Long Live the Suicide King / Aaron Michael Ritchey

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: YA

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

A former secondary school teacher and recovering TV addict, Aaron Michael Ritchey lives in Colorado where he runs triathlons and helps raise his two daughters. He is the author of one previous novel, The Never Prayer.

For more, visit Richey’s website.

Description:

“Seventeen-year-old Jim JD Dillinger knows exactly how his miserable suburban life is going to play out. At least drugs added a little chaos to his life, but after almost losing his soul, JD knows he has to quit. Now clean, he figures he has another sixty years of plain old boring life followed by a nasty death. JD decides to pre-empt God by killing himself. However, once he decides to die, his life gets better, more interesting, and then downright strange. New friends. Possible romance. And donuts. Lots of donuts. Once the end is in sight, every minute becomes precious.”

Appraisal:

Compared to the average teenager, Jim “JD” Dillinger has it good. If someone tweeted his complaints about life, I’d expect to see a #firstworldproblems or even #richsuburbankidissues hash tag accompanying it. However, teen angst, depression, and wondering about the point of life can happen to any teen. Suicide knows no boundaries and logic isn’t part of the equation.

My biggest concern with reading this book was that it might be too much. For anyone whose life has been touched by suicide (I’m guessing a whole lot of people) it’s a serious subject. A story that deals with the subject has to have dark moments. Long Live the Suicide King is dark at times, but this is offset by lighter, humorous moments and never felt too heavy to me.It’s subtle in making points about choosing life over death while never feeling preachy. An excellent read, not just for its young target audience, but for adults as well.

FYI:

One f-bomb and a couple mild scenes that touch on sex. Much less than the typical teenager will be exposed to in an average school day.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Eyes of Lightning (The Thunderbird Legacy Book 1)/ Erin Keyser Horn

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Coming of Age

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

“Erin Keyser Horn has a zoology degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and currently lives in Northwest Illinois with her husband and son. She did everything she could not to become a writer, trying such jobs as pig farmer, biological field tech, vet assistant, yoga teacher, and librarian. But she couldn't stay away from the writing world. She is the author of three young adult paranormal books: Eyes of Lightning (2012 RONE Honorable Mention Winner), Wings of Thunder, and River’s Edge.”

Find out more about Ms. Horn at her website.

Description:

“After a thousand years of curses, the Thunderbird’s secrets are about to be unleashed in the charming town of Galena, Illinois.

Ivy is a normal fifteen-year-old girl . . . if you consider yellow eyes and storm-chasing urges normal. Life gets even more normal when she runs away from home to find Walter Nimiki, the grandfather she’s never met. It’s he who tells her the truth—Ivy is a descendant of the cursed Thunder Clan, so the boy she’ll someday fall in love with will die young. Walter believes Ivy is the hope the clan has waited for, the one who can end the curse. Before she can learn more, a terrible accident leaves Walter in a coma. Ivy can’t save Walter without the help of three boys: Gabe is keeping a promise to Walter, Cal always knows what she’s feeling, and Dan can’t stand the sight of her. Ivy doesn’t know what would be worse—failing to save Walter, or accidentally falling in love with a boy. Either way, someone will die.”

Appraisal:

This story started out strong. It is told through the eyes of fifteen year-old Ivy Nimiki. She is on a mission to find her grandfather who she believed, until recently, had died many years ago. The dialogue is realistic and genuine as Ivy’s plan is to find a way to her grandfather’s house and get back home before she is even missed at home. Needless to say that plan doesn’t work out.

Walter Nimiki, her grandfather, is a member of the Thunder Clan. His family owned the sacred land around Nimiki Bluff that he sold three years ago to a conservation foundation to insure the Effigy Mound culture burial site was preserved. Here the plot line ventures into Native American lore and the plot thickens. Ivy has always been drawn to thunder storms and has felt like an outcast because of her yellow eyes her whole life. She learns from Walter that her yellow eyes are a sign of the Thunderbird spirit and a bit about the curse that has been set upon the Thunder clan. Hours after meeting her grandfather a terrible tragedy strikes and he ends up in a coma.

