The Travelers by Keith Wayne McCoy

TRAVELERS
The Travelers by Keith Wayne McCoy
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical
Length: Short Story (138 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Two time lines. One mystery. Sometimes the most intense journeys are not geographical.

In 1947, the Queen Mary transmits a message which is intercepted by extraterrestrial intelligence. This errant radio signal serves as a beacon for a North Atlantic encounter between James and Jess Bennett, a GI and his war bride, and an otherworldly, desperate mother and her two small children.

As we have already mentioned, an viagra no prescription fast online pharmacy is the best way to save money. Heart – As the heart has to https://www.unica-web.com/archive/2015/unica2015-candidates-jeanne-glass.html online viagra order work harder to do this. If there is any journal viagra 100 mg where a patient is being treated for heart, liver or kidney diseases, then it is strongly important to discuss the history with the doctor before starting the dose of this medication. Vasodilators are substances that are known in increase the size of arterial wall to decrease the arterial resistance and pressure. https://unica-web.com/archive/2007/hitlergruss.pdf order levitra online In the present day, Guy Turner, a melancholy, black filmmaker, finds himself at the center of a supernatural mystery after a haunting prelude with the now elderly mother in a corridor aboard the retired liner in Long Beach, California. Standing at the edge of eternity, the old woman and the Bennetts have the complex task of setting certain aspects of the past in order as the doors to their lives are closing.

Guy is thrust into an unexpected and unwanted voyage of self-discovery as he is solely enjoined to bring the three together one last time.

Many things are dulled by the passage of time. Love isn’t one of them.

The character development in this tale was strong, especially when it came to Guy’s personality and backstory. He has a complicated and sometimes contradictory set of motives that made me wish there will one day be at least one sequel dedicated to his personal evolution. Guy felt so real to me that I scrolled back up to the beginning to make sure this was a work of fiction. It was just that hard to believe that he wasn’t based on an actual human being.

The cast of characters is a little larger than I would have expected for something length. Had it been a little longer I don’t think I would have ever noticed this, but so many important people are introduced in the first chapter or two that I had a little trouble remembering who was who at first. This is a minor criticism, though, and as soon as I sorted everyone out I was quickly lured back into the enthralling plot.

Mr. McCoy wrote such detailed descriptions that I felt as though I was experiencing everything alongside the characters. From a sun-baked alien world to a retired transport ship, every single scene was so compelling that I ended up reading this story in one sitting. This was my first introduction to his work. Based on how impressed I was by his writing ability, I’m eagerly anticipating his next project.

The Travelers is an excellent choice for anyone who loves time travel in their science fiction. Be prepared to read it more than once though. I know I will!

Truth-Teller Rebellion by Kenneth D. Schultz

TRUTH
Truth-Teller Rebellion by Kenneth D. Schultz
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (292 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

He knows if you’re lying. She knows what you’re feeling.

In 4012, fossil fuels are exhausted and an Ice Age grips the Earth. After their parents are swept away in a flood, visitors reveal to a pair of teenage orphans the truth of their parent’s past, and they soon find themselves running for their lives. Hunted by assassins of the dictator who has invaded their country, Cary and Krin must learn to use the full extent of their powers and uncover the mysteries of their formidable family.

Can an eighteen-year-old truth-teller elude a psychopathic assassin long enough to uncover the secrets of his family’s past and unlock his formidable mental gifts?

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The world building in this book first becomes evident by the sometimes odd ways in which the characters speak. Archaic words are effortlessly mixed in with futuristic slang and references to cutting-edge technology. Strictly speaking this isn’t steampunk, but I do see some influence from that genre in the ways in which the characters communicate about certain ideas. It took me a few chapters to adjust to some of their odder uses of syntax, but once I did I really enjoyed learning about how Cary and Krin think in particular based on the types of words they choose to use and how they string them together.

I never quite became comfortable with being introduced to a new scene only for it to end so rapidly. The inclusion of extremely short scenes works well in the introduction because of how quickly the plot heats up, but I would have preferred to have more time to settle into later scenes once various subplots begin to bump into one another.

Mr. Schultz’s scenery descriptions are not to be missed. The earth has changed a great deal over the past few thousand years, and the best passages in this story describe how humanity has adapted to some pretty extreme climate shifts in North America. Enough time has passed that none of these dangers are particularly newsworthy to characters who have never known any other way of life, but as a reader I really enjoyed quietly comparing their world to my own.

