The Salt Castle
This is the middle volume of a three book series. The premise is interesting. The scenes set in Detroit read as though the writer was familiar with the locale. There are a couple of nice set pieces. The proofreading is excellent.Familiarity with the first volume is not really necessary to follow this book.
The events of the previous volume are outlined, perhaps a little too much and a little too often. The start of the book is a bit dense with information, names and concepts assault the reader very quickly, but the information overload soon subsides to a more gradual learning pace.
The end of the book, on the other hand, is inconclusive. None of the threads of the story are really resolved.
The author tells a lot of events in summation rather than showing them. A lot of characters are introduced who are little more than names and have negligible impact on the plot.
Uor is drawn in very broad brushstrokes. The world building reminds me of the original Battlestar Galactica. As a place, it feels vague compared to the Earth.
The greatest problem, however, are the Gardeners, the machines that serve Apollo and Ares. These machines are more gods than their masters. While the other characters provide motive, too often the Gardeners provide the action, sometimes off-stage. They are the very definition of Deus Ex Machina, and the overreliance on them to drive the plot saps tension from the story.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
Life Discarded
Life Discarded starts with a bang. A car is blown up. A woman is on the run. It is exciting stuff. The story then shifts back two years, and we relive the events that led to this crisis.For the most part, I really enjoyed what followed. The wedding in the first chapter felt a little generic, but the characters quickly established themselves. Morgan’s struggles with David were described well. Her reactions to his cruelty were very believable. David was surprisingly rounded, despite his secrecy. I liked the relationship between Morgan and her best friend, Ellie.
I wasn’t so sure about Eric. I found some of his behaviour toward Ellie a bit questionable, and it made me realise I hadn’t liked Eric from the start. However, it is important to point out that Eric was the least prominent of the four main characters. Morgan and David are the main focus of the story. My dislike of Eric didn’t impact my enjoyment of the story.
The revelations at the end were a very nice payoff, but the logic of some of what happened escaped me.
Red of the Woods
This short story is a fairy tale for adults. It harks back to that time before our popular fairy tales were sanitized, when they inspired genuine terror. The author takes an axe (sigh) to Red Riding Hood and turns the story inside out in a new and imaginative way.The grandmother's actions at one point seemed a bit excessive, but I suppose her thirst for vengeance blinded her to her cruelty. And I think to a story like this, you need to apply the logic of fairy tale and myth.
The proofreading was excellent. The story was clean of errors.
The ending surprised me in a good way. It was very apt.
I received a copy of this book for an honest non-reciprocal review.
Tiger in a Cage
This novel has two narrative threads. In the first, told in the past tense, the somewhat prudish Molly, trapped in a loveless marriage, attempts to turn her new neighbours in the Close into a surrogate for the loving family she has never had. The second thread, told in the present tense, picks up years later, after the Close Set has dispersed. Molly struggles to deal with their growing estrangement. The narrative gradually reveals why the perfect world Molly so desperately wanted was impossible. Molly is a lover of Jane Austen, and, in some ways, although this is set in the eighties, this feels like a 19th century novel. The writing is excellent, as are the characterisations, mostly. Initially, it was very daunting to meet the Close Set. They were all fleshed out very well, but some made a more immediate impression than others as each couple paraded out to be introduced. However, as the book progressed, this fog of names dissipates and you get to know them intimately. Molly herself is very well drawn and entirely believable.
It is an excellent novel, and yet I never quite connected with it emotionally. The crises of the past were very much ‘told’ while the present thread, for me, lacked crisis. Though Molly dabbles in other people’s lives, she never makes a dramatic decision about her own. Circumstances choose for her. The characters outside the Close Set don’t really pull their narrative weight. Also, I wasn’t convinced by the reason Molly was writing all this down.
The author plays a dangerous game with the reader by depending on revelation to drive the drama. Some of these revelations, the ones where we share the discovery with Molly, are very effective. I liked when Molly was forced to rethink her interpretation of past events. But, there is also a certain revelation where Molly already has the answer, and she holds it back from the reader for no obvious good reason. It distanced me emotionally from the narrative.
Despite these quibbles, I still recommend this book to lovers of good literature and rate it five stars.
I received a copy of Tiger In A Cage for an honest review.
Years of Stone (Book 2)
Mac McDonnell has been sentenced to seven years in Van Diemen’s Land. His love, Deidre (‘I am affianced.’) Scott, follows him there on the same ship, Brilliant. The novel opens with the ship sinking. Can Deidre overcome the series of obstacles keeping them apart? Years of Stone is a novel full of rich detail. Real persons from the time, such as the Franklins. are woven seamlessly into the fabric of the story, and the setting feels authentic. The story worms its way through every stratum of colonial society. It reminds me of Zola’s Rougon-Macquart novels. I felt that I, like the main characters, had been transported to another land.
It is the second novel in a series, but it feels complete in itself. I will definitely look up the first book when I get a chance.
