Different / Frank Mundo

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy/ Coming of Age/ Humor/ Drama

Approximate word count:30-35,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO Paper: NO

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Author:

“Frank Mundo is a full-time writer in Los Angeles. He has a BA in English from UCLA, where he also completed the Creative Writing Program. His stories, poetry, and essays have appeared in dozens of journals, magazines and anthologies in print and online... Mundo is the author of the award-winning novel in verse, The Brubury Tales (foreword by bestselling author and critic Carolyn See), a modern version of The Canterbury Tales, set in Los Angeles; and Gary, the Four-Eyed Fairy and Other Stories, an interconnected collection of his very best short stories published over the last 15 years.”

Description:

“One morning 12-year-old Gregory Gourde wakes up in his bed with an impossible new feature: his head has become a watermelon. We follow Gregory down a rabbit hole of sorts to a new world and an audacious exploration of what it really means to be different in this dark yet humorous nod to Kafka's Metamorphosis and Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.”

Appraisal:

Gregory Gourde certainly does take a trip down the rabbit hole in this dark fantasy; I felt like he was skating on the edge of madness for most of this story. Surely this is not what it is like for most boys going through puberty. But the author’s prose had me convinced that it had been for him. Frank Mundo does not just throw words at the page in hopes that they stick. There is much thought put into the words he chooses and this story will leave you thinking about it long after you have finished the story. This is the sign of a true wordsmith.

The story is told through Gregory's eyes with an omniscient narrator who pops in occasionally to move the story along or fill in past events of Gregory's life or other characters that played an important role. This is masterfully handled by the author and gave me a chance to let things soak in. Gregory is desperately seeking sanity and consistency despite his dysfunctional family. He is a smart kid and until he embraces and accepts himself for who he really is things go awry. Especially when he is told he does not belong in this alternate reality.

This was not an easy read for me, I tend to get too involved with the characters in the stories I read. So when things do not go well for the characters I have invested in I feel their pain. That is why I try to stick with fantasy. Gregory's problems are realistic, the manifestation of his problems are fantasy but certainly real in his mind.

The characters are beautifully written and darkly wonderful in their own way. The plot moves at a nice pace throughout the book. This is a fantastic journey of self-discovery, and I am glad I survived the trip as well as Gregory.

FYI:

Adult language and content. Not for children.

The artwork included in this story is excellent, it adds a dimension not usually found in books. I read this on my Paperwhite and the images came across beautifully.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no significant errors.

Rating: ***** Five stars

West Of Independence / Matthew Deane

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Memoir

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: YES

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Author:

A resident of the mountains of Eastern Utah where he lives with his wife and three children, this is Matthew Deane’s first book.

For more, visit Deane’s blog.

Description:

“West of Independence is the story of two brothers on distinct but inseparable journeys. Raised in a large Mormon family, the brothers find themselves at odds with their upbringing; Jared because he is gay, Matthew because he is too much like his father. As Jared fights to find happiness in a lifestyle he was raised to detest, Matthew struggles to become the man he wants to be without losing his faith. Overwhelmed by sadness, Jared decides to end his life by driving over the edge of the Grand Canyon. He makes it all the way from New Hampshire to Independence, Missouri, where his trip ends with a suicide attempt in a lonely motel room. Several months later, Matthew and Connor (their youngest brother) set out to complete Jared's trip to the Grand Canyon with him. Heading West from Independence, they pick cotton, take a walk on Mars, chase windmills, and meet a plastic eating cow, while at the same time repairing a relationship that has suffered from Matthew’s self-righteous attitude. West of Independence is an affecting tale of family conflict, the need to be loved, and the capacity for change.”

Appraisal:

Unfortunately, many people from a Mormon family (or, to be fair, families raised in many other conservative religions) that include a gay or lesbian sibling are going to recognize many elements of Matthew Deane’s story. Those who don’t either have families much more enlighted than the norm, or aren’t being honest with themselves.

Deane’s story is well told and realistic (just because a story is true, doesn’t always mean it rings true). As I was thinking about the kind of reader who would benefit from reading West of Independence I realized that the appeal might be broader than I first thought. Many memoir readers choose to read stories from people unlike themselves to better understand views, thought processes, and experiences that are foreign to their world. Most people who fit this category would find this an interesting read. However, this story should especially appeal to anyone who has already been through a struggle like Deane’s (knowing you aren’t alone is always a positive). Those who need to go through the transformation that Deane experienced, but haven’t, might be the least likely to give this book a chance, but are the group who could benefit from it most of all.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of typos and other proofing errors.

