Review for "The Secret of Sanctua: A Bengt/Tian Novel"

Since I can't find the time to write a blog this week (I might a little later on, but then I'll be in the UK, hopefully) I'm going to post a review of a book I read last week.

The book is from Indie published Teresa McCullough, and I had fun reading it. In my own star system of 1 to 7 stars this one rates a solid 5


* * * * *


The basic plot: Two very different people sharing a single life, and have for such a long time that they have made peace with this somewhat unorthodox arrangement caused by very powerful magic. The classic “Ladyhawk” idea? Not quite. There are some interesting twists and turns, not to mention memorable distinctions.

The world: Contemporary with some fantasy elements. There are weres, sorcerers/witches and vampires but still it is the basic world that we all recognize.

The characters: I found myself liking Bengt and Tian, the characters McCullough created, despite the fact that both were a little too casual about the “who wants to live forever” drama they could have experienced. This is personal taste, however, I am sure that there are people who would deal with such a possibility far better than others. These two magically bound characters (they were titled a Dual) were described to have regretted or mourned certain dramatic events in the past, and yet I could not feel the emotional backlash, which was a bit of a pity. In my reading I prefer to feel what the characters feel, rather than be told. But there are many readers who do not and rather keep it matter of fact.
Perhaps the characters’ acceptance was very accurate in regard to the fact that they were very old and had gone through all that emotional trauma long before the story commenced. Also, from a romantic point of view, neither of these characters were romantically inclined, which, to a romance reader like myself, was a tad disappointing. Whatever the case, McCullough managed to hold my attention throughout the read and kept me going straight to the end for the sheer pleasure of finding out where these characters would lead me. Well done.

Writing style: Concise and easy to follow sentence structure. Personally I would have enjoyed McCullough to have taken a little more risk in her sentence structure, more of a rollercoaster ride, rather than the merry-go-round’s steady rhythm, if you get my meaning, but that is personal taste again. On the overall I could not find fault in her writing and enjoyed the ride, which is definitely a plus.
I only came upon a handful of typos at most, which is admirable for an independently published book.

End conclusion:
I really enjoyed the story McCullough created with this original-to-me concept. Technically it was well put together, and thought out into the tiniest details, kudos to the author. I recommend the story to readers and hope that they find pleasure in this story as well.

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That's it. If you're curious to read it for yourself, (and support the arts, so to speak) here's the link.
The Secret of Sanctua: A Bengt/Tian Novel

Review of "Kissed by a Cowboy"

I am so sorry. I am way behind on th blog, and I really should be writing y'all one, but there just isn't time at the moment. Got several jobs going at the moment, and the days just don't have enough hours in them, darn it! You'll be happy to know that the building of Sally's cabin is almost done, so that should clear up some hours in the near future. There might also be another fence building job coming up sometime soon, and the other day we were hired to reset a satalite dish. Well, Big Brother did most of the work, seeing it was on a roof and I don't like heights at all. I basically did the verbal stuff with the client and did a lot of pointing so big brother knew where to aim at. Was only about an inch and a half off. Not bad when one is aiming at a satalite. Hah.

But anyway, no time today, so I'l leave you with a review of a book I read recently and really enjoyed.

Kissed by a Cowboy: an Inspy Kisses Novella by Lacy Williams

In my own starring system of one to seven.

* * * * * * (6)


Unfasionably good!

Kissed by a Cowboy was absolutely adorable. There’s just no other way about it, and you gotta give credit where credit is due.

The basics: teenage girl had a crush on her best friend’s brother in high school, boy felt the same but somehow they drifted apart. Ten years later, after lots of heartache, they meet again. The connection is still there and this time they want to do something about it. Simple and…well, sweet, with not a single sex scene, which was so wonderfully refreshing that it took me completely by surprise.

The characters were lovely, both Haley and Maddox (always a plus when you can actually like the characters without any “buts”) the beta characters were nice as well, adding to my overall enjoyment, and the writing had a pleasant pace that was neither hectic, nor too slow. Very natural, all of it, even though I would have liked to see a bit more to the story, some extra scenes to give it some more depth, and maybe an admission of “I’ve loved you, like, forever, why were we such idiots?” but you can’t have everything.

On the overall, the general sweetness of the story made up for that bit, and the occasional typo/missing word. None of it mattered because I just had plain and simple fun reading Kissed by a Cowboy.

Conclusion:
Definitely for readers of the old block who read romance for the sake of romance, nothing more.
Heck, I thought stories like this (the kind that got me into reading romance novels way back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth) didn’t get writ anymore, but there you have it.
Thank you Ms. Williams, I’ll be looking at more of your work.

