Children of Neptune

I was provided a print copy of Children of Neptune by Makenne Snow.

When I took this book off my to read shelf I only looked at the title. I didn't really look that closely at the cover art. When I started reading, I thought "wait a minute, where's the spaceship?" Then I looked more closely at the cover; oops! Wrong Neptune, my bad.

So, what we have here is part coming of age for a teenage princess (not unexplored territory for sure), a society set up by a god (ditto), and a mystery to solve (do I need to say it?). But in Children of Neptune these familiar story lines are presented in fun and entertaining fashion (bet you thought I was going to bag on it). 

This is a YA book to be sure, but I happen to enjoy well done YA. And yes, Children of Neptune is very well done. The authors (yes it's a team) do a good job of portraying teenage angst, insecurity and even budding romance. Perhaps a bit of an ecological/animal rights vibe, but not at all preachy.  

As in all YA tales, our heroine and her friends are the only ones who can solve the mystery and save the day. But, what impressed me was that they did so without disrespecting their parents or other adults (except one who really deserved it). The adults did not condescend to the kids as well.  It is not an adults versus kids kind of story. I like that.

There are enough twists and turns for mystery lovers, but there is also action and adventure.  Children of Neptune by Makenna Snow was just an all around fun read. Enjoy!

Mike

The Muse

I was given a print copy of The Muse by Arjay Lewis for review.

I really enjoyed this book! The cover touts the story as "A novel of unrelenting terror" and I do agree. Our author Arjay Lewis tips his hat to Stephen King as the impetus for this story. Okay, he more than "tips his hat", he pretty much bows down to King. But he is giving credit where credit is due. I was concerned Lewis would try to sound like King, but not to worry,  he has his own voice and style.

The Muse is a horror story about writers and their inspiration (The Muse is a much better title than "The Inspiration" right?). The horror aspect of the story starts early and continues to build throughout. Characters are well developed and I was caught up quickly. I found myself thinking "Please don't hurt so and so". Much as I was tempted, I did not peek ahead. I savored the suspense and let the terror mount as I read.

There were several characters who played major parts in this story, and I really liked the way the author kept all these different story lines fresh and active. Short chapters dedicated to each characters points of view keep the story moving at a comfortable pace; not so slow that we get bogged down in minutiae, and not so breakneck that we get fatigued by over stimulation.

The Muse is pretty graphic with sadistic sexual scenes. Fortunately for me, those scenes were short. They were extremely powerful, but over quickly so I didn't have to spend too much time in an uncomfortable place.

If you like horror, suspense, crime, and a bit of fantasy, You are really going to like The Muse by Arjay Lewis. Enjoy!