Category Archives: Review

Review

Breakthrough

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BreakthroughCan you say near-future military action-adventure science fiction thriller three times real fast? Do you like Clive Cussler’s work? That’s the kind of novel Michael C. Grumley wrote in Breakthrough. I give it solid marks. Not a full on five stars, but it’s very much a standout for the genre, and I am a Clive Cussler fan. (I’m also a Lee Child fan, for those who want to know.)

Well-conceived, well-researched, and well-executed, Breakthrough stays very tightly to the tried and true–the hero, a slightly renegade SEAL and his sidekick, the scientists, and the politicos, the enigma, and the razor’s edge sequencing of scenes culminating at life-critical moments. Plus, there’s just a whiff of potential romance that never blossoms in this book. Maybe the next?

So, lots of action, lots of solid, believable science, a typical amount of political machinations and bureaucracy, along with the bypassing of said same by aforementioned heroes. There’s lots of intrique, lots to worry about, and lots of bullets and torpedoes flying as the dominoes begin to fall, never mind the nukes.

The science is believable, including the breakthrough in communicating with dolphins. The undersea mystery–both the enigma of it at the onset, and the revelations later on–are credible, as are the environmental consequences. (I’m trying very hard, here, not to give anything away.)

The main bad guy is just a bit too ‘Dick Cheney’, and goes a bit over-the-top near the end, in my opinion, but, all in all, he does demonstrate a prevalent attitude among Hawks, some legitimate, others just typical warmonger stuff.

The editing? No grammatical faults that I noticed, which is amazing for a self-published book, and excellent delivery, pacing, and transitions. My only complaint is the lack of spacing between scene changes (at least, in the eBook format). Criticism? There is a bit of head-hopping, but nothing that will throw you out. The lack of scene change spacing is the only thing that will give you pause, but you get used to it by the time you’re a third of the way in.

Story (with respect to the genre)? 5 stars.
Presentation? 4 stars.

Do I personally recommend it? For those like me who enjoy these kinds of action-adventure, near-future gallops? Definitely.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

DLKeur_1_400x600D. L. Keur is an avid reader, mostly of those genres she doesn’t herself write, and she authors, both, paranormally-tinged, mainstream novels as well as realistic modern-day Western/Western Romances written just as much for men as for women. She writes the former as E. J. Ruek and the latter as C. J. “Country” James. And you can look for her releasing some books in the future as “D.L.Keur writing as D.L.Keur”. You can sample, both, her attitudes and her novels online at www.DLKeur.com and buy the books in print or eBook on Amazon.

Review

Natalie’s Revenge

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natalies_revengeFirst, Susan Fleet gave us a story about a serial killer with her book Absolution, then a stalker with the second book in the series, Diva. In the third book of the Detective Renzi series, once again his dedicated cop persona entertains us.

In book three of the series, Natalie’s Revenge, the reader learns more about Renzi’s compassionate side as we delve deeper into his personal matters while he’s working to solve the crime.

Detective Renzi loses his objectivity while on the case, but only for a moment, as he deals with his own emotional struggle. He maneuvers the complex politics of being a detective in New Orleans, along with his equally complex personal life. It’s not hard to imagine, his character is authentic. Cops have cases they remember for various reasons, maybe even have nightmares over, and Frank Renzi will never forget the murders involving Natalie. Neither will the reader.

My favorite part of  this story is the villain herself. Natalie is a tough cookie, never giving up her dream to solve her own mystery and avenge her mother’s death. In many ways, Natalie is the victim.

Natalie’s Revenge is an inventive plot with two memorable characters, each with their own story thread, weaving throughout the story. It’s packed with action, great locations, and a story within a story. Susan Fleet brings us to the streets of New Orleans with a vivid picture of the mayhem, especially during a hurricane.

I strongly recommend reading this book, with its glimpse into the personal motivations of people—the human drive—and how our psyche can go astray if we’re not careful. Read all the Detective Frank Renzi cases, you won’t regret it if you enjoy hard-boiled crime 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/

Review

Vokhtah

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VokhtahIn Vokhtah, the author gives us a rich and satisfying tapestry of a world: alien, strange, and gratifying. This is not a particularly easy read, one in which you skim while half-watching tv or munching on a sandwich. The book deserves the reader’s full attention so that all the nuances and details are caught and absorbed.

