Category Archives: Review

A Facet For The Gem

Facet_GemWhat happens when evocative writing and compelling storytelling collide and fuse together? You get a powerhouse novel like C.L. Murray’s A Facet For The Gem, a tale unfolding in a generously described and developed world.

We enter this world through Morlen’s viewpoint. We find him struggling to make his way among people who have rejected him, living in a land in the midst of unrest and on the verge of far worst. An outcast, Morlen will gradually uncover his true identity and discover how his nascent yet to be unveiled power may provide the key to arrest the dark forces threatening to overpower two kingdoms.

Before I go on, I will note the things that bothered me, namely point of view hopping and frequent, somewhat lengthy backstory exposition through dialog. As most readers won’t notice these nits (or indeed, might expect them in this genre), and given how the writer’s fluid style glides right over these imperfections, I will move on to say there’s much to commend in this story.

First and foremost, the narrative comes through with a strong, often lyrical voice. I must confess it took me a chapter or so to fully accept and immerse myself in phrasing that seems more appropriate for a book written in the 1800s. Yet, it fits here. It not only fits, but it wraps, drenches, and infuses the narrative with an ethos and mood that firmly establishes it as other-worldly. It also comes through in dialog without sounding ponderous and wooden—quite the unusual achievement.

As for the story itself, the characters and their struggles flow with and support the plot. The author does a good job of presenting us with an array of characters with diverging, yet intersecting interests and conflicts. The ongoing and roiling struggle for power and dominance in the midst of war frames the protagonist’s journey to discover both his place and power. Adding deep and rich backstory to the present, the author also builds the tale on a strong foundation.

Often, fantasy stories feel shallow, all about the, well, fantastical events unfolding now. But not here, where a well-grounded and developed past feeds the present and is, for the most part (minus the dialog exposition) laid out well and without ponderous encumbrance.

Yet, in the area of characterization, I must offer one regret: “where are the women?” I asked more than once. But for one minor character, and one promising character who at the fifty percent mark is more or less relegated to a background role (she literally flies away after we’ve just met her), Facet gives us a too heavily male-dominated world.

Eventually, this regret turns to relief, then excitement, when that princess returns to the foreground with a forcefulness and strength of will that lifts the story to new heights of conflict and renewal. If a tiny bit of the regret remains, it only does so to wish we had met her far sooner.

In terms of plotting and story advancement, I never felt the story drag. Events pressed forward at a good clip, intensifying the swirling conflict of a war-torn world. Those battle scenes leading to the climax come fast and vivid, thanks to the author’s descriptive powers.

Though I am glad–very much so–that I gave Facet a try, I usually stay away from fantasy stories. I often find myself struggling to find something fresh, a story that doesn’t feel like rehash or warmed up leftovers from a thousand stories before it.

If I chose to ignore other aspects of the story, I suppose I might be tempted to say the same about Facet. There are magical swords, power-dispensing talismans, flying eagles, fiendish beasts, the super dark villain, space-transcending portals, and other tropes one has come to expect in a fantasy romp. And yes, in the end, we encounter the romantic entanglement that should have perhaps bloomed or suggested itself sooner to more fully satisfy.

It is on that basis (plus those nits) that I do not give this novel the full 5 star treatment, even though in the end I recommend it as a story fantasy fans will thoroughly enjoy. And if you want writing that soars and inspires, prose that chooses every word with care and driving determination, you would do well to pick up this book and fly on eagles’ wings into a world the author has thoughtfully crafted for us.

About The Reviewer

Eduardo_SuasteguiIt took Eduardo Suastegui a while to discover he was an artist trapped in an engineer’s body. With formal education in math and science, affirmed through hands-on engineering experience in designing, building, and integrating gadgets of varying complexity, he always kept daydreaming. Throughout his life, that daydreaming fed technological innovation.

More recently, that daydreaming has engendered stories about hackers, rogue AIs, and space travel, with more than a few stories about a dog trainer and her K9s sprinkled in. Eduardo loves to dive into fast-flowing, character-driven stories. With each of the books he reads or writes, he hopes to continue that adventure.

