Review: Starswept by Mary Fan

Genre: Science Fiction/Coming of Age/Romance/Young Adult

Description:

“In 2157, the Adryil—an advanced race of telepathic humanoids—contacted Earth. A century later, 15-year-old violist Iris Lei considers herself lucky to attend Papilio, a prestigious performing arts school powered by their technology. Born penniless, Iris’s one shot at a better life is to attract an Adryil patron. But only the best get hired, and competition is fierce.

A sudden encounter with an Adryil boy upends her world. Iris longs to learn about him and his faraway realm, but after the authorities arrest him for trespassing, the only evidence she has of his existence is the mysterious alien device he slipped to her.

When she starts hearing his voice in her head, she wonders if her world of backstabbing artists and pressure for perfection is driving her insane. Then, she discovers that her visions of him are real—by way of telepathy—and soon finds herself lost in the kind of impossible love she depicts in her music.

But even as their bond deepens, Iris realizes that he’s hiding something from her—and it’s dangerous. Her quest for answers leads her past her sheltered world to a strange planet lightyears away, where she uncovers secrets about Earth’s alien allies that shatter everything she knows.”

Author:

“Mary Fan lives in New Jersey, where she is currently working in financial marketing. She has also resided in North Carolina, Hong Kong, and Beijing, China. She has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember and especially enjoys the infinite possibilities and out-of-this-world experiences of science fiction and fantasy.

Mary has a B.A. in Music, specializing in composition, from Princeton University and enjoys writing songs as much as writing stories. She also enjoys kickboxing, opera singing, and exploring new things—she’ll try almost anything once.

Appraisal:

I don’t generally read Science Fiction or dystopia, which earth is suffering from in Starswept. But the beautiful book cover drew me in and it’s good to stretch my wings once in a while.

Iris Lei is lucky enough to be born to parents while they were attending Papilio, a prestigious performing arts school, which therefore grants Iris automatic admission. She knows very little about her parents. But suspects her father aged out and must work off his debt for the education he received at Papillo, somewhere on earth, most likely in a poor paying factory job. Her mother was considered lucky to attract an Adryil patron, an advanced race of telepathic humanoids, who hire only the best artists.

At the age of fifteen Iris lives and breathes through her viola and the music it creates. One day an Adryil boy breaks into the school and passes Iris a piece of alien technology he can’t be caught with. Iris is smart enough to hide the piece from the security bots before they catch her with it. She has no idea what it is capable of, but it fascinates her and she keeps it with her at all times, especially when she discovers the boy she met can speak to her telepathically and via holograms as long as she has the device.

I found the first half of the book to move slowly as the author introduces her characters and paints the scenery of the school and the town outside of the school with its unfortunate inhabitants. It was interesting and in-depth for a full understanding of the world Ms. Fan has created.

The second half moves full on into science fiction as Iris is chosen by an Adryil patron. She’s excited to go on a starship to the alien planet in hopes of finding her mother and the mysterious alien boy who has captured her interest visiting her by holograms for the past weeks. The story takes off when Iris meets Cara, a member of the quartet Iris was hired to complete. The storyline is full of intriguing twists, rebel forces, and battles. Iris finds herself in situations that stretches her physical and emotional endurance well beyond what she thought she could endure. It’s an emotional rollercoaster ride that complicates a budding romance, destroys another committed relationship, and tears apart a family. All in all a captivating start to this new series.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Reprise Review: Bad Book by K.S. Brooks, Stephen Hise, JD Mader

Genre: Satire/Parody

Description:

“The name’s Case. No first name. He is a man among men and therefore only one name is sufficient. Women want to smack him – men want to smack him, too, just harder. Join Case on his epic travels through multiple literary genres as he ruins horror, space-adventure, noir detective, spy-thriller, westerns, classics of literature, pop culture icons and more with his own unique panache.”

Author:

Three people who write a bunch. Want more?

K.S. Brooks has written everything from thrillers to children’s books (I count eleven, not including those where she was a coauthor or contributing author, which adds another handful – the number of fingers on Honey Boo Boo’s hand if you count this book).

Stephen Hise is the author of the suspense novel Upgrade and has contributed to several others including Creepier by the Dozen, a short story anthology written by Hise, his son, and his daughter. He’s also the founder and (with Brooks) the co-administrator of the Indies Unlimited website.

