Book Review: Myxocene by Troy Ernest Hill

16/08/201619/08/2016Reviews By ContributorsLeave a Comment

Author: Troy Ernest Hill
Release Date: November 1, 2015
Series: –
Genre: Medical Thriller | Psychological Thriller
Edition: E-book (mobi)
Pages: 272
Publisher: Createspace

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

When single mother and freelance science writer Sarah Bennett interviews Dr. Ronald Keating on the Chernobyl disaster for its 30th anniversary, she unwittingly gets entangled in the retired pharmaceutical researcher’s strange plot to combat global warming with an experimental medication. In a wry voice both funny and provocative, she grapples with Keating’s true motivations as well as profound questions about the value of an individual human life versus a society of billions in a climate-changing world.

Review

Plot:

I must admit, this book definitely surprised me. What started off as a medical thriller slowly became a neurological thriller surrounding a rather controversial topic, which makes this book a great choice to have intense discussions over.

At the center of this story is a freelance writer and a single mother, surrounded by a near-autistic daughter and a fanatic Christian mother. This itself sets the dysfunctional tone of the story. The conversations between Sarah, our main character, and the other minor characters, especially Keating and her ex-boyfriend Ted were by far the most interesting and thought provoking.

On the whole, I enjoyed the plot as well as the pacing. The subtlety of the suspense was especially enjoyable and I was definitely eager to know it ends.

Characters:

The characterizations were diverse with each character being a metaphor for acertain political or social ideology. However, I was unable to feel a real connection with anyone but I suppose that was more due to the slightly surreal nature of the book.

Writing:

The author was consistent with the first person narrative and the subtle change in Sarah’s thoughts as she became more rational and detached from sentiments made it even more intriguing.

Beginning:

The beginning was slightly slow and it takes a while to really get into the groove of the book.

Ending:

The ending felt a little rushed and it seemed that the author tried to cram a lot of things within the final few chapters. However, the concluding conversation between Sarah and Keating was where the essence of the entire story was.

Cover Art:

I love the simplicity and minimalism of the cover art and it definitely has a deeper meaning once you have read the book.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

This book has been reviewed by Mythili Hariharan.

Book Review: Shattered (House of Crimson and Clover 0.9)

02/08/201606/07/2016Reviews By Contributors1 Comment

Author: Sarah M. Cradit
Release: February 6th 2014
Series: House of Crimson and Clover
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 154
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Anasofiya Deschanel fled to Maine to escape her demons. She learned quickly, and violently, that you cannot run from what’s inside you.
Following a series of unfortunate events, Ana finds herself drowning in the consequences of her actions, as her heart dangles between the hearts of the St. Andrews brothers. Jon’s understanding darkness threatens to consume her, while Finn’s kind heart reminds her of a goodness she does not feel she deserves. Between all three of them lies a secret with the potential to change everything.
When the truth comes crashing down, Ana is forced to face the same demons she once ran from. As she learns more about where she came from, these realizations drive her to a desperate decision that will change everyone’s lives, forever.

Review

Plot/Story: This is a short story and more of a novella. The story continues to follow Ana who found the love she needed and after all the things she’s been through she thought now everything will be okay, but life doesn’t work that way.

Characters: I love Ana and I still relate to her the most, but even after reading the books before and I knew she was, but in this book I wanted to grab her and shake her hard, lol. After surviving all that has happened to her we get a closer look at the darkness in Ana and in Jon. Finn is still my favorite character 🙂

Romance/Kills: So many twists and turns, The darkness that lays deep in us all, truly come up in this book in Ana and John, in a way that surprised me completely. We learn more about Ana and the history behind these characters.

Writing: The author’s crafts a wonderful story that follows the characters we already knew, or we thought we knew. In this short story, there are so many things happening, with twists and turns and the author shows the human nature and the darkness in us so well. Believe me that you won’t get bored reading this book. Every detail is weaved in perfectly.

Beginning: From the beginning, I was hooked to the story and to the characters; I didn’t want to let them go. The flow and the pacing of the book were great, letting the suspense build up and making me even more connected to the story.

Ending: Noooo! It ended too fast (I will leave you all with that).

Cover Art: The cover is gorgeous as ever ❤

Blurb: As always Cradit’s blurbs make me grab the book without any hesitation. Love the blurb.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Anasofiya Deschanel sat before the antique glass vanity, gazing mournfully at the contents of her cosmetic case.”

Highlights: This series is well written and this novella is by far my favorite so far. From the skilled writing to the amazing twists, this story will won’t let you rest until the end.

Lowlights: None.

Final Thoughts: Wow (must read the next book).

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Storm And The Darkness (House of Crimson and Clover 0.8)

26/07/201612/08/2016Reviews By Contributors1 Comment

Author: Sarah M. Cradit
Release: June 4, 2013
Series: House of Crimson and Clover
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 427 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Ana Deschanel has made a terrible mistake. The only chance of protecting the other people involved is to flee New Orleans, the only home she has ever known, for the quiet solitude of Summer Island.
Summer Island, Maine (population 202) is not the tranquil escape Ana imagined. The locals are distant and cold, especially her neighbor, the reclusive veterinarian Jonathan St. Andrews. Her only lifeline is the kind but odd caretaker Alex Whitman. Showing up at all the right moments, he warns her she is completely unprepared for a Maine winter. As the first winter storm approaches to whispers of an island shutdown- Ana realizes that she may soon be cut off from the rest of the world.
After a surprising encounter with Jonathan’s brother, Finn, Ana finds herself braving the storm to return something to him. Unprepared for the Maine storm, she slips and falls onto the jagged rocks along the shore. The St. Andrews brothers find her in the nick of time, but she remains unconscious. As the storm worsens, the St. Andrews brothers learn there are other, more sinister forces at work closer than they ever imagined.
With no help from the outside world, they must find a way to protect themselves from both the storm, and the growing darkness that looms across the island.

Review

Plot/Story: Ana the main character leaves her childhood home of New Orleans and runs to a Summer Island in Maine, where a storm will change her life forever.

Characters: I loved following all the characters in this story. Ana (who I relate a lot to many of her characteristics), Nicolas (so powerful and all he wants is love), Jon and Finn (brothers, but Finn is my favorite). The made many great characters, that you will find yourself wanting to meet them in real life 😉 The author did a wonderful job of making them relatable and lovable. I was hook from the first page. I loved walking beside them as they went on their adventures looking for love.

Romance/Kills: I loved the relationship between Ana and Finn, you could see that there’s a true connection between them, but the author keeps us in the guessing mode until the very end. With all the mystery and twists, it was a beautifully written love story.

Writing: The author’s writing style is wonderful to follow and each chapter follows the characters from a different Pov that made the book so much interesting. She grabbed my attention from the start and I was taking the journey with all the characters. The powers the characters are given are so unique and I found myself, wishing I had Ana’s healing powers (that could be amazing). I loved the author’s imagination and the flawless descriptions, but it wasn’t too much that you would get bored. The author really makes you feel everything (I love that).

Beginning: From the beginning, I was hooked to the story and to the characters, I didn’t want to let them go. The flow and the pacing of the book were great, letting the suspense build up and making me even more connected to the story.

Ending: Why did it have to end? (Oh wait; I have the next book, yay).

Cover Art: The cover is gorgeous ❤

Blurb: I loved the blurb. It pulled me in and made me want to know more. It is also well written and describes the story so well.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “All I’m saying is, Deliverance was based on a true story.”

Highlights: This series is by far unique and different from any book I’ve read so far, in a very good way. I loved the Pov changes (I normally don’t like it), it made the story feel more unique and it made me fall in love with the characters from the very beginning.

Lowlights: None.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Captcha Thief by Rosie Claverton

22/07/201612/08/2016Rosie Claverton5 Comments

Author: Rosie Claverton

Release Date: February 29, 2016
Series: The Amy Lane Mysteries (#3)
Genre: Mystery | Suspense | Crime | Thriller
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 293
Publisher: Crime Scene Books

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Agoraphobic hacker Amy Lane and her sidekick ex-con Jason Carr are caught in a tortuous and increasingly dangerous adventure as Amy seeks to help track an art thief and Jason seeks to impress the National Crime Agency investigator Frieda Haas sent to recover the missing painting – and its abductor.
As the evidence leads Amy and the police in circles, Jason finds himself taking more and more risks in his hunt for the thief. Nothing is as it seems. Are Amy and Jason merely playthings for a vicious murderer? Can they survive the game?

Review

Captcha Thief by Rosie Claverton is a brilliantly thought-out and a cleverly written book.

It has a great pace which edges towards fast, yet at the same time being subtle. I felt compelled to read this book in one sitting, but in spite of being terribly busy, I managed to read it in three.

The suspense and story build-up is truly magical and I was left longing for more when it came to the backgrounds of the lead characters.

The characterization is truly stunning. I felt a really strong connection with Amy in spite of her being too socially awkward for my taste. There were moments when I felt emotions well up inside of me so strong that I literally had to stop myself from screaming at the book.

On the other hand, the character of Jason is so darn unique and good that I developed an instant liking for him. He’s this strong yet sensitive guy who’s always misunderstood in spite of being a really kind person.

At some places, the main plot gets a little overshadowed by the sub-plots, but the author’s clever writing and pacing manage to make the reader feel the urge to know more about the sub-plotline in order to see what’s happening in the character’s lives.

The random sprinkling of chapters of the murderer throughout the book took the story to a whole new level. Also, the use of new hacking techniques made it a really interesting book for me.

The beginning was really good because the murder pulled me into the story right from the first page. It took me only a few chapters to get the flow of the various POVs and after that, the story kept on getting better and better.

