The Girl in the Garden
Kamala Nair
Grand Central Publishing (2011),
Paperback ARC, 320 pages
Rated 5 Stars of 5 Possible
The Girl in the Garden is a tale of, well, a girl and a garden... and a secret. Of course that brings to mind The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published in its entirety in 1911. But this girl and this garden are different; as is the story. This is definitely not a re-telling of the classic tale, but a new story by a debut author brave enough to handle family issues such as abuse and divorce.
Ms Nair uses the story-within-a-story method of telling this tale. The bulk of the story is a remembrance of one summer spent in India when the narrator was about ten years old. That portion of the story is also a manuscript that the protagonist leaves for her betrothed. The author has an engaging style all her own that keeps the reader deeply engrossed in the story and turning page after page, eager to devour this compelling tale. I quite often say of horror tales that I favor the ones that keep me up all night... well, The Girl in the Garden is no horror tale, but it did keep me up all night... and it was a night well-spent, too.
I received an advance review copy of The Girl in the Garden from another reviewer. This review is uncompensated and also unexpected by the author and publisher, neither of whom had any knowledge that this book would pass through my possession. I found this book just too good to keep to myself, so I'm passing it on to someone else... This review is being posted on Dragon Views, Amazon.com, LibraryThing and YABooks Central.
Showing posts with label Adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adventure. Show all posts
Monday, October 31, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Steampunk Worth Reading
The Burning Sky
By Joseph Robert Lewis
Joseph Robert Lewis (2011),
Kindle Edition
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
The Burning Sky is a gripping, thrilling story, full of action and adventure, as well as interesting and well-developed characters. The characters' actions are consistently realistic within the rules of their world, which is not the same as ours. Thus, actions that make sense in their world would not necessarily make sense in ours... yet the envelope of suspension of disbelief isn't broken. In fact, it's not even stretched much. As part 1 of a trilogy, The Burning Sky involves the reader in the lives of the characters and embeds their world into the reader's soul so that, laying aside the book when it's finished leaves the reader feeling as if he/she is missing out on something.
For adult readers of fantasy who like stories with substance to them, The Halcyon series books are good candidates to bring on to your Kindle or other e-reader. for now, the books are not available in printed formats, which is my only regret. The time reading the series was well-spent and has provided excellent entertainment.
Recommended to all adult readers of steampunk who don't shy away from the inevitable violence of a frontier world. This review, for which I have not received any financial compensation, has been posted on Dragon Views, Amazon.com and LibraryThing.
By Joseph Robert Lewis
Joseph Robert Lewis (2011),
Kindle Edition
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
The Burning Sky is a gripping, thrilling story, full of action and adventure, as well as interesting and well-developed characters. The characters' actions are consistently realistic within the rules of their world, which is not the same as ours. Thus, actions that make sense in their world would not necessarily make sense in ours... yet the envelope of suspension of disbelief isn't broken. In fact, it's not even stretched much. As part 1 of a trilogy, The Burning Sky involves the reader in the lives of the characters and embeds their world into the reader's soul so that, laying aside the book when it's finished leaves the reader feeling as if he/she is missing out on something.
For adult readers of fantasy who like stories with substance to them, The Halcyon series books are good candidates to bring on to your Kindle or other e-reader. for now, the books are not available in printed formats, which is my only regret. The time reading the series was well-spent and has provided excellent entertainment.
Recommended to all adult readers of steampunk who don't shy away from the inevitable violence of a frontier world. This review, for which I have not received any financial compensation, has been posted on Dragon Views, Amazon.com and LibraryThing.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Forgettable Historical Fiction
The Blighted Troth: A Historical Novel of New France
By Mirella Sichirollo Patzer
History and Women (2011)
Kindle Edition
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Set early in the 18th century, this historical tale of New France tells of the trials and tribulations a young couple face. They wish to marry each other but their priest refuses, because, unknown to the young couple, the priest has been threatend by a prominent man of higher status whose attention has been fastened to the young bride-to-be. Naturally, the man covets the young woman for himself and sets out to make certain the young couple cannot be married.
The premise was very good - which is what attracted my attention to this book. The plot is complex, with twists, and turns and a large cast of characters that one almost needs a cheat sheet to follow closely, so marks off for that... The long, involved sequences between the parts with real action also challenged me to keep reading, and also caused me to mark down this book's rating. There were a couple of points near the middle of the book where I almost laid it aside forever. I kept on, because I wanted to know if the young couple overcame the difficulties, and how they managed to do so.
Large portions of this tale are forgettable, not something that makes the book stand out in my mind for recommendation. Though I normally love historical fiction, this book turned out to be less special than I thought it would be. Not recommended.
This book was provided to me free by the author in exchange for review. This review is being published on Dragonviews, Amazon.com and LibraryThing.
By Mirella Sichirollo Patzer
History and Women (2011)
Kindle Edition
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Set early in the 18th century, this historical tale of New France tells of the trials and tribulations a young couple face. They wish to marry each other but their priest refuses, because, unknown to the young couple, the priest has been threatend by a prominent man of higher status whose attention has been fastened to the young bride-to-be. Naturally, the man covets the young woman for himself and sets out to make certain the young couple cannot be married.
The premise was very good - which is what attracted my attention to this book. The plot is complex, with twists, and turns and a large cast of characters that one almost needs a cheat sheet to follow closely, so marks off for that... The long, involved sequences between the parts with real action also challenged me to keep reading, and also caused me to mark down this book's rating. There were a couple of points near the middle of the book where I almost laid it aside forever. I kept on, because I wanted to know if the young couple overcame the difficulties, and how they managed to do so.
Large portions of this tale are forgettable, not something that makes the book stand out in my mind for recommendation. Though I normally love historical fiction, this book turned out to be less special than I thought it would be. Not recommended.
This book was provided to me free by the author in exchange for review. This review is being published on Dragonviews, Amazon.com and LibraryThing.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Suspense-filled Page-Turner
Fire Sanctuary
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel
Book View Cafe(March 29, 2011)
Kindle edition
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
As a Nualan Princess prepares to wed an Axis warrior, the pair discovers that enemies abound, both from Nuala and from off-world. Survival is foremost on everyone's mind.
Fire Sanctuary was the first published of Katharine Eliska Kimbriel's Chronicles of Nuala, so the reader may notice a little bit of style change between this and the other novels of the series. This story takes place on the same planet; however it is many years after the stories told in the other two books in the series, so it fits in at either end of the series right now, or as a stand-alone novel to be read at any time. Some of the characters in this novel are related to some characters in the other two novels.
I found the novel to be skillfully written, the characters well developed. As with the other two novels, this one grabs the reader and won't let go. Fire Sanctuary is a suspense-filled page turner that readers of science fiction won't want to miss.