Which concludes today's blog, I fear. I will try to give y'all a proper update some day soon, but at the moment sleep is my top priority for some peculiar reason. Hah

Review of "Winter's Heart"

Well, I didn't have time for a blog again this week, so y'all will have to do with a review space-fill. Did warn you the other day. Hah. Stuff is happening at the moment, so there might be some change in the near future. Hopefully that will mean more time for writing. Yay. Oh, and just as an FYI: the ABNA competition is now running, and we'll know whether we're through the first round on the 18th. Keep yer fingers crossed...better do your fingers too, just in case. Hah.
Here's the review...and cover.

Review of “Winter’s Heart”
by A.C. Warneke.

By my own 1-7 star stystem

* * * *

A wonderful story, but…

I have to say that I was wonderfully surprised by the writing style of Warneke from the moment I started reading her Winter’s Heart. Flynn, the heroine, is a wonderful girl, with witty dialogue, a quick smile and a sweet character that won me over immediately. Winter, the hero, is similarly impressive from the moment I met him and was nicely complex in his character. Perfect counter points, I would say.

To give you a small outline, it is basically “Nottinghill” in reverse, with a normal girl falling for a big handsome movie star, and him falling just as hard. Then there are the pitfalls of fame, the backstabbing and corruption of “the Bizz” and then love conquering all.

Nice. A perfectly respectable story line that had me at the get go…in fact, I was really getting into the story when suddenly, out of the blue (shows me for not checking out reviews of this then freebie, I suppose) I got slapped in the face by a sex scene that had me agog for a several lengthy pages. I mean, I guess I could have seen it coming with the occasional rather liberal mentions about the hero “helping himself” and the virginal heroine having this obsessive fear for STDs, but I dismissed those as the story just being very modern.

As it turns out, it might just be a bit too modern for me. Both in language (no pretty wording when it got serious) and actions. A pity, too, since except for those sex scenes, which went on endlessly and were totally unnecessary to make these characters interesting (they were!) I loved the story. Heck, I even shlogged my way through the supposedly hot spankings, the toys, the submissions, the bodily liquids, the endless varieties of A and B, and C, and D, and…gawd knows how many appendages and orifices coming together, just because I wanted to know what happened to these characters.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read my fair share of sex scenes, I even enjoy them if they fit the story, but I really found myself getting that “icky” feeling from the complete lack of inhibition displayed by both characters whenever sex came into play. Which was often. And long. And I hope not too realistic in most cases because, yikes! A serious case of TMI for me, I fear.

Story wise, the characters, dialogue, talented descriptions (even during the sex scene *shivers*) humor and nicely fast-paced prose, this story would have gotten the highest marking from me. Regretfully, I’m going to stick to four stars only.

Conclusion: For some this could definitely be the perfect read. It’s hot, it’s modern, and…creative. For others, like myself, who’re more into old fashioned romances where it’s about the characters just falling in love, rather than girth, speed, and some serious exhibitionism, better steer clear.

You want to check out Winter's Heart yourself. Go Here

Review of "The Withered Rose"

Well, this was supposedly my free day, but alas. It is unlikely I'll have time for a proper blog. Problem is that Grandpa has to go to the city to get his temporary driving licens (the real one got lost in transit somehow) and as icing on the cake, big brother was forced to volunteer my services at work because he has been instructed to get some humongous mirror from the city (again the city today. I'll feel all metropolitan, for crying out loud) meaning that the day will be gone before you know it. Grrr.
So, here's a review instead.

The Withered Rose: A novel of the count of Trall

by Marcus Pailing

5 stars in my 1 to 7 star system.

* * * * *

With this novel Pailing showed a certain eloquence in his writing. Good sentence structure without being too complicated. The world he created, one of consistency and detail, was a fascinating one, albeit lacking somewhat in plot. As I understand it, this story is a prequel to a Trilogy written by this author, so that might explain why it would come across as something of a…floater, if that makes any sense.
Still the author’s voice was clear, detailed (sometimes too much so even, because I—a lazy reader—got lost at times in the details of names, locations, protocols and whatnot) and pleasantly educational in the ways of medieval court life.

Character description was well done; I believed in Atela and her friends and was most regretful when at a certain juncture in the story the focus point shifted from her to the infamous Count. Not that Kieldrou wasn’t likable, he was, but I found myself floundering a bit when the character I was rooting for, suddenly disappeared. As for transient characters, there were so many names tossed about that I was forced to dismiss the majority of them lest I be completely confused.

The Villian: Though suitably unpleasant, I would have liked to see him fleshed out some more. Perhaps a scene or two from his side to show me something of his psyche. As it was, I found myself incapable of fully understanding why he was the way he was, and why he became downright evil throughout the story.