More than anything, through his writing, he hopes to connect with readers. He seeks to share a piece of himself with those who pick up and delve into his work.

Learn more about Eduardo and his work at http://eduardosuastegui.com/

Searching For Summer

searching_summerSearching for Summer by Christine Campbell is a heart-tugging story of a mother (Mirabelle) searching for her daughter (Summer) who has gone missing in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Campbell did a wonderful job with the emotions of the whole experience and had me hoping for the best for her characters throughout as I read. Mirabelle was very real to me, especially, and I expect to enjoy her character in later novels of The Reluctant Detective series.

As an American reader, I also really enjoyed the sneak peek into police procedure and how people talk in another place. Makes me want to visit Edinburgh again and see the sites for myself. While Searching for Summer is a missing person’s mystery, it’s also a women’s fiction novel, focused on Mirabelle’s internal journey to understand the relationships in her life (with her daughter, long-lost father, and boyfriend) as well as her external journey to find her missing daughter.

About The Reviewer:

BRYANT-CroppedSamantha Bryant is a middle school Spanish teacher by day and a mom and novelist by night. That makes her a superhero all the time. Her debut novel, Going Through the Change: A Menopausal Superhero Novel is now for sale by Curiosity Quills.

Learn more about Samantha and her work at http://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/

Greylock

greylockGreylock exposes the deep currents of the human compulsion for success – Bold characters with the loftiest of dreams.
The story’s unique horror style, explores the deep currents of human emotion and compulsion. Like in a Grimm tale, basic life lessons are fleshed out using surprising twists. How far should one go to pursue a dream? An individual’s definition of true happiness, acceptable behavior for the good of society, is explored using classic Goth style with an added modern flair.

Paula Cappa merges old tales of Siberian witches and the other side of life’s river’s flow, with nature’s inexplicable wonders—the music of whales. Bleak settings at the fringe of nature—the eerie woods of Mount Greylock, and the frigid White Sea, keep the story’s tone of horror well defined. Bold characters, larger than life with the loftiest of dreams, lead the reader to jagged truths about humanity. The author draws the reader into the music world of Alexei, a classical modern composer, who was born into a family with generations of musical history. Old family secrets are the tip of the iceberg. Alexei must dive in deep, not only with whales to write his composition, but also deep into the story behind his most successful piece of music to date. Alexei must choose the kind of person he wants to be.

The protagonist loves Raymond Chandler’s character, Marlowe, which serves as a great correlation. The author also sprinkles in literary quotes and music, which keep the musical tone of the story floating throughout, like a refined brush stroke. The romance that develops between Alexei and Lia also sets a heated stage. Other relationships are also developed, and each character faces some sort of pivot and must choose their fate. Alexei, and his family and friends, each grow or change by the end. This is an excellent, moving story. Bravo!

About The Reviewer

elizabeth_zgutaElisabeth Zguta is an advocate for Independent authors and publishers and encourages all writers to learn the skills needed for today’s book markets and to keep in touch with the new technologies.

​She is curious ​and always wants to know more about everything, and her attention goes to many places and topics. She considers herself a life learner, not only because of the courses she takes but also from the knowledge gained through life experiences. Nothing brings her more satisfaction than reading something new that sparks her imagination or connecting with other people regarding a topic. She is an Indie Author of supernatural, thriller suspense novels and writes blog posts.

Learn more about Elisabeth and her work at http://ezindiepublishing.com/

Nefertiti’s Heart

Nefertitis_HeartNefertiti’s Heart by A.W. Exley is the first of the Artifact Hunters steampunk/romance/thriller series.

Cara Devon, a young woman with a troubled and violent history, recently returned to 1860s London to deal with the estate of her recently murdered father, a loss she does not mourn. She’s been away for years, exploring the wide world with a freedom seldom afforded proper young women, and her return has the town talking again about the scandal surrounding her.

When other young women start disappearing and turning up dead, Cara ends up in the middle of an investigation that may tie up the loose threads of her past and her future, if only she can find the artifact known as Nefertiti’s Heart.

The novel intermixes romance and thriller in a steampunk setting. Cara is a very promising character and I expect to enjoy the other novels in the series as well.