There was also a lot of telling instead of showing in this novel. Due to the large cast of characters I certainly wouldn’t expect every thought or emotion to be conveyed to the reader indirectly, but it was difficult to remain invested in what happened to certain individuals when so much of what I know about their personalities come from the author directly telling me what kind of people they are instead of uncovering it for myself.

What I liked most about this book was how intelligently the characters respond to the dangerous situations they find themselves trapped in. I may not have always understood why they made certain choices, but Cary and Krin were written in such a way that they honestly act and sound like two teenagers who grew up herding cattle on the steppes. They know how to react quickly in a crisis and are clearly used to thinking creatively and making the best of their resources.

I would recommend Truth-Teller Rebellion to anyone who has ever read a post-apocalyptic book and wondered how humanity would adjust to such a cataclysmic change in their circumstances over the course of several millennia.

House on Hollow Hill by R. J. Hore

HORE
House on Hollow Hill by R. J. Hore
The Housetrap Chronicles, III
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (108 Pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

What could be simpler for a PI and his gal than attending a high-fashion weekend in the country to keep a close eye on the erratic host that someone wants dead?

Relationships levitra online india get under strain and eventually breakup. Impairment in social cognition is associated with schizophrenia as symptoms of paranoia as a result of which social cute-n-tiny.com generic viagra sample isolation commonly occurs. According to studies, nearly cute-n-tiny.com generic levitra online 10 to 20 percent men are using ED drugs unnecessarily. However, it is always considered to assist with nutrition in case of http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/horse/page/2/ ordine cialis on line advanced cancer patients. Sounds like a simple assignment. Randy and Bertha go undercover for a high class weekend in the country, all expenses paid. All they have to do is pretend to be somebody else while keeping a close eye on their host, Archibald Anthony, the famous Serial Painter, and mingle with the other guests, exchanging pleasantries. Their job? To keep Anthony alive until the long weekend is over and sort through the suspects when the bodies start falling.

Of course the guests include some of the top rungs of the social ladder: vampires, elves, hobgoblins, goblins, trolls, gremlins, plus the addition of the varied staff members loose on the estate. Strangely enough, almost everyone seems to have their own private agenda.

Randolf C. Aloysius and his assistant, Bertha Wildwater, are hired for what is supposed to be a simple undercover assignment. They are hired to ensure that Archibald Anthony, the famous serial painter, stays alive throughout the weekend. The letter Randy receives giving him this assignment says, “You may be wondering why we have hired you. Artists of this stature are famous for being fickle and having enemies, and Anthony is a member of the Irrationist School of Modernistic Interpretation. They are feuding with at least two other groups, the Realistic Methodists for Landscapeture and Image Depiction, and the Anarchistic Academy of Delineation and Portraiture.”

And so the fun begins. This is an exciting, fast-paced novel with a bevy of suspects among the weekend guests as well as the varied staff members. Suspects are eliminated when they become victims, and Randy and Bertha have their work cut out for them. I liked both Randy and Bertha and found them to be very believable and real characters. Bertha, a half banshee, definitely knows how to handle herself and thanks to some night classes she also knows a bit of magic. But is it enough to keep ahead of the vampires, gremlins, and other assorted characters?

The setting is shown in humorous and complete detail. Randy and Bertha begin their adventures in Muddy Hogland Town which has “the atmosphere of a Venusian swamp.” It is descriptions such as this which add to the tone of the novel which reads like a crime detective story in the noir tradition. Mysteries abound and it is difficult to tell the villains from the merely greedy and grasping.

Many of the chapters open with a favorite saying from one of Randy’s relatives, and those are both humorous and revealing. Randy may think he is the detective, but he gets a lot of help from Bertha and the two work surprisingly well together. Fans of the fantasy detective story will certainly enjoy this fun and exciting mystery, filled with many quirky and unusual characters.

Out of the Cave by Cotton E. Davis

CAVE
Out of the Cave by Cotton E. Davis
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (219 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

First, Adam was hurt. Then, he was betrayed. Now, Adam is mad.

Timewarp Inc, brings Adam Stancil, a 15-year-old Neanderthal boy to this century, where he is mainstreamed into a Midwestern high school. As he assimilates into modern culture, makes friends, deals with bullies, plays on the football team, he discovers it was human ancestors who, back in the Ice Ages, murdered his people with superior weaponry. First, Adam was hurt. Then, he felt betrayed. Now, Adam is mad.

Humans often fear things we haven’t experienced before or don’t understand. Is prejudice integral to the ways in which our species interacts with the unknown, or is it a something that can be unlearned?
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High school is one of the most difficult times in life to stand out from the crowd. The idea of attending a school full of adolescents from another species is what first drew me into Adam’s world. My compassion for his growing pains grew as I got to know the Neanderthal boy who was raised by humans. His responses to a world he has been largely shielded from are as humorous and they are realistic, and the scenes in which he acclimates to his new school are by far the best in this tale.