Violence: Detailed, appropriately grotesque as befitting the era of broadswords, horses, spears and the messes that combination could cause. Despite being vivid, it was suited to the depicted situations and not violence for violence sake. PG, I would think.

Conclusion: I found the story well-brought and certainly fascinating in regard to a way of life that modern-man only knows from books and movies. For the history buffs among us (and I can sure be called that) a good read with a solid foundation. Will have to read the trilogy at some point.

Review of "The fire King"

Remember that rather nice interview a little while ago, author C.S. Marks. Well, I finally got around to reviewing one of her novellas. So here it is:

The Fire King by C.S. Marks

On my own Star system of 1-7 this one rates a 5

* * * * *


With the Fire King, Marks managed quite well to captivate this reader's attention, despite the fact that due to its historical significance there was little in the tale to remind me of the original Trilogy, which was a bit of a pity.
Still, Marks' ever eloquent prose swept me along in the tale, like before, and even though Aincor, the main character, wasn't as likeable as I would have liked, it was accurate in regard to references I remember from the series.

The lead was a powerful character, consistent--albeit frustrating at times--and led me toward a climax that was satisfying, yet sad in a way.
I regretted that some of the other characters in the story weren't as fleshed out, but allowances have to be made for novellas, I fear. There are only so many pages after all. Also, a lot was descriptive prose, rather than actually being there, which took some from the experience. Still, since it is basically a historical story that provides the reader with background information for Alterra, it is easily forgiven.

Violence was mild, and tastefully done, as always.

Conclusion:
A solid installment into C.S. Marks' Alterra series, and a must have for the diehard fans and fantasy lovers.

If you want to check it out for yourself here is the link to The Fire King

Or the old fashioned way: http://www.amazon.com/The-Fire-King-Alterra-Histories-ebook/dp/B00AIBCBJE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388340082&sr=8-1&keywords=C+S+Marks+fire+king

I hope you'll check it out.

Review of "The First Enhancer"

No time for a proper blog today, but I promised you a review, so here it is:

The First Enhancer by Teresa McCullough.

On my own Star system of 1-7 this one rates a nice round 5

* * * * *

The review:

I have to admit to having really enjoyed McCullough’s novel. Within the story she explores the intricacies of creating a “special” kind of people serving their respective Gods, which will become the pillars of their religion, I would suspect. Her concept is that of a select group of people gifted by the skill of enhancing, which came across as credible and…well, handy to me. On the most part it describes the pitfalls of a life of sacrifice and toils, though, done in a way that leaves the reader with simple information rather than emotional turmoil.

Writing style:
Though dotted with some typos, in particular in the beginning of the tale, and missing some explanations that I needed, to know where the heck I was at, I could soon see where she was going at a steady pace. There were enough complications to keep it interesting, but not so many that I got lost in them.
Her voice, straightforward and meticulous, had some resemblances to Jack Vance, in my opinion. I liked her style, which was strong and consistent, except that I would have liked the author to apply a bit more flamboyance, some risks in her actual sentence structure and descriptions. To me it came across more as a classy, well detailed documentary about an interesting subject, rather than Hollywood drama, if that makes any sense.
There were times when basic description went on longer than necessary, while at others (in particular at dramatic times) the information was supplied as almost an afterthought. I love it when the author is able to wrench out my heart at life-altering scenes, which didn’t happen, much to my regret.

The characters:
McCullough’s lead character, Lanora, was fleshed out well. She consistent in her character traits, and as the story worked itself to completion, she managed to grow into someone “real”. The one regret I have is first person narrative, because it gave me very little insight in the other main characters. Still, kudos in making me like Lanora for who she was. I like reading a story and wonder in the end if I at some time will see more of this character; this happened.

Violence:
There is some, but it is brought much like the drama: There, to the point but unspecific, and not lingered upon. Respectful for young readers for sure.

Conclusion:
McCullough put together and entertaining story that reminded me why I enjoy Fantasy. I will definitely recommend it to anyone in the mood for a solid fantasy adventure into her world of the Enhancers.

You'll be glad to know that "The First Enhancer" is the first of a series in the same world, available on Amazon.

You can either go here: http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Enhancer-Teresa-McCullough-ebook/dp/B007N8UPCK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1387480204&sr=8-3&keywords=Teresa+McCullough+enhancer or click on the title just now.

Book review

Considering I don't have a lot of fun stuff to say about what's going on, except that I spent several hours on tie dying clothes this afternoon, we're going to do a long expected review today.

I’ve Been Deader, by Adam Sifre



I love this cover, but apparently there is a new one, lemme just...there you go:



On the review system of 1 to 7 (7 being awesome) I rate this a solid 5 with a potential half.