Rating: **** Four stars

Shattered Hearts and Broken Glass / Darren Sant

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Crime

Approximate word count: 15- 20,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

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Author:

Darren Sant’s childhood was spent living between two large housing estates. The locations and characters provided the inspiration for Sant’s stories.

To learn more about the author visit his website.

Description:

Lee is a squaddie home on leave. He’s looking forward to some R&R with his girlfriend before going back to war. The trouble is he lives on the Longcroft Estate and trouble is never far away. A new gang, the Headhunters, appears and start causing trouble that inevitably pulls Lee into situations he thought he’d left long behind.

Appraisal:

This is the fourth Darren Sant story I’ve reviewed and the third located on the fictional Longcroft Estate. I have to say it’s the best of his work so far. It’s gritty yet humorous, deep yet to the point with a strata of corruption and crime right through it. Sant intelligently begins outlining several story arcs that come together at the conclusion with devastating effect.

New houses are being built on the down-at-heel Longcroft Estate, unfortunately the decision to do so is based on two people’s drive for personal gain – a businessman and a politician – an all too familiar theme these days.

At the same time Lee, the squaddie, is enjoying some time with his girlfriend Natalie. But all is not as idyllic as it seems in their relationship. She’s involved with someone that’s key to the story, but the author keeps this under wraps until much later.

In the third arc a new gang, the Headhunters, are making themselves known on the Estate, challenging the old order. There are established routes of trade (in drugs) and ‘law and order’ (dealt with by the crime family that run the area) but the Headhunters disturb these deliberately, kicking off a war.

Lee is determined not to get pulled away from the straight and narrow again, but when one of his friends is assaulted in a targeted attack he can’t help himself.

As the novella progresses Sant then draws these strands together bit by bit until right at the end they come together. The conclusion is bloody and sad, but fitting.

I thoroughly enjoyed Shattered Hearts… it’s very well written. Sant keeps descriptions down to a minimum, allowing the reader to fill the blanks in (an approach I like) and keeping the focus on the character, action and dialogue. The story skips along as a result. It’s thoroughly enjoyable.

If you’ve liked any of Sant’s previous work, I highly recommend this too.

FYI:

Plenty of swearing and adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.

Rating: ***** 5 Stars

Dating in the Dark / Pete Sortwell

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Humor/ Contemporary Fiction/ Lad Lit/ Romance

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

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Author:

“Pete [Sortwell] is 32 and lives with his wife, Lucie, and their pet sofa, Jeff. 

He's been writing for just under three years and they've been pretty eventful; well, more eventful than he thought sitting on Jeff, typing, would be, anyway. First published in the Radgepacket anthology... Pete's now featured in a total of ten different anthologies and has been amongst some very fine company... 'Dating in the Dark' is Pete's first self-published novel. His traditionally published novel, So Low, So High, was published by Caffeine Nights in June 2013.”

To find out more you are welcome to visit his blog or his facebook page.

Description:

“Jason is single and has been for all of his 32 years. It's depressing... With little interest in anything other than his quest for a woman and a nice bit of cod and chips, Jason needs to think outside the box if he's going to find someone who'll give him a chance. Along with Barry -- his best mate -- Jason comes up with the only thing he thinks will work: dating a blind woman... With everything to play for, Jason faces the biggest challenge of his life, and nobody -- especially not him -- can see how it'll all turn out.”

Appraisal:

Jason Harding was raised in a dysfunctional family and suffers from every imaginable symptom this entails. He has low self-esteem, a poor self-image, he is a jerk, and lies way too easily. I had a hard time liking his character, he was shallow, egotistical, and blamed his problems on everyone but himself. He was a wanker! He was leading a sad life and some of his dating experiences were so pitiful you had to laugh.

Jason only wants one thing, well two things really... a girlfriend and plenty of cod and chips. The problem is, he is not willing to invest anything to have a relationship. His main goal is a date that leads to sex, after the cod and chips of course. This story is told through Jason so we get to see just how genuinely dysfunctional he is. We are introduced to his ill mother and his neglect of her as well as his on again off again best friend, Barry, who has a lot of issues of his own that need to be dealt with also.