About The Reviewer:

BRYANT-CroppedSamantha Bryant is a middle school Spanish teacher by day and a mom and novelist by night. That makes her a superhero all the time. Her debut novel, Going Through the Change: A Menopausal Superhero Novel is now for sale by Curiosity Quills.

Learn more about Samantha and her work at http://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/

Catskinner’s Book

catskinners_bookWhen required to place this book in a genre Burnett has previously chosen science fiction and urban fantasy. It might also be categorised as supernatural fiction or horror. The opening scenes have an ambience of crime noir and spy thriller. While the book very definitely contains speculative elements, the story takes precedence over the speculation, refusing to be confined by genre.

This novel is the first in the Book of Lost Doors series. The protagonist, James Ozryck, has shared his body with an inhuman consciousness since early childhood; a consciousness he calls Catskinner. Catskinner gives him access to superhuman abilities but also kills without apparent reason or compassion. He finds work as a contract assassin but the murder of his boss reveals Catskinner is not the only unnatural being in the world, and not all of them are as content to merely exist. Before James can build himself a new future he must try to understand his past.

At the core of this novel’s strength is the characterisation. As with Byronic heroes such as Milton’s Lucifer and Hammett’s Sam Spade, James Ozryck is unashamedly not a good man, but from the first page Burnett paints him a character flawed by extreme circumstance and environment; a man worthy of our sympathy. Catskinner is similarly well handled, possessing a distinct intelligible character without sacrificing its otherness. The competing drives of the two main characters blend to produce a dynamic balance between ensuring survival and having a reason to survive.

The complexity of motivation in James/Catskinner continues into the other characters. While characters might be of a particular gender or sexuality they act like individuals and not stereotypes, each displaying personal goals that temporarily coincide or conflict with others. However Burnett does not fall into the trap of making characters defy stereotypes for the sake of it; beyond the nuanced interaction of the key characters are many background interactions which realistically portray the hollow biases that power our stereotypes.

A similar depth is evident in the cosmology. The reader is slowly exposed to more of the magic concealed within every day society, each piece building on others and providing new possibilities for previous events until the disparate pieces fit together to not only show they are all aspects of one whole but also ignite speculation about how it might explain anomalies in the real world.

The book is written entirely from the perspective of James, which portrays very well his search for answers and frustration when he does not find them; however this identification with James can instil the same drive and the same frustration in the reader. As the book is well paced, and Burnett does not withhold information merely to extend the story, this frustration is quickly eased, but this is not a book for readers who do not enjoy the satisfaction of a hard-won explanation.

This is one of the best books I have read this year. The fusion of an engaging plot with a complex world make it enjoyable both as a thrilling adventure and a metaphysical exploration. I recommend it to anyone who does not limit themselves to strict realism.

About The Reviewer

Dave_Higgins

Dave Higgins writes speculative fiction, often with a dark edge. Despite forays into the mundane worlds of law and IT, he was unable to escape the liminal zone between mystery and horror. A creature of contradictions, he also co-writes comic sci-fi with Simon Cantan.

Born in the least mystically significant part of Wiltshire, England, and raised by a librarian, he started reading shortly after birth and hasn’t stopped since. He lives with his wife, two cats, a plush altar to Lord Cthulhu, and many shelves of books.

It’s rumoured he writes out of fear he will otherwise run out of books to read.

Learn more about Dave and his work at http://davidjhiggins.wordpress.com/

Missing Assumed Dead

Missing-Assumed-DeadKameron McBride reluctantly heads out to a far-flung part of Oregon to settle estate affairs for a distant relative. She learns he has been missing for quite some time and is now assumed dead. Hey, that sounds like a great title, doesn’t it? Something like, Missing, Assumed Dead, perhaps…

Without the benefit of a death certificate, much less a body, Kameron will soon suspect that her relative succumbed to foul play. Of what sort and for what reason? Well, that’s what the story is about. Suffice it to say that people in high places have staged a small town cover up that Kameron will have to unravel. The mystery elements in the story develop alongside a romance with Deputy Mitch Caldwell and an ongoing relationship with a deceased woman, who keeps appearing at opportune times to render warning of impending events. Holding mystery, romance and the supernatural in balance is no small undertaking, and the author must at a minimum receive commendation for telling a coherent story that carries that triad.

