Reprise Review: Quest of Thunder by Karissa Laurel

 

Genre: Young Adult/Epic Fantasy/Adventure

Description:

“Evelyn Stormbourne has overcome revolutionaries, pirates, devious relatives, and powerful Magicians to claim her birthright as Lady of Thunder, but before she can embrace her dominion over the skies, her powers falter, leaving her impotent and adrift. Under the protection of her stalwart companion, Gideon Faust, Evie hides in anonymity and searches for news of the Fantazikes who had once promised to help her master her divine abilities.

Without her capacity to control the storms, Evie wonders how she’ll ever reclaim her throne—a legacy she’s not convinced she deserves. But when a fearsome nemesis from her past reemerges, she embarks on desperate quest to find the Fantazikes and restore her powers. If she fails, her enemy’s dark Magic will enslave her, forcing her to destroy everything and everyone she loves.”

Author:

“Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky. Some of her favorite things are coffee, dark chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between.”

To learn more about Ms. Laurel, please visit her website, or stalk her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

Evelyn Stormbourne, Lady of Thunder and the Crown Princess of Inselgrau has lost her connection to the skies. Evie is now on a quest with her companion and protector Gideon Faust. Their goal is to locate the Fantazikes, a clan she met in her first adventure, Heir of Thunder. They live and travel in airships powered by lightning. They once promised to help her master her divine abilities.

When tragedy strikes from an old nemesis Evie is forced to leave Gideon behind and go on the run searching for a safe place. Where better to hide than a traveling circus? However, this isn’t just any ol’traveling circus. She is allowed to stay, but Evie has to earn her keep for passage by working in the kitchen wagon and cleaning up each morning. In the afternoon she mends and repairs costumes. The circus workers are colorful and unique folks who all speak different languages. Evie has to find a way to communicate with them and make friends, while keeping her own true identity hidden for everyone’s protection. There is more to this circus than meets the eye and Evie intends to learn its secrets.

This book is full of evil magicians’ and devastating battles, not only with magic, but with crossbows, swords, knives, and guns. Several twists in the plot makes it hard to set the book aside as tension grows. All is not as it seems and the world is smaller than Evie ever imagined. The steampunk elements are surprising and magically delicious. There is a romance blooming between Gideon and Evie that only takes up a small portion of the novel as Gideon patiently chisels away Evie’s walls. He has my heart already. And I hope to see more from the circus crew in the next book. Evie’s journey to reclaim Inselgrau is bound to be spectacular. I can’t wait to see how Ms. Laurel wraps this trilogy up.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Quest of Thunder is book 2 in the Stormbourne Chronicles by Karissa Laurel. I would recommend reading Heir of Thunder, Stormbourne Chronicles book 1 before reading this book.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant proofing issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Review: Little Red Riding Hood: Off The Grid by Lars C. Hallene

 

Genre: Short Story/Fairy Tale

Description:

“She just wanted a weekend off the grid.

When graphic designer Scarlett Reyes arrives at a remote mountain cabin for a digital detox, she finds exactly what the booking promised — no Wi-Fi, no cell service, no way to reach the outside world. Just peace, quiet, and a property manager named Wolfe who seems to have an answer for everything.

Then she finds the phones buried in the woods. Then the bones.

By the time Scarlett understands what she's walked into, the sauna door is locked from the outside and the temperature is climbing.

A modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood for readers who know the wolf was never just a wolf.”

Author:

“Lars C. Hallene writes dark fiction that finds modern terror in the oldest stories. His Grimm's Modern Nightmares series reimagines classic fairy tales for adult readers who know that the wolf was never just a wolf.”

Appraisal:

Who’s afraid of the big bad Wolfe? Yeah, me too. A fun … well, maybe entertaining would be a better adjective as long as it doesn’t really happen to me or anyone I know, twist on the classic fairy tale. However, moving it to modern times and a scenario that in theory could actually happen sure makes it seem more real and for that reason even spookier than the original.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 4-5,000 words

Review: Wok Walk by Melissa Bowersock

 

Genre: Mystery/Paranormal

Description:

“The Dancing Wok is a highly successful family-owned restaurant in LA’s Chinatown, but it has a problem: it’s haunted. The recently deceased owner is making his unrest known by moving things around at night and leaving them in places they don’t belong, throwing the restaurant into chaos every morning. Sam and Lacey are called in to connect with the unhappy spirit and find out why he’s still on the earth plane and causing problems for the surviving members of his family. Oh, and while they’re at it, it would also be nice if they could find out who murdered him.”