Where this book lost me was around 30% after Ivy started school in Galena the story slowed down with details of school and the story didn’t move forward as relationships with classmates were explored. Walter’s situation was largely ignored until school was finished for the summer. A time span of about seven weeks, which I felt like was a long time for Ivy not to be seeking answers to the mystery surrounding Walter and the Thunderbird spirit. At about 75% the story picked up as Ivy realizes her time is running out to find some answers and try to save Walter.

A few other things did not make sense to me either, like when Jonas, Ivy’s father, started talking about pulling the plug on Walter. We had been told earlier that Walter was breathing on his own, he was receiving oxygen, was hooked up to all sorts of monitors, and had an IV while in ICU. Were they going to remove the monitors, oxygen, and IV’s to just let him wither away? That seemed inconsistent with the Christian religious theme that ran throughout the story. Also why would Jonas tend to the planting of the fields if he was just going to leave them and move back to Broadlands, Illinois? I suppose it was his way of occupying himself so he didn’t have to deal with Walter’s situation.

All in all the descriptive prose was well written and the characters were well developed and diverse. However, I had some problems with the flow of the story in the middle of the book. As far as the ending went, it seemed to come together a little too easily or quickly that I found it only mildly satisfying. I suppose I was frustrated that more about the curse wasn’t delved into further because it held so much weight at the beginning of the story.

FYI:

Strong religious theme.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no significant issues with editing or formatting.

Rating: *** Three stars

Right Click / Lisa Becker

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Chick-Lit

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

A resident of Southern California where she lives with her husband and two daughters, Lisa Becker is the author of two previous novels, both part of the series which concludes with this book. The first, Click: An Online Love Story was a nominee in the 2014 BigAl’s Books and Pals Readers’ Choice awards.

Description:

“Love. Marriage. Infidelity. Parenthood. Crises of identity. Death. Cupcakes. The themes in Right Click, the third and final installment in the Click series, couldn't be more pressing for this group of friends as they navigate through their 30's. Another six months have passed since we last eavesdropped on the hilarious, poignant and often times inappropriate email adventures of Renee and friends. As the light-hearted, slice of life story continues to unfold, relationships are tested and some need to be set ‘right’ before everyone can find their happily ever after.”

Appraisal:

As the description says, this is the third and final book in Becker’s “Click” series. As with the rest of the series, the book is done as a series of emails amongst a core group of friends with the character Renee as the main participant or focal point. After I finished I started thinking about this technique: its positives, negatives, and the ways this makes the book different.

With this format, some of the things an author should normally try to limit or avoid aren’t going to be as big of a deal. One example is the adage to “show, don’t tell.” It still applies. The words one character uses in an email to another should mostly demonstrate (show) what they’re feeling so that we’ll read between the lines, but that same character can also get away with spelling out exactly how they felt or telling their interpretation of how another character reacted. The key is to hit the right balance between using the same story telling techniques as in a more traditionally formatted novel while not going so far as to make the emails lose credibility as emails. Becker hit this balance.

I also found the email technique worked for me because I do so much via email. I think most of us do. But for anyone who is non-tech savvy and doesn’t use email or only in a limited way, it might be a tough read.

As with the rest of the series, I found the story funny, entertaining, and realistic. The interplay between the characters that was possible because of the format was amusing and, just as I’ve done, sometimes a character forgets who else is copied in on their response, stirring up a touch of conflict between friends. Although I’ll miss Renee and gang, Becker didn’t leave me wondering where the characters go from here, and brought the series to a satisfying conclusion.

FYI:

Some adult language and subject matter.

Although it might be possible to read Right Click as a standalone, it is a culmination of a lot of story lines introduced in the fist two books of the series. To really appreciate the full import of everything that happens, I’d advise reading the first two books of the series first.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: **** Four Stars

Behind the Shades: Hope Beyond the Darkness / Sheila Raye Charles

Reviewed by: Sooz

Genre: Memoir/Christian

Approximate word count: 145,000-150,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

Sheila Raye Charles is one of Ray Charles’ 12 children. Sheila had a difficult life as she was in and out of jail. She is also a singer and has put out a couple of CDs.

Description:

Sheila Raye Charles recounts her life when she had to spend 15 months in jail. While there, she finds the grace of God to help her in recovery. She also recounts other stories that have shaped her life, and she talks about her relationship with her father, Ray Charles.

