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A New Fantasy Sub-genre for Me

1/31/2015

Reviewed for Readers' Favorite at www.ReadersFavorite.com.

****

When the magician, Kadmeion, and his Metal-man assistant, Bright, witness an event at a mandrake plant, they discover a Go Fer dog capable of producing magic, in Forever Boy, by Lita Burke. Rescuing the animal and bringing it to their ship, then bathing it, and cleaning its wounds, Kadmeion and Bright are dismayed when the Go Fer dog escapes. But after the dog, who it turns out can speak (and is something more than just a dog), discusses the matter with the ship’s Machine—the dog returns to the magician and his assistant. There, he learns his true identity and is named, Furgo. Upon discovering that he must return to, and be released by, his former master before he may join up with Kadmeion and Bright for good (and as a wizard’s familiar), the three come up with a plan for dealing with the evil pellar who would have allowed Furgo to die at the mandrake plant.

Forever Boy is a very short read. While it resolves the immediate issue of Furgo’s identity and sets the stage for future stories, it is not a work that will engage a reader for long hours. Even so, for those looking for a quick getaway, Forever Boy, fits the bill. Lita Burke has created a “clockwork punk” world (like a science fiction tale in an earlier period with fantasy elements) that is both unique and inhabited by unusual characters. If you are in for a different sort of tale that includes some traditional fantasy principles, take a look at Forever Boy.

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Heroes

1/24/2015

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Reviewed for NetGalley.
*****
Continuing on my recent trek to read more works relating to the WWII era, the synopsis of The Law Jews in Berlin, by Leonard Gross, captured my attention. I’ve read many works regarding the Nazi leadership, the Nazi's death camps, the political machinations of the 1930s and 40s, and the philosophy behind the National Socialist movement in Germany. This, however, is the first work I’ve read (aside from The Diary of Anne Frank), that elaborated on the lives of those who, not having left the country before it was too late, lived out the worst of the WWII underground, in Berlin.

Gross tells the stories of a handful of those few hundreds of Jews, who hid right under the noses of the Nazis in Berlin, even as Hitler and his ilk sought to make the city “Judenfrei.” The stories came from interviews taken not long after the war ended. They are spell-binding, thought provoking . . . tear-jerking.

It is easy for people to look back on something from 70 years or so ago and think that the same could not happen today, but neither did most people living in the WWII era believe that such evil could go on in their day. Indeed, it was this very fact that made it possible for the Nazis to send so many to their deaths without word getting out to the rest of the world—and then not to be believed when it did. The Last Jews in Berlin, while reconciling my soul to the evil some may impose upon others, also rejuvenated my belief in the human spirit and in the everyday hero. I find courage in the knowledge that it was those who assisted their friends and neighbors, such as the Countess Maria von Maltzan and the leaders of the Church of Sweden, whose sacrifices, bravery and accomplishments, will live on.

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Pick Your Genre!

1/17/2015

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Reviewed for Readers' Favorite at www.ReadersFavorite.com.

****
Nina, of part American-Indian heritage, and her husband, Ben Truesdale, are raising their son, Noble, and two daughters, Emma and Holly, on a farm outside of town in Holly Virginia, by Renna Olsen. The family members share and hold close, Holly’s secret. Born blind, and with a twisted spine, Holly possesses an unusual ability: she can heal others. The Truesdales, a loving family, care for and protect her. But evil raises its ugly head in the form of Ezekiel Waterford and his creepy cohort Sam “Ratty” Blakely. After seeing to Ben’s demise, Ezekiel encourages Nina to become addicted to the alcohol-based cure-all that he hopes will make him rich, then marries her. Once done, he employs the most evil means to get from each of the family members what he most desires when he threatens the safety of the other members if his wishes are not carried out. When Ezekiel kidnaps little Holly to add her healing powers to his roadshow and to help create a religion centered on himself, Emma accompanies them so as to care for little Holly. Now Nina, Noble, and the new friends they find along the way must defeat the evil Ezekiel.

Classified as “paranormal,” Holly Virginia by Renna Olsen, provides readers with one of those unique experiences whereby the author touches on a variety of areas that seem to cross genre lines. Is this a western? A story of Native American mysticism? Some sort of frontier fantasy? Is Ezekiel, in light of his eventually becoming neither dead, nor alive, some sort of zombie? In fact, this story it is a bit of all of those things, yet not any one of those things. I am always encouraged when I find an author willing to defy the conventional in this manner. New genres and sub-genres are not borne when people follow the norm. They come about when courageous souls push the boundaries, or at least refuse to follow the same course as did those who came before them. Readers looking for a unique reading experience will most certainly find it in Holly Virginia.

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Steam Punk for Middle Graders

1/10/2015

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Reviewed for NetGalley. Publication date: May 15, 2015

* * * * *

The Firebrand Mystery, by Darrell Pitt, introduces Jack Mason, an orphan, the son of the now-dead flying trapeze artists, The Flying Sparrows. When the story opens, we find Jack an inhabitant of Sunnyside Orphanage—“surely the most inappropriately named organization in all London.” But, as luck would have it, Jack is to leave the institution and to begin a new job with the infamous, Ignatius Doyle, an investigator who needs assistance, as he suffers from “an infirmity.” (If nothing else, he surely is, as his assistant says, “a tad eccentric.”) Jack makes his way to Doyle, where the two meet Scarlet Bell, who needs their help, as her father is missing. And so, the fun begins!

A “steam punk “ story, young readers are sure to delight in the quirky personalities presented, the airships and other steam-powered machines that fill the skies, the familial relationships that grow between the characters, and the mystery that unfolds, pitting Jack, Doyle, and Scarlet, against a band of evil-doers. Fortunately for Jack, he is a trained acrobat, as a variety of situations arise that require his peculiar expertise!

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Forensic . . . Librarian?

1/10/2015

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Dr. Vela Ostofvold, a forensic librarian, seeks to resolve things with her love interest, while simultaneously determining her paternity, in Watermark, by Sari Sikstrom. Set in Italy, readers will follow Vela, the daughter of an opera star, as she uncovers bits of her mother’s past, and travels to India via some old letters she finds, written by one of Olivia’s former teachers. Along the way, readers will visit portions of India in days long gone. Vela’s mother, Olivia, has never discussed Vela’s father, and though the young woman will not come out and ask for the details, she longs to fill in that portion of her past. As the story progresses, she discovers that she still loves Franco, the young man with whom she has had a relationship since childhood, notwithstanding their prior misunderstanding. With the help of her friend, Amelia, Vela finds answers to her mystery.

The background for Watermark, by Sari Sikstrom, is engaging and the relationships sincere. I especially enjoyed the camaraderie between Vela and Amelia, and the scenes set in Franco’s family bar. Sikstrom uses engaging and colorful language and provides snippets from the p ast that make the story “real.” But by far, my favorite moments were those spent in Amelia’s family bookstore and those when Vela engaged her skills as a forensic librarian. It is intriguing to think of the things one can learn about a work via the evidence they’ve left behind. In this regard, Watermark offers some interesting details and information that I am unlikely to forget!

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Patricia Reding

Posted here are a number of Patricia's reviews of the works of others.

Those reviews posted here that Patricia did for Readers Favorite are identified as such. No review of less than 4-stars for any Readers' Favorite review is posted here or elsewhere.

Those works reviewed for NetGalley are identified accordingly.

A New Fantasy Sub-genre for Me

Heroes

Pick Your Genre!

Steam Punk for Middle Graders

Forensic . . . Librarian?

Patricia Reding

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