When Jason thinks outside the box and decides to try to get a date with a blind girl the story takes off and his troubles multiply as his lies get bigger. Every situation Jason gets involved with is taken to the extreme and we are shown how ugly he is from the inside-out. Although the author infuses it with caveman/guy type humor. This is, in essence, a romance written by a guy for guys.

The story takes some unexpected twists and turns that eventually make Jason take a long hard look at himself. Which is something that should have happened ages ago. It is only when Jason hits rock bottom and the only way left to go is up that changes start taking place. Jason is forced to reassess his reality and luckily for him Emma is a forgiving soul. It will be interesting to see if Jason is able to change the way he sees the world and relates with others in the sequel.

FYI:

This story contains adult language and British slang. Also, uses UK spelling conventions.

Format/Typo Issues:

I sound a small number of proofing errors.

Rating: ***  Three stars  

Night Undone / K.S. Brooks

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Action-Adventure/Thriller

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

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Author:

K.S. Brooks has written numerous books in multiple genres including romantic suspense, satire, and educationally oriented children’s books. She is co-administrator of Indies Unlimited (a multi-author blog “celebrating independent authors”), where you can often catch her pontificating on matters of interest to both readers and authors.

For more, visit Brooks’ website.

Description:

“Former Special Agent Kathrin Night is not adjusting to civilian life. More than a year after her career-ending injury, she still can’t get the hang of it. This is wearing thin on her lover, Russian FSB Agent Aleksey Khovechkin, who tricks Kathrin into seeing a psychiatrist specializing in post-military/espionage patients.

The therapy doesn’t go exactly as Aleksey hopes, but before he can react, Russia recalls him to make him an offer he can’t refuse. Before his departure, Aleksey reveals his deepest, darkest secret to Kathrin. Had he, in fact, used her to escape his duties in Russia, or was his allegiance to her?

Determined to see justice served, Kathrin hatches a scheme to help Aleksey while at the same time reviving her career in espionage. The Vancouver Winter Olympics could be the perfect venue for her plan, but can she pull it off without destroying their relationship, causing an international incident, or getting either of them killed?”

Appraisal:

As with the last book in this series, Kiss of Night, this book is character driven more than the typical story in this genre. However, the action, adventure, and intensity are jacked up, as you’d expect from an action-adventure or thriller. Much of what leads to that action is driven by Night’s desire to find a way for her and Aleksey to work together in a way that will satisfy the desires and needs of both.

Night Undone not only satisfied my need for a vicarious adrenalin rush, but left me wanting more to see where Night and Aleksey’s relationship goes next. Brooks has a history of long waits between books in this series. Hopefully, I won’t be waiting too long.

FYI:

Some adult language and situations.

This is the third book featuring Kathrin Night. The first of these, Lust For Danger, I haven’t read and don’t feel this is required to get the most out of this book. However, the second book, a novelette called The Kiss of Night, has a lot of Night’s history as well as establishing much of the backstory for this book. Although this could possibly be read as a standalone, I’d recommend reading The Kiss of Night first.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars

The Kiss of Night / K.S. Brooks

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Action-Adventure/Thriller

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

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Author:

K.S. Brooks has written numerous books in multiple genres including romantic suspense, satire, and educationally oriented children’s books. She is co-administrator of Indies Unlimited (a multi-author blog “celebrating independent authors”), where you can often catch her pontificating on matters of interest to both readers and authors.

For more, visit Brooks’ website.

Description:

“The world's top anti-terrorist agent has a new mission: dealing with being forced into early retirement by a debilitating injury. Former Special Agent Kathrin Night fights the demons of her past, present and future while dealing with her new mysterious Russian bodyguard, Agent Aleksey Khovechkin. Sent compliments of the Russian Minister of Defense, refusing his services is not an option. But is Aleksey's true mission to protect her, or does he have another agenda?”

Appraisal:

Kiss of Night is a different kind of book. It is a little bit action-adventure, primarily because of flashbacks the protagonist, Kathrin Night, has about her time as a special agent working for and with multiple intelligence agencies. It also has many aspects of the thriller or suspense novel, primarily due to Night’s concern that she has enemies who are trying to track her down and possibly kill her. However, the real story here isn’t whatever action happens or intrigue Night experiences, but the struggles she’s going through as a person. This novelette is transitional as Night tries to figure out the answers she has to questions regarding her future. Will the injuries she sustained on her last case which forced her into retirement prevent her from ever returning to the kind of work she knows and loves? Is she capable of living (more or less) like a normal person? Does she even understand how a normal person lives?

