The Adventures of Jul: A Guest Post from Elizabeth Corrigan, author of Raising Chaos

Once upon a time, when I was a young high school student, I was writing something about a character named Jul. (We won’t go into any more detail than that.) I had to wander away from my computer for a bit, and when I returned, my sister had inserted a line about the beautiful woman looking into Jul’s ugly yellow hair.

Needless to say, I was appalled. None of my characters had ugly yellow hair! What did that even mean? And, of course, in the spirit of little sister’s everywhere, my sister latched onto my horror and proceeded to add snippets about Jul and his ugly yellow hair to every document I dared leave alone in the house. The high point was when she inserted a sentence into one of my English papers comparing Jul’s hair to that of my teacher’s. The comparison was fair, but definitely not something I wanted him to read. Fortunately, I got the bit deleted in time.

Eventually, I came to accept the humor inherent in the situation. I even wrote a book with a Jul with ugly yellow hair, but I killed him off in the prologue. My sister and I got to wondering about how, if he died, he managed to appear in everything else I wrote, at least until I removed him. We concluded he must be a dimension-hopping vampire, then added some other details to his life, mostly that his vampire friend Marie was in love with him, while he was in love with a country singer named Jo-Lee.

Eventually we made a deal with each other: One day, when we were both famous fantasy authors, we would make sure that Jul appeared in every one of our stories. And then, after we had many books in many worlds, we would jointly write The Adventures of Jul, which would explain how he got into each story and why he interacted with our characters.

Flash forward ten years later, and I’ve actually become a fantasy author. Okay, so I’m not famous—yet—but I’m definitely further along the path than I expected to be when my sister and I made the arrangement. Jul has had a cameo in both my novels, and I know where he’s going in both my current works-in-progress. (I’m not going to tell you where, though. You have to find him. Fortunately, the ugly yellow hair is pretty easy to spot.)  

I had some worries during development that my editors would make me take Jul out, but he passed by without a hitch. When my novel made it through editing, the first thing I did was text my sister to let her know that Jul got to stay. She had, of course, been waiting on this news since editing started.  Now I keep telling her that she has to hold up her end of the bargain and write some fantasy books featuring our favorite vampire.

So who knows? Maybe someday you will see a novel about a vampire with ugly yellow hair penned by two Corrigans. Then you can find out whether Jul chooses Marie or Jo-Lee, or at least whether Jo-Lee ever gives him the time of day. 

Get your copy of Raising Chaos to see if you can spot Jul's cameo from Amazon US (paper or ebook), Amazon UK (paper or ebook), or Barnes & Noble. And be sure to enter the rafflecoptor giveaway below.

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Couch Potato Politics / Mark A. Prior

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Non-Fiction/Politics

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

Born in Rhode Island and raised in New York and Georgia, Mark Prior now lives in Los Angeles where he works as a screenwriter and, for his “survival job,” as a stagehand and lighting technician.

Description:

Mark Prior believes that government in the US is becoming (has become?) dysfunctional and explains the reason for this as lack of involvement. In his words, “America has become a nation of political couch potatoes and that's what's screwing us up!” In this book he discusses the political process, his suggestions for turning things around, and some specific areas where he believes we’re headed the wrong direction with his take on the reasons we’re headed that way and some suggested solutions.

Appraisal:

Couch Potato Politics has numerous issues that should have been fixed in the final polish of copy editing and proofreading and weren’t. The most common are extra or extraneous words (“… choosing of that date to to make their point …” or “… an area populated by primarily by …”) and homonym errors (peace vs piece, bare vs bear, isle versus aisle, and reign versus rein are a few examples I saw multiple times). Unless you’re a reader very tolerant of these kinds of issues, you’ll find yourself tripping over a sentence often. This problem is the primary reason for the low ranking and is something that could potentially be fixed.

However, if you feel that a lack of polish doesn’t matter if the story being told or, in this case, the message being delivered is worthwhile, then you might want to consider this book. If you aren’t happy with government, but aren’t involved in making things better, you probably should.

Although originally conceived as a series of essays on the politics of various subjects, you’ll find, as the author did, that there is a theme running through these essays which I’ll summarize as “if we sit on our couch and don’t get involved in politics, we’ll get what the people who are involved want instead.” And as he points out numerous times, what we end up with is a combination of solutions dominated by ideas from the more extreme ends of the political spectrum, laws beholden to special interests, or inaction when action is needed due to partisan gridlock.

