I won A Zombie Christmas 2 by Anthony Renfro in a Goodreads Giveaway.
First I have to admit; I read A Zombie Christmas 2 out of order. I try to read books in the order I receive them, but with Christmas only a few days away I decided to read this Christmas themed book right away. Apologies to other authors awaiting reviews (in my defense, A Zombie Christmas 2 is only 61 pages long so it won't slow things up too much).
Actually A Zombie Christmas 2 only takes up the first half of the book, the second half is entitled The Dead of Winter. These two stories are part of (at the time of this printing) a six part series of zombie themed short stories.
Our hero, Mike (good name) is on a mission to rescue a six-year-old boy stranded in a zombie filled city. You'll have to read the book to find out how he goes about his mission. Graphic violence (of course it's graphic, c'mon, zombies? Hello) A little sex (short story authors always seem to end their stories right when the sex is going to happen!) not particularly graphic.
The Dead of Winter (nice play on words, Mr. Renfro) is the tale of two men tying to make it through a night in a zombie filled city. Actually a few good survivalist tips here. Zombie violence, no sex (two men; not that there's anything wrong with that, but thank you), and zombies on skis (never heard of that before). My kind of twist at the end.
A Zombie Christmas 2 By Anthony Renfro, a good fun (yeah I said fun) zombie read. Enjoy!
Mike
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Friday, December 23, 2016
Shift World
I won a print copy of Shift World by Christopher W Gamsby in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Shift World was for me a very different kind of fantasy read than I am used to, and different is a good thing in this case.
In this instance "Shifters" are people who can move between worlds. The worlds are geographically the same, but technologically different. Here the difference is that the world that can be shifted to has metal, and is inhabited by various monsters, where the "main" world does not have the metal (or the technology to produce it anyway), and the shifters make a living bringing it between worlds.
A stylistic tool author Christopher Gamsby utilizes here, even if not original to him, is still very impressive. There is a fair amount of dialogue in the story and rather than relying on; Slart said, or Nort said, or Karp (the main character) said, our author puts each characters dialogue in a different font. When you see italics you know it is Karp, no one else. Each characters has their own font, making the dialogue flow fantastically. An aspect of the book I enjoyed greatly.
Written with a knights in armor kind of flavor, Shift World definitely qualifies as an action/adventure fantasy rather than a quest story. Graphic violence, only hinted at sex and a bit of coming of age (or coming into their life roles). Our characters have to come to terms with some uncomfortable truths (and that is all I'm going to tell you, read the book).
The book is still in need of a little editing (things like; one "dons" their armor, not "dawns" their armor) not riddled with such errors, but prevalent enough to warrant another look.
I have to say the ending was a little flat. The story built the necessary tension throughout, moving towards a grand finale, but kind of left me going "Huh"? Not bad, but not really living up to the story in my opinion. More anti-climactic.
Overall the pluses far outweigh the minuses, so I think action/adventure or fantasy readers will find Shift World by Christopher W Gamsby a worthwhile read. Enjoy!
Mike
Shift World was for me a very different kind of fantasy read than I am used to, and different is a good thing in this case.
In this instance "Shifters" are people who can move between worlds. The worlds are geographically the same, but technologically different. Here the difference is that the world that can be shifted to has metal, and is inhabited by various monsters, where the "main" world does not have the metal (or the technology to produce it anyway), and the shifters make a living bringing it between worlds.
A stylistic tool author Christopher Gamsby utilizes here, even if not original to him, is still very impressive. There is a fair amount of dialogue in the story and rather than relying on; Slart said, or Nort said, or Karp (the main character) said, our author puts each characters dialogue in a different font. When you see italics you know it is Karp, no one else. Each characters has their own font, making the dialogue flow fantastically. An aspect of the book I enjoyed greatly.
Written with a knights in armor kind of flavor, Shift World definitely qualifies as an action/adventure fantasy rather than a quest story. Graphic violence, only hinted at sex and a bit of coming of age (or coming into their life roles). Our characters have to come to terms with some uncomfortable truths (and that is all I'm going to tell you, read the book).