So unlike a typical story in this genre neighborhood, Kiss of Night is much more driven by, and focused on, the characters than the plot and action. This is different in a way I enjoyed and sets the series up nicely for the next installment, Night Undone, where the action and intrigue intensify, but Kathrin’s personal struggles continue.

FYI:

Some adult language and situations.)

There is a prior book featuring Kathrin Night (Lust For Danger). However, enough of Agent Night’s history and backstory is included in this book that it can reasonably be read as a standalone.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four stars

An Imperfect Wife / Grace Wen

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Genre: Women’s Fiction.

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

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Author:

Grace Wen writes women's fiction and romance. She finds people fascinating and loves to ask her characters nosy questions to avoid being a real-life busybody. An Imperfect Wife, her debut women's fiction novella, won the runner-up spot for Love Romances Cafe's 2011 Best Contemporary Book.

Grace lives in southeastern Michigan with two neurotic but cute cats. When she's not writing, she's usually reading, cooking, or training for her next half marathon

Description:

Nicole and Josh met at college in Troy, NY. They fell in love and got married and lived the Troy small-town life for fifteen years. After a long period of unemployment, Josh lands a high-powered job, but it means moving away from their friends and families. Nicole decides to be a supportive wife and gives up her career. However, living as an overly ambitious executive’s wife in suburbia is tougher than she imagined.

Appraisal:

The writing is tight, the pacing fast, even though there’s not a lot of action as would be expected with this genre. Nicole struggles when she is relegated by Josh’s obsessive work ethic to the second most important thing in his life. These challenges are reflective, I think, of many real world situations. She is tempted by Josh’s handsome boss, more because he pays attention to her than because of his looks. Although he is pretty dishy. :)

Much of the story is spent inside Nicole’s head as the author examines the conflict between her duty and obligations as a wife, and her yearning for attention and love. I thought the author handled this well, although I wouldn’t have complained if there’d been a bit more depth to the characters. I did feel I was told a lot of how they felt, and there was plenty of room for showing their conflicts. The outcome was realistic rather than a happily-ever-after fairy-tale (as would be expected in a romance).

I’ve read a few novels in the genre, and I do struggle somewhat with the incessant circling thoughts that flood the female lead’s mind. I couldn’t remain sane if I was bombarded with that much self-doubt. That’s not a criticism. It’s expected in Women’s Fiction, and it’s natural that I struggle to empathize fully. To paraphrase Tammy Wynette, “After all I’m just a man.” 

Format/Typo Issues:

Too few to mention.

Rating: **** Four stars

#Free for your #Kindle, 5/26/2013

The author of each of these books has indicated their intent to schedule these books for a free day for the Kindle versions today on Amazon. Sometimes plans change or mistakes happen, so be sure to verify the price before hitting that "buy me" button.

First Chapters by Brooks, Hise, et al

Amazon US

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State of the Union by Sven Michael Davison

Amazon US

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Launch by Richard Perth

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Author's interested in having their free book featured either here on a Thursday or a sister site on a Monday, visit this page for details.

Bogies / Ryan Bracha

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Humour

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

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Author:

Ryan Bracha started out in film, writing and directing his first feature. He wrote the follow up whilst living in Paris. More recently the author turned to novels and novellas. His debut, Strangers Are Just Friends You Haven’t Killed Yet, was three years in the making. He lives in Yorkshire with his wife and a cat.

Description:

A collection of eleven stories of varying length, some previously published but now deleted and reissued in this single volume.

Appraisal:

Ryan Bracha is like Marmite (a yeast based foodstuff that provokes widely spread reactions of the taste buds) you’ll either love or hate his work. This collection of stories aptly portrays the wide range of Bracha’s subject matter and a writing style that is best termed ambitious and challenging.

Personally I place myself in the former Marmite camp (both liking Bracha and the yeast based foodstuff). I’ve previously reviewed Strangers… and Tomorrow’s Chip Paper. Both proved unusual and challenging reads. Bogies, as you can probably tell from the title, is no different. All of the stories are provocative, most are funny.

The book opens with Baron Catastrophe and the King of the Jackals. It comprises two story arcs that subsequently combine - a first person character who has a powerful OCD tendency and his sandwich man neighbor, a hard working member of society who makes a simple spelling mistake on his sign that sets off the whole episode.