Author:

“Melissa Bowersock is an eclectic, award-winning author who writes in a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres: paranormal, biography, western, action, romance, fantasy, spiritual, and satire.”

For more visit Ms.Bowersock’s website and follow her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

As the 50th book in this series, those of you who already discovered the series and read more than a couple of the prior books have a rough idea of what you’ll find. Thnstallment should meet those expectations. The main characters, Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud, are a married couple. Sam, is a native and has the ability to communicate to the spirits of people who have passed on, but for some reason are unable to leave this world and go on to their next life. Lacey is a detective and assists Sam in putting together the clues he gleans from the departed in order to help them resolve whatever is preventing them taking their next steps.

The installment fits the big picture of the series, but if you’ve read lots of them and think you can guess where things are headed, I’ve never been able to do that before and this one throws a twist that I didn’t see coming as the issue at hand turned out to be a bit different than Sam, Lacey, and the readers would expect. As always, a fun, engaging, and enjoyable read. I’m already eager to start reading #51.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Review: A Ravishing Abomination by Dutch Broadstreet

 

Genre: Suspense

Description:

“I didn't intend to kill a televangelist. But once I met his wife, the rest felt inevitable.

Jordan Bramble makes a living spotting weaknesses and exploiting them for profit. He applies pressure. He gets paid.

When he meets Seraphine Hale—the dangerously beautiful wife of a rising Christian celebrity—he thinks he’s found his next sexual conquest. Instead, he finds a ruthless partner in crime.

Together they hatch a deadly plan that will turn a digital megachurch into the biggest religious phenomenon in America. All it takes is a little seduction, a carefully staged tragedy, and a nation desperate to believe.

But when the cameras turn on and the donations start pouring in, Bramble realizes something unsettling: Seraphine may be even more ruthless than he is.

A Ravishing Abomination is a fast, vicious pulp novella about sex, faith, media manipulation, and the kind of ambition that leaves bodies behind.

In every great con, someone eventually becomes expendable.”

Author:

“Dutch Broadstreet writes dark pulp about crime, ambition, and the people who turn catastrophe into opportunity.

He lives in his own private Sodom, somewhere in Upstate New York.”

Appraisal:

This is an interesting and very unique read. When a story involves two or more parties, all plotting against another one, but none of those involved are very good people, just evil in a different way, who do you root for? I went for the party I’d view as the lesser of the evils. How things actually shake out kept me engaged and wondering how it would end. (The answer is … well, I can’t tell you. That would be a spoiler.) But this is a quick read, so it won’t take you long to find out if you decide to give it a read yourself.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an advance reviewer copy, so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Review: Show Yourself by Shane Pollard

 Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Description:

“Walking home on a summer evening, Tristan's eleven-year-old goddaughter runs ahead to hide and scare the group. A warm breeze filters through the city streets. She turns down an alley and tucks behind an old dumpster unaware of the stranger. Tristan's best friend, James, jogs ahead of the group to catch his daughter at her own game.

James reaches the alley and turns the corner. The stranger draws a knife. In the seconds it takes for James to collapse, the worlds of those closest to him change forever.

Tristan becomes Jenavieve's guardian. He makes her breakfast, argues with the PTA, and teaches her to cook. He also learns to disappear into crowds, lines the trunk of his car with plastic, and quietly begins hunting a killer that no one has been able to find.

Sharp, warm, and darkly funny, Show Yourself builds to a conclusion that will make you hold your breath. Shane Pollard's debut asks not just who did it, but what you would be willing to become to make it right.

This is not a revenge story. It's a story about what it means to be alive.”