The book is still in need of a little editing (things like; one "dons" their armor, not "dawns" their armor) not riddled with such errors, but prevalent enough to warrant another look.
I have to say the ending was a little flat. The story built the necessary tension throughout, moving towards a grand finale, but kind of left me going "Huh"? Not bad, but not really living up to the story in my opinion. More anti-climactic.
Overall the pluses far outweigh the minuses, so I think action/adventure or fantasy readers will find Shift World by Christopher W Gamsby a worthwhile read. Enjoy!
Mike
Friday, December 16, 2016
The War of Spells (The Averot'h Saga Book 2)
Author George Mazurek sent me a print copy of The War of Spells for review.
The War of Spells is the second book in the Averot'h series. I don't know how many books are planned for the series, but if they are all as good as the first two, I trust there will be many more to come.
No spoiler, the book (as is its predecessor) is about a world where magic is commonplace. What I really enjoy is the way magic is treated as just a fact of life. Other stories I have read in the genre have made magic such a big to-do that it can overshadow the true story. We don't have paragraphs leading up to the actual casting of a spell, they just do it, and get on with the story.
The War of Spells supports and expands the story begun in book 1. It gives us some historical background of Averot'h as well as continuing the stories of the main characters. This is a lot to accomplish when the reader realizes the book is only 147 pages long. It is a taut well paced story that kept me engaged from start to finish. Although I don't think The War of Spells can be deemed a "stand alone", the story is sufficient unto itself to be read this way. But I will caution readers here that the experience will be so much richer if they read City of Wizards first.
Even though The War of Spells is a fast read, it does not lack for excitement, adventure and action. There is violence (sometimes graphic), sex (not too graphic), romance, love, honor, human (rather, wizardly I suppose) foibles and weaknesses, dishonor and deception and Dragons (I like dragons). Author George Mazurek does a fabulous job of moving the story along without the reader feeling rushed or cheated. He does not gloss over story line. He provides rich detail. Relationships are complex and the characters are well developed.
Jiri (George) Mazurek is a Czech writer still living in the Czech Republic. I mention this only because though not identified, who ever translated the original Czech language story into English did a fabulous job, it most definitely does not read as though it has been translated from a different language.
The War of Spells is an entertaining second installment in what is developing into a great fantasy series. I look forward to more from George Mazurek with this series. Give it a shot, and I'm confident you will too. Enjoy!
Mike
The War of Spells is the second book in the Averot'h series. I don't know how many books are planned for the series, but if they are all as good as the first two, I trust there will be many more to come.
No spoiler, the book (as is its predecessor) is about a world where magic is commonplace. What I really enjoy is the way magic is treated as just a fact of life. Other stories I have read in the genre have made magic such a big to-do that it can overshadow the true story. We don't have paragraphs leading up to the actual casting of a spell, they just do it, and get on with the story.
The War of Spells supports and expands the story begun in book 1. It gives us some historical background of Averot'h as well as continuing the stories of the main characters. This is a lot to accomplish when the reader realizes the book is only 147 pages long. It is a taut well paced story that kept me engaged from start to finish. Although I don't think The War of Spells can be deemed a "stand alone", the story is sufficient unto itself to be read this way. But I will caution readers here that the experience will be so much richer if they read City of Wizards first.
Even though The War of Spells is a fast read, it does not lack for excitement, adventure and action. There is violence (sometimes graphic), sex (not too graphic), romance, love, honor, human (rather, wizardly I suppose) foibles and weaknesses, dishonor and deception and Dragons (I like dragons). Author George Mazurek does a fabulous job of moving the story along without the reader feeling rushed or cheated. He does not gloss over story line. He provides rich detail. Relationships are complex and the characters are well developed.
Jiri (George) Mazurek is a Czech writer still living in the Czech Republic. I mention this only because though not identified, who ever translated the original Czech language story into English did a fabulous job, it most definitely does not read as though it has been translated from a different language.
The War of Spells is an entertaining second installment in what is developing into a great fantasy series. I look forward to more from George Mazurek with this series. Give it a shot, and I'm confident you will too. Enjoy!