Prior describes his politics as “moderate” (neither clearly to the right or left) although tending to be slightly conservative on fiscal matters and a touch liberal on questions of social policy. However, he makes the point that you have to investigate and consider each issue on its own merits, and you’ll see that on some issues he argues for a solution that goes against his natural leanings while explaining why. I would expect the vast majority of people would agree with Prior’s take on policy because, almost by definition, most people are going to fall in the middle of the political spectrum. Prior is also not a political commentator or acknowledged expert on the subject. He’s just a regular guy, maybe a lot like you, who has done what he believes you need to do for yourself, investigate and let your voice be heard.

Do you consider yourself in the mainstream and mostly ignore politics? Is it because you don’t think you can make a difference, assume it will all work out without you, or don’t see why you should care? If so, this book is meant for you. It delivers a message you need to receive and take to heart. I only wish it did so with more polish.

FYI:

Rare instances of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Numerous proofing and copy editing issues.

Rating: *** Three stars

dEaDINBURGH / Mark Wilson

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: YA / Dystopian / Thriller

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

Mark Wilson is a biology teacher in Fife, Scotland. He is also the author of four novels, his most recent being dEaDINBURGH. In addition Mark formed an independent publishing company in 2013 to publicise Scottish authors. The author lives in Edinburgh with his family.

You can learn more about the author at his website.

Description:

Edinburgh 1645, the time of the bubonic plague. The victims are locked underground in catacombs. 2015 and these same catacombs are opened, the plague attacks the Scottish population. 2050 and Edinburgh is quarantined off. There are rumours of a cure, but finding the source is believed to be certain death at the hands of the zombies. Joey MacLeod is a trainee 'priest' part of a church that worships the zombies. But he escapes and with the help of Alys Shepherd learns about his past and the real source of the zombies..

Appraisal:

Now I don't usually read dystopian or zombie novels. With a very few exceptions I don't get on with either genre particularly well. If there's a zombie TV programme, such as The Waking Dead, I usually switch off eventually. I also very rarely read YA either. However, I have previously greatly enjoyed Mark Wilson's writing - so I gave dEaDINBURGH a try, and I'm glad I did. This is one of those aforementioned rare exceptions.

Phew!

So, the premise is a disease has created zombies, but there are still a few humans clinging onto life. There are several interdependent communities and we receive protagonists from each to drive the story forward. There's a group of zombie worshippers, literally religious nuts - Joey is a youth reluctantly waiting to be ordained to serve the zombies for the rest of his life. But there's something mysterious about his past, he's an orphan and doesn't know who his parents are. Padre Jock is one of the order, but he's not like the rest, he seems to know something about Joey. Then there's a community of women, no men are allowed - Alys is a born fighter, but questions why they have to be separated from the rest. Then there's Bracha, a vicious survivalist who'll do anything to stay alive.

Okay, so far so good. I was intrigued, caught by the characters, interested to see what happened next when the pair, Joey and Alys, 'escape' their respective confinements and go into the wider world accompanied by Jock. The kids are naive but learn quickly, and brutally. Then Wilson delivers several twists and surprises which elevates dEaDINBURGH beyond a straightforward zombie novel. I won't reveal what they are as you should find these out for yourself, but they're to do with Joey's past and the zombies themselves. The conclusion sets us up for book two very neatly.

Edinburgh and its surrounding countryside is a great backdrop, the author uses the scenery well. The characters are strong and the story drives along at pace. The zombies aren't really the major part of the story, there are touching inter-relationships that develop, taut situations the characters must develop. All in all an interesting, intriguing book. I'll be reading the follow up for sure.

FYI:

Despite the zombies, nothing of note, which as it's YA, that's good.

Format/Typo Issues:

No issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

The Road to Rebirth / Dean F. Wilson

Reviewed by: Sooz

Genre: Fantasy

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

Dean F. Wilson was born in Dublin, Ireland. The Call of Agon was his first published novel, which won an award for an early draft in 2001. Wilson has since published two more. He is also a journalist working in the technology field.

You can learn more at his website.

Description:

The Road to Rebirth picks up where The Call of Agon left off. Ifferon, Herr’Don, Delin and company learn what they need and want out of the next chapter of their journey when all seems almost lost beyond repair. The characters go through moments of self-discovery and are prepared to fight for what they believe in – even if that means meddling with the afterlife.

