Blog Archives - Oathtaker.com

For Children

12/31/2013

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Reviewed for Readers' Favorite.

From the front cover to the last page, children will delight in the almost childlike and always colorful and quirky illustrations that accompany Maya & Filippo Play Chef at Sea, by Alinka Rutkowska. This tale is another in the series of Maya & Filippo, stories that tells of siblings who live on a beautiful cruise ship with their parents and their cat, Otello. On board, Maya and Filippo travel the world, discovering new places and “how things work.”

In Maya & Filippo Play Chef at Sea, Maya and Filippo, while crossing the Tasman Sea, decide to join the ship’s chef and a group of other children to make cakes. The fun begins as they crack eggs, pour milk, sift flour, and add their own special ingredients. The point of the exercise, Maya points out to another of the traveling children, is to have fun and to try something new. Along the way, Maya and Filippo learn that when they cooperate and communicate with one another, they may both accomplish all of what they desire, rather than only half.

The story of Maya and Filippo will excite the imagination of children who might wonder what it would be like to live at sea. Alinka Rutkowska, in Maya & Filippo Play Chef at Sea, takes children on just such a journey, providing them with some basic geographic information (about where lies the Tasman Sea), some good advice about working in a kitchen (wash your hands first!) and a valuable lesson about cooperation and communication.

Maya & Filippo Play at Sea is available on Amazon here and on Barnes and Noble here.

Also posted on GoodReads and Booklikes, added on Facebook and two Google+ review groups and tweeted. Cover pinned.

Of Love and War

12/31/2013

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Reviewed for Readers' Favorite.

The Dance of the Spirits, by Catherine Aerie, is the story of Jasmine Young who is raised in a well-to-do home in China. Her life is punctuated by experiences of wealth and plenty on the one hand, and family misery on the other. Throughout Jasmine’s young years, her mother continually encourages (bullies?) her to become a doctor so that she will be self-sufficient and not have to depend upon an unfaithful man, as has Jasmine’s mother. Into the mix of family life is added Tin-Bo, a street waif whose ability to learn quickly makes him a favorite from amongst the servants, of Jasmine’s mother, various younger sisters to Jasmine who are the consequences of her father’s philandering, and the mothers of those younger sisters who seek to cause division in the Young home. When communism comes to China, Jasmine, to save her family’s honor, goes to war in Korea. While there, she meets the American, Wesley. Through the death and misery of a war-torn land, Jasmine and Wesley find love, while Tin-Bo concludes that Jasmine is to be his or she is to belong to no one else.

On the surface, The Dance of the Spirits is a story of love and of war, but on a deeper level, it is a story of the misery that the communist ideology brought to millions of souls in the twentieth century. Whether that philosophy is related to nationalism, internationalism or faith, Catherine Aerie reminds readers in The Dance of the Spirits, that when a system that will entertain no contradiction in thought or deed comes to power, no one is safe—and no one is free. Aerie draws a vivid picture of war and its price and a tender image of love. This is a story to be read not so much with an expectation of being entertained, as with an eye toward seeking a meaning greater than just that of the lives and events that visit its pages.

Learn more about Catherine Aerie on GoodReads here.

The Dance of the Spirits is available on Amazon here and at Barnes and Noble here.

Review also posted on GoodReads and BookLikes, added to two review groups on Google+ and at Facebook. Cover pinned.

Faith and Prayer

12/31/2013

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Reviewed for Readers' Favorite.

First Lt. Michael Neill, born of American parents living in the Ukraine back in the days of the Soviets, is the protagonist to whom Steve Wilson introduces readers in Red Sky at Morning. Neill is uniquely situated for a mission in the Ukraine, to uncover information about a new Russian aircraft responsible for taking down a U.S. military aircraft that had flown off-course during a storm in the vicinity of the China-Russia borders. The story captures Neill’s faith and the significance it plays when he works with a former family Ukrainian friend and fellow believer, Colonel Andrei Ulyanov. Together, Neill and Ulyanov discover the plans of two terrorists, originally commissioned by some from among the highest ranking in the Russian government, who have stolen a nuclear warhead and intend to use it to bring chaos to the former Soviet satellite country. But things go terribly awry when one of the terrorists pre-programs the warhead to detonate, using a code that goes with him to his grave. Will Neill and Ulyanov succeed in capturing the last living terrorist and in shutting down the warhead before its countdown is complete?

