BRIDGE OF DREAMS by Kevin P Keating #RBRT

 4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Three novellas comprising science/speculative fiction, history, future meanderings, space, science versus religion, with surprising happenings and story developments.

These three novellas are connected, sometimes more than others, but each one can be read separately.

With all of them I adored some parts, becoming totally immersed in the wonderful storytelling.  The writing itself is stunningly good, the prose atmospheric and illustrative of the time.  I particularly liked the 1950s small town America setting of the first tale, which I thought was the best one.  I loved how there were so many stories within the stories, a literary style that has long been a favourite of mine; I like to have my reading mind taken off on meandering tangents.

The stories are all set around the fictional town of Heavenly Hill in Ohio, spanning a time period of 200 years (1857 - 2057), with connections throughout.  Now and again I felt that the 'speculative' aspect could have been reined in a little as a few of the ideas did not seem fully formed.  Then again, perhaps that's the nature of the genre.  

Before the stories begin there is a long introduction and explanation of why the stories were written, which I confess to only skimming; I prefer to read this sort of text at the end of a book.  Like a character's backstory, the 'why' only matters to me once I've got to know what's inside.  It's a hard book to review, without summarising each novella, and sufficient information is given in the blurb.  Maybe the only question that needs answering is 'did I enjoy this?'.  I did.  I looked forward to getting back to the book each time I left it, and my eagerness to turn the pages only waned a little in the last of the three.  I liked the little surprise story at the end, too.

Bridge of Dreams is unusual, immersive and clever.  I recommend!

SAFE HAVEN by Peter Hargraves #RBRT

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Steampunk dystopian fantasy

I've never read anything with the label 'steampunk' before, and knew little about it aside from hot air balloons, so was interested to read this.  It is set in what I believe is the 22nd Century, after much chaos and many wars.  Much of the eastern US is called 'Newingland' (New England), and which is reminiscent of Gilead in A Handmaid's Tale.  Then there is Catamount, the city of genetically modified cougars...

The story's main characters are Margaret, locked into marriage with the authoritarian Barran, and Wolfe, a brave adventurer who finds imaginative ways around the laws of the lands in which he finds himself.  Its primary theme is that of escape, from Barran and restrictive authorities.

I loved the world-building, which is, of course, all-important in a story such as this; it's well thought out and explained, while steering away from information dumps.  The writing was a delight in places, and I found myself quickly drawn in.

Whereas I was completely convinced by this strange world and give a definite thumbs up to the writing style, I felt that Margaret's character and the relationship between her and Wolfe needed a bit more 'meat' to it.  On the whole, however, I did enjoy this book.  It works!

DEATH OF A CLOWN by Catherine McCarthy @serialsemantic

 5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon - available for pre-order. Publishes 27 May.
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Saw the author talking about it on X, requested an ARC.

In a Nutshell: 'a metaphorical tale of dark fantasy, a story of hope, courage and self acceptance.'

Chester was born into the circus, into the life of a clown, but his public persona of tragi-comedy is not one that sits well with him.  What he really wants to do is change his entire life.  See the world, concentrate on his main passion - his writing.  As we join him in this unusual tale, circumstances have given him the impetus to begin his adventure.

This is such a beautiful book, in so many ways.  I always read on Kindle, preferring it, but I wanted to hold this in my hands.  The writing itself is so emotive and atmospheric, bringing the cities and theatres to life; it's the best I've seen from this author.  Chester himself is a total darling, someone you badly want to find happiness.

Interspersed with the events of his own life are the stories he writes under his pen-name of Runo Quill.  These are often metaphors for his own life, though one, The City of Silence, was more like a warning from fiction about the threats to free speech we experience in our own world.  I love clever deviations from the main theme of a novel, especially when, like these, they give you the feeling of delving down intriguing side alleys before resuming your journey.

Death of a Clown will be released on May 27th - I highly recommend!

TALES OF THE FORTHCOMING by Steven Blows #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: see cover!

