Reaper: A Horror Novella by Jonathan Pongratz

April 11, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Reaper: A Horror Novella by Jonathan Pongratz
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Holiday, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (96 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Gregory and his little sister Imogen love spending Halloween with their parents. But this year is different. If he proves he can take care of Imogen all by himself, he’ll finally have the allowance he’s dreamed of.

That was before the basement door opened on its own. Before the strange door appeared in the basement and Imogen was taken from him by the monster.
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Now everyone in town is blaming him for her disappearance, but no one is listening to his story. Where did the door come from? What was that creature? And most of all, can he find his sister before it’s too late, or will he bury his memories of her along with his parents?

Parents are supposed to protect their children. After a young girl disappeared, the question of where she went and what happened to her was impossible to ignore.

Wow, this was a scary read. Gregory was someone who’d grown up with certain Halloween customs that were so ordinary to him he barely even thought to mention them to the audience. I was glad this was explained so well because it made the rest of the bizarre events Gregory experienced much more understandable. There were a couple of times when I would have run screaming from the stuff he went through. Somehow, those scenes were even scarier than they might have otherwise been because of how differently I interpreted them when compared to Gregory’s much calmer response.

There was a little bit too much foreshadowing in this tale. As someone who has a lot of experience reading this genre, I was able to figure out several of the plot twists well ahead of time. I still enjoyed reading it quite a bit, but it would have been nice to have fewer clues about what was going to happen next. I would have given it a perfect rating if this had been the case.

The ending was fantastic. It answered all of my most important questions but still left me wishing there was more to it. I liked the fact that it left space for a sequel while still feeling like a satisfactory conclusion if Mr. Pongratz decides to leave this universe as is. This is exactly how open-ended stories should be written!

If you love Halloween and all things creepy, I’d definitely recommend giving Reaper: A Horror Novella a try.

Filed Under: Horror, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Beyond the El by John Chu

April 11, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Beyond the El by John Chu
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (26 pages)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Connor is a food crafter just getting back into the business after his mother’s death. To cope with his grief, Connor spends day after day recreating her potstickers, but they are never quite what he remembers. To move on with his life, he will have to confront his past.

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Food can be such a powerful stimulant for dredging up old memories. The references to food were what first attracted me to this tale, and the descriptions of it were one of biggest reasons why I kept reading. The main character was someone who had spent much of his life thinking about what to eat next. More than anything, he wanted to taste his deceased mother’s famous dumplings again, and it was that desire that propelled him forward when everything else in his life seemed to be grinding to a standstill.

I would have liked to see more time spent explaining Connor’s powers. His ability to transform one ingredient into another was incredible. He did it so effortlessly that I couldn’t help but to want to know where that power came from and how he learned to use it so effectively. The fact that so many people around him seemed to take his ability for granted only made me more curious. It would have been really helpful to have this portion of the plot fleshed out more so that some of the decisions he made later on in the storyline would be easier to understand.

One of the most interesting things about Connor was how much of a survivor he was. He had been the victim of an abusive relationship, and the negative effects of that experience still clung to every decision he made. I had so much empathy for him. More than anything, I wanted him to finally find the peace he craved so that he could move on from all of the pain that relationship had caused for him.

I’d especially recommend Beyond the El to anyone who has ever had to deal with a toxic relationship in their life.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Fight Like a Woman by J.S. Frankel

April 10, 2019 By 2 Comments


Fight Like a Woman by J.S. Frankel
Publisher: Regal Crest
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (167 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Meet Kyle Sorton, teen, orphan, living a life of no purpose on a space station. Occupation: janitor. Future prospects: none. His only dream is to be someone.

Anyone will do.
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Wish granted–sort of. An accident aboard his space station forces his flight, and his ship crash lands on an unknown world. Mortally wounded, he uses an experimental healing device called a Clavator to transfer his consciousness to the body of an alien woman. When he awakens, he discovers that this woman not only has special abilities, but that parts of her consciousness still exist. Even more surprising to him is the fact that his new host, named Rinarra, is married to Merat, another woman. She is understandably upset over losing her wife, and initially rejects the new Rinnara.

Confusion reigns, and compounding his problem of understanding his new form is the existence of a hostile alien force known as the Droogs. Large, purple, and utterly evil, Droogs care not about any lives other than their own. Kyle, who slowly begins to not only identify as Rinnara but also to fall in love with Merat, decides to fight the invaders. Windeeri has become a home, and she’ll defend it, even at the cost of her own life.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

Kyle’s character development was quite well done. He’d already been through far more than his fair share of tragedy by the time the first scene of this story began, and he clearly hadn’t been able to process all of it either. It doesn’t quite feel right to say that I liked this about him because of how sad this part of his history was, but I sure did appreciate the fact that he was still a work in progress. His unresolved grief over the deaths of his parents made him feel like a real person to me. More than anything, I wanted him to find closure there and at least have the possibility of living happily ever after by the final scene.

