Evolussion
by Kathy Bell
Northern Sanctum Press (October, 2010)
ARC-PDF format,165 pages
Rated 5 stars of 5 possible
I've always been excited when a new science fiction book comes off the press and into the book stores. The Infinion series is no exception. Evolussion continues the story of the characters begun in Regression. The sequel picks up the story 26 years after the end of the first novel and takes a different direction than the reader might expect. As the story develops, even the bad guys have something to say that helps the reader better understand the motivation of the opposition to Three Eleven... Mrs. Bell has done a great job with her flawed and very human characters... and, as with her first novel, leaves me wanting more.
The characters from the first novel whom we loved to hate (Alex and Stew) show a different side in this sequel, and as I began to understand their motivations better, I even started to like them just a little bit, though I am not certain if they would ever have earned my trust. Adya Jordan (aka Dawn Ingram) has matured in the interval between the first and second novels, but has retained her lovable characteristics nevertheless. The Three Eleven executives have also changed in their attitudes toward Dawn...
In the continuing story arc, the crisis gains momentum. Not too much is resolved here, and yet more questions are raised. Evolussion is clearly not the starting point for the Infinion series and should not be read as a stand alone. There is much in Regression that the reader needs to understand before reading Evolussion. Thus, I recommed the series as a whole, but start reading at the beginning; Regression first, then Evolussion, and finish with the as-yet unpublished conclusion of this exciting trilogy. Since November 11, 2011 is such an important date in this series, I suspect the climax to the series will probably be published around that date (hopefully a little before). I'm on the edge of my seat now...
Evolussion was provided to me free by the author/publisher in PDF format in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views and LibraryThing.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Mt. TBR Keeps Growing
Click above photo to see larger version...If you are an author, publicist, publisher, etc. who has asked me to review a book, please be patient. The stack above, shown in no particular order represents promised reviews and borrowed books which need to be sent on their way. My Kindle tops the stack to represent the ebooks I promised to review, followed by my Molskine notebook to represent that there are multiple eBooks waiting in line... the rest, well, those books are real... and I will get to the reviews as soon as I possibly can. Thank you for understanding.
Addendum: May 17, 2012 While the books shown above have been read and mostly reviewed, the stack by my bed side is still every bit as large, just with different content... The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.
Addendum: May 17, 2012 While the books shown above have been read and mostly reviewed, the stack by my bed side is still every bit as large, just with different content... The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Physician As A Killer
When Doctors Kill: Who, Why, and How
Joshua A. Perper
Springer (2010),
Paperback, 253 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
As I started to read When Doctors Kill, quite unlike several other reviewers, I had no preconceived notions of what I would find in this book and was completely unsure how the text would be arranged. I was glad to see the historical arrangement, as that helped me to better assimilate the content. The first part of the book, a discussion of ethics, read much like the college lecture I sat through on a similar topic many years ago. Fortunately that part ended just about the time I was beginning to experience some boredom.
Many of the real-life cases discussed were high-profile enough that I remember some details of those which happened during my lifetime. Also, many cases were older and either took place before my time, or while I was so young I have no memory of those. The older cases made for some interesting reading and comparison with the more modern ones. The authors could have gone more in-depth on some of the cases covered here, but expanding the depth would have served little purpose, as I don't believe this book was meant to do more than make the reader aware of the reasons why doctors kill, and it serves that purpose well and in an interesting manner as is.
I would have normal expectations of proof reading having taken place during the production phase of this book, yet I was appalled to see that several errors of sentence structure, grammar and puncutation have slipped into what otherwise appears to be a finished book... some of them so obvious that most anyone will notice. Some errors are a little less obvious, such as the ones in the chapter on Elvis Presley, where there is an apostrophe after nearly every instance of his first name. Use of the apostrophe indicates the possessive form, which is not always the form of Elvis' name that should have been used. Errors such as these would be expected in an uncorrected proof, yet nowhere in this book or on the covers does it have any indication of being an advance copy.
At the end of the book, I was delighted to see that several references are included, beginning with some "For Further Reading" lists, which are broken down by chapter, authors notes, and a fairly extensive index, which makes specific topics easy to locate. These references, along with the eminently readable, layman-style writing on a topic that is fairly scientific have earned this book four stars.
This book was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
Joshua A. Perper
Springer (2010),
Paperback, 253 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
As I started to read When Doctors Kill, quite unlike several other reviewers, I had no preconceived notions of what I would find in this book and was completely unsure how the text would be arranged. I was glad to see the historical arrangement, as that helped me to better assimilate the content. The first part of the book, a discussion of ethics, read much like the college lecture I sat through on a similar topic many years ago. Fortunately that part ended just about the time I was beginning to experience some boredom.