At 98 pages, this is a book of 10 well-written short stories that I recommend for a couple of hours of enjoyable reading, if imaginative science fiction mixed with fantasy/supernatural is your thing.  As I went on, I noticed how refined the characterisation is, something I appreciated very much; the ability to create characters that reveal themselves straight away shows talent indeed.

The stand-out story for me was A Time After Time, in which Jorge becomes increasingly sceptical and worried about a world-changing event eagerly anticipated by almost everyone except him.   I was completely immersed in the atmosphere of this one.

Other highlights were the very funny Possibilities, with its excellent final sentence that made me laugh out loud, and Unbeknownst: three ghosts show a troubled young woman that she has so much life yet to live.

I also enjoyed reading Highway 72, in which a young traveller fails to listen to a warning from one who knows better.  Then there's Delayed Departure, about a man in a hurry at a railway station in a 'theme park in space' and the amusing Family Dinner & Troubling Times - a young human male meets his alien girlfriend's family for the first time, though these two could have done with more satisfying conclusions.  On the whole, though, I'd say they're all good.  The author has a habit of writing a clause as a new sentence ('Snow covers the ground in a smooth sheet of white.  Anything underneath it hidden from sight'), but that's something a professional editor could soon nip in the bud - I'd be most happy to read anything else he writes.  

THE ARCHITECT OF GRAYLAND by Evelyn Arvey #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: SciFi fantasy; a kidnapping across time.

A most curious book!  Long, at 500 pages, but interesting enough for me to keep turning.  At no time did I think it could have been cut down, as one often finds with longer books

The plot: Elaine wakes up in a world of grey.  There is nothing there at all, just acres of grey all around - she isn't even wearing any clothes, and she has no water to drink.  Worst of all, she has no memory of what came before.  Of who she is, where she is from, how she got to this place.  To survive, she must find ways to work with her environment to feed herself, keep warm, find others.

We soon discover that she has been kidnapped from the present and dumped into the distant future, into 'the Domain', by a historical anthropologist under pressure to produce an enthralling spectacle, that the habits of the 'primitive human' may be observed.  Not only is Elaine the subject of Professor Mirri's research, but the public are able to watch her story unfold.  Unbeknownst to Elaine (and others she meets later), she has become a celebrity amongst the viewers.  It brought to mind a futuristic version of the first series of the Big Brother House, when the contestants had no idea how popular the show had become, on the outside!

I did enjoy this book and it's a wonderfully original idea, unfolding slowly, though I was disappointed by the lack of resolution, for both myself and Elaine.  I still had so many unanswered questions when the book suddenly finished.  I needed to know how the subjects were extracted from present to future, how they were chosen, what year in the future we were looking at - thousands of years away, I imagine, because the humans had actually evolved physically in some rather alarming ways - the reveal of this was so well done and quite shocking.  However, I so wanted to know more about life itself in this strange time, whereabouts in the world Professor Mirri lived.  I wanted more information, generally; I am sure that the sparsity of such was an artistic choice that will work well for some, though I was frustrated by it - just a personal preference!   

TALES OF THE RISEN TIDE by David M Reynolds

 4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Post-apocalyptic fantasy, YA.

The star of this story is Jymn, a 13 year old boy who has lived almost all his life on board a ship, in slavery with the promise of being able to 'repay his debt' and be free at some point in the future.  His life is hard, with his eye deformity that provokes mockery from his peers, and a diet of only salt-rice.  Nevertheless, he is a hard worker, a talented engineer, and not one to let adverse circumstances get him down.

The book is set many years after an apocalyptic event in our future, and the ways of the old world are gone, save for treasures to be scavenged, and the intriguing remains of the 'teck' (technology, though they don't know this word).  The world building is intricate without being too detailed, and evokes images in the mind.  Life changes for Jymn when his ship comes into contact with The Archon, a vessel carrying pirates.