The world building was phenomenal. There are many parts of it I can’t go into detail about without giving away spoilers, but I loved the way Mr. Frankel showed the audience what life was like for Kyle and other average humans in the distant future. Their utilitarian lives were a nice contrast to the less technologically advanced but friendlier society that Rinnara was from.

Gender identity is a complicated topic. One of the things I found most intriguing about this book was how it explored what it means to identify as a specific gender, especially since Kyle grew up in a society that had the same exact expectations for men as it did for women. This lack of gender stereotypes had a very interesting effect on how Kyle adjusted to living in a female body after his accident, and I appreciated all of the thought the author put into how this character would react to this sort of change.

I’ve read just about every book Mr. Frankel has written, and Fight Like a Woman is by far my favorite one so far. It’s something I’d heartily recommend to fans of the science fiction and young adult genres alike.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Jaguar Rogue by Raisa Greywood

April 10, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Jaguar Rogue by Raisa Greywood
Shifter Mates #5
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short story (105 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

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We are stolen from under the noses of those who sought to protect us. My jaguar and I take… offense. Once those who took my sisters and me are destroyed, I meet someone who will change my life forever — and I’m not talking about a mate. A young woman makes me an offer I will not refuse. It’s the one chance I have of finding my family. It’s a bonus that I get to tweak my unwilling mate’s tail at the same time.

But my mate is going to catch up with me soon. I can’t escape him forever, and I’m not sure I want to. I just need to keep him at bay long enough to find my sisters.

Soledad has led her mate, Markon, on a merry chase around the galaxy, always one step ahead. Nothing will stop her from finding, and saving, her sisters. She has been an elusive character in the previous books, so I was looking forward to finally meeting her.

Although I love these books, I found this one to be too disjointed for my liking. It jumps about from one scene to the next, with no clear sense of who is ‘speaking’ until you get further into the section. For me, it only really smoothed out as it built to the climax, and then afterwards with Markon.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series so far, and I’m glad I have read this one. It just wasn’t quite up to par for me, especially compared to the others. This IS a series though, and especially for this book, you really do need to read the others first. I still liked it, and would recommend it. Just make sure you read the others!

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Caretakers by David Nickle

April 10, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Caretakers by David Nickle
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (28 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

“The Caretakers” by David Nickle is a strange tale about a group of people called to a meeting with their intimidating boss. The newest member of their organization is not so sure she wants to even be there.

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The use of bad weather to hint that not everything was going well in this world was interesting. I liked the fact that the weather became violent so quickly and that all of the characters seemed to immediately know that it was due to something other than an ordinary storm. This hint about what was happening made me incredibly curious to figure out more.

I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on in the plot. The characters kept referring to people and events without explaining their significance. This happened so regularly that I felt as thought I’d leapt into the middle of a novel instead of beginning a stand-alone short story. It would have been really helpful to have more clues about how everyone knew each other and what kind of conflict they were facing much earlier on.

One of the characters in this tale was consistently referred to by their email address because Evelyn, the protagonist, had never been told their real name and thought using their email address would be the most proper way to identify them. This isn’t something I’ve seen in any other piece of fiction before, and I read a lot! I was quite amused by this detail, especially since it popped up over and over again as the main character and her colleagues tried to figure out how to solve their dilemma.

The Caretakers should be read by anyone who likes to be kept on their toes.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

If it’s Easy by Carolyn McBride

April 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment


If it’s Easy by Carolyn McBride
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short story (16 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender
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When a Djinn is discovered inside an author’s computer, it’s only the beginning of the strange twist Coriander’s life has taken. Now she’s on the cusp of an out-of-this-world adventure with an exotic, beautiful woman that’s stolen her heart, and is offering to show her not just the stars, but other worlds as well! But trust doesn’t come easily to Coriander. If she opens her heart again, will she be hurt or find the love she craves?

The story starts out with intrigue as Coriander, a writer, and Piri, a female Djinn, are talking through Coriander’s computer. Piri promises her a happy ending, which she doesn’t believe. Then Cori meets the fascinating Devi at a bonfire party, and things heat up, with the promise of not-so-everyday adventure and romance. The two women become closer, and readers can feel the sensuality between them, with the author’s skillful words. It’s classy and sincere, a developing relationship encapsulated within the framework of a short story, and done well.