I've been deader: I liked it, but was left…wanting…a bit.
First off, Sifre’s writing style was excellent, very few typos, good sentence structure and the pacing was well done. No boring moments, plenty of action that swept me along. Lots of humor, which, if one does not agree with what appears to be the author’s nicely cynical political views there could be cause for some annoyance, but regardless there was good “take that” writing involved that made this a worthwhile read. Lots of one-liners, posturing and profound thoughts that came out as…well…”Braaaaainsss”. Definitely one of the funniest aspects there, in particular when you start expecting it.

To recap the premise, this story is about zombie Fred, who discovers he can still think, and possesses another rather unique ability you’ll have to discover yourself when you read it.
Though Fred tries to maintain his humanity, his body does not really listen to him anymore, which definitely created a variety of hilarious moments. Excellent comedy in that regard, showing Sifre’s skill as an author.

I am sorry to say that the general plot was a bit vague to me until much later on in the story. A few hints in the beginning would have been nice, but as it was, in the beginning I was left wandering in a post-apocalyptic world without much purpose. It was entertaining, but wandering nonetheless. I like plots to be straight cut and obvious, but that’s just me.

Main characters. I would think that was Fred the thinking zombie. But then there was Jon, average at first, and psycho extraordinaire (to me anyway) later on. Personally I would have liked to see some “hero material” in this story. I am old fashioned that way, and prefer one or two characters that I really like, rather than a whole bunch of characters that each have a few likeable aspects, but aren’t, like, WOW! Which was the case in this particular story. Regretfully, except for Timmy, who wasn’t really a lead until further on in the book, most characters had traits that made me unable to root for any of them. If that was the author’s intention (a possibility, considering his wonderfully whacky sense of humor) he was highly successful.

For a quick, funny zombie read, with good quality writing this is definitely the book for you. If you’re more traditional in your tastes when it concerns a good zombie book, you might want to give this one a pass. I am curious how the rest of the story will go, so the open ending certainly served its purpose

In case you're curious, here's the link : Link

I'm going to see if maybe I can get Mr. Sifre to agree to a blog interview, which should be fun, but I'm just going to have to wait to find out if I can squeeze a good Q & A in somewhere.

That's it. My excuse for not writing a proper blog to boot, is that it's after midnight and I've just spent the majority of the evening putting together packages to send out to publishers. It's a pain. Hah

The review(s)! Yay

Song of te day: “Luka” by Suzanne Vega. So 80s from where I’m standing. Wonderful. There was some seriously good music in those days…and the 90s for that matter. I miss them. *sigh*

Okay, first thing first.
Abna is a no-go. Nope. I didn’t make it to the next round. (Drat) But that’s okay, because I did end up with a rather good review from Publisher’s Weekly, no less.
Here it is:

ABNA Publishers Weekly Reviewer
A lean, mean, action-adventure story set in the modern day, this manuscript is a solid blend of spy fiction and psychological thriller that follows a traditional (sometimes too familiar) structure, but hinges on an original twist. Special Agent Rory O’Donnell is sent to New Mexico to rescue Nina Hernandez -- a former U.S. operative who was once a child soldier for a militaristic cult in Latin America -- from a shady psychiatric facility where she has mysteriously surfaced. After a year of abuse and shock therapy at the hands of her captors (whose motives are one of the novel’s central mysteries), Nina has fractured into numerous personalities, each one based on a former cover identity from her spy days. The author handles Nina’s condition respectfully, without melodrama. Although Nina is a victim of immense cruelty, her various identities are so strong, protective, and highly trained that, despite her mental damage, she never comes across as weak or helpless. Thanks to its unique central conceit, excellent characterizations (each woman inside Nina’s mind is recognizable and distinct) and taut action sequences, the novel even manages to draw attention away from its disappointingly cliché elements, such as the unsurprising but uncomfortable romance that forms between O’Donnell and Nina. The cliffhanger ending is also unfortunate, as this would have worked better as a standalone novel than as the start to a series.
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I mean, seriously. Wow. This reviewer actually got it. I know what you’re thinking, there was some badly disguised criticism in there, but I am unable to see it as such. I love clichés. They’re a cliché for a reason, in particular in romance. And as for the cliffhanger, considering it could also be considered a teaser that stands loose from the story itself. Makes ya wonder if I shouldn’t have put it in there, huh? Ah well, no sense whining about spilled beans. I’m pretty darn pleased with this impartial review of the story, seeing as it makes clear that I’m not completely bonkers for loving this story. Hah.