The further I read, the more the book appeared to be intended for the younger end of the YA market, which was not apparent from the blurb or its categories on Amazon.  It's a rip-roaring, imaginative adventure, well-written, and a story I would have loved when I was about twelve, though it does come across as one of those 'stories for children of all ages', like the Narnia and Harry Potter books, in that it can be enjoyed by adults too.

A fine debut, and I loved the post-apocalyptic aspect, though I doubt I belong within the intended demographic. 

PLANET OF THE HEAD-BREAKERS by Zeb Haradon @ZebHaradon

 5 GOLD stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: one of my favourite authors, so I look out for his new releases.

In a Nutshell: Character-orientated scifi.  Robots.  The future of mankind.

Blurb: 

Centuries after the revolution, the remnants of humanity survive on agricultural communes where they are subjected to mandatory lobotomies before reaching adulthood.

The centuries-old, malfunctioning robots that control them have turned the lobotomy into a coming-of-age ceremony. Most children look forward to it, but not Jim. He dreads the impending surgery and contrives a plan to evade it.

Japeth, a nomadic surgical robot tasked with performing the lobotomies, admires Jim's rebellious spirit and decides to spare him. He promises to return, and makes a bold claim - he was once a man of flesh and blood.

Jim maintains the charade of being lobotomized as he awaits Japeth's promised return, but after years without rescue, he resolves to flee the commune. His quest takes him across a barren, post-apocalyptic landscape in a desperate search for the elusive Japeth.

*

I was just talking to someone on Twitter about how hard it is to review books by this writer.  This was how the conversation went:

T: I LOVED it. Just reviewed but couldn't do it justice. The prob with reviewing ZH's books is that you can't explain what they're like; I end up writing a barely sufficient review then saying 'it's brilliant, you have to read this' and that's kind of it.

C: That sums it up. Nobody else I've read does this combination of imaginative originality, characterisation, absurdity and just all round competence like that guy

Here it is, anyway!

There are probably as many different fictional versions of the future of our world as there are people who want to read and/or write them, but Mr Haradon's take on the subject is, as one would expect, a lot more imaginative and entertaining than most I've read.

The first part of the book is about Jim, at ages 6, 11 and 16, as he navigates life in the commune.  I was completely engrossed from page one, but it was the second part, in the POV of Japeth, that made the book really take off for me, as he tells the story of how human became android became robot, and how the world collapsed.  It's BRILLIANT.  So good I wanted to read it again as soon as I'd finished it, even though I suspect I am light years away from the author when it comes to views on political and societal progression.  Didn't matter.  Always good to broaden one's outlook! 😉😆

The last part (back to Jim) is sad, touching, heartbreaking ... but not without a glimmer of light.  I'm still thinking about this excellent novel, and will need a day before I can start anything else.  This guy can write the arse off most authors - I was going to say 'in his genre' but he doesn't really have one.  Highly, highly recommended.

THE SEA WAS A FAIR MASTER by Calvin Demmer

3.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: 23 short stories/flash fiction, in the genres of horror/thriller, with a bit of fantasy/scifi

As is usual with short story collections, these vary.  I very much liked the first one, On the Seventh Day, set on board ship, and hoped it set the scene for the quality of the rest of them.  

The ideas behind the stories were entertaining; Mr Demmer creates atmosphere well, and has a good sense of suspense and timing, so although there were no dropped-jaw-worthy twists or denouements, I still enjoyed reading most of them.  Some hinted at a larger story, which was artfully carried off.

What weakened the collection, for me, was the dialogue, which was often unrealistic; I kept thinking, 'but people don't talk like that'.  Not in all of the stories, just some.  I thought some of them were a little over-written, too, and unnecessarily wordy; sometimes, 'stink' works better than 'pungent aroma'; knowing when to be spare with prose is one of the arts of great storytelling.

Others that stood out were the title story, The Sea was a Fair Master, The Snake, or the Humans?, and the last one, Sea Ate Nine.  
 