This is the second entry in the TimeWarp series. It can be read as a standalone novel. While I had no problem getting caught up on everything I needed to know as someone who is unfamiliar with these characters, the brief references to the adventures certain individuals had earlier on in the TimeWarp timeline are intriguing.

Jumping between the perspectives of so many different people was jarring at times. Adam’s point of view is fascinating to me because his understanding of human culture is so heavily influenced by his earliest memories. It was less interesting to see how other people react to him, and while I gained the occasional insight into the personalities and motivations of his classmates I would have preferred to spend more time in Adam’s head.

The way Adam is treated by some members of his community also made me pause. The slurs used against him were historically used in extremely racist contexts, and while I understand the comparison the author was making I would have liked to see the characters approach this topic with more nuanced discussions. The parallels between Adam’s treatment and modern day prejudices are only superficially explored. I hope that these themes will be given more time to develop if Mr. Davis decides to continue this series as they really are quite fascinating.

With that being said, I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters. Clearly a lot of time was put into developing their backstories and personalities, and all of that effort shines through in the sensitive, multi-dimensional portrayal of Adam in particular. He has the most extensive character development of anyone in this book by far. I did not want his adventure to end and was a little sad to say goodbye at the end of the plot.

Out of the Cave is full of questions about human nature. It’s a good choice for readers who like to have their minds stretched, and I recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind a little philosophy in their young adult fiction.

City of Magic by Kyra Dune

MAGIC
City of Magic by Kyra Dune
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, YA
Length: Short Story (116 Pages)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

Charlie has finally reached the City Of Magic, where waits the lost elven magic he has been searching for. But the city is a ruin, his friends are missing, and there is a darkness known only as the Void slowly creeping over everything.

When Charlie comes across a group of elves, he hopes they will be able to help him locate the Silver Catacombs, but everything is not as it seems. There are two groups of elves in the city, one who resist the Void and one who worship it. It’ll be up to Charlie to figure out who his true allies are. Danger lurks around every crumbling ruin and betrayal always comes from within.

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Kyra Dune has written an action-packed story filled not only with intrigue and betrayal, but also with love and sacrifice. Charlie is a strong character, richly defined. In addition, Dune has portrayed many of the other characters easily and fully by narrating events from several different perspectives. This use of multiple points of view is very effective and allows the reader to understand what is going on in each of the character’s head, gaining a greater understanding of both the characters and the story. The reader is thus able to see into the hearts of the various characters, something that is very important in a plot that is all about betrayal. However, even with this insight, the plot still takes on some unexpected twists and turns along the way.

This book is a sequel to The Silver Catacombs, and while it certainly stands alone and is a complete and exciting story all by itself, I was very glad that I had already read The Silver Catacombs. Knowing the history of the land and the relationships between the characters made this book much richer. I would certainly recommend reading both books. In fact, given the lengths of these books I would love to see them combined into one volume.

City of Magic is the story of a heroic quest and also coming of age for several of the characters. It is a fun book, filled with action, but also a book which raises some important themes of loyalty, honesty, and of course, good and evil. Anyone who enjoys fantasy will certainly enjoy reading City of Magic.

The Pact by Graeme Brown

PACT
The Pact by Graeme Brown
Publisher: Burst
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, YA
Length: Short Story (48 Pages)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

Will Lesterall has grown up in the safety of his father’s castle, where tales of the outside world ruled by warring kings and creatures of nightmare have never seemed a threat. Yet on the night celebrating the two hundredth year of the sacred Pact that has kept Fort Lesterall safe, a secret intrigue ripens, and in the course of a few hours Will is confronted with a choice greater than he can comprehend.

Join an unlikely hero as destiny pulls him into the middle of an ancient conflict between fallen gods and ambitious women, one that demands blood, both holy and wicked, and the power of an ancient fire bound in steel. As swords clash below a watching wood, hope and betrayal war as fiercely as fear and valor, and whether he lives of dies, Will Lesterall will never be the same.

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Graeme Brown has written an excellent story with a most unlikely hero. I really like Will Lesterall, and I find his actions to be believable and heart-warming. He is “short and fat, with a round, plain face,” and he envies his older brother Robin, who at thirteen has an easy way with the girls. But when the Pact is broken and war breaks out and Will and Robin are dragged off through the tunnels and into the forest, it is Will who has to act. Will isn’t a soldier; he has no training and he can’t climb well or easily. Nevertheless, destiny pulls him into the battle and his actions will determine the future for his land.