As for the other reviews. Here are a couple from Amazon’s Expert Reviewers for the Chapters and the query letter, which were pretty awesome too:

ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?
It's quite well written and the pacing is just right. There's enough action but this is not at the expense of character development. I thought the author did a credible job of setting up the scene at the beginning of the excerpt and it was vividly described without resorting to over-the-top histrionics. I was attracted to Nina Hernandez as a character. I admit it reminded me a little of characters in popular movies like The Bourne Identity and even La Femme Nikita, but the author presents an interesting spin in creating a woman trained to be an assassin with multiple personalities. This intrigues me and I would like to read further.

What aspect needs the most work?
I spotted several typos and/or errors in construction and expression so I think the work would benefit from some deft editing skills. Other than that, I think I'd like to see more character development. Having only the pitch and the excerpt at hand, it i difficult to comment further but I would love to see how Nina's character is developed as is her savior(?) Rory O'Donnell and how their relationship is explored over the course of the narrative.

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?
I think this is a fairly well-written excerpt with the potential to develop into a nail-biting action thriller. The central characters are interesting and I'd really like to see how the author explores the multiple personality aspect.

ABNA Expert Reviewer

What is the strongest aspect of this excerpt?
The prolouge is tense and exciting, you are there with Nina suffering the torture, trying to hold onto your memories, until those three terrible words are uttered. Short chapters that give you places to stop but you wat to keep reading because the story is so moving. There is enough background on Rory to make him likable.
This is just my opinion, but one of the strongest is a "single title, multifaceted, romantic psychological thriller". I am tired of trilogies and series, I want to read a book to the finale and not have to wait on the next to see what happens.

What aspect needs the most work?
I saw nothing this was the strongest and best excerpt that I have read and one that I definately want to read.

What is your overall opinion of this excerpt?
Excellent!

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Yay! Got my hopes up, I admit. *sigh*

And here are my last two boasts of two Amazon customers who went through the hassle of posting a review with their much appreciated opinion:

4.5 stars. Lots of action.
By Kindle-a.

I am an unrepentant action-junkie. I like few things more than a story with characters who can fight there way out of any situation. We only get a small taste of Saving Nina, but I have a feeling the full book would be one action-packed suspenseful ride.

We have the setup: a strong female character going through a torturous procedure that she tries to fight at all costs. An investigator with a dark past who is trying to make wrongs right. Then their paths intersect.

BOOM.

I want to read more.


5 stars
Start of a thriller
By Teresa McCullough

The story starts with Nina being tortured (presumably by electric shocks) to erase her sense of self. We then cut to Rory, who wishes to find her and save her. At the end of this excerpt, he does find her, but it is clear that saving her won't be easy, because she won't be cooperative.

The write-up of the story gives more information than this, but it would be better just to read the excerpt. It is well-written with occasional humor and two interesting main characters. It is hard to tell from a brief portion of a story the quality of the novel, but what we see suggests it will be riveting.

Saving Nina won't be easy or safe, but it will be interesting and suspenseful.
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How’s that, eh? I just had to boast a bit before the newness of it wears off, and I go back to my usual somewhat tedious posts. Hah.
I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone (Abna reviewers and Amazon customers alike) for putting in the effort. And, since I’m flapping my proverbial mouth already, I might as well thank my Amazon and blog friends for rooting for me. It is appreciated.

Okay, enough about that. Let’s get down to business as usual.
The past two days. What’s been happening.

Well, there was Spanish today. Yep. Wednesday, just like the last four times. Didn’t go bad. Most of it is now done in Spanish, so I would have to say that it appears to be working. There were maybe three or four sentences that she did in English throughout our two hours of lessons.

Had my doctor’s appointment, of course. The doc isn’t happy with the fact that the spot is still pussing, so now I’m going to have to put on a cream twice a day, in order to help the healing along a little.

Got lost on Wikipedia again. Not smart when I’m supposed to be working on the computer, but I saw a fragment of a documentary at tenant’s place this morning about the Jonestown mass suicide. Yikes! Talk about freaky. What is it with cults and socialism? *shivers*
Went into the yard, of course. There were plants to check, water to give and stuff to harvest. Nice as usual. The weather today was somewhat freaky. There was a thick haze during the course of the morning, and later when we were in town, there was this massive wall of clouds stretching from east to west in a straight line. Very impressive.

Editing-wise we’ve been shlogging on…yet not today, because what with the competition being over and done with, we’re preparing Saving Nina to send out to publishing houses again. Got the letter done, and the first one will be going tonight, if all goes as planned.

Cooking had to be done, of course. Had a rather nice batch of broccoli with cauliflower and potatoes yesterday, and used the potato leftovers today with beets. Worked well, I’ll admit…not to mention that it was nice and fast.