JD Mader has two novels to his credit, a short story collection, and a collection of essays to scare any dad-to-be, You Hate Me Because I’m Pregnant (a survival guide for expectant dads). He’s also contributed to and co-written several others.

For more, visit the individual websites for Brooks, Hise, and Mader.

Appraisal:

Humor may be dependent on the reader, but if you can’t laugh at this book, you must have had a funny-bone-ectomy as a child. The laughs started with a disclaimer that begins …

Bad Book meets or exceeds the recommended daily allowance of vowels and consonants, and is safe and effective when used as directed. Use of Bad Book in any manner inconsistent with its intended purpose nullifies its warranty, which is neither expressed nor implied.

… and finishes with, “If you experience an erection that lasts more than four hours, congratulations.” It only gets better from there. As the hero (villain, idiot, or at least protagonist) Chase bounces from genre to genre the authors poke fun at every one with references to the wild (or is it mild) old west and even the books J.K. Rowling wrote before The Casual Vacancy.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and tottered around to see some geezer dressed in a long gown and a pointy hat like that old dude in that book about that weird little kid that goes off to some magical school to find a ring. What’s the name of that thing again – “Hobbits Take Manhattan,” or something like that.

How could you go wrong for less than a dollar to get your own copy of the Kindle Edition. (Hurry, they may try to cash in on the critical acclaim and bump the price up to three digits. Even split three ways, they’ll be hundredaires in no time.)

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Added for Reprise Review: Bad Book was a nominee in the Humor category for B&P 2014 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran June 25, 2013.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Review: Living the Good Death by Scott Baron

Genre: Dark Comedy/Satire/Paranormal Romance

Description:

“Have you ever had one of those days? You know, the kind of day when things just don’t go your way. Like when your botched suicide attempt and claims of supernatural powers get you hauled to the emergency room, placed under observation, then transferred to a locked-down psych facility.

The girl who thought she was Death had failed miserably in her efforts to shed the troublesome human body in which she was trapped. The result? Finding herself surrounded by nutjobs, locked in a mental ward ruled by a humorless doctor with a Napoleon complex and a penchant for sleight of hand. Sure, she did technically bring it on herself, but how was she to know that trying to off herself in public and using her outside voice to proclaim she was Death incarnate would result in a psych ward lockdown?

With that problematic little blunder behind her, the concerns now vexing her were pressing. Escape, both from the mental hospital, as well as from this plane of existence, was vital, but equally so was addressing the other issue haunting her. The big one. The one that could end the world. The issue that with Death missing, people would rather inconveniently no longer die like they were supposed to. Eventually, things would hit critical mass. She just didn’t know when.

The situation was, well, grim, to say the very least. An irony not lost on the girl claiming to be the Death.”

Author:

“A native Californian, Scott Baron was born in Hollywood, which he claims may be the reason for his off-kilter sense of humor. Before taking up residence in Venice Beach, he spent a few years studying abroad before settling into the film and television industry, where he has worked off and on for some time. Scott not only writes, but is also involved in indie film and theater both in the U.S. and abroad.”

Appraisal:

The girl who thought she was Death is having a very bad time. She has no idea if she has done something wrong to be banished to a human form when she awakens on a dirty carpet in a low rent motel with a foggy memory. She has tried to off herself in different ways and fails miserably each time to die. Her last attempt was the most horrific and landed her in a not so modern psych facility that needs patients to maintain their bottom line. It often frustrated Doctor Vaughan, head of the institution, to work inside certain reputable guidelines. He assigns the girl who thought she was Death the name of Dorothy who is an escapee from a facility out west.

The cast of quirky characters inside and outside of the institution are well developed and diverse. The story is unique, mostly entertaining, and a bit dark. There are a few times non-vital information was repeated, which made the story quite wordy. I felt like Randy and Andrea were cheated by being used as pawns in the story. And who the hell was Curtis? Was he a pawn as well, being used by a higher power to teach a lesson to Death? As you can probably feel by now I was a little disappointed in the way the story played out in the end. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad story. This is just my opinion.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

  

FYI:

There are a few F-bombs.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing issues.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Reprise Review: Hope for the Wicked by Edward Lorn

Genre: Suspense

Description:

“Sometimes, bad people do good deeds.