Mike
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Lake of Fire (The Apostates #3)
I was given an e-copy of Lake of Fire by author Lars Teeney for review.
Having read the first two books in the Apostates series, I was looking forward to reading the conclusion of this trilogy. There were a couple of particular characters I was interested in following. Author Lars Teeney delivered an entertaining story, with a truly surprising ending.
There are a lot of characters (I mean a LOT of characters) to keep track of. This has of course been the case throughout the series, so nothing new there. Albeit minor, this would the biggest negative I find in this book. It was sometimes difficult to keep track, especially as names for the former rebels have changed. Again minor in the big picture and would probably be even less of a problem if the reader has access to all three installments and could read them closer together.
The only other drawback is the presence of typos and errors (always the bane of e-books). Not an overwhelming number, but enough to interrupt the flow of the read.
Now on to the positive; My favorite character was the 1968 Dodge Charger owned by Ayane Inoguchi. I know, an inanimate character, but it is an awesome car. The things it can do beyond just being a Charger (the coolest car ever made) make it a cooler character than KITT. Personal opinion, but then that's what a review is, isn't it?
Lake of Fire is a great blending of dystopian government, seriously advanced technology, and post-apocalyptic survival. In most books each of these aspects lead to the next. Here Teeney has kept them all alive and well in his story. He demonstrates what could happen in the vacuum left in the wake of rebellion, all the different factions vying for dominance.
The ending, as I hinted at earlier, is a real surprise that I can't see how any reader could see coming. Much to my enjoyment the epilogue does a good job of bringing a solid end to the story, so, kudos to Mr. Teeney for giving us closure.
Lake of Fire is a fitting end to an overall excellent story. Readers of complex, multi-genre, unpredictable fiction will find intellectual stimulation and literary satisfaction with Lars Teeney's epic tale of rebellion, dystopia, technology and societal disintegration. There is ultra-violence, some sex, and diversity enough to satisfy any reader. Enjoy!
Mike
Having read the first two books in the Apostates series, I was looking forward to reading the conclusion of this trilogy. There were a couple of particular characters I was interested in following. Author Lars Teeney delivered an entertaining story, with a truly surprising ending.
There are a lot of characters (I mean a LOT of characters) to keep track of. This has of course been the case throughout the series, so nothing new there. Albeit minor, this would the biggest negative I find in this book. It was sometimes difficult to keep track, especially as names for the former rebels have changed. Again minor in the big picture and would probably be even less of a problem if the reader has access to all three installments and could read them closer together.
The only other drawback is the presence of typos and errors (always the bane of e-books). Not an overwhelming number, but enough to interrupt the flow of the read.
Now on to the positive; My favorite character was the 1968 Dodge Charger owned by Ayane Inoguchi. I know, an inanimate character, but it is an awesome car. The things it can do beyond just being a Charger (the coolest car ever made) make it a cooler character than KITT. Personal opinion, but then that's what a review is, isn't it?
Lake of Fire is a great blending of dystopian government, seriously advanced technology, and post-apocalyptic survival. In most books each of these aspects lead to the next. Here Teeney has kept them all alive and well in his story. He demonstrates what could happen in the vacuum left in the wake of rebellion, all the different factions vying for dominance.
The ending, as I hinted at earlier, is a real surprise that I can't see how any reader could see coming. Much to my enjoyment the epilogue does a good job of bringing a solid end to the story, so, kudos to Mr. Teeney for giving us closure.
Lake of Fire is a fitting end to an overall excellent story. Readers of complex, multi-genre, unpredictable fiction will find intellectual stimulation and literary satisfaction with Lars Teeney's epic tale of rebellion, dystopia, technology and societal disintegration. There is ultra-violence, some sex, and diversity enough to satisfy any reader. Enjoy!
Mike
Saturday, December 10, 2016
The Gentleman
Disclaimer first: I won my copy of The Gentleman by Forrest Leo in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
Set in Victorian London, The Gentleman is the tale of a poet (Lionel Savage) who's opinion of himself exceeds that of most of the people around him. He is a lazy, self indulgent fop who has married for money and is now dealing with the ramifications of that ill-conceived decision.