Marva Dasef keeps the pace peppy and moving. Information gathering, procedural style, with conversations, sometimes in the form of a couple of pages of flashback, is rendered well and succinctly. At times, especially at the end I would have preferred a more action-based approach, but it never bores, and so I must set my preference aside.

Just as crucial, Dasef’s characterization feels solid. Even minor characters come across as more than veneer caricatures, a flaw all too common in these types of stories. They speak to us with realistic regional dialects that are never overwhelming and often charming. Above all, they behave in ways that also strike us as real and never shoe-horned. On that basis alone, this story rises above average.

Dasef also incorporates a significant romance element. Before I say more, I must first stipulate to being neither an expert nor a fan of that particular genre. Having said that, the romance felt rushed and at times abrupt. At times I asked myself if such a quick connection between strangers—especially in light of the danger and crisis around them—would be realistic, or if more of a buildup would have yielded a more satisfying relationship development. On that front I must raise my hands and say, “well, different people might behave differently,” and move on. And so I did.

In the end, well, the ending didn’t satisfy this reader enough. It struck me as too straightforward, almost too convenient, with little of the surprise, twist element we’ve come to expect in this genre. Perhaps “the case” itself lacked sufficient complexity to bring about a more satisfying conclusion. If I had to put my finger on it, I would indeed press it there. Were it not for the above-mentioned characterization, this would have disappointed more than it did. Yet, in the sum total of the story, I didn’t go away saying “Wow!” but I did appreciate the skill with which the author kept me going where many others would have failed to manage the feat.

Overall, I recommend this as a worthy read. No doubt those more in tune with the crime-romance genre will enjoy it even more than I did.

About The Reviewer

Eduardo_SuasteguiIt took Eduardo Suastegui a while to discover he was an artist trapped in an engineer’s body. With formal education in math and science, affirmed through hands-on engineering experience in designing, building, and integrating gadgets of varying complexity, he always kept daydreaming. Throughout his life, that daydreaming fed technological innovation.

More recently, that daydreaming has engendered stories about hackers, rogue AIs, and space travel, with more than a few stories about a dog trainer and her K9s sprinkled in. Eduardo loves to dive into fast-flowing, character-driven stories. With each of the books he reads or writes, he hopes to continue that adventure.

More than anything, through his writing, he hopes to connect with readers. He seeks to share a piece of himself with those who pick up and delve into his work.

Learn more about Eduardo and his work at http://eduardosuastegui.com/

Berlin 1945: The Final Days of Hitler’s Third Reich

berlin_1945I was happy to learn of Philip Gibson’s Berlin 1945: The Final Days of Hitler’s Third Reich, given that I had rave-blurbed Robert K. Blechman’s Executive Severance, a mystery novel written in real-time tweets, back in 2011.   Amazingly and ironically, Executive Severance has not yet been published as a Kindle – it’s available only in paperback – but is delightful nonetheless.

Berlin 1945 is available as a Kindle ebook, is also written in tweets, and is also delightful – as well as historically informative, making the brutally true story that it covers a pleasure to read.   Unlike Executive Severance, the tweets that comprise Berlin 1945 were never posted on Twitter, and in fact are in the mouths – or from the fingertips – of leading historical figures who presided over the fall of the Third Reich, ranging from Hitler himself to his top aids and clerical assistants to allied leaders in the United States, England, and the Soviet Union.   As such, Berlin 1945 constitutes an alternate history of sorts – what would have been tweeted in 1945 in those finals days of the Third Reich had all the major parties Twitter accounts and used them as you and I – but not yet Presidents and military leaders – use them today.  Thus, we really get a double alternate history in this fast-paced volume – the general alternate history of Twitter in 1945, and the more specific alternate history of leaders often obsessively tweeting.