Larry and Mo Laughlin are retired killers tu

rned private investigators with monetary woes. So when their handler introduces them to the Trudeaus, one final job is placed on the docket.

Jacob and Bernice Trudeau need their teenage daughter, Amy, found, and they also want the men responsible dead. Two million dollars is an offer Larry and Mo can’t refuse.

To find Amy, the Laughlin’s must travel to Mexico, where they are thrust into a world of debauchery so foul they will be forever changed.

One crazed pimp, a veterinarian turned doc-for-hire, and an enigmatic facility called ‘The Show’ lie in wait for the wayward couple.

Is there any hope for the wicked?”

Author:

“Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person.”

For more, visit Lorn's website.

Appraisal:

Edward Lorn describes himself as a horror writer, yet the books of his I’ve liked the most are those that are something more. Case in point, Hope for the Wicked has some scenes that are very graphic and show Lorn’s talents for horror, but the book goes well beyond what I think of when considering the horror genre. This is a suspense novel, with all that implies, but has the twist that the main characters of the story are, at least on the surface, bad people. Or maybe that should be good people who do bad things. Maybe even for a good reason. You’ll have to decide.

I love books that have characters who aren’t clearly good guys or bad guys (if they are, they’re one dimensional and boooring). If the story can get you considering the big questions about good and evil, as this did, even better. That it was a story that kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering how it would all turn out, with a few surprises thrown in, was perfect.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Adult language and graphic content.

Added for Reprise Review: Hope for the Wicked by Edward Lorn was a nominee in the Thriller/Suspense category for B&P 2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran February 22, 2013

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 30-35,000 words

Review: Would You Rather Be in the Coffin Than Give the Eulogy by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

Genre: Non-Fiction

Description:

“The ability to speak in public is probably the most rewarding skill you will ever learn. It will not only improve your career prospects, but will also boost your self-confidence at social functions (you may never become the life and soul of the party, but at least you won't have to remain a wallflower!)

Have you ever:

·         Been nervous about a promotion because it involved public speaking?

·         Been afraid to speak up in meetings?

·         Turned down an invitation to speak at your garden club or similar (or choked horribly in the attempt)?

·         Been unsure about proposing a toast, or introducing and thanking a speaker?

Then you will benefit from the tips and guidelines in this book. Self-confidence comes from knowing the correct way of doing things - and how to avoid the pitfalls.”

Author:

A native of the UK who now lives in South Africa, Jan Hurst-Nicholson is the award-winning author of numerous books in multiple genres. You can read about them, as well as more about Jan by visiting her website.

Appraisal:

The title of this book comes from the punchline of a Jerry Seinfeld joke. It’s his reaction to hearing that studies have found most people fear public speaking more than death. It’s true that most of us fear public speaking. Yet most of us have situations where we need to do this. Some of those situations, say explaining something in your team meeting at work, aren’t even what most of us view as public speaking, but they require some of the same skills, and many of us react the same. Whether at work, in social and family situations, or to help meet our commitments in church and community groups, public speaking skills are something we could all benefit from obtaining.

This book aims to be an extensive reference to help obtain those skills. It has sections that have hints for preparing and delivering a speech. Another section focuses on different kinds of speaking situations with discussion on the unique aspects to be aware of and prepared for in each.

The author mentions spending 35 years as the member of a club that was focused on learning public speaking skills. It’s apparent she’s learned a lot and that knowledge is reflected in this book.

If the book falls short, it is because building public speaking skills exclusively by reading is tough. The opportunity to practice speaking and obtain knowledgeable feedback as part of a club or group, as Ms Hurst-Nicholson did, is the other part of the equation for many people. I’m surprised the author didn’t at least briefly outline the advantages of this and include some suggestions on how to find such a club. (Many clubs are associated with Toastmasters International. That and your favorite search engine will get you headed the right direction.) To be fair, there are a couple sentences as part of the last paragraph of actual content in the book that mention the potential of finding a club, but given the emphasis and location, I suspect it won’t register with most readers. My advice is to do both. Buy the book. Join a club.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Uses UK spelling conventions.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Reprise Review: Zellwood: A Dog Story by Rebecca Stroud

Genre: Short Story/Literary Fiction

Description:

“Have you ever lost a beloved pet? Have you grieved and mourned yet still feel empty? May the road to Zellwood help you find an end to that sad journey.”