Steve Wilson brings with Red Sky at Morning, a story that emphasizes the significance of faith and that demonstrates the power of prayer. Neill is presented as a caring Christian who remembers, even in the most dire of times, those less fortunate. He is a man of honor who, though intrigued by the beautiful Viktoriya Gavrilenko, a Ukrainian journalist digging for a story, puts duty first. Readers will be encouraged as they follow the efforts of those who exercise their power by remembering first their principles.

Learn more about Steve Wilson on GoodReads here and on his website here. Red Sky at Morning is available on Amazon here and at Barnes and Noble here.

Also posted on GoodReads and BookLikes, added to two review groups with Google+ and on Facebook. Review tweeted. Cover pinned.

Who is Fair and Who is Foul?

12/28/2013

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I was provided a copy of Captive Spirits by the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Mary Adair has presented, in Captive Spirits (Book 1 in the Legends of Aztar Series), a tale for young adults. Seeking to save the Books of Zmeria, as the castle around him begins to fall, Volcum Ryasi knows that what he is about to do may determine whether his people will one day reclaim Aztar. He makes provision to save the scripts, then carries the queen and her young babe to safety, only to discover later that the people have suffered the loss of their king. Thus, a new king must be chosen, one capable of reading the Zmeria records, and a new home must be found. In the quest for a new land, the survivors pass through caverns through which the evil ones may not go. So opens Captive Spirits with a 2000 year old history of the people of Zmeria.

Si Volcum, the King of Aztar, has problems. He and his infant son, Lyon, are kidnapped, leaving behind, Si’s wife, Alexis and their daughter, Cordea. When Si tries to break for freedom, he is severely injured and left for dead, and his son taken. In the quest to find Lyon, Volcum is befriended by locals who become like family to him. Meanwhile, having lost all memory, Alexis is left behind, unsure of whom she may trust, as a result of which she and Cordea become pawns of betrayers.

Mary Adair offers readers a story filled with love for family, sacrifice for the sake of seeking freedom and insight into the consequences of betrayal. Perhaps most significantly, Adair has created a full new world, complete with its own history, religion, government system and social mores. Added in are magical creatures and trinkets. As all fantasy aficionados know (whether readers, writers, or both), it is the creation of an alternate world that is the most important—and the most difficult—thing to do in a fantasy tale. Adair has done so while providing a story that will keep readers moving forward in their quest to discover who is fair and who is foul. . . .

Find out more about Mary Adair on GoodReads here, on her website here and on her blog here.

Captive Spirits is available on Amazon here and on Barnes and Noble here.

Holiday Warmth and Togetherness

12/26/2013

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Reviewed for Readers' Favorite.

The Christmas season is a time for stories of family and warmth and togetherness and that is precisely what Kathi M. Nidd delivers in Fuzzballs’s Christmas Eve Adventure. When Fuzzball goes out for a Christmas Eve walk with David, happily awaiting and anticipating all the things that are to come later in the evening, his collar slips and he runs free. Before Fuzzball knows what has happened, he is lost. How is he to do all the his special jobs for David and Daphne on this very special evening if he is not found in time? Who will sit quietly with the guests, pose for photos with Daphne’s nieces and nephews and snuggle up to Grandpa who has been so sad since Grandma’s death?

As Fuzzball seeks for home, he is comforted by a lovely woman who is reminded of her own childhood pet, a homeless man who seeks a moment of Fuzzball’s company and finally, an officer who prepares to take Fuzzball home. Just in time, David turns up and Fuzzball is able to see to his Christmas Eve duties. But, his escapade has played on the heart of a woman who will call her sister for the first time in years, using the memory of their childhood pet as a way to open communications. Likewise, a homeless man determines he will reach out to the social worker who has offered him help. Finally, a young officer decides his children should have that pet they have so longed for and will visit a shelter with them after Christmas to adopt a dog.