Appraisal:

The moment I saw Sheila Raye Charles’ book in the queue, I immediately wanted to read it. She’s the daughter of superstar Ray Charles, and tells her story about being in prison, being neglected by her father and her road to redemption.

There is a fine story in there; unfortunately, it was weighed down by too much of what didn’t matter to the reader. It’s a memoir, and Sheila Raye Charles is going to want to tell her story. Yet, the book got so long that I just wanted it to be over, and I pretty much skimmed the last 20 percent of the book.

She had a tough life. There is no denying that. Sheila is a recovering drug addict who was molested by a family friend when she was a child. This messed her up in so many ways with drugs as a way to bury the pain. She didn’t have much of a relationship with her father, and it seemed she only met him a handful of times. Sheila would have to go through his office to make an appointment if she wanted to see him.

Her road to recovery was tough since she had to do it while in jail for violating her probation. The sad thing is she also has five children, including the last one who was born addicted to crack cocaine. Yet, Sheila doesn’t spend much time talking about them. She does mention about her eldest child Jeanna, who has similar problems it seems when Sheila was that age by running away. But at no point does she even consider her other children who are all living with a family member who took custody.

The book was disjointed, jumping timelines and often having conversations without citing who said what.

One of the interesting aspects was the inclusion of portions of her mother’s manuscript as she wrote about her life with Ray Charles, how the two met and how she fell in love with him. The mother’s story was definitely interesting, and added interesting context. But even this section seemed far too short and then felt like an afterthought the deeper you got into Behind the Shades.

If this book were cut in half, sticking to the main points without Sheila going off on tangents and asking the same question over and over, I might have actually enjoyed this book. Instead, I just wanted it to end.

It should be noted that there is a lot of religious talk in the book. Sheila attributes her recovery and redemption to God. Behind the Shades is very heavy on it, which can be polarizing.

FYI:

There is a heavy amount of religious talk.

Format/Typo Issues:

No noticeable issues.

Rating: **Two stars

Rock 'n Roll Heaven / Shawn Inmon

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

Originally from a small town in the southern part of Washington state, more recently Shawn Inmon has been a real estate broker in Enumclaw, Washington, near Tacoma. He married his high school sweetheart, “thirty one years after he first asked for her hand.” That story is told in his first book, Feels Like the First Time and gets a reprise in Both Sides Now, the same story told from the viewpoint of Dawn, his eventual bride.

For more, visit Inmon's website.

Description:

“Jimmy ‘Guitar’ Velvet isn't even a has-been; he’s a never-was. After a short trip to the bottom of a river, Jimmy is about to undertake the adventure of a lifetime. The celestial bureaucracy ships him to Rock ‘n Roll Heaven, where he meets the true icons of rock ‘n roll—and learns that even ‘heaven’ is relative. But, what impact can a small-timer like Jimmy make on the biggest stage in the universe?”

Appraisal:

Shawn Inmon’s first two full length books, while written to read just like novels, were actually autobiographical, telling the same true story, but from two different points of view. Rock ‘n Roll Heaven is Inmon’s first full length story where he didn’t know the basics of the story’s plot and all about the major characters going in.

I was happy to discover that he can still tell a good story, even when he has to make the whole thing up. The idea of a “Rock and Roll Heaven” isn’t new. (You, like I, probably have heard that they “have a hell of a band.”) But integrating that germ of an idea into a story with more meat than a three or four minute song is, well, another story. One that I thoroughly enjoyed. Part fantasy, part rock and roll adventure, Rock ‘n Roll Heaven also has some important lessons about life and priorities.

I often say that for many (most?) readers, hearing about the writing process is like a visit to the sausage factory, the route to finding out things you’re better off not knowing. However, the much longer than normal author’s note at the end of the book, telling the history of how this book came to be, was one I found to be an interesting and entertaining read in its own right.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

One Less Elvis & Other Stories / Kent McDaniel

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Crime/Thriller/Mystery/Short Story Collection

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

Kent McDaniel lives in Chicago where he spends his time playing music, writing & walking. His work has been published in a large number of magazines. He also publishes Dumbfounding Stories and reviews for the Chicago Writers Association.

You can learn more about the author at his blog. 

