Flame of Deception

The Wielders of Power

Book One

A "sword and sorcery" type story (one of my favorite genres). The opening entry of a series (I don't see any info as to how many books to expect), The Wielders of Power. And an excellent start it is. 

Set in a preindustrial, medieval land, our heroes are drawn into a situation in which the "fate of the world hangs in the balance" (my quote, not from the book). The four protagonists: Ron, the leader of the troupe, Grant, his best friend, Nora, Ron's romantic interest (If he can screw up the courage to tell her) and Shaw an older more experienced advisor.

The story is this bands quest to stop an evil practitioner of a long thought extinct power (the Flame). For an epic fantasy I find Flame of Deception to be more intricately crafted than most. The reader is treated to a tale filled with twists, turns, secrets and surprises. This supports my policy of not sharing spoilers; the reader deserves the pleasure of discovering these plot devices for themselves.

A morality tale; Flame of Deception leaves the reader to try and identify the good versus the evil. As in real life these concepts are not so clearly defined as one might think. Deciding where each character falls on the moral continuum is left to the reader. As a reader I appreciate this being left to me. I don't like to be led by the nose through a story. 

A couple minor points: first, I don't see a resolution of a particular conflict which is usually a part of a series, each book usually answers some minor part of the overarching plot. Thankfully, there is no cliffhanger to contend with (thank you Mr. Trevizo). Second, and infinitely less important, The name of our main hero "Ron", really, Ron?! He is following in the footsteps of mythic historic figures named Taroth and Thalom. Truly awesome names for epic figures. And now our new epic hero is: Ron?!! Oh well, who am I to question the author, it is after all, his story to tell. And I am glad I get to read it, so I'll shut up now.

I truly enjoyed Flame of Deception: The Wielders of Power Book One. If you enjoy "sword and sorcery" tales, I think you will enjoy this first installment of an epic fantasy series.

Enjoy!

Mike 

Fractal Noise

 

I won a print copy of Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini in a Goodreads Giveaway.

This book is difficult to review. Based on the writing style and story line it is excellent. The reader is taken on an arduous journey of exploration on a foreign planet. Subplots are tight, conflicting motivations are well developed as are the characters in general. The writing kept me engaged through the entirety of the tale. It was not a quick read for me because the story was very dark and depressing. It was difficult for me to stay in it for long periods, but I was engrossed while reading. While the story was singularly focused on the exploration, there was enough variation to hold the readers interest.

So, you may be asking at this point: What is so difficult? Well, for me, the climax was seriously disappointing. In fact, in my humble opinion, there was no real climax. It is obviously the ending the author intended (he wrote it after all), but I have to admit: I don't get it. It was, if anything - anticlimactic. It just sort of ends. After hanging on for the long strenuous trek across a desolate yet violent landscape it felt like "okay we're done now". That was it, For me, Very unsatisfying. So, apparently I missed the point. Not something that usually happens to me. I have not read any other of this authors work, perhaps it is part of his style I don't know.

Anyway, Fractal Noise is not a waste of time by any means, but be prepared for a different kind of ending.

Enjoy!

Mike

                                                                               

 Author Garth Petterson provided me with an ecopy of The Sea's Edge for review. 

I have had the pleaser of reading now, three of the four books in The Atheling Chronicles. Somehow I missed the first (I have to fix that). My review site is titled "Books are Theater of the Mind" and author Garth Petterson's work lives up to that claim admirably. 

Set in medieval Engla-lond and its environs, this story chronicles the continuing tale of a somewhat reluctant warrior hero,  Harald, son of King Cnute. Author Petterson paints a vivid picture of a harsh yet beautiful landscape. Woven in among storylines of ruthless warlords and intricate political schemes is a love story. Harald, not one to shirk his duty as the son of a king, still focuses on his love for Selia his wife. We read the story of a man struggling to maintain balance in his life. As a historical novel, The Sea's Edge probably takes liberties with the actual history and I am certainly not qualified to comment on its historical accuracy. Frankly I don't care. I do know, from perusing a lengthy bibliography of source material, I'm inclined to think it pretty historically accurate. The point of a novel is to be entertaining and The Sea's Edge achieves this goal without question.

The action and intrigue are riveting. It keeps the reader enthralled and engaged while the love storyline provides relief from becoming overwhelmed and possibly numbed by too much graphic violence. In addition to the main love interests (my view as the main characters) we have lust driven players, women who use men's lusts to political advantage and feckless wimps in positions of leadership. Spies, allies and warriors of varying degrees of loyalty. I encourage lovers of historical fiction, medieval fiction or political intrigue to give The Sea's Edge a read. I think you will find it is a good way to pass some time in another time and place. Enjoy! 

                                                                                     

I received an ecopy of Duties and Dreams from author John A. Heldt for review.

If you are the reader who want short down and dirty reviews, I offer this: WOW! Read this book! There you don't need to read any further.

For those of you who want a bit more, please continue.

As the final installment of the Second Chance series Duties and Dreams concludes the story of the Carpenter clan. Once again we see the growth of an author who is developing into a story teller with few peers. I say in many of my reviews of his work that Mr. Heldt sets the bar of excellence higher for himself with each new book. With this story he clears that bar with ample room to spare.