An encounter with The Gentleman (the character, not the book) sets Savage on one of the most incredible and hilarious adventures I have read in a long time. He is surrounded by the most eccentric cast of characters you'll ever hope to meet; a lawyer (the editor of the story), an explorer of places no one else can find, an inventor, a remarkably liberated younger sister, and of course, the Gentleman. Together they begin a quest to recover Savage's wife Vivien from Hell itself (you'll have to read the story to find out how she becomes trapped there).
My wife noticed that I was laughing out loud while reading The Gentleman and it's true. Author Forrest Leo masters the dry wit of British humor. He sets the tone with the Editor's Note at the beginning of the book. Since I am not sure of the legalities involved in quoting I won't copy it here. But I will say: It is priceless.
The group of adventurers (questors? goofballs?) take in stride as completely natural some very bizarre occurrences. They are at times stumped and perplexed by their circumstances, but never overwhelmed by the extraordinary situations they deal with. They apply their own logic to the illogical and continue on their merry way.
The climax was very satisfying (did I really just say that?), I wasn't expecting that end at all.
If you enjoy dry humor as much as I do, and are in the mood for a farcical adventure that will make you laugh out loud, I strongly urge you to give The Gentleman by Forrest Leo a read. You won't be disappointed (at least I don't think you will). Enjoy!
Mike
Set in Victorian London, The Gentleman is the tale of a poet (Lionel Savage) who's opinion of himself exceeds that of most of the people around him. He is a lazy, self indulgent fop who has married for money and is now dealing with the ramifications of that ill-conceived decision.
An encounter with The Gentleman (the character, not the book) sets Savage on one of the most incredible and hilarious adventures I have read in a long time. He is surrounded by the most eccentric cast of characters you'll ever hope to meet; a lawyer (the editor of the story), an explorer of places no one else can find, an inventor, a remarkably liberated younger sister, and of course, the Gentleman. Together they begin a quest to recover Savage's wife Vivien from Hell itself (you'll have to read the story to find out how she becomes trapped there).
My wife noticed that I was laughing out loud while reading The Gentleman and it's true. Author Forrest Leo masters the dry wit of British humor. He sets the tone with the Editor's Note at the beginning of the book. Since I am not sure of the legalities involved in quoting I won't copy it here. But I will say: It is priceless.
The group of adventurers (questors? goofballs?) take in stride as completely natural some very bizarre occurrences. They are at times stumped and perplexed by their circumstances, but never overwhelmed by the extraordinary situations they deal with. They apply their own logic to the illogical and continue on their merry way.
The climax was very satisfying (did I really just say that?), I wasn't expecting that end at all.
If you enjoy dry humor as much as I do, and are in the mood for a farcical adventure that will make you laugh out loud, I strongly urge you to give The Gentleman by Forrest Leo a read. You won't be disappointed (at least I don't think you will). Enjoy!
Mike
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Child of Slaughter (Deathlands #124)
The Deathlands books are one of my guilty pleasures. There are 125 books in the series and I own and have read about 100 of them.
Child of Slaughter is the second to last book in the series. It ended with #125 last November. Unfortunately Child of Slaughter sent the signal to me that the series was running out of steam. I have always enjoyed the series, the action has been good, the violence over the top, and the stories interesting.
Child of Slaughter does not hold up to that tradition for me. It just kind of fell flat. It read to me like the author was just going through the motions. The story line has been used several times. Basically the companions have been separated and have to find their way back together again.
I know that the series has been written by various authors over the years and I don't know how many were penned by this particular author, but he sounded tired.
I hate to be a downer on this book, but I think true fans of the Deathlands books will feel let down as I did. Bummer.
Mike
Child of Slaughter is the second to last book in the series. It ended with #125 last November. Unfortunately Child of Slaughter sent the signal to me that the series was running out of steam. I have always enjoyed the series, the action has been good, the violence over the top, and the stories interesting.
Child of Slaughter does not hold up to that tradition for me. It just kind of fell flat. It read to me like the author was just going through the motions. The story line has been used several times. Basically the companions have been separated and have to find their way back together again.