Description:

Five short stories of varying length and subject. All but one previously published in various magazines and brought together in one volume.

Appraisal:

The first and title story is set at an Elvis impersonators convention in Chicago, 1993. Larry ‘Hound Dog’ Vasquez is found murdered. The investigating cop, Lieutenant Davis, quickly comes to a conclusion on who the murderer is, but the other attendees aren’t so sure and a ‘whodunnit’ follows, led by the various characters at the convention.

One Less Elvis, comprises nearly 50% of the work. It’s reasonable, has a vein of humour within and doesn’t take itself too seriously. The characters are, like Elvis, larger than life and all placed in an unusual situation (well, unusual for most of us that is).

Or Someplace Shining is the next story, where 11 year old Rita brings a bag of grass she found in her brother Steven’s bag to Reverend McDermott. Steven is in a band and has come under the influence of Twitch, a songrwriter collaborator in the band they’re trying to get up and running – the drug profits will help pay for the album they’re going to cut.

This and That is the best of the bunch. A jumper atop a tall building starts a conversation with a woman watching him from a window. It’s neatly done and has a degree of tension about it.

In The Great Escape, Stu plans the perfect murder of his parents, with his sister firmly in the frame. The trouble is his father’s joking around causes a problem for the would-be killer.

And finally is Pizzazz about Jimmy Stu Sloan, a pastor and true man of God.

Overall the stories are well written in themselves, the author clearly has an ability with words. But for me the biggest issue was a lack of tension (except This and That) where it seemed the reader was an observer, rather than someone along for a ride. A case of stepping through a door, seeing what goes on behind it, then move on. Without any sense of excitement or being gripped by the events.

Or Someplace Shining is the best example of this. The premise is good – conflicted sister looking out for her brother, reverend trying to do the best by both of them and somewhat manic sidekick stirring things up. But unfortunately the contents left me with stacks of questions and unresolved strands. McDermott mentions he has an ex-girlfriend – so? Twitch storms in and causes trouble and McDermott comes up with a solution to the problem that closes the story but in a way that produces a so what? All the build-up for…?

It’s a pity because McDaniel can write.

Format/Typo Issues:

A few punctuation and layout errors.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Under Witch Moon (Moon Shadow Series) / Maria E. Schneider

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal/ Mystery/ Contemporary

Approximate word count: 90-95,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

Maria Schneider grew up in New Mexico and currently lives near Austin, Texas with her husband.

After working in the computer industry for twelve years she now enjoys creating messes and inventing characters to find their way clear of her imaginings.

You can find several of Maria's short stories online in such fine magazines as: Coyote Wild Magazine, www.AnthologyBuilder.com, TownDrunkMag.com and Over My Dead Body.

She writes cozy mysteries, fantasy, paranormal mysteries. Feel free to follow her on her blog.

Description:

“Under Witch Moon is the first in an urban fantasy series: When dead bodies start turning up Adriel has no choice but to talk to White Feather, an undercover cop. Unfortunately, Adriel is a witch and White Feather isn't convinced she's innocent of wrongdoing. She's going to have to talk fast--and set spells even faster if she expects to survive.”

Appraisal:

What starts off as a small protection spell for a misdirected customer quickly mushrooms into a devious scheme involving an evil witch with much farther reaching implications than can be imagined. As the plot grows and the tendrils of the scheme are exposed, Adreil struggles to keep her head above water and her clients safe.

The storyline in this novel is much darker and complicated than I expected. Ms. Schneider has taken great care to make her plot believable and as logical as it can be to draw us into the conspiracy that makes up her story as well as the magic that Adreil spells to insure the best possible outcome. Her characters were all well developed. Lynx was a great character, it was easy to buy into his situation and Adreil’s affection for him. I also really liked White Feather and enjoyed watching his and Adreil’s relationship and respect for each other develop. I even enjoyed the Vampire and his role in the whole scheme of things. Sheila, the evil voodoo witch, was scary as hell!  *shudders* She was the epitome of nightmares.

All in all this is a unique captivating story that will make you shudder and have you cheering for witches and warlocks.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no significant issues with editing or formatting.

