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Quaint and Funny

8/30/2013

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Truly, I don’t know how I managed to have missed this author and this work over the years, in light of the many classics through which I’ve paged. Even so, I found the story to be a delightful journey into days of old.

Cranford tells of a group of women in the town of Cranford, who manage to hold court between and amongst themselves. No one wants to stand out even while each seeks to be the center of some attention! And so, we read: “although the ladies of Cranford know all each other’s proceedings, they are exceedingly indifferent to each other’s opinions.”

My favorite part about Cranford was that it was so funny! I’m not sure, if I had read Cranford back in the day when it was first published, that I would have thought the same. However, when looking back to days of yore, I find I imagine something exquisitely quaint about them—a certain je ne sais quoi that Gaskell in this work and with her humor, seems to have captured for all time. For example, consider: “Have you any red silk umbrellas in London? We had a tradition of the first that had ever been seen in Cranford, and the little boys mobbed it, and called it “a stick in petticoats.” (I love that!)

For me, Cranford was one of those reads where the story was irrelevant. I didn’t care what happened or to whom nearly so much as I enjoyed the engaging word pictures, and the quirky personalities revealed along the way. Whether thinking it gauche to suggest one could—or couldn’t—afford something, or surmising as to the superiority of women in this little town with few men—even while coveting the attention of any man who happened by, or purporting that “it was time for Miss Jessie to leave off her dimples and not always to be trying to look like a child,” the word pictures just kept coming! Here is a favorite: “She sang, too, to an old cracked piano, which I think had been a spinet in its youth.” So, what difference does the story make when the words that create it are so colorful and thought provoking? For this reader—absolutely none.

A "Laugh out Loud" Read

8/30/2013

****

I received The Emperor’s Edge as a free download from Amazon.com. In exchange, I offer the author this, my honest review.

I enjoyed The Emperor’s Edge! The story is filled with witty, complex, and even humorous characters trying to save the emperor (Sespian) from those near him who seek to rule in his stead.

Amaranthe flees for her life and is forced out of the Enforcers, then engages the assistance of a motley crew consisting of a drunkard (Books), a gang member (Akstyr), a male-model-escort egotist (Maldynado) and an assassin (Sicarius). So well drawn are these characters that I can easily imagine individual works wherein any one of them would be the main character.

Amaranthe is a nail-biting but strong heroine, prone to use the skills for leading others that she learned in her business school training, as well as the weapons skills she garnered from her Enforcer training, to bring order amongst, and to encourage support within, her unlikely group of assistants. Though Amaranthe works in the underworld with these unsavory characters, she resists engaging in criminal activity herself. She manages to do this even while planning to get out of her current fix by threatening to make and then distribute counterfeit bills—actions sure to catch the attention of those in power, as counterfeit currency would seriously disrupt the economy. (“You need to work on this criminal stuff,” Maldynado informs Amaranthe when she refuses to steal the printing press she needs to follow through on her plan.)

Buroker offers lines that made me laugh out loud. An example: “You didn’t even look at me when you first saw me, and I was very look-at-able at the time,” Maldynado tells Amaranth. Or consider this one: “An optimist would have called the rectangular opening underneath a window. She decided ‘ragged hole sawed in the planks’ was more accurate.” And here is one of my personal favorites: “Just be glad we didn’t decide to forge coins,” Amaranthe tells Akstyr as he tries to escape the group’s hideout while assisting in carrying the counterfeited bills. Buroker also used interesting and unusual words that were uniquely appropriate to the setting and story (“sartorial,” by way of example). She offered thought provoking word pictures such as, for example: “The building hunched over the lake like an old soldier, arthritic from a lifetime’s worth of battle wounds.” Or consider: “When Amaranthe leaned over the railing, her light reflected off exposed ice, mimicking dozens of yellow eyes staring at her.” Buroker even offers, in The Emperor’s Edge, some words of wisdom: “No general ever won a victory by pitting his weaknesses against the enemy’s strengths.”

Overall, Buroker’s storytelling revealed enough facts along the way to keep the story believable while retaining enough information to keep this reader moving forward, ever questing for more.

I most certainly will look forward to reading more from this gifted writer.

Find out more about The Emperor's Edge (The Emperor's Edge #1) and fan and follow Buroker on Goodreads here. Check out Buroker's website here. The Emperor's Edge is available for purchase from Amazon here and from Barnes and Noble here.