Appraisal:

The sequel isn’t usually better than the original in a series, but The Road to Rebirth is certainly an exception to that.

This is the second book in Dean F. Wilson’s series The Children of Telm. It picks up right where it left off when all the characters of the first book learned devastating news. Now, it’s time we learn how they deal with the challenges that have been put before them.

The action in The Road to Rebirth is much crisper than the original, likely because there isn’t much backstory that Wilson needs to tell to get this story moving. While there may be slightly less action than the first, there is more going on here with all the characters discovering more about themselves as they are tested to their limits.

The Road to Rebirth takes many of the characters in different directions than they plan on going, but the different journeys seem important to the quest that lies before them.

The writing is also much cleaner, cutting through any unnecessary words, but still allowing Wilson’s wonderful prose seeped with rich, lively color to allow the readers to get a full picture of the world he has created.

Wilson also shows the characters’ growth. They are all in such different places from when we meet them in the first book until the end of the second.  After going on a journey through two books with these characters, I feel invested in them and am intrigued to learn how it all plays out.

FYI:

This is the second book in The Children of Telm series and does not work as a standalone.

Format/Typo Issues:

No issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

The Perfect Day / Gunnar Angel Lawrence

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Approximate word count: 120-125,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

“After years of ghostwriting thrillers, conspiracy novels and mystery books, Gunnar Angel Lawrence has published his first thriller. He is a native Floridian with a love for writing thrillers, mysteries and action stories with fast pacing and a unique twist. He lives in Saint Cloud, Florida with his dogs and is currently single.”

For more, visit the author’s blog.

Description:

“A double homicide leads Detective Paul Friedman to discover the threat of an imminent terrorist attack on the city of Orlando, Florida. A young teen girl is found beheaded in the wreckage of what appears to be a freak accident. Friedman learns of The Perfect Day, a plot to strike terror into the hearts of Americans by a zealot known only as Ali the Sand Viper. Friedman must solve the murders and do what he can to prevent the unthinkable, a terrorist assault on the tourism capital of the world.

Reporter Jerome Eisman stumbles onto the plot of a local White Supremacist group to purchase a large quantity of explosives. His investigation takes a frantic turn when bombs begin claiming lives.”

Appraisal:

The Perfect Day has multiple story threads with different point of view characters,  and each contributes to the overall story. Two threads follow Paul Friedman, who I think would be considered the protagonist, and Ali the Sand Viper, the antagonist. Others follow Jerome, a reporter, Monica, an investigator who specializes in uncovering financial fraud, and Gary, a homeless former prisoner of war. Each of these is interwoven with the other and how they relate is obvious with the exception of Gary. I actually liked Gary’s story thread the most even though how it was going to relate to the overall story was unclear until near the end of the book when his story finally connects and set up a plot twist that I didn’t see coming.

I liked the overall plot and thought the author did a good job of character building, with most of the major characters being well rounded with unique personalities, motivations, and goals, all of which figure into the overall story. One exception might be Ali, who comes across as a bit of a cliché through much of the book with only hints of there being something more to him than the obvious until near the end.

However, I had three major issues with The Perfect Day. First are numerous issues with typos and grammar that weren’t caught in the copyediting and proofreading process. In addition to the typical things like typos and verb tense issues that snuck through, were clunky or repetitive sentences like this one:

“I would suggest that before you go off in search of a new client, that you sit down and have a little chat with Sheriff Wilson before you go.”

Or this sequence:

“Sounds good, thanks Nancy. Be honest with me, what am I looking at here, Nancy? Can they really get Jeffrey from me?” Nancy sighed.

In case it isn’t clear, he’s talking to Nancy.

Second was a tendency for the characters who are the apparent heroes of the story, specifically those involved in law enforcement, to have disrespect for the law as it applies to them. One minor example is this exchange earlier in the book where Friedman appears to be okay with vigilante justice. (If nothing else, he doesn’t object.)

“When you find him, please kill him, or let me do it. She was my best friend, and her mother was like my second mom.” Paul nodded, “I understand.” Angie left the room as Paul dialed the station.

Later in the book the chief of police murders (executes would be an even better description) a suspect he has in custody.