A touch of bad news is that we had to have Nanook, our second to last husky put down yesterday. Age had caught up with her, and cancer was making her life more than a little miserable. It all just started to hurt too much for her.
Empera is still the same. Her immobility is grating on her nerves but her movements appear to be going a little easier.

Tenant is going steady. Not worse, at least, and maybe even a little bit better. Sally on the other hand is not doing well at all. She’s constantly dizzy, and even went as far as going to the hospital ER just to be sure that it was nothing serious. Blood pressure was fine, and all the other tests worked out well too, so we’re just going to have to presume that it is just part of her treatments.

Well, I’m drawing blanks, so I’m just going to leave it at this. The rest will undoubtedly just be normal chores, so consider yourself spared. Hah

A review

So, I'm going to cheat today. Instead of doing a full blog, I'm going to put a review of my most recent read up, and leave it at that.
The weather was miserable, we had to put Kenneth (10 year old Cocker Spaniel with a lion complex) down this morning, and since we've been mostly been doing carport work, and putting in trees to replace the ones that died during the fire, there's not all that much to share anyway. I'll update y'all the next time 'round.

Here's the review for Mighty Hammer Down by David J. Guyten

In my own review system of 1 to 7 stars this one gets 6. Not bad for an indie published author.

* * * * * *

A six for David Guyten’s “Mighty Hammer Down”. It took me a while to get through Guyten’s book, but this had more to do with the length (almost 400 pages) than the story. In fact, I went through it at a sturdy clip, so to speak.

But let’s get started. Even though I have some criticism, as you’ll undoubtedly discover below, on the overall I truly enjoyed reading Mighty Hammer Down.
First of all, the first chapter is an attention grabber. Well-described action that would look well in a movie, I think. Though there is a slight lapse after that, my curiosity stuck with me to the end of his tale. A definite plus for any book.

Writing style:
There were a few minor hiccups during my multiple reading sessions into Guyten’s full-length novel, but on the overall his prose was steady, solid and consistent. Some typos, as is inevitable, but nothing disastrous.
Personally I would have liked the author to take some risks in his narrative, change the pacing a little every now and then just to keep me on my toes but he stuck to consistency instead.
In any case, whatever can be said of his style, Guyten has enthusiasm and a bright passion for his content and that came across on every page.

Setting:
The setting of Guyten’s world was a bit reminiscent of a childhood favorite called “The Trigan Empire” in regards to the Romanesque influences that definitely shined through. Architecture, clothes and appearances…the fact that this registered means that Guyten manages to portray the world he created, so a reader “gets it”. I do admit that the content of his…well, I suppose one would call it “his characters’ philosophy” outran his settings by far, making them secondary, and perhaps not even that.
Personally, I found the views of his characters, and the way he described them, fascinating. Very politically oriented, and let’s face it, politics never fail to interest or capture. Though there were times when the author appeared to become a little preachy, as in observations his hero made, it was not so that it annoyed. In fact, it actually managed to fully entertain me. It will however cause a love or hate response to readers, I’m thinking. Since I’m on the side of the first, I don’t consider the tendency to be much of a problem.

Plot:
Guyten’s plot is complex and you will be smart to keep track of it. Several evil parties eager to “rule the world” so to speak, and a handful of heroes trying desperately to stop them, while they’re trying to deal with careless Gods, vicious politics, sneaky assassins and evil men in general.

Characters:
Rommus: Guyten’s clear-cut hero appears to be a somewhat over-sensitive fellow at first. He is adrift in a world he doesn’t understand, and doesn’t understand him back. He’s gentle, intelligent, and big of heart and body, and yet still took a while to grow on me. In fact, I had a serious liking for his father from the very start. In the end Rommus lived up to his potential however, and managed to have me root for him.
Alana: She appears to be a little less clear-cut, and to my regret she was a bit two-dimensional because it was never really explained what her motivations were as she started out as foe and then ended up as friend. I would have liked to see more of what drove her, and how that affected her relationships towards the other characters. The thing that was clear throughout the book was that she became a close friend to Rommus and is destined to be more in the future of this series…at least, I sure hope so.
Tannis: Rommus’ father and a warrior of old. Set in his ways, loyal to the bone and…well, the way he viewed life fascinated me every time. I found myself looking forward to his dialogues, if only to see what he would say next.

The Villain:
There were several in fact. The evil emperor’s son who strove to destroy his father’s hard work. The sneaky “king” of the enemy seeking to destroy the land of our heroes with whatever means available. And a God wanting to rule all on his own. They were properly evil, they were appropriately present and well described, and vocal about their wants. There will be no doubt about any of their intentions.