The third installment is The Bad Day. This is an interesting diversion from the ‘norm’. The author’s stories typically have a hard Northern seam running through them, but are balanced with a heavy lacing of humour. Not this one, it's grim from beginning to end. That being said it is well written and the multiple plot strands are cleverly built and concluded in such a short space.

Call Me Doctor F*ck Knuckles is previously unpublished. The main character is meeting his girlfriend’s parents for the first time. He’s working class, they’re all wealthy, and with a very strange set of behaviours. The title is the name the prospective father in law insists he be called throughout dinner. It’s a funny (as in haha) read accompanied with a quite a bit of wincing.

Written in the first person Tha Dunt... tracks a short episode in Fintan's bored life. He had a terrible upbringing, living constantly on a porn set (his mother the star) and he's now totally skewed by his experiences. He has no real friends and spends his time trying to entertain himself. He's a seriously damaged character. Then someone has an idea, pretend to be a secret millionaire. The trouble is Fintan hates people, has no regard for them at all, himself included, and he ends up putting the one person close to him in an embarrassing situation.

The final story is the longest of them all, The Banjo String Snapped… It’s a rude and lewd read, the story of a group of lads on a stag do in Leeds. Full of swearing, drugs, drinking and dodgy happenings, this is a blast, thoroughly enjoyable but with a lot more to it than just recounting a particularly dubious drinking session. Seen from multiple viewpoints it unfolds in an interesting fashion.

Overall the writing is free and highly engaging, but if you have any sensitivity at all to plenty of strong language and adult situations then this is not the book for you - and vice versa. The author deliberately challenges the reader in style, language and content. If you like a wild ride with the occasional hairpin corner then Bracha is an author you should seek out.

I think the best place to finish this review is with the author’s dedication to his wife which is right at the start of the book ‘For Rebecca, who just wishes I would write something normal for once.’

Please don’t.

FYI:

Plenty of swearing and adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.

Rating: ***** 5 Stars

Out of the Blue / Eddie Stack

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Contemporary fiction

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES

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Author:

Eddie Stack’s work has appeared in a number of collections and anthologies. He has also published a novel, but he specializes in writing short stories and to date published three collections. He teaches at UC Berkeley, California.

You can learn more about the author at his website.

Description:

Twelve short stories recounting the experiences of his native Irish people at home and abroad.

Appraisal:

This is an interesting collection of quirky stories where the setting switches between Ireland and the US. What remains constant are the characters of Irish descent, snapshots of people’s lives where we drop in and drop out of the action with no preamble.

There are three very strong aspects to Stack’s writing. There’s the dry sense of humour that cuts through all the shorts. When the narrative asks for a suspension of disbelief (e.g. a talking donkey) his writing makes it believable. Second are the characters, the Irish nature remains strong whatever the setting. Finally is the dialogue which encompasses both the above points.

None of the twelve stories are weak, although there are several highlights. In Jackass Blues, a donkey wanders into town and hangs around, watching television until the owner gets fed up and wants the donkey gone. It takes refuge in a church but is eventually captured. Later it seems as if the donkey can talk…

Here’s an example of the writing from the opening paragraph:

During that slow, dark time between New Year and Lent, a black ass sauntered into town. Sleek as a seal, it had the fine features of a thoroughbred and moved gracefully through the streets with a confidence that its working class brethren lack.

The next story is Back in the Days of Corncrakes about a Guinness advert being filmed in a small Irish village. Some locals are roped in to act, but get drunk on free alcohol. It’s well written and funny.

In the final story Out of the Blue a couple from either side of the Atlantic who each believed the other dead are reunited after forty years.

This is a very well written, drily witty collection of short stories that will puzzle you and entertain you. The snapshot element of some of the stories may leave some readers wanting to know more, but this is quality writing.

FYI:

Nothing of note.

Format/Typo Issues:

A couple of layout errors, but nothing significant.

Rating: **** 4 Stars

Cobweb Bride (Cobweb Bride Trilogy) / Vera Nazarian

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Epic Historical Fantasy / Paranormal Romance

Approximate word count: 100-105,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: YES

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Vera Nazarian is a two-time Nebula Award Nominee, award-winning artist, and member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, a writer and reader with a penchant for moral fables and stories of intense wonder, true love, and intricacy.”