The ending is great. It’s not the typical mystery sort of ending where the killer is revealed and such, but it ends taking the main character’s story into focus. I am eagerly waiting for the next part in this series, and meanwhile, I’m considering buying the first two parts just to get to know Any and Jason better.

I loved this book and I cannot recommend it enough to everyone who loves mystery.

Bookstagram

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Other Stuff

Opening Line: Night after night, he returned to that one place.

Highlights: Excellent pacing and brilliant storytelling.

Lowlights: Nothing.

Memorable Quote:

… this time, it wasn’t the dead man’s face that haunted her, but the delicate features of a woman who’d died a century earlier.

The second time was easier, killing someone.

Final Thoughts: An outstanding mystery read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Novella Review: The Birth Of An American Gigolo by Deek Rhew

15/07/201612/08/2016Books Reviews (by Author), Deek Rhew, HumorLeave a Comment

Author: Deek Rhew
Release Date: January 19, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Humor
Edition: E-book (mobi)
Pages: 99
Publisher: Tenacious Books
Source: Publicist
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★

Blurb:

An old party girl shoehorned into domestic divaship, infuriated by her husband’s cheating and his holier-than-thou, tree-hugging, no-tits and no-hips girlfriend, inflicts her wrath by training a local boy in the fine art of seduction. She and her new boy toy turned love god start a gigolo business as a distraction for the neglected and mistreated housewives of Alabaster Cove.

Review

This book had a good storyline, but I guess it’s something that I’m not into (neither the genre nor the ideas and motivations expressed in the book.)

Being from the genre that I hardly ever read, I won’t be criticizing this book. Moreover, I’ve read some really good reviews for this book on Goodreads, so I’d say read this book if you have a little time to spare on a book that you might or might not like. I guess this is one of those books that you either like or you simply don’t.

The characters were one-dimensional and I wasn’t able to feel any real connection with anyone, as they felt rushed.

The little that I enjoyed the book was because it was a novella (only 99 pages) and had a unique story concept. All sense and logic left me around the first quarter of the book, but I kept on reading because I found the flow of the author’s writing quite smooth.

If you like this genre (or if you are a depressed lonely housewife) then you might enjoy this book, but it simply wasn’t for me.

Bookstagram

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Other Things

Opening Line: Lindsey’s nose hairs curled as the odor from the bag on the floor assaulted her.

Highlights: Writing.

Lowlights: Story.

Final Thoughts: It wasn’t for me.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: In The Blood by R.L. Martinez

07/07/201612/08/2016Books Reviews (by Author), Fantasy, Magic, Magic/Elementals, Podcasts, R.L. Martinez5 Comments

Author: R.L. Martinez
Release Date: March 21, 2016
Series: The Witchbreed Series
Genre: High Fantasy, Magic Realism
(Magic Elementals > Wizards, Witches & Shapeshifters)
Edition: E-book (mobi)
Pages: 356
Publisher: Lake Water Press
Source: Publicist (via NetGalley)
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

The Warrior
The war between Dosalyn and Roanaan has ended, but a new battle begins for prisoner-of-war, Ottilde Dominax. Dreams of her witchbreed twin sister are visions of death and betrayal. Driven by their grim warning, she escapes her captors and races across nations to save her sister.
But she may arrive too late…
The Witch
Oriabel Dominax has kept her healing magic secret while she cares for her family’s struggling estate. But the arrival of a new lord with secrets of his own, the discovery of a dark and addictive magic, and threats from a cruel blackmailer push Oriabel closer to disaster.
Through it all, the Witch’s Tree calls…

Review

I enjoyed this book through and through. I picked up this book in hopes of reading a decent fantasy novel, but this book pleasantly surprised the hell out of me! It is an epic book with a brilliant plot, stunning characterization, and beautiful writing – all weaved together into a fantastic work that I was lucky enough to read.

This book has everything a fantasy lover craves – A new world to get completely lost into, characters whom you can love and hate forming unbreakable emotional bonds and a story that’ll make you forget everything else.
I was completely blown by the simplicity of this book and I’m eagerly waiting for the next part in this wondrous series.

In this book, the author uses realism as her weapon. Not all tales of good witches and helping shapeshifters end happily, and I’m really glad to say, that this book made me realize that the world of magic is not something to play around with.

R.L. Martinez uses her dark imagination to plow the fields of her war-wrought world with realism. It really made the entire witch breed concept interesting and mesmerizing. Now, I’m actually afraid of witches (which is something that is always missing in most of the fantasy novels.) The author’s writing was really smooth and the pacing was exceptional.

The romance in this book literally swept me off my feet because of its simplicity and subtlety.

At first, the timelines seemed a little jumbled, but once I got in sync with the story I was able to make out the timelines pretty clearly.

In spite of all the raves, there was only one significant negative that stood out while reading this book, and it was the fact that most of the names (both of places and people) were odd and difficult to pronounce. It made it a bit difficult for me to enjoy the first few pages, but once I let go of my obsession of pronouncing the word right, I was able to get into the book easily enough. (Though I’m pretty sure I’ve got more than half of the names wrong, and to be honest, this book is so great that I don’t even care about it anymore.)

As I said earlier, the characterization is brilliant! I felt a really strong connection with the leading twin ladies of this book (I’m not gonna say the names as I’m sure I’ll pronounce them wrongly.) The other characters were so good that I felt a bond with each and every single character (secondary as well as not-so-important ones.)

This book ended on an excellent note with a smasher of a cliff hanger. After reading the last page I was literally pulling at my hair!

I loved this book and I think that everyone on this planet should read this series as I really think that everyone will love it!

Video Podcast

Bookstagram

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Other Stuff

Opening Line: With cold stiff fingers, Ottilde Dominax rubbed the prisoner number tattooed on the side of her neck.

Highlights: Storyline and magic realism.

Lowlights: Names with difficult and odd pronunciations.

Memorable Quotes:

The world is only so big and you can only run so far.

Final Thoughts: A brilliant high-fantasy read that you simply can’t afford to miss!

You can also read this review at Goodreads, Netgally and Amazon.

Book Review: Chakana by W.E. Lawrence

25/06/201603/07/2016Action, Adventure, Book Reviews (by Genre), Historical, Romance, W.E. Lawrence2 Comments

Author: W.E. Lawrence
Release Date: December 2015
Series: –
Genre: Historical Fiction | Action | Adventure | Suspense | Romance
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 325
Publisher: CreateSpace
Source: Publicist
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

In 1939, before the start of World War II, James Fleming, the original British secret agent, races on a high-stakes chase to track down the ancient lost treasure of King Huascar of the Incas. He must recover it before the Nazis do or the whole world will be in imminent danger.

But this is no ordinary treasure hunt. The Incas have proven their cunning and intellect in not only how they hid their treasure, but how they protected it. Fleming joins forces in the remote ruins of Peru, South America with Kate Rhodes, a policewoman on leave from the United States, her archaeologist brother, Nick, and their college professor, Dr. Charlie. Together, they must decode, interpret the clues, and face the challenges of the Chakana on their hunt for the treasure.

If this wasn’t difficult enough, the group is hounded throughout their search of the ancient Sacred Valley by international artifact smugglers, familiar with the Chakana and working with the Nazis, who are determined to acquire the treasure to help finance their war effort. Intrigue, danger, suspense, action, adventure, and even romance abound in this brave band’s quest to save the free world.

Review

This is my first book by W.E. Lawrence and I must say that I’ll be reading more books by him soon.

In Chakana, the story began with a simple, yet interesting, prologue and I was drawn into the book right from the beginning. The alternating POvs kept the plot clear and interesting throughout the book. It ended on a great note and I really enjoyed the little twist at the end.

The characterization is good, but I hate to say that I wasn’t able to feel a strong connection with either of the leads. The characters are built nicely, but something about them felt amiss. In spite of the author’s efforts, James came out a little disconnected and crude, and Kate’s character didn’t have enough clarity. As a result, the romantic angle seemed dull, in spite of all the steamy make-out scenes.

I enjoyed the adventure on the whole and, apart from minor flaws, this book makes for an interesting and engrossing read.

This book has a great storyline and the historical settings make this adventurous novel a really interesting read. I liked the author’s writing style because it had a great flow. The pacing was good too.

Overall this book makes for a really good read and I’d recommend it to all the adventure buffs.

Bookstagram

Other Stuff

Opening Line: The rumble of thunder sent the horse into a nervous prance.

Highlights: Writing and storyline.

Lowlights: Lack of strong connection with the leads.

Final Thoughts: A lovely historical adventure book that’ll make for a nice summer read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Apostates Book Two: Remnants

22/06/201622/06/2016Reviews By Contributors1 Comment

27343130 Author: Lars Teeney
Release: October 27, 2015
Series: The Apostates
Genre: Science Fiction. Post-Apocalyptic. Dystopian.
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 198 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb: After the fall of the ruling Regime of New Megiddo, the John W. Schrubb Administration, the remnants of the country are fought over by the Republic of China Army, the Societatum Pentagram, ‘Database’ cartels, and independent city-states. Greta Sanchez, a former Apostate resistance commander who had sought refuge in West Europa is haunted by the nuclear annihilation of the old capital, New Megiddo City. In order to atone for her complicity in the destruction, she resolves to return to America to stop a new war. Greta sets out to track down her old comrades to reform the Apostates to meet new threats.

Review

Plot/Story: The rebellion won the fight and the government had fallen, but now things need to be fixed and rebuild. The new world is left unclaimed which bring new players into a potentially new war.

Characters: Evan and Consuela in America while Greta in Paris. In this book, we learn more about the character’s past and family. I loved learning more about them.