Author:

“Shane Pollard decided at a very young age that he was going to work for NASA. But when an accident in his teens forced him to take time off from school to recover, his plans changed. He instead took the incredibly straightforward path of chasing his own curiosity half-way around the world, and back, a few times. Throughout his travels, Shane taught sailing, English, illustration, and critical thinking. He sold his photography and paintings, and pushed pixels and words as a graphic designer and copy writer. He mixed drinks professionally, spent a few years underwater as a commercial Divemaster, did technical shenanigans for an electric boat company, became an engineer for a 3D printing company, and wrote a novel that he is currently trying to convince people to read.”

Appraisal:

This story gives the reader lots to think about, wondering how you’d react if you found yourself in a comparable situation to what the protagonist of this story, Tristan, did. There are multiple threads that explore different aspects of what Tristan and his goddaughter Jenavieve go through after the murder of Jenavieve's father James, and Tristan subsequently becoming her guardian. Not to mention wondering who murdered James, whether others are in danger with him uncaught, and who he might be. The police don’t seem to be getting anywhere, maybe James can figure it out. But if he does, then what? It all makes for an intense story that I couldn’t put down.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Reprise Review: Prancing Around With Sleeping Beauty by Stacy Juba

 

Genre: Romantic Comedy/Young Adult/Chick Lit

Description:

“Dance instructor Rory Callahan likes to play it safe. When she meets Kyle, he’s impulsive, persistent, and her exact opposite. He’s pushing her to tango way past her comfort zone and keeping Rory on her toes more than twenty years of dance teachers ever had.

Unfortunately, he’s the grandson of her family’s archrival and she doesn’t want to disappoint them. After all, her parents imagine her as a proper princess - hence her namesake Aurora, AKA Sleeping Beauty. Complicating matters, Rory’s also dealing with a surgeon boyfriend who’s perfect for her (sort of), an obnoxious boss, and desperate dance moms. Kyle wants to change her whole life, but Rory doesn’t like the stakes. After all, princesses are the ones who get the happy endings. . .aren’t they?”

Author:

“Stacy Juba loves to write about Characters at a Crossroads: individuals who are finding themselves and getting on the right life path after overcoming obstacles. Her goals are to entertain readers of all ages as well as inspire them through her mystery, romance, and contemporary fiction books for adults, teens, and children. She has written about ice hockey, sibling rivalry, and sportsmanship, teen psychics, U.S. flag etiquette for kids, and determined women sleuths solving mysteries.”

Find out more about Ms. Juba on her website or follow her on Facebook.

Appraisal:

Aurora Callahan, nicknamed Rory, is floating through her life. She’s dating a doctor in residency. Their relationship is comfortable but going nowhere. When Rory trips into Kyle’s life they both enjoy a lively banter. Which entices Rory and Kyle alike.

Rory’s brother, Dylan is general manager for the family-owned Storybook Valley Amusement Park, who we met in book one. Wants to start a princess program for young girls that will incorporate dance, crafts, and games. He wants Rory to teach it. Grandmother is quick to offer her services for etiquette lessons as well. Rory agrees to start the program but can’t see how she can continue to work the program while she is teaching ballet and running interference between competitive dance students, their mothers, and other dance teachers who are tired of dealing with their overly competitive boss. It’s beginning to be a full-time job for Rory to smooth things over for everyone involved. Things are working to a boiling point.

I really enjoyed the way this story was told. I kept waiting for Rory to end up in a coma like her namesake Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. That would have devastated me, because I grew to love all the characters. That’s not to say I didn’t want to slap Rory a few times or perhaps just shake her and yell, ‘WAKE UP’. It was fun watching her learn to stand up for herself and go after her dream job and dream guy with or without her family’s approval. It was also nice to learn more about Rory’s family’s past. What a quirky family with grandmother all prim and proper, and grandfather with his feud that stems from a high school classmate and his garden gnomes. This is a quick easy, enjoyable read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Prancing Around With Sleeping Beauty is book 2 in Ms. Juba’s Storybook Valley Series. These novels can be read in any order. The series starts with Fooling Around With Cinderella.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no issues with proofing or formatting.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words