Many of the real-life cases discussed were high-profile enough that I remember some details of those which happened during my lifetime. Also, many cases were older and either took place before my time, or while I was so young I have no memory of those. The older cases made for some interesting reading and comparison with the more modern ones. The authors could have gone more in-depth on some of the cases covered here, but expanding the depth would have served little purpose, as I don't believe this book was meant to do more than make the reader aware of the reasons why doctors kill, and it serves that purpose well and in an interesting manner as is.
I would have normal expectations of proof reading having taken place during the production phase of this book, yet I was appalled to see that several errors of sentence structure, grammar and puncutation have slipped into what otherwise appears to be a finished book... some of them so obvious that most anyone will notice. Some errors are a little less obvious, such as the ones in the chapter on Elvis Presley, where there is an apostrophe after nearly every instance of his first name. Use of the apostrophe indicates the possessive form, which is not always the form of Elvis' name that should have been used. Errors such as these would be expected in an uncorrected proof, yet nowhere in this book or on the covers does it have any indication of being an advance copy.
At the end of the book, I was delighted to see that several references are included, beginning with some "For Further Reading" lists, which are broken down by chapter, authors notes, and a fairly extensive index, which makes specific topics easy to locate. These references, along with the eminently readable, layman-style writing on a topic that is fairly scientific have earned this book four stars.
This book was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Mirror, Mirror
Again
By Diana Murdock
Diana Murdock (2010),
Mobi format for Kindle
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Lady Catherine is a 16th century noble woman bound to marry the knight, Sir Galen, but in love with Jonathan, a merchant who is nowhere near her social equal... the eternal love triangle. Catherine's 21st century counterpart is Eryn Rexford, married to Bryce, whom she has come to realize she does not love, but Eryn is not willing to settle for less than being head-over heels in love with someone, especially after she meets a handsome stranger whom she is sure she has seen before. The story is told by Eryn and Lady Catherine in turn, flipping between one time period and the next, which is disconcerting enough, and then you discover that nearly all the main characters have a mirror-image in the other century.
I found the characters well developed and interesting (for the most part); their reactions to each other mostly believable. However I think the over-the top jealousy displayed by Bryce and Galen, though probably realistic in some ways, was carried a bit too far to make this story really good and believable. The unexplained antagonism that Brandi (a supposed friend to Eryn) displays is also a bit much. Catherine's sister, Sara is clearly Brandi's 16th century counterpart, right down to the same antagonism. In fact, that jealousy and antagonism almost entirely ruined this story for me because it was carried to such extremes. With some moderation, jealousy and or antagonism in one or even two characters can be believable and even a decent literary device...
If you believe in reincarnation (or if you can pretend, for the moment, that you do,) then this story might work for you and perhaps be good entertainment. If you don't believe, and cannot pretend to believe, then the story falls flat, like it did for me. I honestly cannot recommend this debut effort, but will be keeping an eye out for this author's next novel, as I believe she does have potential to be really good, if not outright a great storyteller.
The author of this novel sent me a Smashwords 100% off discount code so that I could download my choice of formats and read this novel free in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com.
By Diana Murdock
Diana Murdock (2010),
Mobi format for Kindle
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Lady Catherine is a 16th century noble woman bound to marry the knight, Sir Galen, but in love with Jonathan, a merchant who is nowhere near her social equal... the eternal love triangle. Catherine's 21st century counterpart is Eryn Rexford, married to Bryce, whom she has come to realize she does not love, but Eryn is not willing to settle for less than being head-over heels in love with someone, especially after she meets a handsome stranger whom she is sure she has seen before. The story is told by Eryn and Lady Catherine in turn, flipping between one time period and the next, which is disconcerting enough, and then you discover that nearly all the main characters have a mirror-image in the other century.
I found the characters well developed and interesting (for the most part); their reactions to each other mostly believable. However I think the over-the top jealousy displayed by Bryce and Galen, though probably realistic in some ways, was carried a bit too far to make this story really good and believable. The unexplained antagonism that Brandi (a supposed friend to Eryn) displays is also a bit much. Catherine's sister, Sara is clearly Brandi's 16th century counterpart, right down to the same antagonism. In fact, that jealousy and antagonism almost entirely ruined this story for me because it was carried to such extremes. With some moderation, jealousy and or antagonism in one or even two characters can be believable and even a decent literary device...
If you believe in reincarnation (or if you can pretend, for the moment, that you do,) then this story might work for you and perhaps be good entertainment. If you don't believe, and cannot pretend to believe, then the story falls flat, like it did for me. I honestly cannot recommend this debut effort, but will be keeping an eye out for this author's next novel, as I believe she does have potential to be really good, if not outright a great storyteller.