Readers of my reviews know I don't give away a lot of the story, that's why you read the book. You don't need me to tell you the story. I will share though that Duties and Dreams, set before and during WWI, is so detailed and engrossing. But don't think it is a "war story". It goes way beyond. The level of character development and story building is sublime. Mr. Heldt has always had the ability to draw in the reader and elicit an emotional reaction to the story. This time that ability was on display in spades. The last quarter of the book was, for me, an emotional roller coaster. A truly exhilarating ride. The personal crises each character faced, as well as the family complications demonstrated the authors deft handling of complicated and intertwined storylines. No character is given short shrift here, even more ancillary characters. It is overall one of the most satisfying conclusions to a series that I have had the pleasure of reading.

A bit off topic here. I have read books offering the premise that when authors put pen to page, they are actually building a world in another dimension or plane. The world Mr. Heldt has created is a seriously interesting place. Just imagine a world where time travel is an everyday option, people would be popping in and out everywhere. How bizarre.

Forgive my somewhat lengthy review but this book did blow my mind. I always know I am in for a fun read with Mr. Heldt's books. But truly Duties and Dreams sets a new standard. I strongly encourage you to read this series and to prepare yourself for an unforgettable adventure.

Enjoy!

 

I actually bought The Return Of The Gods.

I read this book in just a few days. A very easy (but troubling) read. The parallels to current societal activities will scare most people (and they should). The connections to pagan worship are documented here thoroughly and in some depth. The readers own spiritual foundation will determine their reaction to this work. Christians, Hebrews, and I would think, Muslims, will be concerned maybe even scared, but not particularly surprised. Their religious traditions point to these things are going to happen. Those without any spiritual foundation may not care and may actually support the "Return Of The Gods". No matter the location the readers level of spirituality falls on a continuum from the most un- or anti- spiritual to the most devout follower of any particular religion, this book will prompt introspection on the part of the reader.

The author does get a bit repetitive at times, but his points are well supported. Enjoy may not be the proper ending here but this book is worth reading by anyone concerned about what's happening in society these days.

 

Author John A. (the "A" is important) Heldt  provided an ecopy of Annie's Apple for review.

Annie's Apple is the second entry in the Second Chance series. I have read and reviewed all of Mr. Heldt's books to date. I am beginning to run out of descriptors for his writing without sounding redundant. Fortunately for his readers his work is not redundant, he has maintained the ability keep his work new and engaging. I have read other authors whose work is so predictable that the reader can think "I'm on page such and such, it's time for a plot twist". Not so with Heldt's work. 

There is a great plot twist in Annie's Apple that is a new wrinkle in the whole time-traveler genre and I loved it. I actually saw it coming. Mr. Heldt planned it that way, and I'm glad I was quick enough to get the hints. You'll have to read the book since I don't do spoilers.

The one thing Mr. Heldt has brought to each story he has written, is his ability to grab the readers emotions and have his way with them. He has an absolute mastery of the ability to evoke an emotional response with very few words. Readers always experience an emotional roller coaster ride while engrossed in his stories. I actually spent several days reading Annie's Apple, not because of any shortcoming in the book, but, because I didn't want to leave the story too soon. It's the kind of story a reader can really immerse themselves in. I love the worlds he creates for us, they are times and people I would like to visit. 

The purpose of fictional story telling is to transport the reader, take them to a place far from the daily grind, where they can forget daily life and enter into the magical world of imagination. Escapism at it's very best.

I know I haven't given a whole lot of detail about Annie's Apple's actual storyline, so here goes. It is set in early 1900's New York. Mainly the story of Annie Carpenter (surprise), her ups and downs and ethical dilemmas. There. I don't like to write a recap of the story, I prefer to focus on why the book is worth a readers time. 

Annie's Apple is an excellent follow up to The Fountain, readers will enjoy following the continuing adventures of the Carpenter sibling as the make the most of their "second chance". Enjoy!

Mike

 

I recently received a copy of A Tale Of Darkness from author Jacob Ruder for review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I found it very entertaining (the reason I read in the first place). I know that there are social messages woven into this work but I will leave the discussion of those to other reviewers. My days of reading for educative purposes are long past me. As I said I read for entertainment.

As entertainment, A Tale Of Darkness fills the bill quite nicely. It has romance, internal conflict, war, sort of a coming of age, good versus evil along with some interesting twists and turns. I did enjoy the flipping of some tropes in the whole good vs evil conflict. The story line of Forset (I kept wanting to see Forest) and Vona was a take on Romeo and Juliet but with a better outcome (closest to a spoiler you'll get from me).

This is apparently the first work by this author and is a good debut. Perhaps a bit simple in that I could see what was coming at times, but this didn't impact my enjoyment of the story. It will be interesting to watch this authors growth as he continues to write, and he should continue to write.

A Tale Of Darkness is officially a fantasy though it does not really need to be read as such. The fantasy themes, for me, took a backseat to the overall story and it worked well here. The story was strong enough to carry the reader without resorting to fantastical elements. They are there but they are not the main focus. In my opinion a strong story is more important. Kind of like a movie that relies on special effects rather than a good storyline. So, hats off to Jacob Ruder for a good, strong and entertaining story. Enjoy!

Mike