The narrator for this book is Emma Cabezas – there should have been other options here; but I’ll discuss this below. There’s a decent amount of descriptions as Emma makes her way through her journey, and the plot moves at a steady pace with the flow moving smoothly from one scene to another.
– 4* review
An epic story of family and contrasts. Twenty years after England abolishes slavery, one sister marries a rice plantation owner in South Carolina. Another marries a reporter who joins the family in the south. Slavery and Empire contrast each other as well as race and acceptance, cruelty and benevolence. The English view of the antebellum south presents an outsider’s perspective of America's peculiar institution as well as other challenges and dangers of nineteenth-century life. Letters across the ocean provide background information and need narration to the reader, and separate chapters and sections document the division of a nation. Well done history with a fiction that will keep the non-historian reading.
– 5* review
Aled is an Absolutist and believes in Absolute truth and has the proof of gods existence, Grey is a Liberalist and believes in free will. There is a War between the two factions leading the world in to dystopia. An original, thought provoking tale
– 4* review
Greg Kater's second book Warramunga in the series does not disappoint. For those seeking a realistic 1940s Action- Adventure novel, this is it. The story reads like a period movie filled with thrills and characters the reader will want to know. Jamie and Jacko are home from the war and working for the Australian Commonwealth Investigative Service. The war's end, however, does not mean peace and quiet for those who have survived. There are still war crimes to prosecute, and as Jamie and Jacko discover there, others are willing to take advantage of the chaos that war has brought. Jamie, Jacko and their new allies discover an international child kidnapping/pedophile ring and seek to put a stop to it. Offsetting this appalling crime, Kater manages to capture the setting of and culture of the Philippines in an exceptional way. Very well written to the point that one would think Kater was a first-hand witness to the events.
– 5* review
Love, hate, evil, business and politics without borders. This is the story of it all. Suspense is in the knowing which plot line is the main one. Characters are well developed. Reader is hard-pressed to know for sure who are the good guys and who are the criminals. However, the narration feels more like project management meeting more often than not. Plus there are a few plot lines that seem unneccessary, to say the least. And the whole story ends… I would have called this novel a love story rather than crime/mystery novel.
– 3* review
Reverend Cici Gurule’s identical twin sister was murdered two years ago. But the bond between the twins is stronger than even death, and now CIci’s twin is determined to guide her surviving sister to the aid of a kidnapped woman. At least, when she thinks of it…
‘Heritage of Death’ offers a refreshingly down-to-earth approach to sisterly relations. As Cici herself complains, “Weeks go by with nothing from you, and now you send me this?” Cici does her best to decipher her dead twin’s clues while she tries to unknot a web of possible domestic abuse, a series of missing women, and her own tentative entanglement with Detective Sam Chastain.
– 4* review
McFarland takes you on a rollicking journey with 1950s style whodunit capers that feature The Thin Mann (T.T. Mann), a private detective who stands six feet tall and weighs a mere twenty-two pounds. Surrounded by a colorful cast of characters, T.T. follows the clues and takes you along for the journey. Will he get his man?
– 4* review
With sinister forces busily at work, farming had proven to be a deadly business for the panic-stricken town of River's Edge. A lethal blow had struck one of its leading citizens. There's a murderer on the loose and its unknown who might be next. The killing won't stop until all loose ends are tied.
– 4* review
This book was a great read full of suspense and intrigue that kept me up late at night. A dangerous killer is hiding among the beauty of the wilderness awaiting his next victim. Coping with her own personal losses, Samantha’s determination to find the killer puts her in more than one dangerous situation. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery.
– 5* review
Set during the period of Late Antiquity during the 6th century B.C., a young man searches for meaning in a world torn between the prevailing Greco-Roman cultural and religious traditions, and the emerging Germanic and Christian traditions that later formed the foundations of the culture of Europe.
Silvanus grows up in an isolated village at the far end of a small island. When his father suffers a grievous injury rendering him unable to work or travel, young Silvanus must undertake a treacherous journey alone over the mountains to the city of Fabricia to sell their wares at market and bring much needed supplies back to the family. The journey is fraught with danger and temptations and Silvanus endures many hardships that he blames on a vengeful and unforgiving God named Aquila.
It is during his trip back to his village that he encounters a young runaway slave girl who begins to enlighten him on her belief in a Christian God who is benevolent and forgiving. It appears to Silvanus that this Friend to man could be the father figure he has been searching for, but he is not yet ready to forsake the beliefs he has been indoctrinated in since childhood. When the two youngsters encounter a wise sage living in a cave, he guides Silvanus’s journey toward spiritual enlightenment and encourages his quest for meaning.
Much like Hermann Hesse’s Siddartha, Silvanus’s spiritual journey is told in a simple lyrical style. However, the characters lack the depth and complexity that make them easy to relate to. The plot relies heavily on narration rather than action or dialogue. As a result, the pacing is sometimes slow, making it difficult to build and maintain tension.
I would recommend this book to those interested in stories of religious enlightenment.
– 4* review
Frightening insight into a not-so-impossible future. This suspenseful, emotionally rich page-turner shows the dark side of the advanced technology and social networks; the twisted morals of a society driven by superficial social status and manipulated by the elite. The imperfect, realistic characters’ lives brilliantly show the possible consequences of one’s choices.
– 5* review
“Wanting more than you need seems to be a basic human trait.”
So very, very true. Like the Mr. Ness in the “Downward Spiral of the Disenfranchised Consumer”, I found myself savoring each story in this eclectic collection, then wanting more. Oram touches on a wide range of concepts here, each intricately engaging and thought provoking on its own. The power of human touch. The process of the scam – desperation, deception and snake oil in a ragged dystopian landscape. Need versus want. Familiarity. Contempt. Continual anxiety. Disposability. Even gender identity.
My only complaint here is that I really and truly wanted more. Nearly every one of these shorts had novella possibility. The smattering of flash fiction was especially teasing. The differentness of each piece is also amazing. This isn’t a unified collection on a theme – it’s an assembly of vignettes into disparate worlds, each of which overflows with possibilities for future stories. I look forward to reading them.
– 5* review
Noemie’s Journey is a wonderfully evocative story, with enduring characters and a writing style that cuts straight to the heart. Set in the turbulent 1960s, it poignantly addresses the divide between traditional values and moral imperatives. It’s a beautiful romance whose historical setting frames the obstacles they had to overcome.
– 5* review
This was a good historical romance. The main character is developed well enough that you care about what happens to her. The story flows well, and the captions with the date help show the passage of time. The descriptions are vivid and do not overwhelm the story or slow it down. I enjoyed the book.
– 4* review
In Prelude to the Shards, author Michael Timmins begins three distinct storylines that together create the vivid and immersive world of Ismia. This detailed and movement-driven collection sets up what is sure to be a fantastic new series.
– 4* review
A rip roaring teen or YA fantasy adventure that pushes three friends to the limit, as they try and follow each of their quests to their hearts desire. Power corrupts, and we are left wondering if Roland will fall into savagery or rise to glory with his new and unbeatable power. A simple and fun read.
– 4* review