Rating: ***** Five stars

The Safe Word / Karen Long

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Availability    

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

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Author:

Karen Long is a former teacher who took up full-time writing ten years ago. She has written numerous screenplays and is currently working on the second novel in ‘The Eleanor Raven’ series. Married to a film director she is fortunate to travel the world where she spends most of her time zealously flushing out and photographing reluctant wildlife. She lives in rural Shropshire with her three children, three dogs and a small but noisy collection of crows.

Description:

Detective Eleanor Raven investigated a serial killer who poses his female victims as gruesome works of art. 

Appraisal:

In her private life, Eleanor Raven has a penchant for being the ‘sub’ in BDSM role play. In her professional one, she is a tough and highly intelligent detective. The story created an entanglement between her public and private personas which added a really interesting twist to the tale.

This novel was a mixed bag for me, though. On the positive side, the plot kept me engaged, as did the murderer’s back story and rituals. Raven’s BDSM leanings added depth to her character and created some interesting conflict. I can certainly see her as a character strong enough to carry a series. However, too often, scenes opened without enough setting. I got lost and had to read a few paragraphs in to work out where I was in time and place. Couple with this numerous minor characters cluttered the story and added to my confusion. These problems in execution threw me out of the story too often and spoiled my enjoyment.

Format/Typo Issues:

Too few to mention. English (UK) spelling.

Rating:  *** Three stars

Winter Arrives / Roz Marshall

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 words

Availability    

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

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

Author:

“Sometime ski instructor, horse groom and musician,” Roz Marshall lives in Scotland. This is the first episode in the White Cairns Ski School serial. There are two others available as well as three short stories which appear to be in the same setting, possibly with some of the same characters.

For more, visit Marshall’s website.

Description:

“When her ski instructor husband is delayed from returning to Scotland, it falls to Jude Winters - creative graphic artist, mother and home-maker - to get the season started for ailing White Cairns Ski School. It's a challenge that's way out of her comfort zone. How can she turn things around and keep the wolf from their door until he gets back?”

Appraisal:

Dickens did it. Stephen King has done it. So I understand that the serial, an episodic series with the full story released a small chunk at a time has a long history and is making a comeback, at least in part because the economics of the ebook market make it more viable than with paper books.

I’m not a fan of the serial for a few reasons. One is a tendency for cliffhanging endings. (Thankfully, that’s not the case with Winter Arrives.) Another complaint I have is that although each episode tends to have a story arc of its own, whatever conflict is brought to a conclusion in a particular episode usually pales in comparison to other story threads that are left unresolved, leaving me wanting more and, if I’m reading the episodes as they’re released, leaves me frustrated.

However, not all readers are the same. I’m sure some enjoy the anticipation of the release of the next installment. For those readers (or someone like me, after the full series is out), Winter Arrives is a promising start.

The main character, Jude, is someone I like and want to see things work out for her. The setting, a ski school in a winter resort town, is unique with many qualities that make for interesting characters and situations. In this episode Jude is thrown into a tough situation, having to hire employees and get the ski school ready to open for the season. Her husband has always done this, but he’s working out of the country and can’t get back in time. This episode takes Jude through this experience, up to when the first flakes of snow start falling. Thus far, it’s a good story with how Jude manages to get the school ready to open as the big conflict while setting up additional conflicts - what’s really going on with her husband anyway?

FYI:

Uses UK spelling conventions.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Amish Vampires in Space / Kerry Nietz

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Genre: Sci-fi

Approximate word count: 135-140,000 words

Availability    

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

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

Author:

Kerry Nietz is a refugee of the software industry. He spent more than a decade of his life flipping bits, first as one of the principal developers of the database product FoxPro for the now mythical Fox Software, and then as one of Bill Gates's minions at Microsoft. He is a husband, a father, a technophile and a movie buff. He has one non-fiction book, a memoir entitled FoxTales: Behind the Scenes at Fox Software. His first novel, A Star Curiously Singing, was published in October of 2009.

Description:

A planet settled by an Amish community is in imminent danger of being destroyed because its sun is about to go super nova. The Amish are rescued by a Guild transport ship. The story takes place on the ship as it voyages to the new Amish planet.