It is the simple things that change hearts at the time of Christmas. It is the unexpected displays of affection and giving that move people to do and to try things they might not otherwise have done or tried. It is a time for healing personal relationships, seeking answer to prayer and bringing unexpected joy to children and to our elders. Kathi M. Nidd has, in Fuzzball’s Christmas Eve Adventure, presented a story to children that will give meaning to the holiday that goes beyond the gifts and the treats. With insight from Kidd’s story, children will see the importance of comforting others, of building lifetime memories with their families and of sharing hope for the future.

Also posted at ReadersFavorite.com. Review added at Facebook, Tweeted, and posted in two review groups on Google+. Cover pinned.

The Ghosts of our Past

12/26/2013

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I was provided a copy of The Saltwater Ghost in exchange for my fair and honest review.

In The Saltwater Ghost, we meet Alden Jurrien who has spent years in India teaching Senior English, in his effort to run from an ex-wife and emotional past. But, when a position opens at Abegweit University, located in Alden’s hometown of Saltwater, located on Prince Edward Island, Alden determines it is time to journey back home, to reacquaint himself with his children, and to face his past. There, Alden takes possession of his former family home, surprising those from days gone by with his return. It seems that Alden has carried a secret all these years, a secret that has weighed him down with guilt.

Back in the day, Alden had a best friend, Garnet, who had a girl, Dana. Alden was known as the “Goldenchild.” Though he had once been Garnet’s protector, Garnet had grown into his own and eventually began to eclipse Alden’s own successes. When the three youngsters, Alden, Garnet and Dana, met up on a cliff path just days before Christmas, something happened—something that would change the future for all three young people.

In The Saltwater Ghost, Sheila Jane weaves a careful plot that urges the reader to continue forward and to examine the question: can one ever really return home? Also consider: are ghosts real? Comparing Alden’s story to a legend from days gone by, one that tells of a young woman who lost her love, then herself, at sea, the setting itself (Prince Edward Island) lends a mystery to this tale. Add into the mix, Alden’s efforts to re-unite with his children, his new love-interest, and a fully unsuspected discovery at the end, and the reader is delivered a truly satisfying tale.

Learn more about the author, Sheila Jane, on GoodReads, here. The Saltwater Ghost is available on Amazon here.

Also posted at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, on GoodReads and BookLikes. The review was added on Facebook and to two review group

Asta, Esther, Estella, Hester, Hesper, and—Istore?

12/25/2013

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I downloaded a free copy of Draykon from Amazon. I thank the author and in exchange, I offer this, my fair and honest review.

Draykon, by Charlotte E. English is a well-written fantasy that takes readers to a truly unique alternate world. Focusing mainly on Llandry Sanfaer a young woman who possesses some unique skills but suffers from extreme shyness, and Lady Evastany Glostrum, a key figure in the leadership of the realm, the tale includes a full cast of characters that help to round out the story and keep it moving forward.

Llandry, who makes her living crafting sought-after custom jewelry, happens upon a cave wherein she finds a beautiful stone—one that fairly glows in the dark. She collects pieces, then finds herself inundated with orders from those who seek to own a piece of the rare and beautiful istore—as Llandry dubs the stone because it is the Old Glinnish word for “star.” But chaos soon breaks out as some area residents are found maimed or even killed. The only common denominator in the crimes: each victim had owned and worn istore jewelry, but when his dead body was found, the istore jewelry was the only item from amongst the victim’s possessions found missing.

Llandy’s world is full of magical characters, summoners and sorcerers. Throughout, the mystery of the istore is at the center of attention. Events take an unexpected turn when it is discovered that the istore is not stone at all but rather, biological material.