Cori has doubts though, and talking to Piri creates suspense. It seems Cori is damaged from past betrayal. Devi attempts to break through the walls Cori put up, and their interaction is tender and real. They bring up some interesting questions, ensconced in the mystical. Dashes of visual imagery enhance the story.

Unusual characteristics of both women are quite extraordinary, and this makes for a thoughtful tale. It’s a sweet romance between women who are also friends and well worth the read. I recommend the story for a quick and satisfying venture into romantic territory between characters who truly respect each other.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wild as the West Texas Wind by Jackie North

April 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Wild as the West Texas Wind by Jackie North
Publisher: Blue Rain Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full length (299 Pages)
Heat Level: Spicy (M/M interaction)
Rating: 4 stars
Review by: Dryas

Soulmates across time. Two hearts that were meant to be together.

In present day, Zach takes a road trip to Trinidad to find information on a missing friend.

In 1892, Layton Blue, outlaw, longs for hearth and home even as he treasures his life of freedom.

A freak rainstorm washes Zach’s car into a ditch, sending him back to the year 1892. Searching for help, alone and on foot in the middle of the nowhere, he crosses paths with the famous Ketchum Gang. Now the gang’s prisoner, Zach’s fate is to be sold at a seedy auction for whores.

Layton is put in charge of making sure Zach does not escape, but as the chemistry between them grows, Layton finds himself wanting to help Zach.

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A male/male time travel romance complete with fast rides across the desert, campfires beneath the stars, cool water in the desert, wild rescues, and true love across time.

This is a wonderful book full of great characterization and wonderfully detailed scenery. Zach is incredibly strong, although he is on the smallish size. On the first night, Zach learns how Tom controls his gang: through fear and violence. It was fun to see Zach stand up and he does not stand bullies. He lets Tom know what he thinks of him and as a punishment Tom held him underwater until he was half-drowned. That is why Layton is so drawn to him and wishes he could do what Zach does. From the beginning you can see the connection between the two of them. Zach sees the kindness and he can see the sadness in his eyes.

Layton is such a sweet character, he tries his best to protect Zach. I enjoy him learning from Zach that love can happen and dreams can come true. His only comfort was his horse Tam. Their interaction is so sweet, it shows how much love Layton has to offer. He makes sure that she is cared for before himself. He also taught her tricks and she will do anything for him.

Zach gets to see this side of Layton when they are forced to stay the Bell farm because Zach had gotten sick. The interaction of the three can’t help but warm you heart. My favorite scene is when they ride out to get purple thistle flowers just because Tam loves them. Layton learns from Zach how to love, how to pleasure another man, how to be brave.

Their relationship is a slow burn, each day they get to know each other and love a little more. Then there is the taboo of being gay back in that time. Layton is afraid for Tom or anyone else at the farm to find out how much he loves Zach.

One of my favorite scenes is when they are on the road to the inn where Zach will be sold, and Zach lets Tom know what he really thinks about him, telling him that he is a bully and that he is heartless. You can tell that nobody has done this to Tom before. He knocks Zach around and then Tom pulls out his belt to whip him. Yet Layton takes the punishment instead. This is the first times he goes against Tom’s wishes.

I can’t tell you about how beautiful the scenery is. It makes you want to go back in time just to see the wild west. The stars so clear that you can see them easily, and fresh water in beautiful rivers. Layton is the one to show how hard but beautiful the wild west can be.

There is one thing that I could change. I believe it could have been a little shorter. The scenes at the farm are wonderful but it does slow the story and lost my attention at times.

A lovely western novel with a sweet love story. The characters are well developed and the wonder of the west lays before you. A fun book and a great read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Finnegan’s Field by Angela Slatter

April 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Finnegan’s Field by Angela Slatter
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (41 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Finnegan’s Field by Angela Slatter is a dark fantasy novelette about a six year old child who mysteriously disappears for three years, only to return home just as mysteriously–but not quite the same. At least, not to her mother.

When we do move on them we are often pleasantly surprised by the outcome feeling more “connected” to something much greater. levitra prescription http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/english-bulldog/ A few examples cute-n-tiny.com purchase generic levitra of sexual crisis are erectile dysfunction, Anxiety, Relationship problem as well. On the central nervous, cardiovascular beneficial, hypotensive effect, but also diuretic, anti-virus, anti-aging, anti-tumor cute-n-tiny.com purchase cheap viagra effects. Thusly, before utilizing Kamagra Oral Jelly, please read the free cialis without prescription directions precisely. The only thing scarier then losing track of a child for three years is realizing that there’s something very odd about her after she finally comes home again.

Anne was such an interesting character. Her personality was well developed and three dimensional. I felt every ounce of her grief in the beginning and her anger later on once she got to know her daughter better and began to form theories about what might have happened while the girl was away from home. Seeing her personal development over time was fascinating, and it makes me want to read more from Ms. Slatter in the future.