My last problem is the book has a definite political stance that I found both objectionable and not very credible. If you describe yourself as an extreme right wing conspiracy theorist, you’ll love this. If you think all Muslims should be assumed to be terrorists (that worked so well for us with those of Japanese ancestry in World War II) and that the media conspires to hide this “fact” from us, you’ll eat this up. For those like me who read this kind of thing and describe it as bull-pucky, it might not be for you.

FYI:

Although this book appears to be the second in a series featuring detective Paul Friedman, it stands alone. There is no need to have read the previous book to understand what is going on in this one.

Format/Typo Issues:

Numerous proofing and copyediting misses.

Rating: * One star

#Free for your #Kindle, 3/27/2014

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.

Falcon's Web by Richard Albright

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Learning to Play the Guitar by Anthony Peel

Amazon US

Amazon UK

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.

The Dark Age: A Short Story / Jason Gurley

Reviewed by: Fredlet

Genre: Short Story/Science Fiction/Fantasy/Time Travel

Approximate word count: 5-6,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

” Jason Gurley is the bestselling author of Greatfall, among other novels and short stories. By day he's a designer, and by night he writes and designs book covers. He lives with his family in Oregon, where he is currently writing a novel about a girl named Eleanor. He loves meeting readers, and often gives them free books via his newsletter.”

Find out more here from his website or by subscribing to his newsletter. Follow him on twitter or like his Facebook page.

Description:

“On the day she was born, he left for the stars. 

He watches her grow up on screens. Misses her first words. Misses her first steps. She's never kissed his scratchy cheek, or fallen asleep on his shoulder. He's never wiped away her tears, or sung her to sleep. 

Now she's a toddler, and he's about to enter hibernation sleep -- and when he wakes nearly 150 years in the future, his family will be gone. 

This is a short story for every father who never wants his daughter to grow up.”

Appraisal:

I’d read Mr. Gurley’s Silo Saga: Greatfall novel a bit ago and really enjoyed his Kindle Worlds contribution to Hugh Howey’s world of Wool.  I picked up The Dark Age: A Short Story while looking for a quick read. The cover just caught my eye and the blurb was interesting. I was unsure I would be able to connect with the plot, because I am not a parent. Not to worry; I am a daughter and wife, and an author’s job is to pull you into the story no matter what. Mr. Gurley sure did that!  I had such an emotional reaction to this book… heart racing, breath taking, all the tears shed. And the dreams that followed which made me ruminate about personal experiences I’ve had evoking the feelings of a dark age.

I can’t remember the last time an author’s words had such an effect on me. Stopping to think, I came up with The Diary of Anne Frank and Tuesdays with Morrie. While The Dark Age: A Short Story is heart wrenching, it is also uplifting and covers a lot of ground. I found it amazing that in so few words you came to know the main and supporting characters and could empathize with their choices. The ending reminded me of the emails I wrote to my father after his death, which were undeliverable, returned to me, and saved to an email folder. I went back and read them all, as I also did with this book.

FYI:

In case you haven’t noticed, this is a short story well worth the amount of time it will take you to read.

Format/Typo Issues:

I read both the e-book and paperback editions and found no errors. If any were there, I was too involved in the story to notice.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Incubus (Daughters Of Lilith) / Jennifer Quintenz

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: YA / Coming of Age / Paranormal

Approximate word count: 100-105,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

“Jennifer is a film and television writer, author, and graphic novelist. She has written for Twentieth Television, Intrepid Pictures, and Archaia Studios Press. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.”

This is the second book in her The Daughters Of Lilith trilogy. To learn more about Ms. Quintenz, visit her website.

Description:

“Braedyn Murphy used to think nothing important ever happened in her sleepy town of Puerto Escondido. But that was before she learned she was a descendent of Lilith, the mother of all demons. Now Braedyn fights to protect humanity from the Lilitu - the beautiful, souls-stealing daughters of Lilith.

As she fights the Lilitu, Braedyn must also fight her growing love for her boyfriend Lucas - because even a simple kiss could end his life. Their only ray of hope is an angel’s offer to make Braedyn human, but it’s an offer she can’t accept until the world is safe from the Lilitu.

Braedyn knows she’s a key player in this ancient war... but she’s not ready to believe she just might be humanity’s best hope of surviving the final battle for Earth.”