It is refreshing to have a hero such as Will, someone who is honest, with a good heart, without any apparent special prowess or abilities. The story is action-packed and moves at a fast pace. Everything is explained, and it all holds together nicely, but personally, I would have liked a longer story so that more depth could have been given to some of the secondary characters. It works well as it is now, but I enjoyed it enough that I was sorry to see it end and I would have liked to know more.

I would recommend this for 12+ even though Will is ten, because there is some graphic violence. I think this would make an excellent choice for classroom discussion. In addition, I found it to be an exciting, well-developed story which I recommend to readers of all ages who love fantasy.

Twelve Dancing Priestesses by L.T. Getty

12
Twelve Dancing Priestesses by L.T. Getty
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Historical, Horror
Length: Short Story (29 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Daisy

For almost a year, every month surrounding a full moon, young girls have vanished without a trace from their homes in their small town and its surrounding farms. Just before the next child is set to disappear, a young stranger arrives. Only, she too is a young girl, a strange traveling musician who holds a bond closer to her fiddle than to any human being, and those who hear her say she wields an otherwordly power when she plays.

This short is haunting, a new story which resembles fairy tales of old. Arella has her own, odd, way of speaking which singles her out as well as creates her character. She and her fiddle are joined as if one, with striking similarities to the pied piper when the locals’ concern is taken into account.
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The plot is fast paced and reaches a surprising conclusion which is intriguing, if not entirely satisfying. There is need for the twist to be better foreshadowed in the main text as it comes out of nowhere rather than acts as a true surprise.

However, that should not detract too much from Getty’s accomplishments here. There is consistently great description and an air of homelessness to the story. It is obviously in the past but an exact century or decade, even country, would be hard to pick. Far from being a problem, this is a virtue. It has the enchanting allure of allowing me to place the action in my own back garden, should I wish. This makes the horror later on seem all the more real.

Getty does the job: she portrays a small town and its culture down to minute detail. In the process, she creates a magical world on the border of history and place, a fairy town for a new fairy tale.

The Queen’s Pawn by R. J. Hore

PAWN
The Queen’s Pawn by R. J. Hore
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (254 Pages)
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

Young Harow just wanted to stay on the farm for the rest of his life, but his mother insisted he go to school in the City to study to be a priest. Now the City is in flames and he is racing across unfamiliar countryside trying to get the mysterious and sensuous Queen Reginee and her extremely annoying and very spoiled daughter Desiree-Rose to safety. Of course there is a rebel army hot on their heels, black wizardry afoot, and sundry and dangerous creatures and villains, monstrous and common, seductive or evil, lurking along the way. If this were not enough for the youth to worry about, the Queen’s amorous chambermaid and bodyguard Mathilde, a smallish giantess, just wants to get him alone.

Harow only wants to be a country farmer like his father and brother, but his mother has other plans for him. She wants him to study for the priesthood, and so Harow finds himself in the city when the rebels attack. Panic reigns as the mob surges back and forth, pushing and clawing its way toward any possible sanctuary. Harow struggles to maintain his balance and eventually finds himself in a narrow lane which he hopes will lead him out of the city. And that is when his life changes forever as his robe is grabbed by a dying man who begs Harow to carry a message to the Queen. Then Harow is stopped by a mage who insists that Harow must fulfill his promise, and before Harow can even think, the two of them are headed to the palace to deliver the message. And so Harow, the student, is now masquerading as Duke Rickard, a famous war-leader.
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R. J. Hore has written a gripping and fascinating medieval fantasy which had me captured from the opening paragraph. Harow has never been on a horse and he has never held a sword, but all of a sudden he is in charge of rescuing the Queen and her daughter and getting them to safety. The only soldiers Harow has are the Queen’s palace guards who also have never seen combat. The mage pretends to be Machia, Harow’s servant, and he guides Harow’s actions from the background, although he always seems to have his own agenda. But Harow adapts quickly to his new position. The story is told primarily from Harow’s perspective and he is a very real person, both simple and complex, and I found myself totally engaged in his life. I also liked Queen Reginee who is smart and able to withstand the rigors of travel far better than her spoiled daughter. Many of the supporting characters are also richly drawn, adding to the depth of the story.

The lands Howe and his party travel through are described vividly and in great detail, so that I really felt as if I were one of the group. The plot has a number of unexpected twists, which certainly add to the suspense. The action is fast-paced with never a dull or slow moment. And the ending was both believable and satisfactory.