I think if the author spends more time on his dialogue and perhaps thinking up some really good twists in the tale now and again, to make them more memorable, he could do very well in this genre; he certainly has talent.  And if he ever turns his hand to longer fiction, it should definitely be set at sea.

DEFENDER by G X Todd

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com

How I discovered this book: recommended by a friend

In a Nutshell: Post apocalyptic, seven years after civilisation collapse, in Texas

Seven years ago, society broke down after lots of folk went crazy, killing themselves and others, because of voices in their heads.  The population is sparse.  Defender tells the story of lone survivor-on-a-motorcyle Pilgrim, and sixteen-year-old Lacey, who has spent the post-apoc years living with her recently deceased grandmother, safe from the horrors of the world.  Pilgrim agrees to take Lacey to a town several days' travel away, to find her sister and niece.

What I liked:

• The characterisation in the first 20%.  I thought it was terrific: the alternating chapters of Pilgrim and Lacey, their backstories and inner worlds.  I thought, 'this girl can write up a storm'.  Loved it.
• The first encounter with baddies, a gruesome brother and sister waiting in a motel for unsuspecting travellers.  Brilliantly done, horrific, as dark as you can get, and riveting.  At this point I had five stars lined up, all the way.
• That atmosphere of bleakness, generally.
• The evil rednecks.  What's a post-apoc book without a tribe of 'em?
• The ending.  Sad, but satisfactory, tying ends up but with plenty of room for moving forward to the next episode.
• The fact that an English author has written a book set in the US and made it totally believable.  For that, I take my hat off.

What I was not so sure about:

• The length of time in which petrol deteriorates actually makes the whole plot unfeasible.  But perhaps one can suspend one's disbelief over that; I did so for The Walking Dead, after all.  Ditto dead body deterioration; they seemed to stay unstinky and not beset by rigor mortis when necessary for the plot.
• The food.  Aside from the odd can of peaches or alphabetti spaghetti, there is little indication of them ever eating anything, or where they found food or fresh water.  I don't require a prepper survival manual, but the survival itself is part of what I find interesting about this genre.
• The whole 'Voice' thing didn't really work for me, but this is personal preference, not a criticism.  It was well done, and often amusing.
• I didn't find the second half as compelling reading as the first, although it picked up again in the last ten per cent.

To sum up, when I first started reading it, I was blown away and thought, oh brilliant, I've got a new post-apoc series to get my teeth into.  Couldn't put it down.  Although I didn't continue to feel this strongly about it, and although I think the publishers have done the author a disservice by hyping it as the next The Stand, which is bound to invite derision, it's a good book.  Ms Todd is clearly very talented, with the elements I liked less more to do with decisions made by the editors than the author herself; perhaps they can suspend disbelief more easily than me!

THE TOMATO QUEST by D G Driver

3 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

 

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a nutshell: Fairy story/sweet romance, long-short story.

In an undisclosed historical era and place, this story is about lowly gardener Dash, who wants to marry the daughter of the noble for whom he works.  Dismissing his request, Lilian's father sets him a task: he hands him a box of tomatoes and says that if he can make his fortune before they rot, he may have Lilian's hand in marriage.  Then follows adventure after adventure, as he struggles to complete the seemingly impossible, while Lilian does her best to postpone the engagement to the man her parents want her to marry.

This is a fun idea and a nicely put together story.  I admit to being slightly bothered throughout by the incorrect use of titles; for instance, a 'Sir' should be referred to by both first and surnames, never as 'Sir Barrymore', and a Duke would be known as the Duke of such-and-such a place, not as Duke followed by his surname.  This sort of thing is easy to find out; I just checked it in a few minutes on Google, to make sure I wasn't wrong.  Having said that, the story has fantasy elements, so perhaps it doesn't matter too much!  It should appeal to lovers of fairy tale romance and happy endings.



 

UPRISING by Kate L Mary @kmary0622

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I read Outliers, Book #1 of this series by one of my favourite writers, and was looking forward to the next episode.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Adventure, Fantasy.