On the surface, this book tells the tale of two races, possibly a lot closer related than most of them would like to admit. The Vokh are the supposed rulers of the planet; strong, fierce, and driven, fighting with one another to gain status and holdings. The iVokh serve them, from running their holdings to managing their health to running the economy to serving as basic drudges. Yet the Guild of Healers serve as a sort of governor on the Vokh, surreptitiously killing any Vokh they label as abominations.

When one Blue, (one of the three factions of the Guild of Healers) disagrees with the specifics of a decision to kill a particular Vokh, he embarks on a dangerous journey in an attempt to maneuver the situation to uphold the decree, yet in a manner that the Vokh do not become aware of the guild’s machinations.

One problem I have with too many books dealing with other forms of intelligent life is that they tend to be overly anthropomorphized. They are merely humans in otherworld bodies. The Vokh and iVokh most certainly do not fall into this trap. They are decidedly “not-human,” yet the author is able to paint such a detailed picture that we are able to understand them, their motives, their ways of thinking. Within the framework of the author’s universe, there is logic and reasonability. It all makes sense.

The detail into which the author delves is simply a joy to behold. The author’s imagination is quite obviously prodigious, but then the ability to transfer that imagination into the written word is impressive. Equally impressive are the descriptive passages of action and even simple settings. I was able to see the author’s vision quite clearly in my mind.

All told, I really enjoyed this book. I enthusiastically recommend it.

About the reviewer:

larryscatJonathan Brazee is a retired Marine infantry colonel who after years of writing non-fiction, wrote his first novel while serving in Iraq. He independently published it, hoping to sell a few copies to friends and family, and was pleasantly surprised when the book gained traction among the general reading public. Twenty-three novels later, he is now winding down his post-military career overseas to become a full-time writer. A majority of his books have a military bent in science fiction, paranormal, historical fiction, and general fiction, but he has also written non-military scifi and paranormal. He writes three to four hours each day with the help (or despite) the attention of two rescue cats who insist on sitting on his lap or keyboard.
Jonathan is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, the US Naval Academy Alumni Association, the Disabled Veterans of America, and is an officer in the VFW’s Department of the Pacific.

Learn more about Jonathan and his work at http://www.jonathanbrazee.comVokhtah

Review

Tizzie

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tizzieI could provide you lists upon lists of novels, both traditionally published and author published, that I would NOT recommend you read, but that’s not my job here. Instead, I get to share the worthy…which are tough to find–tough as finding those proverbial hen’s teeth of barnyard fame.

Happily, today, I bring you a legitimate 4.5 star novel, written by a professional who’s long taught writing to others, even as she neglected her own talent. Retired, now, from both editing and from teaching, she’s turned back to her first love, penning extraordinary novels and short stories.

Her name?

P.D.R. Lindsay.

Today’s novel that I am very proud to present?

Tizzie.

I warn you. You will desperately want to run in and rescue. You will feel hope rise, only to be shattered, then rise, again.

I warn you. You are looking at a real portrayal of life as it was in the Victorian era in the Yorkshire Dales.

I warn you. This is not a pretty tale throughout, though it does have its beautiful moments. What this tale is, is richly heart-felt. It will stay with you long after you’ve turned (or swiped) to the last page.

Tizzie is a significant novel, full of historical accuracy in both the details of the life and times, and of the human slavery practiced in England during the reign of Queen Victoria (and before and after)–white slavery, familial slavery, and, especially the enslaving of women. Don’t quibble about reading words identifying things commonplace at the time, names of things long since lost to antiquity–words like ‘lanthorn’ and ‘shippon’–strange words, perhaps, but presented neatly in context, so you can easily guess at meaning. Don’t quibble about the Queen’s English, because, after all, this is a historical novel, not something dressed up in pretense, delivered in 21st Century Manglish. (And, yes, P.D.R. Lindsay does write this story in all but that age’s Queen’s English–not quite–but enough so you get a good feel and tenor.) Don’t quibble because, in its delivery lies a magic, a magic that will bring you to live and breathe Tizzie’s days.

Tizzie is a heroine that you will never, ever forget. More, you will never forget her story. The book is that powerful. In fact, you won’t forget any of people portrayed, not the sister-in-law, not the brother, not the nephews, and certainly never little Agnes.

Mostly, though, you’ll come away loving poor, loving, gentle, plain-minded Tizzie. You’ll love her very dearly. You’ll cheer for her to succeed, despite her lot, despite all odds, and, yes, the odds are and have been stacked against her and her precious Agnes from birth. You’ll see why and how.