After awhile, I discovered that, despite what I had thought at the beginning of this book, my affinity for these characters turned out to be as strong as my affinity for the main characters in the other two books; I just took longer to realize that fact. Realizing that I want to read more Chronicles of Nuala didn't take nearly as long... Now that I've finished the series, there's that sadness of leaving friends behind but also a hopefulness that Ms. Kimbriel will want to write more stories of this interesting world.
Recommended to adult readers of science fiction and fantasy, and to those looking for something a little different from mainstream fiction. I'm on the edge of my seat now... This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com.
Fires of Nuala
Hidden Fires
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel
Book View Cafe(March 29, 2011)
Kindle edition
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
As a Nualan Princess prepares to wed an Axis warrior, the pair discovers that enemies abound, both from Nuala and from off-world. Survival is foremost on everyone's mind.
Fire Sanctuary was the first published of Katharine Eliska Kimbriel's Chronicles of Nuala, so the reader may notice a little bit of style change between this and the other novels of the series. This story takes place on the same planet; however it is many years after the stories told in the other two books in the series, so it fits in at either end of the series right now, or as a stand-alone novel to be read at any time. Some of the characters in this novel are related to some characters in the other two novels.
I found the novel to be skillfully written, the characters well developed. As with the other two novels, this one grabs the reader and won't let go. Fire Sanctuary is a suspense-filled page turner that readers of science fiction won't want to miss.
After awhile, I discovered that, despite what I had thought at the beginning of this book, my affinity for these characters turned out to be as strong as my affinity for the main characters in the other two books; I just took longer to realize that fact. Realizing that I want to read more Chronicles of Nuala didn't take nearly as long... Now that I've finished the series, there's that sadness of leaving friends behind but also a hopefulness that Ms. Kimbriel will want to write more stories of this interesting world.
Recommended to adult readers of science fiction and fantasy, and to those looking for something a little different from mainstream fiction. I'm on the edge of my seat now... This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com.
Fires of Nuala
Hidden Fires
Monday, August 15, 2011
Experience Two Sides of One Author
The Inheritance: And Other Stories
By Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm
Harper Voyager (2011)
Paperback, 400 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 Possible
I like to review anthologies on the basis of each story, especially when the stories bear little or no relationship to each other, aside from having been written by one author. That means I review each story on its own merits and then rate the book as a whole. I'll start by giving a one-line synopsis of each story with my rating for that story alone. At the end, I'll give the reasoning behind my rating of the book as a whole, which is based on the story ratings taken together.
Megan Lindholm:
A Touch of Lavendar - a coming of age story about a young boy and the aliens in his neighborhood
3 stars - interesting but not altogether enchanting as I had hoped. Might be one of the better Lindholm bunch, but still not 4 star quality.
Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man - A romance, of sorts. It seems to have no ending, as if the romance is still ongoing.
3 stars - interesting with a few points that almost reach that elusive 4th star.
Cut - Mercifully short, bizarre and somewhat forgettable tale of mutilation and individual rights.
2 stars - definitely not my thing.
The Fifth Squashed Cat - The key to immortality for select people?
3 stars - definitely weird. Interesting, in a way, but lacks something I can't put a finger on.
Strays - An abused girl cares for stray cats.
5 stars - clearly one of the best of the Lindholm selections.
Finis - Fear of Vampires?
5 stars - Well done story and unique twist on an over-done theme.
Drum Machine - Getting your own way does not always lead to happily ever-after.
2 stars - Confusing. Three characters in the story. Two people who interact with each other in one scene, one from their mutual past. Each of the three characters seems to have or once had his/her own agenda. Seems to be multiple plot lines, but the story is too short to pull off that sort of multiplicity successfully.
First half of the book - While there are a couple of gems in the Megan Lindholm bunch, most stories are average or fall short of their potential. Two of the average stories stand a bit above the rest, but not so far above as to rate another full star.
Robin Hobb:
Homecoming - Political exiles sent to establish new colony.
5 stars - some surprising twists; interest doesn't lag.
The Inheritance - Cerise's inheritance isn't what she expected.
4 stars - not quite as interesting as other stories about this world.
Cat's Meat - Cats speak to whom they wish; we humans should listen sometimes...
5 stars, Justice is served from an unexpected source.
Second half of the book. These stories are longer, more elaborately plotted than those in the first half, as well as being more polished and among the most interesting in this collection.
The entire collection has some interesting bits and some that might have been better left in the desk drawer... taken as a whole, I'm not sorry I read this and was grateful to experience a side of the author I had not previously encountered. A definite recommendation for the authors fans. Those looking for something new may also find a few gems here, but should be aware that the collection is variable in quality.
An advance review copy of The Inheritance: And Other Stories was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review has been posted on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and wherever else I may deep appropriate.
By Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm
Harper Voyager (2011)
Paperback, 400 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 Possible
I like to review anthologies on the basis of each story, especially when the stories bear little or no relationship to each other, aside from having been written by one author. That means I review each story on its own merits and then rate the book as a whole. I'll start by giving a one-line synopsis of each story with my rating for that story alone. At the end, I'll give the reasoning behind my rating of the book as a whole, which is based on the story ratings taken together.
Megan Lindholm:
A Touch of Lavendar - a coming of age story about a young boy and the aliens in his neighborhood
3 stars - interesting but not altogether enchanting as I had hoped. Might be one of the better Lindholm bunch, but still not 4 star quality.
Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man - A romance, of sorts. It seems to have no ending, as if the romance is still ongoing.
3 stars - interesting with a few points that almost reach that elusive 4th star.
Cut - Mercifully short, bizarre and somewhat forgettable tale of mutilation and individual rights.
2 stars - definitely not my thing.
The Fifth Squashed Cat - The key to immortality for select people?
3 stars - definitely weird. Interesting, in a way, but lacks something I can't put a finger on.
Strays - An abused girl cares for stray cats.
5 stars - clearly one of the best of the Lindholm selections.
Finis - Fear of Vampires?
5 stars - Well done story and unique twist on an over-done theme.
Drum Machine - Getting your own way does not always lead to happily ever-after.
2 stars - Confusing. Three characters in the story. Two people who interact with each other in one scene, one from their mutual past. Each of the three characters seems to have or once had his/her own agenda. Seems to be multiple plot lines, but the story is too short to pull off that sort of multiplicity successfully.
First half of the book - While there are a couple of gems in the Megan Lindholm bunch, most stories are average or fall short of their potential. Two of the average stories stand a bit above the rest, but not so far above as to rate another full star.
Robin Hobb:
Homecoming - Political exiles sent to establish new colony.
5 stars - some surprising twists; interest doesn't lag.
The Inheritance - Cerise's inheritance isn't what she expected.
4 stars - not quite as interesting as other stories about this world.
Cat's Meat - Cats speak to whom they wish; we humans should listen sometimes...
5 stars, Justice is served from an unexpected source.
Second half of the book. These stories are longer, more elaborately plotted than those in the first half, as well as being more polished and among the most interesting in this collection.
