebel against, what was the point?
But things aren’t what they seem once Ginger gets to the City of Roses. For one, nothing about her mother’s suicide adds up, but no one else even wants to entertain the idea that it could’ve been murder. No one that is, except the ghost of Ginger’s mother, who keeps scaring the crap out of her. It’s probably just a psychotic break because of the grief, right? Sure.
In any case, it’s during one of these visits from Ghost Mom that Ginger decides to solve the murder on her own. She really only ever wanted to be a cop, so maybe she should start a private detective business and see where it takes her. And look, that hippie kid running down the street after a muscle car right now probably needs help. Another case!

Rating

4-stars

Review

Home Is Where The Start Is started off pretty well. I really liked the don’t-give-a-damn attitude of Ginger and most of all the first line that really kick started the book. As I went along it kept on getting more and more interesting. As it’s the first book in Roseland series, it dedicated a good amount of time in setting up the basics (characters, locations, situations, etc.) and honestly, I  enjoyed reading every bit of it.

The writing is exceptional and packs a big dose of humor. I loved the imagery and at more than a dozen occasions it made me laugh out loud.

The book ended on a high note and left me craving for more. I had low expectations from the book considering that it borders on the paranormal realm, but I really enjoyed the ghost angle. Though what I really found strange was Ginger’s mother’s personality. She seemed a little opposite of what was expecting her to be especially  considering her profession. Maybe in the next book it’ll be clearer.

For a novella, this book really packs a punch and is totally worth the time spent on reading it. I’d recommend it to anyone really as it’s a nice cozy mystery to read and enjoy.

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Other Stuff

Opening Line: I wish I hadn’t been sucking cock when my mother died, but I was.

Highlights: Storytelling

Lowlights: 

Final Thoughts: A nice and cozy mystery.