In her own way, Tizzie does succeed in achieving freedom, though not the way you might have hoped. But this isn’t Jane Eyre. This isn’t a fairy tale. This is reality, based in historical accuracy and upon the memories of people who lived the times. And you’ll be glad you read it. You’ll be glad you understand.

So, if I think this highly of the story, why only four-and-a-half stars?

Well, there are some oddities in punctuation that I just can’t ignore, despite knowing that Brits do spell and punctuate quite differently. That’s not the most of it, though. This is a frame story, and, while I understand why it was thusly written, I would have preferred the ending handled a little more deftly, matching the extreme mastery of craft exhibited throughout the rest of the book.

…Oh, and do read the author’s historical afterward upon reaching the end of the novel. Just turn the page. And read. The first few lines are especially significant.

About The Reviewer:

DLKeur_1_400x600D. L. Keur is an artist, a musician, and an author in her own right. Her titles span multiple genres and include science fiction (Aeros), paranormal mainstream and psychological suspense (E. J. Ruek), and Western Romance/Family Saga (C. J. “Country” James).

You can find her and her novels online at DLKeur.com.

Review

Crossing In Time

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crossing_in_timeThis story of star-crossed—nay, universe-crossed—lovers flung across space and time gallops, carrying readers on a witty adventure.

DL Orton has a keen eye for details and a sure hand with words. Her deft dialogue guarantees that each character is believable and all serve a real purpose. A reader can see, feel and smell the ocean, the snow, the suffocation of being underground despite knowing the cave is enormous. As many answers as there are, more questions remain, begging for not just a sequel but also spin-offs in which secondary characters take the leading roles.

It was a pleasure to read this nicely edited book. My mental red pencil lay largely inactive, gaining Crossing in Time a rating of Excellent in proofreading column. It is a dimension-hopping tale, and the author handled those details well, although it could still feel confusing to those of us stuck in one place and time.

Oh, and the romance? It’s hot.

About The Reviewer:

Deanne_charltonDeanne Charlton is a well-traveled writer whose first book was a construction paper tome of 16 pages at age 8. She tortured her parents with homemade stage plays, using a sliding glass door to introduce characters. Eventually, she segued into real life, fulfilling a college degree and practicing several professions, and then she retreated to her make-believe world and the friends it now presents. While comfortable with poetry, she ventures into prose upon occasion, including short stories, essays, and book reviews. She curates a writer-dense Facebook group at DCharltonEdits, provides editing services, and tweets as @dcwrites. She is tender, fierce, and loyal.

Review

Eviction Notice

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Eviction_NoticeEviction Notice is a thoroughly enjoyable book with non-stop action and more than its fair share of laughs. The author takes on what I consider some of the most difficult writing: humor. But where other more established writers have stumbled, Mr. Wyrick succeeds with flying colors. While I do see a bit of Joseph Heller with a side of Terry Pratchert in his work, he still has his own unique and satisfying voice.

The story starts with the Ogden, Iowa, senior class prank, a school tradition where each graduating class tries to outdo the previous one. When the pranksters decide to create a crop circle in a corn field, they never realize that they have put into motion a misplaced delivery of a Glen Fairy, a being in tune with nature and with the ability to heal the abuses heaped up on it by the various beings in the universe. The Glen Fairy was sold to the pig-like Zorgon as part of the deal to end a war, and Aloon Zigilbraxis was given the task of abducting and delivering her. Unfortunately for Aloon, the Iowa crop circle was a mirror for the actual crop circle he was using as a beacon to have the Glen Fairy brought to him, and the delivery pod brought the fairy to Ogden. Without the Fairy, he is told by Galactic Councilwoman Fry that in the subsection of his contract (which he never read), the penalty for non-delivery is death. Luckily for him, there is a clause that allows a grace period to recover the Glen Fairy. Unluckily for the people of earth, he has to put down collateral for this grace period, and out of options, he claims the earth itself and puts that up as the collateral. The fact that there are some 6 billion people and untold other lifeforms already inhabiting the earth doesn’t seem to give anyone pause. All life on earth will just be “evicted” to the vacuum of space.