The entire collection has some interesting bits and some that might have been better left in the desk drawer... taken as a whole, I'm not sorry I read this and was grateful to experience a side of the author I had not previously encountered. A definite recommendation for the authors fans. Those looking for something new may also find a few gems here, but should be aware that the collection is variable in quality.
An advance review copy of The Inheritance: And Other Stories was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review has been posted on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and wherever else I may deep appropriate.
Friday, August 5, 2011
A Light-hearted Look At The Life Of Witches
A Modern Witch
Debora Geary
Fireweed Publishing (2011)
Kindle Edition
Rated 5 stars of 5 possible
A Modern Witch by Debora Geary is a light-hearted look at the life of Witches and the awesome powerful magic spells they are capable of casting.
Debora Geary sets the hook right away as we discover 28-year-old Lauren has been brought into a witch's chat by the fetching spell that is not supposed to make mistakes. At first, Lauren is convinced that, despite the spell-caster's assurance, there has indeed been a mistake. She is no witch... or is she?
Discover the magical and captivating answer as you watch Lauren gain the knowedge she needs with the help of her new-found friends, who just happen to include a little 4-year-old, story-stealing witchling who needs a tale of his own...
I loved these characters right from the start. The author's well-written prose brought them to life and the situations in which we become acquainted with the characters seem very realistic. Within the world of this story, the reader can even believe in magic for a time...
Recommended for readers of light fantasy, romance, and those looking for something a bit different. The Kindle edition of A Modern Witch was provided to me by the author in exchange for this review. This review has been published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and wherever else deemed appropriate by this reviewer.
Debora Geary
Fireweed Publishing (2011)
Kindle Edition
Rated 5 stars of 5 possible
A Modern Witch by Debora Geary is a light-hearted look at the life of Witches and the awesome powerful magic spells they are capable of casting.
Debora Geary sets the hook right away as we discover 28-year-old Lauren has been brought into a witch's chat by the fetching spell that is not supposed to make mistakes. At first, Lauren is convinced that, despite the spell-caster's assurance, there has indeed been a mistake. She is no witch... or is she?
Discover the magical and captivating answer as you watch Lauren gain the knowedge she needs with the help of her new-found friends, who just happen to include a little 4-year-old, story-stealing witchling who needs a tale of his own...
I loved these characters right from the start. The author's well-written prose brought them to life and the situations in which we become acquainted with the characters seem very realistic. Within the world of this story, the reader can even believe in magic for a time...
Recommended for readers of light fantasy, romance, and those looking for something a bit different. The Kindle edition of A Modern Witch was provided to me by the author in exchange for this review. This review has been published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and wherever else deemed appropriate by this reviewer.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Late Series Entry: Best Start at Book 1
No Mercy
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press (2010)
Hardcover, 352 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
No Mercy is paranormal romance, and part of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. The main characters are shape shifters and an Amazon warrior/queen who was betrayed by her overly jealous sister thousands of years before. Now, the Amazon is a Dark Hunter, with special powers and immortality. She's also falling for one of the shape shifters, a bear who has the ability to assume the appearance of being human.
Lately, I've been straying from my normal reading genres, which mostly include science fiction and fantasy, but also lots of historical fiction, which often has some romance included. I also seem to have acquired an affinity for series books, jumping into the middle of a series without knowing it IS a series until later. In the case of No Mercy, it's not yet a mid-series book, but closer to the recent end of a very long (20+ volume) series. Coming into the series at this point puts the reader at something of a disadvantage, in that references to events that occurred earlier in the series are made in No Mercy, but having not read the earlier books, I had no idea what the characters were talking about.
Series connectivity aside, I have to say I did enjoy this book, despite the fact that paranormal romance generally isn't my thing. Sherrilyn Kenyon is a new-to-me author, whom I am glad I ventured to try. For those with at least some familiarity with the Dark Hunter series, No Mercy would stand alone well enough that it would not matter if a few books from the series were skipped. For those completely unfamiliar with the series, as I was, starting with No Mercy probably isn't the greatest idea. Knowing what came before may be helpful.
Recommended to fans of the Dark Hunter series.
A finished hardcover copy of No Mercy was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review appears on Dragon Views, Library Thing, Amazon.com and wherever else deemed appropriate by this reviewer.
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press (2010)
Hardcover, 352 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
No Mercy is paranormal romance, and part of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. The main characters are shape shifters and an Amazon warrior/queen who was betrayed by her overly jealous sister thousands of years before. Now, the Amazon is a Dark Hunter, with special powers and immortality. She's also falling for one of the shape shifters, a bear who has the ability to assume the appearance of being human.
Lately, I've been straying from my normal reading genres, which mostly include science fiction and fantasy, but also lots of historical fiction, which often has some romance included. I also seem to have acquired an affinity for series books, jumping into the middle of a series without knowing it IS a series until later. In the case of No Mercy, it's not yet a mid-series book, but closer to the recent end of a very long (20+ volume) series. Coming into the series at this point puts the reader at something of a disadvantage, in that references to events that occurred earlier in the series are made in No Mercy, but having not read the earlier books, I had no idea what the characters were talking about.
Series connectivity aside, I have to say I did enjoy this book, despite the fact that paranormal romance generally isn't my thing. Sherrilyn Kenyon is a new-to-me author, whom I am glad I ventured to try. For those with at least some familiarity with the Dark Hunter series, No Mercy would stand alone well enough that it would not matter if a few books from the series were skipped. For those completely unfamiliar with the series, as I was, starting with No Mercy probably isn't the greatest idea. Knowing what came before may be helpful.
Recommended to fans of the Dark Hunter series.
A finished hardcover copy of No Mercy was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review appears on Dragon Views, Library Thing, Amazon.com and wherever else deemed appropriate by this reviewer.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Richly Layered
Heirs of Mars - a tale of sacrifice and revenge on the red planet
Joseph Robert Lewis
Joseph Robert Lewis (2010),
Kindle Edition - Print length 368 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
Heirs of Mars, written by author Joseph Robert Lewis, is a tale of life on the planet Mars, both for those born on the red planet, and those who immigrated there from Earth. The novel alternates chapters narrated by six main characters, men and women who represent the various groups who inherit the planet from previous explorers. These six characters each have a unique point of view to relate, and as such, each character adds another layer of interest to the story.
I find multi-focal novels a challenge to read since the point of view changes as the chapters transition from one character to the next. Still, such novels provide more information and more in-depth knowledge for the reader than would be available if the story were told by only one character, as some characters see things and events that many of the other characters do not see and/or know nothing about. Transitions between the multiple viewpoints are well done in this sometimes suspenseful, always fascinating tale of Mars.