Overcoming Weaknesses

8/30/2013

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Reviewed for Readers’ Favorite (at ReadersFavorite.com)

In FOUR FIENDS: Countdown to Dammerung (Book 1), Nikki Bennett introduces four unique and personable youngsters, each of whom has suffered a loss or who believes himself—or perhaps is seen by the others—as lacking in some way, or who has some flaw, some negative personality trait. Jinjing, from Hong Kong, perceives herself to be “a lumbering mountain with feet,” Pietro, from Italy, forever stretches the truth because he simply feels “compelled” to do so; Kate, from the U.S., is unable to admit to any shortcomings and in the process reveals her own lack of knowledge and understanding; and Saburo, from Japan, still recovering from a severe injury, fears he lacks necessary physical strength. Each of the children discovers a unique “pet,” after which the four are magically whisked away to an island where the Golden Dragon lives. The Four Guardians, who in the past had assisted the Golden Dragon in keeping the world in balance, have been taken captive by the Four Fiends, Gluttony, Chaos, Ignorance and Deviousness. With the assistance of their pets and the magic those pets and the Golden Dragon provide, each of Jinjing, Pietro, Kate and Saburo are challenged to face and overcome his or her own greatest weakness or fear. As the children engage in four separate adventures, what each child lacks is exposed and the strength and special skills of each is required to overcome the Four Fiends.

As young readers follow Jinjing, Pietro, Kate and Saburo in their efforts to find and overcome the Four Fiends, they will be taken on a delightful journey that will grant them the opportunity to discover the merits of perseverance and heroism, as well as some truths about themselves and others. Bennett has drawn a clever story with fully developed and interesting characters as well as some fun and unique magic. Young readers are sure to be engaged in this well told story that provides thoughtful, witty, age-appropriate dialogue, insightful word pictures, a bit of history, and some old myths, legends and folklore. The prose is smooth and the illustrations are engaging. Well done, Nikki Bennett!

Learn more about Nikki Bennett and fan and follow her on Goodreads here. Check out Bennett's website here. Follow Bennett on Twitter at @NikkiBennett12. Finally, find Four Fiends on Amazon here and on Barnes and Noble here.

Additional note: Four Fiends appears to have a new cover as shown below.

A Dark Path—Man—Story

8/5/2013

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I received a free copy of The Dark Path from Amazon.com when the author offered a free download. In exchange, I offer this, my fair and honest review. I thank the author for this opportunity.

At the outset, I note that there are a few grammatical glitches, but none so significant as to trouble the story or to be accounted for in my rating.

Using my new rating checklist, I rate A Dark Path in three areas: (1) My overall enjoyment—for which I give the work 3 stars; (2) Creativity/Originality—for which I give the work 4 stars; and (3) Voice/Flair for Storytelling—for which I give the work 4 stars.

For me, The Dark Path was indeed—dark. I almost quit reading several times because of the jarring nature of some of the scenes. If you have no stomach for violence—particularly that directed at women and children—you may way to stay clear. Even so, I was grateful the author did not go into excruciating detail in those scenes—it was disturbing enough, knowing what was happening, without the gory details. So, I read on, and in so doing, I found a truly unique urban fantasy thriller.

After Martin Roberts is unable to stop the murder of his partner and closest friend, he is scheduled to testify at the trial of the syndicate responsible for that murder. In protective custody with his wife and daughter, Martin, goes off one evening in a fit of temper. Tragedy ensues, following which, Martin’s entire persona is changed, as he becomes Vain, the Dark Man, an assassin who brings justice to those in the criminal world. The man, Martin, all but ceases to exist. Or does he? When pegged as the only person who can save a young man who Martin/Vain doesn’t even know, Martin/Vain rises to the challenge. Yes, it seems it was a part of the personas of both Martin and Vain responsible for saving Sebastion, the Avun-Riah. Without the heart of Martin, hiding somewhere deep inside the Dark Man, Vain’s effort to save Sebastion would not have been made; without Vain’s wherewithal, the efforts to save the Avun-Riah would have proven futile.

The Dark Path introduces interesting characters—most notable for this reader—Squirrel and Priest, and tells of angels and demons—all the while leaving the reader to wonder a bit which are which—and perhaps whether it even matters. But, the thing most missing for me in The Dark Path, was a character that I liked. Martin/Vain may have been the “hero” in some strange way—he was certainly mouthy and brash (and delivered some good lines in the process)—but I never liked him—even when he went the extra measure to do good. I kept thinking, hoping, that some part of him would become likeable, but that did not come to pass. Thus, while for me The Dark Path was not exactly an “enjoyable” read, it was for the most part, a worthy one.