To ensure the legality of all of this, Councilwoman Fry sends two investigators, Clayton, a sympathetic human-looking man, and Tyler, an eight-foot tall, four-armed, heavily-fanged Wolzon Strangle Beast who is partial to well-tailored suits. They approach Alice Able, a woman who is about to commit suicide, because she is from Iowa, where the presidential campaigns begin, and as she was first on a list of registered voters, they assumed she had to be the leader of the world. Without “paperwork” that shows that humans own the world, there isn’t much the investigators can do. Time is running out, and with Aloon and a squadron of Zorgon running rampant over Iowa trying to find the Glen Fairy, and with Councilwoman Fry just itching to begin the eviction, there doesn’t seem like there is much that Alice, Deputy Johnny Crebs, a handful of students, and Aria, the Glen Fairy in question, can do to save the the people of earth.

If none of that makes much sense, it doesn’t matter. This is one of those stories that grabs a reader and yanks him or her into the story, never letting go. The wordsmithing is outstanding, the storyline enthralling, and the characterization compelling. Even when the action is at its most outlandish, instead of taking issue as too being far-fetched, I had to nod with an “Oh, that is so true!”

One thing I really liked about the humor in the book was that it was blatant and funny but not pie-in-the-face. There were no “ta-da” moments where the author stepped back as if he had just presented a one-liner at a comedy club. The humor flowed seamlessly along with the storyline.

It wasn’t just the humor, though, that made this a good book. While I continually laughed out loud as I read it, the storyline was not merely a platform to support the humor. The storyline held its own.

I love this book, and I think the author is a talent. I will look forward to anything else he writes in the future.

About the reviewer:

larryscatJonathan Brazee is a retired Marine infantry colonel who after years of writing non-fiction, wrote his first novel while serving in Iraq. He independently published it, hoping to sell a few copies to friends and family, and was pleasantly surprised when the book gained traction among the general reading public. Twenty-three novels later, he is now winding down his post-military career overseas to become a full-time writer. A majority of his books have a military bent in science fiction, paranormal, historical fiction, and general fiction, but he has also written non-military scifi and paranormal. He writes three to four hours each day with the help (or despite) the attention of two rescue cats who insist on sitting on his lap or keyboard.
Jonathan is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, the US Naval Academy Alumni Association, the Disabled Veterans of America, and is an officer in the VFW’s Department of the Pacific.

Learn more about Jonathan and his work at http://www.jonathanbrazee.com

Review

Delirium

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DeliriumJolts Interest – A great story

Amazing intrigue! The reader is immediately at the edge of their seat in the opening scene, where we witness Dr. Christian Monro’s physical and emotional trauma while being murdered. We are brought into the death scene, each agonizing step of the way. The detail and the pace are excellent. The suspense is high voltage.

The protagonist Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke once again is challenged with high stakes. As in the first book of the series, Jamie is going through hell emotionally after the loss of her child, but she is also engaged in the case and wants to understand the true crime. The heroine strives to remain objective while gathering evidence, hoping to see the truth. Along the way many twists in the case elude her, and attempt to veer her from the true crime. She follows the leads and takes the reader down a road of unexpected horrors. Jamie is not faint of heart, but a woman who makes the tough decisions; she is the protector of her co-workers and friends. There is hope – as she is faced with danger even in her most fragile hours, yet somehow finds the strength to prevail.

The subject matter of this novel immediately jolts interest – the history of mental illness treatment and the reminder of abuse done to the mentally ill. This is a topic I too have strong feelings about, and so this story truly hit my heartstrings. The research was done well, as to be expected by this author who always delivers well developed background. This story is not for those wanting a light read, because the reader will be left with some concepts to think about – maybe even choices on how to view others who may not be as fortunate as most. In this world it is too easy to forget about those who suffer with mental illness. Society has swept them from public view, but we know in our heart that more needs to be addressed. I thank the author for writing this riveting story and bringing this topic to the forefront.
To date this is my favorite of J.F.Penn’s books. I truly enjoy reading about Jamie, and this is a great series. Delirium is for anyone who enjoys detective horror thrillers, and is a definite must read.

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/

Review

A Change Of Life

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Change_of_LifeThe novel is A Change of Life, the second book in an unusual superhero series by author Samantha Bryant. First the good: In the first few chapters, I found myself laughing out loud at the pluck of these ‘in-over-their-heads-and-know it’ women of unusual talent. Despite their ironic dilemmas, though, they muddle through quite well, actually. Much better than I ever would faced with the same indignities and dramatic physical changes to person and persona.