Appraisal:

Before I get to the story, which I enjoyed immensely, I have a few comments about the presentation: I would never in a million years read a book with such a cynical title. And as for the old saying—never judge a book by its cover, well that has probably never been truer. I don’t enjoy vampire stories, either. No. The only reason I selected this story was because I’ve read two of Mr. Nietz’s previous novels and enjoyed them both. There is a reason behind both the title and the cover. It’s explained by the publisher at the beginning of the book, and if you’re interested, you can read about it in the Amazon sample.

So, to the story: as the title implies, there are three threads to this novel.

1. Amish—the story begins with the Amish community, and the author achieves a brilliant piece of world building in this section. I was sucked in and enthralled with the the characters and traditions on display.
2. Space. Yes, despite the title, this is a sci-fi novel, and the space ship (transporter) was fascinating—a second world successfully built by Mr. Nietz including the characters who ran the ship and a nicely nuanced love story to boot.
3. Vampires. Well, yes, but from a sci-fi perspective without the usual paranormal BS that annoys me like fingernail scratches on a chalkboard.

The threads were pulled together beautifully. The read was fast, the writing sharp and easy on the eye, the characters all worked and made sense. Tension was maintained right to the end. I can’t believe I’m typing this, but— I highly recommend Amish Vampires in Space J.

Format/Typo Issues:

None noted - Really clean writing.

Rating: ***** Five stars

Way Walkers: Tangled Paths/ J. Leigh

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Epic Fantasy/ Coming of Age

Approximate word count: 160,000 to 165,000

Availability    

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

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

Author:

“J. Leigh wrote her first novel at the tender age of eleven, delving deep into the extensive fantasy world she entitled Way Walkers. Since then, she has never really left, though occasionally does emerge to enjoy the company of friends, family, horror movies and the ever-popular sushi dinner.

She currently lives in southern New Jersey with a chow-chow, several cats and fictional cast of hundreds.

Leigh's published works include a choose-your-own-type interactive novel Way Walkers: University 1 and 2 with Choice of Games.”

Learn more at her website, author blog, or find out the latest about Way Walkers on Facebook.

Description:

“Twelve Ways create a thousand tangled paths.

Hatched from an egg but unable to shift into dragon form, Jathen is a Moot among the Tazu. His rightful throne is forbidden him because of his transformative handicap, and neither his culture nor his religion offer acceptance of his perceived flaws.

Driven by wounded anger, Jathen strikes out across the vast world beyond Tazu borders, desperate to find a place where he feels accepted and whole. Though he travels with the most trusted of companions, sabotage and conspiracy soon strike his quest. Jathen and his allies must struggle against man and magic alike, at the mercy of forces beyond their ken.

As Jathen presses on, his questions of belonging are surrounded by more of identity, loyalty, and betrayal. Where will the path of his destiny lead, and will he follow or fall? “

Appraisal:

Ms. Leigh’s world building in this story was taken to epic proportions and is expertly handled. Tangled Paths is the first book and seems to be Jathen’s story as it begins with his atypical hatching. Here we are introduced to his Tazu race as well as some of the hierarchy of this one species. As Jathen grows older and his world view expands so does our knowledge of their entire world. Jathen is of royal birth, but due to his birth defect, and the prejudices surrounding it, he may never rule. So he sets out to seek his true destiny with an elder Clan charms maker where he finds himself being chased by a destiny that was way more than he was seeking.

Jathen’s quest turned into an adventure of a lifetime that will be enjoyed by adventure seekers, conspiracy theorists, and mystery lovers who revel in highly detailed histories. The characters were all well developed and I grew to care about many of them. However their tangled paths were all a bit overwhelming for me. There are twelve different races in this world as well as twelve different spiritual paths (Ways) to follow (Walk) in life, along with varying levels of magical Abilities and Talents. Ms. Leigh has included a glossary of terms, races, people, children, and ways at the end of the book that was helpful.

As Jathen discovers hidden secrets from the past and when some truths are finally revealed all hell breaks loose with devastating results. It is not surprising that he is left with more questions than answers at the end of this story. One of the most pressing is what is this nontraditional Talent of his? It was interesting to watch Jathen’s journey as it unfolded, Ms. Leigh has constructed an elaborate detailed plot and his quest is far from over.

FYI:

This novel contains adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant errors.

Rating: **** Four stars