Artificial intelligence, cloning, and robotics, are well-depicted in this novel. These heavy science themes do not make the story too complex for the average reader to follow, yet they add another dimension to the atmosphere of the tale. Over and over again in the literature of Earth, we see the same themes repeated. People fear that which they do not understand. This simple theme has been explored by many authors among many genres and is given a slightly different face here, in the colonist's fear of the newborn clones.
Recommended to readers age 14 and up who love reading science fiction. While this review is based on the Kindle edition, this ebook is available in various other formats, but, alas, not yet in printed formats (or, at least none that I've been able to locate) and on several different websites.
Heirs of Mars - a tale of sacrifice and revenge on the red planet; was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. As always, accepting the novel only obligates me to write a review. No promises were made as to what the content of my review might be. This review, for which no financial compensation has been received by the reviewer, appears on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and other sites deemed appropriate by the reviewer.
Joseph Robert Lewis
Joseph Robert Lewis (2010),
Kindle Edition - Print length 368 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
Heirs of Mars, written by author Joseph Robert Lewis, is a tale of life on the planet Mars, both for those born on the red planet, and those who immigrated there from Earth. The novel alternates chapters narrated by six main characters, men and women who represent the various groups who inherit the planet from previous explorers. These six characters each have a unique point of view to relate, and as such, each character adds another layer of interest to the story.
I find multi-focal novels a challenge to read since the point of view changes as the chapters transition from one character to the next. Still, such novels provide more information and more in-depth knowledge for the reader than would be available if the story were told by only one character, as some characters see things and events that many of the other characters do not see and/or know nothing about. Transitions between the multiple viewpoints are well done in this sometimes suspenseful, always fascinating tale of Mars.
Artificial intelligence, cloning, and robotics, are well-depicted in this novel. These heavy science themes do not make the story too complex for the average reader to follow, yet they add another dimension to the atmosphere of the tale. Over and over again in the literature of Earth, we see the same themes repeated. People fear that which they do not understand. This simple theme has been explored by many authors among many genres and is given a slightly different face here, in the colonist's fear of the newborn clones.
Recommended to readers age 14 and up who love reading science fiction. While this review is based on the Kindle edition, this ebook is available in various other formats, but, alas, not yet in printed formats (or, at least none that I've been able to locate) and on several different websites.
Heirs of Mars - a tale of sacrifice and revenge on the red planet; was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. As always, accepting the novel only obligates me to write a review. No promises were made as to what the content of my review might be. This review, for which no financial compensation has been received by the reviewer, appears on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and other sites deemed appropriate by the reviewer.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
An Epic Conclusion
Oracle's Legacy: Dawn of Illumination
R. B. Holbrook
Lulu.com (2010),
Paperback, 458 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
Oracle's Legacy: Dawn of Illumination is the thrilling conclusion to the author's debut series, which began with Oracle's Legacy: Children of Sun. Since the Oracle's Legacy series is one massive story broken up into three books, the best way to read the series is to begin with Oracle's Legacy: Children of Sun and read the books in order. In this way, the reader does not miss character background or important story issues by starting in the middle or at the end.
As with Shadows of Fate, this third volume builds on the story thus far, beginning where the previous volume ended. Whether you borrow or buy these books, try to get them all at once, so you can rapidly move from one to the next without much delay. When you do this, you will get the most seamless transition from one book to the next, and the story will have a greater impact.
Taken as one long epic, Oracle's Legacy is a fascinating story... however, if you like short stories or even average-length novels, you probably won't like this, because the three books are one large story, of which the three parts should be read in sequence, and for best effect should be read together, as opposed to reading one book and then something else before continuing with the saga.
Recommended to adults who love epic fantasy and science fiction. Oracle's Legacy: Dawn of Illumination was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. This review will be posted on LibraryThing, Dragon Views, Amazon.com and wherever else deemed appropriate by this reviewer.
Oracle's Legacy:
Book 1: Children of Sun
Book 2: Shadows of Fate
R. B. Holbrook
Lulu.com (2010),
Paperback, 458 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
Oracle's Legacy: Dawn of Illumination is the thrilling conclusion to the author's debut series, which began with Oracle's Legacy: Children of Sun. Since the Oracle's Legacy series is one massive story broken up into three books, the best way to read the series is to begin with Oracle's Legacy: Children of Sun and read the books in order. In this way, the reader does not miss character background or important story issues by starting in the middle or at the end.
As with Shadows of Fate, this third volume builds on the story thus far, beginning where the previous volume ended. Whether you borrow or buy these books, try to get them all at once, so you can rapidly move from one to the next without much delay. When you do this, you will get the most seamless transition from one book to the next, and the story will have a greater impact.
Taken as one long epic, Oracle's Legacy is a fascinating story... however, if you like short stories or even average-length novels, you probably won't like this, because the three books are one large story, of which the three parts should be read in sequence, and for best effect should be read together, as opposed to reading one book and then something else before continuing with the saga.
Recommended to adults who love epic fantasy and science fiction. Oracle's Legacy: Dawn of Illumination was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. This review will be posted on LibraryThing, Dragon Views, Amazon.com and wherever else deemed appropriate by this reviewer.
Oracle's Legacy:
Book 1: Children of Sun
Book 2: Shadows of Fate
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Confusing but still worthy
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
Diana Gabaldon
Dell Publishing Company (2008)
Mass Market Paperback, 1456 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon is book six of the Outlander series. Like the earlier volumes in the series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes takes up the story of Jamie and Claire where the previous novel ended. Also like most novels, this one has it's high points and some not so high points. While clearly not the best of the series, this book is still much better than book 5, and a worthy segment of the epic. The characters are very realistic and interestingly flawed, yet some of the situations were downright confusing.
Potential spoiler follows for those who have not read this novel, however the spoiler is necessary to explain the confusion.
At one point, Brianna is at the home of Jamie's aunt, and then, suddenly she is a captive on board a ship belonging to one of one of the villains of the epic. This part of the tale makes little sense, as does her rescue which comes later. While a captive, Brianna bribes a prostitute to carry a message to Jamie, which is eventually delivered as promised... but, before that message is delivered, Jamie clearly knows what has happened already. How does he know? This, too, is unexplained...
Recommended for the author's fans, as well as to readers who like their historical fiction with a little romance, a little science fiction, and and lots of details... However, to get the most from this book, you really should read those that were published prior to this volume.
Book 1: Outlander
Book 2: Dragonfly in Amber
Book 3: Voyager
Book 4: Drums of Autumn
Book 5: The Fiery Cross
This review is being simultaneously posted on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and any other site on which the revewer decides is appropriate. Note also that no compensation, financial or otherwise, was received for posting this review.
Diana Gabaldon
Dell Publishing Company (2008)
Mass Market Paperback, 1456 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon is book six of the Outlander series. Like the earlier volumes in the series, A Breath of Snow and Ashes takes up the story of Jamie and Claire where the previous novel ended. Also like most novels, this one has it's high points and some not so high points. While clearly not the best of the series, this book is still much better than book 5, and a worthy segment of the epic. The characters are very realistic and interestingly flawed, yet some of the situations were downright confusing.