I quite enjoyed Draykon. I did, however, have one fairly significant issue with the read and that was that the story did not have a fully satisfying conclusion for me. Indeed, I was left with more questions than answers—questions I expect are answered in the additional works in the series. Unfortunately, I have something of an issue with stories that leave me on the precipice. As noted in a prior blog article of mine (here), I am perfectly content with a read that leaves any number of threads not crucial to the story at hand, left dangling. However, when I reach the “end” of a story, I do not want it to merely be an “intermission.” Rather, I prefer reads that make for complete stories without my needing to find, wait for, or purchase, part two and so forth. Having said that, English is incredibly imaginative. If you are looking for a uniquely built fantasy world and you do not mind resting on a precipice, look no further than Draykon. (Incidentally, this series is complete, so Lokant (Book 2) and Orlind, (Book 3) of the series are both available so you needn’t wait long to get answers to questions left unanswered in Draykon.)

Find our more about Charlotte E. English on GoodReads here, on her website here, and follow her on Twitter @charlotteenglish.

Draykon is available on Amazon here and on Barnes and Noble here.

Also posted on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, GoodReads, BookLikes and Leafmarks. Review added at Facebook and tweeted. Cover pinned.

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

12/25/2013

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I downloaded a free copy of Freedom Bridge from Amazon. In exchange, I offer the author this—my fair and honest review.

The first time I visited Berlin was in 1973. The Berlin Wall was quite a sight. I recall seeing white crosses and barbed wire, the last signs of some of those souls who had sought and fought for freedom—and lost. It made a strong impression on my young mind. I recall being mesmerized years later, as I watched live television footage of the Wall coming down (in 1989).

In 2008, I visited that great city once again—and Berlin is a truly great city. The inner parks are lovely; the ancient feel to some of the streets thought provoking; the grand buildings, exquisite. I picked up a souvenir piece of the Wall during that visit and I keep it as a reminder. . . .

I took a detour one day to Potsdam, making my way there by going over the famous Glienicke Bridge, the “Bridge of Spies.” Potsdam, a city that had once been the home of the former Prussian royalty, later taken over by the Soviets, was still in the process of being re-built almost ten years after the Soviets “left” it. I saw some of the most beautiful “houses” ever. In some places one that had been completely restored stood amidst others that still showed the severe neglect and damage that had come with Soviet control.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to revisit in my mind, some of these places and things in my read of Freedom Bridge: A Cold War Thriller, by Erika Holzer.

In Freedom Bridge, we meet three brothers, all born behind the iron curtain. One makes it out with his mother, when the two are allowed to leave for emergency medical attention for the child during his early years. Though his mother believes she will never see her other two children again, she determines that at least one will live in freedom. Thus, she does not return to the Soviet Union. Rather, she finds a new identity and moves to the U.S. Her son receives the medical treatment he requires, grows and becomes a famous doctor.

Back in the Soviet Union, two remaining brothers carry the stigma of a family member who has abandoned their homeland. To compensate, one grows to be a party member, flexing his muscle as and when he might, orchestrating events to maintain control over others. The other shuns the party and grows to become a doctor himself, struggling to keep secret from his power-crazed older brother, his desire to defect. Through a series of unexpected events, the three eventually meet again. While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I did have one issue that accounts for the missing “star” in my rating and that is that I found it highly unlikely that one brother would look so very much like another that no one (including the man’s wife) would be able to tell the two apart. (I may not have had this problem if the two had been born “identical” twins, but they were not.) Even so, Holzer has provided a fully satisfying mystery/suspense.

Freedom Bridge opens with a reminder of some of the results of the ruthlessness of an ideology that will not allow independence of thought and spirit and word. Here lies the danger in collectivism, in statism: the institutionalized force “necessary to implement it.” The experiment in the Soviet Union, Holzer reminds us, left “almost 80 years of power destroyed nations, tens of millions of corpses, and the moribund but never fully discredited killer viruses of collectivism and statism.” All freedom lovers should take note: the very concept of “political correctness” implies that there is only one way to think and to act. Ultimately, it requires force to fully implement that single way. As Friedrich A. von Hayek illustrated in The Road to Serfdom, in the end the price may be more than your freedom and that of your friends, family and neighbors. In the end, the price may be your life itself.

Freedom Bridge is available on Amazon here and at Barnes and Noble here.

Also posted on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and Booklikes. Review added to two review groups on Google + and tweeted. Cover pinned.