The author of this novel sent me a Smashwords 100% off discount code so that I could download my choice of formats and read this novel free in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com.
Monday, August 30, 2010
For Fans of the Dark Hunter Series
On September 7, 2010, St. Martin's Press is releasing Sherrilyn Kenyon's No Mercy. This will be a must read for fans of the Dark Hunter series as well as for fans of the author... and honestly, it looks too good for me to pass up, even though this would be the first book I've read from this author. What can I say? I'm a fool for books, especially those that draw me in with a great story synopsis before I've even seen the covers of the book...
"Live fast, fight hard and if you have to die then take as many of your enemies with you as you can. That is the Amazon credo and it was one Samia lived and died by. Now in contemporary New Orleans, the immortal Amazon warrior is about to learn that there's a worse evil coming to slaughter mankind than she's ever faced before....."
Read the synopsis of No Mercy and much more on Sherrilyn Kenyon website:
http://were-hunter.com/
If you can't see the embedded trailer above, you should be able to see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=067W4Kvqa4g
"Live fast, fight hard and if you have to die then take as many of your enemies with you as you can. That is the Amazon credo and it was one Samia lived and died by. Now in contemporary New Orleans, the immortal Amazon warrior is about to learn that there's a worse evil coming to slaughter mankind than she's ever faced before....."
Read the synopsis of No Mercy and much more on Sherrilyn Kenyon website:
http://were-hunter.com/
If you can't see the embedded trailer above, you should be able to see it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=067W4Kvqa4g
Thursday, August 26, 2010
News Story Generates Novel Idea
Among Thieves
By David Hosp
Grand Central Publishing (2010)
Hardcover, 384 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
In March of 1990, the largest art theft in history took place in Boston, Massachusetts. None of the stolen art has been recoverd after more than 20 years. Among Thieves is clearly fiction, yet the novel incorporates many details about the actual event, and using the writer's eternal option - What if... - to create an intense and suspenseful thriller. Among Thieves begins with a string of murders which eventually tie in to Mr. Hosp's version of what happened to the stolen art.
The opening of this novel is a bit confusing because it doesn't seem to be about the art theft at all, but provides the reason why one of the men is later involved in the heist. This character background could be better tied to the main part of the story. The novel recovers from this weak opening though and provides a mostly interesting tale about the art heist. One other disconcerting thing happens in this book. The point of view switches between decades as facts about the actual theft 20 years ago are revealed, and the current-day investigation which has gone cold, but has not been closed.
In the middle of the story, which also represents the time between the heist and today, the tale sags a bit. In some ways, the dullness of this part of the story is accurate. Nothing is known about what actually happened after the thieves escaped with their bounty. The author provides a satisfactory, appropriate, believable and entertaining ending to the story, recovering from the brief bout of dullness near the middle of the book.
Although, for the reasons previously stated, I down-grade the rating of this book from the perfect 5 to a very interesting 4 stars, I do recommed it to those who love to read mystery/thriller/suspense type novels and those who may be looking for something different. The usual caviat about violence and inappropriateness for those under 17 applies here.
This review has been simultaneously published on LibraryThing and Dragon Views.
By David Hosp
Grand Central Publishing (2010)
Hardcover, 384 pages
Rated 4 stars of 5 possible
In March of 1990, the largest art theft in history took place in Boston, Massachusetts. None of the stolen art has been recoverd after more than 20 years. Among Thieves is clearly fiction, yet the novel incorporates many details about the actual event, and using the writer's eternal option - What if... - to create an intense and suspenseful thriller. Among Thieves begins with a string of murders which eventually tie in to Mr. Hosp's version of what happened to the stolen art.
The opening of this novel is a bit confusing because it doesn't seem to be about the art theft at all, but provides the reason why one of the men is later involved in the heist. This character background could be better tied to the main part of the story. The novel recovers from this weak opening though and provides a mostly interesting tale about the art heist. One other disconcerting thing happens in this book. The point of view switches between decades as facts about the actual theft 20 years ago are revealed, and the current-day investigation which has gone cold, but has not been closed.
In the middle of the story, which also represents the time between the heist and today, the tale sags a bit. In some ways, the dullness of this part of the story is accurate. Nothing is known about what actually happened after the thieves escaped with their bounty. The author provides a satisfactory, appropriate, believable and entertaining ending to the story, recovering from the brief bout of dullness near the middle of the book.
Although, for the reasons previously stated, I down-grade the rating of this book from the perfect 5 to a very interesting 4 stars, I do recommed it to those who love to read mystery/thriller/suspense type novels and those who may be looking for something different. The usual caviat about violence and inappropriateness for those under 17 applies here.