One opportunity that may have been missed in this book is the major and minor players responding to each other’s tweets – or at least RTing and Favoriting tweets.   The narrative instead consists of tweets largely uniformed by the tweets of others in the book, though because the tweeters are often talking about the same events – Hitler and his minions about the Russian approach to Berlin – the tweets are often connected in theme.

The history is well-researched and accurate.   The only slightly misleading phrase I noticed was in this background blurb about Stalin – “After entering into a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, from 1941 to 1945 he oversaw the defense of the Soviet Union” – which would have been clearer as “After entering into a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, dissolved by Hitler in 1941, Stalin from then to 1945 oversaw the defense of the Soviet Union” – but that’s a minor quibble.

The voices of the tweeters – or, better, tweeting styles – all ring true, as do the psychological tensions and chess games that we know from history, such as the mutual exasperation between Hitler and his generals in the last days of the war.   Gibson also works in some good narrative connectors, such as Hitler ordering the flooding of the Berlin subway system to slow the Russian advance, after Joseph Goebbel’s wife separately muses about a bathtub in the bunker.

I was bound to really enjoy this book, being a fan of alternate history, having written extensively about Twitter in New New Media, and being a World War II history buff to boot.  But you’ll love this book if you’re any one of those, and maybe even if you’re not at all.  Berlin 1945 is part of a growing series of books like this by Gibson (“hashtag histories”)  – including a presciently written one about the Cuban Missile Crisis in tweets – and I expect I’ll be reading all of them sooner or later.  In even shorter than a tweet, I can say:  Gibson has given us a compelling way to witness history.

About The Reviewer

PaulLevinsonPaul Levinson, PhD, is Professor of Communication & Media Studies at Fordham University in NYC. His science fiction novels include The Silk Code (winner of Locus Award for Best First Science Fiction Novel of 1999), Borrowed Tides (2001), The Consciousness Plague (2002), The Pixel Eye (2003), The Plot To Save Socrates (2006), Unburning Alexandria (2013), and Chronica (2014) – the last three of which are also known as the Sierra Waters trilogy, and are historical fiction as well as science fiction. His stories and novels have been nominated for Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, Edgar, Prometheus, and Audie Awards. His nonfiction books, including The Soft Edge (1997), Digital McLuhan (1999), Realspace (2003), Cellphone (2004), and New New Media (2009; 2nd edition, 2012), have been translated into twelve languages. He appears on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, the History Channel, NPR, and numerous TV and radio programs. His 1972 LP, Twice Upon a Rhyme, was re-issued in 2010. He was President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, 1998-2001. He reviews television in his InfiniteRegress.tv blog, and was listed in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Top 10 Academic Twitterers” in 2009.

Find out more about Paul and his work at http://paullevinson.blogspot.com/

Chimeras

chimerasChimeras by E.E. Giorgi is an engaging detective story with a noir tone, set in Los Angeles at its grittiest.

Track Perseus is a policeman, but his “nose” for clues is a little more literal than most. He’s a chimera, with the vision and sense of smell of a predator. It puts him an interesting position where he knows things that can’t be ascertained by the court-admissible evidence and has to find back-up to prove the facts to his partner and the department. Whether you are a detective story fan or intrigued by the possibilities of science and genetic engineering, there’s something here for you. Track is hard-boiled in that tradition of noir detectives, troubled and dangerous both in love and work, but with a solid center of righteousness.

There’s plenty of intrigue and his own past and personal issues intermix with the case in a complicated and fascinating mess.

About The Reviewer:

BRYANT-CroppedSamantha Bryant is a middle school Spanish teacher by day and a mom and novelist by night. That makes her a superhero all the time. Her debut novel, Going Through the Change: A Menopausal Superhero Novel is now for sale by Curiosity Quills.

Learn more about Samantha and her work at http://samanthadunawaybryant.blogspot.com/

The Hitler Dececption

hitler-deceptionTracie Tanner ‘Bulldog’ CIA operative doesn’t understand the word impossible.

Another exciting Tracie Tanner thriller, where the plot keeps rolling into another dimension of impossible, keeping the strong heroine, Tracie Tanner CIA secret operative, working through dilemmas, which she must overcome to survive. She is quick to assess her surroundings and the situations she finds herself in by her resourcefulness. The other characters in the story also have deep roots and feel real, giving the book great dimension.