Potential spoiler follows for those who have not read this novel, however the spoiler is necessary to explain the confusion.
At one point, Brianna is at the home of Jamie's aunt, and then, suddenly she is a captive on board a ship belonging to one of one of the villains of the epic. This part of the tale makes little sense, as does her rescue which comes later. While a captive, Brianna bribes a prostitute to carry a message to Jamie, which is eventually delivered as promised... but, before that message is delivered, Jamie clearly knows what has happened already. How does he know? This, too, is unexplained...
Recommended for the author's fans, as well as to readers who like their historical fiction with a little romance, a little science fiction, and and lots of details... However, to get the most from this book, you really should read those that were published prior to this volume.
Book 1: Outlander
Book 2: Dragonfly in Amber
Book 3: Voyager
Book 4: Drums of Autumn
Book 5: The Fiery Cross
This review is being simultaneously posted on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and any other site on which the revewer decides is appropriate. Note also that no compensation, financial or otherwise, was received for posting this review.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Uniquely Twisted
A Decent Ransom: A Story of a Kidnapping Gone Right
Ivana Hruba
Kunati Inc. (2008),
Mobi format for Kindle,
Print Length: 272 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 Possible
A Decent Ransom begins with a kidnapping which, from the point of view of the kidnappers, appears to get rapidly out of hand. Then, just when the reader thinks he/she has predicted the ending, the story takes a unique twist...
No, I don't wish to spoil that wonderful ending, so I'll just say that after a certain point, you'll be on the edge of your seat while reading this sometimes humorous, always interesting tale. The characters are well developed, the plot engaging enough to keep me turning pages.
While I never lost interest, I did wonder, at times, about the motivations of young Phoebus, hence my 4 star rating of this very worthy effort by a new-to-me author.
Recommended for adult readers who are looking for something different to add to the regular routine reading. An ebook version of this novel was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. This review has been posted on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and at other locations deemed appropriate by the reviewer.
Ivana Hruba
Kunati Inc. (2008),
Mobi format for Kindle,
Print Length: 272 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 Possible
A Decent Ransom begins with a kidnapping which, from the point of view of the kidnappers, appears to get rapidly out of hand. Then, just when the reader thinks he/she has predicted the ending, the story takes a unique twist...
No, I don't wish to spoil that wonderful ending, so I'll just say that after a certain point, you'll be on the edge of your seat while reading this sometimes humorous, always interesting tale. The characters are well developed, the plot engaging enough to keep me turning pages.
While I never lost interest, I did wonder, at times, about the motivations of young Phoebus, hence my 4 star rating of this very worthy effort by a new-to-me author.
Recommended for adult readers who are looking for something different to add to the regular routine reading. An ebook version of this novel was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. This review has been posted on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and at other locations deemed appropriate by the reviewer.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Interesting But Somewhat Predictable
Heirs of Mars: Preludes
By Joseph Robert Lewis
Joseph Robert Lewis (2011)
Kindle Edition; Print length: 50 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
This short anthology contains a series of three inter-linked short stories that provide a prelude to the novel, Heirs of Mars. These three stories from three unique perspectives describe life on Venus, Earth, and Mars in the years and days before the novel begins. Following the three short stories, there is an excerpt from the novel, Heirs of Mars.
Taken one-by-one, the short stories don't reveal much, but togther they build toward the opening of the novel in a way that grabs the reader's interest. None of these stories turn out as the reader might expect, yet the latter two seem at least predictable in some ways. The first, to me, seems the best of the lot - perhaps because the characters were better developed and/or the plot more planned than the latter two stories.
The second story builds a bit toward an ironic ending in which the main character gets exactly the kind of life from which she is attempting to escape... nice suspense builder, but I find that I couldn't care for the characters much.
The third story, which is also ironic, also failed to make me care for the main character; but his family... well, if the story were longer, and if I was given the chance to understand them better...
These shorts can be skipped or you can read them after the novel as well as before. There's nothing here that's required reading before you read the novel, and no major spoilers either. The choice is up to the reader...
This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, Library Thing and Amazon.com as well as wherever else might be deemed appropriate by me.
By Joseph Robert Lewis
Joseph Robert Lewis (2011)
Kindle Edition; Print length: 50 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
This short anthology contains a series of three inter-linked short stories that provide a prelude to the novel, Heirs of Mars. These three stories from three unique perspectives describe life on Venus, Earth, and Mars in the years and days before the novel begins. Following the three short stories, there is an excerpt from the novel, Heirs of Mars.
Taken one-by-one, the short stories don't reveal much, but togther they build toward the opening of the novel in a way that grabs the reader's interest. None of these stories turn out as the reader might expect, yet the latter two seem at least predictable in some ways. The first, to me, seems the best of the lot - perhaps because the characters were better developed and/or the plot more planned than the latter two stories.
The second story builds a bit toward an ironic ending in which the main character gets exactly the kind of life from which she is attempting to escape... nice suspense builder, but I find that I couldn't care for the characters much.
The third story, which is also ironic, also failed to make me care for the main character; but his family... well, if the story were longer, and if I was given the chance to understand them better...
These shorts can be skipped or you can read them after the novel as well as before. There's nothing here that's required reading before you read the novel, and no major spoilers either. The choice is up to the reader...
This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, Library Thing and Amazon.com as well as wherever else might be deemed appropriate by me.
Friday, March 25, 2011
A Series Done Correctly
Hidden Fires
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel
Bookviewcafe, 2010
Mobi format for Kindle,
Print Length: 304 pages
Rated 4 Stars of 5 Possible
Hidden Fires is the author's follow-up to The Fires of Nuala. The adventures in Hidden Fires take place approximately ten years after those in The Fires of Nuala. Some of our old favorite characters are back with a completely different story, and we also get to meet some fascinating new personalities who happen to reside on Nuala. These novels form a character-based series that takes place on the planet Nuala, but the plots are not so inter-twined as to make reading the previous entries in the same series necessary. If one wishes to read only one story from the series, that is entirely possible without missing anything important. This novel is both a sequel to the previous book and an independently standing novel in its own right. It fits both roles very well. In my mind, this is a series done correctly.
This novel is not slow to grab the reader's attention and the plot moves along at an appropriate pace, with vivid descriptions of the planet Nuala, and enough action to satisfy the pickiest of readers. There is some violence in Hidden Fires, but it serves to move the plot along, more or less in the direction the author intended. I did not want to put Hidden Fires down, and I want more... I can hardly wait for Fire Sanctuary, in which we will be able to get a glimpse into Nuala's future, to be released in ebook format. Yet, hooked as I am on this series, I know that one more book isn't going to be enough for me.