Writing: The author kept to his style here as well, making the read very east to follow, even with all the POV changes and history of the characters.

Beginning: You dive deep and fast into the story and the chaos that was left from the first book, feels real with a lot of pain.

Ending: Missing some sort of a resolve for the characters, but I think it might be in another book.

Cover Art: The author kept the same motive of the cover and I loved that the cover stays very much the same.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Evan and Consuela had been dragged into situations and skirmished in and around New York and what had once been called New England.”

Highlights: I loved getting to know the old and new characters better. I also enjoyed the writing style of the author a lot. The author stayed true to his own style making book 1 and 2 feel as one.

Lowlights: The story felt as unfinished and it was too short.

Final Thoughts: It was a good read and I enjoyed reading what happened to all my favorite characters.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Aerisia: Land Beyond the Sunset

20/06/201605/07/2016Reviews By Contributors2 Comments

Author: Sarah Ashwood
Release Date: April 16, 2014
Series: The Sunset Lands Beyond
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Edition: mobi
Pages: 374
Publisher: Griffineus Publications
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

The mystery of other worlds is not one Hannah Winters ever thought she’d solve. However, the day she spots a brown-robed stranger with a magical staff in a neighbor’s field is the day she also discovers Aerisia, a magical land beyond Earth’s sunset. Here in Aerisia, Hannah is believed to be the Artan, a legendary heroine prophesied to deliver Aerisia from the Dark Powers. Plenty of people, including the Simathe, a race of immortal warriors, and the Moonkind, people of the Moon, are willing to help her discover her true identity, but Hannah’s just an ordinary girl from Earth. She doesn’t have any latent magical abilities and she’s not the Artan. However, her allies aren’t seeing it that way. Neither are her enemies. In fact, Hannah’s life is in jeopardy nearly from the moment she arrives in Aerisia. And becoming the Artan may be the only way to survive…

Review

Plot/Story:

This story reminded me a lot of another story I read last year. But I am sure it will remind you of a lot of stories. It is about a girl who finds herself taken off into a new world and something about her makes her special and important to that world. While some may say that this storyline has been outplayed and many are bored with it, I still love it! I still love the idea of being taken away into different world and finding out that something about me is special and unique and I am some how supposed to save this new world.

Hannah is just a normal college student. Nothing special about her, until a strange man in a horse pasture lures her in and takes her off to a new world. A place called Aerisia. In Aerisia she is told that she is what they call the Artan, though she doesn’t know who or what that is or what it has to do with her. From there is only collects more questions and no one seems to want to tell her what it is she is supposed to do.

The story at times did get frustrating because Hannah keeps asking questions and no one wants to answer her. Then again, Hannah also has the tendency to run off when answers are coming to her.

Characters:

The characters in this book are fantastic beings. Hannah, again, is your typical collage age girl and head strong. She questions everything and demands answers, but can never sit long enough to hear the answers.

The Simathe are quiet and emotionless, or so it seems. The high lord Simathe, Ilgard seems to be much deeper than what most think of him, and Hannah seems to be bringing out a new side in him.

Romance/Kills:

There is only one kill that really matters in this book. Not much romance. It is a world building book. There is a lot of backstory and explaining this new world that Hannah has been dumped into.

Writing:

The writing is fantastic and very magical. It was also easy to read and keep up with the story.

Beginning:

The beginning is very quick. Only a quick few pages about Hannah’s family, and then Hannah is transported into Aerisia. The whole story was fast paced and didn’t have many dull moments.

Ending:

As this is the first book in the series, the ending did leave much to be desired. There are tons of questions left unanswered. For the ending of the first book in a series, it was well done and will keep the reading interested enough to pick up the next book.

Cover Art:

I love the cover art. It’s colorful and gives a sense of magic. It really gives you a quick preview of the story to come.

Blurb:

The blurb is very true to the story.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Hannah, what are you doing? Why are you just standing around? They’ll be here in a little over an hour.”

Highlights: I love the world of Aerisia and the Simathe

Lowlights: I feel like not enough questions were answered in the first book.

Final Thoughts: This is a magical story that I would suggest to my friends.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

You can read the author’s interview here: Author Interview.

Book Review: The Apostates

17/06/201617/06/2016Reviews By Contributors4 Comments

Author: Lars Teeney
Release: July 20th, 2015
Series: The Apostates Series
Genre: Science Fiction. Post-Apocalyptic. Dystopian.
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 615 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

New Megiddo has been born out of the ashes of America, an America that has sacrificed liberty for security. Ravaged by environmental disaster and shuttered off from the rest of the world by border fortress walls, and the strict dogma of spiritual leader, The Reverend Wilhelm Wainwright, the people take small comfort from the sermons the Reverend delivers straight to the people’s minds via the [Virtue-Net]. However, the President John W. Schrubb Administration has been losing its grip on power. Murmurs and rumors of a resistance group of Apostates emanate from “Database” dens in the slums, financed by a mysterious source, are said to be scheming to free the people. Will the Apostates strike in time before the Born Again Gathering ushers in a state-induced Armageddon?

Review

Plot/Story: I love the moral issue the author addresses, of putting your freedom for your safety. Would you give up your freedom for safety? The author took this subject and gave it a nice dark twist to a Dystopian story.

New Megiddo is the new post-apocalyptic America and The Apostates are the people who fight against the brainwashed and chip-implanted people. These people fight for their freedom and against the strict spiritual leader.

Characters: Greta was revived (yep… revived) after she killed herself and she starts to fight for freedom and against the mindless following. Graham, who came from a rich family and was part of the government, but knew what, was the right thing to do.

Somewhere just after the third part of the book, the characters seem to blur all into two major groups. Now, if it would be a different book I would mind, but here it worked nicely and I just didn’t mind.

There are many amazingly written characters that made the story feel more real, that at some point you will wonder on which side it is best to be.

Romance/Kills: Well, there is a lot of violence here and dark issues rise up, so keep in mind when you’re about to read this book. This book has a lot of actions scenes full of kills, bombs but for me it was not too much and I liked the fast pace of it.

Writing: I love the writing style. There are many twists and turns to this story and many layers. This story touches a lot of subjects like Science Fiction, religion, politics and war and most important, humanity… and what make us human. These are all writing and woven so well together that even though this book long book but it feels relatable and I wanted to know more of that world. The author takes us through different POV’s and he did it effortlessly.

Beginning: From the beginning we see Greta takes her life and reborn to help the fight against the new government and religion. The Apostates want to bring freedom and free will back to everyone.

Ending: The story ended with a positive tone, living me satisfied. The ending also jumped on me fast and I left wanting more.

Cover Art: I love the dark feel of the cover. It fits the story perfectly.

Blurb: The blurb was written well, giving you enough information but no spoilers and it pulled me right into the story with questions of what might happen next.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “The video feed began with rapturous choir music, and funk bass guitar began playing.”

Highlights: From the amazing world building to the great story, I enjoyed reading this book a lot. There is so much to this story that no matter how long this book is, I still felt it fly by fast. Loved it!

Lowlights: None.

Final Thoughts: This is not a light read, but it is a wonderful book to read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Timeweaver’s Wager

11/06/201608/06/2016Reviews By ContributorsLeave a Comment

Author: Axel Blackwell
Release: March 17, 2016
Genre: Time Travel | Mystery | Paranormal
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 220
Publisher:
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb: Glen McClay sits on a fallen log by the railroad trestle, watching for his girlfriend’s ghost. Eight years ago, Connie Salvatore was savagely murdered here. Glen has spent his life seeking redemption, haunted by the knowledge that he might have been able save her. The time has come to let go of his past and move on with his life. But as he prepares to do so, an old friend offers Glen the redemption he has always sought – a chance to relive that horrible night and change the past. All he has to do… is die.

Review

Plot/Story: Glen, the main character is full of guilt and regret. He couldn’t save his girlfriend and for 8 years, he kept wishing for only one thing…Going back in time to change the outcome. He builds his life around his girlfriend’s death.
I love the idea of time traveling to able to change at least one thing in our life. Who haven’t thought of that? Or how it will go? Will you change the outcome to the worst? Love the idea!

Characters: Glen is a very agonized character here. He is so haunted by what happened to his girlfriend, Connie. The author is written these feeling of loss and grief so well, it made me connect to the Glen so fast and for me, it’s a huge part pf a great read.

Romance/Kills: Connie (Glen’s girlfriend) was killed in a horrible death.

Writing: The balance in writing the older Glen and the younger Glen was made so beautifully. I didn’t just enjoy the writing style of the author, I loved it and it made everything move better and flow faster.

Beginning: From the start I was taken to a roller-coaster of emotions and it hit home with me.

Ending: Even though there were a few times where the story was dragged when I came to the end all I wanted is more for this world the author had built.

Cover Art: It’s pretty but very simple. I would love a more attractive cover.

Blurb: The blurb really set the mood for the story and it did a wonderful job in attracting my attention, making me choose this book to read.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Glen McClay sat on a fallen tree beside the dead girl’s shrine, staring down the train tracks to the point in the distance where the two rails converged.”

Highlights: A fast paced read, which was amazing that the story just flew by fast and easily.

Lowlights: The only thing that I can say is that I didn’t like how much time it took for Glen to really make a decision. That part dragged for a long time, but how can you take a decision so horrible, fast, lol.