This series is set in a world many years after the downfall of a previous society.  A group called the Sovereigns rule this new world, aided by the strength of the soldier tribe, the Fortis.  The Outliers are made up of four tribes, who work for them.  The main character in the series is Indra, a young woman from the Winta tribe.  In the previous book she fell foul of those in power and saw her husband die at their hands, and also developed feelings for a Fortis soldier, Asa.  Though women in the Winta trible are expected to be submissive and concentrate on things domestic, Indra finds a strength she didn't know she possessed.  When Book #1 ended, she was out in the forests, hunting both animals for her tribe to eat, and Fortis soldiers.

Uprising concentrates on Indra's growth, as circumstances conspire to decimate their tribe.  Taking survivors into hiding, she sees what must be done to right the injustices done to her people and the other Outlier tribes.

Kate Mary is just such a good writer.  Her characters spring off the page and she has a real knack of illustrating the passion between two people without saying very much at all; Asa in this book is, in my mind, another version of Axl in her Broken World zombie apocalypse books, who was very much in the Daryl Dixon mode; suits me!  The ending is great, and I assume there will be more...

There's no recap from the last book and I've got a really bad memory, so I downloaded Book #1 again (I've downloaded them both on Kindle Unlimited) to read the last 10% of it to remind me what was going on.  The books are not stand alone; you need to read them in order, as it's a continuing story.   I thought the pace was just right, the story imaginative, and I'd definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes this genre.

WHISPERS OF A STORM by Anthony Lavisher @alavisher

3.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've got to know the author a little via Twitter and thought I'd like to try one of his books, after reading some good reviews.  This is the first episode of the now complete Storm Trilogy.

The novel is set in the medieval-esque fantasy world of the Four Vales, and follows the story of two main characters: Cassana, a noblewoman, and stonemason Khadazin.  The story contains all the ingredients necessary for an epic fantasy series ~ political intrigue, wrongful imprisonment, conspiracies, dark secrets.  I thought the land of the author's imagination was constructed well; it's all believable, with some original ideas that make this very much his own story.  One element I liked was that his women are certainly not second class citizens; nobleman's daughter Cassana is sent to represent her father in political dealings, and others are military captains and solidiers.  From adolescence, the girls are taught military skills alongside the boys.

I liked reading Khadazin's story best, as I found him the most three dimensional character; I was interested in his backstory and everything that happened to him.  In Cassana's chapters in particular, I found the book a bit on the description-heavy side, with mundane detail that slowed the pace down.  Having said that, this is a novel let down only by the elements that hinder most debuts, and that authors usually 'grow out' of: overly explanatory dialogue, too many adjectives and adverbs, using ten words where five will put the point across with better effect. However, fantasy epics often tend towards flowery prose; one could not accuse GRR Martin, for instance, of writing in a spare fashion.

The characterisation, atmosphere and world-building is very good; some professional TLC would make it as good as it could be and give the punctuation a bit of spit and polish (nb: do bear in mind that I am one of those weirdos who erupts in hives at a misplaced semicolon!).  It's only 99p, and I'm sure that it will tick all the boxes for addicts of this genre.

OATH BREAKER by Shelley Wilson @ShelleyWilson72

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I know the author from the Twitter writers community but had never read her books.  I had, however, seen a few very good reviews for this one, and decided to cut my YA Fantasy teeth on it.
Please note: I told Shelley that if I found YA werewolves were totally not my thing then I would let her know, rather than write some bullshit half-hearted/dishonest review.  As it happened, although I doubt this will ever become a favourite genre (something to do with being over 40 years older than the target market, I imagine), I thought Oath Breaker was jolly good!

The story starts with motherless Mia's horrible father having been killed by a werewolf, Mia being shipped off with the cold, distant Uncle Sebastian, and madly missing her beloved brother, Zak.  Mia is most surprised to discover that Uncle Sebastian runs a school for werewolf hunters.  Enter evil bitch Felicity, new pals Lizzie and Adam, and a total hottie called Cody who Mia meets when out running a marathon.