Given the aforementioned violence, and the accompanying bloody mess attached thereto, this novel may not be suitable for some readers, but for those who don't mind the mess (both bloody and political) that the Nualan characters get into, I do highly recommend the entire series. This book was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for review. This review is being simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views, LibraryThing and wherever else I can remember to post it.
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel
Bookviewcafe, 2010
Mobi format for Kindle,
Print Length: 304 pages
Rated 4 Stars of 5 Possible
Hidden Fires is the author's follow-up to The Fires of Nuala. The adventures in Hidden Fires take place approximately ten years after those in The Fires of Nuala. Some of our old favorite characters are back with a completely different story, and we also get to meet some fascinating new personalities who happen to reside on Nuala. These novels form a character-based series that takes place on the planet Nuala, but the plots are not so inter-twined as to make reading the previous entries in the same series necessary. If one wishes to read only one story from the series, that is entirely possible without missing anything important. This novel is both a sequel to the previous book and an independently standing novel in its own right. It fits both roles very well. In my mind, this is a series done correctly.
This novel is not slow to grab the reader's attention and the plot moves along at an appropriate pace, with vivid descriptions of the planet Nuala, and enough action to satisfy the pickiest of readers. There is some violence in Hidden Fires, but it serves to move the plot along, more or less in the direction the author intended. I did not want to put Hidden Fires down, and I want more... I can hardly wait for Fire Sanctuary, in which we will be able to get a glimpse into Nuala's future, to be released in ebook format. Yet, hooked as I am on this series, I know that one more book isn't going to be enough for me.
Given the aforementioned violence, and the accompanying bloody mess attached thereto, this novel may not be suitable for some readers, but for those who don't mind the mess (both bloody and political) that the Nualan characters get into, I do highly recommend the entire series. This book was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for review. This review is being simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views, LibraryThing and wherever else I can remember to post it.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Continuing Character; Loosely Connected
Long Lost
Harlan Coben
Dutton Adult (2009)
Hardcover, 384 pages
Rated 5 stars of 5 possible
Myron Bolitar is a continuing character created by Harlan Coben. While many books written before Long Lost have starred Detective Bolitar, they do not seem to be more than loosely connected so that, this book, for instance, can be a stand-alone as well as part of the series depicting this long-suffering detective.
Long Lost is at once a family tragedy and a murder mystery that leads to a previously unsuspected terrorist plot with global implications. Author Harlan Coben skillfully tells the intricate tale in an addicting, page turning manner that will hook you from page one and not let you go until you have regretfully finished this stunning tale.
While this is the first novel of Coben's that I have read, it will not be the last. The suspense that builds from the beginning throughout this novel and the professionally edited writing bring the reader to appreciate the intensity of the carefully dramatized story. The flawed and very human characters bring the story to life right in front of the reader. That's the mark of an excellent writer, and Mr. Coben fits the bill nicely.
Recommended for readers of mysteries from 17 to 117...
This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
Harlan Coben
Dutton Adult (2009)
Hardcover, 384 pages
Rated 5 stars of 5 possible
Myron Bolitar is a continuing character created by Harlan Coben. While many books written before Long Lost have starred Detective Bolitar, they do not seem to be more than loosely connected so that, this book, for instance, can be a stand-alone as well as part of the series depicting this long-suffering detective.
Long Lost is at once a family tragedy and a murder mystery that leads to a previously unsuspected terrorist plot with global implications. Author Harlan Coben skillfully tells the intricate tale in an addicting, page turning manner that will hook you from page one and not let you go until you have regretfully finished this stunning tale.
While this is the first novel of Coben's that I have read, it will not be the last. The suspense that builds from the beginning throughout this novel and the professionally edited writing bring the reader to appreciate the intensity of the carefully dramatized story. The flawed and very human characters bring the story to life right in front of the reader. That's the mark of an excellent writer, and Mr. Coben fits the bill nicely.
Recommended for readers of mysteries from 17 to 117...
This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Historical Fiction With A Circus Feel...
The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno
Ellen Bryson
Henry Holt and Co. (2010)
Paperback ARC, 350 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible.
Well before he became associated with circuses, P.T. Barnum owned a museum in lower Manhattan, which he called Barnum's American Museum. Barnum specialized in amusements and oddities. He liked to seek out and employ those who were different than the norm. Bearded ladies, fat ladies, thin men, strong men, Siamese twins, any and all who could boast of being or doing something unusual. This is the story of the thinnest man in the world, who proudly boasts that his unusual body is a gift. The story follows Fortuno as he becomes discontented with his life as a performer and his transformation from an oddity to a normal human being.
From the first page, The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno has the flavor of a circus sideshow, despite Fortuno and his colleagues making quite clear that working in Barnum's museum is (to their point of view) better than working in a circus. The reader is captured early on and does not escape from this page-turning adventure before the last page is done. Parts of the story are told through newspaper clippings and correspondence, included as illustrative material rather than merely described. These epherma contribute a genuine historical feel to the novel, lending an air of authenticity which would otherwise be lacking.
Following the usual acknowledgements and about the author blurb at the back of the book, there is an essay about how the author came to write this novel. The essay is as interesting as the novel itself, and provides a bit of background that helps make the story come alive for the reader. I didn't find this essay until I had finished the main story, but some readers might like to read the short material first, others could view it as a spoiler, meant to be read last, if at all.
Recommended to readers of historical fiction, and even to those who just like a good story. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
Ellen Bryson
Henry Holt and Co. (2010)
Paperback ARC, 350 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible.
Well before he became associated with circuses, P.T. Barnum owned a museum in lower Manhattan, which he called Barnum's American Museum. Barnum specialized in amusements and oddities. He liked to seek out and employ those who were different than the norm. Bearded ladies, fat ladies, thin men, strong men, Siamese twins, any and all who could boast of being or doing something unusual. This is the story of the thinnest man in the world, who proudly boasts that his unusual body is a gift. The story follows Fortuno as he becomes discontented with his life as a performer and his transformation from an oddity to a normal human being.
From the first page, The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno has the flavor of a circus sideshow, despite Fortuno and his colleagues making quite clear that working in Barnum's museum is (to their point of view) better than working in a circus. The reader is captured early on and does not escape from this page-turning adventure before the last page is done. Parts of the story are told through newspaper clippings and correspondence, included as illustrative material rather than merely described. These epherma contribute a genuine historical feel to the novel, lending an air of authenticity which would otherwise be lacking.
Following the usual acknowledgements and about the author blurb at the back of the book, there is an essay about how the author came to write this novel. The essay is as interesting as the novel itself, and provides a bit of background that helps make the story come alive for the reader. I didn't find this essay until I had finished the main story, but some readers might like to read the short material first, others could view it as a spoiler, meant to be read last, if at all.