Final Thoughts: It was a great book to read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Killing Forest by Sara Blaedel

08/06/201608/06/2016Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author), Sara BlaedelLeave a Comment

Author: Sara Blaedel
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Series: Louise Rick Series
Genre: Crime | Thriller | Mystery | Suspense
Edition: Ebook (mobi)
Pages: 320
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Publicist
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

Following an extended leave, Louise Rick returns to work at the Special Search Agency, an elite unit of the National Police Department. She’s assigned a case involving a fifteen-year-old who vanished a week earlier. When Louise realizes that the missing teenager is the son of a butcher from Hvalsoe, she seizes the opportunity to combine the search for the teen with her personal investigation of her boyfriend’s long-ago death . . .
Louise’s investigation takes her on a journey back through time. She reconnects with figures from her past, including Kim, the principal investigator at the Holbaek Police Department, her former in-laws, fanatic ancient religion believers, and her longtime close friend, journalist Camilla Lind. As she moves through the small town’s cramped network of deadly connections, Louise unearths toxic truths left unspoken and dangerous secrets.

Review

I read The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel, not so long ago, and quite liked it. I was able to connect to the author’s writing and the story was interesting, to say the least, so when I was contacted for this book, I immediately accepted.

The Killing Forest is the kind of novel that’ll keep you up at night and would pull you into the story making you forget about the world outside. I really liked this book as it kept me intrigued. Like the previous book by author Sara Blaedel, there was not a lot to guess in this book, but the pacing was good enough to keep things interesting throughout. The author again shocked me towards the end with a smart plot twist.

The premise of the story was great and pacing was also good. The suspense was mild but I was able to feel a sense of urgency throughout the book (which is a big plus.)

The characterisation was good and I was happy to read about all the characters from the previous book in detail. I felt a connection with the main lead of the book, detective Louise, though it was not as strong as it felt in the previous book. Still, the story being the hero in this book, I enjoyed reading it.

The writing was good but I did notice 2 major flaws that made it difficult for me to come up with a proper rating for this book when I was done with it.

Firstly, there are a lot of places in this book where the translation played tricks and hindered the flow of the book. This issue wasn’t there in the previous book so I was a little displeased this time around. The dialogues didn’t feel real and, at more than a couple of places, I was left wondering what the hell was the original dialogue anyway.

And the second thing that bugged me was that there was more ‘telling’ than ‘showing.’ It happened in more than a dozen places and it really affected the entire reading process altogether.

But, in spite of these two flaws, I still enjoyed the book and would love to read the next parts in Louise Rick series. I’d recommend this book to crime and mystery lovers.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: He hesitated before grabbing the dead chicken his father held out to him, its white feathers peppered with blood close to where its head had been chopped off.

Highlights: Story and ending.

Lowlights: Translation.

Memorable Quotes:

“…This is hell. No one gets out.”

Final Thoughts: A nice mystery read.

You can also read this review at Goodreads, Netgalley, and Amazon.

Book Review: Exodia

05/06/201629/05/2016Reviews By Contributors2 Comments

Author: Debra Chapoton
Release Date: June 25^th 2015
Series: Exodia Ledgers
Genre: Science Fiction | Dystpia/YA
Edition: mobi
Pages: 218
Publisher: Not Specified
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

By 2093 American life is a strange mix of failing technologies, psychic predictions, and radiation induced abilities. Tattoos are mandatory to differentiate two classes, privileged and slave.

Dalton Battista fears that his fading tattoo is a deadly omen. He’s either the heir of the brutal tyrant of the new capital city, Exodia, or he’s its prophesied redeemer. Shy, handsome, smart and in possession of powers he doesn’t yet realize, he escapes an order for his execution by fleeing the city with the help of Lydia, who quickly captures his heart. But can he escape a destiny that will force him to marry another girl and return to Exodia as its liberator?

Review

Plot/Story:

I somehow missed the part of the blurb that this was loosely based on the story of Moses. But reading it, I caught the similarities and it was fantastic. I love the bible stories and I love when people take them and modernize them. After finding out that it was based on the story of Moses I actually enjoyed reading it that much more, not that I had any trouble getting into it to begin with. Actually, I was drawn in from the very beginning. The world was so different and even though there is a little history/background about how the world came to its current stasis, I was never bored of the world building. In my opinion, there was nothing boring about this novel and I almost couldn’t read it fast enough.

Characters:

I would say that the characters are not as well developed as they could be, but it was enough to keep the story going and wasn’t that big of a distraction. We could learn a little more about some of the side characters. Dalton, the main character, was a little dense, as in he could have used a little more development. It was almost as if we only dipped our toe into the big deep ocean of what Dalton could be. Despite that, you can see where Dalton is a strong character.

Romance/Kills:

The romance! Ugh! Killed me. Dalton instantly falls in love with Lydia, basically the first girl he comes across after jumping the fence and exploring the world. Because of circumstances, his path leads him in another direction and he leaves Lydia behind. Of course, he finds another girl, one he doesn’t love, but for some reason marries. But all the while Dalton can’t forget Lydia. It’s not even a love triangle. He marries one woman out of necessity, he never loved her and it’s questionable if she ever loved him.

As far as kills go, the story actually begins with a kill by Dalton. It isn’t bloody, gory, or even that spectacular. It’s very down played. Almost like when a movie implies that there is a dead body, but all you see is the white sheet over a body shaped object.

Writing:

The writing was fantastic. No glaring errors that distract from the story. It’s also very fast paced and I love a fast paced story.

Beginning:

The beginning really draws you in with in the first few minutes of reading. There just seems to be so much going on at the start. There is no build up, just BAM action.

Ending:

Seeing as there is another book following this one, the ending was perfect. It was an ending, but a cliff hanger as well. It made me want to instantly buy the next book so that I could finish Dalton’s story.

Cover Art:

After reading this book, I feel like the cover could be better. But, it was enough to get my attention. It actually gave me a Harry Dresden vibe (series by Jim Butcher).

Blurb:

The blurb does enough to really draw in the reader. It also makes the book seem like any other YA dystopian novel, but I feel this book is much more than that and the blurb doesn’t do it justice.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: It’s as if I too am running for my life.

Highlights: Fantastically fast paced and fun.

Lowlights: The cover could be better.

Final Thoughts: This book will stick to my memories for years to come.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

TRB- Fiction Book Reviews Video Podcast Ep. 01- Justice For Jessica by Alretha Thomas

04/06/201610/06/2016Podcasts4 Comments

Hello, readers! I just uploaded TRb’s first Video Podcast! Please watch it and share the link with your family and friends on your social media accounts:

Thank you!

Book Review: The Urban Boys (Discovery of the Five Senses)

02/06/201604/06/2016Reviews By Contributors1 Comment

26850355 Author: K.N. Smith
Release: September 29th 2015
Series: –
Genre: YA | Paranormal
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 208 pages
Publisher: Two Petals Publishing
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★

Blurb:

The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses is an action-adventure story about five teen boys who are mysteriously exposed to a foreign energy source that gives them extremely heightened senses. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become hypersensitive gifts that forever change the world. The story chronicles their effortless interrelations and later exposes the testing of their deep bonds. It introduces the reader to an array of supporting characters who alter the boys’ lives forever. The Urban Boys offers young and mature readers central themes of loyalty, responsibility, honesty, fear, and triumph, which become artfully integrated with cinematic-level action and high drama. The story twists, turns, and grinds through elements of science-fiction and action-adventure in a diverse, exciting, edge-of-your-seat narrative!

Review

I really don’t like giving a “bad” review to an author who worked hard on a book, but I just didn’t connect to this book at all. The read was a complete struggle.

I loved the poetic side of this book.The story was confusing (at best) and the premise of finding their 5th sense just fell flat.

I think the idea of the story can be great with a lot more research and more editing. The author put a large amount of detail on the things that really didn’t interest me, but put very little details on the things that truly matters, like the paranormal part.

The characters are so blurred together, it was confusing and at some point, I just didn’t care at all. The friendship between the boy was really nice to see and the unbelievably supporting parents were truly amazing, but other than that, there was nothing to keep me going here.

The beginning of the story started out nice and did keep me reading for a few more pages, but it quickly fell apart for me.

Overall, I am sad to say that this book is just not for me, even though I loved the idea and the poetic side… I couldn’t connect to the characters at all.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “HUGE, CURVY LEAVES BEAUTIFULLY ARRANGED WITHIN THE PRESERVE offered the perfect backdrop for a midnight encounter between two friends who happened to be unequal in their mindsets as well as in their needs to control.”

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Justice For Jessica by Alretha Thomas

25/05/2016Alretha Thomas, Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author)1 Comment

29752588

Author: Alretha Thomas
Release Date: March 31 2016
Series: Detective Rachel Storme
Genre: Mystery | Thriller
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 328
Publisher: Diverse Arts Collective
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Mousey, overweight Stacey Sullivan would love to trade places with her glamorous socialite BFF, Jessica James—that’s until she discovers Jessica murdered in her own home. Whip-smart detective Rachel Storme is ready to exchange her gun and badge for a gardener’s hat and hoe. But she reluctantly puts her plans on hold when she’s asked to help solve Jessica’s murder. These two strangers from different generations—Stacey a millennial and Rachel a baby boomer—become unlikely friends in their pursuit of JUSTICE FOR JESSICA. But their friendship is put to the test when Stacey insists that her husband, Matt, is innocent in spite of evidence that speaks to the contrary. Rachel, baffled by Stacey’s blind loyalty to Matt, doggedly fights to take Matt down, but with Stacey’s help, he eludes her at every turn. Is Matt the killer or could Grant, Jessica’s husband, be the culprit? Perhaps it was her jealous sister, Georgette or the maid, Rosa? No matter who the killer is, Rachel, by any means necessary, is determined to find her man or woman.

Review

I read Missing Melissa by Alretha Thomas last year and I totally loved it! So when I was contacted by the author for the review of Justice For Jessica, I immediately accepted. And as it turned out, this book lived up to all my expectations.