Ms. Nazarian “lives in a small town in Vermont, and uses her Armenian sense of humor and her Russian sense of suffering to bake conflicted pirozhki and make art.”  The second book in her Cobweb Trilogy, Cobweb Empire, is available now and Cobweb Forest will be released this December. To learn more about Ms. Nazarian check out her website.

Description:

“Many are called... She alone can save the world and become Death's bride. Cobweb Bride is a history-flavored fantasy novel with romantic elements of the Persephone myth, about Death's ultimatum to the world. In an alternate Renaissance world, somewhere in an imaginary ’pocket’ of Europe called the Kingdom of Lethe, Death comes, in the form of a grim Spaniard, to claim his Bride. Until she is found, in a single time-stopping moment all dying stops. There is no relief for the mortally wounded and the terminally ill.” 

Appraisal:

This book and I got off on a rocky start. The premise sounded intriguing to me so I picked it up.  The problem I had with it was the over description of every tiny detail. I got lost in all the words, they were good words, well written poetic words. There was just too much time spent on every detail and my head was swimming with unnecessary words that didn't move the story forward. Three different kingdoms in the Imperial Realm are examined in minute detail.

In Lethe, the old Queen lies on her deathbed unable to die. Death appears and states his plea for his Cobweb Bride to the Prince. The Prince sends out a decree in search of the Cobweb Bride, all families must send a daughter of marriageable age to Death's Keep that stands in the Northern Forest.

On the frozen lake of Merlait to the north there is a battle raging between the forces of Duke Ian Chidair, known as Hoarfrost, and the armies of his neighbor, the Duke Vitalio Goraque. From a single moment on all the causalities become the walking dead, including both Dukes. Hoarfrost is unwilling to give up his status because he is undead and begins a campaign to capture the jail the girls who have been ordered to seek Death's Keep in an attempt to prevent Death from finding his Cobweb bride as a way to keep his dead self undead.

Death's third stop was a poor dwelling in the Dukedom of Goraque where a peasant woman lay dying. Percy's grandmother, whose whole history is given. Persephone is described as a somewhat dull-witted, slow, sickly anemic, plain, unbecoming, and willful. She becomes our heroine as she leads a band of girls to Death's Keep. This small band of girls is where the story finally gets interesting as we follow them on their trek to Death's Keep. They are joined by her Imperial Highness, the Infanta Claere Liguon, the princess and Heir to the Realm, who has been murdered by Marquis Vlau Fiomarre. The Marquis, in a twisted sense of duty, also accompanies Claere in order to protect her. I found this Stockholm type syndrome to be quite disturbing as they are becoming quite fond of each other.

Here is an example of one sentence that shows the author’s writing style and the relationship developing between the living Vlau and the dead Claere.

And now, here he was, and here she was, and it seemed at rather odd moments that the carriage was closing in on him, on her, and they were sharply aware of one another again, relieving that moment of greatest closeness and intensity, the stroke of death, the drawing of life that bound them together.

Hmmm, I seem to have captured a typo here also. I do believe the word “relieving” is meant to be “reliving”. There are a small number of proofing errors that didn't detract from the story overall. What was aggravating was the loose story ends that were not addressed. I can only suppose that they will be picked up and explained later in the trilogy, but with as much jumping around as there is in this book why even bring them up at this point at all?

My assessment is that as the author became more comfortable with her story the writing improved. I think much of the set-up could have been handled in flashbacks and improved the flow of the story. Ms. Nazarian also took an interesting aspect of death to the extreme by including crops and livestock in her no-death scheme. As the stores of past harvests were depleted the newest grains became tasteless and the meat from the livestock never died or cooked properly. It was all rather chilling to read.

What will be interesting now is to see how our heroine Percy, who develops a strange connection with Death himself after reaching the Keep, goes about finding the true Cobweb Bride. It seems that Death can't see her because she contains a piece of him, however, Percy will be able to. Out of her small group she is the only one who could actually see Death and communicate with him. She is not the incompetent that her family saw her as. She has caught the eye of Beltain, the son of the Duke known as Hoarfrost. The quest for the Cobweb Bride is now on with Percy leading the way and Beltain at her side.

FYI:

Originally written for Awesome Trilogies and Series book blog.

Format/Typo Issues:

There are a small number of proofing errors.

Rating: *** Three Stars