Recommended to readers of historical fiction, and even to those who just like a good story. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Not Serious or Credible, but Still Fun
The Dragon at the Edge of the World
Charles White
Charles White (2009)
Pdf, 318 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
When I began reading this book, I had such high hopes for a new historical fiction novel. Those hopes were soon to be dashed to pieces though, because there is little believable historical content in The Dragon at the Edge of the World. That said, the novel is worth reading for entertainment purposes, as the humorous situations and the likeable characters create an interesting, if, at times, almost unbelievable story.
While I noticed a few grammatical and typographical errors in this book, they did not majorly detract from the story, so I didn't note the exact location of these errors. The characters in this story are a hodge-podge of unlikely companions of different ethnic backgrounds and from different parts of the world working together and against one another in the name of survival. The end of this novel screams sequel...
Recommended for laughs, but not for those looking for serious historical fiction or credible fantasy. This eBook was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing
Charles White
Charles White (2009)
Pdf, 318 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
When I began reading this book, I had such high hopes for a new historical fiction novel. Those hopes were soon to be dashed to pieces though, because there is little believable historical content in The Dragon at the Edge of the World. That said, the novel is worth reading for entertainment purposes, as the humorous situations and the likeable characters create an interesting, if, at times, almost unbelievable story.
While I noticed a few grammatical and typographical errors in this book, they did not majorly detract from the story, so I didn't note the exact location of these errors. The characters in this story are a hodge-podge of unlikely companions of different ethnic backgrounds and from different parts of the world working together and against one another in the name of survival. The end of this novel screams sequel...
Recommended for laughs, but not for those looking for serious historical fiction or credible fantasy. This eBook was provided to me free by the author in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragon Views and LibraryThing
Saturday, August 14, 2010
A Satisfying Tale
Doctor Margaret's Sea Chest
Waheed Rabbani
Smashwords.com (2009)
Mobi, PDF and other e-formats
Rated 5 stars of 5 Possible
Also available in the following formats:
Infinity Publishing (May 21, 2010)
Audio: 12 CDs, 17 hours (unabridged)
You Write On; (December 8, 2008)
Paperback, 436 pages
Doctor Margaret's Sea Chest is historical fiction, set in the mid 1800’s in North America, England, Crimea and India. The saga covers India's struggle for freedom. This rather long tale is but one third of a more massive saga, yet it is nicely paced. There is a nice balance between drama, romance, and suspense which serves to keep the story consistently interesting, but it is mainly focused on the action rather than too much description.
The characters are well-developed enough that I could feel Margaret's despair when her family disapproved of her desire to marry her cousin, her jubilation at finally becoming a doctor as she wanted, despite the disapproval of her parents, and her other emotions as the story progressed. As I finished the last pages of this book, I felt as if I were leaving friends behind. In fact, I am so hooked on the story that the cliff-hanger ending has me sitting on the edge of my chair while awaiting Book II of The Azadi Trilogy: The Rani's Doctor.
Almost as interesting as the novel, there is a glossary at the end of the story which defines the unfamiliar words used so that the reader can get more from the novel than would be the case if he/she were just skipping over the unfamilar words without understanding them.
Recommended reading for those who love reading historical fiction and also for those looking for something refreshingly different. Mobi format file received free from author in exchange for this review. This review is simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and YA Books Central.
Waheed Rabbani
Smashwords.com (2009)
Mobi, PDF and other e-formats
Rated 5 stars of 5 Possible
Also available in the following formats:
Infinity Publishing (May 21, 2010)
Audio: 12 CDs, 17 hours (unabridged)
You Write On; (December 8, 2008)
Paperback, 436 pages
Doctor Margaret's Sea Chest is historical fiction, set in the mid 1800’s in North America, England, Crimea and India. The saga covers India's struggle for freedom. This rather long tale is but one third of a more massive saga, yet it is nicely paced. There is a nice balance between drama, romance, and suspense which serves to keep the story consistently interesting, but it is mainly focused on the action rather than too much description.
The characters are well-developed enough that I could feel Margaret's despair when her family disapproved of her desire to marry her cousin, her jubilation at finally becoming a doctor as she wanted, despite the disapproval of her parents, and her other emotions as the story progressed. As I finished the last pages of this book, I felt as if I were leaving friends behind. In fact, I am so hooked on the story that the cliff-hanger ending has me sitting on the edge of my chair while awaiting Book II of The Azadi Trilogy: The Rani's Doctor.
Almost as interesting as the novel, there is a glossary at the end of the story which defines the unfamiliar words used so that the reader can get more from the novel than would be the case if he/she were just skipping over the unfamilar words without understanding them.
Recommended reading for those who love reading historical fiction and also for those looking for something refreshingly different. Mobi format file received free from author in exchange for this review. This review is simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and YA Books Central.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Doesn't Quite Live Up To Promise
Powerless: The Synthesis
Jason Letts
Powerless Books (2010) PDF format, 228 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Powerless: The Synthesis is the first of a new YA fantasy-adventure series, and is apparently also the author's first book. Mira Ipswich is 15 years old and tired of being kept at home by her overly protective parents. She wants to go out into the mist and find out what life is like on the outside. But Mira lacks one thing everyone else has and that lack makes her different than everyone else, and vulnerable as well.
Powerless has a nice balance of dialogue and description, well-developed characters of the kind you love and the kind you love to hate, and an interesting plot. I liked the story and can't wait for the next book to see what happens with Mira and her friends and family... but I hope to see some improvement in the writing too.
Some parts of the story aren't as well thought out as might be the case. For instance, an incident in chapter nine seems to happen without enough foreshadowing and hits the reader like one of the rocks thrown by a supporting character in a later chapter... I won't say which incident as I like to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible in case someone is reading the review prior to having read the book. Additionally, Mira's class ranking changed dramatically from the beginning of the school year to the end... which stretched my suspension of disbelief, perhaps just a little too much given that she started 9 years behind the other students and so was not as prepared as her fourteen class mates...
Also as mentioned by at least one other reviewer, the young teens of Mira's class sometimes act younger than they are. I won't say that makes the story less appealing to the targeted age group, but having the teens act a bit more mature certainly wouldn't hurt anything. The other thing I noticed which distracted me from the story some is that there are occasional errors of a typographical nature scattered throughout the book... Errors such as these really should be corrected prior to publication. So, two stars deducted for the flaws mentioned.
I'll make a note here for those bound to disagree with my rating of this book. My ratings are based solely on the quality of the writing: plot, characterization, (and if reviewing a finished copy) grammar, spelling, factual or other types of errors noted in a book will all count for or against the rating of a particular book. The author's ethical conduct and/or political views have no place in a review, as far as I am concerned, so I don't even take them into consideration. I am capable of evaluating the writing without agreeing or disagreeing with the author's ethics and politics.
I received the PDF of this book free from the author via LibraryThing Member Giveaways in exchange for this review. This review was simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, YABooks Central, and Amazon.com
Jason Letts
Powerless Books (2010) PDF format, 228 pages
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Powerless: The Synthesis is the first of a new YA fantasy-adventure series, and is apparently also the author's first book. Mira Ipswich is 15 years old and tired of being kept at home by her overly protective parents. She wants to go out into the mist and find out what life is like on the outside. But Mira lacks one thing everyone else has and that lack makes her different than everyone else, and vulnerable as well.