Violence:
Guyten’s violence was graphic and yet so to the point that it left little impact on me. The brutality of certain actions were added in almost negligent manner that almost made me miss them altogether, and unlike the many fine scenes within this tale, they failed to impress me with vivid imagery. Which is a pity, but not a disaster since not everyone likes violence in the first place.

Conclusion:
Mighty Hammer Down is an interesting glimpse into David Guyten’s world, which is part one of the Legend of Reason series. It is not for everyone. If you’re not inclined to read long narratives about his heroes’ views towards life, religion, politics and more politics, this is not the book for you. If you want to get into heated discussions with your book club, family, or whatever, you shouldn’t miss this one. It is bound to set tongues wagging.

I, for one, am looking forward to the sequel.

Here's a link if you want to check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Hammer-Down-David-Guyton/dp/1440486077/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320436532&sr=1-1

Another goodbye and a book review

Song of the day: “I hope you dance” by LeAnn Womack. Had it in my head before, will have it again.

There really isn’t all that much to tell, yesterday was all about rushing from here to there, first by dropping the Land Rover off at the garage (new brake pads and front lock) then heading on over to Malaga where mom had to apply for her driver’s license because her expiration date ran out. *sigh*

Y’all know how much I LOVE bureaucracy, right? I’ll spare you my rant today. Hah. Let me just put you out of your misery and inform you that we’ll be back there on the dot, three weeks from now. *double sigh*

After that, we got lost in the industrial area of Malaga a little, and that while I really had to go to the bathroom. How come my bladder always gets the size of a peanut when I’m somewhere I can’t get to a bathroom? It’s a filthy twist of fate, I tell ya.

Oh, and let me warn you before we go any further. The day didn’t have the most auspicious beginning, and that was mostly due to the fact that one of the dogs had to be put down.

Creo was her name, and she was a 9 or 10 year old Basset Hound whose health had been going for a while now. Though necessary, (she was half blind, bled from her skin at the drop of a hat, had a stuffed nose every day, and according to the vet had severe arthritis that must have been pretty painful. Poor, brave Creo) it is never nice to have to make this decision.
Let’s just wrap this up by saying that she is better off this way. For the past five, or six years she had a wonderful life here with many other dogs to play with, and we’ll remember her forever.

Well, that is depressing. What else…well, yesterday there was gardening, and building fences around yet another potato patch. It was wonderfully relaxing after spending the day on the road (did I mention that two hours after we got home we had to go out again to pick up the Land Rover? Well, we did. Blast it!) and I wished that we could have done it all day instead of the driving around bit. Hah. The plus thing about yesterday was that while we were out the sky was cloudy all the time. Yay.

Today, on the other hand the weather was splendid, and we spent most of it doing stuff in the yard again. Watering, transplanting seedlings, putting a broken citrus tree in a pot and putting thyme and rosemary in the planters of the greenhouse.

There was cooking and…well, who cares anyway?

I did a review for an Indie Published author the other day, so I’ll finish up with it and leave it at that for today. Maybe the next time I’ll be in a better mood.

For Marise Ghorayeb’s “Sorcery in the Alleys” I’m going to have to go with Five stars of the seven I’m allowed to give (according to me) for reviews.

* * * * *

This has more to do with technicalities and structure than the delightful story and its diverse characters.

First off, SORCERY IN THE ALLEYS is a relatively short story of 85 pages, describing the rather peculiar life of a young girl, who is, as you’ll discover, a powerful sorceress trying to save the universe as we know it.

I liked the way Ghorayeb managed to apply a casual tone (1st person narrative) that was entertaining, personable and engaging. Her main character Liz is a spirited and…multifaceted character, which kept my attention, despite the few hiccups I stumbled over:
I would have liked to see a bit more description about the background of Ghorayeb’s world of sorcery. She refers to an organization, a big group of humans and aliens alike, taking care of humanity’s safety, but then leaves her reader guessing a bit. Also, there are many references to friends, relations, and so on, which seemed to have little more purpose than atmosphere.

Though I maintain that Ghorayeb’s story was a pleasure to read, there were a few points that tripped me throughout her narrative about fighting the evil wizards, and fate: Technicalities.
This talented and creative author could definitely benefit from a good editor who’d help her format her story so that people like myself (the slightly lazy reader) have an easier time of following along.
There are parts in the story where one barely has chance to draw breath, due to a barrage of--albeit entertaining--descriptions that could have been better with some strategic enters, commas, and some general “cleaning up”. The same cleaning up would improve her occasional multiple character conversations, which required me to reread sections just to be sure who had said what.
Also, there were quite a few typos, which on themselves did little to diminish the reading pleasure, but confused the matter somewhat.