It is a brilliant and entertaining book and it serves as a delightful start to a new mystery series. The storyline was not only good but also remarkably engaging as the author cleverly used the plot twists that kept me guessing the entire time.

The pacing was good and the flow of the story was really smooth. The alternating first person POVs of Rachel and Stacey, the main characters, not only helped in building the suspense beautifully but also managed to keep me glued to the book the entire time.

The characterization is also brilliant and I’m happy that I was able to feel a strong connection with Detective Rachel Storme, as this is the beginning of a new detective series in which she’s the said detective. The character of Rachel is really strong and in spite of her age, I felt a really strong connection with her.
I really loved her and I’d definitely read the next book in the series. In fact, I’d love to read ALL the books in this series!

The other characters were also very well-developed and relatable, especially that of Stacey. I’m not sure if we’ll see her in the next books in this particular series, but I hope that we do because I’d love to know how her life turns out in the future.

The plot of this book hooked me right from the first chapter, where the murder happens, and after that it book took me on a really exciting and thrilling journey. At times, I was so engrossed in the lives of Rachel and Stacey that I completely lost track of time.

Like any good mystery novel, this book ended with one hell of an unpredictable ending that left me completely surprised.

The cover art of the book is really good and the color theme is also good. The blurb is self-explanatory and I’m sure that these things are more than enough to make a reader pick up this book from the stands.

I’d recommend this book to all the mystery and thriller readers and also to those who are searching for a new detective series to begin with.

Bookstagram

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Thank goodness it’s finally Friday. Halle-freakin’-lujah!”

Highlights: Plotline and mystery.

Lowlights: None.

Memorable Quotes:

It just seems impossible that someone that beautiful could be a murderer. That’s probably the same thing people said about the serial killer, Ted Bundy.

Final Thoughts: A thoroughly engrossing and exciting read!

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Surface’s End (Book #1)

18/05/201612/05/2016Reviews By Contributors5 Comments

27802591 Author: David Joel Stevenson
Release: November 1, 2015
Series: The Surface’s End
Genre: Dystopian
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 2691 (219 pages)
Publisher: Createspace Publishing
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★ + 1/2

Blurb:

Near the edge of Jonah Whitfield’s small farming village lies the Deathlands – a strange desert in the middle of a lush, green landscape.

It is strictly forbidden.

Jonah often lingers at the border of the Deathlands out of curiosity, hunting wild game where no one else feels safe. When he follows a wounded deer into the desolate expanse, he stumbles upon a hatch to a futuristic underground society.

After setting eyes on a beautiful girl whose only wish is to see the surface, Jonah is determined to free her from a prison made of comfort and lies. Will he rescue her, or will he find himself trapped mere miles away from the life he has taken for granted?

Review

Plot/Story: The book is in the Dystopian genre. There are two worlds (one above the ground and the other below). They are so different from one another, but they’re both trying to survive.
I loved the name of the book as it played so beautifully in the book. I loved the twist the author put into the Dystopian genre and I think he did a great job plotting and showing us the worlds and the real struggle. The book has many layers underneath the surface of the main plot.

Characters: Jonah always lived above the ground and even though he knew better than to go out to The Deathlands, his curiosity was too much and he found his way to the world below. There he found Talitha. I loved how much Jonah changed and grew over from the beginning of the book to the end. He has become so different and strong, I loved reading and watching him grows throughout the book. Jonah is my favorite character. I always wanted the story to be more focused on him, his thoughts and his emotions…Just him, lol.

Romance/Kills: The romance here was built nicely into the plot and it wasn’t too much. I will say that it wasn’t my favorite part of the book, but as it was so necessary to the plot, I felt that the author did a great job with them and how showed their importance to the plot itself.

Writing: I loved the author’s writing style here and enjoyed the reading with each page I turned. It was so nice to just enjoy the read, without any struggle. It was a fast read and even the premise itself was very interesting and had a unique look to it. The writing itself had some editing issues, but not in a way that ruined my read.

Beginning: The beginning was a bit slow, but quickly I’ve been able to pick up the pace and read faster.

Ending: By the end of the book, Jonah is so mature and brave and even though I had a good idea of how the book is in the end, it still didn’t make the reading less enjoyable.

Cover Art: The cover is very simply made, but I still like it 🙂 From the cover you know what the book might be about.

Blurb: I think the blurb could use a bit more to it or change it in some way, but it was enough for me to pick it up from the list and not others. I really wasn’t sure about the book, but I’m glad I had picked it 🙂

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Never go near the Deathlands. This was a rule that everyone in the village could agree on.”

Highlights: I loved the plot and the premise. Jonah was such an enjoyable character and I loved his journey and growth.

Lowlights: The start of the book was a bit slow and a few editing issues here and there.

Final Thoughts: I loved and enjoyed reading this book a lot and if you love the Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian genre, you will enjoy reading this one as well 🙂

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Coinman: An Untold Conspiracy by Pawan Mishra

16/05/2016Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author), Humor, Literary Fiction, Pawan MishraLeave a Comment

Author: Pawan Mishra
Release Date: November 4, 2015
Series: Those Who Remain Trilogy
Genre: Literary Fiction | Humor
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 230
Publisher: Lune Spark LLC
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

Coinman, a junior level office worker in India, has a number of eccentricities. The laughingstock of the office, he finds no relief at home; his wife Imli, an obsessed actress, completely vanishes into each role. When tough bully, Hukum, beautiful enchantress, Tulsi, and the office sage, Ratiram, unite the office to conspire against Coinman, they have no inkling of an apocalypse looming inside the office.

Review

I rarely read literary fiction but when I was presented with an opportunity to read Coinman I thought of giving this one a try as the author is a fellow Indian. Though initially I had a few reservations about reading it, this book turned out to be a really interesting one. Coinman is a really unique read about a man who is obsessed with jingling coins.

Author Pawan Mishra has done a great job writing about a character as bizarre as Coinman and that too with dollops of sarcastic and classy humor blending it brilliantly with the main conflict of the story.

Though I’m not a huge fan of literary fiction, this book was fairly good and I enjoyed reading it. At times, I was chuckling loudly making everyone around me uncomfortable… so you can imagine how much I enjoyed it.

This book cleverly explores the day-to-day problems, faced by people who are termed as different or socially awkward by the seemingly “normal” people or the people who proudly calls themselves as extroverts, with a fine layer of sarcasm and wit to make the reading a really pleasant experience. It also covers the issue of bullying, which, I’m sure, will make many heads nod.

Overall it is a brilliant read and I’d recommend it to everyone as there are a lot of other social themes which will appeal to the masses.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: It all began with high expectations.

Highlights: Storytelling and clever use of satire and wit.

Lowlights: None.

Final Thoughts: A very well written book.

You can also read this review at Goodreads, Flipkart and Amazon.

Book Review: Death Unmasked by Rick Sulik

15/05/2016Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author), Historical, Rick SulikLeave a Comment

Author: Rick Sulik
Release Date: November 6, 2015
Series: –
Genre: Mystery | Thriller | Historical Fiction
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 287
Publisher: Christopher Matthews Publishing
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★ – DNF

Blurb:

A reincarnated evil is stalking the women of Houston. With each murder, the madman quotes an excerpt from the Oscar Wilde poem, “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.” A huge smokestack belching smoke, a ragged flea market double-breasted wool coat, and an old antique picture frame, bring the distant past back to haunt Houston Homicide Detective, Sean Jamison. With those catalysts, Jamison knows who he was in a past life and that he lost the only woman he could ever love. Searching for his reincarnated mate becomes Jamison’s raison d’être as he and fellow detectives scour Houston for a brutal serial killer. The memory of timeless love drives Jamison’s dogged search for a serial killer, determined to finish what he started decades earlier.
Each clue brings Jamison closer to unmasking his old nemesis. Tenacious police work, lessons learned in the past, and intuition may be the only weapons he has in preventing history from repeating itself.

Review

I left this book at page no. 158 (which is more than 50% of the book) because that was exactly where my patience gave way. The story began nicely and I liked the concept and settings, but the narration and editing didn’t work me.

At times, the dialogues didn’t make sense and most of the time if felt like the male lead was giving lectures instead of having conversations. I really think that this book needs heavy and thorough editing.

I hate DNF’ing books and I always try my best to push myself and to give the book another chance (again and again,) and with this book too I tried the same (especially because the author sent me the book from the US) but even after forcing myself to read further I simply couldn’t.

I really feel that a few revisions and strong editing can help this book reach its full potential, but right now it’s simply not ready.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and ~~Amazon~~.

Book Review: Ripples Through Time

12/05/2016Reviews By Contributors5 Comments

28695198 Author: Lincoln Cole
Release: August 2, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 200 pages
Publisher: LC Publishing
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

Calvin is alone for the first time in over sixty years, and he is discovering that it’s more difficult than he ever would have guessed. A long time family friend, Edward White, comes to visit and check up on him. Edward is worried because he knows what Calvin is planning, and he just hopes he isn’t too late to help. Help, though, isn’t always the easiest thing to offer, and it can be even more difficult to accept. Told from multiple perspectives, this is a story of love, loss and forgiveness.

Review

Plot/Story: This is the story of an old man who grieves over his wife and wishes to join her. The struggles of being alone and the feeling of loss were too much for him. But when Edward enters his life to see how he is, they both started to talk and memories came up and feeling of not only lost but struggle, forgiveness and regret.

Characters: Calvin is an old man, who grieves over his dead wife and think of really ending his own life. His thoughts, memories, and feeling were all about his wife, the life they shared together and how much he misses her and needs her. It was both heartbreaking and amazing to get to know Calvin. Edward enters Calvin’s life with the hope he is not too late to save him they start to talk as memories came to them. I really loved Calvin and I think that there’s more to be told about his life. Edward was a wonderful character as well, but I had a really hard time connecting to him.