Powerless has a nice balance of dialogue and description, well-developed characters of the kind you love and the kind you love to hate, and an interesting plot. I liked the story and can't wait for the next book to see what happens with Mira and her friends and family... but I hope to see some improvement in the writing too.
Some parts of the story aren't as well thought out as might be the case. For instance, an incident in chapter nine seems to happen without enough foreshadowing and hits the reader like one of the rocks thrown by a supporting character in a later chapter... I won't say which incident as I like to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible in case someone is reading the review prior to having read the book. Additionally, Mira's class ranking changed dramatically from the beginning of the school year to the end... which stretched my suspension of disbelief, perhaps just a little too much given that she started 9 years behind the other students and so was not as prepared as her fourteen class mates...
Also as mentioned by at least one other reviewer, the young teens of Mira's class sometimes act younger than they are. I won't say that makes the story less appealing to the targeted age group, but having the teens act a bit more mature certainly wouldn't hurt anything. The other thing I noticed which distracted me from the story some is that there are occasional errors of a typographical nature scattered throughout the book... Errors such as these really should be corrected prior to publication. So, two stars deducted for the flaws mentioned.
I'll make a note here for those bound to disagree with my rating of this book. My ratings are based solely on the quality of the writing: plot, characterization, (and if reviewing a finished copy) grammar, spelling, factual or other types of errors noted in a book will all count for or against the rating of a particular book. The author's ethical conduct and/or political views have no place in a review, as far as I am concerned, so I don't even take them into consideration. I am capable of evaluating the writing without agreeing or disagreeing with the author's ethics and politics.
I received the PDF of this book free from the author via LibraryThing Member Giveaways in exchange for this review. This review was simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, YABooks Central, and Amazon.com
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Bardic Adventures
Storyteller
G. R. Grove
Lulu.com (2007)
Pdf Format, 252 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
Storyteller is a series of interlinked short story/chapters set in 6th century Britain, each of which forms but a small part of the larger tale. This novel is the first of a trilogy featuring young Gwernin, a fine story teller with dreams of becoming a bard. Some of the chapters are the tales Gwernin tells, others describe what happens to him on his travels as he learns and improves his craft. Storyteller is historical fiction, yet it also has elements of magic and adventure which appeal to fantasy readers.
Since each shorter tale interlocks with those that come before and after, they create a complex, inter-woven story within the story format which keeps the reader turning pages. It's not a "light and fluffy" read, but Storyteller is well worth the time spent reading. Thanks to the appendices at the back of the book, understanding the Welsh words incorporated into the story was not a difficult task, even one who happens to be ungifted in languages.
Watching Storyteller slowly unfold as the chapters fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle is a pleasurable experience that's not to be missed.
Recommended to readers of historical fiction and also to those who like a bit of fantasy in their reading. This review is based on the pdf document given to me free by the author, and has been simultaneously posted on Dragon views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
G. R. Grove
Lulu.com (2007)
Pdf Format, 252 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
Storyteller is a series of interlinked short story/chapters set in 6th century Britain, each of which forms but a small part of the larger tale. This novel is the first of a trilogy featuring young Gwernin, a fine story teller with dreams of becoming a bard. Some of the chapters are the tales Gwernin tells, others describe what happens to him on his travels as he learns and improves his craft. Storyteller is historical fiction, yet it also has elements of magic and adventure which appeal to fantasy readers.
Since each shorter tale interlocks with those that come before and after, they create a complex, inter-woven story within the story format which keeps the reader turning pages. It's not a "light and fluffy" read, but Storyteller is well worth the time spent reading. Thanks to the appendices at the back of the book, understanding the Welsh words incorporated into the story was not a difficult task, even one who happens to be ungifted in languages.
Watching Storyteller slowly unfold as the chapters fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle is a pleasurable experience that's not to be missed.
Recommended to readers of historical fiction and also to those who like a bit of fantasy in their reading. This review is based on the pdf document given to me free by the author, and has been simultaneously posted on Dragon views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Exploring The Rainforest
Dragon Keeper: Volume One of the Rain Wilds Chronicles
and Volume 10 in the Realm of the Elderlings series
By Robin Hobb
Eos (2010),
Hardcover, 496 pages
Rated 5 stars of 5 possible
Dragonkeeper is both the first book of a new series and the tenth of a massive previous series by this talented author. Both series are set in the same world. Dragonkeeper is set in a rainforest type area and tells the story of dragons who didn't properly develop, so the beasts need help from humans to survive. Meanwhile, the councils at Bingtown, Cassarick, and Trehaug want the dragons moved farther away from the human settlements, so they hire some young people who have few or no ties to civilization to escort the dragons up river toward a legendary city of the Elderlings, known as Kelsingra. Nobody knows exactly where Kelsingra is, but the dragons have their memories and say they will know Kelsingra when they see it.
The author takes many pages to get the characters ready for their journey, which makes for a slow start to this interesting novel. Given the terrain and the hardships of a low technology world, the preparation time is probably realistic, if a little less interesting than the larger portion of the book. Dragon Keeper is loaded with a cast of interesting and well-developed characters of all kinds. Some surprising plot twists add interest and keep the reader turning the pages until the cliff-hanger ending is reached, leaving some questions unanswered and several obvious paths to the beginning of book two of this exciting new series.
Recommended for fantasy fans ages 14 and up. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
and Volume 10 in the Realm of the Elderlings series
By Robin Hobb
Eos (2010),
Hardcover, 496 pages
Rated 5 stars of 5 possible
Dragonkeeper is both the first book of a new series and the tenth of a massive previous series by this talented author. Both series are set in the same world. Dragonkeeper is set in a rainforest type area and tells the story of dragons who didn't properly develop, so the beasts need help from humans to survive. Meanwhile, the councils at Bingtown, Cassarick, and Trehaug want the dragons moved farther away from the human settlements, so they hire some young people who have few or no ties to civilization to escort the dragons up river toward a legendary city of the Elderlings, known as Kelsingra. Nobody knows exactly where Kelsingra is, but the dragons have their memories and say they will know Kelsingra when they see it.
The author takes many pages to get the characters ready for their journey, which makes for a slow start to this interesting novel. Given the terrain and the hardships of a low technology world, the preparation time is probably realistic, if a little less interesting than the larger portion of the book. Dragon Keeper is loaded with a cast of interesting and well-developed characters of all kinds. Some surprising plot twists add interest and keep the reader turning the pages until the cliff-hanger ending is reached, leaving some questions unanswered and several obvious paths to the beginning of book two of this exciting new series.
Recommended for fantasy fans ages 14 and up. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
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