Lastly, though Ghorayeb has a flair for creating characters, there were so many of them intimately described (only 85 pages after all) that there were times where I was left wondering “what? Who?” I would have liked to see her focus more on the vital members of the story.

But despite these, mostly technical, problems, I had a lot of fun reading Ghorayeb’s Sorcery in the Alleys. And even though I am not the biggest fan of 1st person narrative, I will be looking towards more of this author’s work…if for no other reason than to see how she will improve on her talent in the future, and reach her potential.

For those who enjoy first person narrative, YA, Sorcery in the Alleys is definitely worth a look.

Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/Sorcery-Alleys-Marise-Ghorayeb/dp/1607032236/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316889797&sr=8-1

A review of "Fire-Heart"

Song of the day: "Crazy" by Patsy Cline again.

I'm cheating on the blog today, and will post a book review I wrote for C.S. Marks' "Fire-Heart" instead.

On my own 1 to 7 star review basis, I'm going to give this one a solid six. Hah.

* * * * * *


Someone found her groove!

I’m going with six stars for this fine piece of fantasy because it hit almost every note that is necessary in any good story.

As part two of C.S. Marks’ “A tale of Alterra, the world that is” series, Fire-Heart follows Elfhunter, which I stumbled upon after chatting with the author online. Since reading part one, and then winning part two in a mini contest, I just hadn’t gotten around to reading it.
I’m glad I did.

Writing style:
As stated above, Marks definitely found her groove with this one. Where Elfhunter held a nice narrative with interesting aspects of what was an inspired idea, part two managed to capture and effectively hold me throughout yet another quest through a world of elves, dwarfs and man. Where the narrative was almost stiff in some places in part one, Fire-Heart showed a tremendous growth in this author, whose “voice” relaxed and settled into a pleasant flow that steered me through Alterra on an exciting roller coaster ride.
Though there were some inevitable typos and repetitions, none of it took away my pleasure of reading this particular tale.
Concise and detailed in thoughts, appearances and actions, and sometimes wonderfully “old tongue” (if that makes any sense), Marks got it just right.

Setting:
If I were hard pressed to express a negative aspect of this story, I would have to voice a very personal opinion that I like this realm of man less than I did that of the elves. Though colorfully and even beautifully described, Fire-Heart lingers long within the deserts with all its perils and its often-time oppressive people. But such a thing is subjective, of course. Once they got to their final destination, I was in much better spirits.

Plot:
There are three, for as far as I could discern. Refreshingly straightforward and effective in every way: one quest, one rescue mission, and revenge (continuing on from the foundation that was laid in the first of the series). Fire-Heart, basically being three stories in one, kept me vastly entertained as the author led me capably from one plot-line to the next.

Characters:
Like the writing style, Marks got her characters on the pages with a definite flair. Though likable before (after a time) I had no trouble reacquainting myself with the hunter scouts Gaelen and Nelwyn who had found their loves in part one. Though an old enemy lurked in the back ground once more, both elves showed their loyalty and dedication as they traveled to a world unknown to them…as was in character.
Though there were plenty of familiar faces, Marks managed to insert a nice selection of new characters that kept everything interesting.
On the most part, it was a pleasure seeing the whole “company” back again, albeit through trials and tribulations that made me wonder if Marks was going to off one or two of them. Rather than spill the beans, let’s just say I had happy moments of relief and choked up moments along the way, and leave it at that.
Romantically speaking, Fire-Heart definitely suited more of my requirements than part one, that’s a fact. It was sweet, enduring and a wonderful additional ingredient in the tale.

The Villain:
There were several in fact. Gorgon from part one, of course; still harboring malice towards the poor company, and Gaelen, who has sworn vengeance upon him. Also a couple of new dangers to face, naturally, one of which a slimy traitor set on mischief and an evil dragon of old. Vastly entertaining, in a most villainous way. There were some changes I didn’t see coming in good ol’ Gorgon, but they do hold a promise for more in the next story of Alterra.

Violence:
Marks remained consistent in her descriptions of it, (detail, but tasteful) even though some of her characters appeared to be a bit more blood-lusty than I remember. Since it suited them (and the story) well, it didn’t bother me in the least.

Conclusion:
If you liked Elfhunter, you’ll undoubtedly love Fire-Heart. If you didn’t like the first, I think you should give this one a shot anyway, just to make sure if Marks’ style doesn’t grow on you after all. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who is in the mood to submerge into a fantasy world that is an absolute pleasure to travel through.

My last and only real grievance with Marks’ Alterra series is definitely that I will just have to buy part three now as well. Darn it!

End Review.

Other than finishing this particular book, the past couple of days haven't been all that busy, so I will just save my descriptions until the next one.
I'm free, Free, FREE!
*snort*