Writing: This is a well-written story and I loved the author’s writing style. The author wrote all those difficult feeling so beautifully, that you cannot stand from the side and not feel as well. Cole the author did a wonderful job writing this story.

Beginning: The beginning of the story was a bit hard for me, but I still enjoyed reading and simply fell in love with Calvin and his struggle were very real to me. All his memories of the wife he lost made the story real and painful for me and it made the book worth reading.

Ending: The story ended well, but I really wanted to know more about Calvin and I still do, lol.

Cover Art: The cover art is beautiful.

Blurb: The blurb was to the point. It was short and said just what I needed in order to pick this book.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “The damned doorbell is ringing.”

Highlights: I loved the characters so much and the struggle was so real and so true, that made me just want to know what will happen and what will the characters decide to do.

Lowlights: I have to say that at first I struggled with this book. The first time I’ve read it, I couldn’t go beyond the 60% so I put it aside and started reading again after things got a bit calmer in my life and I’m happy I did. I don’t know why I couldn’t connect at first but the only thing that pops into my head is that the first part was a bit too slow for me.

Final Thoughts: Even though the subject of the book is dark and hard to deal with, I really enjoyed reading the book. There are a lot of feels in this book.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Those Who Remain (Book #1) by Priscila Santa Rosa

08/05/201608/05/2016Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author), Horror, Priscila Santa Rosa11 Comments

Author: Priscila Santa Rosa
Release Date: August 2014
Series: Those Who Remain Trilogy
Genre: Apocalyptic | Horror > Zombies |
Edition: E-book (mobi)
Pages: 232
Publisher: Not Specified
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Followed by:

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Hide your children, lock your doors, and load your guns because zombies are real and they are coming. Danny Terrence knows this better than anyone. He spent months preparing for the inevitable moment the disease would reach his small town. What he didn’t prepare for is the fact that nobody really believes him.

Luckily for him, an old classmate and bully just happens to be the first one bitten. The bad news is that the family with the biggest arsenal of guns just packed up and left town, leaving them defenseless from an oncoming zombie horde. Being a leader isn’t turning out the way Danny imagined.

Yet four other survivors easily have it worse than him. Between a thirteen-year-old girl on a road trip from hell, a family of paranoid hunters having to deal with their feelings for the first time ever, a stubborn doctor butting heads with a cold-hearted sergeant and an amoral British professor carrying the fate of humanity in his hands, Danny has it easy. Unless, of course, they all end up in his town, messing with his already messed up life.

Follow these five people as their paths cross and their lives and hopes are challenged in this thrilling novel.

Review

I enjoyed this book from start to end. For me, this book is nothing short of a GREAT apocalyptic book!

The characterization is awesome and the alternating POVs kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time! I felt a strong connection with everyone, but my favorites are The Girl, Hunter’s Daughter, and The Last One Out.

The writing is excellent and I literally breezed through the entire book in a single day! I loved it and have already requested (and received) the remaining two parts of this trilogy [can’t wait to read them!] The suspense build-up, the mysterious undertones, the chills and the curiosity, everything that the characters felt, came out beautifully.

I never felt that I was reading a book, I felt like I was in there with each and every character experiencing everything they did, first-hand.

The pacing is excellent and the twists and turns and the interludes at the end of the book were simply a master stroke.

I loved the Zombies as well, and the disease’s spread felt really natural and practical.
I’m really, really excited to know what happens next as the author ended all the POV’s on a great note. It’s literally killing me to read other books before getting to the next parts – This book is so good!

Other Stuff

Opening Line: My only window to the outside world is a thin gap between the closet’s doors.

Highlights: Pacing and story.

Lowlights: None.

Memorable Quotes:

Turns out, deep down, I’m sentimental. Very deep down.

It took me hours to realise that crying wouldn’t change anything. Shoes. I need new shoes.

I let out a sigh, embarrassed for him. A sociopath, but not a smart one.

It’s a rule of every horror story: when someone is too happy, or things are going too well for a character, then the next scene his head is rolling down the floor with the psychotic murderer making a surprise return from the dead.

A crazy disease spreading, riots going on, people running away, the military taking control over everything and I can’t load my rifle. PTSD is a bitch.

Memorable Paragraphs:

I don’t think she went to the drugstore at all. Why else did she take the car? She didn’t leave me behind. She took him away. To save me.

Father puts a hand on my shoulder. We both know leaving her behind meant her death. I’m allowed a minute to grieve for a mother I never truly knew. Then we run.

Between doctors, nurses, staff and patients, Saint Jude Hospital housed almost ten thousand people. Three hundred soldiers were sent to keep them safe. Only five people were leaving alive.

Some kids ask Santa for a toy. I wished for the Zombie Apocalypse. He took his sweet time, but finally my present was here. With luck, unwrapping it wasn’t going to kill me or destroy the town.

Final Thoughts: Best Zombie book I’ve read so far this year!

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Legendary Haunting of Quentin Wallis

06/05/2016Reviews By ContributorsLeave a Comment

27784139-2 Author: C K McKenzie
Release Date: February 13, 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Edition: Kindle (mobi)
Pages: 214
Publisher: Self-Published
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★

Blurb:

It has been in the nature of fairy tales that they begin with ‘Once Upon a Time’ and end with a ‘Happily Ever After’. However this is not a fairy tale. It is a somewhat true story… Quentin Wallis was not dead but neither was he entirely alive. He was something very much ‘in-between’. In short, Quentin Wallis was cursed. For a century he had been fated to live only on Halloween, seeking out his true love so that he might break the curse which had been laid upon him. The tricky situation was no treat when faced with bad men, murderous ghosts and an inconsiderate army of assassins determined to kill him. With only an honest heart, a haunted house and lashings of candy to assist him Quentin must resolve the small matter of an almost kiss, and a girl with wild grey eyes. And as night falls, and the bonfires burn, so starts the greatest of all adventures.

Review

Plot/Story:

I love the story that has to be told here. It’s a story of love that keeps you guessing until the very end. You are basically on edge the whole time, hoping that everything turns out the way it should. While I did enjoy the story, I felt like a lot of it was very long winded and had a hard time getting through the book. It didn’t lessen my interest in the story, it just felt more like a chore to get to the end. It’s a cute story, and for that, I would recommend it to others.

Characters:

I felt like a lot of the characters were very flat. You don’t really get a feel for who each character is because there are so many characters to explore. Also, you do a lot of jumping around. One minute you are in Quentin’s head and the next you are in Nell’s head. The voice of the story is as if you are watching everything from above and know exactly what everyone is thinking. I just think there were too many perspectives and too many characters.

Romance/Kills:

There is one main love story. The love between Quentin and Nell. There is a lot of death in this book, nothing too gory or graphic.

Writing:

Sometimes the writing was a little hard to follow. Maybe because as you are reading you are in every one’s head. You know what everyone is thinking or feeling and it can get a little confusing at times.

Beginning:

The beginning is very captivating. It made me want to continue on with the story to see what has happened and what is going to happen

Ending:

I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, so I will just say that the ending was interesting.

Cover Art:

The cover gives the book a fairytale, Cinderella, kind of feel. Which makes sense, as this story is supposed to be a fairy tale, unlike any other fairy tale. With that being said…I feel like the cover could have been better.

Blurb:

The blurb is very spot on with how the story goes.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: Once upon a time it was autumn in the golden city of New York and the sparkling metropolis had pulled on its gilded mantle of russet hues so that it might celebrate the most glorious season and the best of all holidays, namely Halloween.

Highlights: It was a unique and intriguing story.

Lowlights: Somewhat long-winded.

Final Thoughts: I would recommend this book to friends, but warn them of how drawn out it can feel.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Twisted (Twisted #1)

23/04/201623/04/2016adult, Lola Smirnova2 Comments

Author: Lola Smirnova
Release Date: June 30, 2015
Series: Twisted
Genre: New Adult | Suspense | Adult
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 313
Publisher: Createspace
Source: Publicist
Buy it here: Amazon

Followed by: Craved

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Back in the 90’s, the corrupt post-Soviet Ukraine with its faltering economy, is thrown into a devastating depression. Times are hard. Opportunities are scarce.

Three eager young sisters – Natalia, Lena and Julia – dream of a better life and weigh their options: do they stay and struggle like their parents, or join scores of their compatriots in the sex trade in glittering western European cities, who earn in a night what they’d take several months to earn at home? Naive and tempted by the allure of ‘quick’ money, the girls set off on an adventure that changes their lives forever…

Can they stay out of trouble enough to fulfill their ambitions?
Can they hold on to their idealism in a world where depravity and danger are constant companions?
How far are they willing to go to make a buck?

Inspired by real-life events, Twisted is a fascinating New Adult SUSPENSE THRILLER about vulnerability, courage and the art of making a living in the sex trade…

Review

I reviewed Craved, the second part in Twisted trilogy, not long ago, and I was fortunate enough to receive the prequel of this amazing book as well by the publicist for review [also the author was kind enough to send me a signed copy for this one!] So, please ignore that I’ll be comparing this book to the next one which might seem odd taking into account that this is the 1st book in Twisted trilogy.

I absolutely loved this awesome and entertaining book! It’s every bit as entertaining and as engaging as its sequel.

Once again the writing of author Lola Smirnova totally blew my mind off by its simplicity and the ability to keep me glued to the book the entire time. Time flew like a bird and I was left craving for more.

Though the book is about the life and struggles of Julia, a prostitute, author Lola has successfully managed to keep the incidents and the serious bits as light as possible, making this book a really pleasant read and not a disturbing one as one might expect from a book based on true life events, esp. that of a prostitute.