Author:

Rebecca Stroud loves animals. In addition to working as a reporter and newspaper columnist her career has included a series of jobs with animal hospitals, wildlife sanctuaries, and the SPCA as well as being politically active in issues involving animals. In addition to this short story, Stroud has four other works available from Amazon for your Kindle: a small short story collection (Three Dog Night), a novella (Do Unto Others), a novel (Devil’s Moon), and a volume called The Animal Advocate, which is a collection of her previously published newspaper columns. She has a blog, also called The Animal Advocate, if you’d like to find out more, or check out her Amazon Author Page.

Appraisal:

A short story, done well, is almost like story concentrate. No filler or spare words, yet still including what needs saying. If properly focused there is still plenty of room for evocative description, needed back-story, and characterization, without feeling as though something important was left out. This is one of those short stories, done well.

It is a story of loss and, although the narrator doesn’t like the term, closure. A story about pets, how we relate to them, and how they relate to us.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Original review ran December 2, 2011

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 1000-2000 words

Review: Rebellion Reborn by Brian S. Leon

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mythology/Contemporary

Description:

“Millennia ago, beings we call angels were tasked with watching over humankind in its infancy. Rather than protect humans, these Watchers decided to subjugate them instead, beginning a rebellion that would rock both Heaven and Earth. Defeated, the most powerful of the Watchers were imprisoned for eternity, while the weaker ones were condemned to live out their existence on Earth, relegated to the shadows that now occupy human myths and legends.

Until one of the Watchers escapes.

Immortal protector of humanity and one-time hero of the Trojan War, Diomedes—better known as Steve Dore these days—is horrified to discover that what human authorities think is a mentally unstable cannibalistic murderer is actually a gateway to something ancient and apocalyptic. Racing against a cosmic timetable, Diomedes is drawn into a dark and sinister underworld in a desperate attempt to stop another uprising.

But stopping this enemy may cost him far more than his life. Some grudges never die.”

Author:

“Brian S. Leon is truly a jack of all trades and a master of none. He writes just to do something with all the useless degrees and skills he’s accumulated over the years. Most of them have no practical application in civilized society, anyway. His interests include mythology and fishing, in pursuit of which he has explored jungles and museums, oceans and seas all over the world.

His credentials include an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and a master’s degree from San Diego State University, plus extensive postgraduate work in evolutionary biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he studied animals most people aren’t even aware exist and theories no one really cares about anyway… Brian currently resides in San Diego, California.”

Learn more at Brian's website, or follow his series page on Facebook.

Appraisal:

Rebellion Reborn begins by recounting events from a century earlier when Diomedes first encounters an evil Watcher who has escaped his prison. This evil manifests as a huge black shadow who kills randomly. We are also introduced to the heavenly crusaders who are sent to assist Diomedes. At that time all they managed to do was send the shadow scrambling into hiding.

Now one hundred years later this evil has a grand plan to release all the Watchers so they can rule our world again, without any pesky angles around to interfere. He has managed to organize lesser demons, succubae and higher functioning vampires, to collect humans to become vessels. They have utilized elite BDSM clubs to find suitable subjects. When the Department of Homeland Security gets involved Sarah goes undercover to infiltrate their operation to learn their plans. Steve Dore is against her joining the sting, but one of the reasons he loves her is because she is strong willed and independent. All pretenses between Sarah and Steve Dore have been thrown to the wayside.  

The story arc is well written and the descriptive prose puts the reader near all the action. There are plenty of twists to keep the tension at an unrelenting level until the end. Now I need the next book by, like, tomorrow, okay? I’m not really happy with the ending, but it is more of a personal thing, because I can’t really see where things are going to go now. I’m probably more upset with myself because I felt like I knew Steve Dore better, and that may be the answer. I do know Steve Dore, but I don’t know Diomedes as well as I thought I did.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Rebellion Reborn is book 3 in Brian S. Leon’s, The Metis Files. Adult themes and language. If you are sensitive to either of these, this book may not be for you.