This review has been simultaneously published on LibraryThing and Dragon Views.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Varied But Senseless
Porcelain
Jess C Scott
Jess C. Scott, (July 2010)
Pdf e-Book
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Porcelain is a "bits and pieces" collection of various types of writing. Short stories, poetry, essays... However, there's no central theme to mold this collection into a whole, so it remains nothing more than pages upon pages of miscellaneous pieces that really have no relationship to each other, aside from the fact that they are all the work of one author. Some are bad, some are mediocre, some are better than others; but none of the pieces in this collection are great. Taken as a whole, these pieces do show the growth of the writer... but she has a long way to go if being a professional writer is her goal.
Additionally, this PDF file included far too many pieces for me to offer individual critiques of each piece as I normally like to do with anthologies. The large file should be broken up into at least three smaller files, one each for fiction, poetry and essays. This would enable reviewers to do a better job because they could more likely critique individual pieces.
On the whole, many pieces included in this collection could stand some editing, some of the stories could stand a full re-write as they don't make much sense in their current state. There's an old adage that goes something like this: "Write what you know". This author seems to know poetry best so perhaps she should stick with that.
Not recommended for the average reader.
A PDF file was provided to me by the author free in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
Jess C Scott
Jess C. Scott, (July 2010)
Pdf e-Book
Rated 3 stars of 5 possible
Porcelain is a "bits and pieces" collection of various types of writing. Short stories, poetry, essays... However, there's no central theme to mold this collection into a whole, so it remains nothing more than pages upon pages of miscellaneous pieces that really have no relationship to each other, aside from the fact that they are all the work of one author. Some are bad, some are mediocre, some are better than others; but none of the pieces in this collection are great. Taken as a whole, these pieces do show the growth of the writer... but she has a long way to go if being a professional writer is her goal.
Additionally, this PDF file included far too many pieces for me to offer individual critiques of each piece as I normally like to do with anthologies. The large file should be broken up into at least three smaller files, one each for fiction, poetry and essays. This would enable reviewers to do a better job because they could more likely critique individual pieces.
On the whole, many pieces included in this collection could stand some editing, some of the stories could stand a full re-write as they don't make much sense in their current state. There's an old adage that goes something like this: "Write what you know". This author seems to know poetry best so perhaps she should stick with that.
Not recommended for the average reader.
A PDF file was provided to me by the author free in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
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.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Death and Corruption
A Little Death In Dixie
By Lisa Turner
Bell Bridge Books (2010),
Paperback (Bound Galley), 222 pages
Rated 5 stars of 5 Possible
A Little Death In Dixie provides a fascinating insight into the world of law enforcement, and the corruption sometimes found there. The novel opens with a murder scene in Memphis, Tennessee. As the reader immediately gets involved in the drama, we discover that this crime isn't what's important to the story the author is telling us, but the reactions of the officers investigating the crime do become integral to the story, as we will soon see. Shortly after the introductory scenes, a woman is reported missing. Debut author, Lisa Turner has taken you by the hand to lead you through a non-stop, page turning, not-to-be missed thriller. In addition to the well-written and tightly plotted novel, this book also includes a full dozen reader discussion questions that encourage the reader to do some thinking about the story.
Every now and then, I am surprised by the intensity of the way a new novel will grab me. In fact, several times this year, the intense novels have been written by authors making their debut in the publishing world. A Little Death in Dixie is one of those. Recommended for readers age 17 and up who love mysteries with one caviat. If you are offended by coarse language, there is a little of it in this novel... but not nearly as much as you find in other new books and the offensive language - used here as an element of character development - does not detract from the reader's enjoyment of the story.
This book was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
By Lisa Turner
Bell Bridge Books (2010),
Paperback (Bound Galley), 222 pages
Rated 5 stars of 5 Possible
A Little Death In Dixie provides a fascinating insight into the world of law enforcement, and the corruption sometimes found there. The novel opens with a murder scene in Memphis, Tennessee. As the reader immediately gets involved in the drama, we discover that this crime isn't what's important to the story the author is telling us, but the reactions of the officers investigating the crime do become integral to the story, as we will soon see. Shortly after the introductory scenes, a woman is reported missing. Debut author, Lisa Turner has taken you by the hand to lead you through a non-stop, page turning, not-to-be missed thriller. In addition to the well-written and tightly plotted novel, this book also includes a full dozen reader discussion questions that encourage the reader to do some thinking about the story.
Every now and then, I am surprised by the intensity of the way a new novel will grab me. In fact, several times this year, the intense novels have been written by authors making their debut in the publishing world. A Little Death in Dixie is one of those. Recommended for readers age 17 and up who love mysteries with one caviat. If you are offended by coarse language, there is a little of it in this novel... but not nearly as much as you find in other new books and the offensive language - used here as an element of character development - does not detract from the reader's enjoyment of the story.
This book was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com
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
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