She uncovers a truth about the (life and) death of her mother, hears strange rumours about what is really going on at the Hood Academy (and the odd mysterious scream), and know she must take the oath to become a fully-fledged werewolf hunter...

So why did I like this, much to my surprise?  I'm not au fait with the werewolf world (being more of a zombie sort of girl), but I was most interested to find out what it's all about!  Shelley Wilson writes in a great style that's so readable, and the characters all came to life with ease; I wanted to know about them.  Most of all, though, the atmosphere really worked.  There are no great pages of description, but this book is real proof that writing can be descriptive without being chock-full of adjectives and metaphors.  I could feel the still, dense, damp wood where Mia met Cody, see the quiet village with its tea shop, imagine the dark halls of the Hood Academy (not sure if they were meant to be dark, but they felt so to me!).  I wanted to be in the story ~ and any book that provokes that reaction gets a tick v.g from me!

Yes, I liked it.  And I imagine that if I was a YA who was into werewolves, I would LOVE it. 😀

PHAETHON by Rachel Sharp @WrrrdNrrrdGrrrl

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie Amber's Review Team, of which I am a member.  I didn't choose it at first, but did so after reading this review of it by Lilyn, another member of the team, who runs the Sci-Fi and Scary website.

Jack and Rosie are a young married couple living in downtown Boston.  They have an obsession with all things techy, and spend their time pulling them apart, posting 'how-to' videos, reports on the latest software, and troubleshooting tips; they have menial jobs but supplement their income from donations via their online life.  They care more for what they do and love than upgrading to a better apartment or slipping into the American middle-class 'norm'; domestic and material stuff is unimportant to them, in comparison with their tech world.  I loved Jack and Rosie!

When the new 'Phaethon' phone is introduced, they're among the first to buy it, in order to make a bit of much needed cash from their critiques and how-tos.  But this is no ordinary phone.  When Rosie pulls 'Lassie' apart, she discovers that the inside is more like something from the pre-camera phone 1990s.  After a long, long night in conversation with Lassie, Jack suspects other-worldly goings on....

Basically, this book is about a magical world of faeries and other beings who exist alongside our world, unbeknownst to most ~ think Harry Potter.  Not a subject that is absolutely up my street, generally, but I enjoyed this, and sometimes I loved it.  Elements of the faerie world are rising up against the humans; you begin to find out why at about 60%, just as I was wondering what, exactly, it was all going to be about!  Calthine, the fae creature who labours alongside Jack, Rosie and their friends to put things right, is hilarious, so well written.  The tech stuff is spot on, clever and current, as are the observations of popular culture.  It's sharp, funny, intelligent and (of no little importance) it's perfectly proofread, edited and formatted ~ which is no less than I would expect from the creator of Jack and Rosie 😉.

THE DEAD CITY by Dylan J Morgan

5 out of 5 stars

SciFi/Dystopia/Military 

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

The Dead City is the sequel to The Dead Lands, which I loved ~ and I'm happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed this, too!

The sly, greedy and sociopathic Colonel Paden from planet Erebus has commanded a fleet to go to the city of Magna on planet Hemera, to recover lost riches hidden there after a nuclear strike wiped it out a hundred years before.  The party of 400 soldiers is led by Lieutenant Marshal, and as soon as they set foot in the dead city of the title, they are besieged by the thousands of mutant beings who live there, descendents of those who survived.

The main characters are Paden, Marshal, soldier Ryan and his beloved sister Jayde, the evil Murdoch who has a bone or six to pick with Ryan and a hankering for his sister, and several other 'goodies' who are given varying fates: Boone, Darrell, Burke, Laila.