I was in the story right from the minute I started it and felt a really deep connection with the lead of this book, Julia, as well as her sisters (whom I feel like I already know closely from my earlier read.) The witty interludes and author’s sharp sense of humor kept me entertained as well as crackling for most of the time. It was dangerous as well as refreshing to get a glimpse inside the life of a person willingly entering the sex trade and trying to play by her own rules.

This book is a masterpiece and is awesome o so many different levels. The severity of the topic always stays just below the surface but never does it ever surfaces to make the reader uncomfortable. This technique of storytelling is where this book really scored for me.

This book is worth all the praise and all the money. I’m really falling short of words here in describing how much I enjoyed reading this book. The story, the plot, the flow of the incidents, the linearity , the pacing, the beginning, the ending, etc, everything is perfect and I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a good book to read.

So go ahead and grab a copy of this book and its sequel to meet Julia and her sisters and to accompany them on their unusual yet dangerous journey of sex, drugs and alcohol.

Bookstagram

Other Stuff

Opening Line: ‘Sag es!’ he screams at me.

Highlights: Storytelling.

Lowlights: None.

Memorable Quotes:

I saw so many of these ‘love affairs without love’ that I became used to the concept and formed my okay-with-being-a-pro attitude. As I see it, the only difference between any hooker and our neighbour Dasha is that the former’s ‘labour hour’ is the latter’s lifetime.

Final Thoughts: A brilliantly written book.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Over The Dragonwall by H.C. Strom and Dennis D. Montoya (Dragonwall Chronicles #1)

17/04/201622/06/2016Adventure, Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author), Dennis Montoya, Fantasy, H.C. Strom, Young Adult1 Comment

Author: Dennis Montoya & H.C. Strom
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Series: Dragonwall Chronicles
Genre: YA | Fantasy | Adventure
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 277
Publisher: Self-Published
Source: Publicist
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

A thousand years ago the gods brokered a peace treaty with the dragons to save mankind. As a monument, the magical Dragonwall was built stretching from the Dwarven city of Farreach to the port city of Seareach. Over generations, the great dragon’s stories have turned to myths and the treaty forgotten. The wall’s magic is failing and the call for a hero goes unanswered.
Oberon a young monk and his friends leave the city of Delvingdeep to answer the riddle of the existence of dragons. No one expected a short cut though a swamp would ever lead them on a heroic adventure over the Dragonwall.

Review

I enjoyed reading Over The Dragonwall a lot and I really think that this book needs more publicity and attention as it can very well end up as a bestseller among the young adult crowd (but only after rectifying the few faults it has. Read on to know more.)

I loved the concept and the story line, they are simply brilliant. The characterization is also good but needs some work to make it better. Obi as a lead is a really good character and the other characters, the other members of the party, are also a real treat. The concept is a winner but there were a few problems in the execution. The editing is poor. Sometimes there is a slip in narration and out of nowhere it changes to the first person at more than one place.

The words sometimes are repeated and the dialogues feel unnecessary and unpolished. I really think that this book needs some heavy editing and also a new cover, and then it’ll be ready to climb the best selling list.

This book is a mixture of Hobbit and harry potter, sprinkled with dragon tales and undead ghouls (zombies) and wolves and witches – so you see, there’s everything that a fantasy fanatic like me wants from a book.

In spite of poor editing, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I’d love to read it again whenever I’ll have some free time (yes, it’s that good!) I’m looking forward to reading the sequel as the book cleverly ends at the beginning of a new adventure.

Bookstagram:

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Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Why do you haunt my dreams, hag?”

Highlights: Brilliant storyline.

Lowlights: Editing.

Memorable Quotes:

Tomorrow he might see a dragon, and everything will change.

He hated not knowing the reason for things.

Final Thoughts: A beautiful story that’ll take you on a unique adventurous journey.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Carrion by Jonathan R. Rose

12/04/201612/04/2016adult, Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author), Jonathan R. Rose, Post ApocalypseLeave a Comment

Author: Jonathan R. Rose
Release Date: November 8, 2015
Series: –
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Edition: E-Book (mobi)
Pages: 114
Publisher: Montag Press
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★ – DNF

Blurb:

Carrion is about a world consumed by chaos. But in this world, you are not a desperate survivor hoping to outlast the bedlam; instead, you are the monster that caused it. Consumed by an insatiable hunger, a malevolent need to feed, you are the one from whom the masses flee. And because of you a group of barbaric men led by a fanatic with a gleaming badge fastened to his chest have banded together with the intention of hunting you and all those like you down. Follow in the footsteps of a fiend. See what he sees. Taste the flesh. Smell the decay. Suffer the anguish. Witness a massive city crumble under the weight of fear and hate and become hell. Whether engulfed in flames, or flooded by lakes of blood, all that remains are monsters and men, and the war that wages not only between them, but within themselves.

Review

I hate saying this but I have to leave this book alone for good as the it’s really failing to keep up with the expectations I had before starting with it.

The writing is really good but the plot seems a little off and the whole monster’s journey is really starting to make me feel sick. I usually have a good appetite for blood and gore but here it’s starting to feel quite forced and unnecessary, I mean yes, the monster is going to rip out the flesh off the bones and suck the bones dry, he is a Zombie after all.

There are a lot of raving reviews for this book, but it’s not what I expected, so it’s a DNF for me. If you are really into zombies and the undead and are totally into blood-spilling and gory writing, then this book is for you. But it would do you good to keep in mind that this book has nothing more to offer.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Journey To Death

06/04/201605/04/2016Leigh Russell1 Comment

Author: Leigh Russell
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Series: Lucy Hall Mystery
Genre: Mystery | Thriller
Edition: E-Book (mobi)
Pages: 324
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★ – DNF

Blurb:

Lucy Hall arrives in the Seychelles determined to leave her worries behind. The tropical paradise looks sun-soaked and picture-perfect—but as Lucy soon discovers, appearances can be very deceptive. A deadly secret lurks in the island’s history, buried deep but not forgotten. And it is about to come to light.

As black clouds begin to gather over what promised to be a relaxing family break, Lucy realises that her father stands in the eye of the coming storm. A shadow from his past is threatening to destroy all that he holds dear—including the lives of his loved ones.

A dark truth is about to explode into their lives, and that truth is going to hit them right between the eyes.

Review

DNF’ed at 28%

The initial plot build up of this book felt promising but after 15% of the story, it started to feel a little scattered. I enjoyed the part of the vacation and the descriptions of the island, but I felt that after a few pages, the author went a bit onboard with the descriptions. I mean considering the book is a thriller and not a travel guide, the descriptions were too much for my taste. It was distracting me from the basic storyline and kept me thinking, “when the hell will the story start.” – Which is, of course, not a good thing.

Secondly, I thought that the concept of the “angel of death” was quite a bit exaggerated, considering she abducted a female at the 25% mark. I really lost the patience after slogging through the 28% of the book and hence, gave up.

The female lead, Lucy, failed to impress me in any way and the book fell short of characterization in a really bad way.

If you’re a patient reader and don’t mind tons of descriptions, then maybe you’ll like this book. Or maybe if you like light mysteries then this book will be an ideal match for you. But not for psychological thriller fans.

You can also read this review at Goodreads, Amazon and NetGalley.

Book Review: Dying To Tell by T.J. O’Conner (Gumshoe Ghost Mystery #3)

04/04/201622/06/2016Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author), Detective Fiction, Paranormal, T.J. O'Connor3 Comments

Author: TJ O’Connor
Release Date: January 8, 2016
Series: Gumshoe Ghost Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Crime Fiction, Paranormal, Detective Series
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 384
Publisher: Duvinchi Media Group
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

Detective Oliver Tucker never knew how perilous the past was until his wife, Angel, is nearly killed and the reclusive banker, William Mendelson, is found murdered in a hidden vault where ancient Egyptian relics and World War II secrets are stashed.
Now those relics are missing. The secrets are coming out. The dead are talking.
Tuck, the detective for the dead, knows there’s more to Mendelson’s murder than haunting family secrets and decades-old skullduggery. With Angel and his detective partners, Tuck’s guided by his long-dead grandfather, World War II OSS Captain Oliver Tucker I. Ollie is still on a mission from 1942 as murderers, thieves, and spies descend on small-town Winchester.
As the case unfolds, Tuck must also confront the growing distance between his death and Angel’s life–and the outcome is a killer of its own.

Review

This book is a real masterpiece. I enjoyed each and every chapter thoroughly and had a great time enjoying the great narration and the amusing twists and turns throughout the story. The steady flow of twists and turns and the odd reveals are perfectly timed and make reading this book a brilliant experience.

I was really impressed with the author’s writing style. It’s fresh, engaging and has a really good flow that makes reading this book one hell of an experience. And the best part of this book was the author’s sense of humor. The witty writing is just out of the world. I was chuckling the entire time whenever Tuck made a witty remark. I even cracked up laughing hard at more than a dozen instances (and my hubby found it rather amusing.)

The characterization is AMAZing and the author has done a fabulous job in creating, what I would call EPIC characters. I’m in love with all the main characters and I feel a sense of close connection with all of them.

The mystery itself was the highlight of the book and the author nailed it right to the very minute details.

This book has everything- a fabulous mystery, perfect characterization, brilliant timings, humor, ghosts, emotional nit-picks, funny one-liners, elements from the past (WWII) and a time-travelling detective. What else can a reader want more! I LOVED this book and I’m going to read all the other parts in this series (each and everyone!)