As always dealing with her boss, CIA Aaron Stallings is problematic. Worse, her new assignment in Wuppertal, West Germany has pitfalls from the start. She is thrown into a situation where Intel is sketchy, there’s no time for even minimal planning, and reconnaissance is nonexistent. Tanner relies on her instincts to get the job done, but with her skills, that’s enough.

Her new partner, Matthias Gruber, is an unknown in the deal, but they decide to work together, both dedicated to get the job done**spoiler alert**—Eliminate Hitler.

Even more surprises arise, and the mission keeps morphing into something new to overcome, right until the very end.

It is evident that the author researched which adds to the validity. The outrageous claims seem imaginable, once the story unfolds. The tension is well paced throughout and hooks along the way, keeping the reader riveted to the pages. There are many punches enacted in these action scenes, but still with a reverence for saving innocent lives whenever possible, which I applaud. I recommend this story for those who enjoy action-packed thrillers.

About The Reviewer

elizabeth_zgutaElisabeth Zguta is an advocate for Independent authors and publishers and encourages all writers to learn the skills needed for today’s book markets and to keep in touch with the new technologies.

​She is curious ​and always wants to know more about everything, and her attention goes to many places and topics. She considers herself a life learner, not only because of the courses she takes but also from the knowledge gained through life experiences. Nothing brings her more satisfaction than reading something new that sparks her imagination or connecting with other people regarding a topic. She is an Indie Author of supernatural, thriller suspense novels and writes blog posts.

Learn more about Elisabeth and her work at http://ezindiepublishing.com/

Murder Out Of The Blue

Murder-Blue-cover-213x300If you can’t put up with a story that doesn’t start with a bang and careens forward without letting you catch your breath, you might not deem Steve Turnbull’s Murder out of the Blue worth the trouble. You might start on the first few pages and think nothing is happening. Except something is. The rich, descriptive prose is immersing—or rather, permeating—you, into a Steampunk journey that will feel very British Empire and Orient Express, with a Faraday device thrown in.

By the time the body drops on or about the second chapter, not only are you flying along in partial weightlessness in Turnbull’s world, but you have achieved empathy with his lead character, Maliha. Her in-between half-Indian, half-Scott cultural plight has become yours. Her insight and intelligence as she conducts her unofficial, but rather more efficient, sleuthing draws you along as well. In particular you appreciate her sensitivity to the personal situations surrounding the case, and how in many ways, they mirror her own station in life.

I won’t say much more for fear of spoiling the tale. Suffice it to say at its core, this story is a murder mystery embedded in a Steampunk setting. One might be tempted to claim the Steampunk elements are quite beside the point, perhaps artificially injected. I would disagree. In the hands of an able writer such as Turnbull, they lend a certain surreal, other-worldly ethos to the story that serves to at once separate us from historical reality, and to view it in a different, thought-provoking light.

Murder out of the Blue is a short work, of novelette to novella length. It is a completely resolved story that yet supports the full plot arc subsequent stories in the series promise to reveal. Don’t be put off or fooled by the short length either. It packs quite the punch. If nothing else, read it for the way characters interact and converse without any wood in their words. That alone is worth the price of admission. And getting an introduction to an alternative world full of possibilities? That is the prize for the taking.

About The Reviewer

Eduardo_SuasteguiIt took Eduardo Suastegui a while to discover he was an artist trapped in an engineer’s body. With formal education in math and science, affirmed through hands-on engineering experience in designing, building, and integrating gadgets of varying complexity, he always kept daydreaming. Throughout his life, that daydreaming fed technological innovation.

More recently, that daydreaming has engendered stories about hackers, rogue AIs, and space travel, with more than a few stories about a dog trainer and her K9s sprinkled in. Eduardo loves to dive into fast-flowing, character-driven stories. With each of the books he reads or writes, he hopes to continue that adventure.

More than anything, through his writing, he hopes to connect with readers. He seeks to share a piece of himself with those who pick up and delve into his work.

Learn more about Eduardo and his work at http://eduardosuastegui.com/