Find out more about The Dark Path on Goodreads here. Find, follow and fan author, Luke Romyn, on Goodreads here and on his website here. The Dark Path is available from Amazon here, from Amazon.co.uk here, and from Barnes and Noble (with a different cover) here.

Just the Beginning. . .

8/4/2013

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I received a free copy of Magic of Thieves from Amazon.com when the author offered a free download. In exchange, I offer this, my fair and honest review. I thank the author for this opportunity.

I note that there were some—but really not all that many—grammar and editing issues and thus, they were not accounted for in this review.

There seems to be a “conventional wisdom” out and about, regarding how authors should keep their works within a certain length—a limited word count. I do not subscribe to that particular thought. The truth is that when I start with a work, my goal is not to “finish” it. What I really want is to find a work that I don’t want to see come to an end. Too often, I think books stop short, or do not flesh out the details that would make the story more complete, all in an effort to stay within some pre-ordained word count. To me it seemed Magic of Thieves fell into this trap—which really meant, among other things, that I found the plot was not fully formed and the ending was not entirely satisfying.

For the most part, Magic of Thieves was engaging and well-written—but, I wanted more. I wanted to know more about Ilan’s background and thoughts; I wanted to know the significance of the flashback she experienced to an event with her mother; I wanted to know why the brooch Ilan received from her mother was important; I wanted to know more about the bow Ilan discovered; I wanted to know if Ilan would outgrow some of her pettiness and become a young heroine of the sort that I could really like. Most important, I did not want to find the story end at “a resting place” when, for the most part, I felt the story had only just begun. . . . Sure, this is the first in a series, but for this reader, each work should stand compete in and of itself. I do not want to have to purchase “Volume Two” in order to get a satisfactory result for the questions remaining from Volume One. It is okay that there are questions remaining—they just should not be of the sort that leave me hanging on the edge of a cliff. . . .

Magic of Thieves opens with a great action scene that leaves Ilan an orphan. Through a series of events, she ends up living with a group of outlaws who dub her “little dog” because of the way she follows Brig, the man who saved her from certain death. This nickname is referenced repeatedly throughout the story, which made for some interesting exchanges (like, for example, when Hand, the leader of the outlaws, suggests that Ilan would have been better called “a little rabbit,” since “she has all the pluck of one”).

I found inconsistencies in Ilan’s relationships with Brig and also with Terrac. At times it seemed, within a single paragraph, that Ilan confirmed both that she wanted nothing more to do with the other person and that she did not want to be without the other person. I also found the timeline a bit off. Ilan arrives as a young child and not long later it is determined that she is to study with Terrac to learn to read. Then, suddenly, Ilan’s fourteenth birthday has come and gone, yet her studies seem to have only recently begun. . . . (Perhaps I missed something?)

Greenwood offers readers some bits of wisdom, such as that learning can be joyful; that one cannot always be particular about what they learn or where; that one does not want to be handed a victory, but to earn it; and that it is difficult to stand up for someone who will not stand up for himself.

All that said, I would rate Magic of Thieves in three areas: (1) My overall enjoyment—for which I give the work 3 stars; (2) Creativity/Originality—for which I give the work 3-1/2 stars; and (3) Voice/Flair for Storytelling—for which I give the work 3-1/2 stars.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read—my main criticism being that it stopped short.

Find out more about Magic of Thieves on Goodreads here. Find, follow and fan C. Greenwood on Goodreads here or find out more about her on her website here. Magic of Thieves is available from Amazon here and from Barnes and Noble here.

Wild West Zombie Stories

8/3/2013

I rate The Lost Party **-1/2 stars and Feud ** stars.

Having posted in a Goodreads’ Review Initiative thread that I was willing to review works, the authors requested my review of two short stories, The Lost Party and Feud. I was provided copies of these works in exchange for my fair and honest review. I thank the authors for this opportunity.

I generally begin my reviews with a comment on how “readable” I found the work at issue to be, in light of possible grammar and editing issues. They happen—and often, they can be disregarded. Unfortunately, in the case of The Lost Party and Feud, there are a number of these issues that make the reading a bit difficult—in particular for The Lost Party. Thus, this review does take these issues into account. (Having said that, I understand that the authors are working to resolve these issues.)