On to the bad stuff... I can’t really think of anything to be honest. Mac was often his own worst enemy, but I suppose it is easy to have patience when you aren’t breaking rocks twelve hours a day. Years of stone, indeed.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
 - Beth Camp)
Thane (Everknot Duet, #1)
Travis Bow is a very talented writer. Overall, I was impressed. The proofreading and editing were excellent. Here are few pointers for potential readers. This is a low fantasy so there are no magic systems, etc. Personally, I like that. The world-building is not very deep, but Bow makes up for this with his excellent main characters. We see this world (initially anyway) through the brothers, Timothy and Robert. Their relationship is authentic and touching, and the realism they bring to the story gives Bow’s world solidity.
Bow can be a very fast-paced writer, sometimes skipping bridging scenes to maintain an aggressive tempo. These jumps can create a momentary sense of dislocation, kind of like waking up suddenly and not knowing where you are. This is particularly noticeable early in the novel.
The ending is very open. There are a lot of unanswered questions left for the sequel.
The prologue is critical. If you are thinking of reading the book, I advise you to read it first. If you enjoy it and are intrigued by the premise, this book is for you.
I received this book for a non-reciprocal, honest review.
 - Travis Daniel Bow)
Death's Twilight (Meechan Chronicles # 1)
I enjoyed this dystopian tale. It reminded me of Logan's Run in that a member of the elite responsible for maintaining the status quo suddenly becomes its target. I really enjoyed the game of cat and mouse between Slade and Hotaru. Sometimes the logic underpinning some characters' actions escaped me, but perhaps this become clear in later volumes. It will be interesting to see these characters develop through the series.
 - A. J. Leavens)
Vengeance of Segennya
Let’s deal with the prologue first. It is in present tense. Ninety percent of the rest of the book is in past tense, till the story reaches where the prologue left off. The book then goes back to present tense. We know from the prologue that two of the main characters are hale and hearty ‘in the present’ so no need to worry about their fate for ninety percent of the book.The rest of the book reads like a good first draft. The writing is very clunky, and it is hard to make sense of some sentences. The story is under-baked, full of contradictions and continuity slips. You can see where the author has changed her mind or tossed in a new idea without properly integrating it into the story.
For example, take Kellin. Druj appoints him as the captain of Durj’s army at one stage. Later this title changes to commander. Even though the captain of Durj’s army would be a position of responsibility, Kellin seems completely detached from Durj’s schemes. Durj doesn’t display any need for him, so why appoint him? Durj shows Kellin written proof of Liz’s treachery but later says that Kellin can’t read.
There is a strange dissonance in the main character, Liz. She is far too likeable for someone who is a ruthless killer. And she is ruthless—she admits it herself. She says that she’d kill anyone who got in her way on one of her boss’s missions.
She is the centre of her friends’ attention to an almost psychotic degree. For example, each of her comrades has very personal reasons to hate Durj, but, except for Cat, it is Durj’s betrayal of Liz that is their sole focus. Liz’s violent past (for which she never displays the least guilt) doesn’t matter. She is nice and (too) loyal, and that is all that matters.
The least thing Liz does is met with vociferous praise. Leadership of the rebellion is thrust upon her by other people, for no logical reason. Even she cannot understand it. Admittedly, the training she gives might be useful, but does that really qualify her to be a leader of a coalition of peoples? If you were a Lord, would your natural choice for leader be someone who was once your biggest enemy’s most loyal assassin?
I am sorry, but these issues killed my enjoyment of the book.
The Nine Horizons
Mike Robbins is a journalist turned development worker. This book consists of nine essays covering his experiences in diverse places he has lived in or visited over nearly thirty years--Sudan, Ecuador, Bhutan, Syria, Turkestan, Kyrgystan, and New York. Although there are nine chapters, there aren't nine countries. Some countries get more than one chapter. I doubt that the book is intended to be a definitive description of the place and time (is such a thing possible?). It is simply his personal experiences, but there lies the strength of the book. As a writer, he has a keen eye for detail. The places he has visited are by now almost certainly changed beyond recognition, and I am thankful for the opportunity to see these places through his eyes.
Cattle In Ancient Ireland
This book’s cover is not exactly inspiring – grey, and lined in blue like a copybook. It’s what is within the covers that makes it special. Ever read The Táin and was curious about its historical background? Cattle In Ancient Ireland examines the pivotal role that cattle raiding, and cattle in general, played in ancient Irish society, Cows were prized possessions, a measure of a man’s wealth. The book contains lots of fascinating details like mourning cows, cows in payment for poems, cow-blowing, cows in erics and fines, and the drawing of blood from living cows for food. Cattle raiding was such an accepted custom that new kings raided their people’s enemies to prove their worthiness.The book appears to be out of print, but anyone who is interested in Celtic history, or history in general, would enjoy this book if they managed to find a copy.