Meeting in Desolate Places

12/24/2013

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I was provided with a copy of Empty Places by the author through the GoodReads “Reviews Initiative” group in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Robin Anderson, a journalist and aspiring news anchor, had been warned never to meet a contact in an out of the way place. But, defying better judgment, Robin agrees to a rendezvous in the desert dunes, a desolate location lit only by a three-quarter blue-white moon. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that, shortly thereafter, her dead body is found. We then learn that Robin left behind more than just her ex-husband, Peter Brandt, who, stationed as a journalist south of the border, is notified by wire to go to Robin’s funeral. Robin also left behind a tape—a tape that becomes sought after by both the murderers and by Peter as he tries to unravel Robin’s last days.

Martin Hill has, in Empty Places, created a brisk paced mystery that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end. My favorite of the characters is Peter’s friend, Matt Banyon, who helps Peter to try to unravel events. I found him to be the most “fleshed out” of the characters and I “liked” him. Peter also is well drawn; he becomes more real as his guilt for having failed in his relationship with Robin grows (though his moodiness was a bit annoying at times—such as when he and Laurie stop at Zelda’s for a drink). My least favorite character and relationship—by far—was Laurie Hall and her relationship with Peter. I found Laurie to be sophomoric—which I believe Hill intended though, unfortunately, this left the story without a single strong, intelligent female figure. However, I found Peter to be sophomoric in his belief that Laurie was genuinely interested in him. For this reader, Laurie was too much, too fast, too—false. I would have expected Peter to have seen through her. Indeed, the “missing point” in my rating of this story is due to this “relationship” between Peter and Laurie.

Empty Places is filled with unexpected events and discoveries. Who is the mastermind behind Robin’s murder? What does it have to do with events of years past? Why are the police so contrary to Peter and Matt’s investigation? What role does the wealthy Carlos Tinnerman play? These and other questions will keep readers turning the pages of Empty Places until they reach the satisfying conclusion to this mystery.

Find out more about Martin Hill on GoodReads here and on his website here. Empty Places is available on Amazon here and on Barnes and Noble here.

Also posted on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, GoodReads and BookLikes. Review added to two review groups on Google+ and tweeted. Cover pinned.

A New Man in Thriller Town

12/18/2013

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Reviewed for Readers' Favorite.

The year 2013 was one fraught with some mourning for fans of spy/espionage thrillers, with the loss of Vince Flynn in June and of Tom Clancy in October. While these great storytellers will continue to be missed long into the future, thriller fans will be pleased to learn that there is a new man in town. His name is Tim Tigner and just this fall, he published three works, including Coercion. If Tigner’s works are not on your “to be read” list as yet, wait no longer, for soon every thriller fan will be talking about them!

Coercion is the second of Tim Tigner’s works that I have read (in as many days). Just as with the first, I was spellbound from the outset. In Coercion, one from amongst the communist party ranks, Vasily Karpov, seeks the ultimate power for himself. To reach his goal, Karpov is willing to make use of a weapon that may be detonated from any distance once inserted into the body of another. Under threat that the weapon will be activated, Karpov is then able to coerce the assistance of a person who can provide Karpov with industrial secrets and help to sabotage the efforts of American industries. When Alex Ferris discovers Karpov’s means of coercing others, he seeks to save a little girl whose life is at risk. To do so, he must discover Karpov’s identity. Ferris’s mission takes him to the heart of Siberia in the days of the Soviets.

Tim Tigner has delivered in Coercion, a tale that is sure to rank amongst the best of today’s thrillers. In the figure of Alex Ferris, a man’s man, readers will experience the rough and tumble life of falling from a plane with a parachute that does not open, trekking across the Siberian waste during a winter storm and, ultimately, vanquishing the enemy. Along the way, Ferris meets the lovely Anna Zaitseva. Though he fears he cannot be all he ought for Anna, Alex will steal a bit of every woman’s heart when he goes to extreme lengths to insure her safety. So, take heart thriller readers—men and women alike—your favorite genre has been saved. . . .

Find out more about Tim Tigner on GoodReads here and on his website here. Coercion is available on Amazon here.

Review also posted on GoodReads and BookLikes. Review noted on Google+, Tweeted and cover pinned.

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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