If you enjoy fantasy set in a medieval world, I am sure you will really enjoy The Queen’s Pawn. The engaging characters as well as the complex plot make for an exciting novel from start to finish.

Housetrap by R. J. Hore

HOUSETRAP
Housetrap by R. J. Hore
The Housetrap Chronicles, 1
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (85 Pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

A missing boyfriend, an elf on the run and Martian vampires. What’s a private eye to do?

Randolf C. Aloysius is a hard-boiled private eye in the best sense of that profession. He says that he is a Mongrel. “You can never tell about Mongrels, and there are more of us around now ever since the Goldilocks affair.” I was hooked by the opening of this novel: “I don’t like Elves, never have. I sat tilting back in my chair counting the stains on the ceiling when she walked through the open door of my inner office unannounced.” The story takes place in the future on Earth when travel to other planets is commonplace. It is a world populated with many different species, such as Banshees, Elves, Demons, Vampires, Trolls, and even some humans, although there aren’t any human characters in this story.
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The plot starts out simply enough. Aloysius is hired to find a runaway lover and an antique wedding ring. However, as he soon discovers, nothing is simple about this job, and the plot moves swiftly with lots of twists and turns before the job is completed. I really liked the use of the first person narrator, and Aloysius has a unique way of looking at the world. The descriptions of Central City are detailed and fascinating. “Outside, evening settled around Central City. A gentle rain streaked the windowpane, creating false images and moving pictures that faded and ran. The flickering glow from the dangling yellow bulb overhead cast barely enough light to read the note by. The wizards at the powerhouse were having problems harnessing the tornadoes again tonight.”

The story is definitely plot driven and the other characters serve that plot. Aloysius doesn’t trust any of them and so neither did I, and it turns out that no one is quite what they seem and everyone is out for whatever they can get. Aloysius has to navigate through webs of deception and he manages that very skillfully.

If you enjoy the hard-boiled crime novel set in a fantastic world with lots of interesting characters, then this just might be what you are looking for.

Dial M for Mudder by R. J. Hore

MUDDER
Dial M for Mudder by R. J. Hore
The Housetrap Chronicles
Publisher: Burst Book
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (110 Pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

In Central City’s shady underworld, even the mob bosses have trouble with theft. Randolph C. Aloysius, a well-known local detective who prefers to work alone, is hired by the Big Gnome (aka Fat Bob) to recover a missing statue. And the Big Gnome insists Randy take famous assassin, Faster Frederica, an X-rated Troll who likes to play with knives, along with him.

If that is not trouble enough, Randy must lead an expedition into the swamps of Venus made up of Faster, a Hobgoblin senior citizen, with a teenage Goblin for a guide. Did I mention the evil wizard?
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Randolph C. Aloysius is a Central City private eye who is hired to recover a missing statue. The case turns nasty and Randy’s employer assigns him a bodyguard, Faster Frederica, an X-rated Troll. I enjoyed the description of the traffic jam they end up in on the way to a victim’s apartment as I think that the description captures both the city and the tone of the novel. “The traffic ground almost to a halt here, what with Goblins pushing handcarts down the middle of the road, Trolls sprawled on the sidewalk panhandling, Gremlins lifting purses, Ogres hawking handbags, Fairies flaunting flower arrangements, and Leprechauns who obviously hadn’t been home since yesterday, weaving and dancing through the crowd, singing off-key at the top of their considerable lungs, ignoring any differences between sidewalk and thoroughfare.” Randy has his work cut out for him and before he knows it, he is on his way to the swamps of Venus.

R. J. Hore has written a very enjoyable fantasy crime story with a hard-boiled detective. The plot moves quickly with a number of twists and turns so that Randy has to work hard to stay ahead of the game. He is aided, or at times hampered, by not only Faster, but also Miss Vickky, a Hobgoblin senior citizen, and a teenage Goblin named Scotty. I found myself liking all four of these characters, and it was fun to follow the dynamics between them. Hore’s descriptions of Venus after the Wizards have terraformed it are also amazing, and frightening enough that I never want to go there in person.

I did find it a bit annoying to have every chapter start with a paragraph beginning “I don’t like . . .not since. . .” and end with, “But I digress.” It is true that those paragraphs add color and definition to Randy’s character and life, but I still found the repetitive pattern to be a bit formulaic. However, that really didn’t distract me from a very enjoyable read.

If you like classic crime novels in the noir tradition, then why not read Dial M for Mudder which gives a fun fantasy twist to this genre with interesting characters and a fast moving plot.