The small chapters and the alternating POVs kept me completely glued to the book and whenever I had to keep the book aside, you know for everyday life, it really irritated me to no end. I simply wanted to sit and be lost in this amazing story where a dead detective, and that too a stud one, solves the crime with his partner and wife.

I loved the idea of involving stuff from the past in the crime of the present and the entire ghost-family-thing The concept is really unique to me and I must say that I really, really loved it!

Bookstagram:

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Other Stuff

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Opening Line: “Dying is as perilous as secrets and lies. Depending, of course, on who is keeping the secrets and who is telling the lies.”

Highlights: Writing and author’s sense of humor.

Lowlights: None.

Memorable Quotes:

When I was alive, I was a hotshot homicide cop. Now, dead, I’m still a hotshot homicide cop- it’s just that my clients are nearly always dead or, at least, connected to someone who is dead.

Sometimes being dead is a pain in the ass.

Memorable Paragraphs:

A tall distinguished man in a heavy wool overcoat stood beside her now. He had one arm around her, speaking slowlyto her – consoling her- and his other arm hung to his side, a black, compact .45semiautomatic handgun in his grasp. He looked like a younger Clooney, but perhaps better looking. I instantly distrusted him.

Final Thoughts: A terrific cozy mystery.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

ARC Review: Eighth Day by Joseph John

01/04/201622/06/2016Book Reviews (by Genre), Books Reviews (by Author), Joseph John, Speculative-Fiction7 Comments

Author: Joseph John
Release Date: March 31, 2016
Series: –
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Speculative Fiction
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 250
Publisher: Obsidian Dawn
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb:

A warning from a stranger.
“Nothing you know is real. Your name isn’t Shawn Jaffe, you’re not an investment broker, and you’re not from Ohio.”
But the stranger is murdered before he can explain.
Now Shawn isn’t sure who he can trust.
Even his own memories are suspect.
Someone is watching him, controlling him, using him.
To survive, he’ll need to find out who and why.
But the stakes are much higher than one man.
Our humanity is on the line, and on the eighth day, it could be the beginning of the end.

Review

The Eighth Day is an outstanding book and I truly enjoyed reading it. The book is written in multiple POVs and captures each and everyone’s viewpoint beautifully. The author has skillfully woven a tale that feels nothing short of magical, but in a speculative way. One thing that I’d like to mention here is that the timing of the POVs (the order in which the information or story line was revealed) was perfect and it was due to this that the book hit the bull’s eye for me.

The concept itself is out-of-the-world-brilliant and the blurb made it all the more exciting by conspicuously revealing only a few details at a time, only enough to make the reader go “hmm… that sounds interesting.”

The writing is sharp and the sentence formation is really clean and crisp. I enjoyed reading the way the author has this unique style of describing stuff using parallels without, but being blatant. And that’s one thing I’m looking forward to learning from this book. I admire the author’s ability to keep me engaged and speculating throughout the book.

Right from the imaginative plot to the characterization, the author came out as a winner on all fronts. I felt a strong connection with the lead as well as the supporting characters, and even the bad guys. They were so well crafter and thought out that I even sympathized when one of the bad guys lands in trouble. This book had the give-enough-details-and-you-start-understanding-the-bad-guy’s-purpose sort of thing.

The fast pace of the book keeps things interesting right until the end where the book ends with an explosive climax. The ending is perfect and I really hope that the author writes a sequel to this book(?) and that too soon!

I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a good speculative or even a sic-fi read. Mystery lovers will also enjoy this book equally.

My Bookstagram

My paperback copy of TED

Enjoying this awesome read!

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “They’re watching you.”

Highlights: Writing.

Lowlights: None.

Memorable Quotes:

He was darkness in a world of darkness, and soon he’d dance again.

He was a shadow. He was the night. And nothing would stop him now.

Memorable Paragraphs:

Each morning, he woke and took a shower. He suited up and ate breakfast. He drove to work, and each day he faced countless acts of immorality and ungodliness that deepened his contempt for humanity. Evil came in the form of colorful pills, white powder, and a syringe. It dressed in blue jeans and a T-shirt, a business suite, and sometimes it wore a uniform and carried a badge. It wielded a pistol, a rifle, a knife, a baseball bat, and anything else it could get its hands on to shoot, stab, and bludgeon. It stole cars, money and lives. It raped, and it murdered, and it was everywhere.

Final Thoughts: An exceptionally brilliant book!

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: Fools’ Apocalypse by Anderson Atlas

29/03/201620/09/2016Reviews By Contributors6 Comments

Author: Anderson Atlas
Release Date: August 26, 2015
Series: The Extremist Edge
Genre: Horror
Edition: mobi
Pages: 392
Publisher: Synesthesia Books
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

Betrayed by one man. Sick with Lies. As the world crumbles, rots and succumbs to chaos, Ian seeks the truth. He seeks revenge. He needs his hands around the throat of the mastermind, the 6th Horseman.
6 other survivors learn they were the pawns of the 6th Horseman; who has left them to be torn apart by the puppets, the undead, who were their neighbors, friends and once beautiful strangers.
For hundreds of years, a ninth century mosque guarded a secret, an artifact covered with strange spores. Zilla tinkered with the spore’s DNA until a biological weapon emerged, one that obliterated all but a fraction of humanity. A new creature spawned inside the rotting corpses. In symbiosis, they attacked, adapted and learned. They were poised to inherit the Earth when they met Ian Gladstone.

Review

Plot/Story: I really enjoyed the plot. I like the idea that these zombies could not be killed by simply shooting them in the head. It was fun…in a horror sort of way. I will not say it was fast paced, because it did take it’s time to getting to the zombie part. But, I was okay with that because the author was just building the scene and showing how all these people played a part in the end of the world. Everyone had their valid reasons of why they participated and I loved it.

Characters: I felt like we got more of a sense of who Ian was more than anyone else. He seemed to be the main character in a story that had several main characters. He was also my favorite character from them all. I seemed to connect with him better than the rest.

Romance/Kills: There was no romance, at least not an obvious one. I felt like there was a budding romance between a few characters (Ian and Hannah), but nothing outwardly forward. As far as kills…it’s a zombie book, the end of the world. There are a million bloody kills. The descriptions of some of the killings were rather brutal and enjoyable to my horror loving heart.

Writing: The writing was fair. I feel like the novel could use a few more look throws for grammatical and spelling errors. I did notice a lot of words that were missing a few letters and a few places where the word was missing completely or there were extra words.

There was also an issue with switching the perspective of the story. I had a hard time keeping up with which character’s POV I was reading from. This could be a mistake of my own as I sometimes don’t even pay attention to the title of chapters half the time. But even when I did remember to read the chapter title to see whose POV I was reading from, I still got a little confused.

Beginning: The beginning was slow going and at one point I was a little bored. But once you get to the meaty part of the story, you understand the purpose of the slow beginning.

Ending: I enjoyed the ending. I felt like there was enough closure to end the book, but open enough to continue on to the next book.

Cover Art: The cover is simple and tells a story. It’s the picture of a world at its end and that is exactly what this book is about.

Blurb: The blurb is right to the point of the story. It doesn’t prepare you for the gore that riddles this book, which is great.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: I ran barefoot through deep, thick mud, not caring about the chill that was creeping into my skin, or the searing pain at the stump of my phantom arm.

Highlights: ZOMBIES!

Lowlights: A few errors.

Final Thoughts: This book is totally worth the read, even in its rough state.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Book Review: The Nth Day by Jonathan Huls

26/03/201626/03/2016Reviews By Contributors4 Comments

Author: Jonathan Huls
Release Date: November 11, 2015
Series: –
Genre: Fantasy
Edition: E-Book (mobi)
Pages: 330
Publisher: Duvinchi Media Group
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Rating: ★ – DNF

Blurb:

Justin is an immaculately conceived deity who roams the earth wreaking havoc as an adolescent. As his supernatural powers become catastrophic for the whole world, Cassie and Theodore must learn how to cope with the changes he has inflicted. Living as a vagrant on the streets, attempting to avoid the problems that come with millions of dollars sitting in his bank account, Theodore is suddenly thrust into a new-world leadership role, even after botching his own life early on. Abused by her drug addict mother then tossed from one foster home to the next, Cassie has been able to survive in a world that gobbles up little girls with a side of ranch dressing – but barely, and only after being miraculously revived after dying the first time.

Review

The synopsis of the book sets up an intriguing premise: a child, who may or may not be God but does have supernatural abilities, is born which causes certain events to be set into motion. Despite the seemingly original idea of this book, I had a very difficult time reading it and gave up halfway through it.

The main problem was the language. It was too crass and crude for my taste. I normally have a good stomach for violence and gore but the kind of language used in this book made it an unpleasant read for me. The throwaway violence felt unnecessary and the descriptions of sex were cringeworthy.

Another aspect that bothered me was the scene where a little girl is almost raped by her foster father. I can understand if it adds more depth to her character further in the story. But I still don’t want to read a little girl being raped in sadistic detail.

The timeline was confusing since the age of the characters was never explicitly mentioned. But from what I understood, Cassie should be nearly as old as Justin or maybe slightly older. Which was odd considering the sort of perception and thoughts she had.

The writing felt a little flat and some of the sentences were poorly structured. At times, the paragraphs were too long, sometimes as long as two pages. There were a few grammatical errors, and some of the phrases and metaphors made no sense.

If you don’t mind gore, violence, and can overlook the language, you can definitely give this book a shot. It’s simply not my cup of tea.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “And on the 8th day, as foretold by the Bible, God was reborn.”

Highlights: –

Lowlights: Writing and descriptions.

Final Thoughts: A very intriguing premise and an original idea but it lacked finesse.

This book is reviewed by Mythili Hariharan.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

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