Appraisal:

Ms. Quintenz does a fairly good job reminding us where the first book left off but the recaps were brief and my memory is not as sharp as it used to be, so I floundered around a bit. However it didn't take too long to regain my footing.

I just have one small complaint so I will get it out of the way now before I get to the good stuff. This is about a style choice the author made when she chose to use digits instead of writing out numbers. These numbers referred to seconds, minutes, hours, months, years, feet, yards, miles, costumes, and soldiers. Mostly smaller numbers, under a hundred, but there were several. This didn't throw me out of the story, but I hated seeing a sentence starting with a digit. I guess I am just olde school like that.

There is a new evil threat in this book, it seems as though an Incubus, a rare male version of the Lilitu, has found his way to Puerto Escondido. There is very little known about the Incubus, or his powers, and details from the archivists of the Guard are sketchy since their secret library has been destroyed.

Not only is Braedyn trying to deal with typical, and some not so typical, high school drama. She is also trying to deal with not being allowed to know certain Lilitu history and knowledge the Guard has that affect her future. So Braedyn sets out to discover these things on her own. She is a smart girl but being the Guard’s secret weapon she has the weight of the world on her shoulders.

There is a lot of action in this book and the well executed battle scenes are epic. I enjoyed Braedyn's dream-scape the most, with Ms. Quintenz descriptive prose it was easy to be pulled into the scene. I like the way Braedyn's and Karayan's relationship is developing, I feel like these two can help each other. Meanwhile several other friendships are tested on many levels as the mystery twists and turns. If you love reading fantasy where characters are trying to find out how they fit in the world they live in, I am sure you will enjoy this story.

FYI:

This is the second book in The Daughters of Lilith series. I think it is important to have read the first book Thrall, before reading this one.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant editing or formatting issues.

Rating: **** Four stars

In The Sunshine / PJ Lincoln

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Genre: Romance

Approximate word count: 14-15,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

I couldn’t find any information about PJ Lincoln. He/she doesn’t have an author page on Amazon or Goodreads. He/she should get one.

Description:

Regan is struggling to extract herself from a relationship with a possessive guy. Matt is trying get over his failed seven-year marriage. When they bump into each other on Cocoa Beach, FL, sparks fly.

Appraisal:

Because I’m writing one, I’ve been reading a lot of romance novels lately. I’ve found the genre to be a mixed bag. In particular, I find ‘the middle’ often gets bogged down with repetitive concerns popping up in the main couple’s inner thoughts. Even when the romance portion of the story works well, I’m often frustrated by unlikely events or backstory being artificially inserted to drive the plot forward.

In The Sunshine avoided both of my pet peeves. This is a cozy romance, neatly told. The author’s writing style is light and easy on the eye. The main characters, Regan and Matt, both had believable back stories and logical reasons for being where they were, both geographically, and personally.

I read the story in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed the tale. A nice, light romance with a feel good factor.

Format/Typo Issues:

Too few to mention.

Rating: ***** Five stars

California Punk / Alex Ramirez

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Availability    

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

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

Author:

Here’s how Alex describes himself:

“I'm a writer in the same sense as punk rockers were musicians - they make music, I write stories. But every other preconceived notion you may hold about those mediums you may as well throw out the window. The only objective is to elicit an emotion from the audience, to take them from where they were and bring them to some place new.

Loud, offensive, vulgar. These are the things that I strive for in my writing; as a writer I want to punch you in the face and make you feel something - even if it is only quick shot of pain. Enjoy!”

Description:

Jessie takes a road trip with his buddy, Carlos, and Carlos’s cousin, Jonah, starting in California and ending in Las Vegas where they get stoned and drink a lot of alcohol. Then they run out of money and go home.

Appraisal:

The story is written as a ‘stream of consciousness’ from the first person perspective of Jessie. The guys are aimless in California, and even more so when they get to Nevada. Much of the novel is taken up with Jessie’s internal musings on life, or his inability to achieve simple tasks, such as buying bread, or remembering where he is or how he got there, or where he was going!

From the moment they set off, all three are either drunk—in fact the rate of alcohol consumption beggared belief, or stoned—the rate of joint consumption also left me doubting that these guys would be able to roll the joints never mind walk The Strip as often as they did. But mostly they were both drunk and stoned.