The Lost Party is a story of Masterson’s efforts to save a caravan that, while moving west, was overtaken by zombies. The authors did a good job of setting the stage. I could feel the cold wind; I could sense Masterson’s fear of failure; I could—and did—shudder at what the traveler’s believed themselves forced to do in light of their growing hunger. . . . Unfortunately, the “tense” in which the story is told, is not constant. Thus, I found it necessary to re-read portions, fairly frequently, in order to sort out what was happening.

In Feud, we find the standard western town, complete with a saloon, a bartender, dancing girls, the Sheriff, a lone stranger traveling through, and more. At issue is how to rid the town of the invading zombies in light of two powerful men—former friends—now enemies, who espouse different means for resolving the situation. While Griffin, the lone stranger, seeks to find justice, he loses a bit of himself along the way.

Overall, while zombie stories are not my preferred genre—by any stretch—I was intrigued by the concept of using the wild west as a setting for these works. Who knew there was such a sub-sub-genre in fiction as a crossover between a western and a zombie story? Still, I expect there is a fan-base for such stories and those fans are likely to enjoy The Lost Party and Feud!

Find out more on Goodreads about The Lost Party here and about Feud here. Find, follow and fan author, Ben Dixon, on Goodreads here and author, Sam Campbell, on Goodreads here. These stories are available for purchase from Amazon here and here and from Barnes and Noble here and here.

A "Minor" Ghost

8/2/2013

* * * * 1/2

”I was provided a copy of Reading the Dead through Goodreads’ READ AND REVIEW program in exchange for my fair and honest review. I thank the author for this opportunity.

I generally begin my reviews with a comment on how “readable” I found the work at issue to be, in light of possible grammar and editing issues. They happen—and most of the time (though not always) they can be disregarded. This is one of those cases. There were a few—but only a few—such issues and so, they were not accounted for this review.

Where to start with the story itself? Well, I suppose I will begin with the simple statement: I really enjoyed this read! Although the story does not fall within my usual genre, it is not a genre I would shy away from. Still and all, most paranormal stories I’ve read in the past that have included “spirits of those who have gone before,” have been rather dark, foreboding. Sometimes, they make the hair on my arms stand on end or I get that creepy “is somebody there watching?” feeling. Not so with Reading the Dead. Quite the contrary, in fact. That is—I laughed—frequently!

Sarah discovers an “imaginary friend” as a child, a friend that makes Sarah stand out—and not in a good way. That friend, was the lost spirit of a child, whom Sarah dubs “Anna Nigma.” (An enigma! That’s funny! Or, was it Anna Nimity? Or, Anna Nonimus? Great stuff, Cameron.) It is not until Sarah’s mother’s death that Sarah loses this sidekick—for a time. Anna shows up again after Sarah has a brush with death.

What I am next going to say will probably anger a few folks, but here it is: I have grown weary of fragile, witless, whiny, female lead characters—more often than not—though by no means always—written by men. (In fairness, I suspect men fairly frequently find fragile, witless, whiny male lead characters written by women—and I imagine they tire of them as well!) BUT—Cameron’s creation of Sarah has helped restore my faith that it can be done!

As to little Anna, she is the quintessential sassy child—a little too young to be independent—but old enough to have something to say in nearly every situation. Anna’s antics seemed very real to me.

I enjoyed Cameron’s word pictures and his ability to make his characters “real.” We learn that as a child, Sarah had “eventually learned to mimic [Anna’s] knack for blending into the background.” (A ghost with a knack for blending into the background! Ha!) Together, Sarah and Anna “grew up,” though Anna never aged a day. As to Sarah’s relationship with her father, things had never been good. Indeed, after the wake and funeral of Sarah’s mother, Sarah’s father made his way through the room with a “practiced politician’s fashion,” barely noticing Sarah. Thus, “[i]t was the most alone [she] had ever felt in a crowd.” Even now, years later, Sarah’s father cannot even seem to remember Sarah’s birthday. . . .

But, Sarah is made strong through her troubled years and experiences—strong and smart. She is a well-known criminal investigator for the LAPD. It is when Sarah is on the job that we meet more interesting characters, including Detective Chelsea “Kandy” Kane, a former-porn-star-turned-detective, Commander Mason Childs, a man so tall that every time he stood over Sarah, he “eclipse[d] the sun,” and Lieutenant Carmine Delgado, a man who did not get along well with others. Indeed, Delgado “stepped on more toes than a three legged ballroom dancer.” We read of a rookie who, unable to stand the sights at a murder scene, earns the moniker “Sir Pukes a Lot” (even while Sarah, before entering that same crime scene, dons rubber gloves that are referred to as her “party favors”), and so on.