There was one part of the storyline that didn’t quite make sense. It had to do with how the police responded after Madrigal disappeared. Officers interviewed multiple possible suspects, of course. What I didn’t quite understand was how they responded to certain members of the community who had shaky reputations for various reasons. While those people weren’t known to be kidnappers, I would have liked to see a more thorough explanation of how the police handled these folks. They didn’t seem to dig quite as deeply into those people’s lives as I would have expected to see, and that was distracting even though I enjoyed this tale quite a bit in general.

The plot twists in this story were quite well done. I didn’t see one of the major ones coming, and it chilled me to the bones in a good way. It was interesting to look back and think about the gentle clues I’d missed in earlier scenes, especially once Anne began to gather more and more evidence that her daughter wasn’t the same little girl she’d known before Madrigal disappeared.

Finnegan’s Field made me shudder. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys the dark side of science fiction.

Filed Under: Horror, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Burn by Helen Hyland

April 8, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Burn by Helen Hyland
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full length (267 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

5 EXTINCTION LEVEL EVENTS HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED. CAN HUMANITY SURVIVE A 6TH?

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She was relieved when they picked up more winners, and his attention shifted away from her. But the more time the group spent together; the more she got to know Nix… she began to suspect that the lottery wasn’t all that random after all.

It was nice to read a different idea of an “end of the world” scenario. I enjoyed all the characters, all of whom have their strengths and weaknesses. Tory is compassionate, stubborn, and highly intelligent. It’s interesting watching her as she figures out the puzzle of the lottery. The government had pre-selected those who have a high IQ and then those who would be happy to be a servant. The relationship between Nix and Tory is hot and troubled. Tory fights the attraction because her ex-husband had been verbally abusive to her. She does not trust men easily. Nix also has to fight his attraction, because it is against the rules to have a relationship between the military personnel and any of the civilians. Yet as much as they try, they can’t keep their hands off each other.

Tory is an incredibly compassionate women and takes the children they find under her wing. A perfect scene is when Victoria watches as Emma is forcibly taken from her mother. She fights Nix to see the girl and assures her mother that she would be taken care of. We also get to see the kindness of people, such as an elderly woman who gives out free coffee and doughnuts at Dunkin Donuts. Then there are the men who take advantage of the chaos, as she experiences. They are tasked to keep an eye on everyone, to make sure that no one fulminates rebellion, especially the lower class.

There is one thing that I think should have been changed. I don’t like the way the book ended. It was very abrupt, although I can see why that might have been done. It was to leave the reader in suspense and want to read the next book. To me, it was a little jarring.

All in all, a wonderful book full of great charters and an original plot. There is a hint of a mystery that needs to be solved and you are left wondering what will happen next.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Auctioneer by J.S. Frankel

April 8, 2019 By 2 Comments


The Auctioneer by J.S. Frankel
Publisher: Devine Destinies
Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (247 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Matthew Carter, eighteen and orphaned recently due to the death of his father, continues on the family tradition of auctioneering. It is not his chosen profession, but one that is thrust upon him by circumstance.

Offered a chance to make some money by a man named Baltarus, Matthew reluctantly agrees, and to his surprise, ends up on an alien star-port where he auctions off rare items from all over the galaxy.

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Life is good, but all that changes when he becomes a target of unknown assassins. Additionally, he is forced to sell a planet named Volarus, something that goes against his conscience.

Matthew finds out there’s more to life than making money, and races against time to find a loophole in order to stop Volarus from being next on the bidding block, as well as finding out the faceless killers who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

How would you react to a job that forced you to do unethical things?

The romance subplot was handled beautifully. I was pleased with how naturally the relationship between Matthew and Anarra unfolded. They spent time genuinely getting to know each other as individuals first, and that’s always something I appreciate in this sort of storyline. It makes the thought of two characters possibly ending up together for good even sweeter in my opinion than it might otherwise be.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to the character development in this tale. Matthew was a fascinating guy who’d been through a lot in his short life. As interesting as it was to get to know him, I didn’t see the kinds of personal development in him I was expecting to find. He had plenty of opportunities to grow as a person. I simply needed to see more examples of him doing that during the course of his adventures.

Speaking of characters having adventures, though, this book was full of twists and turns. Once I started reading it, I had a hard time putting it down again until I knew how everything would turn out for the protagonist and all of the folks he met along the way. One of the things I enjoy the most about Mr. Frankel’s stories is how much action he packs into his plots, and this one was just as exciting as everything else he’s written so far.

The Auctioneer should be read by anyone who likes adventurous science fiction.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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