The mission is dangerous if not suicidal, and Marshal contemplates mutiny as more and more of his men lose their lives.  Dylan Morgan is the master of bleak dystopian description and atmosphere, and though this is a fairly long book consisting mostly of soldiers fighting mutants and dying horrible deaths, it never seemed either repetitive or tedious, because of the backstories, hopes, fears and relationships between all the people, and the 'oh my God what's going to happen when I turn the page' factor.  The characterisation is as good as in all his books, and I couldn't get enough of the despicable Colonel Paden!  I made a note that Chapter 10 is particularly good, but there are other highlights, including a chapter from a mutant's point of view, which is quite an eye-opener and a great idea (there's one in The Dead Lands, too).

I wasn't expecting a happy ever after ending and I certainly didn't get one, though a final, dark and terrifying twist is revealed at the end - nice one, and it left promise of another book to come, which I am seriously looking forward to!   Definitely recommended if you like books of this genre and don't wince at blood, gore and horrific injuries.  Oh, and if Mr Morgan can get me any of that Tetralaphel given to the injured soldiers, I'd be forever in his debt!!

October Rain by Dylan Morgan is reviewed HERE, with links to other books by him that I've reviewed, including The Dead Lands.  All have Amazon buy links. 

ELI'S COMING by Darcia Helle

3.5 out of 5 stars

Supernatural/dark fantasy thriller

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie's Book Review Team

I chose to read this book from the review team list because I had read another of Darcia Helle's books, underworld crime thriller Killing Instinct, and loved it.  Eli's Coming, however, comes under the genre headings of supernatural/dark fantasy; I'd mistakenly thought it was a psychological thriller with a supernatural slant, but the fantasy side of it is the main element of the story. My error!

Amanda becomes involved with the mysterious Eli who has secrets and demons, which are revealed to the reader gradually; I liked the way Ms Helle did this, highly effective, allowing just enough information to seep out at a time to maintain interest.  It worked!  I thought the characterisation of the tormented, isolated Eli was most convincing.  There is a more real life element to the beginning of the story, too, with Amanda's frustration about her domestic situation, and her relationship with her parents.  Her mother has Alzheimer's; this was represented with care and realism.

A hint: at 99%, ie, after the end of the book, there is an information section about the Native American people who were the inspiration for this story.  I'd advise you skip to the end and read this as soon as they are mentioned, as it will make the story mean more.

Ms Helle is a competent writer and I would imagine that this book will fulfil all the requirements of dark fantasy addicts.  Alas, I am not one, so I did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped, but this is not a reflection on the standard of the writing.  I enjoyed the first 20% very much, when it was more about Amanda and her father and friend, but the two elements did not mesh well together, for me.  Having enjoyed Killing Instinct so much I would definitely read another of her books, but will stick to her crime novels from now on.

KILLING INSTINCT by Darcia Helle reviewed HERE

 

THIEF'S GAMBIT by Scott Marlowe

4.5 out of 5 stars

Fantasy thriller ~ novelette length

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

 Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber's Review Team

In this further adventure of the Assassin Without A Name, our hero is recruited by his ex love, Liz, for a special mission.

As with the other books in this series, I felt that its charm lay not so much in the plot itself as in the writing of the incidental parts.  I am not particularly interested in reading long, blow by blow accounts of fights or daring escapes, but I love the bits about the Assassin's life, his thoughts, etc.  I like to picture him in his 'working gear', climbing over his rooftop empire like a cat, unseen by the Black Guard who seek him below, and reading little snippets about his life, like his secret hideout in the deplorable Shambles area of town, where one takes one's life in one's hands simply by entering its streets...

Scott Marlowe has invented a marvellous character, and writes beautifully, with wit and a wonderful turn of phrase.  I'd like to see a novella telling about the Assassin's early life, something that makes more use of the writer's powers of observation, character portrayal and presentation of atmosphere.  Again, this reminded me very much of some of Roald Dahl's stories; the style of writing is very similar.  Good stuff!

The Goddard Affair by Scott Marlowe reviewed HERE 

The Killing Knife by Scott Marlowe reviewed HERE