And that’s what I liked about this story. For me, it was like watching ordinary friends and relatives cope with a dramatic turn in their lives, in this case, women becoming superhuman, their personalities intact, despite the consequential transitions each has undergone, with all the accompanying discomforts and steep, uncomfortable learning curves.

Written in a very approachable, homey, ‘everyday suburban woman’ style, the story comes in from the up close and very personal perspectives of the myriad main characters. We follow their sometimes too detailed movements as they search for answers to something nobody is quite sure of, except for finding….

Never mind that. Almost slipped there, and I refuse to give anything away in this tale of reluctant heroines. But I will say this: This isn’t your ordinary superhero action-adventure. Not at all.

Now for the bad news. There are a couple of boo-boos here and there–stuff that’s easy to miss when you’re the author, deep in it, but which stand out glaringly to those coming new to the story. Physics gets bent and even defiled a couple of times, and there’s the odd grammatical faux pas, but, all in all, A Change of Life is a well-conceived, well-written read for those who enjoy the superheroine genre.

About The Reviewer:

DLKeur_1_400x600D. L. Keur is an artist, a musician, and an author in her own right. Her titles span multiple genres and include science fiction (Aeros), paranormal mainstream and psychological suspense (E. J. Ruek), and Western Romance/Family Saga (C. J. “Country” James).

You can find her and her novels online at DLKeur.com.

Review

Day Soldiers

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day_soldiersThis was one of the best lycanthropic/vampire books I’ve read for quite some time. I enjoyed every page, and that’s the bottom line for any book.

The book takes place in a near future where the werewolves and vampires of legend show themselves to wage war on humankind for their wanton destruction of the planet. The “science” of the author’s universe was pretty well thought out. That aspect wasn’t as detailed as I have seen elsewhere, perhaps, but it never-the-less was logical and without contradictions later in the book. Once you understand this setting, everything falls into place.

I thought characterization was good for the most part. Lily, the protagonist, was somewhat of an odd duck, but she was pretty consistent throughout the book and she grew on me. Everything she did or didn’t do was reasonable given the character the author had built. I rather thought the “chief sneak” Abbey was very well developed.

The action was pretty well written. The entire going to rescue one character was a bit hard to justify, but after having accepted it, events played out quite well, if a bit surprisingly.

Where the novel really shined was in the dialogue. It was quick, brash, funny, and revealing, all while sounding authentic. In particular, Leo was a hoot, but not a cartoon. I laughed out loud several times while reading his dialogue.

I never noticed the editing, which is exactly what you want in a book.

There are many ways to rate a book. Does it push into new ground? Is the writing technically superior? Is the wording lyrical? In this case, I am rating the book by if I thought about it while I was driving home from work, eager to turn on my Kindle and see what happened next. In this, Day Soldiers was a howling success (pun intended.)

About the reviewer:

larryscatJonathan Brazee is a retired Marine infantry colonel who after years of writing non-fiction, wrote his first novel while serving in Iraq. He independently published it, hoping to sell a few copies to friends and family, and was pleasantly surprised when the book gained traction among the general reading public. Twenty-three novels later, he is now winding down his post-military career overseas to become a full-time writer. A majority of his books have a military bent in science fiction, paranormal, historical fiction, and general fiction, but he has also written non-military scifi and paranormal. He writes three to four hours each day with the help (or despite) the attention of two rescue cats who insist on sitting on his lap or keyboard.
Jonathan is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, the US Naval Academy Alumni Association, the Disabled Veterans of America, and is an officer in the VFW’s Department of the Pacific.

Learn more about Jonathan and his work at http://www.jonathanbrazee.com

Review

Desecration

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DesecrationEmotionally Charged

This story is action packed, well researched and emotionally charged – as are all of J.F. Penn’s novels. I enjoyed the prologue peek into the murderer’s mindset. It is a jump start into the tale, a foretelling of the horror just around the corner.

This new story series contains a strong heroin, Jamie Brooke, who has a definitive unique personality. Jamie is a wonderful character, very human, with complex desires. The author did a great job getting into the head of the mother in pain, the dedicated detective, as well as the woman with needs. The other characters also have a great deal of depth to them and are very believable. I especially recognized the intense research the author did in regards to the body art community, handling her writing with respectful observance and acceptance. The novel has many original twists to a detective themed story line.

I totally recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great adventure, with mysterious people, and anyone who has an open mind to new ideas, and likes a nibble of horror. This is a great read.

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/