I know that the series has been written by various authors over the years and I don't know how many were penned by this particular author, but he sounded tired.
I hate to be a downer on this book, but I think true fans of the Deathlands books will feel let down as I did. Bummer.
Mike
Thursday, December 1, 2016
The Flames of the Immolated (Ardalia #3)
Alan Spade sent me an e-copy of The Flames of the Immolated (Ardalia #3) for review.
As the title (Ardalia #3) suggests, this is the third and final installment in the Ardalia series (I'm so smart I scare myself sometimes). Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books The Breath of Aoles (#1) and Turquoise Water (#2), I was eager to read the conclusion. Mr. Spade provided an exciting conclusion to his trilogy.
The Flames of the Immolated continued the stories of several characters we met in the first books. As I said in my review of the second book, the characters continued to grow, no flat, stale characters here. The complexity of the story is incredible, balancing so many story lines and maintaining a coherent story is a real achievement.
The Flames of the Immolated is most definitely not a stand alone story. Refreshing yourself by skimming the second book would probably be beneficial, of course I didn't do that and I don't think I suffered for it. The story is so rich with unique characters both good and bad that I was left in awe of Alan Spade's imagination. That one writer could come up with such a variety of beings to populate his story just blows me away, let alone the fact that he is able to weave them all into such a riveting story.
The trilogy is a "quest to save the world" story that actually involves the whole world, not just a small corner that many of the worlds inhabitants don't even know about. Everybody knows what's going on.
The story is full of action, violence, horror, evil, good, love, romance, loss, redemption, magic, greed, dog and cats living together (okay, not that), but you get the idea. So much more than can be shared in a short (yeah, yeah) review.
Alan Spade does not spare our emotions at all. There are emotional highs and lows, no one is safe, no one can rest on their past achievements, and no one gets things the way they want them. This kept me as a reader on my toes, forget trying to predict the story.
Finally (yes I'm almost done), My favorite part of the book is the final two chapters, not because they were the climax, but because they weren't. So often quest stories end with the end of the quest. I'm always grateful to the authors who give us a strong epilogue. Even though the last two chapters are not officially designated as such, they are a completely satisfying epilogue. So, huge (YUUUGE) thanks to Alan Spade for The Flames of the Immolated. Enjoy!
Mike
As the title (Ardalia #3) suggests, this is the third and final installment in the Ardalia series (I'm so smart I scare myself sometimes). Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books The Breath of Aoles (#1) and Turquoise Water (#2), I was eager to read the conclusion. Mr. Spade provided an exciting conclusion to his trilogy.
The Flames of the Immolated continued the stories of several characters we met in the first books. As I said in my review of the second book, the characters continued to grow, no flat, stale characters here. The complexity of the story is incredible, balancing so many story lines and maintaining a coherent story is a real achievement.
The Flames of the Immolated is most definitely not a stand alone story. Refreshing yourself by skimming the second book would probably be beneficial, of course I didn't do that and I don't think I suffered for it. The story is so rich with unique characters both good and bad that I was left in awe of Alan Spade's imagination. That one writer could come up with such a variety of beings to populate his story just blows me away, let alone the fact that he is able to weave them all into such a riveting story.
The trilogy is a "quest to save the world" story that actually involves the whole world, not just a small corner that many of the worlds inhabitants don't even know about. Everybody knows what's going on.
The story is full of action, violence, horror, evil, good, love, romance, loss, redemption, magic, greed, dog and cats living together (okay, not that), but you get the idea. So much more than can be shared in a short (yeah, yeah) review.
Alan Spade does not spare our emotions at all. There are emotional highs and lows, no one is safe, no one can rest on their past achievements, and no one gets things the way they want them. This kept me as a reader on my toes, forget trying to predict the story.
Finally (yes I'm almost done), My favorite part of the book is the final two chapters, not because they were the climax, but because they weren't. So often quest stories end with the end of the quest. I'm always grateful to the authors who give us a strong epilogue. Even though the last two chapters are not officially designated as such, they are a completely satisfying epilogue. So, huge (YUUUGE) thanks to Alan Spade for The Flames of the Immolated. Enjoy!
Mike
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