Truly, Cameron brought genuine humor to this story—humor that was not forced but natural, relating to all of the characters—even to Bosco, Sarah’s dog. (Sarah thinks she might go back to the pet store to see if they will take trade-ins. She’s not sure she asked the clerk for a puppy, but she is certain she had not requested “a furry demon.”)

Now and again, a reader comes across an indie-published work that makes that reader think: I sure hope some literary agent didn’t pass on this because if so, that person should be kicking himself! Reading the Dead is one of those works.

Well done, Cameron! If you ever need another work reviewed—let me know!

Find out more about Reading the Dead (The Sarah Milton Chronicles, #1) on Goodreads here. Find, follow and fan the author on Goodreads here, and like him on Facebook here. Reading the Dead is available for purchase from Amazon.com here.

A Dream World

8/2/2013

* * * 1/2

I was provided a copy of this book through Goodreads’ READ IT AND REAP program in exchange for my fair and honest review. I thank the author for this opportunity.

I really struggled with how to “rate” this read. In the end, I decided on 3-1/2 stars.

At the outset, I note that there were some (though not all that many) editing or grammatical errors and so, they were not accounted for in this review.

As to the negative aspects of the story, there were a few. First, I found Wes annoying. He whined and complained about how he might be fired for being late to work (“Who does he think he is?” Wes wonders of his boss). Then, Wes whines some more (“I need my space”), wanting to put distance between himself and Emily (his love interest), only to whine and complain even more (!) when he could not be near Emily in the “other” world. Second, I thought it odd that Wes was confused between the world where he was “awake” (the Virtual Logicity,” a world of logic, rules and order which, the reader learns, people crave) and the world of his dreams (otherwise known as the “Existence,” where chaos reigns). Even so, he accepted without question, debate or discussion, that the “dream” world was the “real” world. Also, the connection between Wes and Emily seemed real enough, I guess, but Wes’s quick turnaround to make that possible did not seem genuine. Finally, it seemed odd that when Wes went to visit his family in the Virtual Logicity (after not having seen them for some time), everyone seemed to have something better to do—sister Wendy had somewhere she needed to be, Dad was too busy to rush to see his son and Mom ran off—to play Bunco. . . .

Now, for the good points. Really, there is only one I will note—because it is so worthy of note and because it is so significant. That is, the author’s imagination and how she used it successfully to create a full alternate world. In Wes’s dream world—as in the dream world for many of us (I would venture to guess)—the rules of physics and so forth do not apply. So, for example, the buildings “swayed and danced as lithely as kelp at the bottom of the sea, pushed and pulled by some invisible current.” It is a world wherein a sculpture of a shuttlecock in a park is picked up and played with by giants; there is no death—you either exist or you do not; people create worlds out of their own imagination—worlds like Aquarius—where a person might swim with ocean life and without the need to breathe; a place where people eat for the joy of it and not for the need of it. But the one existence that I most appreciated was one that Emily had created. What made it so special was the clouds in the sky. Their shapes “morphed and changed slowly. Instead of . . . random puffing and shrinking forms, their movements were more intentional, as if by design. A cat. An elephant,” and eventually, a cat riding on an elephant’s back. Then there was in the clouds, a man in a top hat who bowed, "his coattails fluttering," while “his counterpart, a woman in a billowing dress," curtsied. They joined hands and danced. Imagine finding shapes in the clouds like that! The idea was very creative! I also enjoyed Wes skydiving with his Dad’s counterpart in the Existence—without parachutes. Because the ground wasn’t “fixed,” it just kept moving away as the skydivers drew closer. Thus, the skydivers could just keep falling forever. When Wes suggested that there really had been no need for the designer of the place to have put in a ground, he was informed that if the ground was not below somewhere, they would not be falling—they’d simply be flying! Well done!

Wes learns that, because people sometimes crave the known and certain, they are drawn to the Virtual Logicity to relax—almost like one might be drawn to a glass of wine in order to relax. So, visiting the place is like a vacation, but staying there is like an addiction. Truly, the “waking” and “dream” worlds were completely turned around, yet the author made it all work.

Find out more about Gateway to Reality on Goodreads here and the author Becca J. Campbell on Goodreads here. Also, check out the author's website here. Follow her on Twitter @beccajcampbell. Purchase GATEWAY TO REALITY from Amazon here or Barnes and Noble here.

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.

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