The Last Innocent
The Last Innocent is a well-written angelic fantasy adventure. Sarah, the heroine, is a likeable character. I liked the way her strong willed nature acted sometimes as a weakness, sometimes as a strength. David is her guardian angel who must protect her from demonic forces, but his powers have their limitations. They inhabit a detailed, well-considered world which Chrisbacker gradually reveals one piece at a time, predominantly through the eyes of the main character (though her angel is also a key pov). A lot of biblical, mythical and historical references are deftly weaved into the story without weighing down the story.The writing is crisp. The book is well plotted. There are plenty of surprises along the way. Though the ending leaves a few unanswered questions for a sequel, the main focus of the book is resolved satisfactorily.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
BIG TROUBLE - An Evelyn Lee Emerson Novel
Big Trouble is a fun book that I really enjoyed. However, one flaw prevents me giving it five stars.Evelyn Lee Emerson is a member of the Isaac family. And this book is focussed on the family, particularly the women (sisters and sister-in-laws).
The Isaacs (almost all of whom are lawyers or judges) are proud of their prestigious status. They are very clannish. Some readers may be put off by the amount of boasting the family does about its importance. That would be a mistake as it is that pride that drives the story.
Another issue readers may have at the start is the number of characters. The Isaacs are a big family, and it is exactly like meeting a big family for the first time. It is difficult to take in all the names at first, but after a while, you get used to them. And again, the size of the family fits well with the story.
Evelyn is a well-drawn, believable character. She is the boss in her normal life. When events take an unprecedented turn, it is fun to watch how she and the rest of the Isaacs cope (or don’t).
The one issue I had with the book was that it needs proofreading.
Outsider
The book starts off with a group of adventurers exploring an abandoned temple. They get into trouble. One of them, a mage, tries to summon magical help but instead transports Duncan Hawkwind from our world into theirs. Duncan is the Outsider, not part of their world, and yet not able to leave it.A light humour flavours the book, but it’s not a comedy. The author doesn’t flinch from killing off characters.
The book has a few flaws that depending on your personal tolerance may impact your enjoyment.
First, the author chooses an omniscient viewpoint, so we move from one character’s viewpoint to the next in the same scene. This is more noticeable at the start of the book. Later, Duncan’s viewpoint tends to dominate. Sometimes, this jumping about works to capture the humour of a given situation, but if you don’t like head-hopping, you are going to find some parts of this book difficult.
The author makes absolutely sure that the reader is ‘on the same page’ with what is happening. The problem is that this sometimes creates repetition. For example, a number of characters independently learn the same information to a greater or lesser extent in the course of a series of scenes. Each of them learns it once but the reader receives the same information multiple times.
The story could use a bit more focus in the middle. There are scenes involving characters other than Duncan which probably aren’t necessary, though I can see why the author chose to include them. On the other hand, one or two scenes should have been fleshed out a bit more.
Despite these flaws, I really enjoyed the book. The last third of the book really rattles along. All the diffuse elements come together to create a very satisfying conclusion.
If I Should Die Before I Wake
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.This is a very short book. It is hard to sympathize with the two main characters. Simon Wallis is a criminal on the run from his boss after he is discovered embezzling money. Frank Burke is the assassin sent to Montreal to kill him. If Simon is unlikable, Frank is a pure psychopath, ready to kill anyone to protect his identity. Though both are well drawn, we don't learn a great deal about either's past. And we don't need to. The thrill of the chase and its ultimate outcome is enough.
Boutros expertly weaves the two stands of his tale into a cohesive story. He draws often ironic parallels in the two men's experiences. For example, the hitman dreams of being on the run while his prey has dreams of being the hunter. The ending took me by surprise, but was quite apt.
All in all, an excellent if short read.
Experiment
The book takes place on planet Zyron. Lane and Connor are brothers. They are Citizens ruled by a Zyre government which is in turn a puppet of their Khaltar overlords. Connor works for the mob, but tries to keep his brother away from that environment. However, a confrontation changes both their lives forever.The book starts out well, but about half-way through, once certain matters are resolved, it starts to lose focus. There are a few slips in logic, and the writing could do with more polish in places.
Some of the dialogue and character interaction is very good. One plot twist in particular was enjoyably reminiscent of Philip K. Dick. And the ending, though perhaps not everyone's taste, I enjoyed. I thought it was really gutsy. The writer is obviously willing to take risks.
Jake's Last Mission
Jake’s Last Mission is a very short, fun, light read. Don’t expect convoluted plotting and high tension. It reads like the final book of a long running series, where the reader is already familiar with the world, and where wrapping up the main characters’ arcs takes precedence over the plot. It is like the first ever episode you watch of a space opera series on TV is the last ever episode. As far as I can make out, this is not the case, though there are other books set in this world.The book begins with two spaceships in a standoff which quickly degenerates into a pitched battle. The book’s hero, one of the captains, Jake Kavaliro, is called to account for his actions by the Mugdaran Emperor. Jake is a likable character despite his belligerent tendencies, and his charming personality holds the book together.
There are lot of coined words. Several are explained in notes (which worked for me). Others are explained in appendices, but I only discovered this when I got to the end of the book.
The book could really do with more description, particularly at the start. I found it hard to visualise what a Mugdaran or a Sweytzian looked like.
Kristark’s Coronation is a bonus piece. It isn’t really a short story. It feels like a piece that was edited out of the main story. For me, it neither added to nor subtracted from Jake’s Last Mission.
I received a copy of the book for an honest review.