As a consequence of the drugged out state of our narrator, much of the narrative reminded me of one of those grand ideas one gets when high, only to discover when the idea is revisited, sober, it’s at best impractical or, more commonly, plain dumb. For me, that about sums up this novel.

Consider, though, that the writing is technically sound, and this appears to be the author’s first novel. Also remember, I’m an old fart, so maybe some twenty-something stoner could enjoy the story—assuming they stayed high long enough to finish.

The author failed in his objective to bring this reader to some place new. As a consequence, this book is a two-star for me. Quite honestly, I struggled to finish, and it’s pretty short.

But if you get stoned when you read, it might rate higher because you’d possibly grasp the true depth of meaning in the words, when considered against the cosmic realm of all things ever written.

Format/Typo Issues:

Too few to mention.

Rating:  ** Two stars

Undertow (Land, Sea, Sky) / Lynne Cantwell

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Contemporary/ World Mythology

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 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:

Lynne Cantwell is a contributing author at IndiesUnlimited where she shares her knowledge about Indie publishing and promotion. She has a master’s degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University and is a former broadcast journalist who has written for CNN and Mutual/NBC Radio News, among other places. Ms. Cantwell currently lives near Washington, DC. You can connect with her at her website or on her Facebook page.

Description:

“Lt. Darrell Warren, Navy SEAL and Potawatomi medicine man, has been reassigned from the Pentagon temporarily to a command in Virginia Beach. He thinks he’s there to investigate a rumor of a terrorist attack against the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, but his commander wants him to go undercover to infiltrate the terrorists – a job that's way outside Darrell's wheelhouse. And this time -- unlike two weeks before, in Washington -- his two housemates aren't available to help... The terrorists are not who they appear to be, and the hurricane is inching closer. To thwart both disasters – as well as cope with their own relationships – Darrell, Tess, and Sue will need the help of the gods.”

Appraisal:

I have to admit, I didn't expect to like this series as well as Pipe Woman Chronicles. I am not into political intrigue or espionage, but Ms. Cantwell has managed to pull me in. I am fully invested in the Land, Sea, Air series after this second book. The people are what makes this book so incredible. They are authentic, dedicated, honorable, and courageous.  Each has their own flaws and personal dilemmas to work through while dealing with potentially devastating predicaments far bigger than their own problems.

Undertow deals with the threat of a terrorist attack on American soil that is orchestrated by Lucifer, the would-be godling, who is inciting the godless and power-hungry to take control of world events again. Malcolm Quinn, the owner of Integrated Deterrence Systems (a defense contractor) and US Senator Rusty Dickens of Alabama are two characters from Crosswinds that are continuing their quest for the return of the old ways before the pagan gods and goddesses returned. Their intent is to make the bombing look like a foreign terrorist attack on the United States to regain military defense contracts that have been cut.

Darrell has to be my favorite character, of course the bear story has something to do with this, although I am really beginning to like Darrell's Anishinaabe god Nanabush as well. His trickster nature and lightheartedness brings humor into the story at just the right times. There is also a new character introduced who may be around for a while, Darrell's ex-Naval colleague Robbie Duckworth. He now does contract work for the Navy because he likes to blow things up, and he thinks he may have just met the perfect woman in Sue Killeen, our very own Wiccan.

It is hardly surprising that the Gods manage to get Darrell, Sue, and Tess all to Virginia Beach where the terrorist attack on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is suspected and a massive F-5 Hurricane is headed. Ms. Cantwell does an impressive job detailing the plans for the terrorist attack and the chain of command. The plot is realistic and frightening as hell.

As the book comes to its climatic end tension runs high and the stress of it all wouldn't allow me to put the book down. Things hardly go as planned by either side as colleagues, who don't have gods influencing them, try to help. However due to the gravity of the situations at hand personal realizations are made by Darrell and Tess that offer hope for their relationship.. I can't wait to see what the next book brings. I am pretty sure Lucifer will stir things up again as he continues to seek his goal of becoming a god in his own right.

FYI:

This is Book 2 in the Land, Sea, Sky series. Ms. Cantwell has included a synopsis of book 1 at the beginning, which is helpful.  However, I think it would be beneficial to read Book 1, Crosswinds, to fully understand all the characters.

Contains adult language and there are a few F-bombs dropped.

Format/Typo Issues:

None at all. Zip, zero, zilch...

Rating: ***** Five stars