Format/Typo Issues:

No issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 105-110,000 words

Review: How to Profit and Protect Yourself from Artificial Intelligence by Dr. Timothy Smith

Genre: Non-Fiction

Description:

“The rapidly growing impact of artificial intelligence permeates our lives through multiple channels from the tech giants such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook to the computers controlling our cars, smartphones, and robots on the factory floor. Analysts project massive disruption in employment from this new technology with many jobs being automated in the next twenty years. The era of artificial intelligence is upon us, and the potential for great profits to society, business, and individuals stems from advances in transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing. The potential for profit stands in contrast to the possible dangers to our jobs, privacy, society and more. Don’t stand on the sidelines. Learn the potentials and limitations of this new technology to best position yourself, your family, and your career for profit and protection in the new era of A.I.”

Author:

I was unable to find any information about the author. Presumably he has some expertise in the subject of this book. I also found that when the book covered areas where I have some experience, expertise, or prior knowledge, I didn’t spot any problems. That combined with numerous footnotes including references to other sources gave me confidence that the author knows what he’s writing about.

Appraisal:

The mention of protecting yourself from artificial intelligence in the title gave me a bit of concern going in. I was afraid I might find more conspiracy theory and alarmist rhetoric than is justified. The only alarmist was me. Instead I found the information contained to be an excellent introduction to artificial intelligence including the history of the field, an explanation of where things stand now, some ideas on where things might be headed, along with what that might mean to you and me.

I found the explanations and examples given to illustrate the possibilities readily understandable by the average person. The cautions are common sense and not alarmist. For example, the book discusses the effects of artificial intelligence on the job market thus far as well as what we might expect in the future. If you’re planning your future career or considering a career change, the author discusses how you can evaluate the potential risk of that career becoming all or partially displaced in the near future by artificial intelligence and if that were to happen, how it might change the job. This is a book that most of us could benefit from reading to help us understand what the future is likely to bring.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

Some minor proofing issues such as missing words. More than I like to see, but not enough to drop a star from the rating.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Review: The Death and Life of Dominick Davidner by Shawn Inmon

Genre: Science Fiction/Time Travel

Description:

“How many lives would you spend to find your beloved?

Dominick Davidner was murdered. Then things got worse.

Instead of going on to the afterlife, Dominick found himself back in his nine year old body, all memories of his previous life intact. All he can think about is Emily, the love of his life, left behind when he died.

Unfortunately, she is now thousands of miles away. How can Dominick find his way back to the woman he loves, and what will he say if he finds her?”

Author:

Former DJ, business consultant, and real estate agent, Shawn Inmon is now a fulltime author. A regular contributor at Indies Unlimited, Inmon can't seem to decide whether to write fiction (Rock'n Roll Heaven), or non-fiction (he’s written two travels books, partially chronicled at his A Lap Around America website). Then there are his first two books that were novels based on truth or fictionalized memoirs or … I don't know what to call them, but they were somewhere in the middle.

Appraisal:

This is the third book in Inmon’s Middle Falls Time Travel series. Each book can be read as a standalone novel because while each of the protagonists spends some time living in the fictional town of Middle Falls, Oregon, knowing what happened in a prior story isn’t needed to follow newer books in the series. The main thing each book has in common is the protagonist dies. Upon his death the character is shocked to discover that they’ve gone back in time, to some point in their childhood. They have the body of a child, but retain memories of the life they led before, which gives some clue as to what might be coming, both for them personally and for the world in general.

The first two stories in the series focused on second chances with the main characters trying to live their lives better the second time around. In one case this was by avoiding a big mistake. In the other it was mainly by trying to prevent someone else from making a major mistake that effected many others.

This installment of the series is different in that Dominick, the protagonist, has only one goal when he starts his life over, to meet and marry his spouse once again. Easy, isn’t it? Just do everything the same as you did the first time around and it should work out fine. But it seems foolish to take the same boring route through life, especially when there is an obvious shortcut to get where you want quicker, right?

The premise of this series makes for some entertaining and thought-provoking stories. As they illustrate, maybe if we had life to live over again, knowing what we know after having learned a thing or two from the school of hard knocks, it may not actually be as easy as we think to get a better result. Just like my rewriting that sentence didn’t result in one that ran on less, sometimes things don’t turn out better, just different.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

This is the third book in Inmon’s Middle Falls Time Travel series. It can be read as a standalone novel.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words